Finding Faith – A Poem

Fate was my captor and held me prisoner; / it accepted no excuse and would hear no plea, / the Good Book said if you hope to break its shackles, / Faith will set you free.

But before I could accept the Lord, / I must hear his word and touch his face, / a sinner, cynic, a product of the street, / I left and journeyed from place to place.

I crossed vast oceans and scaled great mountains, / in search of the so called King of Kings, / I spoke with the inhabitants of ancient lands / of this and many things.

But none could help, and most would say, / “you’re foolish, come in from the rain, / the Lord is spirit, not flesh and blood, / your search will be in vain”.

Alone, dejected, I knew not where to turn, / and decided no longer would I roam, / that it was all wishful thinking and a waste of time, / and so finally I turned for home.

One bright sunny day, I stood before a cathedral, / great clouds surrounded its towering spire, / and I thought perhaps this a sign from the Lord, / although foolish it may sound, so strong was my desire.

I raised my arms and looked up toward heaven, / and called out, give me a sign, hear my plea, / people passed by and shook their heads, / but no one answered me.

I was stricken with grief, and wondered, / was I destined to live in turmoil and strife, / a victim of temptation and the power of fate, / was this to be my lot in life.

Then one day I came upon this storied old church, / it seemed to beckon me enter and pray, / but suddenly a stranger all weathered and bent, / stood and barred my way.

His face was scarred, and his eyes, / had seen the very worst of time, / in a desperate and pleading voice, he begged, / “brother can you spare a  dime”.

I was angry and disturbed at the intrusion, / said no and brushed aside his plea, / but as I neared the church, an old priest appeared, / and said, “Where’s your compassion and charity”, and remember His words “what you do unto others that you do unto Me”.

He said, “The hypocrites pray, and shout hallelujah, / and profess how much they believe, / and on bended knee they say their prayers, / but then in life practice to deceive”.

He said, “You are held to account for the life you lead, / and must atone for your sins and those you offend, / without compassion and love, faith alone, / will do you no good in the end”.

“And faith is not something you can see, hear or touch, / it is spiritual and comes with a bill, / and payment is not in material things, / but trust and acceptance of God’s will.

He said, “faith demands service toward others, / you must be of good heart and sincere, / and know God is in the poor soul you shunned, / or you will not find God in here”.

I said father I’m lost and seek forgiveness and peace, / and thought in faith would avoid damnation, / my flesh is weak and my spirit weaker, / please help me to find salvation.

I asked father please, will I ever find faith, / hear God’s word and touch His face, / the old priest smiled, placed his hand on my shoulder, and said, / “first open your heart, and receive His grace”.

He said “When you enter His house, get down on your knees, / and confess your transgressions and sins, / the Lord will hear and grant you forgiveness, / that’s where your journey begins.

He open the door and then spoke these last words, / “life can be cruel and can break you, / and in its wake, leave shattered hearts, / but pray and persevere, and the Lord will hear, / and one day you’ll be stronger in the broken parts.