Best Turning Point Poems
The man stumbled on, wanting to get as far away as possible
the sights he had seen and lived through too terrible to contemplate.
How could another human deliberately inflict such awful things on another.
He could see a gentle stream of smoke arising from the distant chimney
and headed for the shelter it offered, staggering on until he reached it.
It was a pretty cottage nestled deep into the hillside and isolated.
He tumbled through the door and collapsed on the floor.
Mistily he drifted in then out of consciousness unable to focus
aware vaguely of a gentle touch that soothed and replenished.
He drank from the cup pressed to his lips and then let go.
The old lady shook her head at the follies of mankind,
and set to work bandaging his festering wounds.
She made a drawing potion to clean out the poison
that had taken a fierce hold racking him with fever.
Then she covered him and stoked up the fire.
For three days he lay in a coma muttering about the war,
not an ordinary one, oh no, this war caused carnage.
Evil stalked the land every hand turned against the other.
Sons killing fathers and brothers and to what point?
A simple disagreement about Creed had started this.
Weakened by the ravages he was slow to fully heal
yet he learned much from the old lady causing him to rethink.
To look at things with eyes a-new seeing the other point of view.
These new values he took with him when he left thanking her gratefully.
He set out on a new route, his task now to heal and bring peace.
Standing a-midst the crowd on a small hillock he taught them new values
not by preaching as such but by parables that showed the way to peace.
After all he would say; Pause and Think, For What are We without hope?
Everything gone by can be changed, all we have to do is care and act.
So lit the small flicker in your heart and fan up a healing blazing flame.
Will tomorrow be smiles and lovely
Will your smile ever be real to me again
I don't know how to change what is
Time has creeped upon you and I
Grey is our hair and loose is our skin
Those things don't matter
Just the way you speak unkindly
Hurts me to my soul
Bitter blood boils through my veins
Tension causes stress points in my face
My smile has been away for awhile
I miss that smile
I miss your laughter
What should we do or say?
I stand upon a ledge, a precipice in time
A place where things will change forever
The things I do from here I can't rewind
This string of time I will not sever
A place where things will change forever
As I step into the vast unknown
This string of time I will not sever
A leap of faith will now be shown
As I step into the vast unknown
To find the future that awaits for me
A leap of faith will now be shown
For I shall finally gain this victory
To find the future that awaits for me
I'll look ahead instead of back
For I shall finally gain this victory
When in life's journey I attack
I'll look ahead instead of back
The things I do from here I can't unwind
When in life's journey I attack
I stand upon a ledge, a precipice in time
There was a time where
I had no shoulder to cry
on I was at a point of no
return lost my hope to go
on you showed up out of
the blue to save me funny
how it all plays out I was
suppose to know lonely
the lesson was learned
the hard way but you
set me free
A turning point's not always fight or flight
~ It just may be left or right
Within seconds, life and death collide
Within a blink of an eye, your last moments
To hope, to trust, and to surety you are tide
Your heart falls to its knees, and begins to pray to a God it so desperately needs
You begin to lose ground….
Your very last breath …as you exhale and inhale is soo profound
For it marks your very being
All your sense are directed inward
With sudden fear your heart is well cornered
And a shrieking silence begins to sound, like thunderous cries
Your mind begins to play tricks, to you, it tells false wishing lies
Do not give up, to move head on…it whispers! it lies!
With that last breath. As you exhale and inhale you still exist
What was once real
When life was once clear
All of that banishes
Even the hoping! The longing! For a nobler tomorrow vanishes
Leaving all your nerves fried
Leaving your soul dried
Your very gist slowly but surely have died
Numbness begins to creep in
Like a devil when he whispers a sin
Like a drum roll leading to a scene’s climax
Like when your heart drops to your feet
When all stops…silence engulfs,
Shhhh!!!
Can you hear it?
The wait begins to take a heavy toll on your nerves,
for the moment that you have for soo long anticipated
The very instance…
The moment when life and death collide
The very last moment,
When to hope, to trust and to surety your soul is tied
It all of a sudden unfolds, leaving that body of yours dead and cold
A chapter finally ends
A heart is finally set at rest
I say my goodbyes
And wish only to see you in the afterlife
("Mrs. It Dances Through It", 2014, original pen and ink)
Turning Point - Coming of Age - Acceptance at Last
Finally at age 65 I reach a turning point
Where a lifetime of doing is seen
To be just a lifetime of accumulating
Moments and things to give purpose
And a reason to be perhaps,
But more likely just a way to keep score
To express a thwarted competitive edge.
Looking back it all adds up
To a progression of progressively stronger addictions
From stamps and coins, insects and rocks as a kid
To dharma practice, climbing routes, books
And music, poetry, art and Persian rugs as an adult.
Always something a little more to have and to hold
And take the place of something less tangible.
So where does this leave me now
Raw and exposed and tired of the game?
Anxious and alone
Happy to have at least a few friends
Who accept me as I am
And a handful of dogs who apparently love me
No matter what.
What is ahead I ask?
The five stages of grief come to mind
Letting it all go, the good the bad the ugly,
What others may say and I may judge,
All that I have done in the confusion of living,
Until there is acceptance at last
With some golden years left to go in peace.
(3/27/24)
When I'm with her "now"
I tend to pause and admire.
Stepping back to watch
Elegance, beauty & cleansing by fire.
Watching her from across the room
Silences my dance of turbulence,
I tip my hat and take a bow.
My purpose took a right turn
From that self imposed dungeon.
