| Long Poems |
|
Long poem by
Nii-Ayi Solomon | Details |
It was in the early days of our lives
We met
She was so beautiful
My eyes could not stop admiring
My heart kept racing
Every time it sensed
her good-looking approaching
But we were too young
To give full meaning
To the love language
Years passed
Time kept flying
We lost contact
But the memory of our past
We lugged with us
Someway, somehow,
Fate found us
And brought us together
We have now grown
So big and sweet
We both glitter
At each other’s presence
We were ready to do a recap
of where we left off
We laughed and joked about our past
We talked about our hey days at the National Theatre
We remembered the beautiful past that reflects our true self
We both haven’t changed after all
At that moment my heart spoke
The love language again
I knew I was in love with her
It wasn’t today
It started from when we were kids
Man must gather confidence
And speak out his feelings
Thoughts,
Thoughts of what she would say;
Don’t laugh at me,
We all do it sometimes
We were sweet friends
But now, I want to take
The friendship a step further
My heart in full swing
Of abnormal beating,
It beat faster
It spoke two different languages
Say it; and keep it
Don’t know which of these to believe
I was shy
I was afraid
I was confused
I was happy
I was sad
I felt insane
There she was,
Standing in front me
In their house
Beaming with smiles
Nii, she said tenderly,
‘I thought you said you had something to tell me,
Come on, I can’t wait any longer
My ears are itching’
My heart just jumped out
And now I want to escape from her presence
I wish I could vanish into thin air
Stop laughing at me
I’m not mouth lazy
I was just afraid of the outcome
What if she said NO?
What if I lose her as a friend?
What if she vanishes into thin air?
And the what if’s continued …
Once in a man’s life time
He must draw together courage
To speak out his feelings
After all, I would not have violated any law
For telling a sweet scented woman
Gorgeous, attractive and stunning
About what I feel for her
So my nerves were clamed
This was how I started…
Esther, I mean, Naa Adjeley
The confusion has started
Errrmmm, you see,
Still didn’t know what to say
Hmmm, hope you are doing great?
Still confused…
‘I guess your brother, Thomas,
Is doing fine?’
She stared at me intently
The smiles on her face kept
My hopes alive
And my heart awake
I knew she was expecting
Something more than making those comical remarks
It’s was now time to speak
Naa Adjeley, I travelled from Cape Coast
To Accra to come see you
To tell you I miss you
and errmmm…
Please let it out
The small voice inside me whispered
I left campus to Accra just to let you know that
I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU
She laughed aloud and said
‘’are you serious!’’
‘Oh! Yes I am’
I said confidently,
Her face suddenly darkened
The smiles misplaced
I wanted to fade away from her presence
After all I’ve let my feelings out
That was what mattered to me
But I did not have that special magic
How long have you felt this way towards me?
The next question to answer
‘When we were kids,
But it was revamped quite recently’
I replied
I could see the confusion on her face
She needed some more time
To think things through
I was excited let it out
But she was confused
Days passed,
I went back to school,
We enjoyed chit chatting on the phone
But the answer to my request was still hanging
She mentioned in one of our conversations
She might be travelling
But didn’t say when
She was a nursing student
I was a tourism student
The beauty of having a friend
You know and love
kept my mind awake in school
School was on recess
I arrived in Accra
Left my things unpacked
Borrowed money from my old girl
Picked a cab to Banana Inn
To see the woman
That has taken my heart hostage
I kept bagging at their gate
Agoo! agoo! agooo!
Waiting in anticipation to see
Her fine looking face
And present her with my first gift
Her brother, Thomas opened up
‘Hey! Where have you been?
It’s been a while’
Was the first question
He asked
The only interest I had was to see her face
I wanted to see the woman
That makes my heart beat
She was all I cared about
Where is Naa Adjeley?
I enquired from Thomas
I saw the shock on his face
My breathe was not catching up
with me properly
I knew something was wrong
‘Where is she’,
I asked again
‘Didn’t she tell you
She was travelling?’
My face dropped dead at once
I felt a sharp heart ache
I almost fainted
She left for the U.K
Without even saying bye bye
Was that why, she didn’t give any reply
to my proposal?
Why did she keep my heart awake?
I left her house, depressed
Her gift was a bonus for the cab driver
My face drenched in pool of tears
I know it hurts
But I felt more relieved
Why?
