Unveil

These doleful shadows will dissipate.
The true light will triumph; death will die.
Heaven help me; reinvigorate
My weary soul; hear my anguished cry.

Give me a glimpse of that blessed day.
Unveil what is to come; help me see
The joy in her eyes; reveal, convey
The wonder, all that I know she will be.

Then mournful sighs will yield to laughter;
Sorrows will fade into blissful songs.
Transport me into that hereafter
Where seraphim dwell, where my heart belongs.

Meanwhile I'll miss her; I'll mourn; I'll weep.
But I won't be overwhelmed by grief.
Visions of glory undimmed I'll keep
During this cold separation brief.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

This Lonely, Dark Nowhere

Lonely couch, walker, dining room chair,
Large window panes that quietly glare:
What do they know? Are they aware
That I'm restless, lost inside a prayer?

Life stalls, but time doesn't seem to care.
Phone calls and messages should be rare;
I'd escape them, but they're everywhere.
So I sit in the dark and stare.

Oh, how I miss your voice--and I swear,
I remember the scent of your hair.
Ah, here's that sweater you used to wear
And the round table we used to share.

The sound of your voice is in the air;
Oh, sit beside me here, if you dare.
Or lead me to your distant somewhere.
Take me from this lonely, dark nowhere.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Transportado

Un siglo en una semana,
Dentro del cual perdido estoy:
El espejo insiste que soy
El mismo. ¿Y la ventana?
Cubierta de gotas amargas,

Me revela que he cambiado,
Cual sol friolento, nublado,
Rendido a las noches largas.
Mi ser se esconde, se hunde
Dentro de la tristeza negra.
La luna cae, se desintegra;
Y cada estrella se funde.

Entonces tu voz me transporta;
Tiernamente me tranquiliza.
El recuerdo revitaliza
Mi ser; cada fibra conforta.
Te veo rejuvenecida,
Alegre, sonriendo, cantando.
Sé que me estás esperando,
Que no fue una despedida.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Dark Days

Today the sun will shine in the usual way.
Clouds will obscure its face, but they will dissipate.
The sky will soon be blue; why fret about the gray?...
You need not fear the tempest's wrath, its blast irate.

Storm clouds will come and go;
Troubles will fade, you know.
Look for the hidden rays,
Even on the dark days.

The looking glass deceives; there's an image unseen,
A finished work, a glory yet to be revealed.
When the fat years lead to an era frail and lean,
Let seeds of hope spring forth; let faith its harvest yield.

Storm clouds will come and go;
Troubles will fade, you know.
Look for the hidden rays,
Even on the dark days.

It is easier said than done, I know;
Be daring; do it anyway.
Someday, in a resurgent afterglow,
You'll glide into an endless day.

Stormclouds will come and go;
Troubles will fade, you know.
Look for the hidden rays,
Even on the dark days.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

A Glimpse of Glory

I am soaring on the wings of contemplation,
Longing to see what is presently blurred.
Oh for just a glimpse of the great consummation:...
What eye has not seen, what ear has not heard.

Isaiah, open my eyes, oh visionary!
I now know in part, Paul; what is the sum?
Unveil his glory, John! Praise him, blessed Mary!
Light my path, reveal that which is to come.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

In Between

Para ti, Mami querida...

In between the singing and the laughter,
My heart is breaking like never before.
In between this fog and the hereafter,...
I am praying for time--just a bit more.

And I know the promise of peace and goodwill
Is something I should meditate upon;
And I do believe, I know I always will;
But here between this endless night and dawn,

I am crying, as I intercede for you;
Hoping, yearning for your restoration.
In the midst of everything I say and do,
There's a restlessness, a desperation,

An ache no jubilant songs can assuage;
I am lost inside this dark, unturned page,
Fading in this wintry uncertainty,
Waiting between what is and what will be.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

I Am Not My Own

The struggle is real; I dare not deny it.
But I am never hopeless, never alone.
His will is sovereign; I can not defy it....
My will I will yield, for I am not my own.

And that realization is a comfort true;
When fears overwhelm me, his sweet love breaks through.
He is the potter; I am clay. He will do
What he must to crush, refashion and renew.

"My grace is sufficient," he gently conveys,
"for in weakness my power is perfected."
His ways are higher than mine; now and always
My soul is at rest, secure and protected.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Somehow, Someday

I'm a listless river of tears again,
As I silently keep watch over you.
I'm lost between "Our Father" and "Amen."...
I was sure you were gone--what could I do?

I broke down; I held you; I let you go.
Then you pulled through! You chose not to leave us!
Stay, if you will. But if you have to go,
I'll understand; I will not make a fuss.

