A poem on Psalm 69.
Save me, O God, the Waters rise;
they pull me down while I cry.
The Mire deepens, ground gives way, —
no foothold firm or light of day.
I’m Weary from my ceaseless call;
my throat is parched, my spirit small.
The foes who hate me for no reason
outnumber my hairs through every season.
You know my Folly, Lord, and Sin, —
the Faults that lurk beneath my skin.
Let not the Faithful bear my Shame,
nor those who seek Shelter in Your name.
I face Reproach for loving You;
my Zeal for Zion burns me through.
The Scorn of those who mock Your Way
falls hard on me both night and day.
While in the Sackcloth I have worn,
I’ve become a Byword for their Scorn.
But in Your Mercy, hear my plea:
with Your Salvation, deliver me!
The Flood engulfs, the Pit draws near,
but You, O Lord, will calm my fear.
Let not the Waves drag me below,
but lift me where Your Mercies flow.
I sought compassion—there was none;
I sought comfort, but there was no one.
But God Redeems, He hears the poor,
and captives know only His Grandeur.
So Heaven and Earth shall sing His Name,
and seas Resound His Might proclaim.
For God will Save—His power Restore, —
His servants to inherit forevermore.
The Lutheran Column 