An Island Built for Two

I would like to disappear
And suddenly re-emerge
On a distant, uncharted isle.
Why should we linger here?
Say yes, if you've got the urge
To get away for a while.

Let me sail away with you
To an island built for two,
Where the ocean knows it's true:
Love is a mystical blend of green and blue.
Stroll with me along that shore,
Underneath the dazzling moon;
Let the ocean's roar restore
Our restless hearts, as we quietly commune.

Go ahead, now, cast your cares
Into the wild, moonlit waves;
Be at peace in the soft starlight.
Turn your sad sighs into prayers,
And observe how the moon behaves.
This is your world and mine tonight.

Let me stay right beside you
On this island built for two,
Where the ocean knows it's true:
Love is a mystical blend of green and blue.
Stroll with me along this shore,
Underneath the dazzling moon;
Let the ocean's roar restore
Our restless hearts, as we quietly commune.

[long instrumental interlude]

Leave the hustle and bustle far behind;
Soothe your weary soul and clear your mind.
On that distant, placid isle we'll find
A sanctuary where we can unwind.

Dream new dreams out on the shore,
Underneath the dazzling moon;
Let the ocean's roar restore
Our restless hearts, as we quietly commune.

[brief instrumental interlude]

No long list of things to do...
On an island built for two...
On an island built for two...
On an island built for two.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

The Voice of Love

So you've been dreaming of the highlands above;
Those valleys and peaks are summoning you.
But a part of your soul is still thinking of
The old, fading world where nothing is new.

And your weary heart knows it's time for a change;
And you're tired of standing in your own way.
The foothills are beckoning, "Come and exchange
Your dark doubts for sweet assurance today."

The wind is calling; the path is waiting.
Heed the cry of Love, and follow it home.
The day is dawning; the night is fading.
Hear the voice of Love, and follow it home.

No need to worry about what lies behind;
Stand in the light of Love and make a choice.
It's simple: you choose to seek, and then you find.
Open the ears of your heart; hear the voice.

The wind is calling; the path is waiting.
Heed the cry of Love, and follow it home.
The day is dawning; the night is fading.
Hear the voice of Love, and follow it home.

What's that other voice you're entertaining now?
Can't you recognize its subtle, sinister tone?
Find your strength in weakness; valiantly avow
That Love possesses you now; you are not your own.

The wind is calling; the path is waiting.
Heed the cry of Love, and follow it home.
The day is dawning; the night is fading.
Hear the voice of Love, and follow it home.

Hear the voice of Love:
"Follow...Follow..."
Hear the voice of Love:
"Follow...Follow..."
Hear the voice of Love, and follow it home.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Extraordinary Wine

These lines were inspired by this past Sunday morning's sermon on John 2:1-12: (The Wedding in Cana: Water into Wine)...


You know where I've been;
You've seen every sin.
I can't hide my past.
Here I am at last!
Let the old counterfeit wineskins burst;
Only you can satisfy my thirst.

I'm just a vagrant without a destination,
But I've wandered into this marvelous wedding feast!
Somehow I've walked in without a reservation!
Me, of all people! Am I not the least of the least?

So many years desperately seeking an irrefutable sign;
What am I doing here drinking this extraordinary wine?

The drunks and the whores
Are sneaking indoors!
They're feasting on love,
Manna from above!
Makes no sense at all; how can this be?
How can this be happening to me?

I'm just a vagrant without a destination,
But I've wandered into this marvelous wedding feast!
Somehow I've walked in without a reservation!
Me, of all people! Am I not the least of the least?

So many years desperately seeking an irrefutable sign;
What am I doing here drinking this extraordinary wine?

"Everyone serves the good wine first,"
    I heard someone say,
"And when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine.
    But you have kept the good wine until now."
Here I am, an outcast accursed,
    and I get to stay!
Like a special guest, I am savoring your wine;
    A misfit, but you've welcomed me somehow!

So many years desperately seeking an irrefutable sign;
What am I doing here drinking this extraordinary wine?

The bread of heaven, love divine,
And this extraordinary wine!
The bread of heaven, love divine,
And this extraordinary wine!


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

The War Within

This is my version of Romans 7...

Lofty, ethereal dreams
  elevate my mind;
    but darkened notions and schemes
    subjugate and bind
  my willingness to seek what I envision.
Am I back in the valley of decision?!

Why do I do
  what I don't want to do?
Why don't I do
  what I know I should do?

There is no goodness in me--
  in my flesh, that is.
    Am I what I long to be?
    Is this all there is,
  this war between the realms of darkness and light?
I'm soaring high, and then I fall in mid-flight!

