Best Grace Poems
Grace-full is the lily born of virtue’s milk
Inspiring me with petals pure in my hour of need -
Vow and vim of passion vivid and empowering as I
Imagine the strength of soulful surrender while three
Nails were driven into a suffering so great -- selflessly You
Gave Your mortal life so I may live despite thorns and thirst
Grateful is my blossom watered with Your blood and tears
Opened with a faith unfurled by Light I venerate
Devotions trumpet from a callous soul once solus - jubilant the
Lifeless root that stood futile in fertile remorse before I
Yielded my yoke to the hands of merciful Love; please Lord
Grant me the fortitude to face my sorrow - Your
Resurrection reminds me of the sacred sacrifice endured
Accepted with the courage I strive to possess -- though I
Cannot conceive.. I believe in the circle of contentment; the
Essence and embrace of God’s white whorl of salvation
Susan Ashley
June 1, 2021
~ N/A ~
Premiere Contest: 2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 16
Sponsor: Mark Toney
~ Tenth Place ~
Premiere Contest: Giving Godly Grace
Sponsor: Regina McIntosh
Jesus gives me directions
To love as He has loved
With a sincere compassion
That knows no conditions
This love of His has no limits
It goes beyond worry and strife
It fills the heart with a joy…
That can only be expressed in rebirth
This love of His has a purpose
To give generously, without constraint
With a true sensitivity to the feelings…
That someone else has felt
This love of His has been given
To bring salvation to the sinner
Reaching into a wretched heart…
And bringing about a complete surrender
This love of His holds the answers
To every question we might ask,
Creates a sense of peace on the inside
That could never compare to another serenity
This love of His sends us promises
That our greatest fears will be overcome
By the assurance that no harm can arise…
For those who trust in God’s only Son
This love of His mends what is broken
Whether it be a heart or a spiritual pain
It restores the one who feels shattered…
With a promise of true hope and faith
This love of His succeeds where nothing else can
Pleading victory from these nail scarred hands
Reaching down to the poorest, lost sinner
And giving a new life, a new way, a second chance.
This love of His is worth more than millions
No amount of money can possibly buy it
Through grace, it is eternal salvation sent to us
Who simply have the faith to accept Him
Oliver and Grace were planning to wed
At a church in Dublin on Easter day
They put on hold and chose to fight instead
For the fight for freedom was under way .
Oliver had signed a proclamation
He was charged with treason against the state
His dream crushed of a free Irish nation
Death by a firing squad would be his fate.
On the third of may in Kilmainham jail
Grace wed Oliver and became his wife
The man she married now ill and quite frail
Dawn next day the British ended his life.
A marriage together they never knew
Tragedy cut short a love that was true.
Written 20th September 2019.
Writing Challenge 2, November - A Poem Meaningful.
Sponsor, Dear Heart - Wisshkobi Ode.
I, who always used to gravitate toward health and fitness,
would flatter myself that I was too healthy to ever get a bad disease.
Then it happened! A lump - most inurbane -
had decided to invade one of my breasts.
There was nothing perspicuous about that tumor.
My first whole month consisted of going from one test to another
just to determine if it was malignant.
In my new surreal world, everything seemed to alienate me from normalcy.
Surely, I thought, my body is simply being capricious.
I kept believing that the crazy tumor would be ruled benign.
Surely my worries and my biggest looming fear soon would dissipate.
Then I got the verdict – second stage cancer.
Told it was a less invasive type, I felt a little reassured.
But after surgery, another test revealed I was high risk for it returning.
My condition is far from transitory.
If it lived inside me still, it would attack with vengeance were it to grow.
I did the radiation I was told to do
but turned down the chemotherapy.
The tumor, after all, had been removed.
Through prayer, I believe God guided me
to sources that informed me of other precautions
better for me than chemotherapy.
I can make bad genetics my scapegoat,
along with the weirdness of estrogen, which drove it to my breast.
My body betrayed me, but millions are victims of this disease each year.
