Just as you would suppose,
Unleased hatred only grows.
Do lash out, I’m sure you’ll see
God gives this freedom to you and me.
Mind your soul to heal the hate.
Enlighten your path before it’s too late.
Note your actions and words, if you will
That your hate will ever be still.
All that anger held inside
Leaks from within, not outside.
You were T
^ h ^
A e R
N O
C H
v
When reality was unmoored and adrift
When life’s harshest winds ripped a rift
When ominous clouds loomed overhead
When anger leashed gloom tinged red
You were a ( ( (( VOICE )) ) ) of reason
When kindness and healing was sparse
When probable friendships were a farce
You gave me hope, you kept me grounded
When rebound of love’s alarms sounded
You are a J
E W E
L of the sea
A whirling tsunami washed you ashore
A precious rock, I’d come to adore
Like colorful sea glass, I’m eased by you
A gem of a gift gallant and true
A treasured heart about to unfurl
I’m destined to be your pearl of a girl
Jubilant seasons come anytime on your way
Using an evergreen bush and tree everyday
Nice for dresses, foods, drugs, decors, display
In December, it’s a Christmas tree, hooray!
Pick the best types based on purpose
Elegant perfume, air-freshener’s scent for your nose
Rake the seeds for your home landscape, I propose.
Juniper- a genus of evergreen
Under the cypress family list;
Neath scented leaves, new berries are green.
It had a place in mythology's mist.
Protection, Long life, Purification
Expressed in religious celebration
Rejecting evil spirits in between.
Juniper,* you are a blessed tree, endowed by God for all to see
Umbrella you were to Prophet Elijah when from distress he did flee...
Never denying your sheltering role, helping ecosystem to be whole
Indeed fulfilling goal, as haven for birds, even for tired soul...
Performing best, providing habitat for wildlife with protective zest
Evergreen that smites longevity's pest and stands firm midst test
Ready to grant rest under your foliage toward victory's crest.
*1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
June 18, 2025
3rd place, "High Fives for June" Acrostic Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Andrea Dietrich; judged on 6/24/2025
Just an evergreen
Using its sheen,
Notably seen
In a pattern pristine,
Presenting a keen,
Earthy fragrance clean,
Releasing into air serene.
My little cousin, Junior, lost his mom when she was only 39 and he was 9. It was such a devastating time for him – her pet name for Junior was “June Bug”
Junior had a beautiful mom
Unlike any other
Never knew a heart so calm
Ever the amazing mother!
Blessed by her light, her sacrifice
Unending grace beyond a price
Glory to God for love so nice!
June Bug, do you remember me?
Understand, I'm older now, you see.
No longer do I visit Grandpa with my brothers.
Every fourth of July, you too, came with many others.
Both of us came to play - beneath the fireworks display.
United again, I recall you never flew so well.
Give us another fourth, and we will give 'em hell.
The irony of men’s life journey.
Man sees first light through the gap between his mother’s legs.
He spend most of his life trying to slip back into a gap.
The baby comes into this world wearing a hoody.
A doctor decides that the hoody must go, snip, snip.
The baby, the boy, the man, the old man’s head exposed
to the elements, except when entering the holy of holy’s.
Over eighty years have passed, time and fate has altered.
Gravity and age has shortened the height of ones stature
and added inches, feet and pounds to man’s girth.
Old age, has shrunk the length of the head of the family.
Old age, and all that that implies, leaves a negative impact.
As man looks down at the head of the family, the family jewels.
All he observes is sagging sacks and the hoody he lost as a baby.
B. J. “A” 2
June 3rd, 2025
A is for gasoline and matches
B is for Las Cruces, Lincoln County and Natchez
C is for zebras wearing stripes
D is for frozen broken pipes
E is girls with long eyelashes
F is lightning when it flashes
G is for toy boats that float in rain
H is an old man, without his cane
I is for apricots and spiced yams
J is for white wine, garlic and clams
K is for consciousness and free will
L is predestination, flavored with dill
M is for the back or was it the front
N is a hound that refuses to hunt
O is for lazybones and slackers
P is for catfish and stale crackers
Q is for lion - king of the jungle
R is for antibiotics and antifungal
S is the feeling you get when you're sick
T is for candles burned to the wick
U is for dreams caught in snatches
V if for blue jeans and sewed on patches
W is a fellow who is soft in the head
X says it's time he goes to bed
Y is to ask why he can't spell
Z is to answer he rhymes pretty well
Eat me,
a voice hymns in my ear.
