onto dry land
by Elizabeth de Barros
“Fortitude”
Acrylic on linen, 24 x 36, Kathryn Abernathy
Exactly when I sank I can’t say • Overnight, this stowaway lay sequestered • nine days silent • sentenced to the bottom of the ocean floor • Squid ink disorients the brain, I could not think • tempest set against me, no way of escape • Gravity led the procession (this imposition became the assignment) with crushing force, until my walls shook • Irony delivered its verdict: “In her absence, cords were cut, men came forth • out of her dilemma a stand was taken: ‘Struck down, but not destroyed.'”
What of these aching arms? • Better yet, how heavy is dead weight? • Good questions expose things like roots and debris to the material witness of stale courtroom air • flesh and blood are bound to fail, every breath comes from Him.
Quake, little mountain; roar on, billowing sea. Faith opens doors and my mouth utters this confession:
He is LORD, fear Him.
At last, this, my only offering: in yearning to go home came my remedy: “I have declared peace.” • spit out onto dry land • I’m picking up these bones as fast as I can • learning to walk again coram Deo • informed by this:
To live is Christ, to die is gain.
©2014 Elizabeth DeBarros
_______________________________
For further meditation
Jonah 2; 2 Corinthians 4:9; Philippians 1:21
finding the motherlode 
OH. MY. Word. God has so gifted you with words. So deep and beautiful.
Beautiful.
Powerful and humbling.
So grateful you are still among us to tell of His goodness, to use His gifts, to bless our days, to gift us with words like these. You are a gift to us!
Te quiero mucho, amiga hermosa.
If His disciples stay quiet, even the stones will cry out in praise of Him. No stones needed here – how He has raised you up to give you a loud voice proclaiming His glorious deeds! ♥
Liz, Some people have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome after what you went through, but you write eloquent, uplifting poems. So glad you’re back.
Welcome back, my sweet friend. To God be the glory!
XOXO!!
So blessed that it turned out, “To live is Christ.” Love you ❤
Thanks, all. So nice to know my poems actually get read!
I deeply appreciate your kind words of encouragement and for rejoicing in hope with me.
Your words are so full… of you in Him… they make me want to keep listening on and on and on…
Petra, it’s wonderful to hear from you! So many times I have thought of you, hoping to reconnect. Thank you for your encouragement. Poetry seems to be the tack I’m taking these days, the substance of much of my posts last year.
I hope you’re doing well and finding your joy in Him.
It feels good to reconnect. On the one hand I feel guilty for flipping in and out of the blog world (or any other world). On the other hand the places I have found myself in (even now) have wrought such a change and I’m glad to be moving and flipping, as long as I don’t flip out. At times I wonder, about the flipping out part – the lines get blurred between Him and me and I can’t tell if I’m fighting for or against His will. Hence, I too prefer poetry. Words fail me too often for prose or solid thought. Your hands and heart were made for it. Your poetry speaks volumes!
Only one word uttered from my lips — stunning.
Love you so very much.