New Dance of Life and Other Poems
by Alexis Ragan
NEW DANCE OF LIFE
But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” — Luke 8:54
She lays there, lifeless,
not knowing the slumber
she would enter would be
eternal, the internal whisper
she felt reassuring her this
would not be goodbye.
She sighs her last breath
into sleep that would keep
her from this earth until
Life Himself stood beside
her bed, the end, He says
into her ear, is not here yet.
Taking her delicate, cold hand,
He asks, Child, may I have
this new dance of life?
Her answer came in the
jolt of energy given to her,
as if she sprouted wings
and hovered above the floor.
There is more, she exclaims,
as they waltzed, to this life
worth living! That day,
this very girl tasted life again,
that day she was reborn.
MUSIC TO BLESS CHRIST’S EARS
If I am to know that this melody
will touch the ears of my Maker,
then I will want to make it sound like:
a rushing stream of gladness at mid-day,
the soft whistle of wheat in golden hour wind,
the cool crickets breath in the chirping night,
the chime of raindrops hitting a hive of leaves,
the swishing of a horsetail in the fields,
the gliding of water in slow motion,
the jubilant tune of a child’s laugh,
the sound of the shore at midnight.
And in the entirety of this symphony
may it play in the background of my breath,
my slow beating breath where inhales mimic
waves and exhales tell the world that everything,
just maybe everything, is going to be ok.
CARRYING THROUGH
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. — 1 Corinthians 13:12
No longer a blueprint, but a building,
she stares off into the distance
and wishes no longer for the plan
but the surprise, no more for the
destination but the ride, knowing
life’s greatest treasures are tucked
in things such as natural laughs
and homemade meals from scratch.
She knows what it takes to carry through
although she’s not yet been through
what will shape her to be true, still
the crest glistens as if to communicate
the presupposed dream land that exists
only in her head, she longs to leave this
place behind, chase the tide, and
settle down instead.
There will be journeys that require one
to follow the secrets of the wind,
a kind of life lived simply expecting
nothing but hair that flows, hands
that hold, and a belief in the One who gave breath.
She stands at the edge of her imagined castle
and feels a weight off her shoulders now…
All I need now, she whispers, are wings,
wings to carry me through, all the way
through, to you.
ALEXIS RAGAN
Alexis Ragan is a creative writer, convinced that art serves as a powerful window of worship that helps lead humanity back to God’s heart. As a seasoned ESL instructor who is passionate about global missions, she one day plans to blend her love for writing and teaching for the sake of God’s great commission. She is the founder of Vessels of Light.
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