Best Peopleself Poems
I watched them go to work each morning
A kid growing up in the coal regions
Remembering the dirt and the pride
The self respect that came from earning
The self reliance and the sense of community
I never knew the need to knock on a door
My dad’s keys were in the ignition of the old Ford
Kids playing baseball with taped up baseballs
Carpenter’s nail holding the bat together
And eight gloves between seventeen kids
Catcher didn’t need one
Wednesday afternoons the miners filled the bars
Sunday mornings they filled the churches
I watched them coming home each late afternoon
A kid growing up in the coal regions
Remembering the dirt and the pride
Blackened faces smiling
Another rugged hard day in, walking proud
Wrestle with the kids, family time
The important things
I watched them converging on a home
A kid growing up in the coal regions
Remembering the dirt and the pride
Mining accident, covered dishes, neighbors
One town, one neighborhood, one family
A feeling of belonging, community, our town
Clothes lines, party lines, coal mines
The dirt and the pride. TAMAQUA.
Can you forgive someone who has stolen your life?
A person with full faculties of the knowledge that
they have invaded your every ounce of pureness.
With only the craving of self gratification, with no
concerns of the damage inflicted upon the naive victim.
Life as you have known it to be is no longer, therefore,
the changes require extensive mind and body alterations.
Not given a choice confuses the brain to believe this
person deserves and should receive the same destruction.
Then you ponder the satisfaction of their demise only
to feel ashamed when you get enjoyment from the thought.
Seeking the answer deep down in your soul while
struggling with the transformation of your future life,
you ask yourself if this person is worthy of the
compassion that is required to mend your sufferings.
The only answer that can possibly ease the curing
process of this human err, however intentional, must
be divine forgiveness to begin your inner self healing.
Yes, you can forgive what you shall never forget.
Contest: "To Err Is Human, To Forgive Divine"
Chameleon - Friend or Foe
A tree dwelling lizard with sticky tongue,
Changes its colours to suit its purpose.
Native to Africa, furthest south,
A shrewd and calculating reptile.
Stereoscopic eyes scheming projections,
Uniquely adapts and conforms.
Cunning deceptions, misleading intentions,
Ensures self preserving survival.
Skin rough and weathered with tiny scales,
Exhibits shades of envy, jealousy.
Seldom evoking strong emotion,
It adapts its colours to company.
Its Camouflage often mistakable,
Chameleons fill the forest.
Playing dead in presence of predators,
A self promoting carnivore.
A Chameleon is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
When we reduce the values absolute
to relative experiences, we
eventually will consume their fruit -
the fruit that grows on the worldly tree.
This tree will give self-righteousness and pride,
but losing a connection with the Lord,
we cannot then the void inside us hide
and then reap death - a vanity's reward.
Yet, worldly people couldn't care less,
continuing to flaunt their foolish ways,
creating an abominable mess
and shortening the humankind's days.
Without God the life is desolate,
producing wastelands to fill with weeds,
which cause us many problems and frustrate,
ignoring our souls' greatest needs.
But life eternal is not far away,-
it's in Christ Jesus, in His sacred blood,
and if, repentant for our sins, we pray,
the life is stored within us as a bud.
He paid with His blood for our wrongs,
this mystery is hard to comprehend,
but everyone, who to the Lord belongs
will have a resurrection at the end.
The knowledge of the Lord that dwells within
is better that all glitter of this world:
it's conquering the power of sin,
when in believer's hearts the Truth is curled.
When we to Him our hearts contrite turn,
God can our souls rescue and uplift.
It's not what we achieve or what we earn
that gives a life eternal - it's a gift!
8.02.2024