POETRY BY DAWN PIAZZA
A DIFFERENT KIND
Sometimes I wonder where I’m going,
And then I wonder where I’ve been.
To look ahead or gaze behind,
Both bring pain of different kinds.
Doesn’t pain bring life as a woman in labor?
And can it not bring death, like suffering for extended time?
In our birth, as in our death
Pain brings growth of different kinds.
If in my pain I learn to grow,
I pray He’ll give me strength to go;
That through my faith His love they’ll know.
This love of a different kind.
One thing I know, my one request;
That in my pain I choose to grow.
For when I grow, my faith increasing,
Then all will know His love unceasing.
His love; it’s a different kind.
Dawn Piazza May 1996
FREEDOM
July 4th
I am so small
I am lost
But He is there and I can’t see where.
I am climbing the cliffs of life;
With all its jagged edges.
Life’s bumps; these rocks
They cut, they hurt…. I bleed.
I look up. It’s so high; too high
To only reach the top and find rest.
I want to lie down now… here,
But down below is only an ocean.
I would drown.
I am so tired.
Please, Jesus, would you pick me up?
I heard you, I saw you there.
I received Your ring: my crest; a namesake.
Now that I remember, I don’t feel so small.
I am found by you, aware that you are here.
I know where –
Seated within the alter of my heart; finding
You only when I remove the curtains of True Worship
in every part of my soul.
This is the only FREEDOM worth fighting for.
Today, I choose…. Freedom.
Happy Fourth!Dawn Harward Piazza July 4, 2004
Dawn Harward Piazza July 4, 2004NO GREATER FRIEND
You’ve seen my pain and I hid my face,
Yet deep inside I could feel His grace.
In your eyes, His love breaks through
His words of power come out of you.
But can I trust you? Are you real?
I just don’t like the way I feel.
Your lips speak truth, yet it’s too much pain.
I cannot go through that again.
Walk beside you, I’ll choose to do
To face my past, though it feels brand new.
A touch from God I really need
To know that Christ has set me free.
Now the very thing I have cried for myself
Is to have a friend who gives from her wealth.
The fullest riches understanding
No greater friend could be worth having.
-- for my friend who heard my pain;
flew from R.S.A. and back again.
Dawn Harward Piazza
August 2003
LOVE
Love. Pure love. What a beautiful thing.
It brings such hope. It is true security.
Love brings healing.
Yet, when honesty within us is lacking…
There is confusion in our love.
When we are hurting or wounded by the ones we love,
We push away from them.
All things become confusing.
Some begin to blame, others accuse or criticize.
In the end, we all fall into the trap of confusion and lies,
Because in our love, we forget to embrace;
Rather we push away.
Love is an action that so many of us are afraid to take.
So we remain wounded… or those around us do.
We remain distant from those to whom we should express love.
Thus, we are puzzled with what to do with those who are so hurt.
Jesus loved purely. He acted. He touched those who were hurt and afraid.
Some say to touch, hold or get too close might be inappropriate.
So was the woman who touched Jesus, bathing Him with her tears.
He permitted it because… He knew what was in His heart.
He knew the condition and intentions of His own.
Rather, His mind was on what those hypocrites were thinking.
Is that what we are doing? Are we living in fear of our own intentions?
As leaders of God’s people, are we truly aware of the condition of our hearts?
Is it possible that we are not willing to reach out for fear of our own weakened condition? This should not be.
The only thing inappropriate is what our hearts and minds are capable of doing.
If this is the case, we must seek healing for ourselves;
Otherwise, how can we reach out and touch those as Jesus truly did?
We must be free in order to give His love freely and openly.
Love. Pure love. What a beautiful thing.
It brings such hope. It is true security.
Love brings healing.
Dawn Harward Piazza June 15, 2004
June 15, 2004A FATHER TO ME
I lost my way; I couldn’t be found.
Each time I stood I fell back down.
In my last breath, I came to you;
In need of hearing Hope and Truth.
I felt a spark lit in my head,
But in my heart, I was still dead.
You’ve never quit or lost all hope.
Instead threw down to me a rope.
Come and save me you could not.
But with compassion you have fought!
Honoring to God, with integrity, you’ve been…
A father to me; so much more than a friend.
By: Dawn Harward Piazza
December 22, 2006
FAKE IN THE MIRROR
I look in the mirror
Who do I see?
I see a liar looking
Back at me
You are a fake
You can’t be real
You make it up
‘Cause you can’t deal
With life and all its
Ups and downs
Put on your smile
Don’t show a frown
Why the stories
Why the show
You’re just one stupid lady
Not three in a row
Can’t keep up
Keep up with it all
That’s because you’re fake
As fake as that wall
You know the one
You’ve built it high
The one to deceive even
The brightest of guys
You’ve had no abuse
Just a little neglect
Why do you want
This noose on your neck?
Let yourself free
Tell the truth
You aren’t split
You’re just a freak!
The mind is a curious
A serious thing
You can’t fool it
But many it tricks
I look in the mirror
Who do I see
I see a liar looking
Back at me
You are a fake
You can’t be real
You make it up
‘Cause you can’t deal
FACE TO FACE
Whispers, whispers of a day
When He will wash my tears away.
Perseverance is what I need;
On His sufficient grace I feed.
Praise Him, will I, all my days;
For in His presence, darkness fades.
And until I see Him face to face,
Bowing at His feet I’ll stay.
