The Water

by Scottie Joines

The voices whispered to me,

softly rustling, breaking glass.

Did they know?  Could they hear

the demons screaming about the past?

Tink, tink, tink goes the sound of the glass.

As loud as a hurricane,

but only to me.

I was alone but you were there,

barely there…

Wanting more than you could spare

as I slowly melted into death.

It’s arms embracing, trapping, smothering.

You said my lips were blue.

You said, my love, you were scared.

You didn’t want to lose me,

but you didn’t know how to help.

As my head lay flat

looking sideways at the room,

I thought how lovely the desert was this time of year.

How absurd it was to see

the cross and the flag

on the top of that black mountain,

as the dust of my Father blew away into the wind.

I stared out from behind

my widened eyes, hiding,

 pretending that I wasn’t running scared.

Who can fix me? Who will care?

SHHHHHH…

What was that? A voice? A song?

A rushing stream of water?

It was cool and calm,

flowing through my ears.

“Come up here,” The water said,

“I will heal you, I will hear you,

I will love you.” He said.

Is it real? Does anyone else hear it too?

“It’s time.” He said.

The voices screamed in resistance,

“It’s not true, you’re crazy.” They said.

NO.

I could hear the rushing water, I could feel the cool renewing peace.

I drank.

“I love you.” He said.

I drank. Deeply.

I wanted more but I was no longer thirsty or alone.

The voices were silenced

as He rode in gallantly to slay the demons.

My Savior, the Christ.