Why do I do
  what I don't want to do?
Why don't I do
  what I know I should do?

And it's clear to me now: I am a wretched man.
  Who will deliver me from this body of death?
I will seek the face of the only One who can
  free and revive me with his life-imparting breath?

The goal is to do what's right; it's my desire.
  But evil lies close at hand; dark thoughts conspire.

Why do I do
  what I don't want to do?
Why don't I do
  what I know I should do?
Why do I do
  what I don't want to do?
Why don't I do
  what I know I should do?


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Maravillas en un sueño

Tulipanes cantando en las nubes;
Ríos riéndose en la luna;
Lluvia que no cae, sino que sube;
Nieve en el verano--¡qué fortuna!

Nardos y violetas en un desierto;
Nectar y ambrosia en una playa;
Un violín naciendo en un huerto;
Manantial que al vernos se desmaya.

Rosas y jazmín en el invierno;
Fuego que refresca a un sediento;
Salmo davídico moderno;
Melodía antigua en el viento.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Remarkable You

This is specifically for you;
No one in the world but you, wonderful you.
Let me explicitly convey
That I'm spellbound, and I really love the way...

You smile, and the darkness disappears;
You laugh, and my dreams wash ashore;
You speak, and the daystar reappears;
You sing, and my soul starts to soar.

And the earth far below is brand new;
And dark, stormy clouds yield to blue;
And my soul testifies that it's true;
Oh it's you, my remarkable you.

The sun is singing a magical song;
The earth enchanted is singing along.
The wind is weaving a lyrical dream;
Rumor has it, you are the theme.

It's quite infectious, so I'll sing
With the wind, the earth, and the bright sun above.
My heart is a sweet thermal spring;
My song is a wild, boundless fountain of love.

You smile...
You laugh...
You speak...
You sing... yeah!

You smile, and the darkness disappears;
You laugh, and my dreams wash ashore;
You speak, and the daystar reappears;
You sing, and my soul starts to soar.

And the earth far below is brand new;
And dark, stormy clouds yield to blue;
And my soul testifies that it's true;
Oh it's you, my remarkable you.

This is specifically for you;
No one in the world but you, wonderful you.
Let me explicitly convey
That I'm spellbound, and I really love the way...

You make me want to stay with you.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Exposed

Peel back a layer or two,

Or three, or four, or more;

See yourself as you really are.

What if a stranger gazed into

Your hidden inner core?

Would you fade like a dying star?

Or would you finally resolutely

Let the light you've been chasing set you free?

No stubborn walls, no self-defense,

No sad excuses, no pretense,

No disguise, no cryptic hideaway,

No secret chambers in your heart:

The light exposing every part,

All your thoughts and feelings on display.

What's behind my furrowed brow?

What do my words obscure?

What do I fear or contemplate?

In the hazy here and now,

I seek a solace pure

When dark thoughts amalgamate.

What if I finally resolutely

Let the light I've been chasing set me free?

No stubborn walls, no self-defense,

No sad excuses, no pretense,

No disguise, no cryptic hideaway,

No secret chambers in my heart:

The light exposing every part,

All my thoughts and feelings on display.

© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Sonnet 22

She doesn't see the moonlight in her eyes;

I see the moon, the stars, and heaven too.

I'm hoping someday soon she'll realize

She's making this old fool feel so brand new.

How do I let her know how much she's worth?

Maybe a poem, maybe a love song.

Am I too late, or is this my rebirth?

What if my "this feels right" turns out all wrong?

Dreams come and go, and illusions abound;

Why would I even think I stand a chance?

Right now I'm just hoping she'll stick around

Long enough to help me through this slow dance,

'Cuz I think I might have stepped on her toes.

She smiles, laughs, and leaves lipstick on my nose.

© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Engraved

The morning is about to

  become an afternoon;

    I'm thinkin' 'bout my plans for tonight.

I can't wait for the sun to

  trade places with the moon;

    I'll be so far away, out of sight.

Steal all my woes;

  Drive the loneliness away.

My spirit knows

  You'll revive this hardened clay.

Help me see I'm no longer lame;

Set me free to roam your meadowlands.

Someday soon I'll see my name

Engraved on the palms of your hands.

I'm list'ning' to the raindrops;

  they're dancing on my roof,

    as I commune with you once again.

Evening primrose eavesdrops,

  tho seemingly aloof;

    I swear, I think she whispered "Amen."

I'm half-asleep,

  drifting to a fairer land,

    where angels keep
      what I've yet to understand.

Help me see I'm no longer lame;

Set me free to roam your meadowlands.

Someday soon I'll see my name

Engraved on the palms of your hands.

Show me that realm

  where all shadows yield to light.

