Best Faithlessness Poems
The bees buzzed as they always did
and storms receded.
Silence hushed itself inside a shell.
Jackrabbits hopped away from hell
still intoxicated.
The village swarmed with threats.
Honest men could no longer
make their way. Poets payed
their debts for being who they were;
blessed, and afraid.
Wives bled, chasing phantoms in the
snow. "Art's no consolation."
Husbands crept along their spikes
of faithlessness. Rabbits left.
High in space their conscience burrows.
He drags along his skinny guest;
terrific, bleeding & uncouth.
Mercy equates with Obesity -
"Let me bulge and burst my longing!
Make me fatter than the fattest Truth."
A woman yelps, "I like a good romantic"
and so she laughs and feigns forget.
"Be like the constant nights of snow."
But when the orchards raze themselves to bone -
he pays attention to her neglect.
Ponies stall. Apollo's thief was
phony. Hope is tall and all his
hollow follies, "Entertain the queen!"
somehow like a burning house afloat
with sediment & gasoline.
_"Is all my life in vain? The puppets
with their masquerading calls -
do they see me, twisting nettle,
knucklecutted at midnight, precious,
unseen like a fete with no stall?"_
"Ah, but you've met in Life's divining mirror
the very ladder of your beauty's fall.
Yet still in abstinence, still in nothingness
along the ridge of this exquisite loneliness -
crawl."
i park my car
and i step outside
hoping that the quiet
will help me clear my mind
i always mend this way
but it didn't work this time
cus for a second
i look up at the stars
and it comes rushing in
just how small we are
that kind of self awareness scares me
so i get back inside my car
and in that darkness
that i used to like
i find myself reaching
for the overhead light
i've never felt more scared
than i do in this infinite quiet
i whisper something
just to fill the space
hoping that the sound
will scare the introspection away
"well, on the bright side, this new self loathing,
should keep my narcissism at bay"
i laugh but it is drown out
by the sound
of the tense rumbling
of looming thunder clouds
i wonder how God could hear me
amidst all of this sound
in spite of this
i decide to pray
"Dear God above,
please take this fear away
cus i feel so small right now
could you just tell me that's ok?"
well morning's here
and no sign has come
so if God should call
just tell him i'm not home
i always feighn faithlessness
when i'm feeling this alone
but i looked out my window
at a passing child
who was dancing round
playing with the light
he cast a shadow
though the sun beat him in size
in his shadow
my life flashed before my eyes
and i still feel small
but yet i smile
cus so is the sun
if it can be beaten by a child
...with gratitude to an incomparable artist
Your vision is a beacon
gracing us with golden sheen,
though your heart was dark and heavy
with redemption rarely seen.
You plumbed the probabilities
of faithlessness and fear,
you challenged life's inequities
and often with a tear
of sadness in your dream-dimm'd eyes
and shades of anguish too,
this world was never meant
for one as beautiful as you.
O holy One, whose life shone full of grace,
Please grant me further faith today, I pray,
You, only, understand what I must face
You know how much I crave the easier Way.
But just when all seems lost, including Hope
And dark shadows of sorrow blight the day
Your promise brings me light and sun and scope
For new beginnings and for deeper joy.
So, with your hand in mine, I know I’ll cope,
Releasing every fear that could destroy
The life that I have left. For now I see
That each vain worldly worry’s but a toy,
Such faithlessness is now my enemy.
For well I know LOVE won’t let go of me.
Written on 2nd July 2021 for the Terza Rima contest on the theme of Jesus.
Sponsored by: Regina McIntosh
You cower at my rebel yell
Envisioning hot flames of hell
I’ll cast on you a wicked spell
Before your plea for life I quell
My rebel yell, hot flames of hell
You tremble at my vicious might
As you are plunged into the night
Hope's angel now robbed from your sight
With none to save you from your plight
Into the night, robbed from your sight
Your faithlessness my heart did break
Your torture kept me nights awake
And now revenge will make you quake
I pierce your heart with jagged stake
With jagged stake, my heart did break
Eileen Manassian Ghali
PS....I'm LONGING to come up with a new form that would bear my name! That would be the ultimate poetic ecstasy for me. I'm so impressed with the Swap Quatrain, Suzette Prime, Questionku, Constanza....Some by people that I actually KNOW. It's such a thrill!
Anyway....here is something that I tried today. Tell me what you think. It is a poem made up of three stanzas. They are quatrain's but have a fifth line added. The fifth line of the first stanza takes the ending of the first two lines and combines them....the fifth line of the second stanza the endings of lines 2 and 3...and the last line of the last stanza has the ending lines of the fourth line, and the goes back to the ending of the first line. The object is to come full circle and reverse the events in the quatrain. In this case...I'm seeking revenge, and then the last line makes it plain that I'm the true sufferer. It must use a rhyme scheme. Please leave comments on what you think of this....It's pretty basic and elementary....but....It's MINE! ;)
PRAYER FOR MY HEART
With evil motives provoking me
Hardening my will obstinately…
My God, I entrust my heart to Your control
For You indeed know that out of it are the issues of life.*
With negative reactions causing my faithlessness
Drowning my soul into doubtfulness’ depths...
