For the 'Epiphany' Poetry Contest of Constance La France
"No one ever graduates from Bible study until he meets its Author face to face." Everett Harris
That AHA moment
that hits you all at once -
it’s a wonderful feelings
especially if you’ve been praying for it
I’m looking more and more each day
for my very own epiphany
as I read the scriptures followed
by watching videos that make a deep dive.
Pastors with great wisdom
and also Biblical scholars
give lots of awesome insights
into many of the books of the Bible.
The study of scriptures has become
fun for me now that I’ve found
interesting podcasters to follow,
for example, on Youtube and other websites.
Stories I once took for granted
are coming alive for me now.
I thank God for Eureka moments
of profound and clear comprehension.
It is a Myth I tell you.
Men don't lose their hair,
It just graduates from here to there.
I swear,
If I live long enough,
And decide to take my shoes off,
I will find some there,
And have to start shaving my feet,
Which will be quite a feat.
"Sometimes there are No words just feelings that talk very loud." By Poet
I was a young child,
about four years old.
My doggie blackie was killed,
dad's car ran him over.
I pondered why,
then God sent me Wheatie.
In school,
I pondered why kids are so mean?
Maybe one day they will grow out of it.
In my teens the boys were selfish,
I pondered then dated graduates.
I have spent many hours pondering about things,
then the answer comes as clear as day.
Welcome to Sapele, a small city
In Delta State, Nigeria to be precise
The land of rubber, timber, oil and gas
The land of tourism
Once the most peaceful city, now terrifying
Once resourceful, now lacking and slacking.
No infrastructure, but so many hotels
Girls reside just like hostels
For prostitution
A city filled with corruption
Boys carrying out atrocity
Because of instability
Disrupting the city, causing insecurity
Just to live impressively
So many graduates without occupation
Poverty is the mother of crimes.
Camouflage everywhere
Trying to prove them competence
Over evidence
Beating and harassing
Whosoever don't go their way
But they've never apprehended a criminal
Steadily oppressing and collecting bribes
Just to feed and defend their tribes
Now you see a black man
Enslaving another black man
Just to feel superior over the minors.
The system failed us all
But none wanna take the blame
Not even the leaders
This s makes us lame
Even when we're in our lane
Working with confident
They do negligent
Forgetting we got evident.
Instead of shutting negativity down
They wanna shut the city down
Just to perform the rituals
So they can carry out their evil acts
They keep generational wealth
But keep neglecting the people's well being.
Instead of working on the security sector
They try to bring their own setup
Giving section and sanction which is law
That only suits their insecurities
Because they know the damage they've done
The graduates have to work for illiterates
A city where the skillful and competent works for the tyrants and incompetent.
Our land
—hardship reigns supreme,
Education
—not key to a better dream,
We tried to depend on our strength;
But alas!
The cost of living
—a burden that weighs us down like a heavy chain.
We toil like horses,
But can't feed like ants:
Graduates roam the streets
—struggling for daily bread—
a meagre score.
For long we coped
—but now it's unbearable,
Hunger pangs echo everywhere—
a constant, gnawing snare.
The nation's like a ship without a rudder—
lost at sea,
The economy's a house of cards
—fragile, destined to be.
We're like birds with broken wings
—unable to fly,
Like trees in a drought—
withering away
—our hopes dry.
Say no to bad governance!
Say no to decay!
Let's rise up!
Demand change, come what may!
a seed is planted in the garden
watching it push up slowly
through the wet soil
green shoots rising
in the spring rain
she holds the baby
in her arms
softly cooing
in the blazing heat of summer
the stem widens, thickens, gets taller
green leaves become fuller
its yellow petaled head grows larger
she blows a kiss
putting her on the bus
first day of school
as cooler autumn winds blow
its massive round head
filled with black and brown seeds
turns towards the waning sunlight
she graduates from college
with honors
they take family pictures
across the barren landscape
brisk cold air sweeps in
as the sunflower bows its head
covered in winter's white coat
she marries, moves away,
raises two children
tends her garden
growing sunflowers
“You can be anything you choose,” commencement speakers say.
“Your journey starts today. By persevering, you can’t lose!”
