Let not this dimmed light cease

Let not this dimmed light cease
May it strive within and without
To give this heart peace

When falling in failing
All conscious near spent
Renew and restore
Carry once more

Though all the weight be lifted
As to but blindly gaze
Eagerly with anticipation
And faint final hope lies
Beneath the blinking of eyes

Thy truth cannot lie
Thy hope shall not die
Thy peace is but pleasant
Ne'er passing

It comforts the most distraught of heart
And breathes a freshness and fullness
Of days yet to come

While mind is numb
And all striving seems dumb
Thy strength is sewn
In the inner parts
Of desiring hearts

Breathing new life
New love
Patience to endure
To persevere yet more

For eternity lies
But a hand breadth apart
And hope shines the path
To a more glorious art

Awakening to a time
Where all thy sorrows cease
And purpose is found
In all things round
To glory in
The creator of men

-Joshua Lee Foist

The world wears a mask

The world wears a mask
That pleases and presses
Promising Nothing
And taking everything
All for desire
Deluded and dead

It teases it toys
With minds
It joys in their jealousy
Tis selfish and sickening
Ever quenching the truth
Once trusted in

Released and ravished
I find at last
Tis all a lie
Before me

None holds true
None but you
And you
Would you
Remain still

The demon has left
And rotting remain
This glorious stain
Unrecognized in shame

How can anything good
Be found
What hope lies beneath
What purpose lies
Within such a disguise
Of sin

Yet you rush in
Without a thought
Or care
You love with a love
So rare
Unfair
Tis seen beyond
What one deserves
It loves for
The sake of love
Itself

Such love cannot
Be raped of worth
All beauty behold
It must remain
None can defame
It shall ever be

So rush to your arms
Unwavering still
All longing
All thrill
All joy
Is still

Within this love
None can endure
To remain
As before
All broken
All formed
In failing
Prevailing
This one
Is true
This one
And only
You

So to this first love
May none other compare
May none other take place
But thine and thine alone
In grace
Till in time
Shall see thy face

Till then in faith
Shall follow
Faithfully
For all the moments
That remain to be seen
Endure

-Joshua Lee Foist

All for you

All for you
May it ever be
When none other can
Truly see

What pain
What guilt
Where ere my heart
Hath spilt

So there you remain
In my loneliness
In my sorrow
Constant and comfort
Abound in you

In these moments
I "create"
You are there
Giving breath
Giving life
To each movement

When in failing
Or in wailing
When in joy
And gladness
Through them all
You remain
Steadfast

How ere this breath
May last
You always
Shall remain

None can see me
As you do
None fully
Understands
All that you do

When world escape
And heavens quake
You carry me
On the clouds above
You shield me
In your love

As I fall into your arms
May I rest
And rejoice
That you
Indeed you
Shall never fade
From view

Earnestly I pursue
In all things
Desire I you

And at every turn
Still my heart doth yearn
And always there
Before the thought or prayer

I stumble and surrender
All is lost and found
On this solid ground
Twill remain
For all eternity

-Joshua Lee Foist

And to the rain

And to the rain
That settles down
From up in sky
To down below

How it washes
And cleanses
Gone away
Is the stain
That once remained

May not a cloud
Linger over
This troubled heart

But make a start
Towards that which
Is but a short span ahead

So bathe in thy wet expanse
Glory in the joys of the dance
Let it soak deep within

Showering over thy skin
May it refresh thee
Amidst thy torment
Long kept within

Yea, thy washing
Brings renewal
And in it
Some hope

For what can stop thee
From falling from the sky
Dare one stop to ask why

It shall come
And thee must learn
To let it do its work

Fight it not
For if thee do
Twill be in vain

So then remove thy pain
When thou hath not the strength
To refrain

And let it wash
Wash away
Thy doubts and fears
And leave them
To yesteryears
Ne're to remain
With thee again

-Joshua Lee Foist

May what is seen in me be as a shadow

May what is seen in me be as a shadow
For what lies within
May they not see me in my sin
Though when they do
May they see thy mercy
Found in you

May love always be
Upon my lips
In my actions
In every waking breath
Whether in life
Or death

So in this day
May thy joy be seen
May what ere be perceived
Be believed
And let none be deceived

May truth shine
For all else is worthless
May all desire and longing
Be seen in this one purpose
To live truthfully
In a manner most humbly

So when one sees
There is no doubt
They see thy light within
For this canvas
Is but crude in appearance

So may it be
Transparent
May it bring hope
To the hopeless
Love to the unlovable
Forgiveness to the unforgivable

In all things
May it shine forth
That thy will
Be my will

And so till the end
Of these fleeting days
May every fiber of being
Give you praise

-Joshua Lee Foist

How ere this day begin or end

How ere this day begin or end
May it see thy blessed work in me
Though all around desire to be
Nothing of comfort or compassion
May this reaction in me
Be one of joy and satisfaction

When bitterness would knock
At this hollowed door
May I indeed ignore it
Though temptation should try
To be my ally
Even working in the midst of friends
May I break these bonds that tie me to them

All for thee
What ere the cost
Though its sting
May cost me everything
Trial is but temporary
Thine alone eternity

For sorrow cannot
Take from me
Doubt creep in
Ne'er sway me

Thine and thine alone
Shall carry me
In grief and gladness
Through the darkest madness

All shall prove thy worth in thee
None can find security
In anything other than thy surety

