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"withstood" poems
A dart of a glance Felt across a crowded room. A playful bantering turned to something darker, deeper. A smoldering gaze lasting just a second too long. A hesitant hand pushing a stray curl into place. Coherent thoughts turned into an unlikely jumble. And that one question is answered, using no words, except the ones in the language that has withstood millenia of human existence, the language of seduction.
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Apr 6, 2015
Apr 6, 2015 at 12:36 AM UTC
The Language of Seduction
What is my motherland? Is it the dust that ravages my lungs Or the bones of my ancestors Humming softly the old and forgotten What is my motherland? Is it where I was born? A piece of land, a group of people? Or is it the place where It's mothers are graded In layers Where some wombs only give birth To sub humans Where some wombs are scarred Born from the ashes of a thousand dreams burnt down I'm a survivor Of all they could throw at you Of all their insults The predicament My mother's womb that withstood all it could And some more They tell me this is my land That it is my mother The birth giver and sustainer of life I spit on their faces My motherland never was this piece of land Or the people who **** on its soul Each and every day My people lived in a different world On this piece of land where we were worse than animals to you Where is my motherland? I have none Robbed of it since my birth Where is my motherland? But in the hearts of all who are like me Set in stone Yet defying gravity
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Jan 6, 2016
Jan 6, 2016 at 5:26 PM UTC
Motherland
The tendrils of my hair illuminate beneath the amber glow. Bathing. It must be this one. The last remaining streetlight to have withstood the test of time. The last yet to be replaced by the sickening blue-green of the future. I bathe. Calm; breathing air of the present but living in the past. The light flickers. I flicker back.
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Mar 13, 2019
Mar 13, 2019 at 5:42 PM UTC
Ghost under the light (A poem by Yuri from DDLC)
I am a fortress. I have withstood wars that should have broken me. Burned down and decimated by the mindless, I rise up from the ashes. I stand with my body, eternally. I am strong. My thighs are battle grounds trodden down three times round and they're blooming new flowers, mending from those who fought over them far too long, my thighs have super powers. I am soft and sultry sweet, full of vulnerabilities. Nature proves if anything that this will never make me weak. My eyes once snuffed out are blazing brilliant brightly now, rivers of tears have been filled in, replaced by peaches and cream and skin. My arms are solid protective forces, my hands, tangible whispering caresses. I wear my broken bits on my ******* puffed out chest with pride, for I have nothing to hide. My feet take me to and from all the places I've ever gone, and my mind, my mind, it tries. It tries so ******* hard, and my heart cares so much that it shows in every scar and battle wound, in every mark that was ever taken as a flaw by boys who never saw that without the storms I wouldn't glow the way that I glow, every boy who told me to 'go with the flow' like I couldn't learn a **** thing for myself. Still, the lessons people preached did teach me a thing or two, just not what they usually intended, my face doesn't face up to face value, belief is most beautiful when suspended. My eyes see lies better than my thighs do, yet resilience sees to it that both are mended, but if there's anything I've ever learned that's true, you should never leave anything open-ended
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Jan 29, 2016
Jan 29, 2016 at 7:35 PM UTC
Resilience
I am a fortress. I have withstood wars that should have broken me. Burned down and decimated by the mindless, I rise up from the ashes. I stand with my body, eternally. I am strong. My thighs are battle grounds trodden down three times round and they're blooming new flowers, mending from those who fought over them far too long, my thighs have super powers. I am soft and sultry sweet, full of vulnerabilities. Nature proves if anything that this will never make me weak. My eyes once snuffed out are blazing brilliant brightly now, rivers of tears have been filled in, replaced by peaches and cream and skin. My arms are solid protective forces, my hands, tangible whispering caresses. I wear my broken bits on my ******* puffed out chest with pride, for I have nothing to hide. My feet take me to and from all the places I've ever gone, and my mind, my mind, it tries. It tries so ******* hard, and my heart cares so much that it shows in every scar and battle wound, in every mark that was ever taken as a flaw by boys who never saw that without the storms I wouldn't glow the way that I glow, every boy who told me to 'go with the flow' like I couldn't learn a **** thing for myself. Still, the lessons people preached did teach me a thing or two, just not what they usually intended, my face doesn't face up to face value, belief is most beautiful when suspended. My eyes see lies better than my thighs do, yet resilience sees to it that both are mended, but if there's anything I've ever learned that's true, you should never leave anything open-ended
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38
* I am talking of fearlessness "Fearlessness..." The same fearlessness Shown by Christ on the cross The same fearlessness Shown by Gandhi For his non-violence The same fearlessness When Mansoor said "I am YOU" Was lynched & cut piece by piece The same fearlessness Of Meera who sang for Krishna on the streets When she was humiliated, ****** made fun off The same fearlessness When Radha danced for Krishna Even after Krishna left Vrindawan for Dwarka The same fearlessness With which Hussaiyn Ali Martryed his life at Karbala While trusting someone The same fearlessness Of Sita when she withstood The tests of Rama's accusations The same fearlessness When Bahi Taru Singh suffered governor's brutal torture The same fearlessness When Mirziyaan gave his bow & arrow To Sahibaan knowing that The tip of his arrow may be blunted Leading to his death The same fearlessness When Romeo drank the poison And Zuliet stabbed herself with a dagger The same fearlessness That made Layla fall sick & died on hearing that Her Majnun is roaming mad in wilderness; Later on hearing about Layla's death Majnun died near Layla's grave The same fearlessness When Rabia wanted to Cease the fire of hell and Set alight hopes of paradise The same fearlessness Of Rumi who guards The divine light of LOVE The same fearlessness When one is compelled by soul energy to LOVE BELOVEDz That is the fearlessness I am talking about "The fearlessness of LOVE" *
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Oct 1, 2017
Oct 1, 2017 at 11:55 PM UTC
FEARLESSNESS
They say that you should never Push a loyal person Past the point where they don't care. Clearly you never heard that. Or maybe you just don't care. Either way, you've made a large mistake. Because now all the anger That I've been saving all these years, All the fury I've been hiding- Finally has release. Every single person That's ever done me wrong, Every last wrong doing That I have withstood, Now falls upon your shoulders Along with what you've done, As if your own actions Weren't bad enough alone. They say that you should never Push a loyal person Past the point where they don't care. But maybe now you've guessed That it's far too late for you. Because I'll smile and I'll laugh I'll be pleasant around you. You'll think that all is fine, You'll fall into false comfort, And when you try your games again You'll fall flat upon your face.
