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  Snapshots of Heaven - Jim Eclectic (aka Peter E Edwards)

  © 2016 Peter E Edwards. All rights reserved.

  Cover photo is a collage by Peter E Edwards

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or passed to other people in any form. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.

  Snapshots of Heaven

  This is my second book and is a selection of 72 poems that trace my journey from making connections with myself and with God. It looks at aspects of Christian life and experiences.The best way I can describe it is that it is rather like sowing seeds from an unmarked packet and seeing what springs up! These poems come from a time when I felt I should write 5 poems a week for a year and the first one in my diary sets down my intent:

  The Spark

  Let me be the spark,

  That lights desire,

  And feeds the flame,

  That starts a forest fire.

  Afterwards

   

  After the fury and the awe,

  The wind, the whirlwind,

  The waves pounding in,

  Again and again,

  The burning, and the fire,

  The place of peace,

  Where my only desire,

  Is to stay here with you.

  Read and be inspired!

  The Author

  Pete Edwards was raised in Fleet, Hants. He has a degree in metallurgy from Sheffield University & has published a number of technical papers. After 30 years in the aerospace industry, he has now retired to spend more time with his family, continue writing his poetry (under the pseudonym Jim Eclectic) and paint in watercolours. He lives in Nailsea, North Somerset with his wife Judy and has 2 grown up children, Beth & Stephen. He regularly presents new poems, which explore his Christian faith from many angles, at Café Create locally. Both Pete and Judy have read their poems there since 2012. They are both members of Living Waters Church in Clevedon.

  Contents

  1. The Time is Soon

  2. Where You Are

  3. My Own Place

  4. Angels (2)

  5. You Are (3)

  6. The Bridge

  7. Work Of Art

  8. Draw Me

  9. Angel

  10. Piece By Piece

  11. This is a Song

  12. Whisper

  13. Draw Me in Your Picture

  14. Believe In Dreams

  15. Into Your Dreams

  16. Above The Clouds

  17. Galaxies

  18. Come To Me

  19. Life Awakes

  20.The Music's Flow

  21. Beyond Imagining

  22. You

  23. You Bring Colour

  24. The Breeze

  25. You Are Everywhere

  26. A Symphony

  27. You Are My Wings

  28. If You're Not There

  29. Afterwards

  30. Touch

  31. Breathe

  32. Dream Words

  33. Wild Fire

  34. Born There

  35. Out of the Blue

  36. The Kiss

  37. Easter

  38. The Father's Love

  39. We Have It Nailed

  40. The Next Wave

  41. You Come

  42. Look to the Stars

  43. Enclosed By Clouds

  44. Strong

  45. Wrapped

  46. Wrapped 2

  47. Ashes

  48. The Spark

  49. The Day

  50. First Light

  51. The Heart

  52. Re-Wire

  53. Complex World

  54. Mosaic

  55. Freed

  56. A Tree

  57. Two Hearts

  58. Love is

  59. Wrapped 3

  60. Treasure

  61. I Made You

  62. Abandoned Race

  63. Unseen in Doorways

  64. Locks and Keys

  65. Expect

  66. Letting Go

  67. Keys1

  68. Outline

  69. I Want To Be

  70. Sky

  71. In You I See

  72. Love Is (2)

  1. The Time is Soon

   

  The time is soon.

  To end the waiting,

  To see the breakthrough,

  See the changes coming,

  Rushing, unexpected,

  One by one,

  Step by step,

  As we feel the might,

  The warmth of the sun,

  Dissolving the night,

  As a new day has begun,

  And there is only light

  2. Where You Are

   

  You are a bird,

  Spread your wings,

  Fly above the world,

   

  You are blossom,

  Blown on the breeze,

  Amazing me,

   

  You are a star,

  Shining bright,

  Over where we are,

   

  You are the sky,

  Wide above us,

  Full of promise,

   

  I feel the air,

  And will rise,

  To where you are.

  3. My Own Place

   

  Above the clouds,

  Beyond my understanding,

  There are no sounds,

  Where words are found wanting,

  I finally see,

  The wonders of the stars above,

  Amazing mystery,

  Reaching out like love,

  Into the darkness,

  Lighting up the unknown,

  Here I will rest,

  And make this place my own.

  4. Angels (2)

   

  Like the Summer flies,

  You hover but never rest,

  Like sweet incense you rise,

  Your touch butterfly breath.

