Lay Aside Poems

From a Feathered Friend

A bird flew up to me
And plucked a feather from her wing
She said, "Here, it is free,
"and this bottle of ink. Go write something,
"Put away your keyboard, lay aside your pencil,
"Use my feather as your writing utensil."

On Growing Older

On Growing Older

Sometimes my steps are steady,
Sometimes my hands shake.
Sometimes my memory falters,
And I make some sad mistake.

Sometimes I hear you talking 
But I do not understand.
Just remember that I love you 
And I do the best I can.

My skin is sagged and wrinkled.
I look a little like an Elf.
My eyesight's getting hazy,
Sometimes I repeat myself.

But I still love the beauty,
Of the big old open sky
And Precious little children,
Sometimes at night I cry,

I look back on my efforts
Did I do the things I should
But I find a gentle comfort,
That I did the best I could.

I am weary but the knowledge
That strikes the sweetest cord.
I can lay aside my worries 
And leave them with the Lord.

Together

There's a storm that we can't weather
There's a war that we can't win
But as long as we're together
We're together thick and thin

I know that you said things
I didn't like or understand
Then my reply would surely sting
Hot and dry like desert sand

So, I'll lay aside my pride,  As you reach to hold my hand
Using love to be our guide,  And respect to make our stand
'Cause there's a war that we can't win, And a storm that we can't weather
Unless through thick and thin, We can learn to stick together

I know that you said things
I didn't like or understand
Then my reply would surely sting
Hot and dry like desert sand


So, I'll lay aside my pride,  As you reach to hold my hand
Using love to be our guide,  And respect to make our stand
'Cause there's a war that we can win, And a storm that we can weather
And we'll stand through thick and thin,  Now, We've learn to stick together

Belongings

Belongings gain a sadder fate
Then we do, when we die 
Their owners soul they can’t revive
As if they’re always late
To catch an eye, that now can’t see
To feel the touch, that’s gone
Belongings lay aside, forlorn
Green leaves on a felled tree
Must feel the same, before they fade
And wither in the wind
Belongings, thrown into the bin
Are waiting to be saved 
Relatives of the owner choose
Some items, ain’t that sad
A few belongings of the dead,
They will remain unused.

The Broken Body

The Broken Body

Let us break bread together
Heal the wounds between us
Put aside the strife which separates
Lay aside our differences

May we find peace
Despite our differences
Let us feast on the bread
Of life and fellowship

Come celebrate together
Let us not allow our
Brokenness to interfere
Come to the table of fellowship

We can celebrate 
What the Lord has done for us
Giving His broken body
So that we can unite as one

Road To Success

Consider the possibility
Lay aside improbability
Eschew negative futility
Never mind any hostility
Exercise your capability
Employing every utility
Accept the responsibility
Enjoy renewed visibility
Allowing for accessibility 

Written June 29, 2022

Someday

Someday,
I’m gonna cross over those waters
And leap up on the farthest shore,
Plant my feet firmly in the glory land
And, I won’t hurt any more.

Someday,
Perhaps on a cold, wintry day
When I’m chillin’ right down to the bone,
I’ll take my leave and cross that river
Lots of folks will join me, I’ll not be alone.

Someday,
When I’ve finished here all that I can do
I’ll lay aside all the things I’ve collected
Put down the work I felt I had to do
And hope, above all, it will be respected.

Someday,
All that matters will be that red-haired girl
I hope to meet again on the other side,
Where we will share once again our journeys
She went before, so she’ll be my guide.

Someday,
She’ll show me all around the kingdom
It won’t be anything like I always thought
True freedom and the ability to transport,
Filled with the things the Creator wrought.

Written April 1, 2022

Using Discretion

It is important we do not get our knickers in a pinch
And wind up acting like the mean, old Grinch
Especially during this season of happiness and cheer,
Let’s lay aside our nasties and unleash them next year.
Surely if we can be kind and patient for the while
From our critics, we will most likely elicit a smile,
And, who knows, we may even forget our discontents,
For “discretion is the better part of valor” makes sense.

written December 3, 2021

When Melancholy Drowns My Interests

When melancholy drowns my interests,               
all seem lost; when black bile's ooze then molests,           
I travel through the valley of this death,
lacking life, hope—even desire for breath!

