Ali Khamenei,
a Shia cleric
and the Supreme Leader
of Iran.
Today,
many in Iran
weep for your passing.
To many,
you were a symbol
of conviction
in difficult times.
To others,
your legacy
remains deeply debated.
You lived
through years
of conflict,
sanctions,
and uncertainty.
The storms of history
followed your footsteps.
The Middle East
bore witness
to war,
loss,
and generations
searching for peace.
Supporters remember
your steadfastness.
Critics remember
your decisions.
History
will continue
to examine
both.
Leadership
is never carried
without burden.
Power
is never remembered
without consequence.
Today,
a chapter closes.
Tomorrow,
history will decide
how your life
is understood.
May those
who mourn
find comfort.
And may the future
bring wisdom,
justice,
and lasting peace
to the people
of Iran
and the Middle East.
Rest in peace,
Ali Khamenei .
Tempest with a little bit of lemon,
then read the tea leaves as they fall
in oft tangled messages
from the winds of second heaven,
or from heated winds of hell
shrieking across the wild land
to find me in the peaceful cotton groves
where for now I safely dwell,
and where the sun has come
and where the moon has gone
in patterns of steadfastness,
and where winds of change now thrum
warning me to flee before the tempest
takes the lemon from the tea
and scatters leaves so I can’t see
the meaning of my lifelong quest.
Quick and slow, pulsed to jibe and rudder
A late dancing, in the luminous waves
The boats angle to the cresting froth tops.
Sails arched, full burst into the brine
Air paces, vast to the horizon’s rim
The hazing glow, communion of sky to sea.
They bob and streak, the prow's steadfastness
Each sailor guides to the compass, knowing
The importance of destination.
Duty
People talk of Purpose, as if there’s always choice
I am somewhat different, perhaps a solitary voice
The Modern World commands the self, where each is to their own
But I was taught to share my spoil, no circumstance bemoan
So toil I do relentlessly, and selflessly I prosper
I sacrifice ambition that the Ego seeks to foster
For I've become the Carer, not child nor husband now
The one who keeps the wheels greased, the broke down cars I tow
I work until my brain and bones, cannot sustain the pressure
I gasp when I get time to spare, a guilty token gesture
For I am here not for myself, nor for the higher calling
My steadfastness I here confess is try to stop Them falling
But if you ask why do it then, why subjugate your freedom?
I open wide my mouth to speak, but find no words of wisdom
It's who I am, it's what I feel, so simple in it's beauty
I live and breathe and do bequeath my sanctum for my duty
Abandon not your vow to do what is right
Built upon integrity along sincere practice
Cling to your commitment with steadfastness
Directed toward service and reaching-out.
Exhorted for loyalty and fidelity’s tenacity
Fulfill your role well with honest heart
Guarded against hypocrisy’s destruction
Hoisted for readiness to help by God’s grace.*
*1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
May 21, 2025
3rd place, "Abandon" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France; judged on 5/23/2025
My soul welcomes challenges
with triumphant spirit
as my will soars toward
faith-flight of prayer wings
defying arrogance of self-confidence
while hiding in the strength of the Lord…
My heart basks in God's goodness
for every victory midst bouncing hope
with steadfastness to keep on
learning from trial and test
grateful for lessons
since transformation works
championing the new creation in me
against my carnal human nature…
Yes, I am what I am now
by the grace of my Creator
and through His mercy and might
along His miracles of marvellousness
my life is His workmanship
toward victorious bliss
in reaching-out with His love.
[email protected]
Sun, Sep 14, 7:02?PM
Dear Beata,
Congratulations, this is just a quick notice to let you know that your poem When My Life Changed is a PoetrySoup Premiere Contest winner for contest: when my life changed.
Thanks again for entering a Premiere Contest and congratulations.
