Like a bolt of lightning in the darkest of night
Let Your truth be the awakening that gives us sight
Let mercy show in glorious light
A prism of purity coupled with might
Let Your name be the sound that puts me in awe
Let me rest in You instead of visions I saw
Give me love in place of impulse to fight and claw
Let my life be Your image; pure and raw
Please help my tears to all be wiped away
Give me the grace to stand; not bend and sway
Grant peace when in troublesome fear I lay
Let me be content with doing it Your way

Waiting.

I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Would they be nice? Would they speak English? What would they think of me? What would they think of our family?

My family and I were waiting near the last baggage claim, waiting for a long time, waiting for our Japanese relatives. Grandma Notsu would be there; Uncle Hiroo and Aunt Katsuko would accompany her. They were probably on the plane now…or off it, figuring out where to go.

His thoughts were racing; reliving every single second, overthinking every spoken word. The fire grew bigger, and the screams intensified. He ran to the window, shattering the glass with the butt of his gun. Sparks were flying, and bits of the roof were already falling down. He was just about to dive through the flaming window when he felt arms around his shoulders, and he was being pulled back to safety.

As I look around the room
A pleasing scene now greets my eyes:
A family is sitting ‘round
And pleasant warmth within them lies.

The youngest boy, his math in hand,
Is trying to work a complication;
Yet, he works without frustration,
In his eyes shines fascination.

Besides his son, the father sits
To give whatever help he needs,
Thus showing love borne for his boy
And for the family that he leads.

Captain Aurelius Cassian held his breath. He prayed to Juno for a son for months after he was told of the pregnancy, and he sent incense to Jupiter for a princely fellow, Venus and Cupid for a boy of comely appearance, and Mars for a suitable warrior of Rome. He begged the gods for an heir.
Now, he waited for the result of his prayers.

January:

Snow has fallen. It sparkles in the sunlight, gleaming like diamonds. It hides the yellow-brown grass and the dry ground, creating a clean, white sheet, covering the old, awaiting the new. A perfect greeting to the New Year.

School will start soon; work will return; but everything seems fresh and ready. Last year’s trials and hardships are past. This year lies before us, and we must begin anew.

February:

Just recently, I read a story on the news that caught my attention. It was about a teenage boy, who ran away from home. After using the money he had brought with him, he decided to start selling drugs and lived off of what he earned for several years. And when ruin found him, he slept outside, homeless and destitute. It was in this state that he asked himself what he was doing there and why he had run away from home; and he decided to go back.

Disclaimer: I don’t love any of my rabbits more than the others, despite how this story may sound. All of them have had a special place in my heart, and I treasure every one of them. Now on to the story:

Like a tiny spring
From an everlasting River
Lord let me be
A gift for the Giver
So little You've asked
I've failed so much
My face unmasked
By Your lawful touch
I've stumbled so often
Complained with disgruntle
Yet You my heart softened
Won over my struggle
Please empty this spring
Sweet merciful River
Let joy now careen
As a gift for the Giver

Inquiry is the heartbeat of dialogue. A monologue answers, while a dialogue asks. A monologue is as narrow as the mind, but a dialogue reaches as far as infinity, or the square root of two.