Madrid

1993 COPYRIGHT
BY PETER CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND
(FOR MONICA, LINDA, CAROL ANN, SHARON, DORIS AND CARMEN)

I GOT A RIDE FROM CAROL AND COME OUT TO THE AIRPORT
MONICA WAS LEAVING FOR SPAIN AND TENNIS COURTS
STANDING OUTSIDE IN THE BREEZY AUTUMN WEATH
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D EVER USED YOUR CAMERA
AND THE LAST TIME I CAUGHT YOU ALL TOGETHER
I DON'T REALLY KNOW YOUR COMMON MEMORIES
THE GROWTH IN LOVE AND DEPENDENCY YOU UNDERWENT
WHEN YOU TOOK AN APARTMENT AND SPLIT THE RENT
BUILDING TENDER FRIENDSHIPS IN THAT ROOM
BONDS TO HEAVEN WERE WAITING TO BE EXHUMED
UNIFIED IN MUTUAL EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY
STRENGTHENING EACHOTHER'S FAITH IN CONSTANT DAILY INTERACTION
BUILDING A SINGULAR NURTURING FAMILY
WITH KNOWLEDGE OF EACHOTHER'S PERSONAL WEAKNESSES
UNPROTESTED OPENNESS TOWARD TRUSTING FAITHFUL WITNESSES
COMMITTED TO SPEAK WITH LOVE AND CRITICIZE
TO STRENGTHEN THAT LOVE THAT COULD ONLY EXIST WITH COMPROMISE
AND NOW I WATCH AS YOU'RE CALLED TO TEST YOUR CONVICTION
TODAY YOU LOSE A ROOMATE TO HER SPIRITUAL CALLING
AS SHE FOLLOWS THE MADRID TEAM ON THE EUROPE MISSION

AROUND ME ICE CREAM SHAKES ARE BEING DEVOURED
AS YOU CELEBRATE SISTERHOOD IN THE CRUCIAL HOURS
SCURRYING PLAYFULLY TO FORM HUMAN PYRAMIDS
SHE OWES HER LIFE TO GOD AND NOW HE WANTS HER IN MADRID
IT WAS GOD'S WILL THAT CAUSED OUR PATHS TO CROSS
AND IF IT ISN'T IN MY FACE IT'S IN MY HEART THAT I'LL FEEL THE LOSS
I KNOW THE FEELING OF ACCEPTANCE AND SAFETY
OF HER HOLDING ME IN HER ARMS LOVINGLY
WILLING TO FORGIVE MY STUPID SELF-IMPOSED EXILE
WAITING TO WELCOME ME BACK ONCE I'VE ABANDONED HUMAN DENIAL
WITH FAITH IN MY HEART AND MY SPIRITUAL FUTURE
KNOWING I'D LAY MY TRUST WITH THE LORD AND GROW AND MATURE
I'VE MET SO MANY PEOPLE AT THESE BIBLE STUDY MEETINGS
SO FEW HAD SUCH AN IMMEDIATE UNDERSTANDING OF MY FEELINGS
AND WHEN SOME TOUGH AND SPIRITED SERMON LEFT ME STUNNED
SHE SMILED AND LOOKING ME IN THE EYESAND TOLD ME I WAS STILL WELCOME
WHEN SOME SEEMED QUICK TO CATEGORIZE ME WITH ALL THE OTHER GUYS
SHE RECOGNIZED MY QUIET NATURE AND SYMPATHIZED
THE LORD HAS LED ME INTO SUCH LOVING RELATIONSHIPS
I NEED THE LORD TO ASSURE ME I HAVE NOT BEEN GYPPED

THE PASSENGERS ARE BOARDING WITH MINUTES COUNTING DOWN
I'M WATCHING HER WITH SHARON AND THE CHILDREN IN THE PLAYGROUND
THROUGH GIANT WINDOWS I CAN SEE THE AUTUMN DUSK SKY
I CAN SEE THE EMPTY CAFE TABLE AND THE BIBLE AUTOGRAPH-SIGNED
I CAN SEE MY TAPE BEING BULK-ERASED PASSING THROUGH THE CHECKING GATE
SHE AND LINDA ARE HOLDING EACHOTHER TOGETHER BEFORE THEY SEPARATE
SUMMING UP YEARS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH TOGETHER
THEY'LL ENCOURAGE EACHOTHER THROUGH POSTCARDS AND LETTERS
THEY'VE COMFORTED EACHOTHER AND SHARED EACHOTHER'S CLOTHES
BETWEEN THEM PERSONAL CONCERNS AND NEEDS HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED
SOME DREAMS BELONG IN HOLLYWOOD DIRECTING MOTION PICTURES
YET SOME LONG TOWARD BRINGING GOD ACROSS THE WATER TO FOREIGN CITIES
FOR GOD CONTINUES TO EXIST IN NEAR ANOMITY
HE REQUESTS THE SERVICE TODAY OF A MOTHERLY COMPASSIONATE SISTER
TO ENDURE THE COLD AND THE ESSENTIAL CUTS
MAKING COMPLEX COOKIES WITH COCO AND NUTS
CARING FOR HER EMPLOYER'S CHILDREN IN HIS MADRID HOME
TALKING TO YOUR SISTERS LONG-DISTANCE ON THE TELEPHONE
MINDING HER WARD AND LOOKING TOWARD WHAT THE YEAR WILL BRING
WISHING FOR HER SISTERS TO COME OUT AND SEE HER IN THE SPRING