My feelings had been made lucid to her
I now walk with my chest out
Ready to move on
Ready to open myself up to happiness
I still remember
Her looks
Her smiles
Her beauty
Her mannerism
My first love story
The one I have kept furtive
Over the years
Naa Adjeley
My old time love.
|
|
Long poem by
J. W. M. Earnings | Details |
*Chorus*
That’s my satisfying decision…you’re an addiction
I gottah keep pace to run this race the right way…
Alright, you’re making my day
Satisfaction is ours, baby…
Can you see it like fireworks in the sky?
Did you ever wish to be free
Like those mockingbirds and jays in the aqua-blue sky?
You and I will receive the ability to fly
The ability to show off our inner glow…yah know…soooo…
And we’ll be putting up a show…yah know…yah know…let the wicked wind blow…
oooh ahhahah ohhh…
Take away my flaws…
And give me a big applause
Let go of all worries
Gather around me, my stinging, beautiful bees…
I get pleasure off of your applauses…giving me satisfaction…I feel like I’m top dog
right now!
Verse 5:
Beyonce: Mmmhmmm ohh yeahh…show me how to feel this satisfaction…
You know what I’m talking about…
Ooooooh yeahhhh…awww ooh… you know how to push my buttons, don’t yah? I
need at least a fraction
I need a fraction of your satisfaction without a dirty, little doubt
Pinch me please…this must be a beautiful nightmare…
Pinch me please…I must be dreaming this reverie…does it ring a bell?
Pinch me please…this must be all a dream after all – I look at myself in the mirror
Pinch me please…I must be caught under your wicked spell
Rihanna: You took me out of the lion’s den ooh
I’m feeling incredible…so irreplaceable…as irresistible as chocolate cake…as fantastic
and magical like a fable – you ain’t no fake or you don’t hide the truth under the
table or sweet it under the carpet…you’re not instable like a broken, tattered table
Oh baby, baby – we met in a perfect place
This feelin’s so indescribable…so irreplaceable…so irresistible…as fantastic and
majestic as a peace-abiding angel
It was a weird moment…when I saw your sundrenched face
(Beyonce: a surreal moment when I looked at your face no doubt about that)
Pinch me please…this must be a beautiful nightmare…
Pinch me please…I must be dreaming this reverie…does it ring a bell?
Pinch me please…this must be all a dream after all – I look at myself in the mirror
Pinch me please…I must be caught under your wicked spell
*Chorus*
That’s my satisfying decision…you’re an addiction
I gottah keep pace to run this race the right way…
Alright, you’re making my day
Satisfaction is ours, baby…
Can you see it like fireworks in the sky?
Did you ever wish to be free
Like those mockingbirds and jays in the aqua-blue sky?
You and I will receive the ability to fly
The ability to show off our inner glow…yah know…soooo…
And we’ll be putting up a show…yah know…yah know…let the wicked wind blow…
oooh ahhahah ohhh…
Take away my flaws…
And give me a big applause
Let go of all worries
Gather around me, my stinging, beautiful bees…
I get pleasure off of your applauses…giving me satisfaction…I feel like I’m top dog
right now!
*Verse 6*
Lady Gaga and I: You gave me vast grace…and now, I can run this race…if I keep
pace…when you gaze into my eyes, I’m in a different maze…you’re not a waste of
my time…you were my sublime, drug of delight..and yah made me take divine flight
like a kid’s toy kite…you make everything seem alright…
Me: You are the illuminated night in my mind’s eye
Beyonce: I yearn for yah vast grace…vast grace…super fast grace…super de-duper
grace…everything you do, you never left me without a trace – embrace the light,
everybody! You make me shed happy tears – I don’t know why…but I’m so
happy…
Me: oooh yeah – I wanna see your face…x2 Sparkling like the blue-green sea –
your sunrays beam…and we’re singing with sundrenched harmony…
Adele: You’re not a disgrace x2
Baby, I love you to the core
Oh baby, how can I love you more?
Me: I loved you with a deep, deep passion
You gave me…yah gave me
Yah gave meee….beyond satisfaction…you serve as the best distraction, wo-man!
You gave me pure…
Both: Satisfaction…and you’re my drug of delight…you’re my beloved disease and
my beautiful nightmare all in one…you’re not a curse – you’re a gift and a cure
(Lady Gaga: to my heart ache…for sure…you’re my ultimate, miracle-healing cure)
Me and Beyonce: I'm a believer...
