From Evening’s Dusk To Full Mid-Day

From dusk to dawn was darkest night
then twilight pointed out new day.
The dogwood trees in bloom are white.
He leads us on the blessed way.

Eugenia offers “dusk” for her prompt this week.

Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” (KJV)

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Soaring

The darkness blinding us has gone.
We know the Lord as we are known.
Face to face we finally see
soaring past all mystery.
The part we could not see is shown.

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Eugenia offers the word “soaring” for this week’s challenge.

1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.“

Roar

The watchers on the wall will sound
the trumpets warning should they see
the enemy. Persistently
we’ll hold the line. To Him we’re bound.
It’s up to us to stand our ground.
Survival and salvation: May
we thank the Lord for every day
He gives to let our voices roar,
our praises to the heavens soar.
We hear His voice. We rise, obey.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “roar” to be used in a D-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers “survival” as her prompt this week.

Hook

With freeze and thaw of wintry woes
some fear the still-life’s gonna die.
Why spin the news so fast that I
can see the lies beneath fresh snows?

There is the Lamb that heaven shows,
the One who can unseal the book.
The losing side will try to hook
the world with sorrows. Persevere.
The sea of glass and fire comes here
with victory and praising. Look!

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “hook” to be used in a C-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers the theme “still-life” as her prompt this week. A commentary on Revelation by Michael Rood was on my mind especially verse 15:2 which he kept referring to.

Gratitude for Rest

Constricting envy cannot rest.
It meditates throughout the night,
turns dark the dawn of morning light.
Our lungs can’t breathe. We’re python pressed.

We’d much prefer to be caressed
without this dust. We don’t need more
of what they’ve got. We’re looking for
a way to make the python go,
stop scheming, squeezing, wanting so.
The Spirit breathes. We see the door.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “rest” to be used in a A-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers “envy” as the prompt for her challenge this week.

Rise

It’s not the sun. It’s not the moon.
It’s not the stars. They serve as signs.
The ordered light they offer shines,
but cannot sing a sacred tune.

He’s coming and He’s coming soon.
We lift our voice. We lift our hands
abandoning our once prized plans.
In unison our praises rise.
In expectation, earth and skies,
are eager, waiting for our stands.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “rise” to be used in a D-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Decima Challenge. Eugenia offers “unison” for her weekly prompt. I am thinking of Romans 8:16.

Hazy

This hazy morning’s white with snow
that’s covering the summer grass,
depositing a fluffy mass.
May spring appear and let things grow.
The winter’s beautiful although
it’s much too cold with silent chills.
I’d rather sleep than look for thrills
while running out about the park
where footsteps leave a foot deep mark,
unless that’s what I hear He wills.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “mass” to be used in the B-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s prompt. Eugenia offers “hazy” for her prompt this week.

Holiness

It’s holiness that makes us hush
not happiness that runs away
with pleasures leading us astray
in nightmares while the waters rush.

With affirmations rich and plush
we thank the Lord who made the sky,
who made the earth and birds that fly
and creatures on the land below
and in the water. See! They show
the glory of our God on high.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “hush” to be used in an A line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge and Eugenia offers “affirmations” for this week’s prompt. I was thinking of Jerry Bridges’ book, The Pursuit of Holiness.

Writing the Final Chapter

With little deeds I wrote my book.
May viewers not be led astray.
The cluttered moments blew away
when upside down the world was shook
and what was left is what I took.
I reasoned rightly I should read
the words I knew I ought to heed.
“You’re much too late,” the devil said,
“Tomorrow morning you’ll be dead.”
This final chapter’s all I need.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “read” to be used in a C-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.

Eugenia offers “chapter” for this week’s Thursday Prompt.

Art and Promises

His promises He’s come to keep.
Deception’s seen through flashy art
as idols fall and drift apart.
Where demons dug delusions deep
the truth’s now clear. The liars weep.
Here comes the morning freshly made
as night departs and star lights fade.
It’s now we fully understand.
We are the bride. We take His hand.
Our ransom long ago was paid.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “art” to be used in a B-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.

Eugenia offers the word “promises” for this week’s Thursday Prompt.

I am thinking of the last chapters of Revelation.

Jubilant Christmas

He’s there for every foe or friend.
The special gift of Christmas day
foreshadows sacrifice and may
our hearts renew, our false ways end.
While there’s still time let praises send
our gratitude beyond our tears.
Rejoice! His Spirit watches, hears
as we are blessed with penitence
for wanderings that made no sense.
We wait. Come soon – the Lord appears.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “friend” to be used in an A-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge.

And Eugenia offers the word “jubilant” as this week’s Thursday Prompt.

May you have a jubilant Christmas!

That New Day

There’s nothing that’s been left untold.
Our Shepherd’s voice we loved to hear.
Our hope replaced our urge to fear.
We followed calmly in the fold.

