"The Heart That Listens"

The king spoke calmly by the winter fire;  
I heard the scroll pronounce the danger near;  
He cut the words, as though they could disappear;  
Could truth still lift my thoughts and aims still higher?

I could not make the king’s hard heart my own;  
Yet one small choice still waited in my heart;  
The Lord could write His promise where I start;  
And make His quiet, faithful way my own.

The streets I knew no longer felt like home;  
Could God still see me through this endless night?  
Yet mercy would return with morning light,  
His promise stayed wherever I might roam.

What kings reject, my heart can still receive;  
Though fear remains, I choose now to believe.

Content based upon Jeremiah 31–33; 36–39; Lamentations 1; 3

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The provided text is a poetic reflection inspired by biblical passages from Jeremiah and Lamentations, capturing a moment of profound political and spiritual crisis. A speaker listens as a ruler dismisses divine warnings recorded on a royal scroll, choosing stubborn defiance instead of repentance. Despite the disruption of exile and the painful loss of familiar surroundings, the narrator retains agency through a private spiritual commitment. Ultimately, the verses contrast human authority with divine faithfulness, showing how personal trust can endure even when earthly kingdoms crumble.