And you're my dream weaver
You're my dream catcher
I can't believe what I'm seeing...
Rihanna included: Your spirit shining bright and beaming
Me: You make me (feel like a grand king) x2 ooh oh oh! wow...oooh wahahahah
Beyonce: Pinch me if I'm dreaming...
Rih and me: Can you hear my screaming...?
Me: At least we’re healing and recovering from the love flu – let’s shout for joy and
let’s shout with thanksgiving!
At least we are alive and well – no longer feeling depressed, anxious, rejected and
insecure
I ain’t bleeding out no more – let’s express our gratefulness to have such a
satisfying cure
OOooh ehhh…eeeee…
|
|
Long poem by
Peter Duggan | Details |
In memory of Bob
A true story.
It was in spring of two thousand when I first saw Bob. I’d just started working at Perth Dental hospital, and in fact it was my first day there. I walked up to the front door of this building, but it wasn’t yet opened. So I turned around and went to sit in the bus shelter which was just outside the building. As I went to sit down I noted a dark skinned gentleman sitting there with a happy, benign look on his face. He was about five feet eight give or take a little, and he was rather a thickset man who looked like he’d done his fair share of hard work in his sixty years or more.
There was something about this Gentleman that I could not quite put my finger on. He had a certain charisma about him; not the phony kind of charisma that one seen in the car salesman or the philanderer who messes with women’s heads, no, Bob had a kind of friendly smile for everyone that he met, and he seemed to draw people into him with his love, and gigantic heart. I knew as soon as I met him that Bob was most definitely for me.
As Bob looked at me and smiled, the whole world seemed to open up. He said “Ow ya going mate” in a loud ebullient manner, then we started to chat. Bob was like myself, a thinker, and straight away we started philosophizing about this, that, and the other, and it was like we had known each other forever. Then all of a sudden I found Bob talking about death, and the difference in the way the Maori people faced death, compared to the rather the silly way us white folk look at the subject with great fear in our hearts. Now this had always interested me, and somehow it just seemed natural to talk to this Maori gentlemen on this subject, and we spoke about it till the doors opened and it was time to work.
I don’t think anything happens just by chance, and I definitely have this feeling that Bob and I were meant to meet, and I really think this was a major destiny thing. I have found during the course of my life, that as I am aging, I can feel something pushing me into a certain direction, and I always felt that Bob was part of all this; and I had much to learn from him. Although I have never believed in organized religion, and never followed one I have always felt deeply spiritual, and I have met many people who I learned from, and Bob was most definitely one of them with all his great wisdom and patience. As I came to know Bob, we had many dialogues together, on many subjects. Bob used to love music and could always have time to plonk away on his guitar. He used to come round to my place and we would play songs together, though both he and I were no Eric Clapton’s, I would bang around on my guitar and play the harp, while we would both take out turns at singing. We’d have a smoke or a beer or two, and we’d play songs all day long, ahhh, I remember those days well, the memories are so strong.
Bob was one hell of a man, I could tell that he had been a wild one in his youth,
But when I knew him in his sixties he was an icon of wisdom and virtue; he had a kind word for everyone, and gave all his time to anybody who needed him, always.
He used to hear me waffling on like an idiot, trying to make him like me [as I always did] but never once did he tell me how foolish I was, he would just smile knowingly at me. He used to stand there at the window for hours, just drinking in the trees, or the clouds in the sky, and yet he was so aware, I used to try to sneak up on him; it couldn’t be done. His awareness was incredible.
Then one day Bob fell ill with terminal cancer, and he knew that he had very little time left on this Earth. He lay there sick for days in intolerable pain, but you never heard one complaint from him, even when he only had days to live, he was still worrying about the welfare of others. When the day finally come for Bob to leave his shell; he was lying there in deep sleep, when all of a sudden he woke up, with a smile on his face. His children asked him ‘Dad, do you want some pain killers” Bob laughed, compassion written all over his face, and he said to them ‘Not one of you has a clue, have you’ and he died with a big smile on his face.
