Imprisoned yet freed
in God’s serene grace*
heart throbs with love’s creed
amidst prayer pace
triumphant indeed
while winning life’s race.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
March 23, 2026
3rd place, "TRAPPED IN A TABLEAU" Verse Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Nette Onclaud; judged on 4/8/2026
Cobwebs, invisible in the darkness
Spread in every corner of the cosmos
Ensnared heaven’s butterflies in its mess
Crafted by the black widower with dross
To keep them and drink their life laid across
But Christ’s light of gnosis he brought to save
Shined into every corner of the cave
Showing the cobwebs’ thin and brittle dome
For us to wake up and see our enclave
To break Yaldabaoth’s webs, and return home
The flip side
of dimension
the angle
of a curve
The silence of
a shouting mute
the last
unfeeling nerve
Description
serves in
lonely cells
its commutation stark
Where sentenced
and imprisoned grooms
forever
— wed the dark
(Dreamsleep: February, 2026)
No escape for words from freedom’s ink,
My blood is jailed in sleepless veins.
The tears of awareness dissolve belief,
Blades of grandeur slice my nerves,
And stillness strangles every motion,
Crushing rhythm into endless death.
It is just another little solitary prison,
Containing everything of which I am as a person.
Seems I am meant to be alone without any visitation.
Love wrapped her heart from the first glance,
A tender bond she couldn’t shake,
Would she surrender to the dance?
Fear held her back from what’s at stake.
A tender bond she couldn’t shake,
Though passion called her to explore,
Doubt whispered, "Stay, don’t ask for more."
Would she surrender to the dance?
Or let her fears keep her in place?
Love's pull was strong, yet full of chance.
Fear held her back from what’s at stake,
Her heart ensnared in love’s sweet net,
Prisoner to the love she met.
Being tugged at pulled apart
Every time I tried to start
My life over I'd just fail
I put myself in a jail
Of despair- no escape key
A life sentence if for me
Imprisoned by a deadly past
My hearts broken from the blast
Of love criminals who shot
Hurtful bullets through my heart
I would bleed sorrow and sadness
No escaping from this madness
Shutting down was a way
Not to live this everyday
My heart safely in a cell
NO one gets through-- it is hell
To keep going on like this
There is no way to dismiss
The verdict given to me
A life of lonely misery
Music is my source of escape,
For when the night pours its sadness on me.
My heart resides in that place,
For when my thoughts starts bullying me.
Lent everyone my ear but never my secrets
When the world isn't here, there's no one to see it.
They think they know me but they are gullible,
To be deceived but I'm often quiet.
I'm stingy with my heart, she's in captivity,
At the watching hour, I gaze regrettably.
She wants to love but is unvalued,
For this cruel world, ingratiates to her.
Scheming of ways to keep her here,
Because I've learnt that no one really cares.
I'm about to lose my mind
when did we become unkind
to our other human beings
and all of their needs and feelings
where did the great passion go
this world used to see and know
without asking we'd be there
now we need to be aware
of dangers lurking all around
we have to take leaps and bounds
to get this world back in good shape
there is no way to escape
all the horror that we face
why can't we learn to erase
all the hate and racism
we are living in a prison
and the sentence is life long
until once again we're strong
this jail cell will never open
without prayers and lots of hopin'
there'll be no more wars to fight
in harmony we will unite
What do the years mean
when they come to an end
their number a prison
if hearts cannot mend
A month or a decade
results but the same
when love is abandoned
—there’s nothing but pain
(Dreamsleep: August, 2023)
She thoroughly imprisoned herself at the age of twenty-one.
Putting herself into a dire situation.
Assuring herself there was no way out.
Telling her mind not to bother to escape her predicament.
Her mind readily jumped onto her new hopeless mindset.
Assuring the rest of her body it could shut down.
They were in prison today and would never escape.
Others tried to convince her otherwise, but it did not work.
She was determined to be imprisoned and immobilized.
No one ever knew why.
Song imprisoned
Lone musician
engrossed to play violin.
Resonance ripples
on prelude to interlude.
sinking in self consciousness.
Self-oriented!
Releasing emotive urge
in joy and sorrow.
None to share, none to listen.
Rhythm of tune to glisten.
An enlightenment:
An ethereal ecstasy:
Self satisfaction.
Alone artist enjoying
mystic morose melody.
Lone bird imprisoned
in cage stoops being drowsy.
silent, no whistling.
It has forgotten to sing,
dreams of open sky in vain.
10/27/22
Image no. 3 word count < 165
Painting Prompted
Contest by Lisa YY
Nature, if it is unknown
is just a cell
even at all scenes
all matters instead
may rest
the soul needs
knowledge, a matter of demand
for without such
all is blindness
in a dark night
only the contrary rules
the day
what I would have been these
people's identities retailer.
The photo went to jail sans shame,
It's simply because it was framed.
an imprisoned weed
stuck between two rose bushes
thorns are piercing through
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