Anthony Trask » Songs/Poetry

A Psalm

Anthony — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:04:20 +0000

I have found my home in you.
Your embrace is my reason for living.
Every step taken, closer to you.
Eyes closed, no distractions, there is no turing back.
Without your presence, my soul is dead.
Without your word, direction lost.
To live in you, is to live for you.
To die in you, is relief for these weary bones.
You alone vindicate me.
You alone hear my cry.
You alone can use my tongue to speak- can use my hands- can use my feet.
When I am in the fog, in the darkness, in the despair; I will keep trusting, keep reaching, for you are there.
You are not the means to my end; you are the end, the object of my affection, the hope for which I live.
If all was taken away, I will always have you.
Will always love you.
Will always chase you.
You…are…everything.

If I Were Superman (a love ballad, of course)

Anthony — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:00:02 +0000

If I were Superman-

I’d fly you to Hawaii and back, in my arms, for a romantic weekend.

I’d heat up your coffee in the morning, with just a glance.

I’d blow away the storm approaching our picnic in the park.

I’d freeze a pond on a hot summer’s day, just so we could skate.

I’d pick up your car and carefully place it, in a tight spot.

I’d listen to the sound of your voice, when you were across town, just because I love it, just because I could.

I’d look through the walls of a thousand buildings just to get a single glance of you.

I’d wrap you in my cape, if you grew cold.

I’d take you to my fortress if you needed to escape.

I’d make a quick run to Japan, to pick you up some fresh sushi, and still have 59 minutes of your lunch hour to eat it with you.

I’d stop any impending physical danger from harming you, with the flick of my pinky.

I’d take off my costume, put on my glasses, and show you- only you- my secret identity.

In order to protect you, to keep you safe, I would lie in a field full of Kryptonite if that’s what it’d take.

And though my world be destroyed, I’d know that if it weren’t, I would have never met you.

-If I were Superman

I’ve Found Someone New

Anthony — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:56:16 +0000

“I’ve found a man, I don’t need you anymore.
He’s brought me into the safety of his bed.
He might even love me; he tells me so whenever he wants to be with me.
He let’s me take him out to dinner, and buy him nice things.
He even stays at home and takes care of the house, missing me, while I’m away at work.
I have the privilege of helping him with his kids when I get home.
He tells me thank you when I cook for him and clean my house, after getting home from work.
He let’s me drive him places whenever he needs to go somewhere.
I love doing his laundry and cleaning up after him.
He’s so cute when he asks me to borrow money so he can take me out for a nice dinner- he always picks the most exciting places- he loves the one named after that cute little owl.
He loves me enough to tell me if he’ll be out all night, and gives me a friendly warning for me and his kids not to be around if he’s been drinking a little- it doesn’t hurt anyone.
I love that he lets me spend time with him while he plays video games.
I’m a lucky girl!
If for some reason he leaves me- which I know will never happen- it’s good to know that you’ll be right there waiting for me.
If I need you, I’ll go ask for help from some of your people, and try to get closer to you again.
But for now; I’m in love with someone else.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.”

Sadly, I have seen almost this exact scenario play-out time and time again.

Soft and Sappy

Anthony — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:04:16 +0000

So my wife, kids, and I are in Southern California so I can attend a pastors’ conference. The only problem is that I’m gone all day and when I come back to the hotel, there are two sleeping kids in the bed next to us. Needless to say, there has been no time alone and hardly any adult conversation. Being the parents of small children is rewarding and incredible, but it is also a unique and often times frustrating experience. So, needless to say, I have been missing my wife immensely. We, hopefully, can take some sort of vacation, or day away, by ourselves when we return from our “vacation”.
In the feelings of my soft and sappy loneliness over the past few days, I began to write down this ode to my wife. It is vulnerable, but not too transparent. I hope that this poem will encourage you to think differently about your spouse, and will give you a window into the inner-workings of a young pastor. And, I hope that it will portray to my wife, in some small way, how much I love and care for her:

“Why?”

