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Best Poems Written by Teresa Burkes

Below are the all-time best Teresa Burkes poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Sorrowful Gladness

What have you to say to me?
About these things of woe
Help me to understand my plight
Comprehend, then let them go

Such bittersweet moments arise
Keeping me up at night
Charming thoughts of my father
Turns itself into awful fright

My father was a gentle man
Or so I thought most times
Until I put pen to paper
Spoke of dirty deeds mostly in rhymes

Tonight I sit amongst the pews
Trying to decipher the noise
Music outside screaming your name
Inside we stir, have lost all poise

Remembering the days gone by
Wanting to know what’s real
Dear Savior, Father, keeper of me
Turn up my emotions, let me feel

Cry the tears to heal the heart
Wipe away the bloodshed past
Bring me to this place call home
Home is where Your true love lasts

I am weary and so tired
Fraught with grief and dread
Longing to know the gift of sleep
Knock out sadness, oh, knock it dead

Praise Your name, I try my best
There’s no one else but You
You are the reason that I can cope
My God, My Savior, my one true hope

Blessings to the Lord above
Father, loving and true
Thank you for my life today
Jesus Christ, I do love You

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Cpr

My heart skips a beat
Whenever a door slams
My heart skips a beat
Whenever I hear footsteps

Days and nights tensely lived
Not knowing what to think
Locks on doors, windows shut
Living a life in a cringe and a shrink

Shrink from most shadows
Images of the unknown
Freezing, still, in my sleep
Waiting for what will be shown

My heart skips a beat
With an impression on my bed
Sleep disturbed, fear increased
Not knowing the thoughts that spin through my head

I live alone, so no one is there
But my mind won’t let me rest
Tightly wound, hands clinched tight
Every day, every day, spent in fright

My heart skips a beat 
Whenever I’m at church
I hear the words of Jesus Christ
There’s no fear, or any dread

My heart skips a beat
Because I feel my life is changing
Yes, I still cringe at night
Yet it doesn’t always feel the same

My heart skips a beat
I’ve learned the Father is near
As long as I have Him in my life
I know there is nothing to fear

Cringes lessen, tightness fades
I let the Lord shine His light
Sounds not heard, shadows no more
Jesus is the one to get me through the night

My heart skips a beat
I have been saved
Comforter, Protector, Redeemer

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

The Last Supper

Sitting around a table, twelve men and You
One looking suspicious, knowing what he’s about to do
Wine being passed in lieu of Your blood
Bread being broken as the life of Your body

Sitting around a table, twelve men and You
Take and eat and drink of these things
I pass them to you
For this is the last time we’ll be together, but again I shall see you

Sitting around a table, twelve men and You
Walking out to the garden, they not knowing what to do
You kneel and pray and cry out to Your Father
Two men can’t stay awake, why did they come, why did they bother

Prayers and sleeping, they do not mix
Along comes a disciple who should be hit with sticks
He has turned on You, for a penny in his pocket
Sold you out for a coin, perhaps to buy a locket

Sitting around a table, twelve men and You
Life will be no more, the people scream, “kill the Jew!”
Turn their backs, they did, watch you lose the fight
Little did they know You would emit a glorious Light

Sitting around a table, twelve men and You
You may have lost the earthly battle
When You died upon that cross
But I know those people cried when they realized what they lost

Glory be to the Father on High

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Paid In Full

On this day we sing and praise Your name as You prepare to give Your life for ours. 
There is nothing in this life more precious than a man, although not a man, who would 
willingly give his life for another and asking for nothing in return only that we turn our 
life over to Him and walk out our lives as He did. What more must we do for You on 
this day?

We stand here tonight singing, praying and crying out for You. Our tears are of joy 
because we have come to know You. Our tears are of sadness of the horrible and 
brutal way in which Your life was taken. You were whipped, stripped, pummeled and spit 
upon before the brutality ended with Your being nailed viciously to a tree, a cross 
created for You at Calvary. Why, oh why did it have to end that way? Why, oh why, did 
Your life had to end so abruptly? You came, lived briefly and died for me.

 I thank You, Dear Jesus for all that You have done for me. I give my life to You. I want 
to follow Your words. I want to be a good student of all that You can teach me through 
those You may put in my life. Dear Father You have done it all. You took the abuse. 
You took on my sins and washed me clean. You showed us how we are to live…honest 
and good.

Tomorrow You will be lead to that place. You will lay and take Your last breath as man 
on that cross. Dear Father You have rescued us all, even those who do not know You, 
yet. Three days later You rose from the grave as none other has ever done. You would 
walk this earth again, briefly, letting all those who knew You before, know that You are 
real and You will see them all again in Heaven. Oh how I long for the day to see Your 
face. To live in a place of peace, love, no pain, just comfort and joy with everlasting life 
and praising Your name. 

