Tuesday, March 6, 2012

"Strange Procession"


I started this on the 28th of Feburary, and got it to this state a couple days later.  It's about the oddities of experiencing and explaining the Gospel - how much of testimony is in being instead of debating.  Let my God continuously teach me how to live a life that draws others to Him, a life in this "Strange Procession."


"Strange Procession"

I hear the drum. Ba-rum, ba-rum.
The death-march of the day begun.
I hear the trump's resounding cry,
A call for all to come, to die.

Fleeing, flying, come I near
This strange procession to see, to hear,
For the life I knew did not allow
For death to be its sacred vow.

That life I knew was full of doubt,
It knew nothing at all about
The type of men that I met here,
All these had lost, of death, their fear.

"Nay," they say, "it is not lost
But bought from us at extraordinary cost!"
Psh! The idea that one, for that, would pay!
I cast the thought, foolish, away.

Simple, they all did seem,
Claiming that someone would redeem
And then ask them to sacrifice
That thing for which he died - Their life!

But one came to me to explain
That no two men die the same:
"One to fears, another pride,
But all in one spirit abide."

As this made no sense to me -
I ignored him presently,
But turned my ear back to this weird crowd,
And listened as they sang aloud:

All sang of coming to see "the light"
Confessing wrongs and failings, not slight,
Pouring out praise with all their might,
And I started to think they might be right!

This whole parade and crew, though motley,
Had won my mind from me, entirely!
I turned to join their joy and learn more:
Took flight not knowing how far I'd soar.

For, up and away, over all I had built
High enough - my life was a square of a quilt -
And in rushed all the entirety,
The truth about life's eternity.

For now I know just how to die!
I know my voice to join the cry!
I know my answer to the drum!
My praise to sing while: Ba-rum, ba-rum.