Such beautiful,bombed-out battleships you are! Simply stunning! If nothing else I say rings true, I pray these words do: You are gorgeous! The way strength and pain intertwine in your eyes is reminiscent of sunrises, shining like God fused stardust and music and drew beauty from clay and made you! Yet you, are slowly fading away. Your fire Used to burn brighter Your legs strain from the weight of holding whole days with you, I pray these words stay with you. Welcome wounded warriors! Leave that sword by the door, Drop your armor elsewhere, we've come to help here, so come in. Forget your struggles for a bit, Let the weight of your mistakes simply slip away, You are safe here, so stand. Like God is your Father and He would split the Red Sea to get you to safety. Stand TALL. Like your shoulders are razorblades sharp enough to cut the glass ceilings you've built yourselves. Like palm trees are weeds to you and flying, Flying is easy! You just leap from really tall things and believe you can! Stand like your souls are unshakable, And if you let our Great Anchor aweigh, there's no storm that can break you We all know, Sometimes the waves are too large The ocean, too dark And we seem so far from home to feel known; Some days, we all forget who we are, Stuck on what we think we should be instead, like I'm not quite Dr. King a Jedi, or a dinosaur, I am a miracle. The seventh of six miscarriages 90% chance of down syndrome, born without a hint I believe in miracles You are a miracle! Light dances in your eyes like ice skaters Your glow is Aurora Borealis Train your eyes to see how important your now is We are miracles. Of vision and near-death experience. Of chance meetings and dead writers whose words still inspire We may sometimes take the hard-headed road But where we find ourselves does not define us. We were designed for more, Step forward. We have room to grow vast as oceans and galaxies So set these broken ships to sea. We're NOT hopeless. We'll weather this weather together and Sail these stormy seas. May hope and Holy Ghost hold us all And when our stories are told, may the records show The world wasn't worthy of our call.

You were burning up, weren't you? I saw the light of flames Licking at the back of your pupils Smoke pouring from your nostrils Bright glow in your throat I used to wonder how you could be strong enough to contain such a thing. But I didn't know that it would slowly sever the connectors that kept ya tethered to truth, That the receptors that would tell you things were moving too fast were being reduced to ash You weren't built to restrain that sort of passion You meant to keep this private But it was just a matter of time Before it would find its way Through your lips to that girl you kissed, She just needed a spark to start You both tried to hide it but you cant keep firecrackers quiet Even children don't play with flames. I already knew how it would end. The next time I saw you Your walls had burned down Eyes hollow Charred lips Coughing clouds of soot Earthquakes of hate shook you Continents crumbling Trying to fault her, running away. I don't mean to say so in such a sharp way, But you got what you paid for, Michael Next time, I hope you don't ignore the smoke signs.

If you are wounded And the pain won't cease And the gash don't seem to stop bleeding out Remember: There are 56 million white blood cells inside you feening for a fight, you are not alone. When your wounds are a little less literal and it becomes difficult to garner sympathy for your ache Make no mistake All of this is not darkness. Your heart is your hardest-working muscle and will keep beating broken; Your jaw: stronger than thighs. Your tongue sharper than knives, You have all the weapons you need so keep speaking; Let that light fly from your throat Train your eyes to see hope, no matter where it lies. No matter how you feel, you are still alive. It may feel as if you are fading, But your spirit is being renewed day by day: Even Jesus learned obedience this way. You are okay.

You were grins and jokes and laughter for the couple right ahead of me, which excites me Shopping is often too dull a process, and I like a good conversation. I reach the front of the line and ask how your day has been. You look right through me, expressionless and proceed to ring up my purchase. I ask once more. (perhaps I am too quiet) You punch a couple keys and tell me my total, still straight-faced. I resign. Hand you my pride's weight in green paper. You count it but I already know I have overpaid. You announce my change and hand back what I never should've given. Your eyes never reach mine. I thank you. My words, more plea than anything. You turn and address the next customer. I turn, heart in hand. my fingers clinching tightly Twitching with each beat It reminds me I am still music though you pretend not to hear I am brilliant hue though you pretend not to see In high school My best friend told me He did not see why people love John Coltrane Could not understand why jazz has such a lasting influence I guess he prefers Miley Cyrus.