HAVING WALKED THROUGH THE GATE MONICA LOOKS BACK FOR AN INSTANT
SEVENTEEN YEARS HAVE PASSED NOW SINCE SHE CAME HERE FROM VENEZUELA
AND NOW SHE LEAVES THAT LIFE BEHIND AT GOD'S HOLY INSISTENCE
THE GOD WHO SAVED HER WITH LOVE AND RECOGNIZED THE LOVE IN HER
HE GAVE HER FRIENDS TO EMBRACE HER AND ALLOW HIS PLANS TO GO UNDETERRED
SHE WOULD GROW HEALTHFULLY IN HIS GRACE AND REALIZE HER OWN POTENTIAL
WITH PURITY OF HEART SHE WOULD WILLINGLY ANSWER HIS CALL
FOR ALL OF THE LOVE HE GAVE HER SHE WOULD GLORIFY HIM
AND LIGHT THAT GUIDES THE PATH HOME TO THE LORD WOULD NEVER DIM
THE DISTANCES IN THIS WORLD MAY GROW WIDE
WHERE MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS WILL GO THE LORD WILL DECIDE
I PICTURE YOU CARMEN OFF IN SOME WILDERNESS
I SEE MY BUDDY LINDA STUDYING FILM IN CALIFORNIA
AND THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN I'LL BE DEPRESSED
AND I'LL ASK TO BE LOVED AND CARESSED
AND I'LL BE ASKED TO PUT MY FAITH IN THE LORD TO THE TEST
THE WORLD WILL BURDEN ME WITH THIS PLIGHT
BUT WHEN WE COME HOME WE WILL REUNITE
THE LORD HAS DECIDED THE DAY MY TROUBLES WILL CEASE
I WILL BE WITH HIM AND EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER LOVED ME AND THERE I WILL FIND PEACE

DORIS AND CAROL COME TO COMFORT LINDA AS MONICA WALKS AWAY
AND IN A WAY I WISH THAT THIS WOULD GIVE HER AN EXCUSE TO STAY
SHE IS COMMITED TO THE LORD AND CANNOT HESITATE
SHE HAS HAD A GOOD JOYOUS LIFE LIVING WITH THESE FIVE ROOMATES
BEHIND HER SHE HAS LEFT A LEGACY OF GENUINE LOVE AND CARING
AND THOUGH RIGHT NOW HER FAMILIAR LIFESTYLE IS DISSAPPEARING
THESE ARE THE FRIENDS WHO SUPPORTED HER AS SHE PURIFIED HER SOUL
AS SHE TOOK THE HAND OF GOD SO HE COULD TAKE CONTROL
SHE WAS BAPTIZED IN HIM AND TRUSTED HIM FAITHFULLY
TO PULL HER FROM HER DAYS OF PAIN TOWARD GLORIOUS DESTINY
CAROL STOPS TO COMFORT SHARON ON HER WAY BACK TO THE PARKING LOT
A DAY BEGUN EXCITEDLY LEAVES US ALL SOMEWHAT DISTRAUGHT
NO ONE WILL FULLY FILL THE GAP AFTERWARDS
BUT FOR NOW THERE ARE WARM ARMS AND TENDER WORDS
TRIPS TO MADRID WE MAY SOMEDAY BE ABLE TO AFFORD
AND POSTCARDS AND DESCRIPTIVE LETTERS TO LOOK TOWARD
CARMEN WITH YOUR DAMAGED HAND GIVING A WOUNDED BIRD ATTENTION
ECHO MONICA IN THIS CONCERNED AND LOVING INTERVENTION
I FELT HER THE DAY CAROL FOUND HELEN REDDY ON THE FM DIAL
AND I SEE HER WHENEVER DORIS EMULATES HER SMILE

WHEN I WAS FAR FROM THE GROUP AND QUIETLY HOSTILE
I WAS AFRAID TO SHARE LOVE WITH YOU
I WANTED TO BE A DAREDEVIL WITH NO ONE TO ANSWER TO
YOU CARED AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE
LINDA STAYED CLOSE TO ME AND OFFERED ENCOURAGEMENT
SHE TOLD ME I WASN'T MADE TO BE INDEPENDENT
I SHOULDN'T FEEL RESTRICTED TO MY POEMS ON THE WALLS
SHE LISTENED PATIENTLY WHILE I STUTTERED AND STALLED
SHE TORE ME FROM THE CHOAS OF A BARELY CATHOLIC UPBRINGING
A HOUSE WHERE GOD WAS QUESTIONED AND SCRIPTURE HAD NO MEANING
SHE TAUGHT ME NOT TO USE MY FAMILY AS AN EXCUSE
WITH MY CONVICTION WOULD COME CONTRADICTION AND ABUSE
THERE ARE SCRIPTURES SHE HELPED ME TO INTERPRET
SHE'S BEEN PAINFULLY HONEST YET WARM AND AFFECTIONATE
SHE'S WOKEN ME WITH PHONECALLS WHEN SHE'S NOTHING SHORT OF PANNICKY
I FEEL US GROWING TIGHTER WHEN SHE DEPENDS ON ME TO SEE HER THROUGH INSANITY
SHE'S BECOME A SISTER WHO OFTEN TURNS MATERNAL
SHE HAS PULLED ME TO SAFETY IN GOD AND THEREFORE BEEN FERTILE
THROUGH HER I'VE MET MONICA AND ALL OF HER ROOMATES
AND GOD HAS GIVEN ME ALL OF THEM AND A LIFETIME TO EVALUATE