Christian poems and poetry

A Broken Lullaby

by Belinda van Rensburg

Hush now, there now, please don't cry -
Mommy will sing you a lullaby
Of little lambs as white as snow
And twinkling stars that glitter and glow.

Hush now, there now, little one -
Mommy's here but Daddy's gone.
Now drink your milk and do not weep,
Dry your eyes and go to sleep.

There now, be still, whine no more -
You'll be alone so lock the door.
There's something good for you to eat;
Some ham and cheese and a sugary treat.

Please be quiet, let me be -
Mommy's busy, can't you see?
Read a book or go and play,
But don't bother me for the rest of the day.

Oh, come on now, whatever's wrong?
Why isn't all your homework done?
Why do you always lock your door,
And why don't you talk to Mommy anymore?

Oh, no, no, no! It cannot be;
My dearest one is dead, you see -
they found her lying on her bed
With a needle in her arm and a note that read:"

"Hush now, Mommy, please don't cry -
My life is broken and I want to die.
Where I am it's dark and cold,
And I wish I had your hand to hold."

________________________________________

The Winter Of My Soul

by Belinda van Rensburg

Unnoticed and oh, so slowly
A breeze is moving through my soul -
I've turned my back on all things holy;
Having fun's my only goal.

Increased in power; faster still
Winds are blowing fierce and cold,
Life seems empty; unfulfilled
As I amass and worship gold.

Tossed around on stormy oceans
Battered by relentless winds,
My soul's sickened by the motions
Caused by evil unseen fiends.

An arctic wind's cold, ghoulish claws
Grip my heart as black as coal;
Stained by all my sins and flaws:
It is the winter of my soul.

In the distance a bright Light;
I move towards it slowly -
Then I leave behind the night
And all things dark and cold and lowly.

I can see the Morning Star;
a new day dawns for me -
He removes each chain and bar;
Makes me whole and sets me free.

I can smell the Flower now;
Spring must be in the air.
To the Lilly and the Rose I bow;
Of Sharon and the Valley fair.

Beauty for ashes; a life worth living
Replacing that which the locusts stole;
My heart is filled with joy and thanksgiving:
It is the summer of my soul!

________________________________________

This poem is dedicated to a very special little boy in my life.

Angel Child

by Belinda van Rensburg

They say you're special; different; strange;
That you're unable to understand -
God's glory, power, love and might,
And that He holds you in His Hand.

Is this true, my little one?
Can you not know God's only Son?
Does He not live in your world too
When you do what it is you do?

You also cry, laugh, play and run
Under God's moon and stars and sun.
Living in your strange strange place
Your real self hidden from your face.

Yes, He loves you, angel child -
He loves you when you're mild or wild.
He doesn't care just what you do,
For He will not stop loving you.

The truth that you may never see,
Is that He died for you and me -
But you are special, pure and true
And He will always be with you.

_______________________________________

Lords of the Night

by Belinda van Rensburg

As the sun sinks behind buildings and meadows;
When darkness moves in and the lesser lights rule -
Lone figures scurry and slink in the shadows
Mangy and starving they search, sniff and drool.

During the day they rest and they slumber
Seeking a spot in the sun or the shade;
Once it is dark and the sun has gone under
They run in packs for protection and aid.

Shadowy figures; thin, supple and sly
Scavenging; searching from sunset 'till dawn -
So do they live, and so will they die;
Homeless and hopeless; forgotten; forlorn.

In the dark shadows they live and they roam -
Some with their friends; others alone.
Survival a struggle; a desperate fight;
They are the ladies and lords of the night.

Lost souls who wander the dark streets of life
Searching for answers 'midst crisis and storm;
Living lives filled with confusion and strife
Unhallowed spirits; hopeless; forlorn.

In the night's shadows they have made a home -
Some live with friends; others alone.
Wrestling against the Truth and the Light;
These are the ladies and lords of the night.

________________________________________

Yester Years

by Belinda van Rensburg

It is late; the world's abed
Only her window's glowing red;
She sits and stares into the flames
Recalling long lost friends' names.

Her hands are gnarled; hair silver gray;
Folks think she has not much to say -
They know not of her dreams and fears;
Her memories of yester years.

Locked deep down within her heart
Are those she has loved in the past;
Dearest ones long dead and gone,
Things that they have said and done.

Her fingers stroke her paisley wrap
Covering her legs and lap
As she travels back in time
To a day filled with sunshine.

It is the twentieth of May
And she's eight years old today;
Her family and friends have come
To celebrate and have some fun.

