Reaching for the Skies

by: Eric Fulmer

Toward the stars my many fingers reach
Combing the hair of the sky,
Which gracefully floats on the wind and breeze
And blows across its single eye.

The Beautiful World of Myth

by:Eric Fulmer

Night, her cunning beauty enwraps us all
In the music of her mystery;
In the caress of her call.
That brings us awake, stirred from our sleep
By silence undisturbed;
By darkness too deep
For weak human minds to understand
What draws us to her side;
What leads us to her land.
Where reality is suspended, a world all its own.
A place out of time;
A place that has grown
Innumerable myths, imaginations creating
Stories of terrors;
Stories unabating.

But as for me, I dwell in her being.
Its dangers worth facing;
Its beauty worth seeing.

When Dark Seems to Fall

by: Eric Fulmer

All around where I stand, darkness builds and grows,
And I shrink back in sadness and fear.
No light show's my way in the darkness of night's shadow
I feel I'll always be here.
For all around, no help calls out
Just voices that mock and jeer.
BUT it is in this moment my heart has peace
For my God, I know, is near.

Just stop and breathe...

I'll try...but what if the air is poisonous?

Unknown

"Sometimes it seems the world's unraveling around us..."

Have you ever felt that way? Like you are just moving through life at a speed at which you have no control, in a world that has no control? Too often we look inside ourselves for answers and reasons, and we're disappointed when none seem to show. I challenge you tonight, however, to look for answers, not around you, but above you. Look to God. Sometimes things don't seem to make sense. Sometimes it seems as if the decisions you make will lead no where, but then God takes you in His hand and tells you, "It's alright, child, you're with me." And in those few, simple words we can find all the comfort we need. Our burdens lift off of our shoulders and we find that we can face life and all of its trials head on. For we are not alone. Not only is He with us always as He promises in His Word, but He gives us friends and family to which we can turn even in the darkest of times when it seems there is no good ending. For it is in these times that we discover the true value of friends. I have been blessed with some amazing friends that have had such a great impact on me. I'm dating an amazing godly girl with whom I can discuss how the Holy Spirit has been working in my life and hear the same from her. I have mentors that I can go to if I have a problem. ...What I'm saying is, God gives us so many resources at our disposal, not the least of which is prayer, by which we can make it through a world that seems to be unraveling around us just as the song says. Because the one who cares for you and me is still there holding His hand out for us no matter the situation...and that's awesome. We get down sometimes, wondering if everything is going to turn out right...worrying that we've made bad decisions...and we worry needlessly. Trust God, the cross still stands alone as the way to freedom...freedom from worry, fear, ______ fill in the blank. Whatever you need God for, He's there. Just ask.

I don't know why I felt like I needed to post this. It isn't some spiritual high, or anything because as you can see it is nearing 2AM, I just finished reading a secular book, and I'm so tired I'm about to fall out of my chair, but I felt like someone else may have the same worries that I have. I hope this helps someone out there.

In Every Time and Every Season

By:Eric Fulmer

For each dream realized, another dies
And in the pain, we cry to the skies.
That maybe one day, in perfection surrounding.
We'll see the joy of love abounding.

No more heartbreak will we see;
For each decision, gives only glee.
And no more worry will we endure
As all our motives will be pure.

Know God....the better option

So, in continuation to my last post. I believe I have hit upon the right answer. If you have read the title, you've already seen it. What good does it do for me to know myself. What is there that I can do for myself...nothing. What can I do through God..."I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." So, it seems to be a pretty big difference if you ask me. So, I have found who I want to know. Have you?

I think this more than anything sums up the Christian life...so powerful!

"Know Thyself"..........yeah...right

Alright, so...I'm going to come across as sounding really random with this, but its something that has practical application to me, so I posted it.

I'm not going to lie, I think Socrates had a pretty good idea with that whole "Know Thyself" line. In knowing one's self, one completely understands what is the driving force in their life...what they truly want to see come from their actions and why that is. Even more, one must be able to see what is present in their life and know what things must be cut away for their dreams to become reality. The ability to actually see what "makes one tick" is an insight without value that could/would prove to be an invaluable help in nearly every aspect of one's life. So, in short, by knowing one's self, one can accomplish anything.

