Oh thee faint heart

Oh thee faint heart
Why so thou flutter within
As so thee gaze upon the world of men
For all of it and troubled by it
Yea as them too thee share in sin
Canst keep none from that which
Is buried deep in they skin

For thy longings
Thy passions
Dreams and desires
And earthen things
Of which thy soul aspires

Let thee not grow weary
Of the day to day
In its sheer simplicity
Yet may thee find its joy
And rest in this season
May thee by it be blessed

For thee know not of where
Thy journey may lead
How near or far
When thy days
Shall come to
Their end

Yet for that which is
Today
Strive then to live
To live in the shadow
Of the one who hath tread
Thy path partaken
Thy road ahead

Faithful is he
And sure shall see
No other traveler
Along the way
Canst carry thy load
As he

Not love of another
Of earthly measure
May forever fulfill
Thine every pleasure
For the treasure of him
Is sweet in taste
Its touch so tender
And gentle its grace

For love was fashioned
From his faithful form
Twas reflected in his example
Though in crudeness
The quality of thy counterfeit
May point in part
To his glorious work of art

So shall contentment be found
In him shall it abound
For whether thee may find
A pleasure of human endeavor
Or never shall know
Thy treasure is found
In that which shall surely
Increase

The richness, the grandness
The glory, the grace
Can scarcely imagine
Till forever face to face

Yet day by day
As earthly bodies waste away
That glory, that majesty
Shall calm thee, consume thee
And carry thee away
To lighten thy darkness
And brighten thy day

Shall steal thee aslumber
To thy resting place
Forever and always
In the comfort and care
Of his glory and grace

-Joshua Lee Foist

Ah for these few found quiet days

Ah for these few found quiet days
Where ere they come
To fix one's gaze
With bright illuminating eyes

The turn of tides
The shifting sands
Tossing and turning
Pond'ring and yearning

Light begins to burn
Through and stain
The colors that rain down
Pass through the leaves
Their life lives in these
As slowly turns the greens to gold
And orange to vibrant red
Till passing leaves it dead
When buff tis blown away
To settle in the ground
And no more to be found

In these passing moments
Dreams at times can fade
Thy currents once close at bay
Now cast thee out and away
Far they flow to sea
In time a mere'd memory

Yet as they travel forth
New currents come to cleanse
And wash away the stains
New life begins to form
And growth begins once more

A new chapter begun
Those former songs unsung
Yet not they ere forgot
Thy lessons they have taught

And with this new beginning
Now slowly taking shape
Begin to see the sun that shines
And warms our hearts again

Each season in its passing
Hath proved its promise true
Some days are harder yet to come
Still for the joys that each
Shall bring to one
Can endure to bear them all a more
And walk and run
Toward the light of the rising sun

-Joshua Lee Foist

There are days like these

There are days like these
Ah far too frequent
And not surprisingly
Find they in autumn

When the air grows cool
And the colors turn
Such glory to behold
To watch the leaves
From gold to gray

Yet for this day
Once more the melancholy
Makes its motion
And fills my emotion
With dismal dismay

As all so oft
Doth it steal me away
Look on these eyes set and full
Their waters lose control
And run they down
Drip drop
To where they stop
And settle in their sorrow

Yet shan't they shade me tomorrow
Thy shadows that sooth
Do so fade away

Tis all an act it seems at times
Can hide thy fears
And longings that truth hath told in thee

So alone linger they
The thoughts
That gather throughout the day

Once saw I
A light within thine eye
Didst shine so brightly
Before once didst die

For once in wonder
Did it look round
Thinking possibilities abound

To have found a friend indeed
To have found in thy greatest need

Perchance thy romance
As oft twas happen-chance
A dream a dance

But now the scene has changed
And yet again
Find we in this haze
Gaze within gaze
Looking out into nothing

For where may despair
Ere but disappear
Can all longing
Find some belonging

True there is one
Who can fill all these fears
Yet oft through the years
So distant and cold
Thy friendship of old