She's wearing her new sailor dress,
Touching gifts; trying to guess
What treasures could be hid inside;
Her eyes are bright; her smile is wide.

Her great-aunt Lena's gift could be
a book about pirates at sea;
From Uncle Sam a round beach ball;
from Mom and Dad a puppy small.

A Shirley Temple doll she'd like
As a gift from uncle Mike,
But what she would like most of all
Is a pony in a stall.

The sunshine fades; it's a cold morn -
In the distance brews a storm;
A war is being waged out there
And suffering is everywhere.

The sun's come out; love's in the air -
She's eighteen and without a care;
Tomorrow is her wedding day;
'I do' is what they both will say.

In her arms her pride and joy
And she dangles him a toy.
Dimpled cheeks; cherubic face
Surrounded by a cap of lace.

One memory fades; another comes -
One by one she thinks and longs
For her sweetheart, strong and tall
And her loved ones, gone now; all.

The fire in the grate burns low
And she knows it's time to go
To a place better than here;
Void of loneliness and fear.

Her hands stop moving on her lap;
She seems at peace; taking a nap,
But if the truth were to be told:
She's young again; no longer old.

________________________________________

The Angel of Block 10

by Belinda van Rensburg

The Angel of Death in crisp uniform;
A skull on his cap; his eyes laced with scorn -
Whistling an aria he gets to play God
While he directs this macabre façade.

Deciding fates with a sweep of his hand;
None who alight comprehend what's been planned
For those selected to go to Block 10;
Guinea pigs for one of Hitler's henchmen.

Hunting for twins amidst the arrivals;
Being a pair could mean their survival.
They're sent to his lab; Romani and Jew;
They might pray for death before he is through.

Young victims of Mengele's human zoo;
Innocents; children - the chosen few.
They call him Uncle; he takes them for rides
Before he dissects them; tears their insides.

Doctors look down upon them in disdain;
Subhuman objects to study and maim.
This mock'ry of science is just a disguise;
Endeavours to back up the Führer's lies.

They aim to build a superior race -
Their dream; our nightmare; a crime; a disgrace;
It's nothing but slaughter – thousands die here
Afflicted; butchered each day of the year.

Doctors ignoring their small victims' pleas
While they commit their nefarious deeds.
Mengele stands with a gleam in his eyes
As he injects theirs with blue-coloured dyes.

Needles; syringes for blood transfusions -
Dreadfully devised mass executions.
He conjoined the twins, Nina and Dieter;
Stitched back to back; it could not be neater.

In Auschwitz Birkenau life is dirt cheap;
Bleak, broken bodies are stacked in a heap.
Suffering written on each starving face,
Robbed of life's blood in this infernal place.

The dark angel rules this kingdom of death;
A demon who sucks up innocent breath.
Cold walls imprison their screams and their fears
Whilst Heaven looks down and weeps holy tears.

__________________________________________

Give and Take

by Belinda van Rensburg

I'd like to share this pearl of wisdom I have found with you
For through the years it became clear that it is indeed true
A wise old friend of years gone by sat down and talked to me
He said that not accepting help is life lived selfishly
That give and take is what is right; a balanced life is best
For the giver and receiver can then both be blessed.

Pride is something which quite often can get in the way
Of asking or accepting aid should we need it one day
It is difficult to ask for comfort and for prayer
For saying we are weak and much in need of help and care
But oh! the blessed relief when we've at last swallowed our pride
And find a brother or a sister standing at our side.

On the other hand there are those who are full of greed
Leeches who upon the goodness of their neighbors feed
Selfish souls beyond compare; those who do not care to share
From people such as these we should beware -
Take and take and take and take is all they seem to do
For them it's always 'me and me' and never ever 'you'.

Give and take and take and give is still by far the best
I'll pray for you and you for me and so we'll both be blessed
When you need me I'll be there; what I have we both can share
But be aware there might be times when I too stand in need of care -
Life is sometimes rough and tough but we're not on our own
We're members of God's family and therefore not alone.

________________________________________

Child of the Night

by Belinda van Rensburg

Oh, child of sorrows and of the night,
In empty darkness you've been bound tight
With ropes and chains you can't even see
And you're struggling and falling and trying to flee;

You're living a lie; it's all a grand show,
But around and around in circles you go.
Dear one – all alone and eternally doomed
Don't you know that Death can come all too soon?

Oh, child of the night turn your face to the Light
And make your life through Jesus Christ right;
From chains, pain and darkness forever be free
To one day partake of the life-giving tree.
Your quest for the truth has now come to an end,
For in heaven you have the King as a friend.
He's been calling your name since the day you were born;
He can heal your heart that's been battered and torn.

