Jan | 01 | Preface

Unlike my other mainly didactic devotional material, there are no invitational prayers to be said after each poem, for I hope that the piece draws some breath from your own souls anyhow and then brings some shape to your own mouth of prayer. I want you to experience these devotions and to that end there is little I will speak of that I have not actually experienced myself. Indeed, in those areas I have lacked, I have tried to extend my mind and soul into them, burgling them, sniffing the air whilst noting their habitation, looking, listening and gathering, often before getting out very quick before I am discovered. When necessary, after returning from some ‘night-time’ reconnoiters, I have had to burn the un-cleanable, infected and incriminating clothes of my soul, lest I become infiltrated by the darkness carried from their and so come under the accusation of him who always stands against me. My ‘daytime’ intrusions into unknown experiences however, have, on the whole, been pleasant, and the memory of them has lingered, nicely so. On some occasions, when I have been discovered there, I have been given a trophy to take with me, and an invitation, even an expectation to return another day. Nice.
So, remember that poets speak porously, leaving behind a personal and adaptive language that keeps on telling, and often talks louder, longer and with a consuming clarity on the power wave of your own personal reflection and application. When the noise grows louder and clearer, the poets voice has become your voice, because your voice will have consumed theirs and you will now own the piece, or pieces of the piece. Their poem will have become a portal of the discovery of your own deep places where you realize that actually, a million others dwell and maybe even God, for God inspects the labyrinth of our larynx and if He likes it, inhabits it. You see, poetry, speaks and keeps on uttering. Poetry discovers you. Poetry is God disclosing you to yourself and on a good day, through it, He might even reveal some of Himself and to you, and even His desire toward you. To these ends of utterance, this is an experiential devotional book. It is meant to be dynamic! Please note as well then, that these poems are mostly fitted for performance and best heard when read out loud. Where appropriate I have also given some performance instructions. In the end though, I do hope that whilst recognizing my voice, that these poems also become a carrier wave for your very own and very distinct voice to be discovered. This is my deep desire for you. So, read the pieces out loud! Put yourself in fully them.
Despite this being a book of experiential devotional pieces, all my gathered experiences, discoveries and observations are still under question. They are questionable. So, I also try and bring them under discovering light of God’s word each day. Bearing all this in mind, I am sure that you will find this book to be full of pressed flowers and old seaweed. Such is life under this present sun. In the openness of each daily piece, I do pray very much that you will discover more of the reality of the touchable God and solidness of who you truly are, and if you are a Christian, of who truly you are in Him.
Finally, for those who think with feelings. I hope this book makes you think, and then helps you begin speaking right words into the ever open ears of God.

Rev. Victor Robert Farrell, United Kingdom, Dec 2012

© 2012 Victor Robert Farrell