They built a myth around my pain
And thought I’d rust beneath the rain,
Assuming silence meant defeat,
A quiet retreat from complete retreat.
They judged the cage, but missed the key:
The shadow never mastered me.
Let them believe the fault was mine;
I am rebuilding by design.
?The asylum where they thought I’d break
Became the strength I had to take.
They could not stand an hour inside,
Yet here I stand with open eyes.
No longer begging them to stay
Or letting words dictate my day,
I pull my spirit from the dark
And reignite the missing spark.
?Let "all’s well" mean the peace I choose,
Not what I sacrificed to lose.
The potential wasn't thrown away;
It gathered power for today.
I am the anchor, sure and grounded,
Unshaken where their claims resounded.
?I leave their judgment at the door
To find the self I was before—
Not to go back to who was torn,
But to protect the one reborn.
?Healing doesn't mean pretending the hurt never happened; it means reclaiming your authority over your own narrative. You carry the strength to define your worth, regardless of who failed to see it.
I have the strength
I have the will
I have the wisdom
I have the courage
I have the passion
My mind is a fortress,
No fear can creep in
My resolve is a great wall,
It shan't be swayed
Yet my vessel betrays me,
Hands tremble when she sets foot into my line of sight
Lips spew nonsense
Shoulders imitate the coward's posture
My ribs sink inward, puncturing my lungs with every breath
Treasonous feet seem to forget that I'm fully sober
How will I fare as your lover
When the most virtuous intentions are coupled with the worst of deeds
Inspired by the painting, “Expecting Mother” by Lovetta Reyes-Cairo
Vessel of peace
wondrously blest
keeps on bringing hope
while divinely guarded
as God, the life-Source
furnishes well-being wholeness
securing baby
around caring fortress
protected inside her belly
nurtured with love
nourished midst faith...
My soul marveled at its beauty
sublimely miraculous
creatively mysterious---
---before I beheld
my Mom's gracious face.
*Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
July 21, 2026
1st place, "1491" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Brian Strand; judged on 7/26/2026
3rd place, "When words speak for the silence of art" Ekphrasis Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Silent One; judged on 7/29/2026
Beyond the jungle of the evergreens
Were metal points in the sky
that surpassed the highest peaks
The tones of the structure
Were of grays,
Browns,
And creams
Multi-layered with window frames,
Two outer concrete figures,
And a brown door with a pearl-like handle
That was envisioned by dreams
This mystic gingerbread-like
Fortress had no visible road to proceed
It seemed it liked its seclusion
Not even a sight of living figurines
But what kept it company were the critters
That hid among the trees and stream
Trees traced of piney, woodsy, subtle with a sweet scent
Was among the light breeze
The stream was cloud-like flowing
With its own flow-like routine
The water was so fresh it had an earthy aroma,
With natural minerals in between
After breakfast the squirrels and deer would
Watch the blue skies as they gleam
Though you may not see the fortress
While diving as it seems
You can try to find its hiding spot
Among the peaks between the trees
Earthen motte mounds and bailey burg
Sludge strongholds severed for siege
Norman castles cut of stone surge
Vowed vassals, the lords of liege
Round refuge tower of ashlar
Lured strums of Celtic cither
While they tend to tiers of mortar
Howling high waters hither
Gemlike blades grassy shades of green
Sailing seas beckon smartly
Hair to partly pare ployed the teen
Pirate Queen awaits Bartley
Homeland hush weave no words but mum
Forum flouters of gainsay
Dark Lady of Doona they hum
Legend of the Blacksod Bay
Fortress chieftain forges her case
Ní Grace unbowed by Bingham
Royalty rises face to face
Let them lie Ó Máille clan
Lyrate luck of her Irish pride
Aside vassal villeins sought
Herstory harmonized resides,
‘pon castles cloaked earthen motte
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
silver moon dented~
her fingertip fortress holds
against thread's sharp siege
Forts and Castles Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Craig Cornish
Contest Judged: 10/27/2025 12:01:00 PM
( 4th Place )
Written: October 14, 2025
"Within the heart, strength gathers quietly,
and light returns to rooms once closed to it."
_ Poet
I was never shaped from stone,
yet quiet walls took root inside me;
every memory a stepping stone,
every pause a thread of strength.
Years taught me endurance
in the art of stillness…
how to let the air move freely inside
without letting it shatter me.
Time softened my edges.
Moss clung to old sorrows,
and ivy traced gentle paths.
Now I open the gate at dawn
and light drifts softly inside…
a guest I no longer fear.
Written: October 11, 2025, for contest sponsored by: Craig Cornish
*****************
The obsolete stone fort stood ubiquitous and ominous,
a layer was full of tales and osmosed senses.
Towers cast a silence that weighed on my chest—
as the wind whistled through castle slits,
It slid past the slumped ramparts.
Wet clay—damp air sighed in the gaps of dawn,
cold beared my step, which felt both cruel and vast.
