Poetry by Jordan McFarlen
Demons of the past mount their horses
And ride through the mountain pass—
There is no place for hell
In a moment as holy as this—
The silent white sands turn to gold
As the sun falls—
The full moon appears against indigo skies
As the desert grows cold—
Two renegades with midnight memories
Of a once star-filled sky—
Disappear from time,
Hand in hand into the divine.
Jordan McFarlen
My heavy heart met the earth,
Fragmented it fell and covered the world,
Scattering across the continents,
Ravaged by discontent and regret,
I was a broken being,
Fighting my feelings and
Running from the truth,
But all along it was You.
What I had longed for,
Who I sought to satisfy my inquisition,
Where I finally found my home,
It was You and You alone.
Thank You for raising my mosaic soul,
Putting together the pieces I had lost,
Teaching me to think of Heaven,
And being God who I believe in.
Jordan McFarlen
Like a vagrant bird, carried by the wind,
I left my past behind, distracted myself from what lay within.
I found the beaches and rivers, the forests and mountains.
I was captivated by the heavens and the nocturnal,
And a presence my heart so long had yearned for.
I was finally happy on my own, self-reliant and overwhelmed,
I lived to drive through the night, never missing a sunrise.
The canyons called my name and I shed my disguise.
I found my home on the road, states away from my old life,
Surrounded by nature, free from the city lights.
But even a vagrant bird must land, by choice or indisposition,
So I recollect my memories while I lay awake at night,
My newfound wings tucked away until their next flight.
I can still smell the sagebrush, even taste the desert dust,
While I wait patiently for the winds to take me west.
Jordan McFarlen
Before we met,
We wandered with a sixth sense.
We were wayfarers, wild,
Waiting and wondering
About our forever,
About our destiny—
When would we meet,
Who would we be?
To hold you in my arms
Was a future, I admit, I didn’t always see
But we walked our paths,
Just as we were designed—
Until our future, until the right time.
We remembered who He was,
His faithfulness and love,
And now your hand holds mine, as He held us.
Jordan McFarlen
Tell me about the stars when you were lost
In the desert, alone in the night.
You said the sun fell below the canyons,
But you weren’t afraid of the dark.
I want to hear about the mountains,
The ones you conquered alone.
You said you felt like the king of the world,
Even without a crown or throne.
Tell me about the days you spent in the oceans,
Even though you knew you couldn’t swim.
You said it was worth it, to feel the waters rise,
Even when they would get too high.
I want to know why you stood so close to the edge,
Time over time again without regret.
You said it would ignite your soul,
Even though your limits were stretched.
Tell me why you weren’t here to tell me your story,
I sit and listen, but it’s not the same.
You said in spite of it all we mattered most,
But you never knew my name.
Jordan McFarlen
I’m running from these devils behind me
Though the open desert until I reach the sea—
Save me from this place, Lord, set me free.
I was born here—I was raised here, but
This place has never and will never be my home—
I’m a wanderer with a wayfaring soul.
So set this wild heart free, Lord,
Take it where it’s meant to be—
To the fountain, the water of life awaiting me.
Keep me running, running through the night
Through the open desert until I reach the sea—
Save me from this place, Lord, set me free.
Jordan McFarlen
The world is wild, the unknown is scary,
So settle for the sake of similarity,
Turn this forest to a big city,
Turn this prairie to a parking lot,
The wild world is better off tamed and bought.
The mountain air is pure, the dirt path gives life,
But the new convenience store has more
Than the one down the street to the right,
So build and build again, fill the world
With banks and ATMs, strip malls and gas stations.
Let haze fill the sky, tell the green trees goodbye;
Destroy the man, tell him the nomadic life is no good;
Give him a white picket fence, a wife and kids,
But remind him he belongs in this neighborhood,
Asphalt and caffeine, leave the beautiful things unseen.
Jordan McFarlen
I am surrounded
In sacred absence;
There I find the more of less
In the absolute, in the silence,
As the desert ghosts move
In the wind;
There is more to this moment,
More to who I am,
The bird chirps
And its sound echoes
Through canyon walls,
The halls of history slowly falling,
There is more to this moment,
More to who I am;
The desert ghosts move
In the wind,
Heavy is the head that wears the crown,
Leave it behind, leave it behind,
Come with Me now.
Jordan McFarlen
Through my eyes is the eastern sky, the
Darkest navy blue as the sun begins to rise.
With crescent moon seated upon the horizon,
Ready to receive the morning star in its embrace,
The silhouette of the mesa brings me back to earth.
Jordan McFarlen
This country could
Be ours to cross,
But love not gained
Cannot be lost,
So fear and doubt
Keep me away,
Yet give me another
Reason not to stay.
Jordan McFarlen
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