His thick black fur rustles softly in the frigid wind,

He sniffs the wind carefully,

His senses heightened,

He smells something, something in the wind,

He knows this scent,

it has crossed the nostrils of thousands of his ancestors across the length of history,

This is no rabbit he smells, no elk, nothing edible,

In fact this scent brings the foreboding knowledge that meat will be lacking,

It will be difficult, his brothers and sisters will suffer much,

They will labor long and hard for their prey.

This smell upon his nostrils, this scent in the wind,

It is winter, long hard brutal winter,

Deep snow drifts, iced over ponds,

Prey desperately digging for the frozen grass deep beneath the snow,

Winter is coming, long, lonely winter,

He lifts his head and howls,

Across the miles his brothers and sisters join him,

Great heads lifted to the night sky,

Howling, Howling, Howling,

Winter is coming, long hard winter,

Long, lonely winter,

Beware!

A writing exercise asking for a poem regarding animals and weather predictions. It is said that he wolves howl long and hard when they sense a deep hard winter.

Peace With God

Peace, a much sought after quality,

Earnestly we seek it,

Always desiring it,

Can't seem to find it,

Elusive peace.

With God alone is true peace possible,

In Him there is perfect peace,

Total peace, perfect peace,

Heart soothing peace.

God is peace!

Only in Him will you find it,

Desire of Him brings it.

Beauty

Beauty surrounds me,

Everywhere I look,

All is grace,

Utter beauty,

Total awe,

You are an awesome God!

Hektor

Hektor is my big white dog,

Everywhere he follows me,

Knows my moods, senses my needs,

Totally devoted,

Only a dog,

Rare, priceless friend

Samson

Samson is silly,

Always questing,

Mischievous in motion,

Sniffing and digging,

Often a nuisance,

Nonetheless loved.

Summer

Summer is here in all it's blazing heat,

Ultraviolet rays burn the flesh,

Mornings are the cool refreshing times,

Murderous heat quickly follows,

Everywhere dry and parched,

Ravenous for relief.

Grace

Grace amazes me,

Radical grace,

Abounding grace,

Captivating grace,

Everywhere grace.

Morning

Morning has broken,

Opalescent sky,

Radiant the sun,

Night has passed

Ignescent rays stream forth,

Nearby birds sing joyfully,

God is present, God is good!

Bella's New Shoes

Bella got new shoes today!

Earthbound she was not.

Leaping into the air,

Lost her new shoes!

After we put them on again,

Settled in them she was.

New doggie shoes!

Efficient for walking.

Wayfaring shoes.

Shoes for Miss Bella,

High lifting feet,

Onward she goes,

Elevated steps,

Sassy Miss Bella.

WORK

Work calls to me.

Obligation beckons.

Resistance is futile.

Knowing this, I go.

STORM

Storm rolls in,

Thunder booms and roars,

Onstage the lighting dances,

Rain pours down in violent sheets,

Morning breaks fresh and clean.

TIRED FEET

Tired, tired feet I have,

itching to be free of heavy boots.

Red hot feet, tired feet.

Ecstatic at the thought of freedom.

Feet, sore, tired, aching feet.

Electrified feet, yearning for relief.

Eager for air.

Tired aching feet.

NEW GOLF CLUBS

New golf clubs,

excited husband,

waiting, waiting, to take them out.

Golf clubs shiny and new,

 outrageously priced in my opinion.

Loving gift bestowed on husband.

For his enjoyment and delight.

Clubs to replace those

lost to a thief

unknown to us

but God knows them.

So we leave it in His hands.

TREE SONG

Tree branches stirring in the wind,

rustling leaves, softly singing, 

enthralling music to ears that hear.

Eldritch song, creation crying out.

Song of the trees,

oft unheard by those with stopped ears,

nature singing to her Creator.

"God is worthy of praise! "

God Almighty is a Mighty Fortress

A beautiful Castle that shines brighter than the sun!

His battlements are impenetrable!

His walls reach into the heavens!

There is safety in His courtyard!

There is peace in His cathedra!

But alas I cannot breech His mighty fortress,

I cannot scale His towering walls.

Who am I but sinful dust?

Who am I that He, the Mighty Warrior would allow me shelter?

God Almighty shouts from His tall tower,

Enter in all who pay the price!

No sin may enter here, but he who is without sin may come,

He who has kept my laws may freely enter!

I am undone, I am like a worm upon the hot sand,

My flesh melts under the heat of His gaze, like wax from a candle,

I cannot stand before His might,

His sword cuts my flesh,

my sins flash before me,

no hope for me,

I shall die and return to dust,

forever outside His holy walls.

Who will deliver me?

Who will transport me to His cathedral?

Behold the Son!

He lowers Himself from the splendor of the castle,

to touch the dirty earth that binds me to it,

that holds me to the dust from which I was made,

He shouts out to the masses

Only death can pay for sin, only blood shed can pay your price!

The Son dies,

My sin the nails that bind Him to the tree,

My hand holds the hammer,

My heart is torn within me, like a cloth caught between the teeth of dogs,

The sky is darkened,

day becomes night,

The earth shakes like a mighty behemoth

A wall cracks open,

An open door appears before me,

But I cannot cross the chasm between me and the castle that is Almighty God,

The Son rises, clothed in splendor,

Nail scarred hands outstretch,

He lays down, stretched out before me,

A Mighty Drawbridge,

The light of the Castle that is my God shines forth from the open door,

I walk across, upon the sacrifice of the Son,

The Drawbridge that leads me home.

My debt is paid,

My sins are covered,

I reside in the Castle that is my God,

I dwell behind the shelter of His towering walls,

I have peace within His cathedral.

My God is a strong Tower, a mighty Fortress, a beautiful Castle!

    This Psalm was written as a writing exercise, my task was to compose a Psalm using metaphors to describe God.