Speaking of reality, however, is it truly possible to completely understand what thoughts and ideas lie behind each word and action? Perhaps I am the only one that is blind to the motivations that lead to certain decisions, or indecisions as the case may be. So, yes, Mr. Socrates, I will quickly admit that to "know thyself" would be very helpful indeed. Where I stumble, however, is in the execution of this. The way I see it, we come to know who we are through making decisions and not only in the action of the decision itself, but in the process of deciding.

Maybe I'm just rambling a lot of junk out onto the web, but I don't think I want to try to "know myself," to be completely honest. Now, let me explain before you start laughing about me, Eric, claiming to know more than one of history's greatest philosophers with regards to one of his most famous sayings. Think about it, if we knew were to try to know everything about ourselves, what room would there be to learn...to grow? We would get caught up in such a riot of viewing ourselves, we would never see anything else. I think this quote by Andre Gide sums it up quite nicely.

     "'Know thyself' - a maxim as pernicious as it is odious. A person
        observing himself would arrest his own development. Any
        caterpillar who tried to 'know himself' would never become
        a butterfly. "

So, today, as you make decisions, don't try to learn more about yourself...BE yourself, leave the learning up to Greek philosophers.

Soon

I promise

Breaking my fast

'Fair' Says the Young Lady
by Eric Fulmer

Oh that the world would be like thee,
An inspirational beauty in each place we see,
"Fair," we wish it would always be.

Fair like the night abating,
Fair like sheep in a field parading,
Fair like the wind, soft music creating.

All the time...all the wasted time

So...I know its been forever since I posted anything, but within the next week or so I expect I'll find a little more time/desire to write. That's right, I'm heading back to Cola. We'll have to see how everything works out, but I'm hoping a little more schedule will equal a little more discipline.

My Missions Trip Report

Last week I was on a missions trip to Vancouver, BC where we held a vacation Bible school (VBS) at the Chinese Tabernacle Baptist Church (CTBC). As this was my first missions trip, I wasn't sure what to expect really. I had heard stories from friends about seeing God work, but even with that, I still went into the trip pretty blind. Of the people that went, I knew 2 or 3 prior to leaving Florence. The rest I had seen or knew their names, but that was the extent of it. The first night that we were in Vancouver we really didn't notice a whole lot; since we didn't arrive until after midnight local time (which was 3 hours behind us here) and were pretty wiped out, but for the rest of the trip, I was in total culture shock. Superficially, Vancouver is pretty much like any large US city, it has its nicer homes and areas of town, and there are areas that are a bit more run down, it has its people, its attractions, etc...but when Pastor Fred Davis, who is the missionary we were there with, took us the first day to a functioning Buddhist Temple, I realized that this was unlike any other place I had been. The sheer diversity of people and religions kinda overwhelmed me. In one long row there were churches and temples form nearly every area of the world lined up. It was then that I began to understand how unusual (to me anyhow) Pastor Davis' ministry was. Whereas here, people are either Christian or not, for the most part, and ministry focuses on showing people that they need A God, there, Pastor Davis' ministry focuses on showing people that they need THE God. One who can fill the emptiness left by their native gods and their works based religions.
What really got a hold of me, though, were the people that I got to know on the trip. The children at the VBS we were holding at the church Thursday through Sunday night touched my heart. There was a diversity there that was not only related to the people, but also to the knowledge these children had. In some cases, these children were asking questions that would make my head spin, in other cases, some children seemed to have no prior knowledge of what we taught, whatsoever. As the week progressed, I got to know the people a little better, my fellow team members, Pastor and Mrs. Davis, the young adults of CTBC, and the kids that attended our VBS, and in each of these groups I learned about the experiences that they had been through prior to me meeting them, and I learned about what they were going through personally now, and what things lay ahead of them in the near future. It was an experience I don't believe I will soon forget. At least, I pray that I don't. In each of these people that I came to know, whether American or Canadian, whether child, youth, or adult, I got to see a piece of myself. Something in them that I could apply back to my own life and learn from , and I will carry that piece of them with me now. Remembering what it is that I learned from them and how it helped me in my personal walk with Christ. I would like nothing more than to go back to Vancouver and spend more time there with the people of CTBC and see what else God can teach me through their lives. Thank you very much for allowing me to go on this trip.

Well...as expected I have been entirely too busy to do any writing on this missions trip. It has been an amazing experience though. The beauty of Vancouver and its surrounding area is nearly beyond description. The VBS we held was amazing and accomplished its goal of bringing in new prospects for the church. One estimate is that two thirds of the kids there were not church memebers' children. That is awsome! I honestly can see myself coming back here in the next few years and spending some serious time helping Pastor Davis and his church. I plan on looking into this further in the coming years.

As for the poetry, I have a new set of images from which to glean enformation, so you can expect some serious nature oriented poetry in the next week or so.

Writing Binge

So, after finally breaking through the 3 month writers block I had been facing I have now swung in the completely different direction. In the past 3 days I have written 3 poems, come up with an idea for one more, and made plans for a new prose piece. With the missions trip coming up, either I'll have a lot more time to write or I'll be so wiped out I won't be able to hold a pen, so we'll just have to see. I plan on posting some stuff when I get back from the trip regardless, until then...

For the Best

As has been the norm lately, I have decided to try something very different from my usual fare of poetry (this may actually be true prose). This was brought about by a combination of very sudden inspiration and the desire to expand my style. So, let me know what you think, please.

For the Best
by: Eric Fulmer

Even as I sit here, thinking of you, I wonder...did I make the right choice? To turn away from you was in no minds my first impulse. I desired nothing more than to fan that spark that I felt between us. For I knew what you felt, and I felt it too, I believe; but my better sense told me that to walk away was the better option for the both of us. It was impossible for that time, what we wanted. I think deep down inside, we knew what would come of it. I listened to that small voice of sense from deep inside...apparently, you didn't. So, I was forced to walked away. To walk away and leave you standing there alone like a leaf to be swayed by any lone breath of wind that passes by. I am sorry. I sought only what I knew was for the best...for the both of us.

Why?! Why could you not understand that what I do and have done is all for you. Why can you not understand that it is because of my love that I did not take you up in my arms and carry you off? But you would not be dissuaded. You came rushing after me, just behind my every step as if to convince me that you belong there, and each time, you forced me to remind you that it would never work. I could not say it outright, though, for that would destroy you, so I ignored you, which may have been all the worse. I ignored the way you looked at me, I ignored the things you did to try and impress me, I ignored...(voice dies out). I know the way I treated you hurt, I could see the pain on you face each time I was forced to spurn your advances. Sometimes, I almost weakened, almost folded after looking into the depths of your eyes and seeing the tears you hid well up, almost told you it was all an act...that I did really love you, but I knew things could not be done that way. I knew that you would recover...eventually.

New thing, old ideas

Going On For To Conquer

by: Eric Fulmer

Through the trees I wander; brush and vine seeking to hinder me in my every step. For the land knows that I seek to learn its greatest secrets. It tries to hide this knowledge behind the suffocating darkness and the cold mist that closes in about me. It seeks to discourage me with fear as I press on toward my goal. But I do not fear.

I will conquer the land and make its power my own. I follow it closely, even as it flees from before my advances into its domain. As a breath of wind crossing a canyon, a rabbit scurrying into its tunnels, a bird flying almost out of sight high above me: in every way trying to evade me, but still I follow. I do not fear, I will not turn back.

Though night reveals to me the terrors from my darkest dreams, and though the hot sun seeks to sap the very strength from my veins; I continue pressing on. Looking only forward into the places where the land has denied man from even setting a foot into its sacred gardens that lie hidden deep within its embrace. Looking to tame every trial through which the land attempts to thwart me. For I do not fear, I will not turn back, I can only succeed.

Onward I press in spite of the united spirit of opposition that I face. Day after day, night after night. "I am winning," I tell myself. "The land has no power to stop me." For months and years I continue scouring the land; grasping to gain a foothold in my quest for control. I drive its creatures before me, I burn its forests behind me, and I send its waters careening out of their natural ways as I gloat in my domination. I did not fear, I would not turn back, I could only succeed, I was victorious.

