Best Amens Poems
There was a winsome writer named Andie
who wrote poetry really Jim Dandy
with pencil or pen
she'd write her amens
For our Andie was truly not randy.
9/19/1948
I wanted to love myself
But couldn't get past my reflection
or the recollection
of all my imperfections
It was so much easier
to turn my back on myself
and go in a different direction
So I poured out myself to others
by giving what little I had to them
I did it over and over again
Singing their hallelujahs and amens
Nothing was real
they weren't really my friends
It's tough to find my lovable
looking through my distorted lens
One day I looked inward
past the constructed facade
Found my true self
a lovable child of God
Now I'm fine with imperfect
It's okay to be flawed
It doesn't even matter
If others think I am odd
The ones who truly know me
celebrate and applaud
They don't expect me
to be a certain way
or within a box to lay
They see past my clinging to yesterday
and the silly pretend role I used to play
The past is the past
not a place I was meant to stay
Thank God He helped me
to throw my false self away!
Now with thankful heart
I've learned how to pray.
This transformation took place back in my early twenties. Thankfully it made life a whole lot more interesting.
I was inspired to write this after reading my friend Eileen Manassian's poem "I Resolve"
I therefore dedicate this piece to her.
The stench of urban decay winds thick
and rank through squalid, narrow
streets christened with booze and urine,
permeating decades of neglect.
A drunken derelict slurs enthusiastic
amens in hopeful penance at a rabid
street-corner prophet spitting frothy
travesties of religious dogma and warning
of the divine wrath of a burlesque god.
A conspicuous tourist clutches her handbag
nervously as she skirts the entrance of a graffitied
alleyway and pretends to ignore the wolf-whistles
of a nearby band of loitering malcontents.
Her pace quickens at the sound of footsteps
and raucous laughter closing in behind her
while desperately seeking safety and the
illusive walking bridge leading to the protective
haven of St. George's bustling square.
Asked if they believed in the Hereafter
Amens echoed from every rafter
The preacher rejoiced
Then this plea he voiced
"Fill up the collection plate hereafter!"
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Piles of human arms and sloppy heads laid
On food-trays of half-eaten buns with cold tea
Magazines, milk bottles, and jackets
Passed us by in a whisk of infinity;
You never once moved but peacefully slept
Just this night----
Amidst the chill of a bus-filled moment.
In deep amens, I hold your face for a while
But time beckons military hours, grating;
I write you a letter of love that never questions
As courage greets me again on enemy zones.
I stay a bit longer even while duty calls
Shall I leave you once more
After a lit embrace seemingly endless?
My only gesture is to let you know of my fidelity
And you rest while I slowly walk out the bus door.
Tell me, who is the better person?
Henry W.
Contest...Brief, Unforgettable Moment
Date Nov 25, 2013
Stop drinking alcohol,
this only reassures us,
like social media,
like your favourite TV shows,
and drugs,
that our personal problems are all okay,
when intoxication is an escape route,
from our abstract reality.
Smoke cannabis on special occasions,
with friends,
on holidays,
away from work,
and daily routines,
Marijuana is a medicinal herb,
like cough syrup,
don't abuse its benefits.
Exercise and go for a run,
Get lost in the gum tree bush,
find yourself amens fresh river streams,
and rich oxygen,
Perfect place to escape stress,
And release pain.
Wake up every day before sunrise,
Take all the opportunity,
to feel the sunlight,
above and beneath the eyes,
supplying us with all the vitamin D we need.
Stop watching Tv,
scrolling through social media,
Playing video games,
deflating our brains,
Manipulating our reality,
distorting the truths,
read books,
newspapers,
history,
and you'll see.
I know these future goals are difficult to attain,
But to emerge out of our sea shells,
we must confront our inner pains,
Don't let temptation dwell,
Don't restrict to the social norms,
Live life the way you feel,
Understand your body,
push its limits and boundaries,
until you realise there's none.
Sacrifice your time to help the poor and unconditioned,
to stand up on their feet,
into a healthy lifestyle and routine.
Live life with complete honesty,
And I promise you,
Nature will roll in ecstasy at your feet,
You will laugh with all joy,
with the realisation that,
sacrifice and love were meant to be.
The Abomination
By Elton Camp
“Abomination! Abomination!” the preacher stormed
“A child of hell is all such a one will ever be!
It’s a choice one makes to serve the evil Satan.”