Why would I ever choose to live without you?
How could I walk away from your smile, from the look that you give, only to me?
Why would I want to escape the entrapment of one who knows my thoughts before I speak them?
How could I go on without our hearts entwined?
Why would I depart from you, my foundation, my anchor?
The world possesses hundreds of millions of women who take a man’s breath away, but only you have stolen my breath, and my heart.
Of all the hair that blows in the wind, only yours beckons me close.
Of all the sparkling stars in the vast night sky, your eyes alone have captivated my attention.
Of all the familiar and lovely aromas that drift through the wind, only yours brings me home.
The feel of your skin is more familiar than that on the back of my own hand.
A night started without a shared embrace, is no night at all.
An evening’s slumber is wrestles without the rhythmic sounds of your breath.
Only you, plus me, equals the most beautiful children I have ever seen.
Without you and me, there would be no them.
You are my perfect partner.
The deepest of friends.
The help I could not function without.
What we have is priceless.
For it I would die a thousand deaths.
Be willing to run into the pits of hell.
Be willing to give it all.
We once were sixteen, but now we’re adults.
With responsibilities.
A family of our own.
And the weight of calling from God.
Carelessness was bliss.
But purpose is liberating.
Susan. I love you.
We are living exactly where God wants us to.
And I’m so excited to see where He’s taking us!
And that we are in this together.

God Is (Acrostic)

Anthony — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:08:28 +0000

God is:

All I need.
Better than I could ever imagine.
Conquerer of all my fears.
Director of all my steps.
Effective in salvation.
Good to His innermost core.
Helper of those who are hopeless.
Incomparable to any life circumstance.
Jealous for my love.
King of my spheres of influence.
Loving in all of His actions.
More than I could ask for.
Never going to let me down.
Over the afairs of men.
Pleasing to my strongest desires.
Qustions that I cannot even comprehend.
Rest for my weary soul.
Salvation for the damned.
True to His Word forever.
Under the authority of no one.
Victorious over the grave.
Wonderful in His council and compassion.
Xerox to nothing or nobody.
Yes and Amen!
Zealous for righteousness.

No Rhyme

Anthony — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:44:59 +0000

Sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason.
Sometimes there ses to be no right or wrong.
Sometimes it seems like justice is not served.
Sometimes it feels like the righteous suffer more than those who are not.
Sometimes life does not make sense.
Sometimes death does not make sense.
Sometimes there are no words.
Sometimes there are blank stares.
Sometimes there is head in the hands.
Sometimes there are tears dripping from your cheek.
Sometime there are wails of agonoy.
Sometimes he doesn’t come home.
Sometimes life doesn’t seem…fair.

But the Lord is the One Who gives.
The Lord is the One Who Takes away.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

And at the end of the day, we have fallen short.
This is how it will end for almost every last one of us.
We all take a last breath.
We all experience one final beat of the heart.
We all have one last synapse fire through our brain.
We are all returned to the ground.
We all know death all to well because it lives right next door.
And someday were moving into that house.

But death is not the end.
The One who took is from the dust and returned us to it will enact justice on all.
So don’t tell me that life is not fair because all die for our transgressions.

Life is better than fair because the One who took us from the dust became dust Himself.
He did not turn away from the Master plan.
He became our sin.
He bore all of the justice and wrath on Himself.
He returned to dust.
The dust could not hold Him down because what happened to Him was not fair.

He rose from the dust a second time.
If we trust in Him,
That He has everything in control,
That His death made us right with Him,
That through His resurrection we can live again-
Forever.

Because Death is Not the End.

One day you will slip fatefully into the dark.
It will be fair, righteous, and just…
…Even though it feels like anything but.

Today is the day of salvation.
Have you called upon the Name of the Lord?

Rhino

Anthony — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:35:39 +0000

A rhino is running full speed ahead. It’s been running for a long time and it’s been running fast.
This rhino has blinders on the sides of
its eyes. And rhinos can’t look behind to see where they’ve come from, but they do always remember their glory days.
I wish the rhino could be stopped, but it’s too powerful. I’ll have to wait until the rhino gets tired and, when it stops to rest, I’ll take off it’s blinders and show it the other options.
A giraffe is waiting: tall, graceful, and with a spring in it’s step. I has big eyes with a big view of the things around it. It doesn’t charge, it gracefully ranges on the trees around it, softly picking off the good leaves with it’s long gentle tongue.
It’s not weak or naive to the dangers around it, if there’s a problem it can use its long muscular legs to kick away its detractors.
The rhino worked in its day, but very uneffeciently. Today is the day of the giraffe.