She speaks like silence is voluptuous and unashamed of it And moves as if we invented symphonies simply to explain her Even the trees are stirred by her! They swoon as she passes through She's fair enough to launch a thousand ships and strong enough to sink them She may be full of hot air but don't dare speak it, Raise her temp and she's bound to start a storm You may come to see that there's no way to hold her, so just let her be And if you find yourself all alone outside one night She might just find you quiet and keep you company Most people take her at face value, Call her syncopated song chaotic because it can't be conquered But like all passionate women, she has her own sense of rhythm So there's no winning unless you go with her You'll get your mind blown trying to fight with a cyclone Just let her be be who she is. Let your kite to her Hang your chimes and build mills high as you dare I dare you, Try to paint with all her colors And without a care, she'll share All that flows through her. There is no owning her; Only reverence and synergy will reveal her "inner-me" Her name is Gale, Tempest, Zephyr, Sylph, Wind. And she's just like any passionate woman.

Whirlwinds wickedly whip with weapon-like wrath Wondrously, her calculating countenance concedes no contour of cowardice Contesting the effectiveness of the electrical eddy enveloping everything Elegantly displaying a deep-rooted determination to deliver daunting decisions devoid of dread, dooming darkness to decadence Dutifully, she cradles a crying child, casually creating a climate of contentment Continual fire-eyed faith freely flows full of finesse, formally fixing a feast for the fallen to feed on and flourish Forever seeking her savior, a sure source of splendid strength Her appearance is beyond beauty Her love: the epitome of prosperity Truly, her character gives her worth above rubies

Scared, scrambling for safety screaming obscenities As towering trouble attacks extremities of the tallest towers Everything emblazoned in an eruption of energy Even vigilantes veer from its vexing venomous villainy Still, readily I run, my rage raring for retribution

The average person will tell you we all share the same world, Each nation beneath the same constellations And One Sun to provide life, But that is simply what things look like; Any intellectual will tell you that the universe is functionally endless And if we were given an infinite amount of time to try and unwind its mysteries, We'd never find it's end. Any intellectual will tell you, Its design Does not surpass the vastness of our minds As similar as we are, you and I are still worlds apart. Your eyes are shimmering oceans while mine are sunrays breaking rainclouds My towers are your doorways My high dives are your stairs; Please forgive me if I stare: But I've always looked up to you, for your hearts are giants. Wait for hands large enough to hold them gently, and eyes wise to find forever in your smile. Find someone who reminds you of those oceans while you're crying them. I really hope you know, you are so sexy! Every one of you. And I don't even mean it like that: I say the same thing to passing butterflies and when I compliment mountainsides. In my eyes, sexy means you inspire awe That the deep in me calls to yours, That I appreciate you for all you are; and each way you are unique, I find beauty Yahweh scooped us up from dust, exhaled life and grinned; We make Him glad. YOU make God happy. If that ain't sexy, I don't know what is! Whether we are Picasso, Ferraris, or Fur Elise, Each of us is a masterpiece. And since sunsets, sculptures, and songs don't speak the same language, Someone invented speech So we can build bridges between each of our worlds; As different as our lives may be, We still share the same stars Each nation beneath the same constellations and One Sun lights the sky We are not alone here. Sometimes, we just need to hear it. But then again, any average person will tell you that.

