Category: Uncategorized

COVID-19

No bullets or bombs and no weapons of war
No jack-booted troops on the march from afar,
No airforce that threatens our lives from the air
Yet the world's on war footing and we must prepare.

A covert opponent, clandestine, unseen,
Every nation now knows as COVID--19,
It cares not your status, your colour or creed,
It's on the attack and it's moving at speed.

You need to act fast to prepare your defence
And the thing you need most is plain common sense;
Follow instructions, keep two metres apart,
Isolate if you can, it's tough but it's smart.

These troublesome times many tears are being shed
As the nations worldwide are counting their dead;
Heartbreaking to all are the sights daily seen
As we battle as one against COVID--19.

How fragile we are in the face of this foe,
How quickly things changed! Where did normalcy go?
All seemed so at ease till this thing intervened--
Will we change how we think after COVID--19.


Vincent Lyons.

The Shadow

If the shadow is the substance
The reality is lost
For the Light that cast the shadow
Shone its brightest at the cross.

If you're worshipping the image
You are in an obscure place
And your light is abject darkness
If the shadow you embrace.

In the world of light and darkness
Without light you're walking blind
But the presence of a shadow
Means there must be Light behind.

I urge you, seek the Light-source
And the One Who casts the shade
And then you'll see so clearly
The part the shadow played.

For the shadow's not the substance
But it plays a vital role
When seen in right perspective
In the Light that lights your soul.

Vincent Lyons.

Firestorm to Flood

 The stifling heat, the smokey haze,
 Sweet smell of eucalypts—
 The land down under’s summer days
 Performing to the script.
 

 On distant hills the dreaded plume
 As speeding sirens blare;
 Ever-growing grey mushroom,
 Falling cinders everywhere.
 

 Hot northerly’s force-feed the fire—
 The eucalypts explode;
 Smoke and fames rise higher, higher—
 It’s catastrophic mode.
 

 With anxious hearts and bated breath
 We watch the fire-front grow
 Expanding fast in length and breadth
 Beneath an eerie glow.
 

 Against this monster’s grim advance
 The firemen toil in vain;
 They know they do not stand a chance—
 “O Lord, we need the rain!”
 

 Down to the south and westward too
 Banks of rising cloud ascend—
 Perhaps a change is coming through—
 “O rain, you are our friend!”
 

 Then from the south a sudden burst,
 A gusty cooling squall,
 The direction of the fire’s reversed,
 Its progress quickly stalled.
 

 A fearsome flash of blinding light,
 A massive thunderclap
 As day is quickly turned to night—
 The sky’s turned on the tap!
 

 The clouds burst on the charcoaled ground
 The hissing flames are quenched,
 The long-parched land in torrents drowned
 Dramatically drenched.
 

 From raging fires to teeming skies—
 Enigma we embrace—
 The paradoxes that comprise
 This vast divergent place.
 

 

 Vincent Lyons.

Progress

The by-products of progress are things past their use,
No longer the fashion we discard as refuse;
To landfills and tips are discretely assigned
Replaced by new items all custom designed.

There once was a time when we passed items on
To others to use but these days are long gone;
We'd rather discard with the minimum fuss
The things that we now see as superfluous.

I see in such waste metaphorical twist;
Will I likewise join the dispensable list?
Could there yet come a time when I'm out of date?
When someone decides "let us now terminate?"

Perhaps you consider me somewhat morose;
Entertaining such thoughts is to you rather gross,
And perhaps you are right, such will never take place,
I'm wasting my time meditating on waste.

The green garbage truck makes its way down our street,
I know that it's filled with all kinds of excrete;
Grim sound of compaction sends chills down my spine--
Has the metaphor morphed to malevolent sign?

Vincent Lyons.

Heaven’s Altar Call

There's nothing in this world that captivates me,
No enticements to compare with Jesus' love,
For the Spirit and the Truth that liberates me
Keep my longings firmly focused up above.

Yes, the world that God created is astounding
And there's beauty in all things that I behold;
All of nature is with eloquence expounding
On the One Who's the Beloved of my soul.

The sun, the moon and stars make proclamation
Declaring loud in every language known to man
That their presence is a lasting revelation
God's the Author of the heaven's lofty span.

There's no good in being enamoured by the splendour
If you're dismissive of the One Who is the source,
If you swallow whole the lies of the pretender--
At the judgement you'll be left without recourse.

The evidence is clear in all creation
Of the glory of our God Who made it all,
To every man alive a clear narration--
How do you respond to Heaven's altar call?

Vincent Lyons.

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,—-

Love of The Father

Love of the Father sent Christ down to earth;
Emmanuel with us by His virgin birth;
Wonder of wonders Messiah had come
Born of a woman, yet He's God's beloved Son.

Oh what a wonder! What a glorious deed!
The blessing to nations is in Abraham's seed;
Promise first given in Eden is done--
Love of the Father in Christ Jesus the Son.

Glory be to the Lord above
And glory to the Son of His love;
Ever praise His holy name
Giving thanks to God that Jesus came.

Love of the Father sent Christ to the cross,
Pure Lamb of God took the judgement due us;
Wonder of wonders as creation beholds
The Lord of all glory tasting death for our souls.

Love of the Father--Christ's precious blood shed--
The grave couldn't hold Him--He arose from the dead;
Love of the Father,Holy Spirit imparts
Life in abundance reigns in born-again hearts.

Glory be to the Lord above
And glory be to the Son of His love;
Ever praise His holy name
Giving thanks to God that Jesus came.

Wonder of wonders--His people conferred
Servants of Light through the power of His Word;
Wonder of wonders! No words can suffice
But "Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
Yes--"Glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ."

Vincent Lyons.