Now come to the crossroads of this our chance

Now come to the crossroads of this our chance
For ere we wait a moments glance
Fear the fires of romance
Should dance our dreams
To distant shores

Yet calm before
The tempest turns
Our wildest ambition
To this perdition

Hast come condition
Beside ourselves
For fear to fly away

The roads of risk
The fever brisk
That bubbles
Within

On where to begin
One way a sin
The other a scourge
Of tribulation

Where might lead
A declaration
Of temporary
Trojans or trecherous
Trials in time may
Triumph

The plow that picks
Through deepest rocks
And sediment

Ere tempted by the
Soothing sand of shore
That comfort and calm
A time

Yet this tremoring treasure
May be a momentry pleasure  
For the winds will come
And prove the sum
To be undone

Where bedrock seemed
A thankless work
Is perseverant pain
Did time to gain

For patience proved its worth
While plummeting the earth
Grew steady in time
To find its toil
Not vain

For testing proves
The substance of things
For faith is found
Deep in the ground

Where only hope
May carry a heart
That's weary of work

Yet in time
This treasure may find
A pearl more priceless
Than all the sands
Of the sea

To at last
Behold this
Glorious mystery

So wisdom
Doth guide
The unsure heart
And grant its deep
Longing

Belonging at last
Fairwell to things past
Now onward the way
At last

These crossroads have proved
A turning point
A signpost to guide

All others who wander
And hope there to find
The way of truth
That in time may
It prove the substance
Beyond all reckoning

-Joshua Lee Foist

We sat like this before

We sat like this before

You and I

While I'd wait

For you to walk

Through that door

Might again

It come to pass

That day then

Would it be our 

Last

I have known

Many friends 

Yet none compared

With you

You who

Took me in

From the first

While I waited 

For the moment

I debated

Should it be

Would it be

At last

And then

The moment past

Then again

Peacefully

We spent a time

Short sublime

Then the chance

Then it came

The letters 

They grew long

Till at last

Their longest

Stroke awoke 

A fear

You were not there

It could not be

So away

Away from

Me

Days past by

Then the seasons

Wandered in

From spring to

Winter

Then again 

Till at last 

The thought 

No more

Surprise

At last 

When least

Expected 

A flutter

A chance

No hesitation

Then a time 

Of bliss

The season

Of waiting

No more

We walked

Together 

You and I 

And it was

Spring

But then the summer 

And the desert

A mirage of the mind

And a longing

An oasis

Might I find

In this weight

And through

The wind

And the storm

My faith

In question

My hope remains

Through the doubt

Through the pain

You will come again

And then

In time

Will find the joy

Of once we knew

Save now

This time

Hath grown 

Hath warmed 

To the bone

No more alone

For now no doubt

We are home

By His grace

This dance begins 

Where we embark

Who can know

Save the stars

Of night

And the faith

We share 

Will stead us

On from the dark

To the dawn

He shall carry us

As always

Through the waiting

And debating

Steadfast

-Joshua Lee Foist

In this my heart shall not avail

In this my heart shall not avail
In this my frail form shall sway
When dark give birth to day
Ere the fluttering words
May thine ears
Alone say

Thy will oh God
Not mine
Thy cross is all
My only home

My journey
Tis muck and mire
Yet sorrows
Or terrors of night
Should bid

My hope
Lies on
Upward
To thy glorious
Dawn

When ere at last
Shall wake
When heavens
And earth
Shall quake

With great exuberant joy
Hath come at last
Hath come

For here our burdens lie
Beneath the shadow
Of thy sacrifice

It's emblem
Cut upon our souls
To drive us to our knees

For in the company
Of our disease
We dare not go

We know
No other path
Divine

Nor ere so
Narrow nor
High the climb

Yet here the way
Depart if ere
Our heart be
Whole

And yea
Tis whole
At last

Where ere
We breathe
Deep full
Thy grace

When we look full
Upon thy face
And know
The wonders of
This place

This man of sorrows
Quenched our fears
And suffered more
Than all our years

And answered all
Our deepest prayers
We had not courage
To pray

-Joshua Lee Foist

Let ere the silence speak

Let ere the silence speak

What words our hearts

Would long to seek

Of trials and trimmers

That trouble our members

Come taste of this

Thy healing ways

Come along the winds

Of anxious days

The groanings of our frail fears

That wander to and fro amidst the years

Only this our prayers do know

Thee will ever feed our souls

When all our strength be gone

And in faith and fear we look upon

Thy ways unsure

Yet sure remain

For thou hast felt

And carried our pain

Deep calls the drought 

Of these seeds of doubt 

Yet hope prolongs

This pilgrim tune

Where time shall prove

Our fear remove

When faith shall 

Pass through fear

And doubt

Shall calm the seas

Of raging misery 

And peace

Becomes our one

Release when all

Our ways surrender 

To this thy one

And greatest splendor

Thy joy thy trial

Hath borne

On our behalf

For joy awakens

In the deepest 

Depths of our demise

And looks us full and free

In the eyes 

There is no fear in this

For love hath caught us

And spared us of our loneliness

-Joshua Lee Foist

Let us not leech our way through life

Let us not leech our way through life

Through all it's hardship and strife

But let us love and serve

By which we may preserve 

The way of grace which works

Through every humble deed 

It knows it's greatest need

And bleeds its soul to heal 

For pain is the only path to recovery

The great discovery of life

Lies in the service of others

Therein we find sisters and brothers

A home in the desert 

An oasis for the soul

Where we release control

And surrender to the power

Of serenity

When at last our own depravity

Has found it's deepest gravity

At last we come awakened

To the joys of the rising sun

The world around us

And life has just begun

When at last we give

Of ourselves to everyone

When we find this present peace

In this one extravagant release

A hope hath found its harbor

And rest beside the sea

-Joshua Lee Foist

Patience be my guide

Patience be my guide

Perseverance in thee may I

Oft and always abide 

Though the burning hours

May flair and fade

May my heart

In thee always

Be stayed

Who can know

What an hour

Or day may bring

Yea hope may handle

Anything for love

Knows no other way

Yet faithful to wait

And to pray

This it's constant ally

For no other thing

Can comfort

In the drought 

And doubt

Of the passing fog

That bog the mind

To wander its ways

Of faith

For when practiced

It's pattern proved

All doubt be removed

For hope shall always remain 

This it's constant refrain 

When love has

All things to gain

Can heal the wounds

Of loss and pain

For it gave all

To save

That which once lost

May ere yet again

Be found

-Joshua Lee Foist