The Messianic Poetry of Penny Foster

Introductory Statement

It seems I have always noticed the Jews. As an English child growing up in the Middle East, Iran and Jordan, as young as 7 I would point out who were Jewish and who were Arab or Iranian. Not until I first met the King of the Jews as my personal saviour, some 25 years later, did I understand why. During a time of prayer, I "happened upon" the question in Jeremiah 15:5 'Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will weep for you? Who will even bother to ask how you are?' And I responded, 'Here am I, I will'. I was hooked. I must have always been a part of the people of God. It has been my desire and my mission ever since, to speak up for Israel and her people who are now my people. I am grafted in to the original Jewish olive tree. I am part of the One New Man. Wake up Church to your Hebrew Roots too! Honour the Jewish Messiah.

I love the Word of God. I love words. I love language. I love to paint pictures with words. I love colour. I love the colour of words. I love music. I love the music of words. And I adore and worship the Creator God who revealed Himself to me through His only begotten Son, the Living Word. Once I met Him, His creation became more alive. Sights, Sounds, Sensations, Colour, Feelings, Warmth and Cool - He has created all things for us to richly enjoy. He speaks to me through His creation, but most of all - He speaks to me through His Word - His written Word and His Word made flesh, Yeshua HaMeshiach. Every day, the hidden treasures of His Word are revealed. My prayer is that through my little poems, you might turn to The Word anew, and discover more of Him.

"THE TRUMP OF GOD"

[Yom Teruah]

Could you come in snowtime

To meet us in the air

As the Winter aconite

Shakes out her golden hair?

Or would you care to smile upon

The Spring-awakened trees

With blossom petals opening up

To bullfinches and bees?

Perhaps you like sweet woodruff's scent

Towards the end of May

Preparing us for Summer's heat

With its redolence of hay?

I long to be awake for you

Watching 'pon my knees:

Tho' the sleepy warmth of August

Whispers false securities.

So will you rapture us in Fall

As swallows quit our eaves

And the earth is carpeted

With claret coloured leaves?

I'd like it to be Autumn

As the shortening days grow dark

Before the year and earth herself

Is dead:

Before the *Feast of Asif

When harvest sheaves are gathered in

Caught up and bound together

Unto God.

Penny Foster

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 1 Thess.5:11 , whole of 11 Thessalonians 2 and 1 Corinthians 15:51 to end

"Asif" = the original name of the Feast of Ingathering which took place at harvest time now called

"Succoth", the Feast of Tabernacles

KURDISTAN

Kurdish shepherds, by a Persian waterfall,

Mourning their flocks once tended months ago,

Gave me this flute that now upon my wall

Hangs hollow, exiled,

Embodiment of woe.

Guilty, shocked and impotent am I

That they, like You, enduring pain and lack,

Gave out to me.

Ha�Shem, reveal what I can do...

Will prayer pay back?

Yeshua, since Your *ches-ed love came first,

Reach down.

Descend from off Your throne above

To these wandering, wondering souls accursed.

In Mercy, Adonai, send Love.

Penny Foster

16 April 1991 **on hearing news of Iraqi attempted genocide of this ancient Biblical race of Medes

* CHESED is Hebrew for God's Loving Kindness - pronounced hess-ed

** the following day news broke that the UN were about to establish safe havens for the Kurds

*** Post script: November 1997 it was reported to me by Armenian members of the Iranian Christian Fellowship in London that there is currently a great Awakening amongst the Kurds

NUDGES

It�s good of you to talk to me in prose, heart-to-heart, the way you do.

Deep to inner deep.

Since those who read, or hear, and understand your work

Become your intimates � the ones who can be trusted.

Thus, if you laugh, I hoot too. Cry? I empathise and weep.

Or thoughts I�ve had, dreams dreamt,

You put words to and strike a chord.

Hey! That�s what I just said!

Thus whispered arcana nudge inspiration.

Reconnected emotions demand to be released.

Jumbly words, quicksilver thoughts compete.

Quick! Switch on Creative Mode

To capture that idea before it goes.

Clicking on, I chase the cursor round the screen.

Move blocks, polish, save, scan meter, delete.

Sometimes, ah! just sometimes,

Yours, the evoker,

Spawns my poem complete.

By Penny Foster

ENDUEMENT

[Shavuot]

�As

The man

From Samaria

Showed mercy �

Go and do likewise�

Is that what You said?

When the people were hungry

You had them sit down,

Shared the fish, broke the bread.

�Only believe� You said.

�Bless the poor, wash their feet,

Heal the sick, raise the dead�

Are You certain that�s what You said?

�Tie up strongmen, loose the bound,

Cast out demons, regain ground�

Can it be? Is that sound?

�And greater works than these you�ll do

When you the Promise have received.

It�s not by might and not by power,

But by My Spirit you�ll succeed�.

You command that if I love you

Your words I will obey

�So Father may be glorified,

Believe!� is what You say.

It�s so scary � and it�s hard.

Yeshua, help my unbelief!

For Father to be glorified

Your words I want to keep.