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Apr 20, 2014
Apr 20, 2014 at 6:04 PM UTC
Push a Loyal Person
We thought we had the vampires done, Cornered as we raised the stakes. The fiends were caught against the font, An end to this for all our sakes. How foolish to believe That the stake would push itself, How blinded must we be To think we'd help ourselves. We fell back in confusion As their eyes lit stars of blue, Our fiery brand burned red in fear But the flames sputtered out on cue. We faced the devils in their line But they withstood our empty threats, And took us off one by one; It was time to pay our debts. They laughed at our misfortune. And gave us back our forks, They pointed at our dampened brand And sent us back to work. They drank from tattooed necks And supped from elder veins, And bled the middle dry And fed upon their brains. They tore up all our rights And placed death upon a throne, Who drove out justice in the night While Liber's throat did moan. They sold us all as slaves To merchants draped in skin, Cut from children's backs As the devils slowed their spin. So now we work until we drop, Exhausted in our penury. We're fed from blood banks on each street While we think that we're still free. The vampires grin within their church And play at pious once a while, And watch with glee as all they cut Divides us up in our denial.
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May 17, 2015
May 17, 2015 at 2:17 PM UTC
Blue eyed vampires
Fingers tapping, one, two, three, A slow rhythm drums in my chest. The words on my screen blur and fade before me. The world slows as we are put to the test. The streets, barren and eerily silent, Darkened windows, chairs on tables. Places once filled with noise now absent. Are we now living in one of God's fables? Perhaps, then, we must stop and listen, Listen to the lessons He is teaching us all. These drastic measures, so brazen, Yet we are close to the edge, were we to fall? See kindness and beauty, See all that is good, As Mother Nature breathes freely, Tired from all She withstood. Laughter and bored games, Brought together by distance, Whilst the air, the water, She reclaims, No more waiting, no more patience. Yes, waters clear as emissions drop; A truly beautiful consequence. But we must not forget - take the time to stop, Extend our minds to at whose expense. Unemployment creeps ever higher, Many lives are lost. For those a dark and terrible chapter, Enduring such a saddening cost. The good that lies within, The beauty of humankind, Rainbows, clapping, togetherness underpin, Our world, our people, our priorities realigned. So listen we must, To our animals, our rivers, our Earth. Look to your nearest and dearest, Use this time to recognise their full worth.
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Nov 2, 2021
Nov 2, 2021 at 6:12 PM UTC
Lockdown Lessons
Mysterious death! who in a single hour Life's gold can so refine And by thy art divine Change mortal weakness to immortal power! Bending beneath the weight of eighty years Spent with the noble strife of a victorious life We watched her fading heavenward, through our tears. But ere the sense of loss our hearts had wrung A miracle was wrought; And swift as happy thought She lived again -- brave, beautiful, and young. Age, pain, and sorrow dropped the veils they wore And showed the tender eyes Of angels in disguise, Whose discipline so patiently she bore. The past years brought their harvest rich and fair; While memory and love, Together, fondly wove A golden garland for the silver hair. How could we mourn like those who are bereft, When every pang of grief found balm for its relief In counting up the treasures she had left?-- Faith that withstood the shocks of toil and time; Hope that defied despair; Patience that conquered care; And loyalty, whose courage was sublime; The great deep heart that was a home for all-- Just, eloquent, and strong In protest against wrong; Wide charity, that knew no sin, no fall; The spartan spirit that made life so grand, Mating poor daily needs With high, heroic deeds, That wrested happiness from Fate's hard hand. We thought to weep, but sing for joy instead, Full of the grateful peace That follows her release; For nothing but the weary dust lies dead. Oh, noble woman! never more a queen Than in the laying down Of sceptre and of crown To win a greater kingdom, yet unseen; Teaching us how to seek the highest goal, To earn the true success -- To live, to love, to bless -- And make death proud to take a royal soul.
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4.2k
Transfiguration
Mysterious death! who in a single hour Life's gold can so refine And by thy art divine Change mortal weakness to immortal power! Bending beneath the weight of eighty years Spent with the noble strife of a victorious life We watched her fading heavenward, through our tears. But ere the sense of loss our hearts had wrung A miracle was wrought; And swift as happy thought She lived again -- brave, beautiful, and young. Age, pain, and sorrow dropped the veils they wore And showed the tender eyes Of angels in disguise, Whose discipline so patiently she bore. The past years brought their harvest rich and fair; While memory and love, Together, fondly wove A golden garland for the silver hair. How could we mourn like those who are bereft, When every pang of grief found balm for its relief In counting up the treasures she had left?-- Faith that withstood the shocks of toil and time; Hope that defied despair; Patience that conquered care; And loyalty, whose courage was sublime; The great deep heart that was a home for all-- Just, eloquent, and strong In protest against wrong; Wide charity, that knew no sin, no fall; The spartan spirit that made life so grand, Mating poor daily needs With high, heroic deeds, That wrested happiness from Fate's hard hand. We thought to weep, but sing for joy instead, Full of the grateful peace That follows her release; For nothing but the weary dust lies dead. Oh, noble woman! never more a queen Than in the laying down Of sceptre and of crown To win a greater kingdom, yet unseen; Teaching us how to seek the highest goal, To earn the true success -- To live, to love, to bless -- And make death proud to take a royal soul.