Thanks my Lord for the gift of hope
And hope you see, does not disappoint
Making the lukewarm into a burn.
(For Adult Contest)
Turning point: a child is born
tears of pain, tears of joy
mother's milk, flood of love
sit 'n' stand, laugh 'n' talk
on the fly get to know
what is right, what is wrong
rise 'n' shine, fall 'n' rise
question, protest, memorise
weren't allowed, now you can
earn 'n' spend, break 'n' mend
climb the ladder, fall in love
wonder if there's God above
'more you give, 'more you get
care, respect and then protect
tears of pain, tears of joy
Turning point: your child is born
The trauma teams were ready, but no one arrived for care.
Uneasy feelings of anticipation lingered there.
A city all in darkness in the middle of the day.
And fire fighters beepers—calling help to find it`s way.
The citizens were helpless as they wandered aimlessly.
We sat glued to our newscast, not sure what we wished to see.
And then the word the Pentagon had also been attacked;
Just knew right then our life had changed, we`re never going back.
A missle full of loved ones had just crashed into a field,
Oh, God, what other tragedies will nine eleven yield?
The cell phones carried messages; and prayers and I love yous.
Last words of strength from families that had so much to lose.
Manhattan`s double buildings that once punctured through the sky—
Were now a pile of ashes to its people passing by.
A nation stunned and terrified began to understand
That we had let our guard down in this unsuspecting land.
Yet in the months that followed, we united one and all—
Determined we would never see another building fall.
But now the months have turned to years, the memories not so bright.
We must not let another “axis” member hit our sights.
So let`s inform our leaders, let them know how much we care.
And that we`ll teach our grandchildren to prize the land we share.
Our country has been blessed with peace, one nation under God.
We must unite to keep it ours, to walk on freedom`s sod.
The look on his face was one of shock, he knew he would pull the trigger but he
did n`t know where it would hit ,
he just stood there as he fell to the ground holding his back speechless as he
watched him hit the ground one last time,
As I walked over to him I seen the look in his eyes I heard him take his last
breath he knew this was it.
my brother stood on the porch in a daze looking as others ran around as we
locked eyes he knew this was the ultimate crime.
they told him he had to go ,told him he had to leave as others picked up his body
and drove away "the cops are on their way,"
he grabbed what he could and out the door he went stopping to tell me " tell
mom I`m sorry this I never meant,
as I watch as he disappeared down the street mom pulled up in a panic deep
inside she knew she said so that day.
black and whites surrounded the house guns drawn and standing fast get down
hands to your side was the only message sent.
they did n`t want to know it was in self defense to them it was one gang member
killing another,
my mother cried when they told her they were looking for her child they told her to
them he was armed and dangers,
like a story or movie this was taking place swat ran the streets with orders of
shoot to kill no actors this time this was my brother.
mom got the call she always told us don`t run from your wrongs "turn your self
in " was all she could say a son behind bars is better then one in the grave to
moms words he never digressed .
in ones life time
dreams and reality
or just a passing
until you grab a hold
of life
some of the beautiful things
happen when a person
has took all he can take
suddenly that fear
of failure
becomes a
flying success
ride out your heart
until
all hate is gone
until all vague
insanity problems
flare. live wild
and love while you live
I regret what I did
For I am your kid
You’ve raised me better
So I shall write you this letter
I write you letter from the heart
Yet I don’t know where to start.
The holiday time is here
But it doesn’t seem like it has brought you good cheer.
I hate to see you frown
It always puts me down.
Nothing means more to me
Then making your face shine with glee
You might be here for a bit
But please take the time to read it
Your oldest will soon be a Papp
Remember when she used to sit on your lap?
Your middle will be eighteen
Does that mean its time to be mean?
Also his senior year will arrive soon
Better enjoy the time before he joins a platoon.
Your youngest (that’s me!!) will be able to drive
Did you enjoy the year two thousand five?
I picked up the phone
I felt so alone
I didn’t know who to call
But you came to my rescue before the fall
I thought you’d me mad
But at the time you were both to sad
I left you with nothing but the bill
From someone who listens how I feel
But now
I wonder how
I never felt so close to you
Its like the whole thing was my cue
I like nothing more
Then you being next to men when I close the door
That part of my life is through
All to the thanks of the love from you two
Dad and Mom
You guys know how to keep me calm
I love spending time with you
But the time we spend together is so few
Gods word is reliable,
this is truly undeniable.
He's committed to you.
Never lies pulling you
through. What he started
in the spark of Christ, the
Lord God follows through.
This new journey is your
turning point
As a person I have fame among my beloved ones.
Not many but the closest ones.
Sometimes I find myself miserable, because I am the only one thinking like that.
As a person I try to jump above, but I found myself sleeping under the bridge.
After my intelligence, I sleep under a pillow, instead I should be above.
Difficult to sleep on clouds,
when everybody makes you sleep on a corner.
Not easy to fly, when you have the wings cut.
Wings grow up again one day, and then the wind will take me far away.
Soon enough it will be a starting point, when my wings will fly again from the sea, from the old windmill I used to be in.
Give me a turning point to grow up again.
I will be nobody, but somebody for the ones I want to be with.
A turning point for feeding happiness and friendship.
A turning point to tell the ones I hurt, that I didn't mean.
I have never meant to do anything wrong, but I did.
I breath different air to release my soul back.
As my soul is realeased I breath new air.
That air makes me dance to a different point where I feel the music that feeds my heart,
that heart jumps into joyness,
that joy plays notes, and makes me watch the blue sea, which is my turning point