Hallelujah to the Lord on High

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Caged Bird Sings

CAGED BIRD SINGS
 
I’ve not talked about these things to tell
Because I’m sworn to secrecy of sorts
You’ve heard the tales and read the books
Know what happens if you break the rules
Well today I’m here crossing the “I double-dawg-dare you” line
Father shows his love for me while he creeps in my room at night
Years go by how did I know my memory would go dark
Bird

Child, was I, voice not yet my own
Innocence stripped, beginning at home
Sense of self seemingly washed away with the whack of a hand
Whose does it belong to this time
Oh I know let’s count the welts…she wins
Mother’s hand lay wrapped around the extension cord, today
Yes, her expression of love for me again in a special way
Beaten into submission of silence and stillness
Emotions continue retreating inward
Caged

Child, was I, voice not yet my own
Was this to be my life one of quiet and still
Not so any one would know for years to come
Shattered youth burned from the inside out with pain
Yet, I walk, skip and play with a grin and a laugh
Laughter covering up so much for so many
How long can the bandage stretch
Can it hold up much longer
Edges frayed, torn and splintered from years of abuse
Completely falling apart was not an option, not so anyone can see
Who do you tell when you know not what to do
What do you do when you know not what to say
How can you say it when you have a voice but dare not speak
Caged Bird

Child, no longer I, voice not yet to call my own
Going through life with a laugh and a smile
Knowing something is not right but not knowing
Every corner darkness seems to lurk nearby
Cannot breathe because of the heaviness upon my chest
Life has not been my own, others in control
Body staying while mind wanting to be set free
Feeling trapped, scared and alone, so escapes I would try
Key

Wounded from all the hurt, leaving behind scars not all remedied with topical cream
Continually battling life as if in front of a camera
Sleep, sleep, crave for peaceful sleep
Give back the restful nights stolen away
Thieves in the night my parents and others
Walked into my life, stole pieces of me
Attempted to leave me for dead
Failed each time because I am a SURVIVOR
Child, no longer am I, voice found and being released
Voice singing words of truth once not able to speak
Caged Bird Sings

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Clockwatcher

Awakened from your sleep
Words buzzing through your head
Shadowy images, hazy pictures
Flashing by the windows of your past

Stolen moments, innocence lost
Never to be returned
Can’t sleep, don’t want to think
Time continues to pass

Minutes, hours, days and years
ALL remain the same
Hurt, pain, anguish, guilt and shame
Hasn’t gone away

Seasons change, you get older
Or do you?

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Barbed Wire

It cut, I bled
It spoke, I listened
It commanded, I obeyed
It laughed, I wept

Dirty things were done to me
All painful and all true
My body became a battlefield
My mind split into more than a few

Meanness, nastiness, anger and rage
Toppled me over, time and time again
Weapons formed, used against me
Oh my mind so torn, lured me to the insane

Taken for granted, used and tossed aside
What was wrong with me?
Quiet, stilled from the pain
Screaming, yelling on the inside

Years the disease roamed within
Took me for a ride, round and round
Let me out, take me off
Remove these chains keeping me bound

Stars shine, moon glows
Father’s hand has touched my soul
Standing near, watching close
Fills my heart with His heavenly host

Raising me up, renewing my mind
Releasing the spirits, tormenters no more
Casting them down in a pit of fire
No more cutting, no more barbed wire

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Clean Heart

On my knees I pray to You
Crying out Your name
“Father, please forgive me, 
I kneel to You in shame”

I am like no other
Who doesn’t seek your face
I just want to adore You
Live in the light of Your amazing grace

Jesus Christ speak to me
Show me all my faults
Wipe them from my life today
Lock them, bury them in a vault

Do not let me find the key
Because I’ve would have gone astray
Keep me from old Satan’s door
Help me to walk, Your way

On my knees I pray to You
Today my life’s worth living
You died on the cross, forgave my sins
On my knees, to You, my life I’m freely giving

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Imagery

Look at me, what do you see?
I see a girl standing tall
Look at me, who do You see?
I see a girl who’s wonderful

Sometimes we look in the mirror
Not liking what we see
But then You chime into our thoughts
And let me know that You love me

We stand outside the door
Not wanting to go in
Everyone is watching
So we put on our plastic grin

Standing up during worship
While praising Your Holy name
We stifle our emotions
To express them would look lame

You weren’t afraid of anything
Not even when crucified
If You can endure grief
Why must I pretend to be dignified?

Looking in the mirror
I want to see Your face
Because You’re the only one I seek
Living with You there is no disgrace

Details | Teresa Burkes Poem

Tattered & Torn

5pm

One, two, three
Pieces of Me
Four, five, six
I’ve been hit with sticks

Seven, eight, nine
I no longer whine
Ten, eleven, twelve
Dusty, I sit up on a shelf

Dolls played with nicely
Why wasn’t I?
Sweet talk, caresses
By some stranger guy

Guy was no stranger 
We knew his name
Man was my father
They called him, Eddie James

5:10pm