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48
Here I stand so shaky, as I begin to walk Learning from Mom, learning to talk. The examples I see will shape my way The decisions I make, will shape my day. Here I stand to begin, in life’s early hour I’ll test the limits, I’ll test my power. In the terrible twos, the decisions to come Are made by the hand, and shaped by Mom. ————————————————— Here I stand at the dawn, the edge of the day With decisions to make and prices to pay. The choice is mine and mine to make The decisions I choose will make or break. Here I stand a teen in the prime of life A time of joy, a time of strife. I stand at the crossroad as I start these years. There is the road of honor, the road of tears. —————————————————- Here I stand to choose again and again. Do I choose to loose or do I choose win. One road I see will cause me pain. The other I see will grant me gain. Here I stand at a crossroad, to choose this hour The choice I make is in my power. To choose the wrong or choose the right I will set my course, I will set my plight. —————————————————- Here I stand as I marry, the Love of my life Become one with her, to be my wife. The vows we say, the promise we make Are made forever, we will not break. Here I stand by my Love, our daughter’s first hour Now Mother and Father, with our delicate flower. The example she sees, the example I live Is the greatest gift, a Father can give. ———————————————— Here I stand at the bedside, my mother’s last hour. She withstood the storms, of time and its power. Though times were rough, she withstood the test Her love sustained me, she gave me her best Here I stand in awe of the example she set Of truth and honor, I’m in her debt. The decisions she made were examples to me Helped mold my life, in what I could be. —————————————————– Here I stand as the evening, of life draws near I’ve tried to follow the paths found dear Paths of love and honor, from examples I see From those before me, that I strive to be. Here I stand did I, make the right choice? Did I follow the loud or the still small voice? For I now understand, the power of love It’s the power given by the God above. ———————————————— Here I stand to survey my life today I began and will end, on the edge of the day. The choices I made, He was always near His Grace and Mercy has brought me here. Now I kneel in His presence the race is run His grace has sustained me, the journey is done. He brought me through, the dusk, the night To a brand new day, what a wonderful sight. ——————————————————
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Jun 29, 2010
Jun 29, 2010 at 9:11 PM UTC
Here I Stand
Here I stand so shaky, as I begin to walk Learning from Mom, learning to talk. The examples I see will shape my way The decisions I make, will shape my day. Here I stand to begin, in life’s early hour I’ll test the limits, I’ll test my power. In the terrible twos, the decisions to come Are made by the hand, and shaped by Mom. ————————————————— Here I stand at the dawn, the edge of the day With decisions to make and prices to pay. The choice is mine and mine to make The decisions I choose will make or break. Here I stand a teen in the prime of life A time of joy, a time of strife. I stand at the crossroad as I start these years. There is the road of honor, the road of tears. —————————————————- Here I stand to choose again and again. Do I choose to loose or do I choose win. One road I see will cause me pain. The other I see will grant me gain. Here I stand at a crossroad, to choose this hour The choice I make is in my power. To choose the wrong or choose the right I will set my course, I will set my plight. —————————————————- Here I stand as I marry, the Love of my life Become one with her, to be my wife. The vows we say, the promise we make Are made forever, we will not break. Here I stand by my Love, our daughter’s first hour Now Mother and Father, with our delicate flower. The example she sees, the example I live Is the greatest gift, a Father can give. ———————————————— Here I stand at the bedside, my mother’s last hour. She withstood the storms, of time and its power. Though times were rough, she withstood the test Her love sustained me, she gave me her best Here I stand in awe of the example she set Of truth and honor, I’m in her debt. The decisions she made were examples to me Helped mold my life, in what I could be. —————————————————– Here I stand as the evening, of life draws near I’ve tried to follow the paths found dear Paths of love and honor, from examples I see From those before me, that I strive to be. Here I stand did I, make the right choice? Did I follow the loud or the still small voice? For I now understand, the power of love It’s the power given by the God above. ———————————————— Here I stand to survey my life today I began and will end, on the edge of the day. The choices I made, He was always near His Grace and Mercy has brought me here. Now I kneel in His presence the race is run His grace has sustained me, the journey is done. He brought me through, the dusk, the night To a brand new day, what a wonderful sight. ——————————————————
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63
So familiarize what having to swallow this pill is like It happens all the time, they take your heart and steal your life And it's as though you feel you've died because you've been killed inside But yet you're still alive which means you will survive Although today you may weep because you're weak and Everything seems so bleek and hopeless The life that you're seeking, it begins to seep in That's the only thing keeping you from leaping off the motherfreaking deep end And I'm pulling for you to push through this feeling And with a little time that should do the healing And by tomorrow you may even feel so good that you're willing To forgive them even after all that **** you been put through. This feeling of resilience is building. And the flames are burning quick as fire would. Through this building. you're sealed in But you're fireproof, flame retardant, you withstood it. And as you climb up to the roof, you're just chillin' and you look down 'Cause you're so over them you could put the heel of your foot through the ceiling. As time passes, things change everyday But wounds, wounds heal But scars still remain the same But tomorrow today's goin' down in flames Throw the match, set the past ablaze So feel the fire beneath your feet As you barely even perspire from the heat Exhale deep and breathe a sigh of relief And as you say goodbye to the grief It's like watching the walls melt in your prison cell But you've extinguished this living hell Still a little piece of you dies, you scream..
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Jan 12, 2015
Jan 12, 2015 at 9:35 AM UTC
Entire Second Verse Of Beautiful Pain by Eminem
So familiarize what having to swallow this pill is like It happens all the time, they take your heart and steal your life And it's as though you feel you've died because you've been killed inside But yet you're still alive which means you will survive Although today you may weep because you're weak and Everything seems so bleek and hopeless The life that you're seeking, it begins to seep in That's the only thing keeping you from leaping off the motherfreaking deep end And I'm pulling for you to push through this feeling And with a little time that should do the healing And by tomorrow you may even feel so good that you're willing To forgive them even after all that **** you been put through. This feeling of resilience is building. And the flames are burning quick as fire would. Through this building. you're sealed in But you're fireproof, flame retardant, you withstood it. And as you climb up to the roof, you're just chillin' and you look down 'Cause you're so over them you could put the heel of your foot through the ceiling. As time passes, things change everyday But wounds, wounds heal But scars still remain the same But tomorrow today's goin' down in flames Throw the match, set the past ablaze So feel the fire beneath your feet As you barely even perspire from the heat Exhale deep and breathe a sigh of relief And as you say goodbye to the grief It's like watching the walls melt in your prison cell But you've extinguished this living hell Still a little piece of you dies, you scream..