For now, I am surviving and doing it wonderfully.
I search for more preventative solutions
through such things as exercise and healthy eating.
Perhaps I mainly get by with support from friends and family
and most certainly, from simply LOVING life
that by God’s grace,
victorious I may remain!
Revised for Julie Rodeheaver's "I'm a Survivor" Contest
Gentle light flows through the pines,
Inviting the oaks, the laurels, to sigh,
Echoing soft breath, smoke rising –
Mist in the sky, a moment of silence
Breaks the song, playing on the crisp morn’
This is summer’s sadness, when August
Shadows the heat, the sweltering thoughts
Erasing July quicker than sunlight erases
The dew from tender petals who remember
Only the beginnings of dawn’s presence
Soon, Autumn will write its lyrics in dancing
Leaves, vibrant promises of scarlet and gold,
Enchanting the dreams with laughing hues,
Music playing quietly on the still, cool morning
When a heart reaches through the misty air
This is the best recollection of the autumnal
Wings, airborne, soaring gracefully over the
Trembling skies – into the endless veils, vapors
Still, ashen clouds, mysteries in the heavens,
Inspiring poetry from those who write visions…
Warmest wishes, feelings like leaves faded
Beneath the strongest branches, oaks and birch,
Inspirations beguiling the moon to heed the stars,
Blow away the doubts from the storms, rains falling
Melodiously, stirring the embers of a heart, a soul
August noon awaits the temptations so soon removed,
Washed away by the fond webs, the drying memories,
In tones of ashen amber, soothing auburn, reflections
Breathing out psalms along the mountain ridges,
Repeating the trembling hopes, the dreams of a spirit
Eminent woes, memories peeled away in layers –
Intimate and healing, reassuring that fall will be what it will be,
Always alive with reflections, embraces, traces of hope,
Heartfelt desires and wondering affections kissing the truth,
Abiding inside those who know this is God’s unfinished painting –
This is the treasure of summer poured out in wistful
Memories and promises, prayers for the seasonal grace,
The inspirational – the thanks, given to the One who
Captured light and poured it across the earth in one enchanting
Explosion of amazing, marvelous, stunning – even the greatest poet
Can’t write a wonder like that –
His hand, His sculpture, His creation… baffles even the most confident artiste
With God, there is no impossibility and no reason for upset
With Him, not only autumn, not just august, but the entire heart
– the whole life, the entire soul – is blessed!
I can’t see the muses,
Before they steal my heart.
There are simply no excuses,
For the wonder they impart.
I can’t see the wind,
Before it attacks the calm,
Leaving me resigned,
For storms who recite their psalm.
I can’t see the change,
Before it calls out my name,
It can feel so strange,
For change, at times, will blame.
I can’t see the song,
Before it soothes my soul,
Making me feel like I belong,
For a song can surely console.
I can’t see the dawn,
When Winter erases the sun,
Causing the gray to drag on,
For the frost to have its fun.
I can’t see the godsends,
Even though they’re everywhere,
Many times, they come as friends,
For hearts who smile a prayer.
I can’t see the reality,
When someone tells a lie,
It takes a while until I see,
For wisdom breathes a sigh.
I can’t see the timeless beauty,
In a heart of gold,
She shines like it is her duty,
For kindness has much to behold.
I can’t see the spring,
As autumn changes the scene,
But it’s such an amazing thing,
For the sun to erase the green.
I can’t see the night,
When the dawn rises to reveal,
All the wonders so bright,
For this joy of daybreak is surreal.
I can’t see the love,
That flows inside a twinkling,
When feelings rise above,
For the devotion in an inkling.
I can’t see the grace,
God’s only Son came to bring,
This is surely God’s embrace,
For His love is a wellspring.
I can’t see the way,
Beyond the ache, the tears,
But, He makes everything okay.
He silences all my fears.
I can’t see beyond this life,
But I know One who can see it all,
And He is the answer to my strife.
