Joy Ride

I journeyed down this road

Carrying my load

Of weariness, pain

Nothing to gain

But heart ache, and more of the same

Then there was this twitch,

This itch, maybe a stitch

A pain in my side,

When this dude offered me a ride

In his junky wheels

Windows so dirty, he must of drove by feel.

Normally a loner, I would be a goner

From his sight

But the pain inside

Made me say “alright”.

I got in…

Yeah,

I got in

And then it began…….

The dirt on the windows seemed thick as paste

I tried to roll the windows; that time was a waste.

Silence muscled me down

Into the plush seat of down;

Noticed a window between me and the front’s muted sound.

Sweat made a face mask

As nervously, I asked

“Hey, dude, what’s your game?

Then when I asked “ Man what’s your name?”

The answer, like a thunder “bam!”

“I am”

I jumped from the sound

Bumped the window twisting around

And a smudge of dirt

Spread on my shirt;

And I saw, looking out, a hill

With thousands of people,

And a man at the top;

From what I saw, I sensed hope

And love being traded

One for one;

Where had

My mind

Gone?

Now curious, I wiped more

Of the dirt from the window, and sure

Enough, another scene from a river’s shore

Where the wind tossed

Waves; bossed about a boat

Where fishermen rode

It out…then I heard a shout…

And the water was at peace.

My jaw dropped down.

The boat men were pointing not to the ground

But to the water now calm

Where the same man, with outstretched palm

Stood on the water, as if only his love mattered,

Beckoning me to walk from the ground,

To stand by him, without a sound.

Well, now my heart was beating;

I was sweating;

I was even contemplating

Jumping from the moving car…

But that would be going too far.

I recognized the man,

The perfect plan

From childhood memories;

Childhood histories; stories of mystery,

That I never quite understood.

As these memories came in a rush

In the cars hush,

I slowly took my shirt

And removed the dirt

To see who this strange driver could be…

Only to see …

Three crosses on a hill,

Moving closer, until

In plain sight, I could view

The same man I new

In the middle, bleeding for me and you…

Crying in agony for me and you

Dying in agony, saying “they know not what they do”

I stared, filled with awe and guilt,

And noticed the movement of the car I no longer felt.

It was gone, disappeared

As was all that I had feared.

For I heard the words from the Mount;

And was washed by His tears of all doubt;

Begged forgiveness, cleansing of my sins;

I took his outstretched hand,

On His living water, reborn again.