His daughter got in touch with me, and told me about his death, and also told me that his last wish was to have me watch his soul leave his body. I felt very honored about this and went and sat with his body [as Maoris do]. I got the most peaceful feeling come to me [which I presume was his spirit leaving his body] as I watched his silent body, a Mari war stick and a beautiful rose lay across his chest. I still see it, and I feel blessed by it. He was my Maori warrior, and I adored the man.
|
|
Long poem by
Darian Rehder | Details |
The signs started in December
When she started waking up in tears each night
She was a normal girl with dark brown hair and darker brown eyes
She had plenty of friends and a loving family with just one thing missing
Her father.
Days passed by and turned into weeks but only felt like a few seconds
Her life just whizzed by faster and faster until it was just a whirr in front of her eyes
Darkness filtered into her heart and mind until she didn't know if she could go on
But she had to. She couldn't let her mother and her sister drown in this same pain
She wouldn't let them.
She pushed all the darkness into the depths of her own heart
In hopes to save the hearts of the two people she had left
Because what else was there to live for now?
The rest of her world had crashed and her mother and sister was all that was left
She wouldn't let them drown in pain too.
She watched as they started to heal in her loving arms
Their hearts started to lighten up once more
But hers was just as dark as it was before
And growing darker day by day
But she wouldn't let that stop her.
Suddenly a year had passed... and then two
It only seemed like seconds to her but everyone else started moving on
Her mother and sister no longer needed her nurturing care
But she needed someone to hold on to
Anyone...
With nothing left for her to take control of, the dark pushed past her boundries
It found a way into her soul
Until all she could see was dark and no light
But her mother and sister were healed now
They didn't understand
The tears came back and engulfed her soul
Bit by bit until she wasn't sure why she was still alive
The grief took over like knives
Piercing her skin over and over and over
It hurt so much.
She started to wonder what it'd look like to be dead
She could see him again if she was
Wouldn't it be so much easier than having to endure this pain?
Wouldn't it be so much easier than having to live knowing she'd never see him again?
It would.
So she started to hate herself
All that negative energy was starting to take toll
Everyone around her was breathing while she suffocated more and more by the second
She wished she'd just choke already instead of living in constant pain
If no one would put her out of her misery, she'd have to do it herself
She couldn't see any light anymore
So she grabbed the pill bottle off the shelf and just hoped it wouldn't take long to die
Deep down she still had a spark of light, but she just couldn't find it
And now it was too late in her mind to change, to turn back and try to look deeper
She was done living.
That's when people started to notice that everything wasn't as peaceful as it seemed
They started to see how deeply depressed she had become
They wanted to help her see the light again before it was too late
So they sent her away to see doctors and to take pills to make everything better
It was a start.
She didn't see a change at first but suddenly she could think clearly
Maybe what they were doing was actually going to help her see the light again
Yes, she still wanted to die, but maybe that wasn't the only option anymore
They cared, and behind all their own problems they were trying to understand
They really were trying
Six months longer she would be treated and cared for
Until suddenly she was sent home from her treatment and care with a smile on her face
She had a new perspective
Someone had helped her ignite that spark in her heart until it was a glowing ember
She had been reborn
Sometimes you have to be able to experience the worst of it
To come back shining brighter than before
And if she had died that cold day in October, she wouldn't of ever seen the best of it
Or known that it would get better
and it did!
And she now sits at her laptop, with a smile on her face and warmth in her heart
It's never been an easy road and it won't ever be
But at least she knows she's lived through the worst
And it can only get better from here
So whenever she feels lonely or gets back into that dark spot again
She can look back on what she's learned and can read this poem
And remember that she survived the darkest depths of depression
And she will continue to survive it as long as she lives
Because she is stronger now than she ever was before ?
|
|
Long poem by
Peter Duggan | Details |
From anxiety to joy
Hi to all my friends
I decided to write this story of me down, because I see so many unhappy people on this site. They make this very clear to me when I read some of their beautiful poems. I have tried telling it in verse, but now I feel it is time to write it down in prose
When I was a child I was not happy because I had very strict parents who robbed me of all my freedom. I was a very freedom loving boy and I felt so totally restricted in a family that never could and never would understand me. There was a lot of psychological cruelty handed out to me by my Father and a hell of lot of bullying, I was subjected to by the other kids, I came from a very rough part of London called Peckham, and I was an extremely sensitive young lad.
When I grew up I married a beautiful Australian girl named Vera who is still my beloved wife after fifty years. We immigrated to Australia, and after about three months, I decided to join the army, and I volunteered to go to Vietnam, so I could pay back the kindness that the Australians had Showed me by receiving me to their beautiful country.