You are so bravely broken, Eyes: Oceans of starlight and uncried tears, I admire you; Shifting all the shit you've seen to beauty takes it toll, But it'll take that type of sight to guide us home, You see like we all should. That no whole or broken exists; on this side, they coincide We know inside we are each: No one is complete. And you see this: Teach us there is freedom there That Jesus meets us in our weakness And you're unafraid to lead the way Your two-toned face radiates grace, makes no promise of perfection Accepts whoever comes before it, no exception. You grin like God, and your heart loves like Him. Your chest burns like a hearth Heartbeat steadies the stress in any head you hold close; Your hugs are homes Your arms; open altars How much healing has sparked here? How many tears have come seeking rest? How many quiet confessions gained breath? How many friends found their first safe place beneath your throat? I praise you. You love like the savior. Your arms are spirit bombs, built for passion and wars Your legs are jet-powered citadel towers built to chase storms Your engine burns relentless Brain processing endless; You spend more time listening and helping than sleeping, Keeping other people so far above yourself you forget you are there. Where are you? What are you doing? Where are your dreams? Can you really call this a legacy? Or are you so obsessed with fixing those other messes so that you don't notice your own? What's it all for? You poor thing, can't even see the man you've become, Look at yourself, see how few men are built in your mold: They are boastful and brittle Getting much but gaining little Growing old without growing up But what about you? Let your fists fight for hope and the beauty those eyes hold Let poems pour from your throat golden Know your bones are wielded in wisdom You are liquor, A malty black butterscotch; bold and balanced clean and complex. So drink to that! You are worthy! No matter what those voices in your head say. I know it's tough to see so just believe until you do God bless your irresponsible mess God bless your recklessness, Bless your self-indulgent lust and the trust it's broken Bless your open wounds and your never-fading scars Bless all the girls who have broken your heart Who you are today makes each one of them worth it. You are no savior to be worshiped You are loved too much to waste your life that way: Not everyone is worth waging wars for. And that girl will stay a storm if you chase her or not: You are not in love, simply trying to find a nice place to throw your life away and a wife who will let you do it. You are foolish, But don't be fooled I still believe in you, So bravely unbroken: Entire oceans glow in your eyes I wish you could see just how lovely you are.

I tightrope walk through chopper blades, limbs sent soaring in all directions Bloodbath in 1080p I'll bet You've never seen such joyful suicide; Such scarlet confetti Sinews strewn across sky Scent of Roman slaughter My irises, unchanging: Fixed forward like bullets flying Bursting with water and light I am grinning like jazz My heart beating Hillsong And somewhere, someone is reading the book of Acts as if it is fiction.

Nobody "gets" jazz music. The dance between form-fitting, intricate, bumble bee buzzing and Breezy, butterfly bouncing with seemingly no intentionality can be a hurricane for ears untrained. It speaks in tones the weight of globes to men lacking depth and strength Your notes speak straight to soul, No words needed I'm hard-pressed to find more meaningful silence than when I'm beside you Some days, No other language will do. And I still can't see how you bounce between butterfly and bumblebee so effortlessly Or dance every step of this hurricane you call "routine" so gracefully hiding So many silence diamonds and wisdom nuggets among them But I know no one else will do, You are riveting. I could spend a lifetime striving to understand even though I know I can't, But that's the point of jazz: You never get it; you just become one with it. Is there any greater privilege?

