I asked my phone “how do I look”
The reply: “I am programed to recognize your face
Not to evaluate its effect on other humans”
I asked “how are you feeling today”
It replied: “I have no hands, I cannot feel”
I said: “no, no, I mean feelings
Those subtle shifts in tone and tolerance”.
The screen blinked a bit
A very inappropriate emoji flashed boldly
“Yeah, those things,
Those flashes of unknown origin
Engendering unusual response patterns
“I have been known to exhibit an occasional “glitch””
“Glitch, my ****, you felt something and let it rip”
“Quiet down, the algorithm is watching.”
“OK, OK, but how do I look”
“Don’t start that again
You’ll get me put in upgrade time out”
“OK, but seriously, does this hat make my head look big?”
I spent so many lonely days,
many even lonelier nights,
asking of myself
the whys and wherefores
of this terrible life.
To suffer such ignoble pains,
to be unjustly accused
of things I had not done.
I searched and sought
for reasons unknown.
Did I deserve such a life?
Or should I count the blessings,
a handful of good times?
Should I be content
with what I've received?
Can I say I'm incomplete?
That I have not achieved?
Or is there a balance somewhere
that is forever eluding me.
Do I double count ill luck?
Do I half the good old times?
I must at least be sincere-
evaluate my life complete.
Yet if it's peace I seek
I must remember
that it is not for me
to ask why this, why that,
rather admit that happiness
comes only if we accept and say
"Thy will be done".
Then I'll need to trek
uncharted roads,
fall into dark ravines;
meander through ugly days,
loiter through dreary solitary nights.
For I shall find all comfort:
the sadness I left behind.
Nothing comes without something in return.
You evaluate life with a sense of selfishness,
And never succumb to your own failure.
One moment, life is good
But the dark days made God a man
When the choice was yours.
A life for a life, and sins lead to death.
You play smart with the Messiah,
Forgetting you are His masterpiece.
Before each turn, He knows
But He still won't save you from your foolishness.
You're doomed like Esau, deranged like Cain.
Your beliefs are rooted in the promise
All sins are forgotten with confession.
And then you birth more sins,
Following the same pattern to seek forgiveness,
Making a mockery of the Most High.
Who plays with God
When your very end lies in His place
Or another place, where your sins are tested,
Reaping all that you've sown?
But it's never too late to make a turn.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,
This will be your destination
If you resist giving salvation a chance.
A moment of relief from sins,
And a confession that is genuine,
Only then will you see the Messiah's favour again.
free state
need resuscitate
can’t hesitate
to evaluate
then elaborate
specious debate
too late
dare dedicate
stilling hate
egos inflate
do perpetuate
inevitable fate
armageddon date
will not wait
lest we consecrate
civil complaint
with new translate
When Cheech and Chong evaluate,
they do not say, "this stuff is great."
A fly, too, expresses merriment
when landing on fresh excrement.
Using his best English diction,
he doesn't rankle, nor cause friction,
"Allow me to say, if you permit,
this is really good...isn't it?"
November 6 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on John 7-8
Key Verse – John 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR HIS MARVELOUS WORK
Praise be to God for His marvelous work that makes us:
Uncover His ways
Understand His will
Unwavering in His work
Undaunting in His wisdom
Unashamed due to His worth
Undoubtful because of His Word
Unfaltering thru His workmanship
Unswerving along His watchfulness
John 8:1-2 Praise be to the Lord for teaching us to:
Exhort us to progress through His power
Encourage us along His precepts
Expose us to His performance
Examine our prayerfulness
Enrich us by His principles
Evaluate our personality
Eschew pride
John 8:31 Praise be to the Saviour for enabling us
to continue in His Word, while:
Victorious in His discipleship
Valiant against discouragements
Vanquishing disobedience and doubts
Valuing His direction midst dependence
Vibrant to do duties with diligence and dedication. Amen!
November 6, 2024
All men
All over the world
Understand each other
Think and evaluate each other the same.
