Best Confessional Poems
I emerged / born with a silver pen in hand
…and a tempest raging within.
Words writhe, a serpent's coil
…tightening their grip
A soul adrift in a sea of
…self-made iniquity.
I buried my daddy
…in the black shoe
…by the Yew tree
Yes, I, the beekeeper’s daughter
…bearing the weight of hexagonal cells
A hive of memories
…buzzing with secrets.
The bell jar shattered
….a fractured hive.
Its glass walls no longer a prison
…but a shattered cocoon
……a metamorphous!
Pain and disdain drip like honey
…a bittersweet nectar of survival.
He, a poet
…crowned in the harsh light of fame
Bound in chains of duty and shame
His words
…a romance of lure and alarm.
Echoing the sirens' song
…enticing and harmful.
Yet, his tongue
…a viper’s forked lie.
Whispers truths and half-truths
…conjuring illusions to die.
Wandering the maze of being
A little fugue of
…fractured fairytales.
Each note a fleeting glimpse of clarity
Lost in the discordant
…cacophony of life's emptiness.
Like my "Little Fugue" a dance of shadows
A journey through the corridors of the mind
Seeking answers in the interplay of light and dark
Striving for harmony amidst the chaos
Parchment of blood and ink I leave
A riddle of life and death's plea
Maniacal madness with visions slight
A macabre dance upon the night.
Ariel, brings lightning and fire!
With heavy heart
…I sealed my children's room.
Softly kissed them farewell
……Extinguishing the final flame within.
Enveloped in oblivion's velvet veil
………Yielding to the oven’s cold caress.
…………No, more morning songs...
Inscribed a cryptic goodbye
Breathed in the silent slayer.
For, I Lady Lazarus
…Dying is an art
……Faded into the ether…
Her blacks crackle and drag, a fire of new birth
Flames licking at the borders of life
Consumed by oblivion's greedy blaze
Lost in the vast cosmic ray.
The embers die
…a fleeting spark gone
No masterpiece
…….just dust reclaimed
A silent echo in the void unstained.
A mystery lost
………never quite explained.
Yet, God's Lioness
...Fierce and Untamed
Roaring her defiance
…Covered in darkness…
----
Underneath the star-strewn skies
A fleeting passing note.
Lost in the vast expanse
Living on the edge
For, I am but a speck of dust.
"Hail Mary full of grace"
These words you demand of me
as I sit here in this dark box
confessing
crying
talking to your shadow
Eyes that never meet
I am untouched by your hand
You say in this place
my secrets are safe
and me I wish to be set free
yet there is no resolution
Can't you see
This is a frigid place
an impersonal cold box
with walls that close in
I feel no relief from my sin
You ask me to begin
"Forgive me father
for I have sinned"
I have had impure thoughts
I have done things in the dark
The beast has left its mark
You sit there
do you really understand
You speak softly and demand
Tell me more
Tell me more
Why do you sit there
in the dark
separated from me
Is it somehow easier to see
I'm sorry it makes no sense
the wall becomes a fence
throwing off my internal balance
I'd feel better sitting across from you
away from this palace
In the end we are both just men
we will surely sin again
Hail Marys won't be nearly enough
only God can forgive our stuff
I choose to talk directly to Him
through Jesus I can begin
His blood spilled for my sin
That's how I know deep within
Jesus sweet Jesus
shows me how to begin
I confess to Him
not mother Mary
or some man in a robe
They can't set me free
So I walk away
unforgiven by man
yet gifted eternity!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The fluorescent buzz hums
like a choir of tired angels.
I hold a plastic-wrapped loaf of bread
and think about miracles~
how mine don’t quite materialize.
My hands, soft from keyboards,
have never split a sea
or pressed into a wound
without recoiling.
I flinch at the sight of blood and
the weight of my own shadow.
The clerk sighs,
counting pennies like regrets.
I want to tell her that
the Kingdom is hers,
but my voice cracks
into something small
and human.
At home, my love
is measured in teaspoons~
just enough to sweeten,
never overflowing.
I keep my rage
neatly folded,
my mercy rationed
like discount wine.
God must get so tired
of my arithmetic.