The tears will flow, and my heart will dissolve,
But I'll keep your smile through the stormy gray.
Oh, to converse, to recall--to resolve
That which remains unresolved. Leave, but stay,

Like a briny breeze on a moonlit bay,
Like the windswept waves of a boundless sea,
Like the blazing blue of an endless day,
Like a sweet, mellifluous melody.

Oh, what will I do without your bright eyes?
Will you watch over me from far away?
This somber, seemingly endless night lies;
We'll laugh and sing again somehow, someday.


© 2018 David Acosta 

Mighty Love

In the midst of cold adversity and strife,
When the bitter winds of troubled times assail me,
Be the shelter steadfast for my careworn life;
Be the love, the mighty love that will not fail me.

In the lonely canyons of uncertainty,
When I'm prone to wander and my steps deceive me,
Be the path to higher ground, and help me see
That your love, your mighty love will never leave me.

In the wake of deep despondency and pain,
When my heart succumbs to grief and tears enchain me,
Be the unrelenting peace I can't explain;
Be the love, the mighty love that will sustain me.


© 2018 David Acosta

Cross and Crown

I'm looking for a golden cross to wear;
You lead me to the beam that I must bear.
I wear my knowledge like a jeweled crown;
I see your thorns, and then my pride breaks down.


© 2018 David Acosta

Autonomy, My Enemy

'Tis a bittersweet delusion: I can transcend
The limits of mortality's fixed slope.
Seduced by pride, my self-reliance I defend.
So why, then, am I still dropping the soap?

© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Wayward Pilgrim

Wearied by the journey, a pilgrim calls:
"Joy of heaven, hear me! Have I lost my way?"
Suddenly, a doubtstorm--the cold rain falls.
Seek the shielding promise of a brighter day.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

In the Haze

Succumb needlessly, or hover above
This umbral adversity unforeseen?
No dirge for me; the blithesome strains of love.
Shall be my theme through every dusky scene.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Intensive Prayer

They're doing everything they can, they say.
She has no choice; she has no voice. It's called intensive care.
I'm right beside her, yet I'm far away.
All I can do is turn to you; it's called intensive prayer.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Unheard

You make me sing; you draw my heart's confessions.
But my songs may never find their way to you.
The melodies, the words, the chord progressions.
Are real as real can be, but they won't come true.

© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Sometimes

Sometimes I think our words are superfluous;
Sometimes our eyes reveal what our lips conceal.
Sometimes I doubt; I'm downright incredulous.
Sometimes what I've imagined is all to real.

© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Letting Go

Seeking you is only the beginning;
Belief and trust must follow, I know.
Losing everything can lead to winning;
There is much to gain in letting go.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Love Will Remain

Love stands in the middle, in the in-between.
Don't be dismayed; don't be afraid.
Love lives in the silence of our thoughts unseen.
Sunshine or rain, love will remain.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Seasons

Spring is a dancer who twirls around petal-winged kisses;
Summer, a singer who makes the world sing along with her.
Fall is a painter whose harvest-rich soul reminisces;
Winter, a poet forgotten, whose odes fade and wither.

© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Social Media Laundry

Why would you wring out your soul in this place?
Why hang your heart on a flimsy timeline?
Half-laundered feelings flap next to your face,
While friends and acquaintances "like" and opine.



© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Faithfulness

Remain indebted to your sunlit vow;
Recall the vivid promise you once made;
Resist the power of this darkened now;
Refuse the cunning, cold, vow-sev'ring blade.

© 2018 David Acosta Perez

For My Beloved Mother

I see the flicker, the true flame,
The dimming star inside your eyes.
Help me remember; sing my name;
Remove the gray from my blue skies.

Oh, lead me back to sweeter days:

Be there to gently take my hand.

We'll cross the street into that haze,

And find a bright, enchanted land.

Don't fade away; don't break my heart!

Let's sing a song like long ago.

I'll find the harmony; you start.

Don't leave me, mother; come, we'll go

Into a storybook sunrise,

Unravaged by the hands of time.

Be psalms and odes and lullabies;

Be meter swift and weightless rhyme.

You are who you once were, and yet

It's clear to me you cannot stay.

The love you've spent is now a debt

I know I never shall repay.

Summer and Autumn

Sunburnt, sweat-drenched,
Half-roused in the sweltering heat,
Summer stretches,
Relaxes,
And scratches his grassy feet.

Wispy, wide-eyed,
Adrift on a sweet, swirling breeze,
Autumn gazes,
Remembers,
Septembers her way through the trees.

Without hesitation
She quietly tiptoes,
Then hops, skips, and dances
Across a green field
Of savory-sweet sunlit mirth.

With tidings of harvest
Her crisp song crescendos,
Her wild gale advances.
Hot Summer's fields yield,
As Autumn cool-kisses the earth.


© 2011 David Acosta Perez

I Will Greatly Rejoice in the Lord

(Isaiah 61:10-11; 62:10-11; 66:23)


Ladies:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
My soul shall exult in my God.