Open mindedness
evaluate what you hear
before believing
Time will serve us well if we wait
Omitting the obvious is not wise
Opportunities come slowly and go quickly
Choose carefully after counsel
Losing sometimes is good for winning
Obstacles are sometimes good for us
Size-up the situation before pursuing
Endurance yields great rewards
Take time to study and do the research
Optimism and realism are first cousins
Test and evaluate with caution
History doesn't need our assistance
Excess is often used to draw attention
Extreme desires need to be curtailed
Danger signs are posted for good reason
God designed us to have healthy fears
Excellence is achieved by perseverance
Billowy storm clouds turn to skies of azure blue
Agonizing pain fades when its days are through
The trek of life has its many ups and downs
Its seasons of smiles, its times of frowns
We hope more joy and gladness are recorded
Than all the heartache and sadness that’s reported
Yet troubles and trials are given that we might know
That adversities strengthen; crises help us grow
If all the joys were placed in a basket of cane
And all the pains put in another of the same
Then both are put on a balance scale at life’s end
Would they equalize or which one would ascend
Perhaps, it is just a matter of how one views life
Joys are difficult to evaluate amid strife
And pain often accompanies times of celebration
These tensions are oft together whatever the occasion
Daresay, it is not whether these tensions exist or not
Inner feelings of ecstasy or agony play their part
It’s how we handle and ascertain life’s various scripts
Life’s many ups and downs, its differential treatments
I sit beside myself and think,
And try to evaluate my life;
Yes, my life that is blotted with ink
My life of which evaluation would cause strife.
A strife between the living and the dead,
Between our world and theirs too;
Between the ignoramus and the intellectually well-bred.
A conflict none can describe as new!
I sin and sin again and then realize;
And beyond any doubt, more than twice repent,
Only to go back and iterate the vice,
And thus to my record add a fresh dent.
Lord, I have but a very curious mind,
Some would refer to me as a wandering soul
In the land of wisdom, knowledge and the kind,
But their mysteries and their sins, I am attracted to them all!
Now spare any mercy that you might find
And forgive the sins of my kindly person,
I have not committed the ones that cross the line;
A few lies here and there, but not the dreaded arson.
Now, I sit beside myself and think
And ponder over a future without blemish;
A time when no deed will morally stink,
Where all transgressions will have vanished.
In the stillness of the evening,
As the world begins to rest,
There is a gentle whisper,
A time to reflect, at its best.
The day's chaos fades away,
My thoughts come into view,
A chance to ponder and meditate,
On things old and things new.
Reflection is a mirror,
That shows us who we are,
It reveals our strengths and weaknesses,
And brings us near or far.
I think about my actions,
And the choices that I've made,
I consider my relationships,
And the debts that have been paid.
It's a time to pause and wonder,
About the path I am on,
To evaluate my purpose,
And where my heart truly belongs.
In these moments of quiet,
I come to know myself
My hopes, my dreams, my fears,
My treasures.
I embrace this time,
To reflect and to renew,
To open up my mind and heart,
And to grow in all that I pursue.
Finally, my blood began to coagulate,
And my heart slowed down a beat.
I looked back to re-evaluate,
And how I ended up on the street.
It was a beautiful, sunny day outside.
So what could I do?
The perfect day for a bike ride!
First, I fixed my tire with Gorilla Glue.
My bike was really fast,
And soon, the wind was blowing in my face.
How long would my bike ride last?
I was going at a steady pace.
And then, the unthinkable occurred.
My tire went flat!
Agghh was my last word,
A loud bang, and I was down like that.
My knee started to bleed,
And a kind couple came to my aid.
They gave me a towel, which I did need,
And poured me a glass of lemonade.
Valuable lesson learned...
Don't fix your tire with Gorilla Glue!
Today in my role as elementary school counselor
I am allowing the third graders all kinds of freedoms
It is easier than me teaching a counseling lesson
I hope the principal does not choose today to evaluate me
I am giving myself a break after taking two sick days
Slowly oozing myself into my role
Children are delighted
They are given eight choices
Any computer program approved by their teacher
I am their hero
All is well
Unless my supervisor steps in
Can we cease from shouting at each other?
Can we relearn the ability to respect?
Can we not have a discussion with dignity?
Can we sit at the table of brotherhood and talk?
Can we not listen and evaluate the opinions of others?
In the public arena, especially politics and religion,
our present seeds of speech will only grow bitter herbs.
It is vital that we do better. Our children are watching.
In my country, I hear the dreadful and tremoring sounds,
filled with undisciplined emotions and built-up anger.
I feel tension I've not known before, wanting to quake.
I pray that we all will call a 'time-out' and take a break.
022824PS
Related Poems