Self Denial Poems | Examples

List of Member Poems

Premium Member Disrobing Ego

The key to disrobing ego
so that divineness in us can grow
involves letting go of conceit
and allowing God’s light to glow.

As our fellow man we put first,
we’ll be letting go of our pride,
and by practicing self-denial,
we can lean to the righteous side.

It’s a matter of being humble,
being grateful and serving others.
Our love for God we can show
by loving our sisters and brothers.

Addiction Dereliction Non-Fiction Pictionary Piss to Listen To for YOU

One more pill, 
One more self-denial of internal strength, 
One more unhealthy decision, 
One more drink to ease the tension, 
One more fruitless thrill, 
One more wasted skill, 
One more temperament becoming ill,
 One more day by the windowsill of life, 
Looking out, 
Wondering, 
Crying, “Why?”  
Then comes the light.  
Habit, 
Fear, 
Addicts still cheer, 
***** as it seems, 
Passing on by go some dreams, 
Screams occur, 
Many things blur, 
One thing for sure, 
Are the things that were the cure, 
No larger are, 
That is ALL I know so far.  
It is FUBAR!!!

The Hounds

I fear the hounds - ever they chase;
I must keep my pace or risk their overtake.
I fear the hounds, their hurtling pursuit;
I must watch my path to avoid rock and root.
I fear the hounds - ever they follow;
My feet must not fail me if I’m to make it to the morrow.
I hear the hounds, frantic as they bay,
My life the spoils they scrabble to claim.
I hear the hounds, and I wish to just rest;
I’m so weary of fleeing and giving my best.
I hear the hounds, and the temptation is great;
I slow my pace, and my end I embrace.
I see the hounds, and my blood runs cold;
They snarl with triumph and sprint to take hold.
I see the hounds - love of pride, love of me,
The easy path, wide and sloping in gentle degrees.
I see the hounds, and myself I revile:
Am I truly that tired, or just lacking the will for self-denial?
I flee the hounds; I lengthen my stride - 
I’ll give them no easy victory tonight.
I flee the hounds - oh, they howl in rage;
They were just within reach of snaring their prey.
I flee the hounds through the brambles I run,
With faith that I’ll rest with the return of the Son.


MESSAGE TO THE YOUTHS

If you want to go far in life
Reduce your circle
The people you share your dreams with
It's not about numbers, but loyalty 
Make a long table, helping others 
So you can be stable 
When ever you're not capable 
So you'll be able, to get where you want to be.


If you want to be
Liked by people 
Start pleasing people 
People pleasing is self denial 
No matter the quantity  of water
It can't fill up a basket 
Due to the  nature of a basket 
The wrong people will waste your efforts.

No firm tree without a root, 
No standard building without a foundation
Only God, family and true friends 
Knows how you survived 
All life threw at you
Stay focused. So you don't stay stuck, keep trying until you become successful.

Wasteland of Failure

The outside is where I belong
The inside so filmiar 
A constant stride to belong
To fit the mold of what a man should be
Weak I am cancered by self denial
When will it end for me
Alone I be
What a disappointment
A shaded comparison of where I started
I seek something
But back away
When it gets hard I blame all but me
I am the cause of no resolution in my dimise
It's hard to see past all the flaws when they seem to out weigh the successes 
Torn apart from it all
Just dwell in the peices of insecurities 
What have I become
Lost in the shallow of a hollow man
In a world built in expectations I fall flat everytime
What is the reason for this prison
It's all in the past  part of my present
When will this future become  bright
When all around this body is a dark mass
Haunted visions ghosts of remembrance
This is how my life develops 
Within the carnage of love and hate I collide
Still beaten and battered but whos throwing the punches 
Me  a lesser verison of myself
Where do I go
Where do a belong
In the wasteland of failure for all to flourish except me.

Premium Member THE ECHO RETURNS NOT

Silent is the echo as pride shouts
   selfishness causing pouts...
      self-conceit triumphs over jealousy bouts 
         self-glory reigns with discontentment clouts
            self-reliance wavers upon attacking doubts
               self-pity maneuvers toward false humility-routes…

The echo returns not indeed...
   as self-sufficiency does arrogantly succeed
      self-exaltation declares me-I-my-mine creed
         self-inflicting pain midst guilt continues to breed
            self-denial actually hoists covetousness and greed
               self-love matters most, not recognizing God with His deed.


Faithfulness

Faithfulness has something to do with character
Character that goes beyond knowing yourself
Denying oneself to the border of humbling more
How you love the one you believe is dedication
Dedication more than self-esteem is transgression
More that chosen is faithfulness in nature
Human nature that is self-initiative and spiritual
Spiritual that is deep emotional and justifiable
Living in plain and simple way of godliness
Giving the utmost attention of self-denial
Carrying one's cross and follow God's will
In God's commandment is life's forevermore.

Premium Member My Sweet Lord!

