Derek Witten
Honorable Mention 2008 Utmost Christian Poetry Contest: $50
About this Christian Poet:
After high school, Derek took a year for Bible School in Sweden and traveling around Europe. He is now a first year English student at Trinity Western University. Through high school his focus was mainly on sports, but poetry sneaked in as a side interest (which he kept mainly to himself). In the past couple years his interest in poetry has increased, although it is still used mainly for self-expression.
About this Poem:
This poem came together in bits and pieces throughout the course of the summer. The imagery is from my summer job in carpentry. It's about how doubt creeps into the everyday, and a longing for reality in my walk with Christ.
Longing and Stacked Lumber
Jesus the concept I know you too well:
You cling like an overbearing and unaware friend.
But still I continually and drudgingly
Wedge out slices of my day for you.
From eight till five-thirty
Your depth and difficult truths pace my mind.
You will never be enough.
Hours pile in the heat:
Garth's hammer falls heavy,
And each fluid movement of toughened muscle
Drives another task to completion.
His thoughts are the smooth straight edge of a 2x4—
As straight and square as a concrete foundation.
Could I be like him?
Doubt breaks my back like stacked lumber:
Even as the spinning, biting saw-blade
Turns another carefully penciled line to sawdust,
I wonder about my salvation.
Will this sliver of doubt ever be removed?
What are these hours
If not fastened with a single blueprint?
Jesus the man:
I don't know what you are—
You are an unidentifiable ember of light somewhere inside of me.
You are the moment when I truly wanted my friend to do well.
I long for you—as real as rough lumber.
You have the power to change.
You are worth a life's searching.
Copyright ©2008 by Derek Witten