Gentlemen:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
My soul shall exult in my God.

Everyone:
For he has clothed me
With the garments of salvation;
He has arrayed me
With the robe of righteousness.

Gentlemen:
As a bridegroom decks himself
With a priestly headdress...

Ladies:
As a bride adorns herself
With gemstones resplendent...

Everyone:
As a garden causes
What is sown to sprout up,
So the Lord will cause
Righteousness and praise
To sprout up before all the nations.

Ladies:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
My soul shall exult in my God.

Gentlemen:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
My soul shall exult in my God.

Everyone:
For he has clothed me
With the garments of salvation;
He has arrayed me
With the robe of righteousness.

Ladies:
Open wide the gates today;
Go, prepare a highway.

Gentlemen:
Zion, your salvation comes;
His reward is with him.

Everyone:
As a garden causes
What is sown to sprout up,
So the Lord will cause
Righteousness and praise
To sprout up before all the nations.

Ladies:
"From new moon to new moon...

Gentlemen:
From sabbath to sabbath...

Everyone:
All flesh shall come 
And worship before me,"
Declares the Lord.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Sleepless Night

Sleepless night morphs into restless morn;
Dreams have died--or have they been reborn?
Undimmed stars in my window remain;
Hopes restored have restructured the pane.

And I'm lost, and I'm found in your eyes;
You're the light of a thousand blue skies.
And I'm here, tho my winged soul soars
Toward the smile that all nature adores.

Lull me now like a spindrifting shore
Where all cares drift away evermore.
I will rest; I'll return to my sleep,
To that silence where deep calls to deep.

And I'm lost, and I'm found in your eyes;
You're the light of a thousand blue skies.
And I'm here, tho my winged soul soars
Toward the smile that my spirit adores.

If ever I drift away,
Or callously choose to say
I'm weary,
And I'm afraid I just don't have the time
To listen to you;
Lift me up into the blue,
Where dreary,
Temp'ral woes give way to timeless rhyme...

[instrumental interlude]

And I'm lost, and I'm found in your eyes;
You're the light of a thousand blue skies.
And I'm here, tho my winged soul soars
Toward the smile that my spirit adores.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Enslaved

Weary and frustrated,
You're chasing something you can't hold;
In your mind you open
A door into a realm dark and cold.
The feelings and cravings are enticing you.
Why do you do what you don't want to do?

Trapped inside a seemingly never-ending
Cycle of wild, unbridled desire;
Overwhelmed, you're caught in a trap, pretending
You're alright, strong enough to tame this fire.

And you tell yourself you can leave it all behind,
But not today; someday you will, you say.
And you sell your peace of mind for a fleeting high;
You hate it, but you can not walk away.

Images unravel;
A fantasy invades your soul.
You've tried to resist it,
But it wields a power you can't control.
Intrusive illusion, a dark counterfeit
For warmth and affection--and yet there you sit:

Once again, repulsed but enthralled, you give in
To that shadowy world you despise;
Like a prisoner freed who chooses to live in
Confinement, a victim of your spellbound eyes.

And you tell yourself you can leave it all behind,
But not today; someday you will, you say.
And you sell your peace of mind for a fleeting high;
You hate it, but you can not walk away.

Why don't you cry out
To the One whose unrivaled strength
Can break the power that's enslaving you?
Cast aside all doubt;
You need never be enslaved again;
The voice of freedom is beckoning you.

Taste and see;
You can set your mind on things above.
You'll be free
When your heart surrenders to his love.

And you'll find it's true; you can leave the past behind.
You need not wait; your someday is today.
And the satisfaction your soul has longed to find
Awaits you; take his hand and walk away.

He's calling you;
Take his hand and walk away.
He cares for you;
Take his hand and walk away.
His love is true;
Take his hand and walk away.
He'll pull you through;
Take his hand and walk away...


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

Sodom

[1 Corinthians 6:11]

Some are convinced I am living a lie,
That I haven't really left you behind.
Some are saying I will never defy
The memories that linger in my mind.
I clearly recall what you did back then,
How you enticed me with your lying lights.
On the outskirts of your feculent den
I said goodbye to your deceptive nights.

I could choose to conveniently conceal
The truth about your dark identity,
How your cold shadows attempted to steal
The light from me; but now I clearly see
That you're nothing but a counterfeit love:
You twist the truth and fill the world with lies.
I now know who you are, and I'm free of
The deadly gaze of your proud, wicked eyes.

So long, brazen city of tenebrous lights;
You swore your allegiance, then left me for dead
When I fell from your idolatrous heights.
Dark kingdom of curse-wielding, toxic delights,
I'm no longer yours; no, I won't be misled
By the dark lure of your sensual sights.

Goodbye, forever...


