Lily

An evil lurks outside the walls

Prowling, seeking one and all

Faintly, you can hear its call

When the lonely feelings start

“Come to me and let me in

I can be your closest friend

All the hurting soon can end

If you let me hold your heart.”

The walls of love can keep it out

Yet those within are drawn without

When hearts are filled with fear and doubt

That they will never quite belong

A simple joke, a single look

And all our confidence is shook

An angry word was all it took

When Lily left to chase the song

The woods were dark and filled with cold

The wind was whispering lies and told

The little girl that it would hold

Her safe from all that brought her pain

Away from those who didn’t care

Who didn’t need or want her there

She’d looked for love and found despair

The cold had seeped into her vein

Relief from hurting now had come

The whispering wind had made her numb

Belief in love was simply dumb

She watched the wind whip hope away

The shadows shifted in the trees

The warnings, distant memories

Seclusion's silence sweetly sings

As solace softly seems to say

“Here you are, just let me in

I will be your deepest friend

All your hurting now will end

I’ll lead you safe, just follow me.”

Insidiously crept the creature

Talons dark stretched out to reach her

Experience alone could teach her

Just how bad alone would be

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dreaded isolation beast

It snakes its tendrils toward the feast

When all our faltering hopes have ceased

Consumes our joy with silent jaws

It creeps upon us from behind

Dulls the senses, numbs the mind

And promises of peace we’ll find

Safely clasped within its claws

The twisted tendrils tranquilize

They suffocate the mouth with lies

Protecting us from futile cries

While slowly draining life away

The talons dark sink deeply in

Piercing through the tender skin

Invisible to eyes of men

The creature settles on its prey

With aching pain we come aware

Of shadows shrouding everywhere

We shake to wrest it from its lair

Obligingly, the beast retracts

But after struggling, soon we still

Convinced the pang was just a chill

It seizes back with subtle skill

The parts we now have let relax

The creature came; we let it in

We made the dark our deepest friend

We lost the fight we couldn’t win

Trapped within this catacomb

There’s nothing more that we can do

Deceived, believing lies are true

We can’t be reached, should one pursue

Should one attempt to call us home

Can any heal our blinded eyes?

Our darkened hearts which we despise?

Our ears, now deafened by the lies?

Can any rescue from the grave?

We ourselves are powerless

We’re doomed to drown in deep distress

We’ll die the death deserved unless

A greater love* can somehow save

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then in the midst of Lily’s plight

A blazing Love pierced through the night

Pulsing with power and blindingly bright

She feared the Love she couldn’t fight

Then straight towards the creature’s head

The light of lethal love, He sped

With just a touch the beast was dead

It burst to dust and shadows fled

He broke the lies that made her blind

Reality was redefined

And deep within her troubled mind

He spoke with words both true and kind

“I stand and knock, just let me in

I died so you could live, my friend

I bore your pain, absolved your sin

Take up your cross and follow me.”

And deep within that tangled wood

Her weary soul now understood

With none restraining her, she could

And with His Spirit, she was free**

Then tenderly (for she was hurt)

He raised His daughter from the dirt

And promised He would not desert

The ones He treasures as His own

He gently took her by the hand

Gave her strength and faith to stand

She then began to understand

She’d never truly been alone

His presence shone as bright as gold

His warming love replaced her cold

And as He brought her towards the fold

She found her frightened fears had ceased

With ninety-nine she reunited

All her family was delighted

Through forgiveness, wrongs were righted

Singing, they began to feast

“Faith to trust in unity

Hope for true community

Love, each opportunity

For only love can slay the beast!”

*John 15:13 **2 Cor. 3:17

Epilogue

And often did she recollect

When came her Lover to protect

And in Himself grant sweet release

Alone with Him in perfect peace

Deleted Stanza:

The love that she could not control

Broke through her heart and seared her soul

He slew her pride yet made her whole And ransomed what the evil stole

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

whew! what can one say?... rhythm and rhyme are held throughout .. at least on my first read .. it's melodious ... depth of wisdom, says i .. and truth is truth. You speak of the Light of the World ... my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ .. of that I am sure ... emotive story ... told in full says i! grateful you have shared
E.

[Aneto]

Thank you so much! Yes indeed, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the story and in my own life as well. So glad you were blessed by these words; they are a treasure and delight to me as well.

~Aneto~