KYLE SLEDGE

I
Awake alone from sleep somewhat subdued
Start to abhor this age of solitude
Infinite dreams could be the remedy
Instead, it’s out of bed––nature’s calling

I
Brew a pot of coffee to stimulate
Brainstorms to rain ideas and change my state
From arid lands to fertile, fecund soil
Which nurtures seeds planted singly with toil

I
Tend the crops with care, watch closely for sprouts
For these budding shoots could help supplant doubts
Of never branching out to find true love
Of faith yielding nothing from God above

I
Work until twilight, when day meets the dark
Take stock of the landscape changed since the start
Thoughts in mind have grown wheat and tare entwined
Only one will be spared come harvest time

I
Remain in shade as breeze blows around me
My sole friends wind and a magnolia tree
Self-cultivation’s a lonesome business
Though its labor’s fruits are hard to dismiss

Measure my words true
So that I may sing
Songs of gratitude
Filled with harmony

Blessings brought by You
Bestow sweetest dreams
Visions rich in hues
Every coloring

Beneath fullest moon
And stars’ canopy
Light in darkness blooms
Just enough to see

Glimmers of our youth
Messages of peace
Lessons which You drew
In sand at our feet

Reading them anew
Their timelessness speaks
Louder than monsoons
Quiet as a thief

With grace soft as dew
Strength beyond degree
Love’s infinitude
You have rescued me

At night
I sit next to a quiet light
Dim, hushed, but true
It speaks of a soft nirvana
Of the glow inside of you

At night
I close my eyes to breathe in
Exhale, the deep dark hue
Repetition can be lonely
But rewards a richer view

At night
The sleep comes quickly
The dreams fast as sand
Slipping through an hourglass
Or the fingers of your hand

At night
The dawn is just beyond
The blackest of the blue
It breaks ever so gently
The whole sky born anew