So, myself from blackness I amputate,
spurn whether to self-murder (and brave this fate?);
and lay aside despair and misery,
to fall in love once more with Poetry.

For two loves I have, God and the Muses:
one gives, the other neither refuses.
Before long, the Parnassus heals me in time;     
and I grow strong before the end of this rhyme!

For mightier than despair is the Lord,
and the poet whose pen conquers the sword.

So Too We Love

. for public domain

We lay aside our wanton pleasure,
to mine the jewels and ore we treasure,
endure hot suns and furrowed brow,
culture new seed after we plow,
despite the moments of regret,
that soil our fruitful silhouette.

We take on task, we take on trial, 
for what we see is well worth while.
So too we love as do we labor,
for heart's delight or gentle neighbor,
fruits we harvest but not possess,
but priceless treasure nonetheless.

A Righteous Indictment Against Excessive, Mental ''Masturbation''

What genius is in taking IQ tests,
     when cures for cancer rot, decompose unfurled  
with Mensans and half-brilliant fools? Digest,     
     then, that with all the intellect in the world
   
these nerds from wasting their brains fail to graduate,    
     and lay aside their intellectual games 
(like Rubik's Cube) than mentally just “masturbate,”
     to never rise to lofty genius's aims.

If Plato, Newton, Einstein, Beethoven,
     or Shakespeare had been content to misspend 
their gifts away, then the world of mere men
     would long have come to its benighted end!

Therefore, reform your minds, ye half-smart fools;
and test yourselves instead in better schools.

Hints of Grandpa

When I was young, my Grandpa sometimes used
expressions that seemed corny at the time.
“The Lord gave you two ears, but just one mouth”
revisits me each time my face turns red
because I used my mouth more than my ears.

Fast forward fifty years. It’s very late.
My aging bones won’t get the rest they crave
until the lines my lamp illuminates 
convey precisely what I long to say. 
I then will lay aside my well-worn book
and favored pen, released to seek sound sleep.

Slight hints of Grandpa often make their way
into my poems. Those, I plan to share
with grandkids, who will smile and say, “That’s good,”
but not with much conviction! They will learn—
I hope—as I did, many precious gems
lie waiting to be mined from “corny” lines
composed by aging poets in the night.


Date posted: June 25, 2020
Poetry Contest Title: The Old Scribe    Placed 12th of 13
Sponsor: Craig Cornish

Abandoned

how can someone not know you anymore?
forswearing the very thought
that you existed
a total disclaimer of your name
cease to acknowledge your being
in adjure denial
it’s incredible
when one disavows another
when one discards another
and your heart is torn, scraped
scrubbed out like a chalkboard
junked like something old and worn
you’ve been axed
ditched
quit

you’ve got to wash your hands of this
renounce depression
forgo the little reminders
avoid junk food
refrain from tears
lay aside time to heal
time for you to
relinquish
knowing this, 
someone gave up
something of 
great worth


6/18/20
'Thesaurus - Abandon or Abandoned' Poetry Contest
Sponsor: A Dear Heart

Winning Along Life's Race

In facing various challenges along life’s race*
With every struggle marked by sin-caused misery
My faith seeks God to strengthen my salvation-zeal
So I can stand upon His grace that’s triumphant.

While battling against numerous adversaries 
Along worldliness of materialism-enticement
My spirit needs the Lord’s sanctification-purge
So I can flee from temptation’s perilous darts.

Conquering various facets of difficulties
And sorrowing due to atrocities’ despair
My heart hides in the Saviour’s protective fortress
So I can overcome for service victory.

Pursuing good success to exalt Christ’s great name
Through faithful stewardship midst discipleship-bliss
My commitment is blessed by His empowerment
So I can live for Him with the Holy Ghost’s might.

*Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

August 1, 2019

Pristine

Pristine

an elegant word
somehow perhaps
out of reach..

at some time 
or many times
perhaps this evening
we need experience 
ourselves as Pristine..
we lay aside
all our self-doubt
opinions of others
our successes
religion's chiding 
and inquire..what
remains..?
then to recognize 
our Pristine within
which never dies 
remains...

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