Oh, children of joy, of peace and of Light,
Accepted, forgiven and filled with Christ's might -
Set free by His Blood to live, laugh and love,
To be wise as serpents yet gentle as doves:
Fearlessly standing when all seems to be lost;
Not caring what following Jesus might cost.
We belong to our Father, the Ancient of Days
Who sent us His Spirit to teach us His ways.

________________________________________

Gazing Out Her Window

by Belinda van Rensburg

She sits and stares out of her window
Gazing at the passers-by;
Are they filled with joy or sorrow -
Do they often laugh or cry?

A neighbor's working in his garden
Watering his plants and lawn;
Has he received his Master's pardon,
Or is he still the devil's pawn?

A couple lounges in their deck chairs
Soaking in the morning sun;
Do they ever say their prayers
Or do they only live for fun?

It saddens her as she looks out
Knowing souls are lost out there;
That people live in fear and doubt
And that some simply do not care.

Don't they know there's more to life
Than what the eye can see?
They live their whole lives rife with strife
When they could be at peace and free.

________________________________________

The 'Youth of Today'

by Belinda van Rensburg

In a world going crazier by the day
Our youth have adapted and learned how to play
Indoors instead of out in their yards
Unless their homes are protected by guards.

So many don't know what it feels like to stay
Out in the sun; breathing fresh air all day -
The streets are too busy; they can't ride their bikes;
Dark shadows are hiding unsavory types.

TV and DVD's aren't to blame;
Cell phones, computers and online games
Keep young ones busy and occupied
While they are safely locked up inside.

Many grow up in dysfunctional homes
Causing escape into make-belief zones
Where they control what happens and when
Over and over and over again.

“Disrespectful, self-centered and lazy” we say
“Such character traits they often display”
Forgetting it's us who let them become
Distrustful and weary of everyone.

So let us not judge 'the youth of today'
Since it's our fault they are living this way;
They're trying to cope in a dangerous place
While parents are running like rats in a race.

________________________________________

Follow the Leader

by Belinda van Rensburg

I watched a film the other day
About a man who went away -
One day he simply upped and walked;
He looked not at the sights nor talked
But kept on moving through each day
And from his course he did not stray.

Quite soon he was joined by others;
They bonded and became like brothers.
Though that man never did explain
They followed blindly just the same;
They never asked 'where to' or 'why'
But trudged along through wet and dry.

Then came the day that he just stopped;
He turned around and their hopes dropped.
Where should they go - what should they do?
They were so lost and turned 'round too.
Thus, without ever looking back
That man abandoned friends and track.

He had neither goal nor vision;
Stillborn; doomed was his whole mission.
Totally hopeless from the start
He plot his course without a chart
Leading his followers astray
For he could not show them the way.

Not so, my friend, with me and thee,
For we can very clearly see;
We've a purpose and a vision;
We've been sent on God's own mission.
Whether our paths are straight or bent
We'll follow Jesus to the end.
© 2008

_______________________________________

I Have Never Touched Snow

by Belinda van Rensburg

I have never touched snow
Nor seen it up close;
Felt a flake on my face;
Lived in a cold place.

Once or twice I have seen
Real snow white and clean,
Though I watched from afar;
From an airplane or car

I believe it must be
Quite awesome to see
All that pure white snow
On the ground below.

Does the star-kissed snow
Ever twinkle and glow?
Does it shimmer and shine
In the moonlight sublime?

I would like to touch
Real snow very much,
But it's not to be
At present for me.

I have never touched Jesus
Nor seen Him up close;
Seen Him face to Face;
Felt His loving embrace.

Once or twice I have seen
Heaven in a dream,
And I know it is there
But I do not know where.

I know it will be
Really awesome to see
Our Lord face to Face
In His heavenly Place.

I would love to touch
His Hand very much,
But it's not to be
At present for me.

Though I've never touched snow
It is cold, I know;
Though I've not seen our Lord
I believe in His Word.

________________________________________

Refiner's Fire

by Belinda van Rensburg

A fire in God's furnace blazes,
The heat it emanates amazes;
Red-hot flames are dancing; twisted -
No-one can escape; resist it.

Burning high and burning hot
The fire heats God's melting pot;
Refining all the reborn souls
Over its red and glowing coals.

Melting silver, smelting gold;
Removing dross; warming hearts cold,
Cleansing us from deep within
Removing roots which lead to sin.