I served in Vietnam for about nine and a half months, then they decided to ship me back to Australia because of injuries and illness. when I came back my troubles all started and I developed PTSD, even though I had not really been in much danger during my days of war. I was filled with a terrible anxiety, and was absolutely terrified of both life and death. I had these periods of deep, deep dread that completely ruled my life. I was angry most of the time, and I detested everybody I ever met with a vengeance so hard to understand
This got worse and worse as the year proceeded, and I tried everything to control it, from counselling to reading every kind of self help books, and I read every religion, and all the stuff by so many different Spiritual teachers until I had a bookcase brim filled with all the books I had read. I tried every kind of meditation, plus yoga, Tai chi, and many other things. However, nothing worked. They helped a bit but not enough to stop the ugly terror I felt.
Then one day I came across a man named John Sherman on the net, who has helped so many people, and thousands of people now practice what he advocates with much success.
John told me that all I had to do was close my eyes and look at the me ness of me, it was as simple as that. At first I laughed at him with this simplistic approach to gaining back ones sanity. But I was desperate; I had walked out on my wife for a year and given everything I had away. My anger was getting worse and worse, and when I finally came back to my family, I really wasn’t worth being with. My wife tolerated me because she loved me so totally, but I could tell that I was leading her into Pyschological, of physical illness.
So I gave John’s method a try, I meditated every day using my me ness as a meditation point. I don’t mean my thoughts or sensations, emotions or such. I mean the ‘me’ the part of me that actually runs the show. The ‘me’ that always seems hidden but is always there in the background. I noticed some changes in me very quickly, but then the progress came slower, but very steady. Now I have been doing this for nearly five years and the difference in me is phenomenal. I am so happy now, that I could almost scream with joy. I have no more anxiety any more, and the dread that once debilitated is totally gone.
My neurotic fear of death has faded, and although I don’t want to die, when it comes I will be totally ready for it. My life is so beautiful these days and everything seems so beautiful, and crystal clear. These days I walk on feather feet, and I am so grateful to John and his wife Carla for what they gave to me. I really want to share this with anyone who cares to listen. You would not believe how beautiful my life is these days. Thank you for reading, all you who reached the end of this story. I hope it helps you as it most certainly helped me….Peter.
|
|
Long poem by
William Masonis | Details |
1,
I remember 20:
Aflame with ideas and visions,
A mind unfettered by necessity's constraints,
Spirit open to everything -
Tomorrow held no fears,
Yesterday no regrets;
There was only day following day,
Each new and with something to give,
And each corner I turned
Led down a new road
Where the joy was ever in the going,
With a horizon impossibly far and bright.
Do you still see that youth somewhere inside
When I gaze on you, Love,
As I still see that girl with the laughing eyes
Who ran down those roads with me?
That was our dreaming-time,
The cloudcastle years
When we could scarcely bear
The brightness of our own being.
The wonder of the world embraces the young,
And they return the embrace,
But like the children they so recently were,
They are distracted, and break away
Enticed by the next marvel
Peaking 'round the corner.
A part of us yet runs there, Love;
Running and running
Through the endless light.
2.
I remember 30:
Young parenthood, responsibilities.
We showed them all the light we could,
Let them run into it and find their ways.
Small voices grew to sound like our own;
Busy days and nights fly past
Like leaves blown out of the grasp of their trees,
Tumbling, mixing, moving on
Until at last the bigger voices went off on their own,
Running down new roads
Chasing their own marvels.
Now and again they return,
And we share our found treasures
And fondly laugh together
At Youth's follies and discoveries
And sigh within
At the beautiful light.
This was the time when we were Fortune's Fools,
And proud and happy to be.
3.
I remember 40:
The time of Action
The time of Challenge.
This is the time we found our strength,
Though it was sometimes purchased with pain.
This was the time of lessons,
Some of them hard.
This was also the age of flowing friendships -
Some growing, some degenerating, most holding stable,
Especially, of course, the good old ones,
The ones that stretch to childhood, and go on stretching still.
And finally, also our era of finding out:
Our spouses really are our best friends
How relative time truly is
Why learning to Just Accept pays off
Where the foci of our lives need to be
When to roll over and when to dig in
Who's a Friend and who's a Face.
The forties were something special.
4.
So now we stand in the middle 50s.
Less ahead than behind, for sure.