See contest results and contact the poet sponsor here: when my life changed
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PoetrySoup
December 8 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Ephesians 1-3
Key Verse – Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR HIS SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
Praise be to God for His spiritual blessings with:
Grand plan of His work
Good pleasure in His will
Great power along His way
Glorious praises during worship
Gracious provisions in His worth
Guiding prudence midst His wisdom
Governing providence by His watchfulness
Ephesians 2:10 Praise be to the Lord
for perfecting us as His workmanship:
Created for Christ-like character
Converted by His compassionate care
Cleansed toward consecration’s commitment
Charged for His calling so clearly communicated
Challenged to be courageous by His counsel and comfort
Ephesians 3:1 Praise be to the Saviour for
allowing us to be His prisoners:
Bound by His salvation
Burdened by His service
Brought to His sanctuary
Blessed with His satisfaction
Braced upon His steadfastness
Bestowed along His sustenance. Amen!
December 8, 2024
November 17 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Acts 14-15
Key Verse – Acts 14:26 … They had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR HIS GRACE
AS WE FULFILL HIS WORK
Praise be to God for His grace as we fulfill His work, being His:
Saints through His secured salvation
Stewards midst His satisfying sustenance
Servants along His strong settled steadfastness
Sowers around His supplication-seal with Scriptures’ seed
Students through His sanctification for safeguarded standards
Acts 15:4 Praise be to the Lord for enabling us
to declare His greatness while:
Glorifying His glowing grace
Going along His girding Gospel
Grasping His gripping guidance
Giving by His gearing generosity
Growing by His governing goodness
Acts 15:35 Praise be to the Saviour for
helping us to continue in His grace as we:
Pursue after Him through His principles
Ponder about Him with His precepts
Praise Him midst His prominence
Prefer Him with His promises
Prioritize Him purposefully. Amen!
November 17, 2024
November 15 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Acts 9-10
Key Verse – Acts 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR ENABLING US TO ARISE
Praise be to God for enabling us to arise for our:
Steadfastness by His settled salvation
Strength along His satisfaction-sufficiency
Sturdiness through His support to our supplication
Security with His sanctification-seal by His Scriptures
Stability against shakiness due to suffering and sadness
Acts 9:15 Praise be to the Lord for choosing us
as His vessels to:
Bear His name
Build other by His news
Blossom with His nurturing
Bloom through His nourishment
Become blessings along His nursing
Acts 10:15 Praise be to the Saviour for cleansing us toward:
Devoted prayer-dependent deeds
Dedicated purpose-directed desires
Determined progress-designed delights
Diligent performance-driven disposition
Decisive peace-dominated developments. Amen!
November 15, 2024
November 8 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on John 11-12
Key Verse – John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR HE IS
THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE
Praise be to God for He is the resurrection and the life:
Saving our souls with His security-seal
Sanctifying our spirits along His statute-standard
Satisfying our service by His sufficient supply-support
Sustaining our stewardship upon His Scripture-statutes
Strengthening our supplication through His steadfastness
John 12:7-8 Praise be to the Lord for
teaching us to have Him always:
Trusting Him amidst crises
Thanking Him for His compassion
Toiling for Him despite challenges
Triumphing in His calling and caring
Treading upon His championship charge
John 12:46 Praise be to the Saviour
for being our light against:
Zeal where greatness pretends
Zenith where godlessness prevails
Zones where gloominess pervades
Zooms where goodness is perverted
Zest where greediness against grace pesters. Amen!
November 8, 2024
November 5 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on John 5-6
Key Verse – John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR ENABLING US TO WALK
Praise be to God for enabling us to walk while making us whole:
Propelling us for progress
Perfecting us along practice
Pardoning us from perversion
Providing for us midst poverty
Protecting us against perdition
Promoting us toward prosperity
Performing in us through His power
John 6:29 Praise be to the Lord for
His works toward our:
Salvation so secure
Sweet supplication
Sanctification that is sure
Shaping midst His stability
Strength upon His sturdiness
Steadfastness in His settlement
Sufficiency along His satisfaction
Support sustained by His Scriptures
John 6:69 Praise be to the Saviour
for He is the Christ Who:
Touches our tears of toils
Turns our trials into triumphs
Treats our trust against terrors
Tests our truthfulness with truth
Trains our tenacity midst temptations
Teaches our testimony despite travails
Thwarts our twists toward thanksgiving. Amen!