How does the hymner sing of God's measureless love through quadruplets-
Fine craftsman of fields, flowers, fountains of water, mountains, and sun-
Who practiced self-denial, till blood sweat, for the honor of thieves
apportioning second chances like sweet nectar while He came undone?

Why does the scribe pen his worship to the Universal Maker,
Compiling pages of effusive love notes for an unseen King?
Unobserved by open eyes but recognized by insightful hearts 
Heeding courtship calls from Christ, Saviour sweet, at the threshold tapping.

Where does the artist conceive sweet lines, hues that tell wondrous tales-
delicate replicas of the Creator, thoughts color their veins- 
as prismatic as rainbows post turbulence and wuthering days,
so silver linings laid on canvas sprinkle joy for hearts to sail?

When do dancers slip from guarded grace to ungirded ecstasy?
In the sweet echoes of a recent heartbeat or laughing babies,
bustling birdy melodies auguring spring's blessed revival?
I shall sharpen my grand jetés for Jesus' triumphant arrival.

Nowhere To Run

A prisoner 
of sentience
escape
self-denial

Incarcerated
deep inside
with voices
dark and vile

A prisoner
of every thought
his mind
a burning feast

The moments that
protected him
before
protect him least

A prisoner
of déjà vu
where now
and then conspire

His name convicted
to the flames
all dreams
— within the fire

(Dreamsleep: October, 2024)

Premium Member Selflessness Requited

The blissful ignorance of self-denial
as a means to self-awareness and inner meaning
denies the selfless bliss of
service and love for others.
To make less of self,
to cease selfish cravings and desires,
is more about striving to satisfy
the needs of others than to
blast away at what you think you need
to satisfy and satiate, your own inner selfish needs.
Self-denial is a dead-end fork
on the road to self-awareness.
For the blind cessation of self, if unrequited,
lets frustration break out 
into unresolved blights and sores
that you alone cannot heal.
The path to less self-awareness
lies in unselfish selflessness
to others.

Sacrifice 3

All beings
the sacrifice of self-denial
it is the fruit

For humans
a higher sacrifice
It's the sacrifice of the will.

This Man of Definition

Where has he gone
This illusion of me
Still hidden in a childs pain
Where has he gone this vision of me
Manifested in change
Lost in a creation of self denial
Where has he gone
Twisted in fear
Searching for inspiration
Where has he gone
This man of wonder and love
Locked away from times forgiveness
Where has he gone
This man of courage and grace
Slipping on the banana peals of rage
Where has he gone
This man of strength and sureness
Cast aside to the rock edges of love
Where has he gone
This reflection of me with a smile on my face
Broken to pieces at the feet of my insecurities
Where has he gone this man of definition.

Premium Member Biblical Spiritual Characteristics

The Christian way is no easy task
God's call is a call to fully endure
many obstacles have to be overcome
but victory's assured for God is sure

A true Christian shows real godliness
having deep humility to put others first
denying one's self have no worldly want
only God fills one with spiritual thirst

This thirst clearly is heaven sent
producing eternal kingdom affection
to renounce the world's pleasures
so give the Lord full attention

God sends his spirit in one's heart
producing His character to bless
living holy lives to give Him glory
putting on our gifted godly dress

So live truly for God alone
display yourself to be holy true
brings pleasure to God our Lord
eternal always forever to do

('If our common life is not a common course of humility, self-denial, renunciation of the world, poverty of spirit and heavenly affection, we do not live the lives of Christians.')
- William Law.- (1686-1761) 'A serious call to a devout and holy life.'

Stanford Warren and Barren Lands

I have heard of a Stanford Warren, 
Who chose to live in lands barren,
Self submitting to predicament; 
It was simply not God’s Commandment.

Warren tags it Rich Self-Denial
And swears “Decision is final!”
By full choice “Rock of Gibraltar’
“You can’t me change from your altar!”

Was he after A Transformation:
Out testing some dropped information?
Former neighbor: multi-millionaire
Former best friend stinking billionaire 
He’d tried a fact-finding questionnaire
The First had slept in a dust bin,
The Second long punished his skin…

And to Fifty-Year-Old Warren
His surest bet: lands badly barren!

Self Denial

Had to deny myself today

So much of my life

I just got in God's way

I had to pay the price

For choosing my own will

And God let me go to have my fill

I took the fork in every road

Paying no mind to the heavy load

Instead of taking the narrow path

Assuming I wasn't subjected to an angry Gods wrath

So my life started miserably failing

I lost family and friends

Spent many a night wailing 

The downward spiral seemed to have no end at all

When I finally hit bottom

And was ready to end it all

Thats when Jesus reached out to break my fall

He told me all about my life

How I wandered so far away

And how he still walked beside me day by day.

He forgave me for everything

And said it was the reason he died

And as he washed my soul I could only cry

So I denied myself and gave it all to him

And as I swallowed my pride

I felt my new life begin

Now my days here are blessed

AS I walk  towards his glory

with my heart all cleansed with a brand new Story.

Sub Categories

Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace