Love, Lust and the Cross in Between, poetry by Alyssa Carlburg
Both words are four letters and they start with the same,
but their motives and desires are revealed in their names.
One longs for the physical, the temporal, the finite,
the other to serve and share the Divine Light.
Lust is a predator, a lion, a snake,
refusing to give, seeking only to take.
It devours and consumes like a hungry flame,
blazing and burning to hide its shame.
Relentless and cruel, it serves only the self,
ignoring the other like a dust-covered shelf.
But, the worst by far, is its separation from the Lord,
as it submits, body and mind, to the Devil he abhors.
Love is a healer, a lamb, a dove,
striving only to shine the Light from Above.
It builds and supports like a tireless mother,
silent and patient as it serves the other.
Undying and enduring, it unceasingly gives,
relishing in the eternal life that it lives.
And, the best is its union with the Lord, faithfully true,
Given through the Cross, and the curtain torn in two.
The contrast is vivid, terrifying, and stark.
We can soar to the light, or drown in the dark.
The choice that we make reveals our desires:
To be slaves for the Lord, or burn in Hell’s fire.
So, let this be our prayer through each trial and test,
to give all to our God, and abandon the rest.