poem for the prisoner

The day I wrote this poem, my heart was hurting for an acquaintance who had gone to prison. I had just driven over the top of a hill and the steeple of a beautiful white church was draped against a blazing autumn sky. The steeple pointed my mind straight to the God of the Universe who cares about my every thought. These are the words that came to me. I realized later that this poem could just as well describe the person who is behind spiritual bars.



As I topped the rise this late Autumn morn,
I saw a sight—my heart stood still
For there in majesty rose on that hill
A church, a steeple, a life reborn.

How does a person walking free
Express in words the colors seen
The blazing reds and fading green
To a person behind bars who cannot see?

I want my eyes to see for all,
My heart to express in words the artistry,
The myriad hues of God’s tapestry,
To see for those who saw before their fall.

I want my heart to feel for those
Who barbed-wire now a prisoner makes
I want to comfort for Jesus' sake,
The broken-hearted one who feels enclosed.

Please know that if for just one day
I would give my eyes for you to see
I’d give my liberty for you to be
Among society—walking free!

The sights you’d see, they would astound,
And you in words could portray to me
In vivid scenes that I could never see
Just how beautiful your life—now found!

Dianne

photo of leaves in my back yard altered in photo editing to resemble a tapestry