Gert Strydom, 2 june 2014
My Lord, I do believe
that You do bring healing and rest
in the times of silence,
that You do continually hold Your hand over me
and are travelling ahead on the way
to set things right.
My Lord, help me to believe more
and to trust sincerely.
Gert Strydom, 2 june 2014
I have given my heart to you,
and did bind myself
more unconditional than wisdom does want,
did lay myself down in your hands
and now my whole existence have been extradited to you
as if to everything you are the core.
as if significant meaning is only to be found in you.
Gert Strydom, 30 may 2014
Far too long I have wandered in the darkness
were blinded against Your cobalt-blue sky
and now a promise radiates out of the spring,
suddenly all of life is coming back.
Oh Lord, let I become holy in You
and forgive all of the mistakes of my youth
while Your healing pours down with the rain,
and free me from each iniquity,
make Your decrees my greatest joy.
Lord, make Your decrees my greatest joy,
before the first leaves of my life fall,
help me to live again, to be happy
even when the worst thunderbolts fall all around me,
help me to only notice Your love
to find refreshment, pure happiness,
teach me to constantly faithfully serve You,
to live with the trust of a child
before the years of old age do devour me.
Bring Your living rain to my existence
before the years of old age are able to devour me,
change the destroying stormy wind,
lead me to a companion, to the one,
who can understand me, the one who can bring happiness,
help me to find my way again,
and my poems to honour You,
help me before I die from discontent,
Lord, take notice of my life that is wandering.
Gert Strydom, 30 may 2014
(after Luis de Góngora y Argote)
I saw the prettiest girl in town
standing alone a the pier, looking at the sea
where the love of her life had drown
and from life she wished to be free
with tears in her sparkling blue eyes,
as the love of her life was gone
and days with sparkling skies
passed and still she sobbed on and on:
“leave me and let me be,
to cry alone at the sea.”
Nights and days slipped by
and day-by-day I saw her
watching the seagulls fly
clasping her hands together
and she said nothing to me
but at times her eyes caught mine
with a message in them while she kept her own company
watching the rising sun that was the colour of wine
“leave me and let me be,
to cry alone at the sea”
and I left her there in tranquillity,
wishing her to find harmony
but still in my mind
stays the girl at the sea
and now it feels as if she is beaconing me
calling every night and day
and from her voice I cannot be free
and she sounds pretty and gay:
“come to me, come to me,
I am waiting for you at the sea.”
[Reference: “La Más Bella Niña” by Luis de Góngora y Argote.]
Gert Strydom, 30 may 2014
Today you are beautiful,
more pretty than on any other day
and if you want to find fault with these words
then you do not see how I see you laugh.
Today you are lovely to me,
more noble than any flower
and on such a day I thank God
that you do surprise and astonish me at times.
Gert Strydom, 29 may 2014
My Lord, today I do realize
that sin is a living reality,
that iniquity is present in my whole being
as if a union with the darkness
is hardwired in me from the beginning.
I ask You to come and live in my heart
and that You do become a living reality to me,
that you show me Your presence in the small things
and that You do shower Your blessings over my life,
that I can see Your presence daily
so that You do become much more than just a maybe.
Gert Strydom, 29 may 2014
Your penetrating glance does silence my words
when it goes far beyond the surface
and here I have got to deviate from my own will
when you take me to an unknown space of time,
to a place where people still believe in love
and do swear true to each other for eternity,
even do reach past every inability,
to find something much greater
than the pain coming through the years,
and where I do learn to again try and trust.
Gert Strydom, 27 may 2014
(after W.H. Auden)
They had fled from him,
some for their lives from his sight,
had fled from his might
and now it felt only like an interim
as with his bloody big machines
he had turned against himself, trying to destroy his kind
and suddenly there was light that shines
naturally and no sign of him they could find
and it was a day of rest as there had never been
with beauty and tranquillity that went on and on
and they thought that man would never again be seen
that he and his implements were forever gone
but the fun had only just begun when a shot rang out
and a man appeared with a gun, using it clear and loud.
[Reference: “The Sabbath” by W.H. Auden.]
Gert Strydom, 27 may 2014
My Lord, my friends, family and acquaintances
are not bad but they are only people
and even our best deeds and conversations
and sometimes our desires and wishes
brings separation with You
as if a kind of darkness hides in every human being
and sometimes it feels as if I do not really fit in
when people want to do things that they do know are wrong
but probably it had been like this when You did dwell upon the earth
and now I ask You to help me to stay constantly true.
Gert Strydom, 27 may 2014
When love comes into your life
then it’s something with an own kind of beauty
and love at times even brings peace to strive.
When love comes into your life
there is something great in having a wife
and you are astounded by her and do feel free
When love comes into your life
there are times of sadness and times when you are happy.
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