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30
We slump on the couch when we return like lifetimes have passed before us. We have to, even though it was only a seven minute walk to the dining hall, because 1) the food was just “weird consistency” (which we tend to say regardless), 2) the light in there yawned indifferently to us (when does it not?), and 3) the reassuring clink of our forks on our plates wasn’t even there this time it was hiding underneath slop and smothered on top by the intruding sound waves (who asked?) of our next-table neighbors’ lives. You made a sly remark about seconds to catch a glimpse of youthful **** She’d gone to get some more baby carrots and cucumber slices to put in her salad maybe (who knows? who cares?) Either way, her youthful **** would make the food taste like something to you. And you described them to us when you sat down again so the slop would taste like something to us (there’s pride in that type of generosity, don’t forget) and (congratulations) we had the faint impression of some sort of ****** there, but we didn’t tell you (it’s easier that way). A cup, a squeeze, a kiss on her ******* yes that could feed our hunger for a night. And tonight was a night like any, so her ******* led us to talk of women, and women led us to talk of love (and the blooming one for the poor ******* as we who lost withstood the vicarious twinge of an addling ****** very different from the first. This one led us to pine for sweets, but the ones we found were dry, so we left the table, left the dining hall, looking around at the others: the lonely, the couples, the blessed lonely couples, and the fortunate friends huddled against everything with open laughter, enjoying the weird consistency like drunk theoretical physicists before they discovered bubbles and inflated eternally meaning when they safeguarded a zoo with a pistol they didn’t know how to use, in Soviet Russia. (So you see?) We have to slump on the couch when we return like lifetimes have passed before us. No one even bothers to pick up a guitar, we leave all four of them strewn on the floor like dead wooden boxes because Dylan or Young or Cash (or whoever) is already in the living room. Any bubbling, inflating, theoretical physicist (any drunk, pistol-packing zookeeper, for that matter) will tell you that. So we slump, comfortably uncomfortable, (at least we’re trying!) feeling their (our) strings plucking. No sounds, no voices. Because we don’t need to hear this that. Not right now. (Not right now).
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Mar 27, 2012
Mar 27, 2012 at 7:33 PM UTC
Slumping in West Adams
We slump on the couch when we return like lifetimes have passed before us. We have to, even though it was only a seven minute walk to the dining hall, because 1) the food was just “weird consistency” (which we tend to say regardless), 2) the light in there yawned indifferently to us (when does it not?), and 3) the reassuring clink of our forks on our plates wasn’t even there this time it was hiding underneath slop and smothered on top by the intruding sound waves (who asked?) of our next-table neighbors’ lives. You made a sly remark about seconds to catch a glimpse of youthful **** She’d gone to get some more baby carrots and cucumber slices to put in her salad maybe (who knows? who cares?) Either way, her youthful **** would make the food taste like something to you. And you described them to us when you sat down again so the slop would taste like something to us (there’s pride in that type of generosity, don’t forget) and (congratulations) we had the faint impression of some sort of ****** there, but we didn’t tell you (it’s easier that way). A cup, a squeeze, a kiss on her ******* yes that could feed our hunger for a night. And tonight was a night like any, so her ******* led us to talk of women, and women led us to talk of love (and the blooming one for the poor ******* as we who lost withstood the vicarious twinge of an addling ****** very different from the first. This one led us to pine for sweets, but the ones we found were dry, so we left the table, left the dining hall, looking around at the others: the lonely, the couples, the blessed lonely couples, and the fortunate friends huddled against everything with open laughter, enjoying the weird consistency like drunk theoretical physicists before they discovered bubbles and inflated eternally meaning when they safeguarded a zoo with a pistol they didn’t know how to use, in Soviet Russia. (So you see?) We have to slump on the couch when we return like lifetimes have passed before us. No one even bothers to pick up a guitar, we leave all four of them strewn on the floor like dead wooden boxes because Dylan or Young or Cash (or whoever) is already in the living room. Any bubbling, inflating, theoretical physicist (any drunk, pistol-packing zookeeper, for that matter) will tell you that. So we slump, comfortably uncomfortable, (at least we’re trying!) feeling their (our) strings plucking. No sounds, no voices. Because we don’t need to hear this that. Not right now. (Not right now).
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68
*Once upon a time, Not so long ago... There anxiously lived A lovely lady, Who was now in the know! You see..., her inspiration Was taken away from her, Forcing her lively spirit To slowly die. Her heart had broke, Beyond repair, When she finally uncovered That love Was nothing but a cruel lie. Her kind, gentle soul Was tortured, And forced into virtual recluse, For it had withstood Unbearable amounts Of mentally painful, Emotional abuse. She learnt That the more one loves, The more one feels the pain, A very sad ending to her fairytale; One that happens to many Innocent, loving souls, Leaving them all, Never to be the same! By Lady R.F. (C)2017*
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May 30, 2017
May 30, 2017 at 8:58 AM UTC
Not All Fairytales Have Happy Endings!
The night was passing, and the Grecian host By no means sought to issue forth unseen. But when indeed the day with her white steeds Held all the earth, resplendent to behold, First from the Greeks the loud-resounding din Of song triumphant came; and shrill at once Echo responded from the island rock. Then upon all barbarians terror fell, Thus disappointed; for not as for flight The Hellenes sang the holy pæan then, But setting forth to battle valiantly. The bugle with its note inflamed them all; And straightway with the dip of plashing oars They smote the deep sea water at command, And quickly all were plainly to be seen. Their right wing first in orderly array Led on, and second all the armament Followed them forth; and meanwhile there was heard A mighty shout: "Come, O ye sons of Greeks, Make free your country, make your children free, Your wives, and fanes of your ancestral gods, And your sires' tombs! For all we now contend!" And from our side the rush of Persian speech Replied. No longer might the crisis wait. At once ship smote on ship with brazen beak; A vessel of the Greeks began the attack, Crushing the stem of a Phoenician ship. Each on a different vessel turned its prow. At first the current of the Persian host Withstood; but when within the strait the throng Of ships was gathered, and they could not aid Each other, but by their own brazen bows Were struck, they shattered all our naval host. The Grecian vessels not unskillfully Were smiting round about; the hulls of ships Were overset; the sea was hid from sight, Covered with wreckage and the death of men; The reefs and headlands were with corpses filled, And in disordered flight each ship was rowed, As many as were of the Persian host. But they, like tunnies or some shoal of fish, With broken oars and fragments of the wrecks Struck us and clove us; and at once a cry Of lamentation filled the briny sea, Till the black darkness' eye did rescue us. The number of our griefs, not though ten days I talked together, could I fully tell; But this know well, that never in one day Perished so great a multitude of men.
