Rescue - a wordwalk

Here I am, alone, unafraid

life’s castaway, sheltering upon

my own sandy shore, playing in wavelets, picking shells

and dancing on the tidal strand

I make my home with my own hands, a bower

of palm fronds, interlaced, sheltering

from sun and breezes, here I lie

dreaming my own forgettable dreams

Not seeing the thunderheads looming

in a darkening sky, upon the far horizons

Ah, how the air is chilled, a still silence

pervades the atmosphere, the bird calls hushed,

and nature waits

a crack of thunder heralds the

approaching storm

the lightning flashes far across the sky

and now

the mighty torrents whip the spray

of ages through my stinging eyes

I clutch

the fragile thatch that tears away

I grasp for nothing, all is gone and left behind

the wind, a mighty power lifting me

to dash on stones, I fear

my life is gone

lost

is there no rescue?

here in the dark, the lash, the cold, the old primeval fear,

I stagger like a drunken fool, no path

to guide my feet

stumbling night

then

a hand, a strong arm around me

leading me forward

firm pressure guiding, here

a sheltering cave

concealed with bushes, part them, come within

a tiny space in the storm, firm dry sand

beneath my battered body,

lay me down and breathe, deeply, breathe again

He is here, beside me

rest in the comfort of his warm embrace

arms around me, holding me close

He is here

and will never leave

He loves me so

my loved one, my champion, my strong protector

loves me so

and will shelter me in every storm

He will never let me go

Or take His loving presence from me

Beyond the storm

and into the quiet light

of resurrection

My rescuer walks with me

He loves me so

His name

is Jesus.


copyright Jo Collett 2010

( A few years ago I began to experiment with what I term "wordwalks" - narrative verse describing a situation or journey. These were  designed for visualisation and meditation to assist in distracting the mind away from pain or to provide an image to concentrate on in a hospital room. The idea was a result of my own experiences with cancer.)