MARIANNE DORMAN'S POEMS 
                           
CONSTANTCY
You never change O Lord,
How constant is your love
     The strength I need  in times
  of weakness and weariness.

   Knowing that you are within
   Renewing and refreshing me 
                        with embracing love
                        healing many woes.


You are my rock and refuge
   a very present help in trouble  
                       You are always there 
                      my Comforter and Delight.



​                                   BREAD OF LIFE
                        Dare I tread the sanctuary of holiness
                        to receive the Bread of Life?
                       That Bread from Heaven
                       Promised by the Lord.

                      My feet want to run 
                      for the eternal Food
                      But my hands draw back;
                     I falter; I hesitate.

                    Why do I not run?
                    My unworthiness taunts me.
                    Until You whisper  
                    come and eat at My Table.

                    I did sup with the Lord 
                    and tasted its fruits 
                    of pure delight;
                   My Lord and my God.

                 PENITENCE – based on Psalm 51

               Lord, have mercy upon me,
               Holy God, Holy and Immortal,
               Have mercy upon a contrite sinner.

              My sin is ever before me
              Without Your cleansing spirit
              I should wither and die.

             Yet Your Holy Spirit
             on contrition purifies
             making me as white as snow.

               NEW EVERY MORNING

           As the watchman waits for the morn
           I wait for Thee in the breaking of the Bread.
          No words can adequately express the  joy 
          in receiving  the Lord of life.

         That precious moment is a taste of  heaven
        Where I shall  behold Your face,
        Never more to leave Thy presence
       Rapt in perpetual adoration.

       As yet I cannot linger in adoration
       You I must take to the world
       Love must mingle in a fallen world
      To bring healing  and hope. 


               MORNING BREAKS

             Refreshed by sleep 
           To greet the morning
           but no, the Lord of creation.

           I call upon Your Spirit to stir within 
           to sing my praise for yet another day
          of Thy wonder and magnificence.

         Yet I need your help to let me be 
         what you want me to be that very day
         Veni, Sancte Spiritus, veni.

           
               ABUNDANCY

             How can I ever praise and thank You                                           enough my God.     .
            For all Your splendour?
            I cannot!

            How can I ever praise and thank You 
            enough my God.
            For all Your goodness?
            I cannot!

            How can I ever praise and thank You       
             enough my God.
            For all Your mercies?
            I cannot!

            Yet by being me,
            Living out what 
           You have made me,
           Begins my praise and thanks to thee.


​                    SEARCHING

                I search for you, Lord
                In my inner being.
                Where are you?
                I dig deep.
                You are not there.

                I cannot touch you, Lord.
                Has my faith weaken?
                Do I strive too hard?
                Does self hinder?
                What is it that separates?

                Is this the black night
                when you are silent?
                Testing me thoroughly 
                to believe in You
                and live out Love.


​ 
                               




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Click here for 
POEMS FOR THE CHRISTIAN YEAR
including those for Lent, Easter,Advent and Christmass.

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                TURN, TURN TURN. 
You, Lord, turn the shadows
of life into bright sunshine;
You turn the terrors of night into peaceful waters.
You turn my painful tears 
into laughter and joy;
You turn my agonising loneliness 
into knowing your presence;
You turn the fear of sickness 
into calm acceptance;
You turn the dread of death 
into a blessed journey.


            COMPASSION
The Lord of compassion,
Look graciously upon 
your fragile beings.
Hurting others with a glance; 
stunned silence, hateful words, 
ostracising from loved ones.

Lord, help me to see 
all life is your creation; 
all time is Yours. 
Without Your grace we forget Your law; 
to love you with all our being; 
to love each other gracefully.


REFLECTION ON PSALM 84

What a deep yearning
to be in the Lord's house;
Rejoicing in His presence,
Nourished with heavenly Food.

The sparrow felt so too,
building her nest
to lay her young
so close to the altar.

Birds of the air
praise God in singing;
Mankind reverence God
Worshipping in His house.


        MY DELIGHT
What is my delight if not You?
You who made the vast universe,
 made also our intricate bodies 
and planted Your essence within.

I see you in the break of day, 
darkness giving way to 
streaking greyish light, 
welcomes a new beginning.

I see you in the soft rain;
The land swept clean.
The desert coming alive 
with flaming colours.

I see you in the rainbow, 
a reminder of Your covenant
To follow Your laws
A reminder of your beautiful world.

I see You in an exqiste rose
its delicacy  a reminder
of my fragility
without Your fragrance.

I see You in the mother 
soothing her weeping child
I see You in the father, 
praying with his family.

I see you in the teacher 
coaxing a backward child;
I see you in the bus driver,
 helping the disabled aboard.

I see you in the smile of the old 
crippled with arthritis;
I see you in the caregiver’s gentleness 
for another patient dying.

I see you within my very self,
 panting as the deer for water 
leading me to refreshments 
content You are within.

                ESSENCE
God is love, 
Who taught us love 
and how we can love
if we follow His way.

Love asks for openness,
sincerity in all our actions,
never makes excuses 
or blaming others.

Love does not harbour grudges, 
love offers a smile to all. 
love forgives and seeks forgiveness, 
love says, “I am sorry.”

Love seeks to unite, 
Wrapping others in warmth 
with hugs and hugs, 
and comforting words. 

Love sees Christ in all 
wanting to reach out  
even to the hard to love 
as well as the lovely.

Perhaps you may ask?
How can I love? 
as the blessed Lord taught? 

In the silence of your heart 
listen to His gentle voice.
Let that be your guide.

Marianne Dorman
THE SPARK OF LIFE

Spirit of the living God anew each day,
Kindle in me that divine spark 
To anchor me in the Father’s will.

Drive from me all that hinders 
The work of the Spirit,
So my heart loves only Thee.

To seek out the shut-ins
With a smile and Sacrament
To brighten their day gladly.

For the neighbour also,
a word of needed comfort
in moments of unease.

In between all this
my heart lifts to Thee
ever so often in the day.

YOUR PRESENCE

Throughout the day
For precious way
To ponder lovingly,
The grandeur of God
The beauty of His song.

Yet, it is the silent work,
The presence of grace
Lavishly bestowing 
Love and patience,
Tolerance and kindness,
Endurance and forgiveness
To which I really thrill.

Yes, dearest Lord
You have not given
Yourself in vain
At the altar to-day, 
to let you work be done
through a trusting vessel.

            FIRST LIGHT

My feet sink deep in the sodden sand,
Streaks of light break the darkness, 
beckoning another beginning,
As it was in the beginning.

The continuous crashing of waves, 
swirling around my feet,
Reminding me of daily work.
Of Adam to till the earth.

Yet their quick demise, 
announces the fleetingness 
of daily labour and death. 
The punishment of Adam’s sin.

As dawn awakens fully 
with the business of the sun.
The Son stirs within,
You live in the new creation.