BibleResources.org/youth

Poems

By Deven Kalien (click here to read author's testimony)

Click here to read her original poems

The Poems

I Will Follow Thee
Silver Hair
Grandmother
Heaven Sent
Oh, Little Boy
Atonement

________________________

“I will follow Thee”

>From shore to shore
>From land to land
Everywhere I go
I seem to run
Always, into you
I find it impossible
To hide
In the light
I stumble
It always turns into a crawl
All in all
You’re always there
To hold my hands
As I begin to walk again
I feel You are there
In the midst of my despair
Drying every tear
Consuming every weakness
Loving me like no other
Pulling me out of the water
Before I drown
I thirst for your strength
I hunger for your mercy
Night after night
You rescue me
I will follow thee
More diligently

“Silver Hair”

The doors have opened,
Can you see the light?
The Angels standing by your bed,
Can you hear them singing?

They said you won’t make it
I shouldn’t be crying
Be at peace
I know where you’re going, forever
Walk with our father
Can you feel His hand in yours?
I will always remember your long silver hair
That I loved to brush and braid
Instead of dolls to play
And the beautiful rings that held precious stones
On fingers long nails that I would admire
While you played a game of solitaire
Laughter that echoed infectiously
That everyone felt good in your presence
You taught me how to love English and Literature
At such a young age
You’ve struggled and battled
Never in vain
Enduring far too much pain
You never turned away
>From your faith in god
You have shown me strength and courage
And what it means to live for someone else
Soon you will be gone
Prayers to carry on
Soon you will walk and run
On streets of gold with God’s Holy Son
A new body
With no pain
Your hair still so beautiful
You have been my inspiration and my confidence
I will try not to weep
Knowing you’re in Heaven
In peace for eternity
I will be strong and wise
And will continue to write about our Lord
At this time of despair
Off my lips begotten words
I will console and comfort
Your oldest daughter, my sweet mother
I will never doubt that everything will be alright
And always, will I remember your silver hair!

Can you see the angels standing?
Can you see the loving hand that awaits you?

Dedicated to: Sandra May Johnson Sept. 16th, 2002

“Grandmother”

You were there
When I breathed my first breath
Thinking of this now swells my heart
With immeasurable pride and joy
Knowing you watched me change
Touches me in a miraculous way
The great paradox of grandparenthood
You were there to nurture me,
Love me, and give me strength
I know I made you proud
I know you are in a much better place now
But letting you go is not easy
You will always be my greatest treasure
Your love remains always in my heart..

Sandra May (Hansen) Johnson
Rest in Peace
September 16, 2002

“Heaven Sent”

Something so good
Came from something bad
Eighteen years past
And still other days to last
My eyes grew open
My ears began to listen
My heart beholding more
She’s the reason I was born
God chose her
Heaven chose me
Even though she was still a youth
She had me
She didn’t raise me as her child
She didn’t teach me as her child
Though, we grew
We grew not as mother and child
We grew as friends
As I learned off her
She learned off me
God put us together
We leaned on each other
As I grow older
I begin to notice,
Little things I didn’t before
The good times, the bad times
The laughing, the crying
Those meaningful conversations
And even those lectures titled,
“Don’t do what I did”
One weakened past
Makes a stronger future
One heart to heart talk
Makes a conversation end with
Tears of laughter
One push to shove makes positive confidence
One guiding
Makes God happy
But there’s one thing I never noticed
With my foolish eye
Not in darkness
Or in light
I couldn’t see this:
By faith, it is two angels
Angels that stand
Angels that walk
In our shadows
Day and night
They’ll never leave
Because this was God’s plan
I was made for you
And you were made for me.
God chose you
Heaven sent me
And that makes “WE”

“Oh, Little Boy”

Oh, little boy
Why do you run so far?
I’ve seen one like you
Years before
But he stopped running

Oh, little boy
I don’t want you to stop
Just turn the other way
I’ll be a step behind you
Knowing you’re going the right way

Oh, little boy
Through my crying eyes
I see the re-occurring memory
Of the one before
Footsteps you are following

Oh, little boy
I am not digging another grave
So, I may see another lay to rest
So, I am not the one blamed
I am weary by the thought of you

Oh, little boy
You’ve dropped your cross
Feelings of being in prison
You’ve forgotten what life’s about
You’ve walked alone long enough

Oh, little boy
I don’t want that day to come
When I hear that you’ve stopped running
Don’t say that I don’t know how it feels
I’ve walked too, with melancholy

Oh, little boy
I have not stopped caring
Do not give up
I am with you
I will always love you

Oh, little boy
God loves you, too!

“Atonement”

I stand here foolishly
Awaiting for you to move
Again deeply within my soul
I grew through my weakness
Stretching my palms toward Heaven
I run from the demons once again
Where are the angels
I used to dance with?
The ones I used to soar with?
I have given so much.
No wasted time
And feel I’ve turned blind
>From my bleeding heart
I feel I have faded
These tear stains on my face
You’ve been my aid through my mourning
You’ve been my healing
Swollen, my heart aches
Just to move and see another day
My despair has become blue prints
As the hour glass turns again
Oh, Father I am weak
Here I am at your feet
Asking for the pleasure
Of your touch once more
I kneel and know I’m a sinner
I don’t want to cry no more
Here I am stranded
My will to find atonement
The blessed suspension
Of my salvation
I grieve and whimper before you
As I fathom who you are
You speak to my soul and say:

“My child, you are my child
A child of grace and light
Lay your heavy burdens to rest
Yes, the future is rough
But I am here beside you
I am the branch
Go and be fruitful
Your battle will be won
You have done well
Still there is more good to come..
Your love goes on and on
I am the vision when you are blind
I am your ears when you are deaf
And I am your strength always when you are
weak....AMEN”!

Deven (formally known as Bobbie Jo) Kalien was one of the first writers for the BibleResources.org Youth page.

Here is a short biographical update, in Deven’s own words:
My parents and I decided to move back to Florida after my brother joined the Marines. We are all very proud of Chris because this was his senior year and was supposed to graduate from high school. He elected to graduate out a year early and join the Marines. Chris graduates this Friday May 23rd a United States Marine. I am a cashier at a local grocery store and have plans to go to school. I will be studying Morturary Science. My true love is still writing and am still doing so. I have written 2 more short stories since moving to Florida.....Our God has been and always is an awesome God and I have been richly blessed with the talents He has given me. Please continue to keep in contact and let me know how my new stories touch you. Thank you and God Bless - Deven Kalien

Deven welcomes your correspondance. You can reach her at the following email address: bjkalien@yahoo.com