Youth is still not quite out of reach,
But age is on the horizon and beckoning.
Has Age brought wisdom along?
I think yes, but she's holding back,
Not saying much just yet.
Now the light has begun to slant;
There are decades to go,
But the afternoon has come on,
The hot day is cooling ...
Sunset is gathering into its birth,
I know where we are now.
I know who we are now.
We walk the shore and look ahead,
Knowing that after sunset comes the dawn again,
After a little rest in the starland between
As go the hours, the days, the years,
Pulled out, away into the great Unknown.
Now we walk together towards that sunset
And all the mysteries waiting there.
Together we shall find them all,
And when we reach the last, the Greatest,
I expect to turn and find again
That girl with the laughing eyes beside me,
Ready to run, and run, and run.
|
|
Long poem by
Isaiah Zerbst | Details |
'Twas a sound I thought alarming, most assuredly disarming;
Up I rose from peaceful slumber to discern what it might be.
While my candle flickered, wavered; whilst my heartbeat halted, quavered,
At my window I was favoured by it sounding, dreadfully-
In the darkness loudly pounding- drawing nearer, dreadfully
As if calling out to me.
When the window I unshuttered, as my heart so wildly fluttered
Sounded forth the sound, and nearer, sounded forth so dismally:
And I heard the tempest sighing, through the trees and chimneys crying,
As if left alone and dying by some God-forsaken sea-
Quite forsaken, quite abandoned by the inky, lifeless sea,
Just as black as black can be.
There I stood a moment longer as the wailing winds grew stronger.
'Tis, I thought, but silly fancies dreamed imaginatively;
For there's nothing coming, leaving, and the night can be deceiving;
Yes, the wind was only breathing on the ancient maple tree,
Which was rapping on the shutters in the night, incessantly-
This was all that it could be.
Then a furious arctic guster gathered might and main and muster
And with hands so cold and clammy put my candle out while he
Wrapped his chilling hands around me, in his frozen grip he bound me;
I, his presence all around me groaned and grumbled in the dark;
As I groped and griped and stumbled, groaned and grumbled in the dark-
While he laughed so wickedly.
To the window, pitter-patter, I rehasped it with a clatter
Then relit and watched my candle as it flamed assuredly,
While it lit the old surroundings; but then how my heart was pounding!
As I gazed at the astounding standing on my posted bed,
Perched above the feathered pillows where I rest my weary head,
Perched there unashamedly.
"Ah," said I, "this nameless flutter sounding, pounding on the shutter
It was only this dear fellow trying so determinedly
To gain entrance to my dwelling, all to bring this piece of spelling,
And there really is no telling who has sent him here to me
'Till I read the little letter fastened on below his knee,
That he bears so cheerfully.
I undid the purple ribbon tied about the charming pigeon,
Quite forgetful of his presence as I read absorbedly.
I spent little time deciding who had sent this piece of writing,
For it bore me happy tidings in a hand I knew so well;
In a cheerful, laughing manner, so it was not hard to tell
That it was from my Melody.
"My favourite ribbon, I've untied it from my hair and wrapped inside it
All the words I wish to say, but am too far to tell to thee."
From this point and on hereafter I omit her words of laughter,
Words that make my heart beat faster; words that stop it suddenly:
Words that make me melancholy; words that make me shout with glee-
Words sent by my Melody.
When I'd traced each perfect letter, I was thinking clearer, better;
I set out some feed and water for my friend, repentantly.
"Pigeon," said I, "rest beside me; walls and roof shall safely hide thee
From the tempest roaring blindly o'er the inky, lifeless sea."
And I squinted through the shadows where he perched there silently;
Resting, sleeping peacefully.
Drawing near, I kissed him gently, thinking all the while intently
That the very place I kissed him once was cradled tenderly
By the hand I wish was holding onto mine, and deftly molding
Into mine, and mine enfolding, that of her who wrote to me;
That of her so far away across the inky, lifeless sea-
That of dearest Melody.
Entered In Kelly Deschler's Contest, "The Raven"
|
|
Long poem by
Brian Johnston | Details | . You can read it on PoetrySoup.com' st_url='http://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/one_mans_miracle_584917' st_title='One Man's Miracle'>
(The Man Who Proved That God Is Real)
You told me you just want to know God exists,
Oh dear heart, I promise it's true,
I just worry the person who proved it to me,
Might not be sufficient for you.
