Unbroken

It isn't polished by any means, simply heartfelt yet perhaps not blunt enough.

Unbroken

Why can I find no rest,
As my weary bones ache?
Where has peace fled,
Amidst troubled musings?

Shall worries ever increase,
Amidst lingering troubles?
Will my clinging to doubt,
Give weight to uncertainty?

I strive to move forward,
Ever pushing myself onward.
New challenges I seek out,
As old follies seek to ensnare.

May I never rest peacefully,
Under the shadow of Your wings?
Can I learn to trust Your Word,
And dwell upon Your promises?


~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2010 iWolff Ltd.

Location:Deck Ln,Burlington,United States

Poetry in progress..

I'd like to write more of this...but I'm not sure when I will. There are two different viewpoints in this poem alternating with the stanzas. Emotionally I want to go with the first, but logically I lean towards the second.

To see the future,

A dream so simple.

Erase uncertainty,

The end of worry.

Yet life holds more,

A greater whole.

The path uncovered,

Trust is abandoned.

Faith is not dead,

Comfort at rest.

Effort not wasted,

Anxiety in check.

Memories are fleeting,

In hindsight precious.

Even the painful,

Part of a mosaic.

I haven't written or posted poetry in a while...almost a year I think. I tend to write when I'm thinking about things quite a bit. It just doesn't flow very easily at other times.

~Matt

Yet more poetry

Well this blog has become quite irregular of late with little news, but I'm in a poetic mood, so I'm going to inflict more poetry on whoever still reads this, ;-). This is an older poem but one that I re-read tonight.

~Matt

The Divine Drama
Phil 2:6-11
(c)2004 Matt Graubner

For He so emptied Himself,
grasping after only humility,
to be a servant, to be a man.

Leaving behind the divine realm,
God came down to earth,
Son of God, Son of man.

Obedient even unto death,
can we not ourselves,
even palely imitate this?

Yet was not true honour,
bestowed on the Christ,
reverence to Jesus’ name.

Above all others is He,
the risen Lord of Glory,
as will all someday admit.

With Christ may we approach,
awesome throne of God,
our ultimate part to play.

Exalting, glorifying our God,
beyond the edge of time,
in His true realm forever.

Hope

Okay, I'm not sure this is finished, but I'd be curious to hear any reaction to this. I've been working on this for several weeks now--well mostly in pieces, but many of them finally fell together during Bible Study. I wasn't originally going to incorporate the spiritual elements or make it as obviously personal as it is, but it seemed somewhat fitting. Please tell me what you think of this poem if you read it. Let me know if it seems to be just a jumbled mess, or if perhaps miraculously it seems to flow and you can make some kind of sense out of it. Thanks.

Fire and Ice

Musings on Hope

(c) 2008 Matt Graubner

Hope feeds on ephemeral dreams,

- Building castles in the clouds.

It fuels our bright tomorrows,

- Promising days of bliss.

Hope denies the bleak façade,

- Always seeing a silver lining.

It outshines the sun and the moon,

- Suppressing the surging tempest.

Though I do dream the dream,

- I steal hope truly insubstantial

Vain dreams weave the fabric of life,

- I place my hope in my own strength.

When the Lord unravels the tapestry,

- I fear the dissolution of reality.

Vanity held seemingly so tight,

- Within the circle of affection.

An insubstantial thing of dreams,

- Only bound by fetters of hope.

The seed of dreams does sprout,

- Growing into a mighty tree.

Yet fruit plucked from the branches,

- In the mouth turns to bitter ashes.

Resting upon no firm foundation,

- Joy may wax but ever yet wanes.

When my dreams founder on shoals of reality,

- May He yet guide my feet onto His way.

The Lord should always direct my steps,

- So much more than my vain imagining.

When He destroys my house of cards,

- I should ever praise His Holy name.

The Lord gives and takes away in His time,

- All glory and honor are His in time.

