I was looking at the Poetry and Psalms class offered this summer by Western and getting pretty excited about it, and when I told David about it I was reminded of another poem I wrote for my Old Testament class at Western back in 2004.



Its about Quiksilver County Park- I used to run there more, and there was always this dichotomy between leaving my walkman at home and running in Quiksilver, or taking the walkman, listening to very shallow pop music, and running around the streets near here. That's where the music themes come from. Here's the poem.

Quiksilver

This place is holy
There’s moisture on the grass
The trail is muddy and it smells good here.

Far from the maddening crowd
There’s sunlight on the oak tree
The picnic table is empty and alluring.

In this quiet place I hear praise
There’s bugs humming in the air
The shrubs are close and thick.

My temporal life is now below me
There’s only the splendid deep sky
And the broad hill scape painted with setting sun.

You walk with me in the cool of the day
The air tastes good on the way down
And the path is smooth and wide now.

I want more Everlasting and less fleeting
The hills are stacked with different shades
The lake is deep and quiet, the air still and full.

Why do I ever choose noise over this silence?
What else restores me like this communion?
Who have I in heaven but Thee?

Now I’m far away from all the other voices
I worked my way up this hill to hear Yours
You speak in the vast, rich speech of Your glory.

Can I stay here? Must I go back?
How can I bring this stillness back down?
I want no song but the one I hear now.

Batter my heart and open my eyes
Loosen my grip on that which is passing
Prepare me for Your courts of praise.