   

  More real than dreaming,

  What can and cannot be,

  Seen at the edge of vision,

  In a blurred reality.

   

  Like the midnight stars,

  You’re always shining bright,

  Sometimes obscured by clouds,

  You still reflect the light.

  5. You Are (3)

   

  You are the bridge,

  So solid and strong,

  That carries me over the edge,

  To the place where I belong.

   

  You are the stepping stone,

  Placed so carefully,

  Just where the river runs,

  To help me on my way.

   

  You are the crossing,

  From past to the future,

  Until my feet are finding,

  The place where you are.

  6. The Bridge

   

  You are the bridge between old and new,

  What’s already done and what we will do,

  You lead us from sickness to miracle cure,

  Speak to our uncertainties until we are sure.

   

  You are the bridge from dying to living,

  The winding path from accusing to forgiving,

  The change we need from poverty to riches,

  The road that you lead from wanting to giving.

   

  You are the bridge that I need to cross,

  Forgetting the winning whatever th
e cost,

  The stone that keeps rolling without any moss,

  You are the satnav that won’t let us get lost.

  7. Life

   

  Life springs up unbidden,

  Though death lies everywhere,

  A heartbeat well hidden,

  Unseen but then is there,

  The cycle of creation,

  And of a father’s care.

   

  Life springs so unexpected,

  Love in a desert place,

  We’re suddenly connected,

  By such beauty and such grace,

  Seed carefully selected,

  Is growing here apace.

   

  The spirit moves among us,

  A gentle touch for us to feel,

  The beauty of a lover’s kiss,

  Is making life so real,

  Carried by an angel’s breath,

  Making the broken whole.

  8. Work Of Art

  A work of art,

  Wonderfully made,

  Becomes worn in parts,

  And torn and frayed,

  But still we come,

  Sit at your feet,

  To make our home,

  To be complete,

  And be made new,

  With colours bright,

  Perfect stiching too,

  We'll catch the light.

  9. Angel

   

  In the long night,

  I hear the wing-beat,

  Of an angel,

  Feel the breeze on my face,

  And know I’m not alone,

  You bring light,

  Where there is none,

  And there is peace,

  Where I can rest,

  Feel your breath,

  Upon me,

  And I can dream.

  10. Piece By Piece

   

  Step by step and piece by piece,

  The years march on and on,

  Bit by bit they eat away my ease,

  Fragments on memories soon gone,

  Lost within a sea of confusion,

  Drifting slowly down into the past,

  So many voices clamour for attention,

  And this life goes by so very fast,

  That sometimes I must stop and wait,

  Study the pictures and contemplate,

  Their perfect fit to make the whole,

  To rest awhile to think and sit,

  Here drinking deep restore my soul.

  11. This is a Song

   

  This is a song,

  That no one knows,

  That beating drum,

  And rhythm grows,

  Into a perfect tune,

  That flows within our lives.

   

  This is a song,

  That is unknown,

  Its soothing sound,

  And gentle tone,

  That heals our wounds,

  And flows into our being.

  12. Whisper

   

  Awakened in the dead of night,

  Even dark clouds block the light,

  No glimpse of moon or even stars,

  As doubt and fear spread their alarm,

  And in the darkness and the gloom,

  My mind is filled with dread and doom,

  But still I hear a whisper in the trees,

  A quiet voice that calls my destiny,

  To make me stand tall against this foe,

  To plant good seeds and watch them grow,

  The river still flows and sings its song,

  Deep in my heart I will respond,

  To turn my back against the night,

  And be myself a burning light.

   

  13. Draw Me In Your Picture

   

  Draw me in your picture,

  In my place inside your world,

  Draw me so very clear,

  With outline dark and bold.

   

  Draw out your colours in me,

  Paint them deep and bright,

  Draw them flowing free,

  Like rainbows in the light.

   

  Draw me in your picture,

  Its where I’ll want to be,

  Draw each and every feature,

  So that all the world can see.

   

  14. Believe In Dreams

   

  Believe in dreams,

  They are your future,

  Dancing like sunbeams,

  Across the shadows that chase you,

  Let them speak,

  Lead you anywhere,

  Just watch them streak,

  In the sky like shooting stars.

   

  Believe in dreams,

  Even in the darkness,

  Set sail on their seas,

  Find their exotic islands,

  Only believe,

  They are your diamonds,

  Follow your destiny,

  Arise, roar like a lion!

