O fall, let this lore of love be the last...
as your tight, chaotic grip holds me hostage.
Don't count against me my downfalls,
but the endeavors that have stitched the fabric of my days.
Still, this mask of anguish shapes its heavy cry,
wrapped tightly against the core of myself—
absent of mercy, mocking that pure moment in time
that allows us mortals to be human.
Yet, neither dusk nor dawn can delude me.
They try to imprison me, and hate may fill me with sorrow,
but the flame carried within shall never be dismissed—
a hunger not easily satisfied, refusing to die.
Discarded, a silent alchemy works in the dark.
I am the fire the shadows could not smother;
I turn the leaf, rewriting every page,
rising far above the ashes of my pain.
Last standing—strong,
amidst the dust and foliage of farewell!
"A false balance is abomination to the Lord:
but a just weight is his delight."*
Thus props my steps as faith propels
treading endeavors of priorities' bliss
bouncing-up with gratitude
then slowing down midst prayer-stance
to rest before God for instructions
upon steadfast fortitude
ready to overcome downfalls
by divine triumphant service.
*Proverbs 11:1
July 14, 2026
2nd place, "ZODIAC SIGNS AS INSPIRATION" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Nette Onclaud; judged on 7/18/2026
Death is beautiful if comes after
All the pains,all the downfalls ,
It's beautiful when holds laughter
Of death embracer,conquest on false.
It's very beautiful if it melts
The heart made of stone,
When body embraces peace, lets
Go to soul, life never remain in bone.
When human n't remain dangerous,
When he becomes most calmest thing,
The selfishness, when only ridiculous,
The hurts on others, n't mind ring.
Then why you cry on it
Such beautiful thing when lit?
At the edge of day, shadows dance silently,
The sunrise reminds us of sunsets lost quietly,
Light has been our companion, yet darkness whispers near,
We live our lives in celebration, while death silently waits here.
Young we were, with wings of wind toward the skies,
Yet old age approaches softly, with footsteps in disguise,
With mountain strength, we face storms without regret,
Weakness awaits us, like an old secret unmet.
In crowds, we lost ourselves, seeking dreams within,
Loneliness echoes like a forbidden din,
We embraced friends in dances of hope's embrace,
Yet envy sneaks in, casting shadows in its place.
Loves we had, fires burning in endless nights,
Hatred carves its place in corners of wounded sights,
Downfalls were lessons, whispers of clay on the road,
Heights call us with promises of ash bestowed.
We navigate the river of time, eternal grain of sand,
Between dream and reality, yearning becomes bland,
We seek our path beneath the ever-changing sky,
In a melancholic waltz of life passing by.
Life's trials make me cry for mercy's flow
Beseeching to gain relief against pain
While my heart needs peace I want to prevail
Seeking God for His compassionate grace
To vanquish gloom out of worry and doubt.
Crying mercy* shouts for triumphant glow
Radiating hope along harsh terrain
While I conquer downfalls and woe that ail
Trusting the Lord toward championship ways
Overcoming crises and hardship's pout.
Exuding worshipful gratitude-bliss
Blest so well by crying mercy's delight
My spirit now stays in thanksgiving light
While reaching-out with faith from love’s abyss.
*Lamentations 3:22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
November 30, 2024
3rd place, "Pick-A-Title, Vol 47" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Edward Ibeh; judged on 12/11/2024
Rejoicing to vanquish attacking woe
My heart now radiates with hopeful glow
Ready to face challenging day midst grace
Trusting the Lord Who holds each tomorrow.
Stepping gladly along triumphant pace
I breathe victory in running life’s race
Surmounting downfalls with prayerful plight
Bouncing upon optimism’s strong brace.
Jubilant toward blest reaching-out flight
Though struggling with angst of selfishness-blight
My faith claims trophy in championship bout
Conquering arrogance with truth’s delight.
Directed toward caring kindness-route
Winning against skepticism and doubt
I strive to ascend, breathing victor’s zest
Joyously grateful against losses’ pout
Cheered to keep on going, doing the best
Never wallowing in frustration’s pest
My spirit breathes victory* of love-flow
Such I share with the rest to the fullest.
*1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
November 19, 2024
4th place, "I breathe" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Ink Empress; judged on 11/29/2024
To the women who;
Endure pain to bring life to earth;
Carry empty bellies, pale skins and heavy hearts,
To fill their little ones’ stomachs.
