Dorian and the Hound of Heaven

I wrote this, inspired from the sermon of Ravi Zacharias on the profundity of the story of Dorian Gray. I wrote a blog on it as well, but this poem, although in dire need of editing, was extremely therapeutic.

"Dorian"

The last time I stared at this picture was when it was painted
You captured the beauty of my innocence
You told me I was beautiful

Somewhere along the line, sometime soon, I decided it was alright
to stray a little ways away
from where I was called to be

I was alright for the while until I found myself in the monster of a man I was becoming
I heard the horns growing
in the picture You painted

I appear perfect, without flaw, from the outside
but You came and saw right through me
You knew my heart was soiled and rotten, but still, Your love hounded me
I tried to fight, until, it became to much

There, on the floor of the attic where I kept that portrait, I fought You for Your hands
I plunged my knife into Your side while
Your blood and water poured out on the dusty floor
the life had gone from You

Your life didn't leave from me though
I heard Your wounds appear on my picture
and when I could not withstand it any longer I sought to kill the perfection You had created.

I gazed upon my picture and saw your blood run from my hands
I killed perfection.
I killed perfection.
I buried my head in the dust of the painting
but when I looked up, I caught I a glimpse of You

You were still there, all along, it was You
You, oh God, who hounded me.
And I was forgiven when you looked on me and loved me
The blood that once flowed from Your side then flowed into my veins
cleansing me

Forgive me God, if it took my sin, killing Your son, to realize I needed You.
Forgive me God, I didn't realize it was Your love that hounded me.
Your love healed the wounds on the canvas of my heart.
Your love saved me.
You saved me.


Dear God,
I love You. Thank you for loving a wreck like me.
-Josh