   

  15. Into Your Dreams

   

  Whisper to me while I sleep,

  Let your words carry me,

  Through the dark of the night.

   

  Speak to me in the morning,

  Inspire me with your dreams,

  As colour fills the sky.

   

  Talk to me in the daytime,

  Let me see your smile,

  As I walk in the sunshine.

   

  Listen to me in the evening,

  Let love surround me,

  And carry me into your dreams.

   

  16. Above The Clouds

   

  Above the clouds,

  The sun still shines,

  Upon our world,

  We just need to rise,

  Up into the skyways,

  Above the clouds,

  That cast their shadows,

  On our lives,

  That bring the cold rains,

  To wash away our dreams,

  Find a new perspective,

  The sun shines,

  All the time,

  No matter what life brings,

  Bask in its light,

  And be revived.

  17. Galaxies

   

  The stars are our potential,

  Burning bright above us,

  Countless suns shine over all,

  In the black backdrop of night,

  So many man made lights,

  Will dim them to our eyes,

  Attractive neon distractions,

  That seek to rule our skies,

  We must turn our backs on them,

  To clearly see these galaxies,

  To feel the emptiness of space,

  So filled with countless lights,

  To reach out to the impossible,

  To touch and hold it tight.

   

  18. Come To Me

   

  Come to me when strength fails me,

  When I can’t go on any more,

  And I have no energy.

   

  Come to me when I am aching,

  Feeling broken and sore,

  And tears stop me seeing.

   

  Come to me when there are no words,

  When there is nothing but silence,

  Let me feel your love return.

  19. Life Awakes

   

  From what you create,

  I misplace and break,

  Your colourful displays,

  Into pieces of mosaic,

  And from this mess,

  I fret and stress,

  While you still make it into success,

  And fill with faith,

  For nothing less,

  As life awakes,

  To take its place.

  20. The Music’s Flow

   

  The music’s flow,


  It’s gentle caress,

  Touches head to toe,

  Coloured reflections,

  Drift and spin,

  Swirl and dance,

  Like butterflies,

  In the bankside grass,

  The river flows,

  It’s clear direction,

  Pulls me so close,

  With every inflection,

  Each string of notes,

  Plucking at my heart,

  Healing my soul,

  As it swims afar,

  Into the glow,

  Of the setting sun,

  In the peace,

  That eases my mind,

  And sets me free.

  21. Beyond Imagining

   

  Why is your voice a whisper,

  I can’t really seem to hear?

  How will I know you listen,

  Or if you’re even there?

  I pause to tell you everything,

  But can you hear my cry?

  I know you can do anything,

  If you would touch my life,

  It seems I’m in a raging storm,

  And my ship is sinking fast,

  But far beyond my imagining,

  Are the answers that I ask,

  I have no time to sit and wait,

  To find what you will do,

  My eyes can only see my fate,

  But my hope is fixed on you.

  22. You

   

  You’re lovable,

  But like the dove of peace,

  Uncatchable,

  Untrainable,

  Your heart is never empty,

  It’s always full,

  You’re believable,

  And better still,

  Your un-believable!

  You promise the inconceivable,

  You’re approachable,

  Your’re resourceful,

  Unforgettable,

  And inexhaustible,

  You are unmissable,

  Kissable,

  But sensible,

  You’re reliable,

  And undeniable,

  Your ideas are always try-able,

  You’re reachable,

  Dependable,

  And your love is inexpendable,

  Incomparable,

  Unforgettable,

  You’re unbreakable,

  Unshakable,

  Totally unmistakable,

  To me you are irreplaceable,

  You’re immovable,

  Renewable,

  And your plans are always do-able.

  23. You Bring Colour

   

  In the night,

  There is only grey,

  And black and white,

  But in your light,

  You bring colour,

  Into my sight,

  And everywhere,

  Is bathing in its touch.

  As it shines,

  It brings to life,

  The hidden things,

  We have inside,

  And brings colour,

  To stir our minds,

  And everywhere,

  Is bathing in your love.

  24. The Breeze

   

  Feel the breeze,

  As it gently ripples,

  Through the trees,

  Shake your arms,

  And be released,

  Join its rhythm,

  Fingers flutter like leaves,

  Stirred into motion,

  Like a swarm of bees,

  Consumed by devotion,

  Stretching beyond belief,

  Experiencing new emotion,

  As the wind increases,

  Into an explosion,

  That excites your very being.