Seems miles of reaching
And where does it lead
Thy former sins
Amended
In time didst seem
Hath ended

Yet in thy sorrow
Oft think thee to borrow
But a bit of ease
To find something that might please

Why doth it often seem
Such things thy soul should require
Tis folly they know and foolishness true
Yet longing within longing
They haunt you
They do

Will it tonight
Once more shall it be
Pull out thy bottle
And drink of thee
Thy poison to nourish
And numb the pain

Nothing in it hath thee to gain
Only to forget and forget awhile
Only to dream
In horror
Somehow in this very hour
Shall find thy sorrow end
And solace shall thee find
Thy one and only friend

Ah no more
Plague with thee these thoughts
The weight too great
Should they debate
Thee to thy one true fate

Tis all an end
Tis all for thee
If only to be rid of it
If only to be free
Might thee find
Thy friend
Scarced human in form
Though truly
Such crudeness could cling
To carry within it a king
Him of whom can bring
Everything
And take away that
Which once had been
Thy sorrow
Thy skin
And welcomes thee in his kin
Yea welcomes thee in
Again

-Joshua Lee Foist

So long scarcely seen september

So long scarcely seen september
Of thee shall we oft remember
Though faded find thy fortune true
Fondly still think we of you

The passing moments had there pleasures
Thy brighter days filled with treasures
Cool came the breeze
That drew us in
Now shall we again
Bid thee farewell

Yet before thee depart
Know that in this troubled heart
Lies yet still thy momentary bliss
A season of this a season shall miss

So may thy journey outward
Be one of glory too
As that day in which
We received you

And so bid we
On thy way
May thy final rays
Bring us still
Brighter days

For summer hath ceased
And autumn released
In spender september
Shall we always remember

-Joshua Lee Foist

Leave thy worries to the wind

Leave thy worries to the wind
Where better there they may depend
Let not the rain thy heart disdain
For in it find thee not always sorrow and pain
Joy may yet shower thee in its wonder
For in thee may find thy friend

Let not thine eye catch thee by
Yet let it lie upon that which shall surely satisfy
Some in season shall thee know
And in season come that go

But what remains
Can never fade
Forever shall thee find
Tis one of a kind

A love yet lingering
Finds thee in thy floundering
And faithfully follows thee
Wherever thee go

Let not thy lusts disguise
Yea yet open thine eyes
To the great and wondrous surprise
Hope lies but a fairbreadth ahead

And there beyond
All wonder
Doth tread

-Joshua Lee Foist

Of august remember we the days

Of august remember we the days
How ere were they spent
Oft were busy
And lonesome went

Yet not all were they
So sadly sought
Yea some did steal thee
From thy momentary misery
And catch thee
In simplicity

For some spontaneity
Is borderline gaiety
In its former splendor
Long gone those days one
May scarce remember
When times were said
To be simpler

Yet still these days
Have their own glory
Of which we may yet praise

And so in thy near ended season
Hath joy come for its reason
Though not always clearly seen
Tis here to any and all
That seem keen to catch it
And let it in

Fair found friendship
Find we serendipitously
And so in it find we
Some splendid serenity

For not all things are in vain
That which we cannot gain
By our own merits
Are oft what need we
Most of all

And in hope
By them
The greatest gift
Could ever one imagine
To inherit

-Joshua Lee Foist

On these passing moments that remain

On these passing moments that remain
How shall one spend the time
May it not be in vain
As one watches the falling rain
Drift slowly down the window pane
Trickling down
Washing away the last moments of the day

Here in this place
One pauses to reflect
On what has been
Just before
And thinks on
That which could be
Yet still presently
Preoccupied
In the now
One cannot hide

So now to dwell within
That which is
And is (or may) yet be
But for the now
Of which one plainly sees
May it be profoundly
Purposeful

So as to remember it by
Whether tomorrow should come
Or pass one by
May these moments of certainty
Remain throughout all the days
That this life shall live

And so in them
Give the best
And the most
That as one is so blessed
May those round too
Be a part in that
Which is most
Joyously spent

-Joshua Lee Foist