A river of tears flows from My eyes;
Because of your sin do I cry.
You do not heed Me, and often fall,
But I am still your All in All.

I will give you life
And
I will give you peace
And
I will be your comforting Hand.

I will be your strength
And
I will be your shield
And
I will be your own strong tower.

A river of life flows within Me.
The blood and the water run deep.
I will cherish you and wash you clean;
I will not judge you unjustly.

One  night I dreamed a strange and awful dream. I dreamed that I died and my spirit stood at heaven's gates dressed in a filthy, ragged garment. As I stepped up to the throne of God, I looked down at myself and wondered how I came to be wearing such a disreputable gown. I looked up into God's face with a smile of self-righteousness,  fully expecting (in my vanity) to hear the words "Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

i. Miracles
Heartbeats are little miracles
Beating since you were born
They go on beating until you die
But they're fragile little drumbeats

I've heard stories
Terrible, frightening stories

I thought I heard them fade a bit
But jolting from my trance
I realized that was the sound of falling asleep
Oh, love

ii. Morning Sunlight
Everything's coated in sunlight
I feel like I'm in a dream

I pretend it's the morning
So I can roll over and fall back asleep

Staring
Bedroom ceiling
Same way it's been for the six years I've known it
And maybe this is the apathy wearing off
But I don't want to die alone

Swear on a heart
Comfort rituals, I can replay them all I want
But really
It's all the same

Round and round we go
Where we stop nobody knows
My friends all fell off a long time ago
Now summer is over, I'm back to being alone

All Nighter
I love sleep
But you make me wanna pull all nighters 
Stare at your face
Whether we talk or not
Laugh or sigh
I just want to be with you
Sleepily blinking
Yawning and teasing
Till the break of day
Maybe sometime
Some special occasion
Will encourage irresponsibility on my part 
And enough sidetracking on your part 
To last the whole night
Worn out
Your eyelids droop, 
Worn by past sights, 
Worn by past neglects.
Weights sit upon your shoulders, 

I’m standing on the edge of tomorrow;
All around, battles raging, on and on.
Fearful, tense, and ever watchful,
Hoping that we’ve already won.

I’m standing on the edge of tomorrow,
Looking back over yesteryears.
All the fighting, and the sorrow,
Sprinkled, soaked, with our tears.

I’m looking over the edge of tomorrow,
Can’t see what lies ahead.
Shrouded in fog and mystery;
But the path behind, filled with the dead.

Is homeschooling a form of legalism? How about counter-cultural practices like courtship (i) and big families, which are common in homeschooling circles? Questions like these have caused me no small degree of confusion. I turn to my own family and many families that I have known, and confidently answer, "no." But then I find blog articles, comments of friends, and even reports on television which seem to credibly contradict my personal experiences. However, as I have repeatedly encountered these contradictions, I have also come across a probable explanation.

Flattery in Every Form
Your eyes linger, 
Longer than expected, 
And in there expression I see, 
Admiration, 
Adoration,
And love (or is it lust?). 
My heart swells, 
Cheeks brightening under those, 
Gorgeous sky blue eyes, 
Full of might be passion, 
Full of me. 
Why do I turn my head, 
And look away? 
My hazel brown eyes dance, 
Nervously looking for a way out, 
From under your melting stare. 
Heart melting, 
Resolve melting. 
All past words of standing up, 

I have always liked you. You were once the most vibrant of my faraway friends.
But you've dimmed a little. I know that people make mistakes, but I thought you were past making this one. I haven't lost any love for you. But I no longer trust your judgement.

*Author's Note: This is the sequel to a book I wrote last year entitled "The Whispering Gallery." If anyone is desperate enough to read the first book, email me at thetravelingmagpie @ gmail. com and I'll send you a PDF copy of The Whispering Gallery, with the stipulation that you have to give me a bit of a critique. :D Enjoy, and as always, any questions, suggestions, or comments are welcome!*