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2.6k
The Battle Of Salamis
The night was passing, and the Grecian host By no means sought to issue forth unseen. But when indeed the day with her white steeds Held all the earth, resplendent to behold, First from the Greeks the loud-resounding din Of song triumphant came; and shrill at once Echo responded from the island rock. Then upon all barbarians terror fell, Thus disappointed; for not as for flight The Hellenes sang the holy pæan then, But setting forth to battle valiantly. The bugle with its note inflamed them all; And straightway with the dip of plashing oars They smote the deep sea water at command, And quickly all were plainly to be seen. Their right wing first in orderly array Led on, and second all the armament Followed them forth; and meanwhile there was heard A mighty shout: "Come, O ye sons of Greeks, Make free your country, make your children free, Your wives, and fanes of your ancestral gods, And your sires' tombs! For all we now contend!" And from our side the rush of Persian speech Replied. No longer might the crisis wait. At once ship smote on ship with brazen beak; A vessel of the Greeks began the attack, Crushing the stem of a Phoenician ship. Each on a different vessel turned its prow. At first the current of the Persian host Withstood; but when within the strait the throng Of ships was gathered, and they could not aid Each other, but by their own brazen bows Were struck, they shattered all our naval host. The Grecian vessels not unskillfully Were smiting round about; the hulls of ships Were overset; the sea was hid from sight, Covered with wreckage and the death of men; The reefs and headlands were with corpses filled, And in disordered flight each ship was rowed, As many as were of the Persian host. But they, like tunnies or some shoal of fish, With broken oars and fragments of the wrecks Struck us and clove us; and at once a cry Of lamentation filled the briny sea, Till the black darkness' eye did rescue us. The number of our griefs, not though ten days I talked together, could I fully tell; But this know well, that never in one day Perished so great a multitude of men.
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49
I look down at my feet, toes adorned with chipped nail varnish, a pitiful plaster clinging to the sole, and I grimace at the purple marks, reddening blisters, cicatrices of stories long forgotten. The ***** of my feet are thin and worn, my heels rubbed raw from shoes I have loved and shoes I have detested, faded scars from childhood accidents. I have aged hating my feet, the discoloured skin, dotted with odious callouses, my throbbing, wrinkled soles. They have grown with me, from tiny clumps unrecognisable as a foetus, to wide, long size 7s. My toes are misshapen, twisting this way and that, freckled with sun kisses from foreign countries. They’ve been battered and bruised repeatedly, victims of my hurtling abuse and mortal neglect. I have punished them with verruca socks and freezing ointments, pin ****** small shoes, razor blades, nail clippers and not once have I nurtured them, soaked them with praise. These feet have walked me up mountains, aided me in athletic championships, withstood six inch heels on weekends, ran me through marathons, enduring my never-ending physical torment and though they may buckle, with weeping blisters and aching pains, dry skin, broken bones and sprained ankles, they will recover, rebuilding the scabrous skin. Regardless of how unstable my life may become in later years, whether I am stranded on a deserted island, or walking the ***** streets of the city, no room to call my own, my feet will always, undoubtedly, lead me to safety. And when I am old and withered, an exhausted heap of human life, with my last dying breath, I will thank my durable, reliable feet.
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May 2, 2016
May 2, 2016 at 11:28 AM UTC
My Feet and I
I look down at my feet, toes adorned with chipped nail varnish, a pitiful plaster clinging to the sole, and I grimace at the purple marks, reddening blisters, cicatrices of stories long forgotten. The ***** of my feet are thin and worn, my heels rubbed raw from shoes I have loved and shoes I have detested, faded scars from childhood accidents. I have aged hating my feet, the discoloured skin, dotted with odious callouses, my throbbing, wrinkled soles. They have grown with me, from tiny clumps unrecognisable as a foetus, to wide, long size 7s. My toes are misshapen, twisting this way and that, freckled with sun kisses from foreign countries. They’ve been battered and bruised repeatedly, victims of my hurtling abuse and mortal neglect. I have punished them with verruca socks and freezing ointments, pin ****** small shoes, razor blades, nail clippers and not once have I nurtured them, soaked them with praise. These feet have walked me up mountains, aided me in athletic championships, withstood six inch heels on weekends, ran me through marathons, enduring my never-ending physical torment and though they may buckle, with weeping blisters and aching pains, dry skin, broken bones and sprained ankles, they will recover, rebuilding the scabrous skin. Regardless of how unstable my life may become in later years, whether I am stranded on a deserted island, or walking the ***** streets of the city, no room to call my own, my feet will always, undoubtedly, lead me to safety. And when I am old and withered, an exhausted heap of human life, with my last dying breath, I will thank my durable, reliable feet.
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i have held with fascination, when i was young,   all of my toys. a parallel universe of   marvels. imperial is the mood of these ecstasies! i remember my cheap svelte revolver   back in 1998 bought from the festive bazaar in the marketplace at the dreary heart of Bocaue when i was consumed by the thought of brutal force and how swiftly, in the hands of men meant for twisting open    the doors, welcome death or the metallurgy of it. i used to run off into the sunset   toting my gun high with pride    shunning the Sun, and the reprise of my carousals is my mother     soldering in her white hands a "walis tambo" and summoning me      homeward with a churlish grin on my face, triumphantly ecstatic    over my rendezvous. now my gun has withstood the    tatterdemalion of dog days and in one corner i felt its   brokenness as it yearns to   be retired early in the peak     of my youth. happiness wears down like a chip on the old linoleumed floor and i tinker with   it to unsheathe the grime   of the unspoken stucco concrete.   i placed it in a box, my black revolver, together with the toys    that i once laughed with when only bliss is as simple as a juvenile love, or the easy picking     of a santan over the fields       where i ran off into the viridian laughing with the verdure of the world that i once knew as something so beautiful    and intricate. i heard my black revolver went    somewhere behind the macadamized wall where i dreamt of having a basketball ring nailed to.    only i knew how to play my revolver, and now that i am    caught within the heaviness   of all things that mean greater   than all other joys,    no other days could ever surpass how   i made     a hero in myself mighty with the tales      that i keep. good ole black revolver, 1998.
