Buzzard Blog » Poetry

A Mother’s Poem

Justin Buzzard — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:31:53 +0000

My mom recently came across a poem she wrote in her journal 10+ years ago. She wrote this 5 months before being diagnosed with breast cancer. Here’s the poem:

Oh me of “little faith”, tossed on waves of doubt

Churning seas of fears, spin me all about

These anxious thoughts are silly God, you hold me in your hand,

But from my eyes these waves are huge, not safe like when on land

My vision it is flawed of course, you’re the same on land and sea,

Help me rest in your presence God, and in your care of me

Forgive my frail & foolish doubts, this little lamb is scared

Thanks for love, thanks for you and the future you’ve prepared

Blaze

Justin Buzzard — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:14:07 +0000

I wrote a simple little poem tonight, a poem-prayer about God and his guidance:

Come

Like Fire

Burn a path

forward

Blaze!

Hot guidance give

You must do it

Not me

You

Anxiety

Justin Buzzard — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:41:24 +0000

I haven’t written poetry in years. This morning I wrote a poem. Photo: A pond, dock, and cooler on Nantucket island. Summer 08.

ANXIETY

I quit you
False lover
We’ve known each other a long time
I can’t remember how we met

Has it been 30 years?
Did you promise me, or was it I who made promises to you?
You never deliver
False, faithless friend

I put my trust in you
Your reasoning made sense to me:
Worry about this, be anxious about that
Obsess and fret on these things
And all shall be well, figured out, under control

You liar!
Your reasoning unravels
You’ve lost your luster
I’m being wooed by a new lover

He speaks a better word
I couldn’t hear it before

Too drunk I was
Choosing to sip your sneaky cocktails
Making myself a god,
Usurping the throne
Your lying logic runs that deep

I quit you
False lover
A new lover speaks

“I tell you, do not be anxious about your life”

I was blind to the voice
I didn’t realize who spoke those words to me
“I tell you”
“I” ?

Who speaks this command?
Who issues this invitation?
Who dares?
Who can say such words?

Then I saw him
And everything changed

“I tell you,” says Jesus

“I tell you,” says the second member of the Triune
“I tell you,” says the One who designed me
“I tell you,” says the God-man, come from high heaven to this anxious earth
“I tell you,” says the Savior who sweat blood for me
“I tell you,” says Immanuel, who is with me
“I tell you,” says Wise Christ, who knows all things
“I tell you,” says King Jesus, who reigns and rules over all things,

today and tomorrow and forever

These are his words
“I tell you,”
“do not be anxious about your life”

Jesus speaks against you, anxious Anxiety
I have a new love
A new lover
He has taken my trust away from you

Anxiety, I quit you
False lover

Batter My Heart

Justin Buzzard — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:51:41 +0000

This morning I prayed one of my favorite poems, John Donne’s Holy Sonnet XIV:

Batter my heart, three-person’d God ; for you
As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp’d town, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but O, to no end.
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy ;
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

John Donne: Holy Sonnet XIV

Justin Buzzard — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 04:27:00 +0000

One of my favorite poems is John Donne’s Holy Sonnet XIV: