Rendition of Psalm 53
Every fool thinks God doesn’t know, Won’t remember, wouldn’t dare Keep the tally of days gone wrong. So they let lies fall so thick, And last so long, and walk so free, They turn true. God looks for those who let Grief bloom bright flowers, Who let goodness grow root room, But he only finds violence Riding the cold claws Of inertia to a bloody ground. They let their souls go bird boned And bare as the limbs of winter— Split seam souls, sunless souls, Souls stuck in the sea’s throat. They string night on day on night In long, mad, gagged loops, And now barely remember What a free day felt like. The lost are like this. They wake to fear and sleep to fear. Their ghosts move in masquerade. They know something is wrong, But not what. They chew their way Through riddle years and console Themselves with hopes That come to nothing. God, rise. Raise us. Rattle us to bones. Break your seven-branched bracing light Over us. Shine in the dark And have done.
Psalms: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 54, 61, 62, 63, 66, 70.
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Photo by iuliu illes on Unsplash
This one would be great for the read-aloud project - lot of good-sounding lines and alliteration. Some great images here.
Wow! I love these lines so much:
“God looks for those who let
Grief bloom bright flowers”
I recently wrote a song with the same concept so that really resonated with me. Here are some of my lyrics:
“Honor every grief
Plant the shards like seeds
In the soil of Your great love
When it’s hard to hope
You make beauty grow
Say the best is yet to come”
So grateful for the work you’re doing. I believe in the need for Psalms and poetry for spiritual practice, and the power of lament to build intimacy with God.