Proceeds Poems

Remembrance

Placed First in Standard Contest
Specular Fugue
Sponsor : Suzette Richards

_____________

watching passivity in activity
sad, sombrely sad
memories from womb rise and fall
little miracles of remembrance 
holding the hands of Fate we wait
Wheels of Fortune revolves, race stagnates
we do not cry, hankerchiefs dry
timeless we watch, clock ticking

clock glancing, mindful of time   
unseen cry, tissues wet lie around  
loss centres, race proceeds 
there is no Fate, only Self-determination
every forgetting is a miracle
uterine amnesia ~ stumbling and ascending 
sombre joy replicates in silence 
active we look away, passive and still

Protect My Heart

The fight in which you can't understand,
As love proceeds to hold your hand,

On purpose with precision, precious in his eyes,
Keeping every ounce of you hidden protecting your heart inside,
Like a treasure to keep or a door to unlock,
A place to hide when the heart's had enough,
We live out this life with everyone knowing,
And yet forget the heart that's privately showing,
The love that we so desperately want,
That quietly reassures us we are more than enough,
That stands by our side that doesn't need to be seen,
And loves us no matter what whole heartedly,

Decrypting the code

our journey as we soften attention 
proceeds somewhat like this:

senses to mind
mind to intellect 

intellect to the cosmic egg
Hiranyagarbha ~ in our head

Hiranyagarbha to the unmanifest
meaning, what we call Self

the Self to God, the Absolute
golden globe of love and light

we all are in Him 
He is in all

nothing more need be said

In Rhyme and Faith - Verses Upon the Creed of EFCI - An Ode to the EFCI Confession

1. The Scriptures shine, God-breathed and pure,  
2. One triune God, eternal and sure.  
3. The Father reigns, Creator above,  
4. The Son, our Savior, full of grace and love.  
5. The Spirit proceeds, giving life and light,  
6. Humankind fallen, lost from God’s sight.  
7. Salvation is grace, through faith alone,  
8. Faith, Spirit-given, makes Christ our own.  
9. Children of God, by blood justified,  
10. Baptism and Supper, Christ’s love supplied.  
11. The Church, His body, with Christ as the head,  
12. Awaiting His coming, just as He said.  
13. Resurrection awaits—joy or judgment ahead.

© 2025 Pastor Emmanuel Serto

Old Before New

Every day once a while
I could see the construction of a 
new building going by,
It proceeds slow enough
to make some innocent birds mistake
it for an abandoned shelter;
They have begun building their refuge
on its dusty window sills,
lovingly nurturing it to become 
permanent, giving their everything.

That's What Friends Are For

A great musical artist is Gladys Knight.
However, things with her were not quite right.
Financial situations were enduring stormy weather.
So, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and I got together.
Along with Gladys, we entered a recording studio.
We collaborated on a song many got to know.
The four of us made a popular video.
Our hit was played on many a radio station.
Proceeds from the music bailed her out of her situation.

Let then the winter of life rage

Like late eve of a slowly dying year, 
Yellowing leaves await when falling down, 
Soon to get trodden when dried to dull brown, 
A few still hanging on, life lived in fear, 
I too, on late life's tentative twilight— 
The age awaiting the sunset of life  
With forebodings of a long prowling night, 
I too dream of no path sun’s bright-light rife, 
But much rather that I see the amber 
Of glowing fire that flickers in my heart, 
See past the Fall followed by November, 
All through till chilly weathers fully part… 
    If you, my love, can wait till Spring and more, 
    Let winter do her worse upon my door. 
______________________ 
Sonnet |13.11.2008, revised March 2025| life, love, winter, old age 
Note: Eve of a dying year alludes to autumn or fall of the year, its parallel being old age. Northern Path: According to Hindu belief the soul leaves mortal remains and proceeds on to Northern/Southern Path. North is the path of no-return (Liberation), and south for returning to earth. Of course this depends on karma.

Penelope Percheron

At popular Pennsylvania State Fair,
ponies were preparing for prissy pony pageant,
promenading ponies' pretty polished hooves,
parading promoter, Percival Poppycock,
promised prize-
pauses, perplexed,
as Penelope Percheron,
a primping draft horse,
prances into pavilion,
petite ponies patter,
prima donna Penelope presents
perfumed self,
pricey pink ribbons, pearly teeth,
panache!
Prestigious panel of judges
promptly present Penelope as
"Princess Pony",
she pirouettes, pulverizes display
of plentiful pumpkins,
pummeling stands,
pure pandemonium,
people, popcorn, peanuts everywhere,
Penelope picks herself up,
proceeds with precious Princess Pony prize,
proudly preening,
positively pompous!

Footprints

I look back at my footprints,
Which showed my progression.
A better one indeed,
Learning how a life proceeds.
 