Refining those He loves with fire
Which burns and burns and never tires;
Making us pure; acceptable
To become God's receptacles.

When we have come forth as pure gold
We'll be as those in days of old
Who in righteousness did bring
Their offerings to Heaven's King.

_______________________________________

Christmas Around the World

by Belinda van Rensburg

In the Northern Hemisphere
it gets cold this time of year,
frozen rivers stop their flow;
the ground below covered with snow.

Families gathered together
sheltered warmly from bad weather,
sharing a meal on Christmas Day
served in bone china from a tray.

Drinking chocolate hot and steamy
eating pudding sweet and creamy;
exchanging gifts 'midst Christmas cheer -
Oh, what a lovely time of year!

In the Southern Hemisphere
Christmas-time is drawing near;
the weather's gone from cold to hot
and winter-time has been forgot.

The sun is bright; white moon at night,
a nice warm Christmas feels so right;
children playing in the sun
running, jumping, having fun.

Barbecuing by the pool;
water sparkling clear and cool,
kin have come from far and near
and hearts are filled with Christmas cheer.

No matter where on earth we live,
do we remember Jesus's birth;
do we bow down our heads to pray
honoring Him on His own day?

A day that has been set apart
to celebrate Him with glad heart;
Loving Him and loving others -
loving all mankind as brothers.

Just as we do on Christmas Day
let us continue in this way;
set each day apart for Him,
For Jesus Christ; our Savior King.

________________________________________

A Prayer for Friends in Pain
by Belinda van Rensburg

Many of us have special friends who live with chronic pain
They suffer so much every day; that much is very plain;
The only thing that we can do to help them in their plight
Is to pray and ask the Lord to help them win the fight.

Lord, You are all-powerful; aware of everything
And it is with confidence that we now do bring
This petition to Your throne; please accept our prayer
And touch Your hurting children here and everywhere.

Lord, be merciful to them; relieve their constant pain
Touch their aching bodies; allow them to regain
The health and strength that they once knew;
No-one can help them Lord, but You.

________________________________________

Time's A-Ticking

by Belinda van Rensburg

I am sitting at my desk, intending to write
But I'm uninspired and can say nothing right;
Can't think of a topic; can't make up a rhyme
So here I am sitting, wasting precious time.

Tap-tapping on the keyboard; looking at the screen
Thinking of a story, a lesson or a dream;
Nothing comes to mind so I decide to get
Another cup of coffee and to surf the net.

Tap-tapping on the keyboard; oh this is such fun;
Quite soon I'm forgetting the poem I have begun.
Chatting with some friends; catching up on news
Visiting my favorite sites to leave comments; reviews.

Time's a-ticking; it is late and I should go to bed -
I think I'll read just one more post in a forum thread.
Tic toc, tic toc mocks the clock; it's way past midnight now
'Ten more minutes - then I'll go' is my silent vow.

Sure I am still sitting here, tired as can be;
Of the surfing idol I struggle to get free.
Dreadfully addictive if out of control;
Not wasting my time thus has become my goal.

Time is a priceless gift from God, to be wisely used
It isn't something which should ever be abused;
As with most things in this world moderation is the key
So self-imposed restrictions are in store for me.

________________________________________

Die We Must

by Belinda van Rensburg

A whisper; a thought
Life is fleetingly short;
Dust to dust
For die we all must.

Stay on the path which is narrow and straight;
Live, laugh and love while you patiently wait
For your earthly life to come to an end:
Have you any idea where you'll go then, my friend?

Do you know what might be lying in wait;
What will you find when you pass through death's gate -
A gnashing of teeth, suffering and pain,
Or will you be treading a jewel-strewn lane?

Ashes to ashes; dust to dust
For die we all most certainly must.
© 2009

________________________________________

Tame the Tongue

by Belinda van Rensburg

The tongue has a double-sided edge
For it can speak healing; true love it can pledge
As well as wound and slice right through our hearts,
Piercing our souls with its needle sharp darts.

The mouth speaks forth that which is in the mind;
thoughts which are either good, nasty or kind -
From the same mouth proceed blessings and blame;
The tongue is indeed difficult to tame.

These days sarcasm is thought of as 'art',
Men pay to see others being taken apart
By 'witty' performers ripping people to pieces;
Foul language is something which daily increases.

The tongue is a weapon which can destroy;
It's an organ the demons frequently employ
To spread lies and gossip; to cuss and to curse,
And lately this has become so much worse.

God gave us speech to communicate
Feelings of love and not those of hate;
To utter blessings, to teach and to heal
For these are the things we should think on and feel.