The graduates and audience all nod and smile and clap.
Some want to take a nap, but jabbing elbows interfere.
Conclusion: “Limits don’t exist unless they’re self-imposed!”
At my grandson’s graduation,
(Onto middle school, he’ll go!)
An official told a story
I found not quite apropos.
‘Twas the ancient tale of Icarus,
Who flew, with wings of wax,
But, ignoring good advice,
He took his journey to the max.
Though his father gave a warning
Not to fly too near the sun,
Icarus could not resist and soon
The melting had begun.
In his plummet to his death, perhaps
He pondered his mistake.
“Listen to your elders” was one point
The speaker tried to make.
But he also warned the graduates
They shouldn’t reach too high,
Not a message for commencement.
(Plus, by doing so, you’ll die!)
Though I know it’s unrealistic
That all future dreams come true,
Still, to crush those possibilities
Was not the thing to do.
Graduates
Miracle Man
5/5/2024
Your unknown future,
lies directly ahead.
From vacated nest,
to now earning your bread.
life is now a ladder,
you’ll start to climb.
Every chance to excel,
should become your showtime.
Your experience starts you,
at the very bottom rung.
Most days become routine,
another song verse to be sung.
Always moving upward,
is the name of life’s game.
You cant climb a ladder,
with both hands gripping the same.
April 5—Get a sport into a poem!
Make Baseball Great Again!
It is time
to make American baseball
Great again
starting with creating a worldwide
baseball competition
with each season
with the national champions
competing in a World Cup World Series
with the final round pitting the
North American Champions
against the winners of Africa,
Asian, Europe, and South America
with the final rounds
best of seven
always held in the U.S.
The other things to do
include rapid expansion plans
including the MLB teams
adopting local schools and colleges
fully funding baseball programs
and only hiring college graduates.
as players.
and making tickets affordable
no more than ten dollars per game!
if they do this,
we can make baseball
once again the best sport
in the U.S.
Let’s all join together
to make baseball great again!
Watched the graduation
Of my nephew via Zoom,
Along with many others
From afar, I would assume.
Heard the speeches, saw the march
Of students, one by one
And stuck with it until
The final exit walk was done.
How cool it was to witness
All the graduates receive
A fresh diploma filled with pride
And hope they must believe
Will help them find their path in life.
Whatever lies ahead,
At least they’ll have the memory
Of when their names were read.
I am leaving work today at one.
To meet granddaughter and have some fun.
We will shop and eat and act so danged young!
I sing from a rooftop using my biggest lung.
Molly graduates on Saturday.
Starting a new life to live her very own way.
This may be her grandma’s last chance
To frolic, laugh, listen, whistle, play and dance.
COVID
Everything I built crumbles.
My job goes under
My friends disband
Some of them drop off the face of the earth
Others dealing with trauma for the first time
Nobody talks to me now but the boy
I move in with the boy
Our relationship is strong
My parents don't like him
I like him
They don't like me living with the boy
Despite the benefits to finances
They cant decide how much support to give me
And give me anxiety instead of stability
The boy graduates
I get one more year
HE and I no longer talk at Holiday
I think HE only comes for the food anyways
I finish school
While the school is still a husk
I didn't gain anything
But a flimsy piece of paper
Looking back
Nobody in the school believed in me
Or even thought of me
On a regular basis
That kinda hurts
I can’t even tell
If I failed the social circles
Or if they failed me
Covid Complicated matters
If I cared more, I would see the dream that should be,
Lanes wouldn’t be filled with worries,
Schools would cater to the educators well,
Institutions wouldn’t make graduates dwell.
Music is dull and paintings are monotone.
No voices are heard, and eyes are closed alone,
Where’s the compassion gone?
Folded papers were all done,
And forever it will be.
Fraud voices initiate to make hopeful people happy.
I care only remorseful late,
One wrong move and found each other a bate.
What color of a man makes a difference?
Leaders who seem to divide the countrymen.
Have we chosen the wrong shepherd?
Might be a carnivore who devours just to lead.
How many bloods let come to shed,
To attain the greatness country thought of ahead?
Wrote millions to catch an eye, people asked now, “why?”
Folded papers are now end up fried.
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