November 5, 2024
October 25 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Luke 8-9
Key Verse – Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for
I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR ALLOWING US TO TOUCH HIM
Praise be to God for allowing us to touch Him for our:
Salvation-security with His strength
Soul-settling sanctification with our sincerity
Satisfaction-sufficiency through His sustenance
Service-steadfastness by His Scriptures along our supplication
Stewardship-success with our surrender and submission to His standards
Luke 8:50 Praise be to the Lord for pacifying our fear
while encouraging us to believe Him with faith:
Founded upon His Word
Focused on His wondrous ways
Fortified by His will and wisdom
Flourished through His worthy work
Fenced around His watchfulness for our welfare
Luke 9:62 Praise be to the Saviour
for enabling us to be fit in His kingdom:
Charged by His compassion
Cleansed for our commitment
Consecrated through His command
Commanded along His commission-call
Converted toward caring, carved around His closeness. Amen!
October 25, 2024
September 9 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Ezekiel 34-36
Key Verse – Ezekiel 34:11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR SEARCHING AND SEEKING US OUT
Praise be to God for searching and seeking us out to:
Save us against sin-spoilage
Suffice us toward our satisfaction
Settle us upon His Scriptural standard
Sanctify us for stewardship and service
Strengthen us with His safety’s steadfastness
Ezekiel 35:12 Praise be to the Lord for hearing our:
Lamentations He answers by His authority
Love-led aspirations with His assurance
Longings as well as our apprehensions
Loneliness-lengthened by anger
Litany of anxieties and angst
Ezekiel 36:11 Praise be to the Saviour for doing
better unto us than at our beginnings:
Calling us from carnality’s cage
Cleansing us with consecration’s claim
Changing us toward commitment’s conversion
Commanding us to cleave unto Him and His comfort
Caring for us while we cling to His compassionate clemency. Amen!
September 9, 2024
The gentle patter of rain,
Whispers of water
falling from the sky,
each droplet carrying a tale
shared with the soil,
lightly drumming on leaves,
stirring the greenery awake.
Puddles mirror their surroundings,
reflecting the world
in rippling images,
while the fragrance of earth permeates the air,
grounding our living presence.
Birds seek refuge
among tree branches,
their melodies momentarily hushed,
replaced by the symphony
of raindrops
dancing on rooftops
trickling down windowpanes.
The rain's rhythm, a soothing lullaby,
a prompt
of nature's steadfastness,
its continual cycle
of giving and receiving,
nurturing life.
In this suspended moment
time seems to pause,
around
the world listens intently
to the soothing melody
of springtime rainfall,
a tranquil conversation
between sky and earth.
May 25 Praises to God Bible Meditations Based on Nehemiah 8-10
Key Verse – Nehemiah 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
PRAISE BE TO GOD WHO INSTRUCTS US
TO READ HIS LAW
Praise be to God for instructing us to read His law for our:
Direction according to His ways
Decisions around His will
Discretion by His Word
Delight with His worth
Drive for worship
Nehemiah 9:31 Praise be to the Lord for He is gracious and merciful:
Good in prompting us for high purpose
Great in propelling our heavenly pursuits
Glorious in pushing us toward holy perfection
Generous in pouring to us healthy-hoisted provisions
Guiding our progress with prosperity midst hope heartily
Nehemiah 10:29 Praise be to the Saviour for reminding us
to observe His commandments and to:
Stay in His security
Serve Him with steadfastness
Stand strong upon His Scriptures
Share salvation midst sincere soulwinning
Seek His shelter against shaky and sinking support. Amen!
May 25, 2024
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