Fear and solitude were etched into every wall~
yet my will flared, torchlike, in my gaze.
This castle—whether chosen or not—is my refuge,
The roof evokes nostalgia yet lacks warmth—
I recall sunshine seeping over willow trees,
The stones convey the idea of fortitude.
Life must follow me from hollow halls—
to chambers where my pulse dares to echo.
It ought to linger where apathy holds no sway~
quench your thirst from the dark wells of lust.
Shape a shield from the void that wraps us,
It is dotted with heirlooms, built bare of love,
and grasped tightly in the inferno of despair.
W-alls
I-n
L-ife
L-inger
I-nward,
A-s
M-emories
C-onstantly
A-nchor
B-elief,
U-plift
G-rowth,
N-ourish
A-spiration,
S-trengthening
O-neself
N-obly
©bfa061525
Monocrostic (Birthday of William C. Cabugnason)
I crafted silence, stone by stone,
a steadfast fortress, my heart's own.
The world sings soft; I draw away,
its love a tempest I can’t obey.
Yet deep inside, a spark ignites,
a gentle yearning that ignites.
To be embraced, one loyal hand—
a bond that helps me understand.
But shadows lurk, their whispers glide,
in hidden nooks where sorrows bide.
Their tendrils stretch through walls I've laid,
a haunting tune from yesteryears played.
Yet through the night, a vision swells,
where warmth persists and courage dwells.
In tender glow, two souls entwined,
a radiant hope, their fates aligned.
With trembling heart, I breach the gate,
to seek the light, to trust my fate.
And in that dawn, the shadows fade,
as courage blooms in love’s cascade.
A guarded heart, a fortress built so high,
Behind the walls, a hidden tearful sigh.
I see the shadow, the yearning in your eyes,
A truth unspoken, a silent, sweet disguise.
The words you choose, a carefully veiled script,
A smile that falters, a playful, teasing flip.
You jest and laugh, a mask to hide the ache,
The unspoken longing, the words you cannot break.
But whispers dance, on breezes soft and low,
A yearning melody, a story yet to flow.
I sense the weight, the burden that you bear,
The dreams unspoken, the fears you cannot share.
Don't be afraid, to let the barriers fall,
For hearts unguarded, are the strongest after all.
Let vulnerability be your guiding light,
And share your truth, beneath the moonlit night.
A listening ear, a hand outstretched in trust,
A safe embrace, where shadows turn to dust.
I know you're holding back, a treasure yet unseen,
But open up your heart, and let the love convene.
For in that space, where walls begin to bend,
A deeper connection, a friendship that will mend.
So trust the journey, and take a chance to see,
The beauty that is there, when finally you're set free.
Deny the whispers that snake through the cracks,
their weight too heavy, their truth too raw.
Shield your soul with veils of silence,
words wrapped in shadows, never fully formed.
Defend the fortress you built in haste,
each brick laid with trembling hands,
each wall painted with promises unkept.
Stand your ground against the tidal doubt,
even as the waves carve their mark.
Dispose of the echoes that linger too long,
discard the shards of battles once fought.
Let the ruins crumble into forgotten dust,
for in their absence, a seed takes root.
Inside fortress* that offers rest
my weary soul breathes out blest sigh
lulled to slumber midst noisy pest
while to the Saviour I draw nigh
My heart welcomes music of hope
inside fortress that offers rest
as misty eyes serenely cope
with guitar strums reaching love’s crest.
Etching my mind with winning zest
Word of God prods me to fight pain
inside fortress that offers rest
smiting doubt’s cajole --- by faith’s gain.
Now, I’ll soar for triumphant flight
since revived, warmed in prayer nest
as lilacs waft courageous plight
inside fortress that offers rest.
*Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
August 17, 2024
1st place, "Eight Words 2" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Joseph May; judged on 8/27/2024
I am the architect of my own undoing, crafting a fortress of sorrow to guard against others' touch. It is a bittersweet dominion, the only realm I truly know.
April 10 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on 2Samuel 22-24
Key Verse – 2Samuel 22:2 … The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.
PRAISE BE TO GOD WHO IS OUR ROCK AND FORTRESS
Praise be to God for being our Rock and Fortress Who:
Delivers us from enemies’ rage
Drives us toward eternity’s reward
Destines us for everlasting restoration
Directs us into empowered revival
Deters us against ephemeral riches’ restlessness
2Samuel 23:10 Praise be to the Lord Who brings us
great victory unto by His:
Saving love
Shining light
Sustaining life
Satisfying liberty
Securing leadership
2Samuel 24:14 Praise be to the Saviour for
allowing us to fall into His hand of:
Good mercies and glorious majesty
Great moves along glowing miracles
Gracious moments with guarding might
Gentle maneuvers of governing mentorship
Generous magnanimity midst glowing marvels. Amen!
April 10, 2024
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