There's gravel grinding in my gut; a godless gearbox of grief growling in my belly's black cathedral.
My heart hammers like hell's hooves, hauling the hearse of every hope I ever had.
I eat dirt for dinner and call it divine, choking on crumbs of my own creation.
My lungs lurch like dying engines, exhaling elegies of exhaust and extinction.
Every breath burns a furnace of forgiveness that refuses to cool.
The devil drums on my ribs like thunder made of teeth and tin.
My tongue tastes of tombstones and tar and a sermon spat through shattered glass.
Even silence stabs sharp sanctified hollering hymns of pain through the marrow of midnight.
I am the meat of my own misery devoured by despair divine.
And stll the gravel grins inside me, grinding and glorying in my ruin.
Skeptical midst truth
deceiving self with hope's bliss
while struggling against pride
then battling over jealousy
as triumph missed mark of confidence...
oh, vain glorying becomes inevitable
along agony to accept flaws...
here am I succumbing
yielding ego upon divine altar
striving to persist, and now express:
"forgive me."
Such is what heart beseeches.
In the Garden of Beginings
Projects failed or flowered,
Left to grow or to wither
Many being overpowered,
Each an experiment,
A blending of force
Each left to follow its
Own individual course.
None were culled
Without good reason
Flowering and blooming
For season after season.
Experiment of dimensions
Matter, time, force, space
Some rising to exist briefly,
Some at more sedate pace
As the Universal Gardner,
Glorying in the sight
Of destructive darkness
And brilliant creative light.
Used the lightest of control
To keep things on track,
Moving from place to place
Its tools slung on its back
It was the kind of heated up August that fried toads
My sisters and I sneaked off to the riverbank
Don’t get wet! Our mother warned us
We emerged ourselves into the cool water
The only animal around was a robin
But we jumped in fully clothed anyway
Knowing by the time we returned home
We would be completely dry
This feels like heaven! My oldest sister said
Corn isn’t going to shuck itself! The baby chimed in
We laughed at our silliness, loving being sisters
Glorying in the relief we had found on this hundred-degree day.
Silver light splashed through the town,
It's greatest spires seeming drowned
Beneath the welling, leaping tide
Of luminescence---
And those who stood amidst the light,
Receiving gifts of sound and sight
To penetrate the deepest night,
Their arms, accepting, outstretched wide,
In Human Presence
Glorying,
Found true transcendence---
Peace they found, that would abide
Within the heart, safe from the blight
Of mankind's seeming need to fight
To prove the truth of might makes right---
And new in essence
Were the bonds that hold the bride
Unto her mate securely bound---
And Love, no longer lost but found
Decided to kick off Her shoes and stay.
I
A few weeks ago, he gave a message
I barely contained tears, repentant heart
Yes, I was in church, and he's an elder
Refuses the title of pastor. Deserves it ever
My wife and I can talk, fellowship, listen
To a man - divorced 20 years - pure
As far as this world goes, purer still
In studying, glorying in God's known will
I had given up hope, given up idealism, given up faith.
Given up my imagination, given up my joy
You swooped in and danced around
Which annoyed me
I was reveling in my moroseness,
glorying in my depression,
wallowing in my hopelessness
But you begin singing that song you sing
Dancing that crazy dance
Cajoling me and making me smile
I did my best not to laugh
But you coaxed that out of me too
Pretty soon I wanted the joy you were offering
I gave up my sadness and my loneliness.
I gave up my depression.
I claimed joy
Because enthusiasm would not leave me alone.
Dancing in an uninhibited way,
Glorying in her self-truth
She had no idea she was intimidating
Almost every girl her age,
Not caring a whit about the opinions
Of ones who are not magically in touch
With themselves.
Two teenagers attempted to bully her.
To taunt her, to make fun.
They were not well received.
Two of her good friends began to dance
With her.
Pretty soon the whole dance floor was
Full of uninhibited dancer.
She had unintentionally become a leader.
Unaware, she gave them happy smiles.
Her friends were dragging others onto the dance floor.
Pretty soon all of the girls except two were dancing.
The boys watched from the shadows. Amazed.
They had never realized what fun a dance could be.
None of them went out there.
Most were twelve and thirteen,
Not actualized yet.
Chaos is but
a furious gust
of wind blowing
through the desert
glorying order
overwhelmingly
with sand
and dust.
One Sentence Metaphor in Free Verse Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Jesse Rowe
Date written and submitted: 07/28/2019
Tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti too
Tree shadows camouflague the bird
but her happiness is profoundly heard.
The birdfeeders are full.
Fresh water in the bird baths.
I sit in the sun listening to her brag about her circumstances.
Glorying in her joyful song.
Tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti tutti too
Her bird speak resonates in the forest.
I can feel my skin freckling
I left my sun hat on the porch, on purpose.
I feel like singing myself.
Sitting among my paints and glitter
reaching for a blank canvas
I smile at true me.
An artist, dream-maker, cartoonist, I
separate from regular snore bore life
Becoming more real than ever
when I get to my studio.
I reach for my paint brush,
glorying in my bliss
My paintings are Disneyesque.
They feature fantastical beings.
Pretty women heroines like Mulan.
They save themselves, they are capable.
They scoff at women who wait for a prince.
Glorying in their trueness to self, in neon colors.
Marching across the canvas with confidence.
Strutting in front of their creator, me.
Their pets are not puppies and kitties.
They tame dragons, deer, wolves, unicorns, and monsters.
Whatever I come up in that second is thrown onto the canvas.
To enhance them, and increase their feminist power.
We spit on Poe's raven
The crows and me
True blackbirds, living our truth
Eating corn ahead of the masses
Leaving nothing at borders
Glorying in our evilness
Spiritual victory* in our fight against temptation…
…Shows God’s might to subdue lust, Satan, and world’s destruction!!!
Yielding to the Holy Ghost with willingness…
…Brings our faith to His control for victorious meekness!!!
Battling our own self-reliant, self-glorying motive...
Forces constant dependence to the Lord for His triumphant directive!!!
Meeting the Saviour on the altar of supplication-plight…
…Insures jubilant prayer-time with peace delight!!!
Seeking the Creator during praise-filled worship…
…Empowers sincere obedience toward faithful stewardship!!!
*2Samuel 23:12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it…and the LORD wrought a great victory.
May 19, 2019
Godly success is Providence-wrought victory*
While yielding to the Holy Ghost for power
Against self-glorying motive, arrogantly destructive.
Dependence to the Lord in doing His will
While obeying Him propelled by faith and love
Brings sure triumph, vanquishing personal whims.
*2Samuel 23:12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it…and the LORD wrought a great victory.
May 16, 2019
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