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Sep 16, 2015
Sep 16, 2015 at 8:53 AM UTC
Black Revolver 1998
i have held with fascination, when i was young,   all of my toys. a parallel universe of   marvels. imperial is the mood of these ecstasies! i remember my cheap svelte revolver   back in 1998 bought from the festive bazaar in the marketplace at the dreary heart of Bocaue when i was consumed by the thought of brutal force and how swiftly, in the hands of men meant for twisting open    the doors, welcome death or the metallurgy of it. i used to run off into the sunset   toting my gun high with pride    shunning the Sun, and the reprise of my carousals is my mother     soldering in her white hands a "walis tambo" and summoning me      homeward with a churlish grin on my face, triumphantly ecstatic    over my rendezvous. now my gun has withstood the    tatterdemalion of dog days and in one corner i felt its   brokenness as it yearns to   be retired early in the peak     of my youth. happiness wears down like a chip on the old linoleumed floor and i tinker with   it to unsheathe the grime   of the unspoken stucco concrete.   i placed it in a box, my black revolver, together with the toys    that i once laughed with when only bliss is as simple as a juvenile love, or the easy picking     of a santan over the fields       where i ran off into the viridian laughing with the verdure of the world that i once knew as something so beautiful    and intricate. i heard my black revolver went    somewhere behind the macadamized wall where i dreamt of having a basketball ring nailed to.    only i knew how to play my revolver, and now that i am    caught within the heaviness   of all things that mean greater   than all other joys,    no other days could ever surpass how   i made     a hero in myself mighty with the tales      that i keep. good ole black revolver, 1998.
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A delicate crimson rose endures The snow and winds of winter's grasp And closes up and wilts a while Until Summer sun it finds at last In this world of unrighteousness Where brutes and ogres' egos roam And selfishness abounds like weeds She exists in shattered form With silent seething disilusion And saddened, unrequited love Maddened by the unjust acts of those who advertized their “love” A vain and self-indulgent god Did sieze himself her mind and oath Presiding as the demons do In hidden acts pronounced as gross Enduring the madness of matriarchs And the hostility of tribal gang Where smiles of familial welcoming Turned into savage, jealous fangs Yet though the bitterness seeps through And anger permeates her skin Sweet dignity she still retains And devotion stll resides within Her adornment incorruptible Her spirit mild and resolute Did not return evil for evil But stood and conquered it with good Happy is she who has endured And in mild subjection did remain Showing honour to a painful degree To bring honour to Jehovah's name And though she stumbled in despair Yet withstood for righteous sake Her loyalty, the beast could not sever Nor divine concsience could he break For like the rose at winter's end That bears a striking sharpened thorn Her petals still are soft and pure And her soul with beauty still adorned For the righteous one who sees all things And whose love she yet retains Will never for eternity forget The love she showed for his great name And should she reach out and beseech And trust his salvation once again She would know with certainty He has never let go her hand (For my precious daughter, Cheryl, who has been to hell and back)
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May 3, 2020
May 3, 2020 at 1:19 PM UTC
The Rose in Winter
A delicate crimson rose endures The snow and winds of winter's grasp And closes up and wilts a while Until Summer sun it finds at last In this world of unrighteousness Where brutes and ogres' egos roam And selfishness abounds like weeds She exists in shattered form With silent seething disilusion And saddened, unrequited love Maddened by the unjust acts of those who advertized their “love” A vain and self-indulgent god Did sieze himself her mind and oath Presiding as the demons do In hidden acts pronounced as gross Enduring the madness of matriarchs And the hostility of tribal gang Where smiles of familial welcoming Turned into savage, jealous fangs Yet though the bitterness seeps through And anger permeates her skin Sweet dignity she still retains And devotion stll resides within Her adornment incorruptible Her spirit mild and resolute Did not return evil for evil But stood and conquered it with good Happy is she who has endured And in mild subjection did remain Showing honour to a painful degree To bring honour to Jehovah's name And though she stumbled in despair Yet withstood for righteous sake Her loyalty, the beast could not sever Nor divine concsience could he break For like the rose at winter's end That bears a striking sharpened thorn Her petals still are soft and pure And her soul with beauty still adorned For the righteous one who sees all things And whose love she yet retains Will never for eternity forget The love she showed for his great name And should she reach out and beseech And trust his salvation once again She would know with certainty He has never let go her hand (For my precious daughter, Cheryl, who has been to hell and back)
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I work all day, and get half-drunk at night. Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare. In time the curtain-edges will grow light. Till then I see what's really always there: Unresting death, a whole day nearer now, Making all thought impossible but how And where and when I shall myself die. Arid interrogation: yet the dread Of dying, and being dead, Flashes afresh to hold and horrify. The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse - The good not done, the love not given, time Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because An only life can take so long to climb Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never; But at the total emptiness for ever, The sure extinction that we travel to And shall be lost in always. Not to be here, Not to be anywhere, And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true. This is a special way of being afraid No trick dispels. Religion used to try, That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade Created to pretend we never die, And specious stuff that says No rational being Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound, No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with, Nothing to love or link with, The anasthetic from which none come round. And so it stays just on the edge of vision, A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill That slows each impulse down to indecision. Most things may never happen: this one will, And realisation of it rages out In furnace-fear when we are caught without People or drink. Courage is no good: It means not scaring others. Being brave Lets no one off the grave. Death is no different whined at than withstood. Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape. It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know, Have always known, know that we can't escape, Yet can't accept. One side will have to go. Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring Intricate rented world begins to rouse. The sky is white as clay, with no sun. Work has to be done. Postmen like doctors go from house to house.
