The Walls Close In

The walls close in, a blanket of depression

Abba, Father, God, please hear my confession.

An unseen curse, slyly prowls the air

Neither young, nor old, can escape this evil snare.

Corpses pile high, the living social distance

Oh God, intervene! Make us whole! Just this instance.

We send our children to school, with a prayer and a mask

But our hearts pulse with fear, God, how long can this last?

Lost wages, lost jobs, the carnage obscene

Oh God, loose the grip, of this COVID-19.

I cry out for relief, a vaccine, a quick cure

If the virus is your will, is that just? Are you sure?

A response from the heavens, a reassuring nod

My Father speaks softly, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I grow still and listen, again turn to his Word

A God far away? Not aware? That’s absurd!

God came in the flesh, knows our pain, and far worse

Jesus suffered, felt alone, even cried out, “I thirst.”

He wept for his friends, he’s engaged in our fight

Never missing in action, our God’s always on site.

He’s there in the lab, and with the ER staff

He’s right by your child, in English and Math.

He’s there with the preacher, watching attendance drop

He’s there with the shop owner, the nurse, and the cop.

He’s right by the ventilator, as Grandma breathes her last

He comforts grieving families, the poor, the downcast.

This world is fallen, with death and disease

God, we long for something better, some relief, if you please.

Don’t give up or lose hope, keep the faith, don’t despair

Bow your head, talk to God, put it all in his care.

As the walls close in, amidst the storm, the gloomy abyss

I spot a rainbow on the horizon, and am reminded, “God’s got this.”

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4 thoughts on “The Walls Close In”

  1. I love love love this!! Thank you for sharing. You are so talented and we are blessed by your talents.

    1. Thanks, Jana! I wrote this on the back porch on Thursday, sitting next to my mother-in-law. I was feeling a fair amount of anxiety over the virus and the division in our country. I was also profoundly thankful to God that my son and daughter-in-law had recovered from the virus. And then I looked out over the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, and just had this sense that God has a plan for everything and I need to trust in him, especially during turbulent times. Those various thoughts and emotions collided and the poem resulted.

  2. I’m so glad I happened to see the link to this on your Facebook page. What a beautiful jib you did of putting our situation into words and reminding and reassuring us that God is always with us.

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