L Milton Hankins Poet Sonnet

Forgiveness Cleanses the Soul

I reached down into the very bottom of my soul
And found residing there sordid, bitter memories
Of many hearts I had wounded over years gone by.
I sorted them out carefully, reviewing each one to decide,
Whether I would let them continue to fester there,
Or, whether I should make amends and restore ties
With distant friends I had shut out by my petty hurts,
And, to my surprise, I discovered it was not they—but I
Who had been suffering from my unforgiving spirit, 
And so, I resolved that very moment to contact each,
To say “I am sorry, forgive me, for being such a boor.
Forgive me, please, for allowing trivial differences
To come between us,” and each, in turn, was restored;
My soul is clean, for I have forgiven myself and others.

FIFTH PLACE WINNER
May 23, 2021
written for "Forgiveness" Poetry Contest
sponsored by Unseeking Seeker

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Rama Balasubramanian May 30, 2021 at 10:46 PM Forgiveness indeed cleans soul. Congratulations L Milton Hankins May 31, 2021 at 9:29 AM Thank you, Rama, for your affirmative reply.

Sam Kauffman May 30, 2021 at 9:38 AM Wonderfully metaphoric write ML! It takes courage to do spring cleaning in the soul and face the skeletons residing there. But, that being said, it feels so good to have gone through that often painful process Beautifully said - masterfully written. Blessings! L Milton Hankins May 30, 2021 at 9:43 AM Thank you so much, Sam. Your warm, thoughtful words are so appreciated.

Alexis Y. May 29, 2021 at 8:39 PM Hi L. Milton, I'm just coming back to say congratulations on your win. It was well deserved. Have a great evening;-) Alexis L Milton Hankins May 29, 2021 at 8:54 PM Thanks so much, Alexis.

Unseeking Seeker May 29, 2021 at 8:38 PM A must read message here Milton, for all of us. So superbly penned, like a master craftsman and artist rolled into one. Congrats on your win! L Milton Hankins May 29, 2021 at 8:55 PM Thank you, Unseeking Seeker, I appreciate your thoughts.

Sandra Haight May 25, 2021 at 3:03 PM I really like your poem, Milton! Very well-written, and it echoes my take on how forgiveness 'cleanses the soul', as expressed in my offering for the contest. Best of luck with your fine entry! Sandra L Milton Hankins May 25, 2021 at 7:06 PM Thanks so much, Sandra.

Caren Krutsinger May 25, 2021 at 1:13 PM This is so true! "to my surprise, I discovered it was not they—but I Who had been suffering from my unforgiving spirit, " Wonderful write! L Milton Hankins May 25, 2021 at 7:05 PM Thanks, Caren.

Anisha Dutta May 23, 2021 at 9:28 PM Forgiveness is permissible to some extent not at random. Crime should not nether be tolerated nor to be forgiven. Offender must be expiated. Blessings L Milton Hankins May 23, 2021 at 9:51 PM I appreciated your read and your thoughts, Anisha. "Trivial differences," in this case is a far cry from "crimes," and this is a very personal poem, not talking about "random" forgiveness, but making amends with old friends one has offended. The word "I" appears nine times in the verse.

Alexis Y. May 23, 2021 at 4:54 PM WoW! L. Milton, You penned a well-written moving piece on forgiveness. I agree, the act of forgiveness is so liberating. It's good to hear you were able to forgive yourself and others. Well done. Best wishes in the contest. Have a great evening. PS, Thanks for visiting my page. It was much appreciated-Alexis L Milton Hankins May 23, 2021 at 5:04 PM You are certainly welcome, and thanks for your read and your generous comments.

Darlene De Beaulieu May 23, 2021 at 4:39 PM Hello Milton, yes I have forgiven in my life time of my past. It took many years to do it. I have forgiven my father for how he treated me in the past. I feel good about that. Now in the past and gone!!! enjoy your evening my friend. Darlene De Beaulieu May 24, 2021 at 6:21 AM Hello Milton, yes it took me time and I have done it. Feel good about it. Your welcome my friend. enjoy your day my friend. L Milton Hankins May 23, 2021 at 5:05 PM Thanks for your positive response to my poem, but most of all, your positive response to the need for forgiveness in your life--flowing both ways.

Janice Canerdy May 23, 2021 at 1:20 PM SUPERB piece, Milton--so moving and expressive! Janice L Milton Hankins May 23, 2021 at 4:31 PM Thanks so much for your warm thoughts, Janice. I really appreciated them. Have a wonderful week.