My God, I submit my heart to Your grace
For You alone can thwart its deceitful schemes.
With foolish counsels pulling me down to frustration
Leading my spirit to wallow in despair...
My God, I yield my heart to Your authority
For You surely are my Master and Lord.
With haughtiness keeping me unyielding
Weakening my moral-spiritual fortitude…
My God, I subject my heart to Your discipline
For You can smite my stubbornness of arrogance-origin.
By faith in You, through Jesus Christ's name,
I entreat for Your answer, believing...
Thanking and praising You...
...Assured that You hearken to my silent prayer.
*Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
February 2, 2019
Edited on February 26, 2019
10th place, "Pick A Title - Free Verse" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Edward Ibeh; judged on 3/9/2019.
My heart*, God wants you to be under His control surely
For out of you come issues of my life tremendously;
Your evil motives provoke me consciously
Enabling my will to harden obstinately.
My heart, to God do I entrust you with earnestness
For you must be changed from your deceitfulness;
Your negative reactions lead me toward faithlessness
Drowning my soul into depths of doubtfulness.
My heart, I give you to God for His direction
For you ought to follow biblical instruction;
Your foolish counsels pull me down to frustration
Causing my spirit to wallow in desperation.
My heart, you need God’s discipline for your molding
For you become so stubborn and unbending;
Your proud perversions keep me unyielding
Weakening my convictions’ from their firm standing.
My heart, your confidence in God must always be constant
For you easily waver that makes me futile and dormant;
Your unstable ways confuse me in every instant
Robbing me of His joy, peace and blessings so abundant.
My heart, keep submitting to God’s commandments
For you, by His power, can help me reach heavenly attainments
Your willing attributes propel me to comply to godly agreements
Driving my persistence to pursue after eternal achievements.
My heart, victory in God awaits you in your humility
For you can be perfectly wholly for Him in His working ability;
Your unselfish desires push me to seek His kingdom’s priority
Moving me to serve Him with truth and sincerity.
*Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life."
April 11, 2018
Edited on February 4, 2019
Dramatic Monologue with Rhyme
10th place, "2019 Poetry Marathon Mile 16" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Mark Toney; judged on 2/6/2019.
Featured poem of the week, May 23-29, 2021
I do not fear the messiness of death—
The cold, dreamless sleep, ghastly blue.
What I fear at my last breath
Is total separation from you.
All that we had together, all that we knew
Will be as if they never were, not even a blur.
I cannot abide the thought, nor think it true
For such to be seems to me an ungodly slur.
Some atheists say this fear I artlessly confess
Explains why man had to make Gods.
Even so, my life-long faith eases my distress.
It sweetly whispers: faithless claims are frauds.
Awed by the amazing Lord and God* Almighty
Blessed am I with His beautiful gift of eternal life-bounty
Committed to Him of grateful faith-love's certainty
Delighted in His service He deserves midst my duty
Earnest as He upholds me around His endearment's entirety
Fulfilled by His faithfulness smiting faithlessness' futility
Granted with redemption from hell-fire's gravity
Hoisted toward reaching-out along volunteerism's humility
Illumined by the Holy Spirit to see truths despite deceit's infirmity
Jubilant to live with Christmas spirit, rejoicing with spiritual joviality.
1Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
October 29, 2018
If there was no tomorrow*
Hope could not glow to vanquish today’s sorrow.
With no tomorrow to anticipate
There would be no great event wherein to participate.
In tomorrow’s absence
Faithlessness is a logical license.
Losing tomorrow’s essence, truly wondrous
Leads to future’s futility, indeed disastrous.
Having no tomorrow means no reason to live now
Making unreasonable every present know-how.
Amidst warning’s nullity caused by tomorrow’s void
Vanity prevails with no worthlessness to avoid.
When tomorrow can’t come
Everybody will miss love’s sweet welcome.
Bereft of tomorrow with its blessings’ bounty
Mankind is filled with misery of anxiety.
Robbed from the certainty of tomorrow’s assurance
Souls face despair of grievous endurance.
The Lord be thanked for His promised tomorrow’s grace
Upholding spirits toward worshipful praise.
*Exodus 9:5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.
August 20, 2019
2nd place, "What if there was no tomorrow" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Silent One; judged on 8/24/2019.
Oh, heart*, God wants you to be under His control surely
For out of you come issues of life tremendously;
Your evil motives provoke consciously
Enabling the will to harden obstinately.
