Contrition Poems | Examples

List of Member Poems

The Lament of the Prodigal Son

Part of my inheritance I did receive,
Though unworthy was I that gift to conceive;
Younger in mind, and wilful in thought,
I went to a distant land and squandered what I brought.

I wasted my Father’s gift in a wanton way;
From Grace I departed, and fell far astray.
Then, passing into spiritual insensibility,
The husks of the swine I desired to share,
Whose keeper I was—yet none would spare;
I longed to eat what they were given,
Yet no man gave me aught, though I was driven.

Thus was my soul perishing, bereft of all answer,
Having lost the dignity of sonship I bore;
Not merely as a hireling, for some wage,
But even as an unworthy slave.

How shall I return, when I have no boldness to plead?
I see how my brethren thy commandments heed;
Their obedience they keep, without blame,
While I have cast away my sonship and name.

O Father, I have sinned; I have gone astray—
Yet behold my repentance, and look on me, I pray.

Premonition of hellish Torments

Hellish waves have embraced me
To the depths of my soul.
The abyss takes me away.
My soul has become thin and weak.

Oh, my God, my God!.. Don't leave me.
Inhaling You, I exhale contrition
In the killing reflection of stars.

Let all words become non-existent,
Like burnt comets,
Like fallen leaves, let all words decay,
Turn into scattered ashes...
And only Your uncreated Word will rise!

No contrition just Perdition


A dystopian myopian premonition

Frank about West Bank expedition

No regret get set for latest edition 

Illegal war don’t need permission

Saw UN and NATO's clear omission

Unjust blood lust their admission

No contrition.. Middle East perdition

Still pretending it’s all about religion

Invades like the crusades.. demolition

This is not just some war of attrition

Toast Gaza a ghost most recent audition

Genocide boast with pride the ambition

Poor on wrong side fried an apparition

Yanks kowtowed allowed the decision

Rendition masquerading as suspicion

With the rifle will still stifle our derision

Acquisition the tradition of the mission

Sewn by their own homegrown volition

Netanyahu condition continue sedition

Submission then all neighbours abolition


Premium Member My Contrition

I see You lightly
in the dark of me
Divine Contrast

I see You purely
in my unfiltered zones
You, the candle of my being
a lantern in my wanderer's woods

A beacon on Redemption Shore
guiding me back
from a journey's edge

Lord, I am tired

I seek the dock of my
blessed return
Lord, I am deeply saturated
longing

Deeply sorry for falling
having learned
all directions are back to You

Lord, I am ready
Lord, show mercy
I am truly sorry

Contrition poem

I sit beside and beneath him
Shares of summers serum
Fertility losses in learned minds
Obstacle of flight
Preying mantis aside apparition 
A bliss of evolution 
In this life I ink wisdom
His beast 
His lesson
Wills of no evolution
All lost timber and xine


He branches in timbers waving
Beginning his garden
As he transmorgaphies 
He will be calm
Crappling extension of time
Tampering without
Illusive void in wings

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Acts of Contrition

Suffer the plot of the parking lot,
Acts of attrition, lots of the disappearing shopping carts,
I had the camera out
Could hardly see where I’m going.
I called just to set up delivery
Then you laid out your whole life story
And relayed your PTSD of living with an anarchic narcissist
Neglected kids, a messy divorce, and the consequent fallout
She took him to the cleaners.
I simply walked out.
Actually, she left.
I was hard to live with.
I left it all go, years ago,
But suddenly, lately, it’s all returned.
Back in my world as if it just happened
And I am the one, all worse for ware,
Never wanting to talk about it.
Life comes back to haunt us,
Time escapes us...
No matter how far we run, or how much time passes,
That puts us right where we are, in the middle of it. ~psp

dr. p (pi)
.


