A Pledge, A Promise, This Ring

A pledge, a promise, this ring—
  A circle, eternal, unbroken—
Comprising the sacred, the common, all things,
  It silently speaks as a token.
 
A pledge, an oath, a promise, a vow,
  a fortified warrant of assurance and faith
  a covenant built upon "Thus the Lord saith!"
A commitment to continue till death starting now.

Two rings given and two rings received
  in covenant joyous and solemn;
Two lives now knit, joined in one, inter-weaved,
  in Christ now confronting the problem.

With this ring I thee wed, the husband as head
  as Christ is the Head of His Bride;
  the wife at his side, submit and confide,
And Christ's Love over all the Spirit shall spread.

- D. Benning

Meaningful Moments

Meaningful Moments.  Photo by Sherry Lynn

The clouds! the clouds!
   the wide expanse!
The green, the gray, and trackless reach,
   the covered line and reckless dance.

Oh the reck*, the fleck, the trek, and beck,
   The time and partition of the moment here!
See the green, the sheen, the unforeseen,
   The moments now soon disappear!

But silence dominates the scene,
   Presses round with deafening glare;
The birds, the duck, the wind and reeds
   Spoke whispers on the air.

My heart in hiding stirred and yearned—
   Exulted, tripped, resulted, flipped;
In pangs of longing for the peace,
   My soul pined as the sun slipped,

Slipped down behind a cloud o'er marshy lairs
   Midst sky spangled grandeur: flag, ensign, emblem, jack;
Reflective waters, pensive thoughts, and quiet hopes
   Mirror promise of everything I lack.

- D. Benning


* "reck" — worry, care or concern over.

Across the Valley

"Across the Valley" by Kim Loftis

Across the valley
  down past the dell
  down o'er the river
     Past church and spire and hill and vale
  down embankment to silver stream's sliver
     with glimmer and figure and echo's quiet whisper
  where tree encrusted islands dwell.

And on the hill that overlooks
   with rocks and rooks, storms and crooks,
       poised there as story from old books,
A chapel stands, as marquee grand,
   over all the land with brand and strand and band in hand,
With towering spire and look that shook
       and froze the hearts that heard that knell.

That bell, that knell, that metallic yell,
   That call to contemplate tomorrow—
The solemn herald upon the hill
   Reminding all of earthly sorrow.

Yet rock and block, stone and tome,
   Bid suppliants come and ponder the purpose of life;
Mid earth and sky, midst laughter and sigh,
   hangs existence on the edge as of a knife.

And above the clouds, the gray mist shrouds,
   and shields life below from sunlight;
But spiral points to a promise true
   and hope of eternal birthright!

This promise, this pact, this bond, this guarantee,
   This assurance of eternal compact—
Our God has spoke, His word unbroken,
   His promise true and He won't retract!

- D. Benning

I Contemplated Yesterday

Bayou Bonfouca by Sherry Lynn

I contemplated yesterday
   with ripples, breeze and clouds;
I pondered life and all that was—
   in mystery mirrored, unbowed.
  
I sat and watching the daylight ebb,
   flowing out to touch tomorrows;
In silence then I watched life wane
   and mused on all my sorrows.

But Life spoke "Up!" and "Look away!"
   To the sky I turned my gaze.
The sunlight voiced its quiet peace;
   while round me poured its gentle rays.

And therein found I solitude
   and nurturing balms of peace;
It's not the Past that holds my lot,
   but Future and its sweet increase.

So now I ponder my tomorrows
   with ripples, breeze and night;
The daylight ebbs but comes again
   with hope of coming light!

- D. Benning

An Altered World

Photo by Christopher Story

The hallowed halls, the sacred rooms,
  the special compass of the consecrated sweep of time.
The fetch, the stretch, the etch of bloom,
   the flourishing of life midst light and grime.

The hallowed halls, the walls, the stalls, then falls
   the ancient passage and the room once decked with gold;
Now spirit filled and crumbled round
   the old time visage whispers bold
         and cold with hold and life tenfold;
    Oh, have you told!
          this imagery of life untold.

The wispy light, the wavery forms,
   The spirited shadows of a time before;
The wavery light and transforming clouds:
    But light before the transformed light that warms.

That warms and roasts, and suns and toasts;
    That drives the life unto its morrow;
This life shall now, with meaning plow,
    Ignore the sadness upon its sorrow.

And all gathered then shall pause,
   shall cause with all its laws and grand applause,
       induce a breathing space, a time with life adorned with grace—
A pensive moment on our brief amplitude;
    a timeless moment of a fortitude
        a moment within a special place.

An altered world `tween life and light,
    dash and flash, breath and death,
An echo here and now of that which was
    and that which might yet come to be.
And here I pause to view and think,
    with hush and rest, ken and zest,
Knowing that the moment here is gold
    and tomorrow's no guarantee.

- D. Benning