Poetry by Andrew Festa
About Andrew D. Festa:
Andrew D. Festa, 38 years old, writer (BA English, Penn State, Class of 92), Photographer, likes computers (Graphic Arts, Midi, MultiMedia), instrumental music, travel and more.
Thought I knew what life was all about, then The Lord came into my life and showed me what I couldn't see before. Was saved more than two years ago while in the middle of a drug-induced heart attack. My life hasn't been the same since. I've tried to explain what happened to my family, but they don't get it. Few people I knew get it. Where I once looked at this life as everything, I now see it as merely the finite point before infinity.
Writing had always been an escape for me, a way of dealing with the pains I felt in this life. Now, writing is my way of echoing my Faith, my love for The Lord, and my ministry. The Lord could have saved me years before, but I believe His purpose was to let me experience all that this world had to offer before showing me what God has to offer. By doing so, I have become a writer who can truly say to the lost, "I know how you feel! I've been there! I've done that!"
It has not been easy, and I have made mistakes on the way, but I am growing in The Lord more each day, more with each experience. While in my heart I want to minister to the lost in The Lord's Name, and have already begun such a journey with people I know (and those I've met in GCN, Global Christian Network chat: http://www.gcnhome.com), I am more than satisfied to do whatever He asks. Afterall, were it not for Him, I would never have survived that heart attack. In the meantime, I try to reflect His Truth in my writing in the hope that those who read it will gain a better understanding of the true meaning of life. God Bless You, EVERYONE!!
Yours in Jesus Christ,
Andrew D. Festa
The Long Ride Home
It's been a long ride,a strange trip along a path
of dead bones and lucid dreams.
Standing firm on the vast reality
of life's lurid illusion
we grasp the nothing before us
when what we thought was truth
melts beneath our hopes.
The Lord created this world
for the purpose of Choice,
a purpose of deciding
whether we prefer His Eternity
on the strength of rock,
or this finite illusion
in the weakness of sand.
Many spiritual ills infected my life
in this deception, this illusion.
Temptations beyond measure
emptied my soul to a crowded wasteland.
The illusion caught me well:
thrilled me, pleased me,
filled me and teased me,
all the while hiding its lies.
Satan wants us to enjoy the long ride
and to look back at the journey
as if the value of life was behind us
and the meaning of life was in travel.
Satan offers a golden ring,
one that is seen
and will last the length of breathing.
The ring of this illusion
lies with its visibility,
causing many to value
that which can't be kept.
But, though The Lord asks us to believe
in that which can't be seen,
He promises a ring that can't be stolen,
won't rust nor fade and will last eternally.
Some say it's foolish
to reach for the unseen,
but I question the wisdom of those
who reach for that which they can't keep.
What is the value of the sum
of Time and Space and Matter
when its purpose is
shrouded in a lie
just this side of the end of its own road?
What is the value of life
when its purpose is bedded
in its unguarranteed length?
It's been a long ride...home.
Andrew D. Festa
(c) 4-20-97 -- 10:57pm (cst)
When push comes to shove
I want to standat the edge of the great precipice
wide eyed and willing
to do whatever the moment demands
in accordance with His Will.
I want to carry my cross
willingly and without complaint,
more than prepared
to place my hands and feet
beneath the driven spikes
in accordance with His Will.
I want to proclaim boldly
when told to be silent,
stand on His Rock
when sin begs my attention,
rest in His Truth
when told to renounce Him,
turn from deception
when asked to embrace it,
rise to the pinnacle of Christ
when asked to sink into
the illusion of this world,
stand on His Truth,
rely on His Promise,
rejoice in His Glory,
give thanks for Salvation,
and proclaim to the masses
that Jesus is
The Champion!!
This reality disintegrates
before our very eyes
(assuming blindness does not
grip our hearts to ignorance)
as if a dream which turns to nightmare
held us by the soul
Those who believe
the Holy Truth of God The Father
will one day awaken
from this dream-illusion
and enter His Holy Presence forever!!
Those who do not believe
will one day awaken from the dream
and enter the eternal nightmare.
At the end of our road, questions:
What did you do with Jesus?
What did you do with The Light?
How strong was your Faith
when push came to shove?
Andrew D. Festa
(c) 04/29/97 -- 10:18pm, cst
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