Premium Member 10 Act of Contrition

O MY (ETERNAL) GOD
I am heartily sorry for having offended You
And I detest all my sins
Because of Your just punishments
But most of all because they offend You, my (Eternal) God
Who are all good
And deserving of all my love
I firmly resolved with the help of Your grace
To sin no more
And to avoid the near occasions of sin

Poetry Form: Free Verse
Date Written: May 18, 2025
Time Written: 9:43pm

Contrition

Tonight I’ve questioned my religion 
Second guessed what was a given 
'Cause I found heaven, I was in it 
Left god with all my inhibitions 

Forked tongues do best to listen 
And I’m much like a politician 
So when he spoke our shared condition 
I found rest in the admission 

He’s an idol, he’s a witness 
To my love of the forbidden 
He knows there’s no competition 
No living thing could come before him 

I will forsake what has been written 
Then sign my name to the revisions 
And you will find in my additions 
That I no longer show contrition

Act Of Contrition

Act Of Contrition

What can i do
when the night
comes ..
I break into tears
and
wait for the
time ..
when
things fall
back into place
I contrite..

Is who i am
In this life
Blessed unto me
To confess my
Mistakes
and
Tribulations.

I have lied
and
Told truth.
I was nervous
and
Confident too
I have deceived
and
And assisted.

I have cursed
and was cold
and
Prayed
and became warm.
I have loved
and
Hated.

I have failed
and
Was successful.
I have stolen
and
Gave.
I have mourned
and
Celebrated.

I cry 
I laugh.

I was hungry
and
And was fed.
I did not know
Wrong
from
Right.
I have fallen
and
Rised again.

I have despised
Yet
You have loved me
All the time.

I am a spinning coin
I will never know
How I m goin to fall
Head or tail.

I am at my
Turning point
Cant run
Anymore.

So I confess
For I need
My peace to grow
With You.

Thank you Lord
Is my life-long
Saving prayer..
Contrition
Redeem Me

My Lord 
My Saviour.
amen.

a journey from confidence to contrition

I grew up with nothing but I know a lot about things in life.

I gave myself time to learn about the truth
I missed opportunities during my youth.

My knowledge swelled up like confidence
Well, it became a sort of arrogance
It built me like a warrior: An invincible one!
I never realized it was a self-destructive behavior; 
It destroyed me all at once.

“But why is reality different from what I learned?”
“Does anyone’s success have a price to earn?”

I grew up with nothing but I know a lot about things in life.

I stopped giving myself time to learn about the truth
I should have not missed those opportunities during my youth.

If strong principles could make you rich,
There is no need to kiss somebody’s feet: Be a leech. 
But what I read from the books is far-fetched from what exists.
I guess this is what they called a “plot twist.”

“So never be confident about the knowledge you possess.”
Too much confidence is arrogance;
It’s a self-destructive behavior that will kill your prowess.

I grew up with nothing but I know a lot about things in life.

I regret giving myself time to learn about the truth
I regret missing opportunities during my youth.

Contrition Con Trick Shun

The Pope said he's sorry they lost
Some children who would not be bossed
Since those who refused
Were raped and abused 
But the Pope had his fingers crossed

Premium Member Contrition

Contrition
David J Walker

help me
	divine creator
fall in contrition
that I might 
find favor
and rise in 
Thy presence of  
	eternal light

Time and Contrition

Were time in the abundance of our youth
When days stretched out like plains to the horizon
I’d see an endless space, await the truth
Of outcomes that could come from chance arising

But now the dawn but presages the dusk
And time to pause in patience depletes
My innocence no longer in the thrust
To prove the righteousness of my conceit

My love, of value now more than my virtue
Would gladly accept blame that it bring peace
Contrition for the the acts and words that hurt you
No time now for extenuation pleas

The guilt is mine, I’ll take the consequence
Truth needs no more your pain to prove its sense

Contrition

The sinner starts to repent
To avoid endless torment
On the great day of judgment.

Form: Diona

Addicted To Facebook

You’re addicted to Facebook if nightly
you are scrolling and liking contritely.
Will contrition affect
how much life you neglect?
Don’t delude yourself — not even slightly.

Sub Categories

Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.

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