Know that yesterday isn't tomorrow.
The past chapter is closed,
A new one might start soon.
Put on a smile and go.
 
True colours comes out
When a problem arises.
A sudden courage appeared to solve
Those one by one, it brought peace.
 
Heart untangled from the ties
Which were knotted very tightly.
Unraveled one after another,
Till the heart was set free.
 
Now, a happier era has just begun.
Where people I trust are around me,
Jovial and sprightly,
Which makes me persist freely.

Stardust On Autumn Leaves

The air feels nippy as the Night stretches,
adjusting itself to fit Fall.
Silence replaces the songbirds' sweet songs;
while wailing winds
compose a dirge for Summers's death.
And in the cold of Night,
Jack Frost sprinkles stardust on Autumn leaves,
dusting the tops of deciduous trees.
And overnight, scarlet, orange, cerise, and gold
magically replace green canopies.
A shower of colored leaves
starts raining down upon the ground:
as brisk breezes strip bare the trees. 
And the haunting, honking call of wild geese
echos above the barren branches,
as they migrate south to ward off Winter's wrath.
Winter approaches:
concealed amidst a flurry of snowflakes;
sterile and frigid
She usurps Autumn's crown and proceeds to reign.

Holiday Limerick Set

Happy Halloweenie

A wiener dog I’ve got so teeny.
I dressed him up like a small genie.
On Halloween day
I’m able to say
that I’ve got my own Halloweenie.

Tom the Turkey

Tom the turkey was puffed up with pride.
In the farmer’s truck he got to ride.
He felt great till plucked,
then learned his life sucked
when inside a big pot he got fried.

St. Nick’s All Fueled Up

Every Christmas Eve, St. Nick proceeds
to go sleigh racing doing good deeds.
Though with gas costs so high,
he still flies to the sky -
Rudolph’s farts - all the gas that he needs.

Grooming well goes a long way

To dress well seems well worth a thought,
In merit, dress matters a lot:
Dressed in silk, to Vishnu so suave,
Father Ocean his daughter gave,
In tiger skin, Shiva a venom-pot.             
_____________________ 
Translation |22.10.2024| dress, clothes, daughter, marriage 

Poet’s note: Sanskrit has thousands of verses of wisdom called Subhashhitam. This one asks a question, why should one dress well? And then proceeds to answer it by illustration. During samudra manthanam (Great Churning of Ocean), goddess Lakshmi  when came out, father ocean gave her in marriage to Vishnu who was well dressed and well groomed, not to Shiva who was clad in tiger skin, and smeared with ash . Later when venom came out, it was only Shiva who could neutralize it. Think, both were eminently suitable otherwise. The transliteration of the Sanskrit verse follows:

Kim vaasasaa tatra vichaaraneeyam, 
Vaasah pradhaanam khalu yogyataayaah |
Pitaambaram veekshya dadau sva-kanyaam,
Charmaambaram veekshya vishham samudrah ||

Unprecedented

Unprecedented is my favorite word.
It’s more than a term I hadn’t heard.

It’s a concept to be explored,
an unknown that makes life seem short.

It’s my well-known wide-eyed view,
begging me to look anew.

It may be a thought, a sound, a smell,
the source of a Wow, an Uff, an Oh Well.

It may be emotions I wouldn’t tame,
feelings the freest if lacking a name. 

Who seeks what hasn’t yet been sought?
And how to learn what no one taught?

Whatever finds me, or I find,
likes to change and blow my mind.
If you don’t mind, do what you do;
the unprecedented proceeds to you.

Racing the Currents

Softly murmuring, the river’s raspy voice
Settles my soul with its rumbling choice,
Rustling quietly beneath a glowing moon,
Splattered by the sound of the river’s rejoice

Light trickles from stars who’re strewn
Across flirty skies where dreamers swoon,
Leaving the heart full, moaning its needs,
While witnesses tell tales much like cartoons

Roaring rapids reveal what the mind reads,
In stories of crashing winds with its dark deeds,
While the river gulps and hiccups on its course,
Promising to bring us its astounding proceeds.

Waters boom and belch, such a mighty force,
Revealing God’s strength, the only true source,
Mighty waters rip out a path like a racehorse,
One that most gamblers would surely indorse.

Whispers of Autumn Fall

They say it's in the wind
 restless teases and taunts that seasons are in flux
 an escape out of the summer's endless rush,

hush now, if you listen close
 you might hear the trees as they host
 a last farewell to the flow of this year;

it's a catchy phrase, barely audible
 in the blend of fall color palettes applaudable
 yellows, oranges, crimson reds as leaves have fled,

they hurry now, rushing into the harvests of October gusts
 nature has her schedule as each season must
 as spring's summer closes the account trust;

see the skies, the blues on grays
 as life proceeds on, fall begins to slip away.

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