"I Praise You, My Father"
 

BEFORE TIME
Vance Agee, ED.D.

Preface:

In the Beginning

From the ends of the endless nowhere
To the depths of the fathomless deep,
The boundless all, the ageless ever
Is shaken by a cry;
A still, small voice is crying:
Who, who am I?
Then louder and louder, the voice is crying:
Who or what or where am I?
Louder and louder until the scream:
Let there be!
And in an instant the answer comes;
In an instant of time the answer comes;
In the heavens and the earth and life the answer comes;
In tears and tears of joy; in victories and defeats;
In the drama of the ages and the calm that follows.
And from the ends of the endless nowhere
To the depths of the fathomless deep,
In the boundless all, in the ageless ever,
Peace reigns again.

N.B. Published on-line, in a contest anthology; also published previously in an earlier poetry contest. Part of a full-length paper first written in 1964, the poem introduces: The Method of Creation. I AM creates the universe and all time in non-time, in an unexpanded dimension which opens His self-communion to us in the expanded dimensions that we call the Universe. He does this in order to create a communion within Himself and with us. By this act, He knows Himself, and we can know Him. Without this act, nothing exists including this page and our computers and us.

He is the Great Author of the Great Drama.!

BEFORE TIME
Found

It was black all around!
Not even the slightest sound!
Who or what or where am I?
How did I come here?
What is here my terror fear!
I reached out from side to side,
Just to feel a stone tunnel me to guide.

I was just moving all alone!
Walking, walking on some stone?
From a dark nowhere surround,
Through a dark nowhere bound.
Just walking up a path
Of darkness all alone,
All alone, all alone!

I did not hear the silence flying by,
Who I was or what or where or why?
Was all a dream, real or not?
Had I known and just forgot?
A swirl of mystery all about.

Then whispers and shadows by me flew,
And from them upward my spirit drew.
Then a cold wind by me blew.

When ahead a small Light I saw
And felt drawn toward that Light;
Nearer and nearer I seemed to come,
And brighter and brighter the light
Seemed to shine onto the strangest sight.

But how do I know anything at all?
From no thought to fear I might fall!

Then I saw the back of what seemed a man.
But now a peace I felt, not a dread.
Before I thought, not alive, I must be dead!
The Man and his light toward me turned.
He was whiter than white and I saw a face.
Soon all my fear and cold He would erase.
Then he spoke in a still small voice:

You walk alone, He said so calm;
I found you here in this dark.
Have no fear when I am near.
I choose you my friend to be,
I choose you now, if you, Me.
But you have the final choice.?
He reached a hand toward me,
And I felt that warming glow.

Then, Sir, I choose you, too!
He spoke, I have the part you will play.
And in trust I said, whatever you say!
And He?
Only, follow me.
Before Time with ?
The Drama Yet to Be,
And then Glory you will see.?

We entered a bright field.
This is not yet the real.
But soon that you will feel!?

Why, I asked, do you of glory,
Take me unreal as your friend;
Take me into your communion??

That, my son, is the very reason!
I see, I feel, I join you in our drama.
Look, see the others coming near.?
I saw an endless crowd gather round.

And now I knew I had been found.

Out of the nothing,

Found!

BEFORE TIME
The Choice

The Great I AM moved me aside.
Forever you with me will abide.
You made your choice before times stage,
But most will do this later by their choice.
I love them all and will pay the wage,
But many will choose me not.?

What really is the choice, I asked.

I created once a being of great glory
Who was meant a brother to be,
But wanted ALL glory for his own,
And led his angels in a battle great
And became a being of lost fate.
He also became just a fool.?

He turned two third my angels white
Into spirits blacker than darkest night!
He will seek to steal millions of those here,
But thereby he gives all their choice!
And for all who choose ME a glory great,
Greater far that if locked in some other fate.
Someday you will read a poem that asks all
If I smiled my work to see in this great fall.
You will know the answer yes!

Now let us leave this light,
But fear not any, any sight!
I will take you through a valley dark
To the great drama of all the ages.
Your scroll and script you leave behind,
In order them YOURSELF to find!?

And what men call years, with all their tears,
Will seem like nothing to you on your return.
I will come for you, and leave conquered beast,
And you will join me and mine in the Great Feast!?

BEFORE TIME
The Scroll

We stood in a plain endless ever,
A strange sky a huge scroll would sever.

Look and see the drama of the ages!
I looked and saw in terrible awe
A Garden of Beauty and Sadness,
Ever more beings as we,
Battles and peace, a river flow
Of water and of blood.
And then a great flood!
Nations and kings and the common,
All the sets of greatest stage!

But one thing missing! We!
Then each of us given a scroll to see.
And I saw me. I saw me!
A mom, a dad, a house, and others many.
I felt life and death, tears and joy,
Each scene a picture frame, a drama stage.
And those from stage to stage not the same.

Do you accept this scroll? The Man asked me.
Yes, Sir, I do; it is a good role; I do my best.
And so replied (except those who left) all the rest.
As the Writer of the Ages, I chose best for each role.
Some to play the weak, and some the strong;
Some to be slave and some to be free;
Some to be rich and others to be poor.

It is not the part but how you play that role!

You must now leave the scroll; the play moves on.
You go quickly through a dark vale into drama,
And then with me you return for the Glory of your role.
Of this scene nothing or little you will recall,
Until our great final curtain call!

Sir, I asked, before we begin, may again I ask you Name?

I AM.



BEFORE TIME
Vale to Life

Come with me; I take you through
A dark vale to a real not true.
When your part is o\0er and stage you leave.
I will walk you back, if you believe.

You are on your way to the real of men,
Which is just the work of celestial pen.
HERE is the real and again that real you will see,
If you place all your trust ever in Me.

We entered a foreboding place,
A dark valley with shadow trees
Surrounded by a ghost-like breeze!
You fear; know Whom you hear!
I AM God, Jesus and Spirit ever near!

Across the vale flew spirits I seemed to know!
Mom, dad, aunts, uncles, wife and child.
I saw houses, hills, lakes, streams and snow!
I felt great sadness, loss and grief;
Then happy with a welcomed relief!

My Friend knew my thought,
And strange of strange I knew His!
I would feel across flow of scroll,
As moment by moment play my role;
He would bear ALL on ugly tree,
An act that would destroy all of me!

Then again I saw a small light at end of vale.

And now my Master spoke the last:
All that you see lies in a type of past.
Your life a story already told!
But still a drama great to play.?
 All this here you soon forget in time.
But always and forever you are mine.
Go to that light and live it well.
Go to your mother, as I to Mine.

You are now born, natus es.

I felt, I heard, I know not what.
I felt, I heard, and then I saw!
My mom held me tight and sang:
When He cometh all His jewels to take!
She rocked me in a maple chair.
She loved me with the greatest care.

I was born,
And so was He!

Amen.

By Vance Agee ©