Many a pretty woman - and not so pretty woman
has wanted to "tie the knot"
Fool that I am I never did - I avoided the "tender trap"
However - and this is very important
I have taken up the craft of poetry
Which as you know out there in the darkness
can lift you up into the stratosphere - if you let it
So, poetic brothers and sisters
Dry your tears, you will all too soon be in a place where love and hate do not exist
Peace Peace Peace
"Hail Mary full of grace"
These words you demand of me
I sit in this dark box
Confessing
Crying
Talking to a shadow
Eyes that never meet
Untouched by your hand
You say my secrets are safe
I wish to be set free
Yet there is no relief
This is a cold place
A box
The walls close in
I feel no relief from sin
You ask me to begin
Forgive me father
For I have sinned
I have had impure thoughts
I have done things in the dark
The beast has left it's mark
You sit there
Do you understand
You speak softly and demand
Tell me more
Tell me more
Your secrets are safe
Why do you sit there
In the dark
Separated from me
Is it somehow easier to see
I'm sorry
It makes no sense
The wall becomes a fence
In the end we are both just men
We will sin again
Hail Mary's won't be enough
Only God can forgive our stuff
I will talk direct to Him
Through Jesus I can begin
His blood spilled for me
Now I know I am free
Redeemed
Forgiven
Jesus
Sweet Jesus
It is only him
To whom I confess
The one who paid the price
He cleared my debt
It isn't mother Mary
Or a man in a robe
Who set me free
So I walk away
Unforgiven
By man
Drakes Contest "The Confessional"
July 13, 2013
Raw conscience brought me to my knees,
no strength left to defy my shame.
Soul manacled, bereft of keys,
pure guilt by any other name.
To gain my life bought by his loss
raw conscience brought me to my knees.
I face torn sinews on the cross
for by this death mankind he frees.
Hands clasped, head bowed I make my pleas
recounting sins like tables times,
raw conscience brought me to my knees
to man and Lord confess my crimes.
Now cleansed, hands, eyes and soul I lift.
Though this penance is by decree
and liberty the promised gift-
raw conscience brought me to my knees.
For 'Show me Quatern poetry' , sponsored by Andrea Deitrich
27th January 2016
Behind that screen you are waiting to hear
“My dear, please confess. Why do you fear?”
My body burning and my soul bound for hell
“Do hear me now, my confession’s a spell.”
“I confess, I love you more than I should
I confess, near you... I cannot be good
I confess, for you, caution’s thrown to the wind
I confess, in my mind with you I have sinned
I confess, I want you with obsessive need
I confess, my whole being to you I concede
I confess, I want NOW to have my own way
I confess, I mean to undress here today"
I press naked breasts against latticed screen
I want to ensnare him in this lover’s dream
I hear breathing quicken; I start to shake
"Oh, darling, believe me, you’re about to quake"
I confess, this longing drives me insane
I confess, desire burns in my vien
I confess, your slave, I’ll do what you please
I confess, I want to tempt you and tease
I confess, your name is burned on my skin
I confess, I intend your soul to win
I confess, I’m willing each rule to break
I confess, I’m trying your passion to wake
Only now, in this room, hushed and serene
Come press against me, your fantasy queen
Hear my confession; purge my desire
Remove this screen; give in to the fire
Others are waiting to come and confess
But now I’m here…hush and rip off my dress
Your eyes aglow, you've been wanting to taste
Throw down your robe, for I cannot be chaste."
Confessional booth rocks to muted screams
Flames rise from the doors from enacted dreams
Later, I leave...not absolved from my sin
Oh, the sweet triumph in my wicked grin
Eileen Manassian Ghali
The Handwriting of the Marionette
David J Walker
The confessional was
Paper-thin cursive in ink
A life of sin laid out in as few lines
As were memorable in a
Second person narrative
The ventriloquist's voice opened
The service with a far-off prayer
In another language of tongues
Which only the faithful could bare
As the maître de la marionette
Guided her signed confession
Utopia would open its gates
In the wake of the waves drowning
The funeral pyre
So goes the soul as the steam rose
From the cut strings to the
arcadian clouds somewhere higher
And higher
Confessor bare your soul to me
Unburden with alacrity
I see your sorrow does ensnare
My calling is to help and care
I make no gain, there is no fee
Confessor bare your soul to me
As you lie prostrate on the floor
A maelstrom storm beats at your door
Face yourself to enlightenment
This is no dream you have dreamt
Confessor bare your soul to me
Brave consequences, do not flee
Innocent lives have been taken
In anger your control shaken
Your life now forfeited I see
Confessor bare your soul to me.
In rememberance of the suffering of
martyred church officials
in Elizabethan and Stuart times.