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

O Light of Love

Lovely One, Worthy One, Morning Star,
Leave the splendor of heaven behind.
Angels are heralding who you are:
Salvation revealed and love defined.

Song of the seraphim, Holy One,
Love, destined to die:
A barbed diadem
Awaits, o bright Gem
Of lowly Bethlehem.

O Light of Love,
Dwelling in flesh,
Steal away our wistful helplessness.
Loose our shackles; set the captives free.
Sun of Righteousness, bring healing in your wings.

O Light of God, 
Bathe us afresh;
Prince of Peace, whose holy feet will bless
The lonely, dusty roads of Galilee,
Make the hopeful hills of Judah laugh and sing.

Son of Man, Son of God, King of kings,
How can I contain the joy I feel?
My heart rejoices, my spirit sings
With a fervor I can not conceal.

Light of the nations, resplendent Son,
Dayspring from on high,
Gentle Shepherd meek--
We have strayed, Lord, speak;
Save those you've come to seek.

O Light of Love,
Dwelling in flesh,
Steal away our wistful helplessness.
Loose our shackles; set the captives free.
Sun of Righteousness, bring healing in your wings.

O Light of God, 
Bathe us afresh;
Prince of Peace, whose holy feet will bless
The lonely, dusty roads of Galilee,
Make the hopeful hills of Judah laugh and sing.

Lovely one, Worthy One, Morning Star,
You left the splendor of heaven behind.
Angels are heralding who you are:
Salvation revealed and love defined...
Salvation revealed and love defined.


© 2018 David Acosta

The Pathway Before Me

Clouds defy the sun;
Suddenly as one
They block the light.
An afternoon bright
Becomes a cold, wet night.

Showers come and go;
Wind will stall, then blow.
Clear path or haze,
Vivid hues or grays,
Blue skies or rainy days...

You are my dearest friend,
Whether my faith is bold
Or threatened by fears dark and stormy.
You are the journey's end,
My shelter from the cold,
And you are the pathway before me.

Icy, shadowy
Doubts have followed me.
I recognize
Their illusive lies,
Predicting my demise.

Doubts will come and go;
Fears will fade, I know.
Through canyons deep
And precipices steep,
This is the path I'll keep.

You are my dearest friend,
Whether my faith is bold
Or threatened by fears dark and stormy.
You are the journey's end,
My shelter from the cold,
And you are the pathway before me.

And my strength for the journey is not
In what I know, what I say, what I do.
Help me yield every goal, every thought
To the wonder of following you.

You are my dearest friend,
Whether my faith is bold
Or threatened by fears dark and stormy.
You are the journey's end,
My shelter from the cold,
And you are the pathway before me.


© 2018 David Acosta

Jacob

My name is Jacob, and I'm a deceiver;
I plundered a blessing in my father's house....
I am a swindler, a wayward believer;
A lonely fugitive, looking for a spouse.

I'll lay down; I'll rest here; the day is ending.
I'm drifting. I'm dreaming! Tell me, Lord, am I?
I see angels, ascending and descending!
I see a great ladder reaching to the sky!

Why are you calling me?
What do you want from me?
How can I be holy, set apart for you?
Can you really change me? Can you make me new?
How can a vagrant fraud
Become a man of God?
A nation in my loins? My past you will dispel?
This is the house of God! I will call it Bethel.

Can an imposter become a holy man?
I am a birthright thief; can you fix my heart?
Rely on my own strength? I pretend I can.
Esau I deceived, but you I can't outsmart.

So desperate, so weary, but I can not rest.
Show me mercy, Lord! Tell me I need not roam.
I won't let go of you till you brand me blessed,
Even if I have to limp my way back home.

Why have you chosen me?
How can you work through me?
How can I be holy, set apart for you?
Can you really change me? Can you make me new?
How can a mortal flawed
Become a man of God?
A nation in my loins! My past you shall dispel!
Yes, Lord, I'll be your son, your grateful Israel.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez

The True Light

I was taking a stroll in the sweet sunlight,

Then I suddenly wandered into the night...
I heard voices euphoric, and I caught sight
Of a colorful, chaotic vision bright.

They were calling me, seemingly energized
By a pulsing beat, wrapped 'round a spirit proud.
I gave in to the shadowrealm, mesmerized
By the entity gyrating in the cloud.

And that moment lapsed into an age of feigned
Enchantment concealing my spiritless sighs,
Until I discovered that all I had gained
Was a world of blurred rainbows and dazzling lies.

And I watched as the colors fell from the sky;
My identify false melted in the sun
When the true Light, my true Love, said, "Say goodbye
To the fraudulent shadows; the night is done."

Now I know who I am, and I know I'm free;
I am no longer blind; in his eyes I see
All the love I was hoping someday I'd find.
What's before me outshines what I've left behind.


© 2018 David Acosta Perez