From the beginning
Your love held me in good stead
Keeping my soul with constancy
Before my eyes discerned the light
Before my hands discovered their might
Before my mouth your name could say
Before my feet could find their way
Before my ears could give direction
Before my heart savored your affection
From the beginning
Your love held me in good stead
Keeping my soul with constancy
O boulder, with pitch resin shine!
Flicker fine at night!
Fate and Fortune, thus we dine!
Sign, O line of sight!
Ichor in immortal veins?
Crenellate to hold.
No use waiting for the rains!
Sane and centrefold!
Explain, O my spark-lit brain?
Bone of throne and bane!
Blossom inward! Core and chain!
Melee, meet the main!
Gone and unreturned? We learned.
Oh, what we discerned.
Night of nail and ne'er-do-churned!
How the bodies burned...
Yellow streaks in starry sky?
Panels on the fade.
Foxfire, foment on the fly!
Beckon as ye bade!
Climate of the covenant?
Back the boneyard bright?
Feet of clay, about me plant!
Cant cerebral, kite!
Mortal life, upon the knife?
Who to target, strife?
Circumstances, rhyme or rife?
O Rhine River, fife!
Poetically sound ,
Meanings discerned round & round ,
Tide full embrace ,
Lets us keep up the pace ,
Lightning reflects ,
Our egos project ,
We search for the verse ,
Our minds will rehearse,
The lyrics we sing,
So the melody stings ,
As we reach far for the stars ,
We plan from afar ,
As your eyes write the tale ,
So your soul will prevail ,
Telling all that we reap,
Our eyes close for sleep,
Hills are so deep,
We can’t help but weep,
Looking for love ,
Emotions rise from above.
Copyright©AlanShapiro2025
Thy grace I see of which I spurned
An awful merit I had earned
And my poor soul to thee unturned
And left behind frail bridges burned
Thy pardoning love to me have learned
My desolated heart sojourned
For I thy death have not discerned
My blinded eyes by tears unchurned
T'is then of sin that I had mourned
And found my heart of self dethroned
That which I had usurped, returned
And paid the price, by friends suborned
In want of such, my state I mourned
With darkened visage, they had scorned
Since I of late my faith reformed
Yet all my life this truth I yearned
To this divine ambition, I had sworn
May I thy sovereign grace adorn
Conflict bears messages
to be discerned;
revelation lies in the spirit.
The soul is the gatekeeper
of the spirit; bear your soul
and let the spirit of love flow.
Forgiveness does not require
forgetfulness;
memory is the flowing river
of growth.
The sea of life is inundated
with waves of conflict—
flowing to shores of resolution
with frothing memories;
There is no unsolvable conflict
in the ebbing and flowing
of the seemingly tidal waves of life;
We may not always be
where we want to be—ought to be;
but we are never always
where we once were:-
Remember, it is the wisdom
of the spirit that gives
understanding and healing;
The soul is the gatekeeper
of the spirit; bear your soul
and let the spirit of love flow;
And when that flow froths awareness
of what is and what it is that should not be
It’s time to correct life’s frothing ebb and flow:-
I will place you in position, a spot you've never seen,
I will take away the fear you've felt and give you perfect peace,
Do not search for validation, in only me confide,
People's opinions do not matter, you have always looked into my eyes,
Whether you realize or not, you have solely relied upon me,
And in your heart people's opinions never mattered before, because you've discerned between love and greed,
So whatever you do that seems foolish to them, you know the root reason behind,
Because you're not operating on what they assume, you've always viewed the circumstances through my eyes,
Your strength comes from me alone, and your heart is in my hands,
I will always be right by your side even when you can't understand,
The enemy tries to trick you with distractions from every side,
But he can never steal the love we have, because in the end you will always be mine.
Who I am, Lord?
You know me more than I know me
for You see and understand the part or
side of me, I do not.
I was nurtured with love, attentive care in my
early childhood by Mommy, the aunt who raised me,
grandparents and other aunts and
their support laid the foundation of my being.
I was six, when
my parents and two brothers came
to live with us and I discerned that not
everyone will like you
and life is unfair through Mama, my own mother.
She was cold, distant and did not care about me.
Never understood why, but learned
to accept to respect and obey my mother.
My vote matters for the same reasons that I MATTER.
My presence is like life-giving WATER.
My vote is far more than POLITICAL.
Rather, it is the voice of PRINCIPLE.
My right to free speech is clear as the DAY.
It is my right to have my SAY.
My vote is bigger than any MAN.
The success or failure of my nation
Also lies in my HANDS. Yes, the issues
At stake are often hard to UNDERSTAND,
But whatever the challenges to be overcome,
I must believe that I CAN. I can never see
Ahead if my head is buried in the SAND.
I need not be a FAN of whom I cast my vote.
Yes, some things are clouded and have to be discerned.
