In the quiet and the dim

In the quiet and the dim

In the sorrow oft within

Thou knowst me 

In the deepest place

Within the darkest realm

No other soul may know

Yet still thy presence 

And here thy love

Doth fill the void 

Of longing and belonging

In the silhouette of starlight 

Or the shadow of sunshine

Thy love divine

Tis always with thine

Own beloved

One

For when fears would grip me

Thy hand should hold me fast 

No trial present or yet past

Thy love and faithfulness can last

For when my foot

Had ere yet slipped

Thy love did catch me 

And carry me from harm

And though this world

Of things unknown 

Doth oft paralyze 

Thy love transforms

And breathes new life

Into this dead trodden traveller

So on towards thy way

And life this day

Where ere the clouds will fog

And bog the mind of sense

Let this hope be an anchor

To rest assure

Thy love alone

Shall carry

Through any drought 

Or storm 

-Joshua Lee Foist

Amidst the polka and the porter

Amidst the polka and the porter

My thoughts linger to where you are

For knowing you are far away 

Yet longing for the day 

When we might share a pint

Or if beyond the square

Who can know beyond a hope

And a prayer that somehow

You still a moment might share 

But for now while the band plays on

My thoughts won't be far away

From wherever you are this day

-Joshua Lee Foist

Oh how I have loved thee

Oh how I have loved thee 

In the quiet windows of my heart

Where no light can ere depart

The morning rays wash through 

The doubts and days of what

Had been

They start again

Like the warmth 

Of the waking day

As it melts away

The fog and decay

Of what was before 

On distant shores 

Where only hope can lie

My love and I 

Shall ever be

Where or when

Only God in time

Can know

While all the while

We wait and pray

Most expectantly

For though oft

We groan with

Inner longing

Of what might be

We know God

And His love

Which can rise

The faintest 

Soul above

All sorrow and shame

And fear and pain

Which all our lifelong

Hath sought to gain

That for which it 

Could not

For love 

It's cord 

Hath caught 

And will ne'er

Go

For its crown

Hath worn

The bloody brow

Of its beloved 

For His bride 

That she her virtue 

And her grace 

May always hide 

Within the wonder

Of His holy face 

To look upon the face of love

And know there is no

Other thing on earth can know

Beyond the glory of this one

Who gave His only son

That love would give the greatest gift

To broken bride and groveled groom

There is no greater love than He

Who broke through tomb

To tell the love of Him

Once dead

To make alive

His broken bride 

For all creation to see

The wonderous power

And glory of this beloved

Son of God

-Joshua Lee Foist

My eyes were glazed

My eyes were glazed

With a fleeting passion

That dared to consume

And ere it had been

A sure doom

Yet deep within

A power rushed in

Awoke me from my stupor

And spoke to me

There in my terror 

And fear of the unknown 

A guide to carry me

Through the wreckage

Among the carcasses

Left behind 

A pile of skins

Of once worn

Now their power from me

Torn and trembling I 

Was borne

From this wasteland

A life force stronger

Than I could imagine 

Was filling my veins

Breathing new life

Through my scars

And wisening me

To see a new life

For which I had often

Longed 

Yet knew not the way

Till such a barrage

Should come

And reckon me

Dumb

Yet not without hope

Amidst the aftermath of war

The path that lie before 

Now open to me

At last

To have come

This Eden emerged

And a joy within me

Surged

Another trial

O'ercome

Though many

Ahead

This day

Amongst the dead

Life was found

Anew

A respite 

For the soul

To carry it

Through the

Shadows ahead

-Joshua Lee Foist

Only of this bread

Only of this bread

May I be fed

For faltering 

My fears and doubts 

Have led

So often seeking

A substance far more toxic

And superficial

It takes more than it gives 

Yet thou art far more rich

Thy flesh far more nourishing

For thy wounds become 

My grafting sap of life

Far more than I 

My soul doth find

I find more wealth

In kind

Thy words thy only hope

I find in this drought 

For in the desert

I feed and find 

All my soul doth need

Thy words are life

Thy sacrifice my

Salvation

No other way but thine

So cling I to the vine

And drink full

Of thy holy wine

-Joshua Lee Foist