Best Merit Poems
Oh these lovely tones in gloaming skies,
I know you feel it too, that warmth...
I'm so content with my second chance
with you...my fears now fleeing.
Let me paint the love reflected in your eyes.
Let me wipe the doubt from yesterday's tears
As we walk together in new hope and let
The end of this pier be our new beginning.
4-19-19
Picture number 3
Sponsor Eve Roper
Even precious jewels cannot approach their value,
For the women of merit are priced beyond them.
Their beauty is found in the works of love they do,
And in their smile facing the future that is never dim.
Most arise at dawn when it is still like the night
And wrap round them bands of strength like corsets.
Going out like the cargo ships before daylight,
They conduct their business for handsome profits.
Their beauty is matched by their hearts filled with virtue,
For there is rich wisdom and mercy on her tongue.
Their clothing soft fair linen of purple and blue,
And open are their hands to needy they live among.
Men give them praise and children give them honor,
Since her public reputation is all to her credit.
Eschewing evil for the good at every corner,
They ply their gifts toward works of merit.
Oh to be her partner in labor and pleasure,
For her fire will not go out for the night.
Her company for sure has profit in full measure,
And lifts high the muse of good cheer’s delight.
Faith is her deserved and hard-earned reward,
For her strength and self-respect passes the test.
About her worth there is candid accord,
Among women her title is the very best.
The Four Fields Of Merit:
First is Filial Piety
Second the Dharma
Third is Charity
And fourth the Fauna
With Christmas and New Years approaching, I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of generosity. In Buddhism, there are four fields of merit: Our parents/elders, the Buddha/Sangha/Dharma, the poor and needy, and wildlife/animals. Good acts done in these categories will generate great karma.
So in addition to helping your parents/grandparents, please consider the following good causes in the other three fields of merit:
Animals:
All Creatures ( http://www.all-creatures.org )
Advocacy of protecting animals/list of shelters
Poor:
Unite For Sight ( http://www.uniteforsight.org )
Sight restoring surgeries
Buddha Dharma:
Buddha Educational Foundation ( http://www.budaedu.org/en/ )
Free Dharma materials in many languages
Poem released into Public Domain
When you empty out your
Handfuls of time and drink
From the flask of forever.
You have made it home,
For Heaven is earned, not given!
An atmosphere of animated energy fills December's frosty air.
During the Christmas season we kindle the fires of love
between family and friends, and spark the flames of charity
in our hearts for it's a time of rejoicing and reflecting.
The spirit of Christmas swells in us, knowing that giving
brings more pleasure to us than any gift we could receive.
Holiday happiness cannot be purchased in a fancy store.
It's not boxes wrapped in glittered paper and fancy ribbon
that should bring sincere smiles to faces, young and old,
but it will always be found around a Christmas tree when
a family comes together, devoted in love for each other.
We're infused with the spiritual meaning of Christmas
as we hear church bells ring, calling us to join in singing
glorious songs of old. Those that tell of the Saviour's birth
on the holy night he was born as a ransom sacrifice to
pay the price for the sins of mankind, as was foretold.
In the glow of candlelight, we kneel and offer prayers,
giving thanks to God for offering us the hope of Paradise.
We show appreciation for all traditions that were passed
down from generations and memories that were made.
Happy ones when we gathered to gaze at starlit nights
as they illuminated snowflakes falling softly to the ground
on cold wintry nights that fill our souls with faith and hope.
Our homes are decorated with scented evergreens and holly.
Lights and mistletoe are hung in the most obvious places,
as we celebrate the magical time of the holidays when
most of us wish that we could be a child once more.
Childrens' faces are flushed with excitement as they await
Santa's arrival to wake and find presents beneath the tree.
Charles Dickens wrote, "I will honor the spirit of Christmas
in my heart and try to keep it all the year." How wonderful
it would be to have that mindset all year long. Then, the joy
of brightening the lives of others would become for us the
true merit of Christmas spirit felt deep within the heart.
December 5, 2022
Christmas Spirit Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Gina McIntosh
Peacocks-n-Parrots, two beautiful colorful birds, of a different feather, never
seen flocking together, canary-n-blue seas transparent, her true colors
apparent, symbols of love, sand white as a dove, look a gorgeous orange lava
sunset above, our souls make love, our hearts hug, beautiful colorful birds, of a
different feather, never seen flocking together, our wings spread, our colors stay
the same through whatever, we enjoy the changes of the weather, so what’s a
feather, while our hearts are two beautiful treasures, sitting side by side, beating-
n-flocking-n-talking together 4 ever.
A peacock-n-a parrot, our true colors are transparent, and the love in our hearts
is apparent, this love is of the highest merit.
Who has enough merit to earn God’s precious key?
It ain’t the clergy; it ain’t the Sunday school teacher
Nor is it a church team leader or choir members who sing so sweetly.
Who has enough merit to get into Heaven?
Is it the family who lives clean and is church every Sunday at eleven?
Is it the group of outreach volunteers who visit the sick and feed the poor?
Or is the person who works for God a lot more?