There all is well;

  pain surrenders to delight.

Help me see I'm no longer lame;

Set me free to roam your meadowlands.

Someday soon I'll see my name

Engraved on the palms of your hands.

© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Resplandece la luz

Falta un poco para la Navidad, pero aun estoy meditando en la grandeza de la encarnación del Salvador...

La aurora bendita se aproxima;
Desarmará la noche que nos encierra.
El cielo se alegra y se arrima
A la fragancia sabrosa de la tierra.

Al ponerse se arrebata la luna;
Acaricia con su luz al Infinito.
Entre las estrellas, hoy resalta una
Que se acerca para ver al niñito.

Hoy el alba espanta la oscuridad;
Se manifiesta y resplandece la luz.
Disipa las tinieblas con autoridad
El Verbo de Dios, el Salvador, Cristo Jesús.

¿De donde has descendido, pequeñito?
Fragil e humilde, gurgujeando ahora;
Crecerás y nos salvarás, Rey bendito.
Mientras tanto tu madre te atesora.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Sonnet 21: Bright Morning Star

Morning Star, brightest of lights in the sky,
Illuminate me with your sparkling rays.
Embrace me, now, O Dayspring from on high;
Commune with me, and I will sing your praise.
Without you the night is an endless age,
A restless eon waiting for the dawn;
And I become an actor on the stage
Of hopes discarded in a dream bygone.
But in your gaze, in your resplendent light,
My meaninglessness melts; I am revived.
My soul escapes the cold, relentless night;
Earth finds its heaven, nevermore deprived
Of perfect love--and oh, that love is mine!
All stars will fade, but you will always shine.


© 2019 David Acosta

I'll Sing

I'll sing to the ocean and sing to the trees;
I'll sing to the mystical moon;
I'll sing to the raindrops and sing to the breeze
A heart-healing, soul-soothing tune.

And it will ascend--every note, every word--
A pillar of water and fire,
A love song for timbrel and lyre.

Crescendoing gradually, will it be heard
By seekers of temp'ral desire?
What feelings will my song inspire?

I'll sing to the mountains and sing to each stream;
I'll sing to the storm clouds above;
I'll sing to the wild, raging rivers agleam
A powerful anthem of love.

It will not seek refuge in half-hallowed halls
Where poets are outcasts oppressed,
Where vision is quickly suppressed.

It will not be silenced, confined behind walls,
Where dreamers surrender their dreams,
Diverting restorative streams.

I'll sing to the valleys that cry out for rain;
I'll sing to the sun as it sets;
I'll sing of a love that the skies can't contain;
I'll sing, free from fears and regrets.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Now the Road Beckons

The laughter of summer subsides tonight;
Autumn's harvest-sighs are drawing near now.
I'll choose a new path; the timing is right;
I'm certain I have nothing to fear now.
The signs were everywhere; I ignored them.
Now the road beckons; I can not stay here.
New dawns and sunsets: I'm moving toward them.
New worlds I'll seek; they'll replace this gray sphere.
To everything there is a season, yes;
But I never thought I would say goodbye.
Love separates what it can't coalesce;
There is nothing to gain in asking why.
One can not break an unbreakable spell;
And so, without further delay, farewell.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Visionary

You've been thinking about it.
You're planning, you're hoping
Somehow it will happen at last.

The time is now; don't doubt it.
Why are you still coping
With failures that lie in the past?

Go, visionary!
Don't say "don't;"
Don't say "can't"; show them;
Wow them with what you've got.
Soar, visionary,
Where they won't.
Take them there; lead them.
Success begins with a thought.
Take it from spark to megawatt.

You've been your own worst critic;
Too careful, too fearful:
Two steps forward, then three steps back.

Silence you're inner cynic;
Convert sad to cheerful.
Steady as you go; no flashback.

Go, visionary!
Don't say "don't;"
Don't say "can't"; show them;
Wow them with what you've got.
Soar, visionary,
Where they won't.
Take them there; lead them.
Success begins with a thought.
Take it from spark to megawatt.

You'll never know
All there is to know
In the land of opportunity
Unless you step out of your comfort zone.
You'll never go
Where you need to go
Until you choose to set the dream free.
Do it! Release it into the unknown.

Go, visionary!
Don't say "don't;"
Don't say "can't"; show them;
Wow them with what you've got.
Soar, visionary,
Where they won't.
Take them there; lead them.
Success begins with a thought.
Take it from spark to megawatt.
Write a new chapter; twist the plot.
Seek and find what you've barely sought.



© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Earth and Heaven

For many in this world,
Peace on earth is an elusive concept;
A distant, unreachable goal.