I was young and that alone might give you pause,
Perhaps six, or seven, or eight,
But I had not professed my faith, that much I know,
My elders believed I should wait.
My miracle started quite innocently.
At Christmas, a party was held.
There were three different age groups I seem to recall
And riotous outbursts were quelled.
From the 'five and dime' we all brought back our gifts
That cost us a dollar or so.
The day of the party was quite bitterly cold;
The ground it was covered with snow.
A boy that I liked, one year older than me,
(Who really had paid me no heed) ,
Was going to be there. I bought his present with care
(Anonymous gifts were decreed.)
I guess that I hoped God might alter the rules,
Let Ronnie suss which gift was mine,
Just how God would accomplish this I didn't know
But for this I surely did pine.
But when we were told to line up for our gifts
'Keep quiet! ' I knew all was lost
For our bad luck had placed us halfway from the tree:
My dreams were about to be tossed.
I just had to tell Ronnie which gift to choose
But doing so cost a dear price
For we both were exiled to the end of the line
Friend gone on the roll of a dice.
I made sure, you see, to save last place for me,
So sad that my friend shared my bad.
Can you believe bad luck didn't end with my dream
(Though Ronnie the last present had) ?
Devastation was surely etched on my face,
Crying I ran out of that hall
Has mankind ever known such disgrace as I felt
(Wanting only to make myself small) ?
The church basement was nearly dark as I ran
Into classrooms filled with small chairs,
And finally found one that looked safe, I could hide,
Behind boxes they used for repairs.
The basement had many rooms used for classes
But none of them joined to a hall
Doors connected each to each and so to pass through
You simply must pass through them all.
The door opened wide, and not used to the gloom
He suddenly tripped on a chair.
I stifled a sob, God did his job, and the Man asked
(Still not seeing) , 'Somebody there? '
He turned on the light and getting a fright, said
'Why Brian, my boy, are you here? '
In that place, on the floor, I made confession to him
In his embrace, shed many a tear.
Without a word he placed my small hand in his,
Led me gently up a small stairs,
A turn, more stairs, his office I knew lay beyond,
In terror I prayed then all prayers.
I thought the he was going to whip me you see,
My punishment not yet complete,
Instead at the half landing he opened the door,
Our steps leaving tracks in the sleet.
The parsonage those days was next to the church
A large garage lay right behind.
And God when I saw that we were headed for it
Again terror rose in my mind.
But when we reached it he opened the big doors
And told me 'Get into the car.'
It started, we backed out, and smiling he added,
'Don't worry. We aren't going far.'
A drugstore was open and we went inside
The gift that he gave me reveals
(Even though he, my pastor, was only a man)
How meeting God face to face feels.
In Honor Of
Rev. L. O. McCracken, Woodward, OK, First Baptist Church
Brian Johnston
December 15-16,2013
|
|
Long poem by
Gary Bateman | Details | . You can read it on PoetrySoup.com' st_url='http://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/new_years_baby_2015_630012' st_title='New Year's Baby 2015'>
The New Year’s Baby each year starts out fresh and new,
Always exciting, the life of the party, and never blue.
He’s a quite active little Cherub who’s cute and funny,
And he’ll be there at the stroke of Midnight to usher in
The New Year and to escort Old Man 2014 outside where
The unforgiving “Dust Bin of History” awaits his tired old
Body and his failed attempts to improve mankind’s lot.
The New Year’s Baby will be a busy little fellow indeed!
The New Year’s Baby is eager and chompin’ at the bit
To get started on January 1st to make his mark in our world
During 2015, and brings with him both enthusiasm and hope!
The reality for our little Cherub will be much different than
He realizes since certain age-old specters still pervade “Home
Earth” today: Tyranny, Poverty, Disease, Famine, and War.
And we shan’t leave out a couple of new ones at home with
Us today too: Global Warming and Worldwide Pollution.
With these major problems, throw in Mankind’s “Seven Deadly
Sins,” along with murder, rape, guns and nuclear proliferation,
And all other types of crime—you’ll see and understand why our
Bright, young, and full of hope New Year’s Baby will begin to
Age so fast over his allotted 12-month tenure here on Home Earth.
Really, all we can do is to wish our Cherub friend our very best and
Pledge to work with him, world societies, and world governments
To try to make things better on our planet and among our world citizens.