So, since my strength must be

From Your mighty power inside,

Endue me from on high,

my Lord,

wisely unto me. Be it wisely

And be it unto me.

PARCENARY

How do I speak when they ask me

�What are these wounds on your back?

Why have your eyes clouded over?�

To answer would show up your lack.

Do I tell them �Dear friends, it is nothing �

I stumbled and fell in the mire�.

But remind myself �seventy times seven�

And trust that they�ll read Zechariah?

No; I pray if you �spitefully use me

For love hardly notices wrong

I come to you when there�s ought against any

To turn my blocked prayer back to song.

Not for nothing it is that He charges

By roes and by hinds of the field

�Daughters, wake not my beloved;

She is sleeping until she is healed�.

It hurts not just you but His body

To which I also belong

Where�s compassion if you verbally judge me

Giving sound to your fears with your tongue.

So don�t tell me,�in love�, what might hurt me

Tell Yah. He knows anyway.

He�ll show me, convict me, then lift me.

I hear, but can�t take what you say.

When you pray �Lord, please judge in me

All the errors in her that I see�

Then He gently reveals, no condemnation, forgives

Thus setting both you and me free.

Zech. 13:6

Ps. 6:7

Matt. 27:14

Ps. 69

Matt. 18:22

Zech. 13:6

Matt. 5:44

1 Cor. 13:5,7

Mk. 11:25

Matt. 5:23

Song 2:7

Song 3:5

James 3:6

1 Cor. 12:26

1 Cor. 4:3,4

James 3:9

John 21:17

Ps. 139:1

Ps. 51, Ps. 27:6

John 20:23

Rom. 8:1

1 John 1:9

THE BALLAD OF PATMOS REVISITED

1] Softly sounds pervade my dreams

Lip-lapping, lip, lip-lapping

Gently washing water

Some tideless shoreline splashing

Hot, balmy midday sun

My sleepy frame relaxing

Lulls me into sweet repose

Not fear nor worry taxing.

2] Sweet oleander fragrance

Hangs heady �on the air

And through the ancient olive groves

Descending rocky hillsides bare

Come distant flocks and shepherd

Their sheep bells tolling soundly

To interrupt with jingly tones

My arcane dream profoundly.

3] Such brightness of the sunlight

My closed lids penetrate

Ah, must I wake and leave this scene �

Aware by now the hour is late �

Rejoin a gathering stormy world,

Fiscal Meltdown and Global Warming gloom.

Men�s hearts are failing them for fear

Whilst they embrace impending doom.

4] Domestic sounds and thoughts disturb

I�ll stretch, and turn my head away

Perhaps sweet dreaming to prolong

Before I have to face the day.

So, sinking into reverie,

The dream I soon recapture

Returning to that rocky isle

I review the scene with rapture.

5] It�s on the pebbly edge I stand

Of sea such dazzling azure hue

And over hill and shoreline spread

Entwining morning glory blue.

Where is this isolated rock

And who�s now with me on the beach

Arrayed in awesome splendour?

I sense a lesson He will teach.

6] In the Spirit on The Lord�s Day

Right on this spot once stood St John

Whose mighty Revelation shown

The Christian world now waits upon.

Dodecanese isle of Patmos �

Today unusually calm �

Back then this metamorphic rock

Portrayed a scene of great alarm.

7] Attracting storms electrical

Mount Cerceteus across the sound

Shot skywards shards of piercing light

With thunder rumbling all around

High winds and teeming mountain springs

Together added to the roar

And over all there came the voice

Of Glory, Angels, Trumps and War.

8] Exiled John saw times to come

Divine forthtellings were revealed

That evil Earth would soon be judged

Its punishments in vials sealed.

Engendered by the horsemen four

Catastrophic domination

Through a Beast Apocalyptic

Soon controlling every nation.

9] But prior to this God�s chosen race

Twelve thousand from each Jewish band

Received protection on their heads

From martyr�s death at satan�s hand.

In heaven then was worship sung

To Jesus Christ the slaughtered Lamb

Angels thrice cry Holy, Holy

A new song �Worthy is I AM�.

10] God waits upon His throne eternal

Since time before the world began

Watching over His creation

To consummate His heavenly plan:

Those who trust in Christ�s salvation

Not denying that He�s Lord

Are justified in tribulation

And life forever their reward.

11] John�s disciple, old Prochorus,

When the Apocalypse was told

Wrote it to proclaim the season

And the age this would unfold.

�Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus�

Completes the vision of St John

Promising this generation

Will see the glory of God�s Son.

12] So, how to interpret my Patmos

Since soon I�ll be clear out of rhyme?

See, it�s when God�s Word starts to happen

Look up and rejoice. Now�s the time!

The shout will have lately gone up

�The bridegroom now comes for his bride�

Steadfastly watching and ready

Her lamp will be full by her side.

13] Sheep bells announce His arrival

Groves speak of tradition and new;

Ingrafted Church with true olive.

Redemption interprets the blue.

It�s often that sea speaks of nations

The pebbles perhaps living stone

And perfume exudes a sweet savour

Of prayers rising up to The Throne.

Penny Foster

Email to contact Penny