Dawn Piazza – August 5, 1999
ALL ALONE
Every day in every way
I feel I’m left alone
I screw it up and push away
Then those around are gone
I think, I drink, or love too much
It pushes them away
“Don’t want to touch!”
“Don’t get too close!”
For fear of all gone wrong.
Every day in every way
I sit here all alone.
By: Dawn Harward Piazza
October 11, 2005
WHO AM I ?
Yesterday, today and tomorrow
It seems as if time I must borrow
I feel so numb, but my mind on it runs
Dwelling on pain and my sorrow
All of my life I’ve reflected on past
But memories not; simply pictures that last
Why can’t I know who I am? What I’ve done?
In the end it’s just questions that go on and on
It is not the past I cannot recall
Yet I see only glimpses of things, that is all
No “whys” or “where’s” or “who-all-where-there’s”
But like missing pieces to a puzzle jigsaw
In the end, I would most like to say
That confusion and sadness have all gone away
However, I find it too easy to speak
Of giving up life to eternally sleep
True rest I am seeking, yes peace do I need
So I’ll cover my face and then drop to my knees
I will cry out to Him “Lord, please show me the way”
“to know Your truth of me” yes, that’s what I’ll say
The day will soon come when my mind is at ease
My soul can rejoice, for the loneliness ceased
All this I’ve shared is just simply to say
That to live without Jesus… there’s no other way
Dawn Harward Piazza
August 25, 2006
TODAY I REST
There was a man I met one day
who has walked beside me all the way.
I’ve heard Him speak; His longing cry.
Yet I never chose to recognize,
This One who loved me and gave so much,
That all I needed was His touch.
His warm strong hands and encompassing peace
is what my heart will always seek.
Today I told Him, “Come inside,
For I’ve been so lonely and just want to hide.”
He placed His ring upon my finger.
And told me healing will no more linger.
He said for today I must simply rest
For I am just as worthy as the best.
There is this man I met today
who has walked beside me all the way.
I hear Him speak His heart’s desire
That His long-lost son would soon retire.
From all the fighting and doing “my best”
To simply “be” in the Father’s rest.
Today I rest.
I’ve tasted rest.
I’ll walk in peace.
It’s my Father’s best.
Now I want but nothing less;
I feel so blessed,
Because today….. I rest.
(For David) by: Dawn Harward PiazzaJune 25th, 2004
June 25th, 2004LONELY, SAD, UNLOVABLE THING
"Tommie, Tommie, come out to play!"
NO! I don't want to - go away.
Nothing's funny; I'm just sad.
Stop telling me "it's not that bad."
You don't know, you don't care.
Where I've been, you wouldn't dare.
______ you! Thank you very much.
I've seen and had to do too much.
What? You don't believe me? Well neither do I,
so let's just have some pumpkin pie.
Forget the pain, think happy thoughts.
Eat some more - see? You don't have to cry.
A slice for you... and you. It's good, indeed.
A piece for all inside of me.
But now I see this doesn't help
to get me out of my bottomless well.
It's dark, it's cold, and wet inside.
No one knows my desperate life.
I'm scared; I'm tired; I want to die -
so to know that once I WAS alive.
Who are these people? She calls them friends.
They seem so nice and in the end
they laugh and cry and sit with me,
this lonely, sad, unlovable thing.
Why do I try to be so tough?
They don't seem so very rough.
It's not really me, it's just all my stuff.
One day I'll give it up for their kind of love.
"Tommie, please come out." they say.
No. I'm not so sure. It's not today.
It wasn't funny and I still feel bad.
I'm weak and Hate is the only strength I've had.
Now I'm supposed to let it go.
I don't know; I just don't know.
They seem so strong; lacking Hate on their faces.
Where do they get it... from Heavenly places?
Jim, René, Renée, and Rosie...
All four of them are kind of nosey.
Can't leave my "well enough’s" alone.
Of course, I'm glad, 'cause I can't go on!
And on the subject of His Mercy
It isn't clear because... where was He?
Yes, I "know", I'm aware He was there
But, enough to stop it, He didn't care!
I'm just confused and want the truth,
so I'll stop my song and become as a youth;
Believing what my friends have said,
that, "for His mercy... I am not mad".
What was the purpose? I do not know,
but one day soon I'll be free to show
His Grace, this funny thing - you'll know,
is His strength and great love mixed in a bowl
To be poured out - from head to feet
Upon people like me, me, me, and me;
A scared and frightened little girl.
But really, it's for all the world.
By: Dawn Piazza September 30th, 2004
(for Tommie-girl)
A LONELY, SAD PRAYER
Lonely, sad, unlovable thing:
It’s what I am
It’s who I’ve become
Friends, friends; who are they
Come and go, they never stay.
I want one true and one to hold,
Someone who doesn’t want to let go.
Use me; abuse me, that’s all they’ve done.
Misunderstand me and then they run.
Why con not one person see
The love and friendship that I need?
I want to please you, but want to play
Yet all I do is get in the way.
Help me, Jesus, if you can
I need your strength and touch from a man
I think I “see” that you are there,
But when I look it’s just thin air!
Where are the ones who are like you?
Willing to touch, but never abuse
I need you, Jesus, I need your touch,
But there’s a physical need
And I can’t get enough.
It’s not sexual like so many think
But it is skin to skin which helps me to know
Though I feel like and thing, I am something more.
For Tommie
By Dawn Harward Piazza – October 10, 2004