No earthly power control me
Death deny me
No fear I find thee

All tis worth the cost
When the cost so great
Doth take it all away

Then clear I see
The path before me
Steady on I shall go
None shall prevail
Ever with me
Through the storm
Through the dark
And through the morn

Thy strength shall hold me up
And I shall walk
I shall run
To thy kingdom come

My joy complete
When at last
I fall at thy feet

-Joshua Lee Foist

Yet as I journey out this day

Yet as I journey out this day
In the early dimmed day
May the silent morn
Grow in me a desire
That is born in you

Despite what troubles
Lie a short ways off
And though at times
They seem to overrun
This trough

None shall steal my joy
For tis you and in you
All things must submit
And all of pleasure
And wit
They are thine

So let the spirit shine
In this heart of mine
May he fill what is void
May I be overjoyed

In the wonder of it all
From early morn
To distant night
May all be pleasing
In thy sight

-Joshua Lee Foist

Now to thee oh blessed dawn of day

Now to thee oh blessed dawn of day
I pray thee might spawn in me
Some sense of creativity
Before this silent moon
Should fade away
I ask thee grant me
Some success today

As lines begin to form
In the early light of morn
And the painted canvas
Impressions make
May all these
Fallen strivings bring
A little peace amidst
The onset storm

For beauty in trial
Is most glorious
For it goes beyond
What ere it can
And strives in hope
Far greater than man

Yea rich and full
Is its sacrifice
Most striking
When all is given
In complete
Uncertain faith

For there indeed shall find
The worth of things
Beyond earth

And there in time shall see
Thy glorious sought mystery
Discovered for all eternity

-Joshua Lee Foist

Release oh inspiration

Release oh inspiration
On this thy destination
To give some sense of creation
In thy opening declaration

Fill this frustrated mind
With thy spontaneous wind
And catch within this longing
A welcome release of belonging

Revive the senses
With a breath of new day
That somehow might come
Fresh and new I pray

So with this in mind
Shall I begin this form
And rise within
The breaking of the early morn

-Joshua Lee Foist

Create in me a curiosity for the divine

Create in me a curiosity for the divine
That all hunger in me would be thine
That in all striving I seek
After that which brings honor
To your name

As I go out
May it be in joy
May it be with love
By which I employ
In sorrows I carry
In you may I bury
All that weighs me down
In these coming days

When creative winds should blow
May they surround and inspire
That their one true desire
Would give glory
To thine giver

Might it bring a shiver
Of delight
That would sprinkle
A droplet of hope
Of the days to come

For in these momentary trials
Truth passes near
And captures us awhile
It shows us a greater picture
More vast than ever we imagined

For what troubles are of today
Are soon tomorrow gone away
And we should hope (somehow)
They've brought us closer
To a heavenly view

Where a world once broken
Is made new
And the seasons remain
Warm and refreshing

Driving away the suppressing
Sense of wonder
That so long hath
Been kept under

To break free at last
And settle what's past
And spring forth
Into ceaseless tomorrows
Where sorrows melt away
Bring us to a brighter
And fuller day

For hope is on the horizon
And it grows closer
And fuller
And deeper than ever
It warms and renews
And reminds us

There are but greater days ahead
If we but press on
Through the trials we tread
And be fed
On that which shall never pass away
But will fill us more and more
Each and every day

-Joshua Lee Foist

How ere long must the night go on

How ere long must the night go on
And the sun cease to rise
Then open these eyes
Lost in a trance
Did dance in the morning light
Dawn of day

Ah, to awake from this nightenedmare
And stay the glorious day most fair
Sweet longing of life
Sheer shadow of night
Succumb to this slumber

Mere season adrift
Find thee a heart
To show some sign of hope

Long this noose hath held me here
How long shall strained breath remain
Tis easier to be done with it
Yet something inside denies me
No satisfaction in this quickened end

Yet, perchance in mild suffering
Find I a great strength not smothering
It grows stronger with each passing moment
As life seems nearer its end
This passive perseverance
Finds a yearning to endure

And so as I am caught
In this helpless state
May I deny all
Such wasted passions of weight

And rise within
The joy that saves
And will one day
Release these cords
And give me peace

Till then endure
How long this wait may be
And look on with joy
To what soon shall see
The greatest of all
Wonder tis found
In thee
Twill set this
Despaired heart free

-Joshua Lee Foist

Two minutes to land this happened pursuit

Two minutes to land this happened pursuit
In time to settle to ground in canopied chute
While all onlookers gather round
Float I here above the ground

Here I make my decent
In hopes I might leave a gentle
Footprint
How shall I remain
Shall I see the sun again

While I linger amid the wind
It catches me in its currents
And slowly I drift down
Down to the ground

-Joshua Lee Foist

Rest awhile oh wearied soul rest

Rest awhile oh wearied soul rest
For this risen one hath come to save
To all who see their need
To all whose hearts burn and bleed
To those who long for salvation indeed
Hath come, hath come in Him art thou freed

From sin and sorrow
Suffering tomorrow
All shall cease
When thou findest peace

In Him who knew not sin
Gave all to them
Who all did sin

Who all were drowning in the soup of sin
Desired, despaired, near death
Repaired, restored, in repentance, and reconciled
From all defiled

Now forgiven and free
Found faith in He

And risen, yea risen
And made whole
In Him
The Savior of thy soul

-Joshua Lee Foist