I'm the son of all that's been
Drinking deep of my sin
Of premarital and of lies I've told
And responsibilities I hold
Scattered them all in the breeze
It barely even bothered me
I thought I was king, I knew everything
Thought the world was just a jewel on my ring
But now I see that I was wrong
And I'll confess my sins in song
But like a God that failed you all
You don't believe in me
I went through most my life
Coasting by on luck
And when my lucky stars blinked out
Man, I'd just get stuck
But every day, I'd pray
To a God
That I'm not even sure is a thing
But a spiritual energy
Inside every living thing
Praying to myself and you
City of the lost
Crying out for something to live for
Slaving away in this small town
City of the lost
In endless boredom we found sin's the cure
That's what history has shown
So me and her found a place to sit
No one else knew about it
An hour passed and the air was hot
The sounds were sweet and it was just what we sought
We didn't think about what we'd done
We were just looking to have fun
Now I'm laying alone in bed
Worried sick and I'm clutching my head
Can't afford a mistake
It's more than we could take
Hoping for blood
To end our flood
Of sin and tears
Dearly beloved, can you hear me from afar?
All the way in the other town, where distance keeps us barred
I'm sorry I've lied to you but it's something that I'll fix
Even if you never knew, it still makes me sick
I'm kicking my addiction so I can make you smile
Figured I'll toss my sins with it to make it worth my while
Might as well improve myself so if your blood graces our day
We can try again way on down the road some day
Til then, these are my crimes
From now, til the start of my time
I've lied, stole and coveted
The peace of the dead
And it took until today
When the sky was clear and blue
I left the shelter of my home
And maybe I'll find my way
And leave this town with you
But first, I must...
Atone
It's leaving
I'm leaving
We're leaving
Looks like we're leaving it behind
They say our youth is fulminantly dysfunctional yet we thrive and celebrate as one
The air teaming with spontaneous, burgeoning laughter;
A sign of uncompromising resolve to be unique yet together as we drink.
Perplexed, they ask, what is it that we are all after?
Is it the mutual understanding that madness is sanity?
That there are no limiting factors?
That we cannot compromise on our freedoms?
Surely... they sense this and know it matters.
For these hours we forget the ruin resulting from the crass way of the world.
Purposefully 'mistaking' friendship for flattery.
Dis-inhibition, at its brilliant best,
dances between heavy eyes and bright melancholy.
There are mixed emotions, along with the notion of forgotten trysts.
Our bodies scream out heavy infidelities.
Yes... the best deceptions are won when staring into 'innocent' eyes.
Why pretend to recall forgotten memories?
Dear heart, be whole; dear mind, be quiet.
Let me not be ruined to win the 'good fight'.
Let us not pretend to be saints, when we are sailors?
Oh... the false stories borne from premature judgement, right?
As the clocks reflect the twilight hours,
Let us not hide in the places we have come to fear the most.
Break convention;
Be free and boast!
Colorless Confessional
It was as if time had resisted capture
hid its most precious commodities
averted its eyes lest you see into its soul
withheld all but the extremes of color
Everything became a negative reflection
black on white, white on black
variations of both accounting for contrast
allowing the moment to be stolen
There would be future arguments
regarding what color the dress was,
why Mom always had on the same housecoat,
where was Dad when they took the pictures
Time’s reluctant moment would pierce the future
prick deeply the longings of our hearts,
elicit laughter – and tears – intermingling
remind us that we too had been young
The old camera, the canisters, the leather case
the eye that captured a moment of life
offering it to us - as a window
into our future.
John G. Lawless
3/1/2015
A world now standing still
In awe of what was killed
Frozen in the wake
Of every lost mistake
Nowhere to begin
For every broken thing
Silence strangles thought
In shock of what I caught
A darkness shining through
Replaying every truth
Alone beyond repair
Repayments I can’t spare
And all in my defence
I proclaim innocence
Perhaps there was a time
But not for my greatest crimes
The pain has turned to ice
My shame shrouded by night
The stars will shape her face
The hearts that I betrayed
Averting all denial
This humble crying child
Desires to atone
Until the dark is overthrown
time seems sometimes to stand so still
and seems to have raced by while I was spending it
I now have a rather large and growing collection
of un fulfilled dreams
I tell myself it's a minor scheduling problem
I can't believe it yet
It saves time
worrying how much is left
I cross my heart and hope to die,
A childhood pact between you and I.
A sacred X, a secret sign,
Promising your heart would stay with mine.
We sealed our words with a silent grace,
A mirrored promise on each other's face.
One soul, two bodies, a perfect whole,
Bound by a truth that fed my soul.
But you broke the cross, you left the 'X' bare,
A gaping hole where you once were.
Left me to mend what you tore apart,
A shattered promise, a broken heart.
I cross my heart, but it's just a scar,
A ghost of a twin who traveled too far.
And I'm left behind, with everything to bear,
And a broken promise hanging in the air.