River Running

This is a poem I wrote last summer, on the way up to camp with our church.  It's still my favorite out of the few good poems I've ever written.  

River Running

by Katherine Forster

Over hills, over trees, there’s another dawn breaking,

The stars’ silver courses trace night into day;

And I tread dusty paths through the woods toward the sunset,

The river is running, it’s running away.

The sun’s glinting down on the silvery dew,

The white fire of gladness is greeting the dawn,

And my heart’s springing forward to meet this new joy,

The river is flowing, it flows ever on.

Oh the river is flowing

Ever always away,

And the mornings go with it

Like mists on the breeze,

And a bit of my heart flows away.

Glaring light glimmers mockingly off of the water,

The glare of the bright burning darkness of day;

But the scorching, it fades to the cold gray of evening,

The river is running, it’s running away.

The darkness descends with a peace and a stillness

Of tears all shed into the river’s slow song,

And the sun’s faded into the longing of starlight;

The river is flowing, it flows ever on.

Oh the river is flowing

Ever always away,

And the starlight goes with it

Like mists on the breeze,

And a bit of my heart flows away.

Yes, the morning and and night they will flow,

Like the mist on the wind they will blow;

But when they have finally passed,

Then we’ll see beyond the river at last.

The morning eternal, a city of gold,

And the fears of the night will be past.

Oh the river is flowing

Till it flows all away,

And my fears will flow with it

Like mists on the breeze,

And my heart will be whole in the day.

Oh the river will flow,

Yes, the river will flow,

But there’s ever a well in my soul.

Greetings!

Greetings to everyone! This post is two things: it's a welcome, and it's also a challenge. About a year or so ago, I was thinking about writing; and I realized that I wanted to be able to share my writing with other people. Writing is communication, and by definition its purpose is to be shared. So, I thought, why not have a website where I and other Christian teenagers can share our writing? Not only could we share it, but we could critique it, helping each other grow in our skills as a writer. That was the germ of inspiration that founded Inklights.

I chose the name as a play on words - a reference to the group formed by Lewis, Tolkien, and others for much the same purpose as this. We are called to be the light of the world, and for us that means through writing - writing in a way that lets the truth shine through every word, even when it's just a story. Most likely our words won't become famous (though maybe they will); and it's actually quite unlikely that they'll have the same cultural impact as, say, the books of Tolkien, Rowling, or even Suzanne Collins. But by God's grace, through them we can shine some light into the dark places of someone's heart and life. That's what we're called to do.

That's why this first post is a welcome and a challenge. If you're a writer, you're more than welcome to share your work. And if you're not, I pray you are blessed by it! But I challenge you: don't just write to entertain. We have been given a sacred mission. We are the light of the world, so hold it high!