This was a short poem we had to write in class one night.  We were supposed to write a “blues” poem, with a specific structure and feel.  I think I’m going to give you the poem first, and then explain it at the end…

OZZY

In the mouth of my friend, I lost my man.
By the teeth of my friend, I lost my man.
Now here my man sits, dead in my hand.

Black, messy and slobbered, he lies in the box.
Toothy smiles all around, he lies in the box.
Dead over and over, my mind goes to the box.

Dead, mangled and forgotten, he’s one with the soil.
Lost, forever and tomorrow, he’s one with the soil.
Laughing and mocking in response to turmoil.

Katie Swisher (née Kermeen)
September 28, 1999

Okay,  it’s weird, right?  🙂  I know!  

The summer of 1999 I lived in Lineville, Alabama working as a summer intern for Servants in Faith and Technology (SIFAT).  I made amazing friends with the rest of the interns (and even married one of them!).  I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better group of faithful, fun people to work with.  We remain great friends with most of them to this day.  In fact, Matt, Seth and John have all taken turns being groomsmen in each others’ weddings.  It’s really been so great to have such an awesome bond with these guys!  

Anyway, at this time in my life, I had a collection of PEZ dispensers.  I had a couple hundred of them.  For some reason I thought it was important to bring them with me for this summer, and one particular day we used a couple of them in an icebreaker exercise to help us get to know everyone’s names.  My Batman PEZ dispenser was one of them.  Somehow it came up in conversation that it would be really funny if John bit the head off of Batman, as some sort of sick homage to Ozzy Osbourne and his oral bat decapitation on stage.  It doesn’t take a whole lot of talk to convince John to do something silly, so I sat by and watched my friend bite the head off of my beloved Batman PEZ dispenser.  His capa was detated from his head.  

That summer was full (FULL!) of crazy stories like this.  It was way too much fun, all the while being a great time for me to grow closer to God and grow a little more independent.  I thank God that I was able to spend some time at SIFAT.  I know that these 10 short weeks shaped my life in many ways…

So the story behind this poem is exponentially longer than the poem itself.  In five short stanzas I have summarized the journey from teenager in worshipful love with her first boyfriend, jilted teenager dumped inexplicably by said boyfriend, reminiscing of conversations about faith with that boyfriend, invitation to church by new love interest (and future husband, unbeknownst to said girl either at the time of the invitation OR at the time of the writing of this poem!), to newfound faith in a loving creator God.

My faith journey is obviously still ongoing, and surely will be until the day I die.  This is the beginning of my transformation though – all in a few words.

I BELIEVE

I believe that my life is complete.
I believe that the one who kisses me is all that I need.
He and my music, my family and friends.
I believe that my life needs nothing but air.

I feel there is no justification for his departure.
I feel so small reaching out to him from the concrete porch.
My voice rings through the trees. His name echoes off a thousand leaves.
I feel alone. Empty. 

I recall on conversation that we had in our happier days.
I recall his version of the end.
I cried, screamed and told him never to speak those words again.
I recall the feeling of fear bouncing in my stomach.

Why did you as me to come that day?
How did you know what I needed?
You are a true friend for that one simple question. Invitation.
An invitation to my life.

I believe that my life is complete.
I believe that the One who loves me is all that I need.
He, the One who created us all.
I believe that my life is complete.

Katie Swisher (née Kermeen)
September 28, 1999