And now of beauty may we speak

And now of beauty may we speak
For here our hearts have longed to seek
Such splendor and grace
Upon thee often do we trace

Within the winds
That warmth suspends
Its gracious coat
Doth wrap us in

The fragrance of a distant rose
May cleanse us of our former woes
The taste of fresh found fruit
Tis sweet and succulent to our soul

The touch most tender
The feeling so soft and smooth
As silk should surround us
And welcome us in

Yet these wonders in themselves
Merely tease our troubled hearts
For they speak of a glorious art
Of which we only know in part

We wish to live inside the dream itself
To be one with it and a part
Of that which makes it shine

And these are but a taste of the divine
Those things that ought to turn our hearts
To where the source of sunlight shines

A rich and fuller place than this
A deeper and vaster expanse
A wonder beyond shall draw us in

If we will but let its wonder in
And cast our crude
Comparable counterfeits aside

And come towards the light
Of that open door
The hunger our hearts have longed
For but a taste more

Tis better than anything
This life hath known
For it is the source of all things
Once before and yet once more

For all we know of beauty
Tis but a drop from that great
Ocean of wealth

Where once life for us itself began
Twas wondrous to behold
In those days of old

When man and God
Didst walk
Astride

And there was nothing
Between of which to hide

Shall soon again
That glory know
If we will but humbly
Withdraw and go

Into that land
That place
Where life again shall be

That wonder beyond the sea
Where all unknown
No more a mystery

For we shall live
In that eternal place
Where God and man
Once more shall be
Face to face

-Joshua Lee Foist

Inspired in part from C.S. Lewis's:
“Glory as Brightness, Splendour, Luminosity,” from The Weight of Glory

Of this my heart must confess

Of this my heart must confess
I have known thee oft in loneliness
Thy melancholy heart doth feel
Despite the wintry chill
It seems the days they come and go

Whether the spring or the snow
Will ere begin to change
In time perchance
The doubts may turn to dreams

These hopes and longings still
May someday in time
Come true

How oft I wonder through the haze
Of glorious sunrise
At beginning of days

Yet what round the corner find
So pessimistic my demise
Doth take its place
As my disguise
Of hope of longing
In your eyes

Tis feeble and folly true
To all too often think of you
And yet I do - I do
Of this I can't deny

And yet I often wonder why
Seasons come and go
Yet some things never change

Will my heart cease to beat
As once before
When you no more
Come walking through
That open door

Too much invested
Too many sleepless nights
Unrested

And for what
Tis not all of life
Found in this

Though joy is found
In momentary bliss
And we remember this
Yes, remember this

But not long may we
Grow old shall see
The days grow short
In time

Long after this rhyme
Hath past
Sublime

Twill know a love
That's always true
A love that once
Perchance
Thought I found in you

And whether here
Or some far off place
I trust will find
Us in thy grace

Where time seems
To stand yet still
And all of life
On earth
Lost its thrill

The will to live
To dream again
It hopes beyond
The world of men

And looks yet far
And farther still
To that long awaited
Place

Where hopes fulfilled
And tears replaced
With joy and grace
To carry on
Beyond the dawn
And close of day

-Joshua Lee Foist

And if tomorrow never came

And if tomorrow never came
Could I my burden bare
To tell you what's inside
How to cast away my pride
And let you know what's there
Could courage shroud despair

There are times so oft
When longing seems forever
And patience though a treasure
Too long to measure
Is tempted by its pleasure

Yea virtue must remain
If all thy sorrows
Yet before and evermore
Should come this day
None could fill the void
Save one

Tis he who says when all is done
For him and him alone
Who sits upon the throne
No earthly home can compare
Yet wipes away he every tear
And all thy fear
Tis gone away
When cares are cast
And all is past

A love for none as he
Can know
No earthly form
Could so adorn
No richness find
As the divine
For in all darkness
His light will shine

When night is turned
To day
And all thy sorrows
Gone away
Shall come shall come
The rising sun
Rising in his glory
Come
Shall rise he in his glory
Shine
The man, the God
Divine

-Joshua Lee Foist