Tag Archives: poetry

A Change of Mind

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Metanoia is an ancient Greek word meaning “changing one’s mind”.  It seems to me that the minds that can conceive of killing people brutally and mindlessly, need changing. Yesterday’s Bible study on the Book of Acts brought to light the story of Saul, the persecutor of Christians, who was depicted as a terrorist of the times. On his way to Damascus to round up even more Christians and throw them into jail, he was confronted by Jesus Himself, and underwent a thorough transformation. It reminded me of a poem I wrote in 2009 about that very story, and I share it with you now.

METANOIA FOR THE MODERN WORLD

On that long road to Damascus

The Lord stopped Saul in his tracks

“Why, Saul, do you persecute me?”

The voice from heaven asked.

“Who are you, Lord?”

The stricken man cried

As he rubbed his sightless eyes.

“I am Jesus whom you persecute!”

The voice from heaven replied.

For three days Saul was blinded,

He neither ate nor drank a drop

Until he was convicted

To change the way he thought.

When he saw himself as Jesus did

His eyesight was regained

And Saul the persecutor

Became known as Paul the saint.

We need that kind of metanoia

In our modern world today,

Let people think before they act

In such destructive ways.

Away with guns and knives and threats

And bombs and words of war!

Hear God’s voice from heaven say,

“These things I do abhor!”

And if we listen carefully,

If we try to be humane,

Then surely metanoia

Will touch our world again.

Our road to Damascus is just as real today

As it was in Paul’s time

May we meet Jesus on the way.

©2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Honest Serving Men

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The first verse of  Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “I Keep Six Honest Serving Men” goes like this:

I keep six honest serving men

(They taught me all I ever knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

This got me to thinking about my own existence and I posed the following questions to myself:

Who am I?

Why am I here?

What is the purpose of my life?

Where is my life taking me?

When will I arrive?

How will I know the answers?

I have given myself the weekend to ponder this and perhaps by Monday I’ll have some answers.  Please feel free to share some input on your own six honest serving men.

From Another Realm

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Shortly after the death of her husband, a friend turned on her radio and heard “Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it’s breaking…”

Smile is song from 1936 when Charlie Chaplin composed the music for his movie, Modern Times, though John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics and title in 1954. It is now 2015 and this song is still being heard by those who need to hear it.

I’m including a piece from the Poetry section of my blog site to show how another song manifested itself shortly after my mother’s death. The poem tells the story.

ANN

“Who’s Sorry Now”
was her favorite song.
“You’ll be sorry when I’m dead and gone,”
she would bellow at her two girls for whatever reason.
Her life spanned fifty-nine years
of hard work and harder partying…
and then she died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
We were two sisters
detailing the aftermath of her death.
Sorting clothes, memorabilia, and personal papers,
we turned on the Telefunken stereo
to break the deadly silence of this once lively house.
WHO’S SORRY NOW
blared from the old set.
We physically jumped!
She was dead and gone, and she had been right:
we were sorry.
Ann was our mother,
and she was bellowing at us one more time…
from another realm.

 

 

Call on the Power Inherent in You

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Deep within us is a vast reservoir of untapped power waiting to be used…so wrote Norman Vincent Peale. I also wrote about this power within in my poem, All Things Are Possible, in 1984: to wit, all goals can be reached, all dreams can come true, when you call on the Power inherent in you. 

Here are a few Biblical points on power:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

A wise man has great power...(Proverbs 24:5 NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…(Acts 1:8 NIV)

…I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you….(Romans 9:17 NIV)

And then there is this poem which I wrote in 1998:

THE POWER OF YOU

If you would be more powerful

release your ego

let it soar

let the roar of you subside,

look inside,

see the power of you

released

to empower others.

©1998

Empowering others does not decrease our own power, but on the contrary, seems to enhance it so that we are ready at a moment’s notice to boost those in need of a surge.

Go ahead, call on The Power.

 

 

 

 

 

A Spiritual Dimension

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Years ago, I wrote a poem called A New Dimension, which I will post here.

After I wrote it, I wondered what that new dimension was, never being sure of the words that came to me. In church last Sunday, spirituality was mentioned and how there are those who never accept, or experience it.

Spirituality could definitely be viewed as another dimension of our life experience, I thought, remembering my poem of 1979.

Didn’t Jesus say, “…seek and you shall find…”? (Matthew 7:7)

Here then, is:

A NEW DIMENSION

Somewhere between each rising

and setting of the sun

a new dimension opens up

to each and everyone.

It’s there for us to welcome

a new challenge, a new day

we need only make ourselves aware

in every subtle way.

We need only make our senses

come alive, alert and more

responsive to the little things

we usually ignore.

So seek that new dimension

it’s there for everyone,

somewhere between each rising

and setting of the sun.

©1979

…to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6) KJV

So, seek that new dimension…why not?

To Apologize

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In relationships, many of us struggle to deal with the idiosyncrasies of our significant other. We sometimes overreact to little things that are part of our partner’s nature and fail to see our own faults that could be just as irritating to our spouse. This sometimes leads to a diminishing of feelings on the part of one or the other parties…or maybe both. When this happens a little more love is called for…not less. It isn’t conducive to a good relationship to live with hurting hearts; it is necessary to accept each other’s individuality and recognize the need to apologize when necessary.

BUT WHEN WE DO

Is to love those more

who love us less,

the answer to

broken-heartedness?

Love heals all things,

the pain subsides,

though tears at times

still touch our eyes.

Help us, Lord,

to learn from pain,

that we may not

cause hurt again.

But when we do,

may we be wise

and brave enough

to apologize.

©2014

(Reposted)

Be Still My Soul

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Be still, my soul

within the confines

of this space

I call my home;

amid the myriad of

vein and muscle,

sinew, bone…rest.

Awake, my soul,

arise and soar

with wings of love

to claim the home

from whence you came:

the realm of God…

and take me there

when I no longer need

this tent which

bears my name.

Until then all is well;

be still, my soul.

Patricia Ann Boyes

May 12, 2015

Awareness

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Too often we walk through life unaware of what takes place around us. Following is a brief excerpt from my poetry collection. It actually took place in my garden one warm summer day, just the way it is written.

ON BEING AWARE

One summer day

I asked the Lord

to make me more aware

and in that instant

watched a sparrow

catch an insect

in midair.

Undying Love

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Last December I wrote about visiting a couple in their eighties whose love was as strong then as when they were first married sixty-one years ago. Wilda had been quite ill for a long time, and sadly passed away yesterday, but their love will never die.

GRIEVE NOT FOR ME

Grieve not for me though I am gone

For I am with you still

God grant you strength to carry on

And understand His will.

A soft tear shed from time to time

Will ease your sorrowed mind

But live your life as fully

As you helped me live mine.

Time will heal the hurting heart

Faith will see you through

There’s still a life for you to live

With courage I leave you.

Remember me with thoughts of peace

Live each day with your heart

Grieve not for me for though I’m gone

We’re never far apart.

©1981 Patricia Ann Boyes

Nonsense!

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It’s the first day of Spring and I’m feeling frisky. Here’s a bit of nonsense to prove it:

Spring has sprung,

Fall has fell,

Winter’s gone

And it’s just as well!

So there!