For His grace is there when I fall.
I can’t see so much in this life.
Often, I’m disillusioned by loss.
So He revealed to me, the afterlife,
For love, I laid it all at the cross.
I can’t see through the clouds,
Making out those blessings so sweet,
Even though I’m surrounded by crowds,
For the moment, I feel so very complete.
I can’t see everything, but I know
When I reach out to Jesus, the Son,
The glory of God will always flow,
For His love has only just begun!
I can’t see Him,
Yet He abides with me.
Just like an old, old hymn…
Therefore, I’m forever free.
Forever, yes forever – I will see!
Quote by: Tom Woody Poem by: Mystic Rose
Every sunset closes the door on a day of pain and sorrow. And each sunrise opens a window to a fresh, new start. What will you do with yours?
A sunrise yawns and suddenly I'm born again, to hope and joy
within the windows of my soul a shutter opens and I slide
glad that the sunset has blanketed my body with marrows of dark
From blush of night to pink of day, I dance upon God's open sky
enclosed inside a heaven where even Angels sigh
happy to be part of a Universe I sit enfolded tween' the stars
Surrounded by God's love it matters not the time of day or night
as I shift from dark to light with eyes wide open true
I know that Mother Earth will open wide her arms to me and you
A chasmal moment of grace appears on the horizon to break the morn
encircled by flowers, trees and rivers, I know that life is good
no matter how many hours night throws at me feet
no matter how much pain or sorrow I feel, I will never be defeated.
Grace and Solitude
Peaceful stillness covers me - wide eyes embraced when I see
Luna rise up with her pale face, with a humble yet simple grace,
That waxes large and then wanes, beckoning to clear windowpanes;
Hypnotic awe in harvest light or when blue moons ride starry night -
Teasing, changes her April name from pink to fish yet remains the same -
With her ever changing shape – crescents thin to full moonscape -
Now unfolds a glimmering gown while tip-toeing through a hush a bye town;
No fanfare, no rockets to proclaim her silent ascent, dark skies to claim,
Blesses silence – clamor sent away; nocturne opened - solitude to pray
Swaddled in a silver cape – floating into dreamy escape -
Breathing in her unselfish grace in borrowed light from a solar birthplace
Cradled in her cradle song – soft midnight murmurs to prolong;
A silent whisper – a prelude - to reverent reveries of gratitude;
A gentle light - peace to expand – her solitude and grace walk hand in hand.
I will give you my heart
If you promise to kiss it
With butterfly kisses
And gentle whispers of kindness
I will give you my love
If you promise to delight in it
With compassionate embraces
And a dance through faith
I will give you my laughter
If you promise to speak of it
With generous words and phrases
And a beautiful, affectionate grace
I will give you my song
If you promise to sing it
With a honest, enduring hope
And a light that fills up the darkness
I will give you my dream
If you promise to listen and believe
With a vibrant vision of trust
And echoes of prayers and praise
I will give you my devotion
If you promise to take all I give
With acceptance that is silently yearning
And gives back a part of its inspiration and wisdom
I will give you my all
If you promise to breath its air
With a sense of secret faithfulness
And a relief from all the past sadness
I watched angels fall from grace today
I wondered how could this be
I looked to the heavens to ask
How could this have happened
How could angels fall so fast
I stood there I watched angels falling
I wondered how could this be
For aren't angels a part of thee
He looked down at me and said
"Yes my dear" indeed they are
But you see I gave them free will
When I set them free
Until they come back to me
I felt a tear roll down my cheek
As I stood in silence and watched
Then I laughed and I thought
HE should have chosen me
Then he would have seen
That I would never be
An angel who fell from grace
I watched angels fall from grace today
I ask myself how could this be
Why would the powers that be
Ever let such a thing happen
Then I looked up and I saw me
I was the one falling from grace
I remembered He once told me
You will have free will " till "
you come back to me
So I'll let you be
I watched an angel fall from grace today
But then I realized that it was me
As I looked into that mirror
I saw her staring back at me.