Well...I've decided to try to write something else once again. This time, however, I'm going to try prose. I don't particularly know why; it just seems that prose more suits the subject and style of the next piece. So, I'll try to get that posted in the next couple of days. I think that whoever first said that "a picture is worth a thousand words" seriously undervalued the written language, and i would like to prove that with my next piece.

Well, I don't know if anyone actually reads this blog other than myself. But if there is someone out there who does, I'm just letting you know that I'm not going to be posting anything for a while. As much as I love my writing and thoroughly enjoy the state of mind it puts me in...its not the right state of mine because my poetry forces me to focus on myself and my problems in life instead of where my focus needs to be. So, until i have this worked out, I'm taking some time off. Its notlike my poetry is something anyone is going to miss anyhow.

So, I wrote this last December and lost it or something, anyhow, it never got posted. So here it is.


The Beauty of the Seasons
by: Eric Fulmer

The beauty of Fall has passed away;
The last leaf of autumn fell today.
No longer at there leaves of colors bright
Hanging on every limb in sight.

The throes of December have settled in;
Evidence of Old Man Winter's win.
Now is the time of ice and cold
As the land is embraced in a tragic death hold.

But while the colors of the land are gone;
Lost to the whiteness of snow, Winter's son,
The beauty of the land has not been defaced,
But rather its splendor has been replaced.

As you may have noticed, I've kinda done away with the oak tree theme...it just wasn't working anymore. I may have something new with it now that it's starting to get toward spring time...not sure. but anyway...on to my next installment.

Fate My Oppressor
by: Eric Fulmer

A burning pain creeps through my heart
As the reality sets in,
That all my dreams I used to wish
Have been stolen from within.

Stolen by fortune, fate my oppressor
Conspires against my aspiring's.
Killing off the future hopes
Of all I have been desiring.

The Storm
by: Eric Fulmer

Driving drops of water splashing;
The rain falls all around me.
Sharp flashes of light illuminating;
The lightning strikes all around me.
Deep voices of the skies rumbling;
The thunder sounds all around me.

These three combined create a force
That few can reckon with
A powerful, majestic, beautiful storm
That both inspires and destroys.

...and just keeps on coming

What Lies Within
by: Eric Fulmer

I sit by the water, flowing fast, flowing free;
And feel the cool breeze break across my face.
Reveling in the freedom this land can offer;
This mountainous land as infinite as the sea.

I find myself, who I am inside,
As I lose myself in this wilderness.
For the land brings out a part of me
That deep within does hide.

Eric's naturalistic poetry strikes again...

Beyond the Sea I Go
by: Eric Fulmer

On, on, I travel far;
Far across this dreary land.
My path goes ever on before me.
Somewhere behind me lies my home,
Somewhere ahead lies the sea.
That infinite plane of murky water
Beyond which, I am sure, lie my dreams.

*speaks for itself*

"When Sleep Runs Away"
by: Eric Fulmer

When sleep runs away, I sit and think
Of all the things of life.
Of people, of things; fun times and of joy,
And pain and times of strife.

Why all of these memories flood my mind,
I honestly cannot say,
For they come to me unbidden,
As on my bed I lay.

Over and over the thoughts repeat,
As I seek to leave this land,
And enter another, built from my dreams,
Created by my own hand.

For in my dreams I travel to and fro,
Not hindered by thoughts of living,
But carried away where I fly like a hawk.
My wings, to me, freedom are giving.

But, finally, I drift far away,
To sleep as I desire.
Only to hear my clock alarm
Pulling me back into the mire.

I decided to get out of my room for a little while earlier today and walk around the State House grounds since I live all of a 10 minute walk away. As I was walking, I read all of the inscriptions on the monuments I read. This was inscribed on the monument to the soldiers of South Carolina that died in the War Between the States. This isn't something I wrote and it isn't technically poetry, but it really touched me so I decided to post it.

