Perceive

Turn yourself around
Look to see,
Not what you want,
Recognize
The depths of reality.
The picture
Is clear if your heart
Is engaged,
But it is much simpler
To only observe
The surface.
Vision lighted by love
Is seldom
Encouraged by those
Who maintain powers
Over bulk humanity.
By grouping lots
Together
The individual is masked,
Hidden behind layers
Too numerous to comprehend.
Persons alone
Dealt disadvantageous
Circumstance, pain,
May be maladapted
To herd mentality.
Every heart beating
Real,
Soul aching to be filled
Has ability, creativity,
Beauty enough
To withstand trouble,
Triumph and overcome.
Look to see
Inside the spirit
That infuses life
With all the joy
One chooses
To partake,
We are beloved,
Let us celebrate.

This poem was written during the morning’s wee hours. The one previously posted was written in daylight. My schedule encompasses much of the night. The fact I sleep so little is a bit of a bother.

Pathway

I know of the world –
Once there was a way through it
I took without care,
But some people stood opposed
To blazing a path of love.

Their arguments were
Convincing enough to remove
My purpose from me,
But only temporarily –
I awoke and recovered.

My voice was not loud,
But passion fed my practice –
I would not give up;
Others joined me on the way
Trying to rescue our planet.

Calling everyone
To love themselves and others
To submit to God
Through Jesus, many people
Needing Christ’s redemptive love.

Poetry gives voice to life
Renewed, freed, revived with love,
Salvation’s testimony.

I wrote this before going to sleep for a little while. The pain I am experiencing seems to be zapping my strength. I do not have Coronavirus, but I am not in the most excellent health. It does not matter, I survive, and during struggle thrive.

Audacious

What I want to say
Does a speedy estimate
Of words I contain
Before deciding it is
Safe to brave so much fresh air.

There is a beauty
In the newly bestowed clear
Space – nothing hurries;
The birds are better at home,
Exhaust is missing rush hour.

I walk breathing deep
Though pollution is absent
Pollen soldiers on
Running my nose, forcing these
Sneezes and coughs troubling me.

A calm filters down
A peace often dearly missed,
Acceptance descends –
A careful celebration,
Renewed clarity, fresh air.

The prompt today for Prompted Positive Poetry’s Facebook Group was “fresh air.”

Sheltering Silence

Writing hides today
In the quiet shadows left
Behind upon our
Exit en masse from places
We typically frequent.

The patter of steps
No longer echo in halls,
The hushed whispers
Between co-workers are now
Fallen into deep silence.

The schools are empty
With no laughter on playgrounds,
Parents have become
Educators somewhat unsure
Their skills, patience, will suffice.

Words wander quick away
Bringing lonely quietness,
Writing hobbles on astray.

The prompt for the Poem A Day Challenge Countdown on Poetic Asides was “quiet.”

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

I never imagined
We would live in
A time of plague,
But as I think
It would seem life
Has prepared me.

I learned as a wee
Little one in my
Illustrated Holy Bible
The fate of the Egyptians
Who in the Old Testament
Chose to stand against God.

I often read Edgar’s,
“Masque of the Red Death,”
And a few times I braved
Stephen’s apocalyptic masterwork,
The Stand which invaded
My dreams with fear.

Various articles on 1918
With their focus on
The failure of the grid,
Were supremely worrying,
Then more recently
Chuck’s terrifying Wanderers.

When the first news broke
In the New York Times
That the Coronavirus was
Fast-moving in China
Something clutched at me
And I became concerned.

As it spread further
Taking a tenacious hold
Worry invaded, and with
Each report of increased transmission
Fear escalated until a panic
Began to set in, spooking me.

I gathered my nerves
Convinced God is in Control
Knowing isolation is my lifestyle
Finding some peace that time
Is easy to occupy when creative
Hoping and praying as life goes on.

This was written about 4am after watching Netflix on the tablet in bed. I should have put it up earlier, but I was not sure how I felt about it. I try to focus on positive things, but I think there must be some use for poetic comment on the times.