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2.4k
Aubade
I work all day, and get half-drunk at night. Waking at four to soundless dark, I stare. In time the curtain-edges will grow light. Till then I see what's really always there: Unresting death, a whole day nearer now, Making all thought impossible but how And where and when I shall myself die. Arid interrogation: yet the dread Of dying, and being dead, Flashes afresh to hold and horrify. The mind blanks at the glare. Not in remorse - The good not done, the love not given, time Torn off unused - nor wretchedly because An only life can take so long to climb Clear of its wrong beginnings, and may never; But at the total emptiness for ever, The sure extinction that we travel to And shall be lost in always. Not to be here, Not to be anywhere, And soon; nothing more terrible, nothing more true. This is a special way of being afraid No trick dispels. Religion used to try, That vast, moth-eaten musical brocade Created to pretend we never die, And specious stuff that says No rational being Can fear a thing it will not feel, not seeing That this is what we fear - no sight, no sound, No touch or taste or smell, nothing to think with, Nothing to love or link with, The anasthetic from which none come round. And so it stays just on the edge of vision, A small, unfocused blur, a standing chill That slows each impulse down to indecision. Most things may never happen: this one will, And realisation of it rages out In furnace-fear when we are caught without People or drink. Courage is no good: It means not scaring others. Being brave Lets no one off the grave. Death is no different whined at than withstood. Slowly light strengthens, and the room takes shape. It stands plain as a wardrobe, what we know, Have always known, know that we can't escape, Yet can't accept. One side will have to go. Meanwhile telephones crouch, getting ready to ring In locked-up offices, and all the uncaring Intricate rented world begins to rouse. The sky is white as clay, with no sun. Work has to be done. Postmen like doctors go from house to house.
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...Here a man stands accused--the pellucid jury of his peers come to themselves in their life's arms through him. He wails upright...a shadow continent wedging The Flood. Timekeeping horseflies besmirch his chest cavity with due kisses...par for par movements consume time till the singular advocacy of he withstood. The imperturbable essence captured itself, as so at the height of its powers there's interplay. Ease culled from tribulation...countenance slackened by degrees...overwhelmed by awareness. Kingdom come Kingdom--shoring space of grace that is freedom. As if Everything centering of itself, fawning over itself... polar opposites in conjugal bliss. Here a man stands accused...of being--fit for steely juxtaposition...the murderous implement of will, or salvation. Envision him post-Flood, waist-deep, the living Face of the Deep...look upon him! Timekeeping horseflies besmirching his chest cavity with due kisses...par for par movements consuming time till the Singular advocacy of thee...look upon him! An encounter of pitless ramification: fear or love...be it the last man upon the earth. Look upon him--O jury of his peers boasting billions... pellucid unto one another...look...The Hour is radiant! Won't thee come to thine life's arms through him? For he is Everyman.
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Feb 6, 2015
Feb 6, 2015 at 11:25 AM UTC
Pellucid Jury
The days passed slowly in a drunken haze As this sleepless delusion was set ablaze My limbs weakened with the rising sun While the spiders in my head began to run Spinning webs beneath my sunken skin Piercing my veins like deadly sin Yet through it all my bones withstood The war taking heed within falsehood By words of Truth I found my sanction Even as my spirit dies in such a fraction And like the dead become living grass My flesh will live again like sandy glass But as for now this life consumes me And I will work like the honey bee Until the bitter taste on my tongue Becomes the flavor of the purest young
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Dec 28, 2015
Dec 28, 2015 at 9:53 PM UTC
And She Said "It's Very Real"
The air is brisk, all the leaves the color of flames, as they send off sparks to incite the heat of desire. Watching as they sway like lovers dancing in the wind. The sun reflects off the pond as if sprinkled with glitter. Ducks swim amongst the flickering lights as if they were a ballet that never tires, A path leads to a magical gazebo that has withstood the hands of time. Etched into its body are the words of lovers written in rhyme. What wonderful secrets this old wood must have heard told. All the kisses and whispered endearments of lovers so bold. Stolen kisses, forbidden embraces, anger, frustration, laughter and tears. this place had to have seen it all, in it’s many years. Touch the wood and feel all the warmth of love and desires it holds. Each grain protecting a memory of one of many in its fold. So come with me my friends, walk along its trodden paths. Stroll with me into the Realm of love and fantasies. Listen to the winds of change, dancing through the leaves. If you listen close you just might be able to hear, a lover’s soft laugh or maybe the falling of a tear. Kathleen Kohl/Levinski
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Jan 13, 2014
Jan 13, 2014 at 9:55 PM UTC
The Realm
I chased down the bustling road when I caught a glimpse of her walking down. Today I stand, impatient; my finger thumping a pithy tune, as she climbs down the stairway, one step at a time. *Time capsules are concealed in objects that we rarely see, and only notice when silence visits and sits in the middle of the room, unpleasently.* Today was on such day, when my foot accidentally brushed a tea cup that had bravely withstood, the anomalies of my childhood, and leaning back on its broken handle took delight, on my sudden emotional plight. *After years of unrelenting boundaries the yearning to jump over, turns into the ultimate goal. Definace, with a vengence, and fury so grave, mars conscience by its senstaions, makes it depraved.* Forgone was the leap that bound my heart with rules of love, loyatly and frienship, for it now only understood, the twinge of ache it gained whenever it recognized, a then familar face. *In a world fantastical, there is order and right. And mistakes are begotten to only be forgotten and set some memories aside.* I held my hand out, on the last stair, she looked up, and in brown eyes, just like mine, I saw days that now defined, our relationship, as mother and daughter. *We talk of  far shores and setting sail, with our two feet firmly rooted in the bay. The anchors aren't pulled, the rigs aren't checked, we are rarely ready, if ever, at our fancy's behest.* In the seconds that she took to step down; seconds in which I re-lived a lifetime, I ran down the same road, the bustling street with the same goal. I held my mother's hand and let go.