Our big, blue marble turns,
So we chase the wind and try to grasp it,
As if the wind could make us whole.

And the hearts of men are failing,
While the restless wind is wailing.

Someday soon heaven will descend;
Oh, someday our wounded hearts will mend.
Dark doubts and fears we will transcend;
Yeah, someday, when earth and heaven blend.

The day will surely come;
It will stretch out every temp'ral border.
Can you envision it somehow?

True love will overcome--
Transformation of the highest order;
All creation groans for it now.

Still, the hearts of men are failing,
While the restless wind is wailing.

Someday soon heaven will descend;
Oh, someday our wounded hearts will mend.
Dark doubts and fears we will transcend;
Yeah, someday, when earth and heaven blend.

Every mountain, valley and river
Will rejoice when death is overthrown.
Love will come to us and deliver
Creation from the bondage it has known.

Someday soon heaven will descend;
Oh, someday our wounded hearts will mend.
Dark doubts and fears we will transcend;
Yeah, someday, when earth and heaven blend.
All our sorrows will come to an end;
The hand of mercy he shall extend;
Can you sense it? Let your mind ascend.
Love will reign; earth and heaven will blend.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

I Will Trust in the Lord

I can see them ahead of me,
Paths that lead away from the road;
But I don't want to turn aside.

A cold, dark voice is calling me:
He says he will lighten my load
If I will let him be my guide.

Not gonna listen to the dark deceiver;
Not gonna let him steal my joy.
He is a liar; I am a believer.
I'm gonna hold on to my joy.

I am a seeker, homeward bound,
A pilgrim on the Kingdom Road.
Why should I wander? I have found
The love the Savior has bestowed!
I had lost my way; I had given up;
But I have been restored.
Now I know his patient, merciful love;
I will trust in the Lord.

Sometimes the road can be lonely;
Sometimes it can be wearisome;
But I know in whom I've believed.

I hear the Spirit beckoning;
I am a child of the kingdom,
Resting in the love I've received.

I'm gonna listen to the Mercy Giver;
I'm gonna trust his gentle voice.
When I'm in trouble, my soul he'll deliver.
I will trust him; I will rejoice.

I am a seeker, homeward bound,
A pilgrim on the Kingdom Road.
Why should I wander? I have found
The love the Savior has bestowed!
I had lost my way; I had given up;
But I have been restored.
Now I know his patient, merciful love;
I will trust in the Lord...

I will trust in the Lord...

I will trust in the Lord.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Ponder the Path

This came together while I was meditating on Proverbs 4:

Don't let the liar lie to you;
He'll lure you in, and you'll get caught
In the trap he has set for you.
Don't entertain that wayward thought;
You know you do not belong to the night.
He wants to pull you away from the light.

Ponder the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be sure.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be sure.
Don't look to the left;
Don't look the right.
Fix your eyes straight ahead;
You're gonna be alright.

Where are you going? Do you know?
Is the deceiver calling you?
He'll call you friend, but he's your foe;
Turn from his twisted point of view.
Walk away, yes--run away, if you must;
Leave that liar in a dark cloud of dust.

Ponder the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be sure.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be sure.
Don't look to the left;
Don't look the right.
Fix your eyes straight ahead;
You're gonna be alright.

Do not enter the path of the wicked;
Do not walk in the way of evil.
Darkness is the way of the wicked,
So turn your foot away from evil.

[instrumental interlude]

Ponder the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be sure.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be sure.
Don't look to the left;
Don't look the right.
Fix your eyes straight ahead;
You're gonna be alright.
You're gonna be alright.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

Storms

Your eyes are not as bright as before;
They don't reflect the sun anymore.
I see in them a world of gloom,
A mournful place where there's no room
For love to bring peace to your soul.

But peace is something you'll never find,
Unless you leave the tempests behind.
Like sudden rain your anger falls
And drowns the voice inside that calls
For love to bring peace to your soul.

There are storms within you
Raging uncontrollably,
Clouds of fear darkening your heart;
In the deep they haunt you
And threaten you relentlessly.

Don't let them tear your world apart.
Don't let them tear your world apart.

A bitter wind is chasing you now;
You run from it; it finds you somehow.
The road is long; the night is late;
Find shelter from the rain, and wait
For love to bring peace to your soul.

There are storms within you
Raging uncontrollably,
Clouds of fear darkening your heart;
Evermore they haunt you
And threaten you incessantly.
Don't let them tear your world apart.
Don't let them tear your world apart.


© 1990 David Acosta

Incomprehensible Love

Who are you, and what are you doing here?
Why have you sought me? Why have you found me?
I have come undone, now that I've drawn near;
Your holiness and beauty confound me.