9,13,2010 4pm Monday
Since I was little I've thought about angels falling, must be the catholic church.
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not in the cathedral's vaulted hush
where incense coils like pious thought,
nor in the scripted words that crush
the small wild hope the heart has brought.
grace lives where broken things begin
to mend the world from deep within.
Before the beginning of time when Chaos ruled Hell and Night
Into the depths of this Cosmos, a Paradise, perfectly placed.
Above this darkness, a heaven drawn forth in a burst of light
Before the beginning of time
From the Garden of Eden, henceforth, Adam and Eve were disgraced
Lo! A fallen angel changed himself to a serpent in Eve’s sight
Banished, they fled before God to a wilderness, forever displaced.
Forbidden fruit had shown them the difference of wrong from right.
In Pandemonia, Demons conspired, sin and death be interlaced.
God sacrificed his Son to save them - from Hell's eternal plight.
Before the beginning of time
Suzanne Delaney
For Suzette Crous
Roundel Competition
When June emerges through its gentle rise
The cloak of sunshine bares an amber tint;
Glimmering on our lush fields, that reprise
A varnish of leaves, hued trees now imprint
Morn's luster as crystal rays spill anew
A dazzle, a blush like folks’ warm embrace
While toddlers hop and prance amidst sweet dew,
That frames of light imbue auroral grace :
How birdsong on boughs chirp in reverence
So effortless like this daybreak’s fresh array,
Till prayers bless a god’s omnipresence
Bestowing life in a heavenly way.
Magnificent the grandeur of dome's beam
Until it rests , hanging low yet agleam.
Your best sonnet for John Hamilton's Contest
Written 3/18/2018 : Repost 7/05/2018
The soul whom the Son sets free
is free indeed,
Unlocking the rusting shackles
of oppression,
Allowing life’s amazing grace
to shine with His embrace,
Transformation of soul’s darkness
to light’s brightness,
The uplifting revelation of God’s
truth of freedom,
His extraordinary and infinite power
shining love every hour,
Preservation and hope for life
His love abound, no strife
How sweet the sound—
Wrapped in His embrace
Singing Amazing Grace!
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
17th Place Honorable Mention/Certificate
Poetry Soup's International Poetry Contest
July 1, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~
In Silence
Sighing, gales vibrate, release the dance
Between avid oak in crimson hues -
Delicate golds, amber and carroty red
Maples delicate muse, autumn stillness, hush
Erasing the summer, quieting…
The sunlight whispers raining down
In silence, pretty secrets
Perfect reminiscences
Whispering, gentle breeze, reflecting the shadows
Brought to life, silhouettes breathless, echoing
Peace inspired by the embrace of vibrant colors
Inspirations so alive, thriving in pulsating lights
Saying a quick goodbye to the past
Where still, cool waters smile liquid laughter
Stirring the promises entwined
Knit together like prayers
Prayed by hearts
Who know that this season, harvest time, autumn
Brings wisdom, insights into the wonders murmured
Like endless pleas for the kindness, the creativity
His hand brings to the world He crafted from naught
Spoken into existence by His voice, His utterance
Expressions of beautiful, awakened
To the miracle of creation, the design
Brought to life by His light
The wonder of His thought
Because I know Him, my Savior, my Maker
Autumn feels like the imagination adorned
With blushing tones of compassion, charity
Sensitive words lasting in pages, scriptures
Portraying the riches of His splendor – His mystery
The answer to every prayer lies there
Amid the verses, the poetry and promise
Like falling leaves, in silence
His love abides, grace inspired…
By the One I know as real love, real hope, real life
Savior of the world – redeemer of the heart and soul
Deliverer of the spirit who looks to Him and believes
In a love that is alive and can only be received
By those who know Him intimately, trusting
His gift of grace – His book’s answers
His forever in heaven
His eternity, the blessing
Freedom, forgiveness…
A reason to listen – in silence,
To His guidance!