My vote is not free to anyone; it has to be earned.
It's the principles that count. The candidates may
Not even be worthy of my shouts from the GRANDSTANDS.
So primarily, when I cast my vote, it's the principles that count.
The enchantment of the jasmine’s flickering candle doth burn,
On the broad, antique desk, poems she created in quick turns.
While her mind with brightness, filled with equanimty did churn.
Recalling recognitions with joy over happy centuries she did learn.
Smiling over her ‘Summa Cum Laude’, so rightly, was her proud earn. ‘
Her parents, schooling, churching with love, she had this night,discerned!
~POEM 1~
10/11/2024
Found herself long in the tooth
Burdened with responsibilities
As the clock kept ticking
Being hospitable began to wane
Regardless of hope keeping in touch
Working harder had become symbolic
For she had a negligible threshold
That supremely played a crucial part
A part in soaking all the fitness up
Until she lost the spiritedness
Did all she accessed for the fruits
Bore all the affliction of misfortune
Spoke many languages to herself
Walked long miles wall-to-wall
But couldn't control her fate
This heightened sensivity was a sword
Double-edged through the feelings
At times sympathy was highly valuable
The blues discerned from the seeds
The high sensitivity to others' emotions
Amid such grief, she's into being mellow
Avoided and crossed numerous arrows
The Omniscient providing for her with pillow
Here comes the relief, there goes the sorrows
Behold, it's time for the land to remain fallow
Light opaqued by ego casts a shadow,
of dark desires on the screen of our soul,
fears which we are unable to let go,
finding our life spinning out of control.
Strange it is, light to darkness pays homage,
voice of conscience stifled by lower mind,
so we suffer until we come of age,
gentling touch, becoming loving and kind.
Love and light are the forces that uplift,
ours for the asking if we shift to heart,
so dear hermit, let us reclaim God’s gift,
feeling at our core, bliss ignition start.
Know darkness as but the absence of light,
innate to our soul, discerned with clear sight.
In twilight’s grasp, where shadows cling, The Watchtower stands—a somber thing. Its stones, like secrets, cold and gray, Whisper tales of faith’s decay.
Within those walls, devoutly blind, They count the hours, lost in time. Their hymns, a dirge for questioning souls, Echo through corridors where doubt unfolds.
The Watchtower’s gaze, unyielding, stern, Marks the faithful, their hearts discerned. Yet hidden cracks mar its sacred face, Revealing fractures in their grace.
They guard the gate, eyes fixed above, Awaiting signs, celestial love. But what if stars, in silent jest, Conspire against their sacred quest?
The loyal trudge a narrow line, Their footsteps etched in ancient rhyme. Yet shadows dance, mocking their plight, As doubt creeps in, a motionless night.
And when the moon, with silver thread, Unravels questions left unsaid, The Watchtower trembles, its foundation weak, A monument to hope that dares not speak.
Deep in the thought, they softly tread, Within the Watchtower’s veiled dread. For faith and fear, entwined they be, All along this enigmatic sea.
June 10, 2024
. visual
.
. prejudice
..
.
. tension .
.
. unambiguous
.
.emnity
.
.
. in transition
featured
.by
.
a. strange
utopia
..implodes
.
.
. ...... unappreciated
. .. circulated
.
.sensitively
discerned
.
.
. as light&space
.
disolve
in
atmospherics
Stevie, Earth Angel
You were born blind
Eyes that could not see the beauty
Of your own sweet smile
Yet you saw beauty
in the people who loved you
and discerned every intention.
You were born with Cerebral Palsy
You could not speak a word
Could not convey
the kindnesses you thought
Yet you spoke love and trust so loudly
to those who took time to hear you.
The nonsense sounds and utterings
Became sweet music
your family understood.
"I do too Ceeka"
"I love you too Stevie."
Your fragile body, withered and broken,
was unable to move freely...
unable to walk or dance
to the music you held so dear.
Yet in my dreams
you walk to me,
You dance to
majestic angel songs.
I am blessed to have known
your innocent soul...
but heaven is where
you have always belonged.
In a Romantic episode of my life,
A little story let me tell.
I have discerned a blessing!!!
With No forced Chemistry,
Just God's artistry.
Like we've met in the past life.
In a home with no strife.
Just a fine nest, founded in love.
No, never have I believed in Reincarnation theory,
Nor do I know who came about it.
But, the flow left me questioning History.
Perhaps, just a bit
I might want to believe in this theory.
For, in such a parallel world,
Thee came to my life, and left a mark
In an instant I felt the click,
Just the perfect kick.
Exactly what I have been waiting for, it feels.
For, the awakening thee brought.
No forethought, nor thought itself needed,
For, the story line speaks volumes!
Hence, I say
I've discerned a blessing!!!
Which seems to have always been my blessing!!!
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