Best Fencing Poems
April 23 Scripture Meditations Based on Job 19-24
Key Verse – Job 19:8 He hath fenced up my way…
MY GOD, THANK YOU FOR FENCING UP MY WAY
Thank You for fencing up my way against selfish ambition
Toward Your sure direction
As You guide my decision
For me to fulfill Your assigned function.
Thank You for fencing up my way against destructive idleness
Toward Your diligence-earnestness
As You subdue my slothfulness
For me to vanquish laziness.
Thank You for fencing up my way against arrogant hypocrisy
Toward Your truth’s persistency
As You prevail over my pretense-leniency
For me to overcome laxity with godly fervency.
Thank You for fencing up my way against attacking discouragement
Toward Your revival’s fulfillment
As You rebuke my fearfulness’ sentiment
For me to subdue sin-caused despair of worthless predicament.
Thank You for fencing up my way against tempting evil
Toward Your holiness’ hill
As You sanctify my separation from the wiles of the devil
For me to be strong in doing Your will.
Thank You for fencing up my way against lustful impurity
Toward Your purification from iniquity
As You cleanse my soul while I confess with sincerity
For me to live by Your grace through Your compassionate authority.
April 23, 2022
Two sticks by the oak
Trimmed and prepared for battle
On a grassy knoll
On the playing field
With one hand behind our backs
Sticks cross left to right
In the round we dance
The fields sway, trees clap their hands
We duel and laugh
(Caleb and I playing in the front yard when he was 4 years old. Now we duel with
wooden and plastic swords.)
I am raging mad. Wishing I had hot molting killing lava to pour on that ugly human in the funny clothes who violated me yesterday. Feeling a thrill thinking of the pain he would have felt yesterday when he was poking me with his damned tools if I had been able to access my lava field. I know there is an orange and black fire deep inside my recesses, however, they are difficult to bring up when you need them. Yesterday I felt disappointed and sad that I could not access her at will. I am angry today that I am sore, pierced, and unmercifully staked by these ugly confining posts and their equally ugly wires.
Three dragonflies, a multitude of butterflies, and grasshoppers continue to hop around on me, and easily glide through the ugly fencing, blissfully unaware at the rage I am feeling today. This angers me even more. If I hurt, I want everyone to hurt. I groan loudly, trying to access my lava. My grasses quiver, aware of my broken dreams, and severed roots, angry too at the ugly piles of dirt at the bottom of these ugly pokey things.
I had hoped to stay wild, unencumbered, and free until the end of the world. It is here now, for me. A large ugly piece of equipment stops on the road. Good. At least it is not driving on me! Two uglies and an uglier get out. They are leading a baby bull toward my sore, pierced, ugly hurting self. Just when I thought nothing could get worse! My grass raises on end, and I shudder. It is bad enough I lost so many wild strawberries, so many batches of clover, and so many wildflowers yesterday when that ugly was posting me. Now this? My tall grasses strain hard, trying to bring forth the lava. The young bull is lead into this now ugly circle enclosure. The other uglies shut the gate, and secure it. Ouch! I yell, but they pretend to not hear. The baby begins chomping at my grasses, and surprisingly it does not hurt as much as I thought it would. Actually, it feels liberating. I settle down a bit, as the happy flying things scatter.
Someone has fenced in a portion of the meadow
Laying claim to what Mother Nature has proscribed,
Some folks bring displeasure with absurd bravado.
Is he suggesting that part of the meadow, so described,
Is forbidden for enjoyment by nature lovers like me?
Seems like this certain neighbor has over-imbibed!
Land ownership is only temporary, while nature is free
Here to be enjoyed and treasured by man and beast
Fences are fine, I suppose, saying this belongs to me,
But not to shut out natural areas, to say the least
With no other purpose in mind than to thwart pleasure,
And to deny us enjoyment of nature’s bountiful feast.
Our neighbor needs productive tasks to do in leisure,
It seems he delights in arousing everyone’s displeasure.
Written March 13, 2022
Do you feel like you are are bound up in red tape and rules?
That are strangling your initiative,
Do you feel like you are wearing a strait jacket?
That makes bending the rules even a little,
A danger to your wellbeing.
Do you feel lost and alone?
As you wander around the fence line,
Looking for a gate to take your initiative through.
Does your computer now control the gate?
Making it all but invisible,
Except for the times it requires your help.
Does your boss encourage use of initiative?
Or punish you even when you have done good,
Because rules are rules.
Do the police clap you on the back when you avoid an accident?
Or they fine you,
Because rules are rules.
Does your insurance company pay out when you have bent a rule?
To their advantage,
Or do they refer you back to the rules.
Are you afraid to call out to someone on the opposite side of the fence?
To open the gate so they can borrow your initiative for a while.
Are you worried about the financial and personal cost?
Of showing that you have initiative.
Are you concerned that if you lose your initiative?
You will be blamed for that too,
With a fine or loss of your job,
Rubbing salt into the wound.
You are not alone you know,
I felt it too,
Still do.
Though once I got My jacket off,
Rolled up my sleeves and bought a new pair of wire cutters,
I found myself and my initiative in better health.
Sorry I can't give you any tips,
On when and where to use your initiative,.
That would be giving you yet more rules to follow,
When you should be following what is in your heart,
Which is the key to opening most gates,
For you and your initiative.
A Balliol rhyme is a doggerel verse form with a distinctive meter. A quatrain, with a pair of couplets (rhyme scheme AABB), with four beats per line. Written by the poet who elaborates on their character, exploits, or predilections.
Once was a bird who had enjoyed
her timeless spend became annoyed
when my new Tom bravely demands
cat's pointed views hid claw commands.