Sunlight brushes breathlessly over the horizon

Sunlight brushes breathlessly over the horizon
Drop by drop it descends down the mountainside
Slowly yet steadily it fills this void of darkness
Quickly consuming all blackness that stands in its way

So breaks the dawn into the day
And so steals away the dark to the light
No more stars and no more night
The day has broken with the morning light

Oh come and wrap yourself in its warmth
Let it soak through your skin and warm you within
Gone is the cold of night
Now full the day and bright

So begins the day
And such a glorious one
The beautiful colorful rays of the sun
Shining down upon everyone

-Joshua Lee Foist

A chance at meeting

A chance at meeting
This heart that is beating
Wondering still
Wondering will

Maybe twill be
Maybe we'll see
Yet life is still
A mystery

Not one moment can be seen for sure
Not one moment than before
Waiting with anticipation
Waking with surprise
As you open your eyes
To some glorious realization
It could be

Why toss it aside
For chance
Or romance
Ah, a distant glance
And let it go
It's all for show
They'll never know

Don't hide beneath
Your riddles and rhyme
There's always time
To reminisce
Don't forget this

All moments are new
And this much is true
They'll always hold
As precious gold
Your glory inside

For twas you who made
Such emotions as pride
Or love
Twere all of
Your creation

Each has its place
In all of time and space
Oh, but hold not long
On any one thing
But gaze instead
On its creator and king

For tis he and he alone
Who is worth everything
Not bride nor brother
Nor any other
Can give so fully as he

For tis he who loves
So perfectly
And if he is good
Will he not also give
Such gifts
And desires
That will bring us closer

To Him who is able
To give this and more
May we always
Long for and only
Adore

-Joshua Lee Foist

I was wide-eyed with anticipation

I was wide-eyed with anticipation
My heart did long with great expectation
For what might come of this destination
In this time of brief association

What could be
What uncharted course
Could be found upon this sea
All was possible

So soft and sweet
Was the touch
That held so much
Whom might I meet

So many prospects of fond imagination
All were candidates by some approximation
Yet I was naive in my desire
In my hope for some friendship to acquire

Too much had I staked
On this short excursion
And sunk deep
In its perversion

To give into this dream
And invest everything
On the chance
Of once found romance

Tis easier now
When removed
From its current
To see it for what it was

The desire was not in itself at fault
But rather the idea
Which I did exalt
To too high a position

I lost a sense of reality
In my flawed morality
This was my idol of satisfaction
Which could never be found
In some mere attraction

Oh how long think I
Must it be until I will see
The truth for what it really is
It remains unchanged

All the while still I am submerged
In a facade of frail diversion
Hoping to satisfy
What seems so long and void

Yet truly avoiding the matter of the heart
Its longing cannot be denied
For it is justified
From birth it has been

Yet sin has skewed its perspective
And drawn it away
To seek after a thing
A mere distraction
That brings short lived satisfaction

Oh take me away
From this endless play
From this false perception
Help me to see in truth
Its deception

Though I oft but fail
May your will in me prevail
That I may once more
Learn to adore
The Lord of the sea and sky

May I learn to glorify
Him who did love me
Amidst all my complacency
To the very end

May I seek after him
Who is both father and friend
For only he breathes life
Into that which was once dead
And gives it a hope instead

Whose foundation is secure
In that which is pure
And completely satisfies

For whether in life
One may find another
To share with it a season
There is still a reason to rejoice

For all great works once begun
Are completed in him
Who knew no sin
Yet bore it all
That we might know him
And find all we ere desire
Or hope or require
For all the ages to come
In God's one and only son

-Joshua Lee Foist

Here I slip away

Here I slip away
Amidst the passing sorrows of the day
None shall see from when I depart
Or know my return
Tis my glorious art
Of which they share no part

My heart is mine alone
I do not wish its contents to be shown
What if they did see
Perchance did catch me in my misery
Did catch me in my acts of obsession
I could not stomach their expression

What I do fear most
Is that they would see me
In my frail form
(Which alas is all too oft the norm)
That they should see my imperfections
My failings and short sighted perceptions

How I strive so hard for their praise
That they should glory in my show
And always see me so
But I care not for them to truly know
All the trials I undergo
They must not see
For fear they should think ill of me
And turn in contempt

Yet how I long for someone to know
What thoughts I feel
What sorrows I face
I wish to heaven someone
Would see it all
As plainly as I do
That somehow they might comfort me
In such toil and misery

What would it cost
To be so sincere
It is the thing I fear most
As much as I desire it
So too I retire it
For fear the pain is too great to bear
To bare one's soul
To shed one's skin
That another may be drawn in
To see it all exposed
To see it all for what it truly is

Oh come now courage
If thou wilt
And give me strength
To acknowledge my guilt
That I would not withhold
One single strand of evidence
For all is guilty
Not one bit is pure
All desire is for more
There is nothing here to adore

But if in such complete admittance
There be some hope in repentance
To wash away all the blackness that remains
Then come oh currents of cleansing
And wash me through
From within and without
Redeem me of all sin and shame
For this I ask in thy most holy and glorious name

-Joshua Lee Foist

We walk in silence

We walk in silence
Deeplessly gazing into nothingness
So we go on our way
Our eyes as glass
Reflect and refract
All encounters one might attract

So we tune out
All earthly life
And we get lost
In the mindless melodies of our misery
And we let no one in
For fear they might catch us
As we truly are within

Enchanted in our isolation
Distant from all relation
Keeping all feeling within
And all onlookers amidst our control

So we hide behind the words we type
Never engaging the thoughts that are raging
Always suppressing while keeping everyone guessing
What we truly think and feel
This is our skill
This is our mask
We wear at will

Yet you see through all the disguise
Through all the troubles and the lies
As one eludes in darkness
And is consumed by the light
So you see it all whether in day or night

Nothing is unnoticed
Nothing forgotten
All is seen
What has been
What is
And what will be
All you see
So clearly

Oh rescue me
From this prison
Capture me
Free me from these lies
And this hypocritic disguise

I long to look into your eyes
To be lost in such love
That will not criticize
For it knows all sin and shame
Its benevolence bore all blame
Though not looking with disdain
Still loving despite all pain

What fidelity is this
So costly
Yet honest as a kiss

Though many may strive and fail
This one thing will prevail
For what boundaries can defend
The love of a friend

-Joshua Lee Foist