In an instant you seem so far away,
And I succumb to fearful solitude.
But I do not walk by sight anyway;
I follow, knowing I have been pursued.

O Love incomprehensible, hold me;
Save me from the lies this world has told me.
I will walk by faith; O Lord, blindfold me.
When my strength yields, uphold me.

What am I, if I drift away from you?
A vanishing mist, a cloud without rain,
Hopelessly lost between earth and sky blue;
My self-reliant efforts are in vain.

Who are you, and why are you chasing me,
Convincing me that I am not alone?
With sun and wind you are embracing me,
Assuring me that I am not my own.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
You seek my love, but you don't demand it.
Beside me, behind me, and before me,
Relentlessly! I don't understand it.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

My Dulcimer and I

My dulcimer and I, we have an understanding:
He knows my thoughts, and yet he doesn't share them
With my spoiled old piano and my needy guitar.

My dulcimer is kind; he isn't too demanding.
When heartstrings break, his dulcet notes repair them.
Yes, I'll admit that it's a kinship most bizarre.

My dulcimer and I, our sessions are outstanding!
Sweet, blissful tones--to what shall I compare them?
I hammer with gusto, but I know he's the star.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

It's a Lot Like Falling in Love

Hey there, Sun, time to wake up!
Are you ready to begin a new day?
Come up, Sun, I've had enough
Of the darkness; greet me with a warm ray.
Fill the cold world with your healing light;
Drive away the melancholy night.

I've found a gateway; I'm far, far away.
Far from earthly woes, I'm free, and I'm thinking of
A highland highway, a gladsome glideway.
My sad yesterdays are a blurred yesterhaze
I'm in heaven! It's a lot like falling in love.

Hey, Dark Cloud, stormy and cold;
Ain't no need for you to hang around now.
Farewell, Cloud; take your sad, old
Down-and-out despondency with you now.
I'm a comet flirting with the moon;
I'm a groovy, hot, chart-topping tune.

I've found a gateway; I'm far, far away.
Far from earthly woes, I'm free, and I'm thinking of
A highland highway, a gladsome glideway.
My sad yesterdays are a blurred yesterhaze
I'm in heaven! It's a lot like falling in love.

Yes, I'm headed where
No earthly care can be found.
I'll soar like a prayer,
Filling the air, heaven bound.

I've found a gateway; I'm far, far away.
Far from earthly woes, I'm free, and I'm thinking of
A highland highway, a gladsome glideway.
My sad yesterdays are a blurred yesterhaze
I'm in heaven! It's a lot like falling in love.

Goodbye, dreary gray; hello, beautiful day!
Can't explain it; it's a lot like falling in love.
What a feeling! It's a lot like a falling in love.
Heart is healing; it's a lot like falling in love.
Soaring freely; it's a lot like falling in love.
I am carefree; it's a lot like falling in love.

It's a lot...
It's a lot...
It's a lot...like...falling in love.


© 2019 David Acosta Perez

The Comfy Middle

It's as if I am one part simple and humble,

And two parts very proud of how humble I am.
Attempting to speak my mind, I sometimes stumble.
Lofty, transcendent man or hollow hologram?

In my efforts to intrigue, entice, and impress,
The spotlight reveals something stuck between my teeth.
So much for my platform of illusive noblesse.
Let the stars shine like stars; I belong underneath.

And yet, self-deprecation need not be my theme.
Nor am I an indecipherable riddle,
Chasing a glitzy dream, trapped in a grandeur scheme.
Relax; simplify; enjoy the comfy middle.

© 2019 David Acosta

Whatever You Want Me to Be

Find me here, sitting in the dark,
Waiting for the morning sun.

Find me here, even though I feel so far;

Affirm You'll finish what You have begun.

Find me when I stray,

And when my heart is yearning

For a better day,

Embers barely even burning.

Take this broken man;

This windswept wanderer.

Take this brief lifespan,

This wistful ponderer.

Tho you know I'm prone to deflection,

Change my heart till I become a reflection

Of You, only You;

Restore me, renew

What's left of me;

The best of me

Is whatever You want me to be.

Break my will; shatter every plan

Whenever I yield to my pride.

Have Your way; make of this man

A temple where You can abide.

Lift me to great heights

Beyond dreams transitory.

Touch my scaly eyes

That I might behold Your glory.

Take this broken man;

This windswept wanderer.

Take this brief lifespan,

This wistful ponderer.

Tho you know I'm prone to deflection,

Change my heart till I become a reflection

Of You, only You;

Restore me, renew

What's left of me;

The best of me

Is whatever You want me to be.

I long to be whatever You want me to be.