No Better

Anthony — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:18:43 +0000

There is no better feeling on earth than embracing your wife under a warm blanket as the rain pounds your bedroom window; feeling her skin against yours.
Their is no better feeling than your toddler daughter coming up to you to give you a hug and a kiss.
There is no better feeling than having your young son embrace you with his little strong arms and tell you that you are the “best dad in the whole world” even though you know it isn’t true.
There is no better feeling in the world than having your mom and your dad telling you that they are proud of you and that you are doing a good job.
There is no better feeling than seeing your adult spouses happy and satisfied with their position in life.
There is no better feeling than watching the best friend of your youth interact with his wife and children.
There is no better feeling than obeying the Lord and watching Him work His will out in your life.
There is no better feeling…………

Fire

Anthony — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:20:48 +0000

Fire:
Eons of human history,
It still keeps us warm,
It still powers our daily lives,
It cooks our food,
It boils our water,
And it dazzled us as we watch the flames dance back and forth across the wood while we sit around it in a cirle.
It is like an ancient television set- Entertaining us without words or song.
Being drawn in and mezmerized by its beauty takes us back to a time far long ago as we slept under the stars and wondered what wonders lay in wait in the heavens.
That was yesterday, but today is the same- the fire is our constant.
The flame is the the bridge that fills the gap of human histories long ago with our future into the unknown.
Burn fire…burn.

Racing Thought

Anthony — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:51:42 +0000

Rain, rain drops. Tat-Tat-Tat from the sky to the ground. Each drop its own, each drop part of the storm. One-two-three, how long can I count the falling?
Life, life springs. Inching up from the ground inch by inch, by inch. Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, and Blue each new sprout unique. Each sprout a part of the field.
Ants, ants crawl. Going to and frow and doing work. Each ant with a job to do, a task to perform. Each ant his own. Each ant part of the colony.
Neda, Neda…lying in shock on the ground. Hands trying to stop the bleeding. One bullet deep in your chest. So much life, so much vigor, so much potential. You came to seek justice, but you- Neda- did not find it. Eyes rolling back into your head- what are you looking at Neda? What do you see? Blood erupts from your nose, your mouth. Your cVs is covered, your heart forgets to beat.
What is the purpose, the meaning, in this? Where does the soul of the unjust dwell?
Andrew holds the controller firmly in his hand. His thumbs pressing buttons as radidly as he can. This is the moment he has waited all day for. Time alone. Time in front of the light. If he can simply slay this dragon and collect all of its coins- he will reach a level in life he has only dreamed about.
The mountain rises up steeply from the plains: snow capped and majestic. It slopes down gradually on the other side, only to be met at the bottom by yet another rising peak. These mountains go on for miles, and once you cross their icy terrain, the land gives way to desert: dry, mild, barren.
Follow the desert mile after mile and decend into the throat of the earth down a canyon and into a cave.
Follow the river that’s flows out of the cave and through the canyon until it reaches the sea: plummiting into the deepness and darkness of trenches never seen by man. There you will find life persivering in ways you could never imagine.
Jambe is hungry, he hasn’t eaten in 3 days. All he has to drink comes from the small pool of water that he is washing his only pair of pants in.
Alex is worried. He has lost 1 million dollars in the stock market, and now only has 78 million dollars to retire with. He now thinks twice about purchasing the 3 million dollar yacht. “What’s the world come to?”, he asks the sky.
Sarah sits alone on her squeaky bed breast feeding her only child. The father is gone. She has burnt too many bridges to go home. She has to be at work in 3 hours. She might not sleep tonight and she is nervous about leaving her baby with the new sitter, but she has to go to work- she needs the money.
Tick-tick-tick. The second hand advances. For some the second comes too slowly. For others, life is passing far too fast. Wake, eat, work, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat. The tide comes in, the tide goes out. The world spins. The geese fly South. Leaves grow, leaves fall. Rythm- Cycle- Routine- Rest.
Where is the rest? Where is the justice?
Solomon declared that life was meaningless. I disagree. I find meaning, love, compassion, grace, and hope in the peaks, in the valleys, in the sea, in the rain, in times of plenty, in times of not. The suffering and the joy is not in vain.
I walk through this cycle we call life seeking to give, to redeem, and- I guess- to get a little too.
One life, one chance, one god, one way—so many opportunities. Live life. Find what you’re looking for in the details. Seek to save that which was lost and to bring compassion where there is none.
Come quickly Lord Jesus.