Psalm 1: Trees of Life

Like a tree you plant the ones
    Who love your truth and laws.
Like the chaff in wind’s swift run
    The wicked soon withdraws.

Root that drinks from living stream
    Brings life to leaf and fruit.
Such the righteous it would seem
    Whose way you don’t refute.

Saplings by the holy flow
    Are not the only trees.
Readers of your story know
    A hewn tree was for thee.

But fruit plucked in garden fair
    And tasted by the tongue
Drove us out from when and where
    Your voice had clearly rung.

From that time we all have roamed
    Round earth so dark and cold;
With fallen souls we have combed
    All lands for truth of old.

Never have we found such hints
    In earth’s broad sweeping land
As we found on stony prints
    Engraved by holy hand.

Words impressed on tables hard
    Become for sons of God
Living and a holy guard
    For narrow ways not broad.

But such guards will sin not cure
    For that we need some blood
Flowing down a hewn tree sure
    A wash by holy flood.

Graven stone and living word
    Will prosper righteous man
But more is there to be heard
    Of trees within God’s plan.

Righteous men and evil strife
    Will war through ages long
Until end of earthly life
    And one tree still stands strong.

Tree of Life and water clear
    That flows from holy throne
Monthly fruit for every tear
    That man has ever known.

Till that distant future day
    His law is my delight
Through it God will light my way
    And give to me clear sight;

As is found in start and end
    With God’s trees standing tall
In the midst the word God sends
    Makes righteous trees of all.

This poem is taken from my book A New Song, (Westbow Press, 2016) and can be found online HERE.