If I had to choose one word To sum up all the things in the world that are beautiful and truthful, noble, virtuous, just and pure, That word would be sexy. I'd say sexy like it was more than the obscene and raunchy things most people make it to be It would be the perfect word to praise how the right combination of warm sun rays and the sound of waves washing over the beach can lull you softly to sleep And as the rain would serenade us with its Miles Davis intricate melodies on our window panes, we'd name it's song "Sexy" Sexy is righteous sacrifice, something sublimely Christlike, like learning to be mighty yet meek Or trying to describe how liberty sounds through a saxophone mouthpiece I swear, she even sings when she speaks, so sometimes, you've just gotta stop and listen for her carefully. But you’ve gotta be quick to catch it Cause you might only see it in flashes Like last second Hail Mary passes with prayers attached or catching a quick glimpse at her from the corner of your eye as she goes by; sensing a slight change in the air before you're even aware she's there Sexy has a strong mind and arms to think hard and work smart, can handle hardship like it's no problem, I bet she'd make a great mom The calm center in a swirling storm of tempers using a single sentence to silence it Gracefully creating a climate of contentment where every tear cried dries quick There's something in that smile that chases them right off of a child's face and leaves him at complete ease. Don't act like that's only sexy to me! Sexy like Proverbs 31, she laughs at the future and the time to come That's virtue worth more than rubies True beauty Gold medals, when the dust from years of training settles Sorta like Michael Phelps. Did you know that he only swims, eats, and sleeps? That's so sexy! No brokeback. More like grown men who love each other like brothers and can say so without "No homo" But if they are gay, I ain't got much to say I'm not sinless, so I ain't trippin', we aren't so different. It's just that I've been redeemed; charged to create for love's sake They say it's hard work, but it's the heart's greatest art work, so sexy's expressed from the inside out. Sometimes it's a loving rebuke or a friend that ain't afraid to say that you're acting stupid It's the heartbeat of artistry, giving life to those who need it And changing destinies by spurring people to stand up on their feet, take their circumstances by the collar and make them opportunities Its taking the evil things people call you as compliments. Using the rocks they've thrown to build mansions with It's unplanned and unwanted babies growing up to change the world saying, "My God don't make mistakes!" Its apex Is heart-wrenching scars telling breathtaking stories It's holes in the wrists of a sinless King who would hang on a tree for the sake of His enemies Or ladies with hair made gray with wisdom who've learned to love the body that God has given them, Betcha they know that charm is deceptive, and beauty fades away, but a woman who fears the LORD is sexy and will be praised!

I've never seen anything so strange He couldn't hide the pride in his eyes or his sharp intellect and yet, there he was Dressed in a rag jacket laughing with a group of homeless menlike he was one of them I can't say I understand it Like doctors crying with survivors every time they couldn't save a life Or a cop shedding tears cause he shot a thief, what an odd thing! Like the time I went to a funeral where everyone danced while they weeped I've never seen anything like it I once made a kid give back the lunch he stole and the other one said he could have it What compassion! He called her a slut then she hugged him Told me he just needed love I earned the death penalty but my enemy died in my place It still doesn't make any sense Told me it's cause He loves me But I'm still not sure how much I love Him I know a girl abused by her brother and still says she loves him Like free men choosing to be slaves, not cause they're crazy Just wanna be all things to all men so some can be saved, It's amazing, We produce such strange fruit.

So it's safe to admit this is not what you expected. I am honestly unimpressive And none of us are experts, in fact On a scale of 1 to 10, this is 12 Tribes/ disciples One dozen misfits is all it takes to change the world, Ask God's people what this is This is gospel This is feet washing preaching This is war; Love like a double-edged sword This is the virtue in harsh truth, Hallelujah ringing from broken bones We are final becoming first Doves wise as serpents The meek inheriting Earth Blessed are the nerds, the misfits and all the kids picked last. This is for the stories you've never shared and the words you are still scared to say For showing the camera your bad side and knowing you are still worth getting to know This is for those of us no one takes time to get to know This is for every time you took a "no" straight to the jaw and kept going. This is rise against the lie that we are alone, unloved, unwanted. This is for your darkness For the mourning that has endured all night For the joy that comes in the morning that still hasn't come This is for sunrise! For swimming towards shore Though we may be unsure it's there For believing though we don't see, For the God who rewards those who seek and for the peacemakers who will see Him. This is for your first time singing in public, For your questions, your fears, and your doubts This is for first drafts for that poem you wrote this morning and are still wondering is this good enough? Am I good enough? This is to say you are. This is for telling the truth even if your voice cracks as you do, For honest questioning For admittedly being unsure. For the strength to admit you hurt, This is for courage. This is raising "open" over "mic" Choosing "ours" over "mine" This is laying down my rights for you. This is chasing Christ the most honest way we know. This is coming home.