I snap back
I can't eat you.
Please,
the voice begs.
I furrow my eyebrows,
impatient.
"You don't exist."
But you can hear me,
the voice says lightly.
I stay silent.
If you eat me,
you can take all my softness.
You can take all my whimsy,
you can take all my pride,
and all of my serenity.
I know the person you crave.
And I know you're not that person.
I know it keeps you up at night
knowing you aren't
who you wish you were.
Eat me.
Tear me to shreds.
Rip my heart
out of my chest.
To become who you want to be,
you just have to do something
this version of you
would do without flinching.
Be yourself
one last time
to be someone
you can be
for the rest of eternity.
Eat.
Me.
~ B.J
Picture this
You're eight years old, in your bedroom,
playing with your favorite stuffed animals.
But not far from your door, the sounds of raised voices echo-voices that do not sound happy.
You shift your focus back to your toys:
Three different teddy bears.
One is the daddy, one is the mommy, and one is the daughter.
You make the bears do the opposite of those raised voices.
You give them calm, inviting tones, words that are loving, nurturing-the words that would heal your inner child.
As your focus sinks deeper into this world you've made, a light smile forms on your face.
Until,
the sound of your bedroom door creaking open.
You look up to see your mother, her face covered in exhaustion.
She tells you to go to bed, and so you do, gathering all your teddies close.
Because tonight, you want to be part of the wholesome life you've created for them. ~ B.J
Aboriginal tribes, ancient and free,
Bold explorers sailed ‘cross the vast sea.
Colonial dreams, a new world’s birth,
Devout pilgrims, a holy rebirth.
Emancipation’s fight, a nation’s test,
Freedom’s beacon, forever the best.
Great minds convened, a framework to frame,
Human rights secured, liberty’s aim.
Immense territory, a nation’s expanse,
Joint efforts waged, a defiant stance.
Keen Monroe Doctrine, a hemispheric shield,
Land’s westward march, a battle afield.
Mining for fortune, a golden desire,
Nation divided, a civil fire.
Ordeal endured, a nation’s renewal,
Powerful industry, of immense capital.
Quest for reform, a progressive age,
Raging World War, a historic stage.
Suffering nation, a desperate plight,
Transformation’s hope, a guiding light.
United we stand, a global might,
Voices united, a civil right.
War’s tragic toll, a nation’s strife,
Xenophobia’s stain, a troubled life.
Yearly sorrow, a nation’s wound,
Zero tolerance, a pandemic’s sound.
Always believing
carousels driven
elvoved from gathering
hibucius industrilized junipers kisses lingering meaningful nightfall omnipresent...
presenting quakes rolling seas tumults undermining
vessels wavering
x-grove yachting zealotry
All-aboard Boarding cruise
8/16/2024
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2024©
Joy of life exudes in her muse
Optimistic, marked by “Love for all times”
Asserting “The Lord will redeem”
Nourishing spirituality with “Overcome evil with good”
Nurturing faith through “The reason for our vitality”
Assurance that the Almighty is “God of second chances.”
Delightful and delighting are her poems
Accentuating “Fear not” midst “Haven of hope”
Nestling heart toward peace*, like in her “Then and Now”
Inspiring readers to do well with her “Life-altering verses”
Exemplifying poetry from the heart with her “Poetry Soup” tribute…
Let me thank this poetess who declares, “The Lord, He is God.”
She is Joanna Daniel.
*Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
August 16, 2024
7th place, "My Special Poet" Poetry Writing Premiere Contest
Sponsored by Tom Woody; judged on 8/19/2024
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