Three poems from A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY: 200 Holy Sonnets

 

Standing in the road some time ago,

There was a man, who seemed to suffer so,

He stood and wept and then he sighed and said,

“I would prefer to be already dead,

For life is worse to me than any hell,

Nothing that I’ve done, have I done well!

All my opportunities are gone,

I feel as if the sun has never shone!”

To hear these words, who would not be distressed?

And I thought what word can I suggest

To ease the pain of deep sincere regret

Of Him, the devil caught inside his net.

Jesus came, to save us sinners, all,

Of whom I am the chief, so said St. Paul.  (I Timothy 1:15)

 

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Sin which is inflicted on the soul,

Painfully dividing what is whole,

Becomes so clear and evident to see,

When chained to passion, man’s no longer free.

Bad habits are a scourge throughout his life,

Through passion, causing cruel, bitter strife,

And make of him a most obedient slave,

Until the day he’ll lie inside his grave.

Alas!  How many idle hours are spent,

Seeking pleasure—while there’s time, repent!

For in this world, as long as he has breath,

Humility redeems a man from death;

            “Remember me, O Lord!” the thief had said,

            And then he entered Paradise instead!

 

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God tried his faithful servant once again,

And showed him that all earthly things are vain,

The good he’d done had been construed as bad,

His joy was changed, becoming very sad.

 

But God is good, and seeks to save us all,

Despite our weakness and our constant fall,

And this He does by ways which are sublime,

Disclosed when He esteems the proper time.

He laid upon his servant’s back a cross,

That to many, seemed to be a loss,

But others who were pure in heart could see,

An unexpected blessing this would be.

What will he become?  That, no one knows,

To follow God’s commandments, though, he chose. 

 

With thanks to beloved Bishop Paul, spiritual mentor and holy friend through whom God has blessed me.  From his new book of poetry, A Spiritual Journey 200 Holy Sonnets now available on Amazon.com.