________________________________________

It's Time

by Belinda van Rensburg

In the stillness of the night
(so long ago, it seems)
After I had dimmed the light
And hoped for pleasant dreams...

I heard a tender loving voice
Whispering "Child, it's time";
Then I knew I had the choice
To make the Savior mine.

I knelt down on my knees to pray
My head bowed very low,
And all that I then had to say
Was "Lord, I love you so.

Lord I need you in my life,
Without You I am lost;
You are the Lamb of God who died
To save us at great cost.

Thank You Lord for what You've done
Please make me worthy now;
So that when my time has come,
Before Your throne I'll bow."
© 2008

_______________________________________

Fallen Through the Cracks
by Belinda van Rensburg

There he sits, forlornly staring
On the sidewalk all alone;
Wholly hopeless and uncaring -
Nameless, faceless and unknown.

No hearth nor home to call his own
No loved ones at his side;
His heart is empty; turned to stone
He's lost all dignity and pride.

What brought him to this point, I wonder
Why has he fallen so?
What dark force tore his life asunder
Is there nowhere he could go?

Did life break him; leave him scarred
Did he try but fail to cope?
Was survival just too hard
What made him loose all faith and hope?

Did he loose his job and home
When the market crashed?
Is this why he's forced to roam
The streets and live off smelly trash?

Was it drink which brought him low
Destroyed his precious life;
Left him without a place to go -
Bereft of children and a wife?

There he sits; filthy and staring
His frame just skin and bones;
Tattered rags are what he's wearing;
They're everything he owns.

So many souls fall through the cracks
And are left behind,
Yet they could all get back on track
When Jesus breaks their chains which bind.

No one is beyond redemption;
No one's too far gone -
God will save without exception
All who believe in Christ, His Son.

_______________________________________

(I was very upset after reading about yet another family murder and decided to write a poem about it. This poem is not case specific, but rather a generalization of this seemingly growing evil.)

Hushed Forever

by Belinda van Rensburg

He had no hope; he gave up on life
So he shot himself, his children and wife
There they lie – forever asleep
It is enough to make grown men weep.

The boy was seven – Dad killed him first
Then followed the girl – her death was the worst
He shot his dear wife between the eyes
Stifling her pleas; her pitiful cries.

The dog had to go – it was only fair
Then he sat down in his favorite chair
And smoking his very last cigarette
He felt no emotion, fear or regret.

He aimed and pulled the trigger real hard
The sudden pain seemed to catch him off guard
Then all went black, and still – they were gone
The father, the mother; daughter and son.

Forever hushed, those sweet little ones
Forever gone, those daughters and sons
Yesterday's brides; lovers and wives
Have all too soon been robbed of their lives.

How on Earth, I'd like to know
Can human beings sink so low -
Loosing all faith in the Father above
Pulling the trigger on those they love?

No matter how bad situations might be
There is a way out if only they'd see
God's waiting for them; He wants them to come
And ask for help in the name of His Son.

________________________________________

I wrote the following two anti-war poems since God wants us to live in peace instead of killing and destroying each other. Having said that, I want to state that I believe we have to wage war either (a) to protect our own or (b) to protect others against tyranny.

(I wrote this poem after watching the documentary titled 'The World at War'.)

Give Me Your Sons!

by Belinda van Rensburg

"Give me your sons!", cries the demon of war.
"Arm them with dangerous weapons galore.
Dress them and bless them then send them to me
Over the land and across the wide sea.

Let them deny all their natural fears;
Let them take lives and then sacrifice theirs.
Give me your sons and be proud when they die
Although when alone you might ask yourselves 'Why?'.

True, there are times when you do have to fight,
Against tyranny or to establish what's right.
But, when a war's waged for power or greed,
My evil desires and bloodlust you feed."
© 2009

________________________________________

Will We Ever Learn?

by Belinda van Rensburg

A cry of pain; a heart so vain;
A battlefield strewn with the slain.
A tortured soul; a fiendish ghoul;
The stench of death obscene and foul.

History has clearly shown
That human beings are quite prone
To do the most horrendous things
Be they soldiers, serfs or kings.

Will we never, ever learn
Not to destroy, kill, maim and burn?
Why do we do as we please;
Will the fighting never cease?

It seems it is far too late
To change this fallen world's sad fate;
It's end has long since been revealed
Though certain details remain sealed.

God created man for peace
Yet fighting and warfare is on the increase;
I am convinced our Lord must weep
When wolves devour His much loved sheep!
© 2009

___________________________________