Conceal their fears, consume big lumps of anger,
To make smiles and share joy with the ones they love.
Borrow calmness amidst turmoil,
Pregnant hope to gift their loved ones;
Happy women’s day!
To the women who;
Steer through downfalls, beatings and brokenness,
Yet stay humble, remain behind to raise the fruits of her womb.
Put their thighs together to safeguard their treasures,
Unemployment and shame and accusations to harvest.
Absorb the heat and lick their sweat,
Tire for a penny to sustain them and their blood.
Love God and preserve womanhood,
Happy women’s day!
Herm saw in Fee, a person who barely knew how to live
John recognized Fee’s will, she had survived childhood Armageddon
Herm focused on her downfalls, belittling her
John nurtured her potential, inspiring her
Herm discouraged most of his students, they received low grades.
John built his students up, admiring their goodness, giving A’s.
“I never have given an A,” Herm said, in a proudly weird way.
John had no words, recognizing the smallness of the man.
Time twirls slowly,
when tragedy sunders
antiquated wings—
maimed and eroded, becoming
featherless angels,
ferociously combatant,
sparring to win,
wandering in vacant division,
while penetrating the walls
of our wildering downfalls.
Finding clemency in the
glimmer of our healing ambience,
realigning the quills of our love,
with every breath and pace across
idyllic esplanades, soaring above
catacombs of lawless perdition,
remedying grievances, while
reveling in the haven of
rhapsodic euphoria amidst
lingering plumes,
diffusing eternal tales of our
blissful hereafter.
All our lives we’re on the cusp
When entering a phase,
From infancy to toddlerhood
And on, all through our days.
We go to school and then we’re on
The cusp of a career.
We date and fall in love; the cusp
Of family life draws near.
We reach the cusp of middle age
And possibly success,
Along with all the highs and lows
Of life and all the stress.
As years go by, we reach the cusp
Of yet another stage,
Becoming “seniors” with the downfalls
Linked with older age.
It ends the way that it begins -
For right from our first breath,
We go through life, forgetting
We are on the cusp of death.
I can see the stars shining
beyond the pain of their flames
I can see the moon reflecting
the whole love over its waning
I can see the river flowing
beneath its obstacles
I can see the mountains growing
from the little grains unnoticed
I can see the waves rippling
above its depths and downfalls
I can see the versions of me
in these whole little things
Whenever my speech simply stalls
meet one of my biggest downfalls;
They have been built high by curveballs;
Forgive my walls, forgive my walls;
It’s so hard for me to confide,
I know that there’s nothing to hide;
It may leave me on the outside
a bit tongue tied, a bit tongue tied.
Darkness we had
Light awaits
Life we celebrate
Death awaits
Manhood we had
Oldage awaits
Strength we had
Weakness awaits
Crowds we had
Lonliness awaits
Friendships we celebrate
Envy awaits
Love we had
Hatred awaits
Downfalls we had
Heights awaits
09/07/2022
Over time we grow wings of wisdom
We learn from our mistakes
We learn lessons from our behavior
We fly with new positive changes
That bring us higher from our downfalls
Sometimes it takes conflict, many times
Until one day we learn new ways
How to respond, react and think
I have been through many hills in life
As we all encounter through time
Good and the bad all blended together
In a mixture that creates a picture
Scenes of my life from the past and present
To see, to review, to simply analyze
But, there are always wings of wisdom
Grown like seeds from these experiences
Day by day, through the years we live
Wings like an angel to fly for others
It takes learning ways to communicate
Other times, just from space being alone
But in this life with all that it brings us,
Everyone can fly in the wind of truth
Heidi Sands
6/27/22
Surmounting boundaries
my special child
freely soars
toward development targets
pressing on persistently
maneuvering his wheelchair
against obstacles!
Triumphantly ascending
along hope gear with prayer-wings
my son exemplifies milestones’ possibility
midst God’s boundless grace*
defying asserted diagnosis:
“progression toward retrogression”
vanquished miraculously by trust’s altitude!
Now overcoming downfalls
cheered by loving support
he keeps on persevering
succeeding with patience
while inspiring my stewardship service
for divine faith-flight…
wondrously liberating!
2Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
June 16, 2022
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