~Matt

Episteme Denied

Episteme Denied
Enticing, Hope beckons with outstretched arms,
- A vision only seen through a glass darkly.
Does uncertainty yet reign supreme,
- Or has self-deception claimed the crown?
Does hope vainly feed upon laughter,
- May a smile conceal nothing hidden?
May dreams of hope ever come to life,
- Or shall haste ensure the death of dreams?
What price must be paid for wisdom?
- Desperately believing beyond what is seen.
Never will Veritas reveal a certain answer,
- Uncertainty will triumph in lieu of courage.

I like to write my poems with the second line indented, but Blogger won't accept this convention (hence the hyphens).

Main Entry: episteme
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a system of understanding or a body of ideas which give shape to the knowledge of that time
Etymology: Greek 'knowledge'

You may notice a similarity to earlier poems posted--it isn't exactly accidental.

From the Fire
Does a lie stare back,
- And whisper your name?
Does a lie softly promise,
- You will never be forgotten?
Can the truth be so painful?
- Waves of crashing agony.

Does the truth swiftly flee,
- From scrutiny and queries?
Does the truth sweetly smile,
- While saying nothing certain?
Can a lie be tolerated,
- Ages of slow uncertainty.

~Matt

I AM

I think I already have another poem by this title, in which case one of them will need to be renamed. However, at this time I cannot find the other one even though I thought I had all backed up on my PDA. I wrote this poem yesterday at church. The service included no sermon, but was a "concert of praise" including many songs and scripture readings. It really got me thinking, and this poetry was the result.

I AM



In the heart of rampant battle,

We bloody the image of God.

Yet He was ever I AM.



In the peace of calmest day,

We celebrate sin's depravity.

Still He will be I AM.



In the service of grateful praise,

We practice polished hypocrisy.

And He remains I AM.



In the midst of abundant blessings,

We ignore burning bushes.

Always and ever He is I AM.



He is Alpha, source of life.

He is Omega, perfect justice.

He is I AM, God omnipotent.

~Matt

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Poetry

I don't believe that I have published this here before, but if I have please bear with me. I was just looking through my poems today (which regretably I haven't written in quite a while) and found a couple of my favourites. They are free verse and just a tad engimatic. I hope you enjoy. The dashes indicate where the lines should be indented, but Blogger isn't fully cooperative.

Veritas
Beguiling, truth beckons with outstretched arms,
- Seen through a mist, can this be real?
Is duplicity concealed beneath the laugh?
- May honesty be mistaken for guile?
Does truth of another sort lurk?
- Colouring vision and perception.
Can a lie be in the seeing?
- Desperately believing more than truth.
Will resolution forever be elusive?
- As courage flees before the wind.
Does innocence betray the truth or the lie?
- Does self-deception battle Veritas for the crown?

Dragon Spawn
Does a lie stare back,
- And whisper your name?
Does a lie softly promise,
- You will never be forgotten?
Can the truth be so painful?
- Waves of crashing agony.

~Matt

Mañana

Tomorrow I have two appointments with temp agencies, one at 09:30 and the second at 14:00. Hopefully in between the two I'll have time to go by the agencies that I registered with here in Kentucky last January. I'm still hoping that other jobs will pan out--but if not these might get me something at least. And I'm certainly not adverse to a temp-to-hire position if I can land one. :-)

This poem I wrote a week ago yesterday at church. 'Tis an old habit of mine writing poetry during church sermons--I think I started it during chapel when I was in college actually. :-) Yes, I do still pay attention--in fact sometimes writing the poetry helps me to stay focused on the sermon.


Faith's Furnace

Burn away the dross,
- Sear the open wound.
Give to me O Lord,
- Your strength in me.

My flesh does strive,
- Against your Truth
Come to me O Lord,
- Your presence in me

Work through my life,
- Root out treason.
Live in me O Lord,
- Your assurance in me.

My mind will wander,
- Away from worship.
Lead in me O Lord,
- Your purpose in me.

Tear down my lies,
- Strike down the sin.
Grow in me O Lord,
- Your victory in me.

That is all for now, well, except that I haven't been watching as much of the Olympics as I would like. But it seems every time I turn it on I see ice skating or speed skating. Everything else I enjoy, skiing, hockey, heck even curling--but those two aren't my favourites. *shrugs* I still have a few days left to change my bad habits--especially with CBS only airing rereuns.

~Matt