Solatium

By S. R. Powell

Poetry submission to the Makeshift Review's Writing Contest 2021

---

When I within this world begin to dry

And wither fast beneath the fi’ry eye,

And when the journey loses its appeal

And causes me to question if it’s real;

When all my paths are fading from the ground,

And when I walk alone without a sound,

And when the sun beats hot upon my head,

And when my stresses follow me to bed;

When all the spoken things I hear are lies,

And when I can’t find heaven in the skies,

And when I wish a pleasing sound to hear,

And when I wish to have companions near;

When my own mind begins to turn on me,

And when my heart is in captivity,

And when the world seems nothing but a ball

Corrupted by the stain of Adam’s fall,

I seek a faithful place where I can go

To lose my burdens of this world and know

That ‘midst these desert sands a pool does lay

Secluded for my soul to rest and play.

I go before the God who made it all,

And let those verses down before him fall.

It’s then I sit within his presence deep

And crawl into his arms to fall asleep,

And in his arms I find the things I love ―

The joys below that bring my mind above

The evils of this world and all its fears,

And I have peace in knowing that he hears.

I find within the shades of Earth

A glimpse of Eden’s gold;

I hear the melodies of mirth

And standing truths of old;

I walk in summer woodlands fair

Filled with the happy sound

Of songs and laughter in the air

From friends that are around;

I come to gardens full and grand

And sit beneath their shade

And ponder on my journey and

Recline within the glade.

My soul is fed, my body rests,

My heart is made content,

And I can breathe deep, free at last,

For time here well is spent.

I frolic in this peaceful pool

Amidst the heat of day

And bathe myself within its cool

And wonder if I’ll stay.

This is Oasis of my soul,

And I would surely stay,

But still is written on the scroll

"I am the only Way."

Renewed, restored, I take the road

Out of this happy place,

And I shall ever bear my load

Until I see that Face.

This path is narrow, cruel, and straight,

And long before me lays,

But I know He who holds my fate

Until my end of days.