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Dec 16, 2012
Dec 16, 2012 at 11:35 PM UTC
Mother & Daughter
I chased down the bustling road when I caught a glimpse of her walking down. Today I stand, impatient; my finger thumping a pithy tune, as she climbs down the stairway, one step at a time. *Time capsules are concealed in objects that we rarely see, and only notice when silence visits and sits in the middle of the room, unpleasently.* Today was on such day, when my foot accidentally brushed a tea cup that had bravely withstood, the anomalies of my childhood, and leaning back on its broken handle took delight, on my sudden emotional plight. *After years of unrelenting boundaries the yearning to jump over, turns into the ultimate goal. Definace, with a vengence, and fury so grave, mars conscience by its senstaions, makes it depraved.* Forgone was the leap that bound my heart with rules of love, loyatly and frienship, for it now only understood, the twinge of ache it gained whenever it recognized, a then familar face. *In a world fantastical, there is order and right. And mistakes are begotten to only be forgotten and set some memories aside.* I held my hand out, on the last stair, she looked up, and in brown eyes, just like mine, I saw days that now defined, our relationship, as mother and daughter. *We talk of  far shores and setting sail, with our two feet firmly rooted in the bay. The anchors aren't pulled, the rigs aren't checked, we are rarely ready, if ever, at our fancy's behest.* In the seconds that she took to step down; seconds in which I re-lived a lifetime, I ran down the same road, the bustling street with the same goal. I held my mother's hand and let go.
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Call me queer, call me ********** But is my ****** life really that important to you? I don't call you cunt-cuffin, ***** eater, nor hetero freak So why must I be insulted for my *** life while you remain unscathed? Call me ****** all you want, But let's be honest, my life isn't easy But I'm still here My heart still beats I'm still strong Call me fairy to your little heart's content But answer me this, could your heart bare the abuse of every kind  for almost a decade? Could your "holy" self withstand standing alone in the dark without so much as a friend? I'm a "sinner" and I've withstood all those horrors and still came out strong Call me a disgrace, an abomination, a freak But answer this you pretentious ******* Who's the one cursing people, condemning, hating, discriminating them for being nothing more than who they are? That's right, you, not me So think again, who's your god going to punish? People who have done nothing wrong but be themselves? Or the ignorant fools who think they are God and condemn others? Call me ****** call me queer I know who I am, and it's someone strong Call me ********** call me fairy I'm the one who will survive Call me all you want, It won't change who I am
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Apr 4, 2015
Apr 4, 2015 at 3:58 PM UTC
Call Me
Dedicated To My Loving Daughter SUZANNA CHRISTY On her 12th Birthday (08/09/2015) Days rolled on; moments of time trotted; Waters changed shapes; She walked with His Grace; smiled with His Mercy; grown with His Love. Eleven nautical miles she hath crossed; might be twisted with ebbs and tides; Yet His provident Arms have carried her in tender and glorious ways. I see her seated on the banks of the stately throne with scepter of innocence, My heart is thrilled with her mother’s heart of her child-like majesty Envisaged across the firmament with the rainbow colours within. Each of the rainbow shade dappled with Heaven’s Glory to glow. I have drawn her in the sky of my fancy with figures of speech in colours, She hath become a poem in my kingdom of poetry in pageantry. We’ve been dreaming of her splendor glowing in His Presence And pray unto Him no blemish shall taint her soul till the day. My heart perceived sweet smiles on her lips translated from her within: Every smile is His Blessing showered on her heart - gratitude to HIM. We planted a garden and ‘ve grown the seed of godliness to grow like His Son, Our hearts rejoice in the growth of the seed beside the sweet flow of His Love. She hath grown through lightning, storms, showers and withstood with His Grace, She’s been God’s Gift’ conferred on us late but in His time mystifying to mankind. It hath been His Eternal episode that she ought to be in our arms crawl. And God’s Gift is in His Image to grow in His Shade and fly under His Wings. We are instruments to lead her in the way of Eternity, and her soul is precious to Him. All have souls and all have Eternity, and have to choose His Son hung on the Cross; Yet earthly affinity hath no role to play in His Kingdom, for He is Spirit, And all His children ought to have His Image ever to reign in His Glory. We perceive Truth of Eternity on her child-like countenance each day. She hath stepped on the twelfth way of life and hath years to walk through. Our prayer unto Him is His Providence be showered on her soul till the time. She hath awakened us to share the Truth of Eternity in my simple verse.
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Sep 15, 2015
Sep 15, 2015 at 5:24 AM UTC
My Daughter's 12th Birthday!
Dedicated To My Loving Daughter SUZANNA CHRISTY On her 12th Birthday (08/09/2015) Days rolled on; moments of time trotted; Waters changed shapes; She walked with His Grace; smiled with His Mercy; grown with His Love. Eleven nautical miles she hath crossed; might be twisted with ebbs and tides; Yet His provident Arms have carried her in tender and glorious ways. I see her seated on the banks of the stately throne with scepter of innocence, My heart is thrilled with her mother’s heart of her child-like majesty Envisaged across the firmament with the rainbow colours within. Each of the rainbow shade dappled with Heaven’s Glory to glow. I have drawn her in the sky of my fancy with figures of speech in colours, She hath become a poem in my kingdom of poetry in pageantry. We’ve been dreaming of her splendor glowing in His Presence And pray unto Him no blemish shall taint her soul till the day. My heart perceived sweet smiles on her lips translated from her within: Every smile is His Blessing showered on her heart - gratitude to HIM. We planted a garden and ‘ve grown the seed of godliness to grow like His Son, Our hearts rejoice in the growth of the seed beside the sweet flow of His Love. She hath grown through lightning, storms, showers and withstood with His Grace, She’s been God’s Gift’ conferred on us late but in His time mystifying to mankind. It hath been His Eternal episode that she ought to be in our arms crawl. And God’s Gift is in His Image to grow in His Shade and fly under His Wings. We are instruments to lead her in the way of Eternity, and her soul is precious to Him. All have souls and all have Eternity, and have to choose His Son hung on the Cross; Yet earthly affinity hath no role to play in His Kingdom, for He is Spirit, And all His children ought to have His Image ever to reign in His Glory. We perceive Truth of Eternity on her child-like countenance each day. She hath stepped on the twelfth way of life and hath years to walk through. Our prayer unto Him is His Providence be showered on her soul till the time. She hath awakened us to share the Truth of Eternity in my simple verse.
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