The answer is no one has enough merit to make it in
Because even willing vessels have fallen deep into sin
If it was not for Jesus dying on the cross
Our good works would be useless; our souls would still be lost
If it wasn’t for mercy and for God’s grace
There would be a permanent lock on the pearly gates
There would be no hope for anyone getting in
And eternal suffering would be for all and would never come to an end
So remember, no one has enough merit to make God proud
It’s the fact that God loved us first that should make us shout out loud
God is not impressed by the works that we do
He is concerned about the heart and whether or not He abides in me and you
dyke of righteousness
built across our life river -
swells pool of merits.
Second Place in STRAND PICK 7,any theme,any form Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand
~~Exceptional merit is easier to achieve
by those who in themselves believe~~
Written July 28, 2022
R-eceive God-given merit,
E-verytime you do His will;
Y-our heart is truly filled with a huge thousand thrill.
J-ust receive God-given merit,
O-n pleasing His holy name;
H-e loves the obedient child,
N-ot the wicked one in shame.
R-eceive God-given merit
E-ach day you remember
Y-our life comes from Him
E-very twenty-seventh
S-eptember.
M-ay you receive God-given merit,
E-arly as you open your eyes;
R-eturning back the glory
E-ven the honor to see the sunrise.
T-ry your best to praise Him for you shall get some credit;
E-arnestly learn to thank Him and receive God-given merit.
Progeny of the people of merit,
May not for sure would inherit merit.
Take fire and sandalwood,
The ash born smells no good,
To wit, O never generalize a bit.
_______________________
Translation |27.01.2025|
Poet’s note: Sanskrit has thousands of verses of wisdom called Subhashhitam. This verse says that the progeny of people of merit may not necessarily inherit the merit. Sandalwood is all fragrant but when burnt along with fire the ash produced is not so fragrant. The transliteration of the Sanskrit verse follows:
Na vyaaptireshaa guninah
gunavaan jaayate dhruvam |
Chandana-anala sandagdhah
na bhasma surabhi kvachit || 203 ||
...I was working construction jobs,
there was a big job for the trains,
to replace an old viaduct
that shook in the wind and the rain.
The government gave money and
put strings on it, that’s what they do,
wanted to ensure diversity
in the engineers and the crew.
They especially wanted women,
to boost their numbers up in STEM,
problem was when we went looking
we had much trouble finding them.
The best ones were hired already,
and not many women remained,
but they scraped together a team,
only one had worked on a train.
for two years there was much planning.
I heard rumblings from above,
consultants said things were amiss,
the design was not strong enough.
Even rumors design reviews
were ignored to not seem sexist,
but most figured it sour grapes,
there’s no way the state would do this.
We built the bridge that they designed,
laid tracks so the trains could fly by,
there was a ceremony when
it opened with a great train ride.
And for four months things seemed allright,
trains went by without a mistake,
until a strut snapped in high wind,
causing a central truss to break
just as a commuter train came,
it fell to the valley below,
investigators went out there,
the reason they wanted to know.
They found bolts that were much too short,
and metal that was much too thin,
foundations not set deep enough
to resist much in gusting wing.
And then began the whole scandal,
when leaks from the state did reveal
reviews rushed through, oversight lax,
they knew there were flaws in the steel.
But politics are politics
when it comes to choosing who works,
sure, ninety-seven people died,
but at least their deaths were diverse.
When Merit Pay Would Save Money
By Elton Camp
Miss Grundy’s the best teacher at school
Yet paid no more than its biggest fool
If he has the same experience and degree
How that’s fair is nearly impossible to see
Her work’s interesting & academically sound
The failed coach is the biggest dunce around
He rambles about sports day after day
Really, all he’s doing is stealing his pay
Taxpayers must wait for him to expire
Or ride the system until he can retire
The state legislature merit pay won’t permit
It might cost more, they say and have a fit
Miss Grundy is joining a growing move
Politicians their worth for pay should prove
If, on merit, those worthies receive their pay
Millions of dollars would saved every day
MEN WITHOUT MERIT
smallminded lopsided
these are the
men I mind
jealous of anything outside
their re-invented Utopia
like jealous little gods that
would have the whole world
bow to their insidious
arrogance wanting the
world flat because they
are faking a fauxflat
perception to launder
the grossness of all
other souls
they paint secrets in Arabic
which is all Chinese to me
like trophy hieroglyphics you
see
there is a moon in my sky
although they specialize in
chalking out the light…still
mermaids swim like angels
under untouchable
tides they hide
dulling and stilling
men without merit
© Kim van Breda—2 October 2015
Fully-filled pots make little sound,
Half-empty, too noisy are found,
Noble men of knowledge
Show conceit nor raw edge,
The meritless clamour around.
_____________________
Translation |14.10.2024| pot, pride, knowledge, merit
Poet’s note: Sanskrit has thousands of verses of wisdom called Subhashhitam. An empty pot makes too much sound, not the pot full of water. A man of knowledge from a noble family never feels too proud. Only those that lack merit….this ‘words of wisdom’ says. The transliteration of the Sanskrit verse follows:
Sampoorna kumbhah na karoti shabdam,
ardho ghato ghoshham upaiti noonam |
Vidyaa kuleenah na karoti garvam,
gunaih viheenaa bahu jalpayanti ||