“Amens” rang out from the congregation
Young Jody dropped his head and diverted his eyes
Could it be that they somehow knew, he wondered
Was the sermon written and delivered just for him?
The horrible secret was too much for him to bear
It wasn’t something he had asked for or wanted
And why it had to be him he couldn’t understand
Life had been happy and he had fit right in
Raging hormones had awakened his deep shame
He began to feel desires he never knew existed
The boys’ bawdy talk held, for him, no allure
They must be concealed no matter what it took
Jody could never share his feelings with anyone
Inexplicably, the other youngsters seemed to know
“What makes you want to be a ***?” they demanded
Angry denials were the only course open to him
How much he detested their sneers and words!
Jody was in the seventh grade, but his life was over
Those who had once been friends shunned him now
He found his father’s pistol in the desk drawer
A searing pain and his disgrace existed no more
(This is not an endorsement of homosexuality, but a call for
understanding for those in a dilemma not of their making.)
I must make ammends before I sleep tonight,
A constant friend is (HE) that knows my plight.
Safe and sound in my bed here I lay
You see I forgot to pray today.
This morning mind and body flowed freely each thought.
Was It (He) ?, Was It I ?, who held the answers I sought.
It was as if it had all been perfectly planned.
By someone,something who gave one harmonious command.
The day brought purpose and urgency in my step,
Only my friend could instruct me to become this atune and adept.
Now Im certain how it happened, It was preset !
Appointments were made, all expectations were met.
Everyday in my life has rhythm and rhyme,
Oh'...I just rememberd it was Christ the redeemer
(He) was here the whole time.
Thank You Lord
Amen
Amen
When Daddy said Grace,
The world stood still
Angels, breathless, at attention
As he asked God's will.
God's will be done
Pray, protect us all -
No hunger, no war,
Before the next nightfall.
When Daddy said Grace,
He prayed for peace,
Bring the soldiers home,
Dear Lord, Please!
He blessed the meal,
The hands that prepared,
Lord, reign down Your mercy,
Let none be spared.
When Daddy said Grace
Momma sang along
With hearty "Amens"
In a voice so strong!
Now when we say Grace
The angels stand still,
He and Momma watch o'er us
As we ask 'God's Will'.
Song of the Harvest Home
Under contented twilight memories, my childhood harvest home abides in chrysanthemum hues
Two story home on a quiet street behind a fence decorated by my grandmother’s roses -
Dressed up in sleet, sometimes snow, maybe rain, even icy sunbeams
Midst the warmest benediction, blessings gathered from fields and orchards yield
Our wide door flung open like hovering wings to gather in extensions of abundant bounty -
Transforming the harvest round a table extended by oaken leaves Granddad at the head of table,
Generations take their seats to bow their heads in loud amens of celebration grace –
Scents of cinnamon and of sage, harmony and dysfunction, at their places
Setting ageless wisdom like silverware - dreams to sparkle like crystal glasses
An understanding unspoken – always a place for those alone on this holiday – now adopted -
New family welcomed by fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles - cousins
Loud debates swirling like cream in coffee over pie and Grammie’s applesauce cake,
Closely guarded stories of the cousins raiding relish trays, wearing olives on fingertips
A turkey taking flight across the kitchen floor – raspberry jelly retrieved from basement larder -
A box of chocolates anticipated - Jordan almonds in my pocket
Memories of the year when pot pies replaced the bird – not repeated – thank you Lord -
Giggles over washing dishes as playing cards appeared on blanket covered tables
Before a warming fire where my heavy eyes relished this genesis of jubilee, a “normal?” family
Our voices raised in the song of a harvest home around a slightly out of tune piano.
11/9/20
Contest: Thanksgiving
Sponsor: Regina McIntosh
Almost Home
My journey's almost over now
I'll soon be going home
To meet with all the angels
Around God's heavenly throne.
I can't wait to see my Lord
To look upon His face
As I listen to the story
How He saved me by His grace.
I can't wait to walk the streets
Of gold, where Jesus walked.
I can't wait to sit around
And hear the angels talk.
I can't wait to see my home
That is waiting there for me.
I can't wait to shout amens
Through all eternity.
I can't wait for Him to say
"Well done, My child, come in. . .
I have signed My pardon . . .
You are free from sin."