The transition from the Old Year to the New Year is no doubt a time
For both celebration and reflection—and in spite of the negatives I’ve
Listed, not all is so terrible nor lost, as long as our world community
Begins to realize that the brightness of the future we hope to have for
Generations to come is very much tied to the solutions we contemplate,
And the decisions we pursue in attempting to improve our situation.
And the big FACTOR “X” in this whole equation, lest we forget, is not
To forget to turn to the Almighty Lord God in our maximum hour of need.
I’m personally not a zealous religious person, but that does not mean that
I don’t believe in the power of divine intervention in the affairs of mankind.
The key, I believe, is for everyone on this Earth to include nations and
People alike to pull hard and a really commit to make our world a better place.
We inherited this world by the beneficence of the Almighty himself with the
Hope that Man in the image of His Maker would become his Brother’s
Keeper—but time may not be so much on our side, as Mother Nature has
Been complaining of late of mankind’s violations of the integrity of this Earth.
A little faith and prayer to Our Lord God never really hurts—for the stakes
Facing our world for the ultimate survival of Mankind are the real deal.
Make no mistake about many of the negative factors I’ve listed—they
Are indeed real and won’t be that easy to readily solve as some require
The concerted effort of everyone as we march forward with our dreams.
We have such tools of wonder in our arsenal of modern technology,
Why not use them for the good of mankind and strive to make the job
Of our Little Cherub New Year’s Baby a tad bit easier. I rest my case.
Happy New Year!! Amen!! Amen!! Amen!!
Gary Bateman, Copyright © All Rights Reserved, (December 31, 2014)
(Narrative)
|
|
Long poem by
Mandy Tams The Golden Girl | Details |
As you peel back one layer you will a bit more of me
Each layer defines parts that the naked eye may not see
The outer layer is tough resistant and seems weather proof
Just one more layer down is where you start to find the truth.
Peel off a third one and that’s where my feelings are hidden
Not on the surface to be played with or abused when bidden
Another layer down is where my tears are caught and held back.
Until the hurt of death and squalor, that layer attack
The last layer you may peel from me, I hold on to so tight
I don’t want you to see my heart naked, in the harsh light.
The layer that covers my heart and keeps it safe from abuse
Life constantly picks at it and it’s not really much use.
I tried so hard to keep that one in place and safe from harm
Then life produces its peeler, which I would like to disarm.
It endlessly peels away at the layers of my protection
Leaving me vulnerable and weak and open to infection.
To fight back at life I have found a small good cure all
And that is what lets me walk on the edge, I totter but not fall.
In times of trouble and death, pain, anger and even love
Look for the silver lining that helps give this life a little shove.
Shove these things aside; they will get dealt with in a while
Knowing that whatever it is, will be behind us - so smile.
The layer that keeps our minds strong and yes even clear
Needs the most attention, it gives us hope, love, and even fear
Good things and bad things all come and go day by day
But we find we always look back on them and so we can say
Another day passed though we never forget the pain
Let me replace that layer now and cover my heart again
A smile helps to build up the layers and keeps me on life’s path
As does love, friendship and forgiveness, and a smile turns back wrath.
When we feel we can never smile ever again in a thousand lifetimes
We will look back and find the memory dims and the sun returns to shine
My layers are there I try to build them and keep them supple and strong
But sometimes they get ripped in a wrench and I think I am wrong
Straight to the point where my heart beats and is exposed to life’s ills
Time to pay the piper, as he comes to collect on life’s bills.
Laughter the best medicine and that I truly believe
But there’s a time to laugh and then there is a time to grieve
Time to think and to fight, love and to perhaps even pray
I hope my layers will keep intact, and get me through another tough day.
© ~GG~ 25/12/2012
My son had to work today, he is a supervisor on a motorway service station. He came home to us at the end of his shift for any comfort we could give him because of a motor accident just past where he works that took the lives of two children and an adult and seriously injured two more. He had to get access for the emergency services and then deal with angry motorists as he had to block them trying to re-enter the motorway, while things were dealt with. His one thought was how the families would now cope, not only with the losses but that fact that it would taint their Christmas celebrations for the rest of their lives.
Although we do not celebrate Christmas he is so concerned for their feelings he is finding it difficult to cope with. My heart grieves not only for them and their horrendous ordeal, but my son whose heart has been laid open to their pain.
|
| Long Poems |