Let the stranger,
Who may in future times
Read this inscription,
Recognize that these were men
Whom power could not corrupt,
Whom death could not terrify,
Whom defeat could not dishonor,
And let their virtues
Plead for just judgment
Of the cause in which the perished.
Let South Carolinians of another generation
Remember that the state taught them
How to live and how to die,
And that from her broken fortunes,
She has preserved for her children,
The priceless treasure of their memories;
Teaching all who may claim
The same birthright
That Truth, Courage and Patriotism
Endure Forever.

I decided to try and write something a little different than my usual poetry...this is the result.

Dark is the Night
by: Eric Fulmer

Dark is the night
Heavy is my heart.
The cold of winter has entered my soul
And has begun to fester there
Eating away at my essential being.
No longer is there joy in my life
No longer do I eagerly await the sun rise
For each day is but another repetitious nightmare
From which I can never awaken myself.
My dreams are become folly
My ambitions are in vain
For nothing can change the nature
Of each tortuous day though which I suffer
And nothing can save me from myself.

I find it interesting how much a person's mood affects their writing, especially with poetry. Most of my poetry tends to be about the outdoors, which is my true passion, but the mood that I am in when I take up my pen to write determines what I write about. When I feel hopeful, I write about things growing, when I am looking to the future, I write about the never-ending sky, when I'm upset about something, I write about storms. The more interesting moods bring about the more interesting poetry.

I feel I can now truly connect with this quote by Soren Kierkegaard, "A poet is an unhappy being whose heart is torn by secret sufferings, but whose lips are so strangely formed that when the sighs and the cries escape them, they sound like beautiful music... and then people crowd about the poet and say to him: "Sing for us soon again;" that is as much as to say, "May new sufferings torment your soul." It seems in my most unsettled moments, my poetry takes its most volatile form. It seems to have a mind of its own in these moments and runs off with me merely tagging along writing as fast as I can. But, most often, these are not the poems I want to write. These poems are merely the excretion of the turmoil that goes on in my head.

My goal is to perhaps, one day, channel this emotion into all my poems.

Mocking from the Mountains
By: Eric Fulmer

Alone on a mountainside I sit in peace.
For here, I have no chain.
Like those that bind me to a path
Far below in the cities of pain.

Up here the air is fresh and clean.
Not weighted with smog and fumes.
Here I live and think and breathe
High above such smokey plumes.

These mountains are so much more to me,
Than great monoliths of rock.
They are an escape from life,
Which I sit up there and mock.

What Sailor is This?
By: Eric Fulmer

I sail this night across the land,
As is my usual fare.
For the sea, it has no hold on me,
To bar me from passing there.

As I sail, my bow parts the clouds
High above that misty plain,
And the waves stream down to touch the earth
To become a shadow's bane

Well, with part 3 done, this ends my epic poem, The Song of the Land. Let me know what you think. I'm very open to other people's opinions on what I write and want to know what I need to improve. Thanks

The Healing of the Land
By: Eric Fulmer

The war is over, peace has returned,
The fires are extinguished, the lessons learned.
But for the Land, no battle was won,
No treaty of peace can undo what was done.

For decades of beauty have been erased,
The work a few years cannot replace.
Perhaps never again will the beauty exist,
That filled my youth with eternal bliss.

But slowly, it appears, the land is repairing,
The damage caused to it by our own erring.
Small tips of plants sprout up through the earth,
Coloring the Land with the green of rebirth.

A rich, soft carpet recovers the ground
That once was trampled by those battle bound,
And one by one, birds return with their singing,
Soon the new meadow with their songs is ringing.

But one spot remains bare, bereft of life,
As if in mourning for some undue strife.
No grass there grows, no birds there sing,
A patch in memory of some great thing.

This spot was once home to the old, majestic oak,
Whose limbs in the storm of war were broke.
It's great beauty; nothing can replace,
And as I thought of it, tears streamed down my face.

For in my mind, this was more than a tree,
It was a companion that gave company to me,
It stands in my memory, the epitome of my life,
Gave me strength in the face of strife.

Never again will I sleep at night,
Born in the majesty of its height,
Or lean against its side each day,
Listening to the birds singing their lay.

For never again will that great tree stand,
Exalted high in the midst of the land.
Some things, it seems, will never truly reclaim,
The beauty once held before they were maimed.