Category Archives: Poetry

Opinions#Poem

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Your opinions about me
are not about me at all.
They are really about you.

Whether consciously or not,
every time you think of me,
you think in truth of yourself.

Am I pleasing you right now?
Am I saying what you want?
Am I validating you?

Do I feel the way you do?
Do my emotions match yours?
Do I make you feel secure?

Do you approve of my work?
Does what I do disgust you?
Do you like my responses?

When you ask me how I am,
does my answer fit your mood?
Do I join your misery?

Do I affirm your choices,
your situation, your life?
Do you feel uncomfortable?

If you don’t, perhaps you should.
How can you ask for freedom
when you don’t extend the same?

You ask me not to judge you,
but you judge me constantly,
simply for my existence.

It’s OK. I understand.
I know just why this happens.
Don’t worry. I forgive you.

Your opinions about me
are not about me at all.
They are about your ego.

If you treat me this badly,
when you don’t know me at all,
I am left with one question.

How much worse
do you treat
yourself?

Blessed Bread #Poem

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The Bible says,
“Man cannot live
by bread alone.”

I guess that’s why
God made bagels,
pretzels, crackers,
donuts, muffins,
brownies, cookies,
pastries, and cakes!

The bread of life
bakes many forms!
So I thank God
for his Manna
straight from Heaven!

What a Friend We Have in Jesus #Music

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Download Mp3

Joseph M. Scriven, a minister, wrote this poem in 1855. He wrote it to comfort his mother, who lived in Canada while he lived in Ireland. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, but he received full credit in the 1880s. Though the hymn has other musical settings, Charles Crozat Converse composed this one in 1868. I hope you enjoy “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” on zither!

Bright Idea #Poem

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I had a bright idea once,
To get a little pet.
My nephews had a hermit crab,
And one fine day we met.

I put my finger in the cage,
A kind of little bowl.
I’m lucky when I pulled it out
The finger was still whole!

No hermit crab for me, it’s clear,
And no tropical bird.
A peacock, so I hear, is loud,
And must have the last word.

If not pets, then a garden full
Of flow’rs and fruits and trees,
Beginning with a lotus
And some pomegranate seeds.

The only baby’s breath I found
Was lost as my son grew.
Perhaps the pets and gardening
Are not my thing to do.

I had a bright idea once:
Don’t try to fit a mold!
Be happy in God’s plan for me:
Unique, authentic, bold!

—
My response to Linda Kruschke’s
Paint Chip Poetry Prompt #29: Long Lost

Into the Waves #Writephoto #Poem

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Play or download the poem with lyre accompaniment.

I’m running from the rushing waves
Of angry, stormy seas.
I have no ship or lighthouse,
Just fear surrounding me.

But then a small voice whispers;
I hear above the waves,
“Peace, be still,” and strangely,
It ebbs the fear away.

The Spirit is inside me.
No, I am not alone,
No matter what my life may bring,
Wherever I may roam.

I’m heartened by the still, small voice
Of wisdom, love, and light
That guides me ever onward
Through the raging storms of life.

I’m running to the glistening waves
With courage in my soul.
The sea belongs to Spirit, too,
A thought that makes me bold.

I need no ship or lighthouse;
The Light is mine to share.
It radiates within me
As the Spirit’s loving care.

When seas are rough and ragged,
When hope cannot be found,
When minds give up and seek the Light,
Then “Peace, be still” abounds!

—
Written for Sue Vincent’s
#Writephoto Prompt, Glisten.

Peace, Be Still

Original Song on Ukulele

This song is from the album, “Mother Nature Sings.”
Click here for a free download.