Colonized by pride
Admonished against downfall pain
My heart agonizes --- finding love's freedom...
Persevering to be liberated from gripping arrogance
Mind of paradigm-shift takes a look at this warning sign
“Beware of a lurking great fatal stride.”
While admitting angst as a boastful prisoner
In meekness, I seek divine guidance midst prayer...
Conquering vain haughtiness, smitten by grace and mercy.
Midst sobriety, I repent from projecting false humility
Hiding shaky fortitude upon timidity’s pretense
With faith in God* of triumphant bliss, marked by grateful praise.
*Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
August 11, 2024
2nd place, "Colonization" Poetry Writing Premiere Contest
Sponsored by Kai Michael Neumann; judged on 2/16/2025
Written: September 17, 2023
Lets Minichu on Fear Sponsored by: Mohan Chutani
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Stop dropping my hand, Dad
The harshness of the epoch agonizes minds
Need to keep my eyes clad
A harsh anguish
Bleak brownout brewing, blunted blinds
Languish
Partake
Passion reminds
Stake
Stop dropping my hand, Dad
Bleak brownout brewing, blunted blinds
Stake
Hope shining, glittering, shimmering bright,
Enchant me with your flashing, blinking light,
Make me believe that my broken, busted heart,
Can have a fresh, brand new start.
You’re my only light out of this bottomless fortress;
Guide my ascend from the looming deepness;
Rescue me from the claws of darkness;
Save my heart that agonizes in sadness.
For in the midst of blinding gloominess
Where my soul can’t see the path to redemption
Even your dimmest light can liberate
My throbbing heart from incarceration.
Combatting attacks of spiritual dearth
My soul agonizes midst prayer plight
Yearning to be powered with divine might
As God opens floodgates of triumph mirth.
In overcoming supply-lack crises
My heart yearns for ready replenishment
And floodgates’ opening entitlement
Believing that the Lord timely blesses.
Struggling against discontentment sorrow
My carnal mind now demands grace to reign
While confessing doubts, causing woe and pain
Since bounty floodgates open tomorrow.
Reaching-out, sharing Gospel of hope’s call
My faith seeks the Saviour Who enriches
With trust knowing His hand widely stretches
To open* redemption floodgates for all.
*Psalm 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD.
May 10, 2022
3rd place, "Pick-A-Title, Vol 30" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Edward Ibeh; judged on 5/29/2022.
Serene bliss prevails over prayer* zest
Amidst faith made fervent by divine brace
While I commune with God, drawn to His breast.
Though burdened heart agonizes through test
Striving well to triumph despite gloom’s trace
Serene bliss prevails over prayer zest.
When entreaty-strength is tried by doubts’ pest
My hope keeps on cleaving to offered grace
While I commune with God, drawn to His breast.
As I seek for wisdom in every quest
Enlightened along challenges I face
Serene bliss prevails over prayer zest.
Warmed by sublime intimacy, I’m blest
Midst spiritual delights filling altar place
While I commune with God, drawn to His breast.
My soul yearns to reach supplication-crest
Of service-best, since in the Christian race
Serene bliss prevails over prayer zest
While I commune with God, drawn to His breast.
*Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
February 28, 2022
Edited on March 4, 2022
1st place, "A BRIAN STRAND FORM" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 3/5/2022.
no matter what they say on television
outside the trees grow indifferently
it's very strange to see nothing
scattered in the kitchen cupboard
all you can do is exclaim oh lord
you see the bills hanging
on the magnets stuck to the fridge
fluttering like the leaves on the trees
the light wind agonizes
and drowns out the sound of despair
that has already reached the edge
we used to joke about it
the exponential advance
of everything that is negative
it just seemed like a runaway world
so things changed quickly
and began to boil down to blood
soon the silence returns disturbing
I look inside the closet again
and it looks untrue
is the sad picture of poverty
the last cereal box is expired
but that's ok because the milk too
A flower
disheveled,
fallen into the water...
Wait for aid from heaven...
Since it doesn't come, attempt
to be a fish... needs to move...
but the water is what moves it...
The finale of the day comes, the flower
decapitated almost powerless
agonizes... !
The LORD is my Shepherd*; but I have goat’s charm
Thus, I shall not blame Him when I face dearth-alarm...
He protects me; yet in carnality, my body agonizes in pain
While He directs, my feet are stubborn in search for worldly gain…
He fires up my freezing soul toward spiritual revival
As my sins like filthy rags keep clinging to my survival…
Yes, I’m convinced of the Almighty’s presence midst attacking doubts
So I beg His rod and staff to smite my unbelief to win against fleshly bouts…
Cognizant of the Saviour’s blessings and bountifulness
“Why is my cup not running over?” cries my heart in faithlessness…
Indeed, God loves me, reaching down to offer His saving grace and mercy
Woe unto me if I neglect eternal life by not trusting Jesus, defying His clemency.
*Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (KJV)
December 23, 2020
3rd place, "COMPLETELY YOUR CHOICE (45)" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 1/19/2021.
A lean figure, bearing love
Burdened by a need for belonging
Starved by abandonment and disregard
With eyes of plea that look upon man
Rejection's curse; an unmet gaze.
The cold, the toll
An attempt to live diminished by ignorance
Loyalty pledged, discarded by the heartless
A tale of sorrow; a tail of fatigue
Walking away, a strained wish - running away, an insuperable thought.
False safety found in humanities' trenches
Malice offering an invite, with little reward
Torture imposed upon by a hand of crumbs
Survival, not a guarantee, fortitude, a hope
Blood that oozes for paper, congeals to mark.
Escaping acts an option that imprisons
Time slows but age shows
A sight of ruggedness in motion
Wounds that offer a feed, delved into
Movement that agonizes, inciting condescension.
Unsteady breaths, signaling an end
The search for an owner in vain
Brutality suffered in pursuit of a home
A last limp affording no sympathy, still
Callus paws giving way as love remains unrequited.
I don't give rocks
When he agonizes
Over poetry
Give rocks-to be indifferent
It's all the way in the ignorant dark
I have my small steps put forth in my stride
As some light visible beyond blinds arc
Favoring the fear of strife, lest I hide
As many a mind have asked me to cease
For I leave them mine defiant deaf hear
To carve my concepts yet nothing to freeze
Mine spirits arousal lest I do fear.
Who knew when; what exactly excites me…
What agonizes …what inspires truly?
If ever I know, I would have conveyed thee…
For I dwell in doubt … I swear solemnly.
You''d have tried your hand on a poignant verse
If you have known what lie in thine deep tears.
Silence should have known better and understood truth was nothing it should fear.
The one thing to cause this chaos was the only thing to scare the tear.
The one tear I should have cried and the one dream I did not voice.
Because the silence never replied the tear never really had a choice.
It should have been a part of it; a part of the river which did not weep.
Now silence agonizes with no redemption and the dream only lives in sleep.
A place where silence can live in harmony because there is no one there to be denied.
Now this silence is entirely too loud and the tear yearns to have been cried.
He gave her a bunch of roses
deep red and highly scented
sweetly he romanticizes
With loving heart, her, he teases
with his love before her casted
he gave her a bunch of roses
Some may think he needs new lenses
for with comeliness not gifted
sweetly he romanticizes
With all her sweetness she cleanses
a pure soul she had been granted
he gave her a bunch of roses
Her sense of fun amuses
with her he is so enchanted
sweetly he romanticizes
Over which ring he agonizes
choosing one that could be flaunted
he gave her a bunch of roses
sweetly he romanticizes
I wrote this for a reading I am doing on Valentine's Day yet it is also for all lovers everywhere
Softly the breeze flows through scented meadows
gentle sounds of water from the rivers
and haunting notes of music crescendos
in the distant background from the speakers
A cascading shower of climbing roses
she waits for her lover impatiently
over his lateness she agonizes
at last his footsteps coming hurriedly
he catches her up in his arms and spins
round and round until dizzy they both fall
her heart and emotions are now tailspins
she loves knowing it could lead to downfall
For to another one he is promised
yet he tells her that his heart belongs to her
she knows that he is a materialist
at first it had seemed a great adventure
Sighing she tells him that he must depart
his plans of her seduction now thwart
The thinker
stares into the space inside himself
with some ignoble wonder,
"Who am I...and why?
"To found some mindless form of life
and blame it on my sculptor...
ah I see the timid wraith
who runs away from my presumption;
no they say it is awareness
that I would not face head on.
I simply stare at him, and he will flee,
Now could it be it is not life I see
but farther back into the swamp
with some finality to focus on its germ
that writhes and agonizes to prevail.
"I am a stranger in this shell,
a lark without a song,
an infant arrow with a consciousness unborn;
I am an instrument that tripped,
became a God upon a grain of sand,
that tumbled in a bowl
of some primordial soup
unable to decay.
"I do not like it very much...
that I alone must roar out to the edges
of my mushy little universe, just what is fair
and what is merely salty air
to birth in, breathe, and die.
"Or just...perhaps...there is another path
that leads to the discovery of me
back down the line, for at the basic level
I do not know myself; the past I had
did not rub off—it moved me just this far—
the night is very dark as if to smother me,
"or at the very least,
my curiosity."
~
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