What Are Those Tears in My Eyes?

What are those tears in my eyes?

Do they take me to another place

or do they remind of that space

and will they help me find the grace

and to continue to trace

the ways so as to someday see your face

or do they give me the energy to continue the race

of life to chase the never ending ways that memories intrude

and when the Holy One exudes

that majestic go and preach to the people beyond your reach

to those whose lives are lived on the edge of the chasm and teach

us that this ongoing battle over who owns

their soul

and who stole

and who throws the stones

and over the world still roams

and yet they have the right to speak

and eat and live and cry and die and not so meek

and before that to feed their children right from the start

and to feel their own need and to give us a generous heart

to heed their yearnings to build them a house

to place the possessions of the man his children his spouse

not by the color of their skin

feeling deeply the sin

of those who dwell within

the house of the evil one

who still lives under the same warm sun

of all of us

but to embrace the grace

that embraces us all

lest we fall

into misery of judgment and hate

and find ourselves with an empty plate

heaped up and running over with the fate

that we deserve

when we failed to serve

and when we have become a shell

on our way to hell

and of what service there could have been

had we loved all of God’s children

less than the big gun

from which we run

and on the walk-ways we see the blood

the deep red blood

where once they stood

now they cower in fear

that the end is near

while we ponder and pontificate

until it is too late

for that which we hate

and while we wait

another one plans the scheme

of which they dream

to tell a story of suffering and woe

and we are the foe

we have become

when our time is near we stop and pause

know that we spent our lives in a sacred cause

and retrieve the world from the grimy paws

of the evil one

because our race is run

but Lord you gave us strength

that brought us from the brink

of doubt and fear

and you were near

every step of the way

of the journey when you fed our souls

and you made us bold

to proclaim the truth

that cuts to the root

protect the babies and in them we hope

that when we are at the end of our rope

that we find strength to cope

with a world gone mad

and we find it sad

that we love our guns

see us make them run

just lead us out of the wilderness

of our own morose and madness into a better place

where we can see your face

because it looked a whole lot like those of another race

and their cries of sorrow and joy

it all began in the stable with that little boy

when evil and good

could be divided like we knew it would

just like that Red Sea of old

when they made it across

and they knew that you were boss

they left behind comfort and all that they lost

and the land was dry

and every tear-filled eye

and every heart was undivided and relieved

but on to the destiny of a wilderness wandering

that would lead them all to pondering

much like today when all around us we see and despair

there is too much to share

so we find our own people

who may not be inside under the steeple

for they may be out and about

looking for things about which to shout

and when I stop and listen

I know I am home

never more to roam

just to stand and sing

and let our hearts ring

for what is true and just

we have found it we must.

We find no peace at the end of a gun

When our race we’ve run

At the grave we stand

Not really part of your plan

forgive us we pray

lead us into a better day

when the life we save

this side of the grave

may be that girl or boy

now playing with that worn out toy

may we find more joy

before the children we destroy

What are the tears in my eyes?