Peace

Written also at Beauty from Ashes. This poem describes the Prayer Walk in the grounds.

A haven of peace, away from life’s troubles,
Beauty, serenity and love is here.
Colours bright, and shade to shelter from
The storms of error, failure and despair.

Tall trees surround this haven, their branches
Shelter and protect, as if to enclose
Each life that yearns to tarry here awhile
And seek God’s inner stillness of the heart.

And set aside the burdens that they bring;
Shame, fear, regret, remorse, sadness and pain,
And countless other yokes that bring them down,
Longing to be free, and walk in peace.

To walk awhile, treading the bending path,
Its softness caressing their feet which brings its own
Sense of wellbeing, nurture, love and care
As the way of prayer is walked, unrushed and slow.

Soft water falls in the centre of the walk
To signify life-giving streams that heal.
An endless ebb and flow there to refresh
And quench the thirst and cleanse the wounded soul.

Where does this pathway lead, that gently twists,
And turns, as souls it’s simple course do follow?
No maze, no labyrinth is this, with paths
That lead to dead ends filled with empty space.

Those who have walked this gentle path have seen
The answer to their prayers, their hopes and fears,
And have drunk freely from the Spring of Life
That washes, cleanses and wipes away all tears.

Heartfelt praise and messages of love
Are scribed upon a single whitewood wall:
Adonai, King of Love, my friend my Lord,
El Shaddai, King of Kings and Papa God.

All these and more have flowed from grateful hearts,
Acknowledging the Author of Life, from whom
There flows the fountain of all hope and joy,
And most of all, eternal life and peace.