©Written by Ann Hart
Newfoundland, Canada
Form:
CAUGHT IN THE SIGHTS
like Bambi caught in the sights of a hunter's gun
life sometimes ain't any phun
like never gaining permission to be what you want to be
life can often leave you less than feeling free
like the nine to five can often be a burden
life often curses you one to hide behind a curtain
and of all these things i am very certain
like a master with a whip ordering you what to do
life can often seem like a disorganized zoo
like walking through a desert can leave you with an unquenchable thirst
life can make you come in last instead of first
and so one feels thus to be caustically cursed
like so many wasted amens go unheard by the lord
and remorse causes only vengeance and discord
like life often makes you wish the dr. had never cut the cord
life can often leave one disenchanted and bored
but one must perservere
the way Bambi ambles through the woods with fear
and suffers what he thinks he cannont bear
and so i tell you dear on this paricular day
i must leave you now without an adieu or delay
(c) 2012 ......PHREEPOETREE ~free cee!~
HEAVENS DREAM. It is said they do.
Every celestial body sighs within days and truth.
All have had heavenly experiences in their youth.
They dream of you in EMERALD bliss on golden shores.
As waves of ocean go sliding forth.
They dream of me and you, they beam.
They dream of us plus they discuss the plush
Surroundings RESOUNDING through all the halls
Of buoyant ETERNITY IN PRECIOUS hopes that
It will be this way until until we refill the
Contents of our hearts with
FEVERISH JUVENILE JUBILEE .
Until until we call the name of every single
Blinding star and CONTAGIOUS joy reaches me
With glorious speed.
Shine lights on heaven's bed.
Dare to know where stars have birthed and wed.
Where heavenly spirits have been said to tread
They send QUIET AMENS.
So after I told the crowd
in the store that I was
not Dolly Parton,
they quickly went away
disappointed and forlorn like,
going over to the dairy
to pick up some milk,
tried to stay calm as I
noticed pictures on
the back of the milk cartons
of my former self,
then I quickly drove home
and put the groceries
on the shelf,
thinking this disguise
isn't doing me any good,
decided to wear a
long red wig around
the neighborhood,
thinking now I can
finally relax again,
until people started
thinking I was Naomi Judd...
Then I noticed the
amish mafia guy
at the local 7-11,
I quickly drove away
to the local police station,
where they put me up in
a convent for
witness protection,
where Mother Superior
gave me my habit to wear,
and with it some long underwear,
calling me by new name
which was now Sister Rose,
she made me feel inferior,
as she was always looking down on me
with her big holier then thou nose,
the routine was to wake up every day at 4 a.m.
going to the chapel to pray
and say a lot of amens,
then having a quick breakfast of
coffee, bread and water,
then onto the cleaning
which lasted several hours,
washing and ironing the nuns
and priests clothes everyday,
cleaning the floors and toilets
with a tiny toothbrush
to my dismay,
dusting and vacuuming
all the rooms,
maintaining the large
farm using an old broken down mule…
At night I'd go to bed on
the lumpy old mattress,
feeling exhausted, lonely and famished,
hearing nothing but my stomach
complaining and grumbling,
thinking to myself
this is worse than the amish!
So tying some bedsheets
together I jumped out
the convent window,
ran all the way as
fast as I could and
started to hitchhike
on the turnpike,
it started raining and a
car finally pulled over,
quickly jumped in
only to discover,
the amish mafia guy
who looked
like Al Pacino give me
a big wide grin…
thinking to myself
not again...
Addendum: She finally escaped again and settled in Timbuktu where thank God nobody recognized her and where she made friends with the natives there who just happened to be so primitive they got her at spearpoint to make all their clothes and food from scratch, clean all their huts, make baskets and pottery, be the nanny for their tribal kids, hunt lions and tigers for meals……….
I AM A REFLECTION OF LIGHT IN MOTION WHETHER DAY OR NIGHT
IN THE DEEP ABOVE ON SAND
SO FORTH MY LIGHT SHINES MANY ARAYS
THE RAIN COMES THE LIGHTING FLASHES THROUGH THE DARKNESS
A RAINBOW REFLECTION BRIGHTEN THE SKIES
IN HEAVEN CLOUDS APPLAUD A PROMISE AMENS
MOONLIGHT NIGHT COVERS ALL NATURES PATHS
ALTHOUGH I AM INVISIABLE MY LIGHT ALLWAYS SHINES PRAISE GOD IAM