At DVerse, yesterday’s Poetics prompt was about peer pressure. Although I wanted to write a longer and more personal piece, that’s not happening yet, and it might be too personal for this blog, anyway (“too personal for this blog??” Who knew there was such a thing?). Instead, here is a five-line poem I wrote last night, based on a Bible verse that was in my reading.
Conform not to the culture which surrounds: To find one’s way, transgressing o’er its bounds May be the better choice, to remain true To what a human ought to be and do. Integrity will furnish solid ground.
A sunflower beginning to open — I took this photo about 2 years ago
I, blind to the future, must walk forward,
Hoping for Heaven, which I'm limping toward.
Imagination paints predictions vividly,
Dread digs up a dozen ways to scare me.
What's coming in life are paths unknown,
Only little by little is any light shown.
Yet when the future day comes into my sight,
Even a crooked way may straighten to delight.
I wonder if there's truly much to fear,
Even if I don't see my Guide here.
This poem was inspired by the Bible verse Isaiah 42:16 (KJV).
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
It’s a day late for Fandango’s Flashback Friday, so here I am with “See-it-again Saturday.” 🙂 This time I skimmed through my archives for past Junes, especially for poems written around this same date (June 10th or 11th). I found several good ones, if I can say so myself. This chance to go back and read poems that I’ve forgotten about is quite welcome!I hope you enjoy reading. 😀
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
— John 1:5
Words might be hurtful,
And rejection, might be mine,
But my God redeems it,
Et lux in tenebris lucet.
Will my friends abandon me,
In this Gethsemane?
But God gets me through it,
Et lux in tenebris lucet.
Amidst mean words,
I seek my Shepherd:
My lamp is lit,
Et lux in tenebris lucet.
Lastly, I wanted to link to this poem here, titled “Water Is Dry,” which I found intriguing.
So, I wrote a décima today. It’s been a while since I’ve shared one because Ronovan Writes has a Sijo challenge now, but here you go. It started out positive. I wrote the second and third lines first, inspired by a Bible verse (link goes to a different translation from the one I used but close enough 🙂 ). However, then I had An Afternoon.
I tried, people, I tried. -_-
There’s a crown of worth unfading:
For this I struggle and press on,
With Christ in me to make me strong
Into unknown waters wading.
Here come attacks aggravating
Already-strong onslaughts, keeping
Me laughably close to weeping,
No matter prayers and platitudes.
All of the strength that I’d accrued
Was used earlier – I’m sleeping.
Bonus! Here’s a shadorma I wrote this morning about trusting God, despite how hard it is. In the morning it felt possible. However, then I had An Afternoon.
path ahead
is obscurity —
but darkness
is not dark
for Someone. take a deep breath,
this must be trusted
So, when I first typed this up, I added an asterisk at the end: *even if you are pissed at Him
I hope this isn’t like the video game Portal, where “the cake is a lie.” I feel like all the metaphorical cake in this world is not worth going through this over. and. over. again.
Yesterday, in the livestreamed rosary group that I’m still a part of (I have written about it before at some point), I wrote about some of my difficulty with depression / wanting to die, etc. and somebody told me to “seek the Lord.” Thankfully I stopped myself from actually typing back, “What a GREAT idea!! Wish I’d thought of that!” What do you think I’ve been doing? I mean, we had just gotten done with the rosary! AAAAARGH F***!
Thank you for reading my versified tantrum. I am assuming that you are reading. 🙂
For FOWC: Thrifty and MVB: Detergent, I wrote in a form called Juuichi (the Japanese word for 11), but I wrote 2 stanzas because one wasn’t enough. This is possibly cheating, but oh well. 🙂
Washed —
Not with detergent,
With Christ’s sacrifice,
With waters of
Baptism
But
Not thrifty pricing:
Blood and suffering
To bestow new
Life
Today’s word for FOWC is “death.” I told myself, “Don’t go there, Jenna, especially since you’ve already posted today,” but here I am anyway, because it’s in my head already; I’m not going there if I already am there!
The poem is one I wrote yesterday. It was basically a stream-of-consciousness, but I think it turned out well, and it’s not even that sad. It’s not hopeless. But it’s so true: This is horrible of me to say, but I am incredibly jealous of those saints who got to die when they were, like, 23 (like St. Thérèse). In the last few years, I have sort of been aware: “Oh, I’ve lived longer than she did now. Oh, I outlived him now.”
The worst part is, sometimes I don’t even necessarily want to go to Heaven. What I mean is, sometimes it would be preferable to me if we just ceased to exist after we die. That’s what I used to think, but now, for better or for worse, I know that annihilation is not an option. If there are only 2 options, I’d rather go to the good place. 🙂
Hey, if I die at thirty-three
Like St. Faustina, that wouldn’t be
Too long to wait, would it, anymore?[*]
I have been so impatient. What’s in store
Is too scary for me, but what has been
The past 3 years is not entirely
Pain. Far from it. Tomorrow (Lord willing)
I’ll gain merit from persevering
Through grace, and that joy will serve
To erase all pain. Refrain
From worrying. One day will cease that sting.
[*] It would still be a few years. After lasting this long, though, who knows? Sometimes I wake up and am just flabbergasted that I survived all this shtuff.
The writing part of my brain (which is most of my brain, at this point), has been active today, so I’ve got this reverse etheree to share. I might even post twice today — working on a poem that requires a bit of research! 😀
Soul
Lifting:
Risen Christ
Opens Heaven,
Rejoice and be glad
To know this endless day,
Leaving no place for shadows.
Upward movement: dead live again,
Corruptibility having been
Restored to everlasting radiance.
For Fandango’s Flashback Friday, I am continuing to explore my poems from May 2019. I finally decided to share this one, from May 13th of that year. Not too dark. Enjoy. 🙂
The only way to not survive the fight Is to give up; the spirit can’t be killed But only ceded, so keep hope in sight: It is not God who has destruction willed, But satan lies in wait. Though he is skilled Remember not to forfeit; watch and pray, And God will give you victory today.
revivedwriter 