Oh, heart, you must submit to God with earnestness
For you must be changed from your deceitfulness;
Your negative reactions lead toward faithlessness
Drowning the soul into depths of doubtfulness.
Oh, heart, obey God's direction
For you ought to follow biblical instruction;
Your foolish counsels can pull someone down to frustration
Causing the spirit to wallow in desperation.
Oh, heart, you need God’s discipline for your molding
For you become so stubborn and unbending;
Your proud perversions keep many unyielding
Weakening convictions from their firm standing.
Oh, heart, your confidence in God must always be constant
For you easily waver making the anxious futile and dormant;
Your unstable ways confuse them in every instant
Robbing them of joy, peace and blessings so abundant.
Oh, heart, keep submitting to God’s commandments
For you, by His power, can help the brave reach heavenly attainments
Your willing attributes propel them to comply to godly agreements
Driving their persistence to pursue after eternal achievements.
Oh, heart, victory in God awaits you in your humility
For you can be perfectly wholly for Him in His working ability;
Your unselfish desires push the meek to seek His kingdom’s priority
Moving them to serve the Lord with truth and sincerity.
*1Chronicles 22:19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God...
June 22, 2018
7th Place, "Ventriloquist" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Anthony Slausin; judged on 6/23/2018.
Equilibrium
Why is it without hate I cannot love?
Without sorrow, I cannot feel joy.
Where there is no darkness, there is no light.
If there is no war, there is no peace.
No pain and I can feel no pleasure.
Can the positive not exist without the negative?
Where there is a mother goose, there is father time.
For every action, there is a reaction.
There is no sharpness without dullness.
Where there is noise, there is silence.
Without faithlessness, there is no faith.
There is no blissful sense of touch without burning skin.
Without corruption, there is no pureness.
Sameness is unity, and uniqueness is discord.
Where there is no putrid stench of death, there is no sweet smell of life?
Why is it on the Eve of my creation, I see destruction?
When I see the countless stars, I see the void between.
Where there are no lies, there is no truth.
Is it truly all yin and yang?
Even so, I crave both of all this and want none of it.
October 21 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Luke 1
Key Verse – Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
PRAISE BE TO GOD WHO DOES WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE
Luke 1:37 Praise be to God for with Him,
nothing shall be impossible by His:
Sovereignty’s supremacy in our salvation-security
Supply’s sustenance for our satisfaction-sufficiency
Suffering’s seal along our sanctification-settlement
Strength’s support upon our service-steadfastness
Scriptures’ standard along our sacrifice-sincerity
Stature’s significance for our submission-serenity
Smartness’ superiority over our supplication-shelter
Stability’s sturdiness while in our success-shining
Servanthood’s specialization with our surrender-sobriety
Stewardship’s statutes against our stubbornness-silence
Luke 1:46-47 Praise be to the Lord for letting us
magnify Him as we rejoice in Him Who is:
Blessing always our souls with His best
Building up our strength against boastfulness
Bending our self-righteousness to bow to His bracing
Beautifying our spirits midst bliss against bitterness-blows
Bringing our supplication along our beseeching toward bountifulness
Luke 1:68 Praise be to the Saviour for blessing us
with His favour which is a:
Great possibility by His grace along our faith
Good pleasantness by His gift amidst our fruitfulness
Granted performance by His governance along our followership
Glad promise by His generosity against our futility and faithlessness
Goal-goaded propelling by His gearing guidance away from our fatalism. Amen!
October 21, 2024
Every time miserable fear grips my heart
torturing each chamber with woeful grief
afflicting harshly, leaving panic-dart
to sorrow, overwhelmed by unbelief…
In moments of crises tormenting my mind
distress-filled, losing assured hope
beleaguered, confused where truth to find
anxiously groping for wisdom’s scope…
Whenever my soul wallows in doubt
questioning God’s omnipotent light
murmuring against His gracious clout
after having proven provident might…
Here am I guilty of faithlessness and unbelief
making my God powerless...
I now repent, cleaving to Christ’s compassion
since He’s my Saviour*, worthy of trust-verity.
*2Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour...
April 11, 2020
3rd place, "STRAND PICK D,any theme,any form" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 4/24/2020.
Unfurled are my sails
Upon a sea of unknowing
Wind of change guiding me
On a ship called “Fear"
The gentle tap...tap...tap
Of water from moisture ridden sails
Falls upon teak, underhand
Steering me from peace of mind
Trials and tribulations before me
Waves on a great expanse
Pound against my consciousness
Reminding me of mortality
Hope is a distant horizon
Parabola, near the setting sun
Adrift on an unlikely road
Where water meets the sky
Naked in this state of being
Stripped of all acquiesced
Still searching for reason
I succumb to faithlessness
-JJR 3/22/17