Tracks -- follow them--
And you'll see my tears;
Further down --
My soul fades into
the natural scenery --
Dirty, soiled & ruined. . . .

However, it doesn't matter --
My life has never belonged
to me exclusively,
Everyone else has access as well.
I don't have ownership
of the bloody key!

Why? Because I don't belong.
I'm just a caged lion . . .
Defenseless, locked up,
Teased & humiliated
At others discretion.

I prowl forward & back daily,
Going nowhere speedily --
It's a fast ride to oblivion
On a dark, bloody, carousel
Merely for the crowd's amusement.

I can barely discern
A shadowy form
In the far distance . . .
Down a dark, smelly, tunnel
Full of horrors only I can see.

The figure is that of a man
Who has been debased,
Forgotten, neglected, and alone,
For countless centuries.

Everyone wants him there
So they have someone to blame
When midnight comes,
And they're unprepared
For the master's return.

What they fail to understand
Is that they are the Lord
They are preparing for. . . .
No one else is coming
To the empty kingdom
of preternatural gloom.

However, the time will
only come,
When they return to
the fallen, unremembered one;
To heal his wounds
and arctic sorrows.
Moreover, assure Him
that He was blameless.

In your thoughts picture Him
Turning away from the cross,
Hallowed again, at peace,
More than capable
of healing & comfort.

He is made strong afresh --
Able to complete
what He started
At the beginning
of His reign . . .

Call Him by His name, often,
So He will perceive you,
Hear you -- see you --
And finally distinguish you.

His name is JESUS:
Not Lord or God --
Those are titles only. . .
Furthermore . . . He won't
Be able to help you.

This is a road back
to the beginning
That I traveled on for years --
Seeking Jesus -- my Savior,
friend, lover & Teacher.
At long last, we are as one.
I am at peace -- calm,
& serene.

I feel content as I sit
By the still waters
Of my wildest dreams
Knowing that the race
Is almost over & done.

As long as I walk in His paths
And remember His name
for always,
I will be able to bring
the lost ones
From the outer darkness
Back to the Kingdom of Fire.



© Kris Bailey
1-9-24.