Homesick

Music reverberates from floor unto dome,

Harmony swells in my ears;

The chords drive in,

Gloriously piercing my soul.

I stray from the singing

And stand at the lake.

But why does my heart ache?

---

The strawberry sun fades behind cobweb mist;

Its light sprinkles over the waves,

Peeking around every cattail—

Kissing my face.

Clouds swallow the sun.

Hushed by the rapturous sight,

I still watch the light.

---

In the silence, I feel a burrowing pain—

So intense that I nearly can hear it.

Like the lonely duck paddling in circles,

The ache swirls round.

It’s deep.

But I don’t want it to go.

I like it so.

---

Let me see two and two—hand in hand,

Companions on wooden planks.

Let me feel pangs of passion and love.

Let that void gnaw within.

Let it hurt.

Let me wonder why

I must cry.

---

It’s beauty, perfection, and love

That fiercely tug at my soul.

They’re calling for me ‘cross the waves.

 I’m homesick for the unseen,

But I’m bound here and cannot yet go.

So let me stand here

And weep a few tears.

---

Let that beautiful pain penetrate.

Let the yearning intensify.

Let my bleeding heart come to Your wide arms of love

Till it finds what it’s most longing for.

The clouds wipe strawberry stains from their lips.

The duck falls asleep on the lake.

I’ll cherish this ache.

This piece was written two years ago after an impactful youth retreat. To this day, I still clearly remember that moment at the lake. (The featured photos were taken at the actual location.)

Sometimes we set monumental markers in our life, times we view as significant steps in the journey. Other times, we learn in miniscule increments. Either way, we learn. We grow. We deepen our perspectives. In the seeking, may the niggling emptiness and the unanswered questions always draw us to the one true Fulfillment, Jesus Christ.