In living's realm, it's Christ I find,
In His embrace, my soul aligned.
To die, the gain, a higher plane,
Beyond the mortal, I'll attain.
Transcendent journey, soul's ascent,
Through life and death, my faith unbent.
In Christ's embrace, I find my breath,
In heavenly realms, I'll conquer death.
In every moment, Christ I see,
His love and grace, my sanctuary.
Through life's embrace, my purpose clear,
In death's release, no trace of fear.
For to me, to live as Christ's part,
His guiding light within my heart.
To die, a gain, I shall proclaim,
In Christ's embrace, forever claim.
Critics Beware!
Poets are vulnerable no less than anyone,
when fallen victim to outrageous critics.
As Shelley wrote, critics' darts struck Keats,
who blindly, cruelly, mocked 'Endymion.'
Lethal no less the heady potion fame.
Some drowned, took poison, died paupers or insane.
Yet poet-baiters must themselves take warning,
wrote Heine in his 'Winter Fairy Tale.'
Eternal lines, if barbed, outdo Hell's fierce burning.
'Time shall not heal when poets wield the flail.'
Our foes, wrote Paul, are not of flesh and blood
but powers of evil inhabiting high places.
Promethean fire consumes the evil and the good,
Iniquities have many masks and faces.
Alone the Word that spares the infant's life
to wrong proves mightier than every art of strife.
I’ve hurt some people in my life
That didn’t deserve the pain
I often didn’t truly realize
The suffering they’d obtain
I’ve done some things that I regret
Sins that were terrible to name
But I know that God gives grace
In spite of all that seems insane
I’ve admitted that I don’t know how
To mend the fences I’ve beaten down
Or how to carve out of the past
A friend who doesn’t still frown
It wasn’t that I was such a bad person
I gave all I had to my beloved one
But I just didn’t think about affecting others
With sins that would weigh a ton
It wasn’t that I ever intended to hurt another
I honestly didn’t want to do any harm
But I was selfish and only thought of my own
For some people that seemed to charm
I made a lot of mistakes in my lifetime
And I regret the worst ones I’ve known
They don’t let me forget my past some days
But always remind me that I’ve grown
Today I reach out for the grace of God
With assurance that He forgives it all
From the worst sins to times I contend
He reminds me that I’m a little like St. Paul
St. Paul immersed in difficulties
Trials of various kinds
Wrote to his disciple Timothy
Must go back with Risen Jesus to Damascus
Follower the Law of Moses
Determined to fight
Every means
Even kill those regarded God’s enemies
On the way to Damascus
To arrest followers of (Father) Christ
Was blinded by mysterious light
Heard himself called by name Saul, Saul,
“Why do you persecute Me?”
Fell to the ground, asking
“Who are you?
Lord?”
“I am Jesus
Whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:3-5)
After encounter
His life changed dramatically
He received baptism to Paul
Became Apostle of the Gospel
Inwardly Transformed by Divine love
Had met in the person of Father Christ
He wrote “Life I now live, in the flesh I live by the (Eternal) Son of (Eternal) God”
Who loved me and gave Himself to me
From being a persecutor
He became a witness and a missionary
Founded Christian Community
In Asia Minor and Greece
Travelled thousands of miles among all kinds of dangers
His martyrdom is all for the love of Father Christ
Written: 2011/6242018
Poetry Form: Dramatic Monologue
Copyright © Jacqueline R. Mendoza
The Bible condemns all tradition
St. Paul says to hold fast to the traditions he taught
Either orally or in writing
Saul named Paul
Saw Jesus or Father Christ
To Damascus
St. Paul immersed in difficulties
Trials of various kinds
Wrote to his disciple Timothy
Must go back with Risen Jesus to Damascus
Follower the Law of Moses
Determined to fight
Every means
Even kill those regarded God’s enemies
On the way to Damascus
To arrest followers of Christ
Was blinded by mysterious light
Heard himself called by name
Saul, Saul,
“Why do you persecute Me?”
Fell to the ground, asking
“Who are you, Lord?”
“I am Jesus
Whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:3-5)
After encounter
His life changed dramatically
He received baptism to Paul
Became Apostle of the Gospel
Inwardly Transformed by Divine love
Had met in the person of Jesus Christ
He wrote “Life I now live, in the flesh I live by the Son of God”
Who loved me and gave Himself to me
From being a persecutor
He became a witness and a missionary
Founded Christian Community
In Asia Minor and Greece
Travelled thousands of miles among all kinds of dangers
His martyrdom is all for the love of Christ
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