Obeying never will get old.
You’ve led us on the lasting way
where praise became our urge to pray.
Your joy now fully fills our hearts
and overflows. What’s sad departs.
We watch the sunrise of Your day.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “day” to be used in a D-line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers the prompt word “untold” for this week’s challenge.

Rich and Notable

What’s notable, that I would find.
I ditch the fake that thinks it’s rich,
ignore the wizard with his witch,
resist a compromising mind
that fantasizes till it’s blind.
Not one of us walks here alone.
We see enough what’s dimly shown.
With fruit maturing on the way
we hear and follow so we may
know fully as we’re fully known.

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Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “rich” to be used in a B line for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers the word “notable” for this week’s Thursday prompt. I am thinking of 1 Corinthians 13:12.

Stuff and Compassion

Compassion is forgiving stuff.
It’s powerful if one is meek
and raises up the burdened weak.
Not one of us can get enough.

Though waves are high when storms are rough,
though skies show off their grays,
the Lord’s aware of all our ways
so may we stay compassionate
and offer worship. Think of it:
We have the privilege now to praise.

Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “stuff” to be used in an A-rhyme of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. Eugenia offers the word “compassion” for this week’s prompt.

Shadows

The shadows cast on Plato’s cave
suggested there’s a source of light.
The Gnostic orderings of night
all lacked the means by which to save,
but that’s just what we would get right
since time is short before the grave.

Eugenia offers the prompt “shadows” for this week’s Thursday Challenge.

Halloween

Through moral mist we’ve claimed our pleasure’s good.
On Halloween the candy was a treat.
The apple from the midnight witch was sweet.
We counted every coin. Our fevers could
continue pleasure, rightly ours. Or, should
we punish doing tricks out in the street,
manipulating weaker ones we meet?
Our unknown sin was doing what we would.

This is the final stanza for Linda Kruschke’s month of octaves using Paint Chip words. I used “mist” and “midnight” as the prompt words. This is also written for Eugenia’s Thursday Prompt where the theme is Halloween.

Haunting

My memory is like gray rolling hills
where smoke and ash and haunting dragons hide
the sins I have forgotten through my pride
and could repeat should pleasure offer thrills.
The consequences though would give me chills
were I aware. Main paths are much too wide.
The narrow one’s too slippery? May I slide
into the hands of God whose Spirit fills.

Linda Kruschke offers new Paint Chip phrases for this week’s octave. Eugenia offers “haunting” as her Thursday Prompt.

Afterglow

The afterglow is pleasant, but the night
that follows buries me with guilty stress.
A spirit rock lacks any means to bless.
It offers stuff a ghost might hint brings light.
I want what’s moral, truly moral, right.
No grizzly olive branch can clean this mess.
It’s dark. I’ve lost my way so I confess,
again, and may this time my way stay bright.

Eugenia offers “afterglow” for this week’s prompt. Linda Kruschke offers new paint chip words for a continuation of a poem of octaves. I used “spirit rock”, “ghost”, “grizzly” and “olive branch” which continues Unknown Sin.

Autumn

On autumn walks through falling leaves
we offer gratitude and praise.
This gift of life within cleaned hearts
caresses us through all our days.

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Eugenia offers for this week the prompt “Autumn”. I am thinking of Psalm 51:10 when David asks the Lord to create in him a clean heart.

Sparkle Like Sunshine

A bouquet’s like a bluebird who
without a sound knows what to do
and vintage turquoise like the sky.
The evening comes so let us try
to understand like deep dark wood
and do in darkness what is good
when daylight trusts us on our own.
Let’s sparkle as deep truth we’ve known.

Based on prompts by Eugenia and Linda Kruschke.

End and Beginning

Cotton candy sunny side up.
Be the cream of the crop.
Sustain your faith. Persevere.
The end is near when evil stops.

Inspired by prompts from Linda Kruschke and Eugenia.

Trip

This prairie’s thick with butterflies.
From bloom to bloom they make a trip
as summer’s winds through flowers slip
at home with life and cloudy skies.

These butterflies distract my eyes
like yellow leaves that float and fall.
They calmly work though very small.
While on this journey patiently,
though home seems far away from me,
I’ll walk and pray, obey the call.

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Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “trip” to be used in a B line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s challenge. And Eugenia offers “journey” for her prompt this week.

Purple Moon or Black Hole

I much prefer a purple moon,
a wonder I can see,
than any black hole scientists
might think that there might be,
but that’s just me, admittedly,
preferring what I see.

Written in response to prompts by Eugenia and Linda Kruschke.

Midnight

At midnight taking a breath of fresh air
without the moon nor others on the street
I pray that my imaginations there
are those from God who makes the breathing sweet.

Motivated by prompts from Eugenia and Linda Kruschke.

Mumble

When demons push their hostile lies,
trashing truths to trip and stumble,
laughing through deceit they mumble
then justice seems the one that dies.

But round the world comes other cries
of those who know that all’s not lost.
It never was. With rough waves tossed
the darkness hides the light from day
pretending dark’s the only way.
A holy life is worth the cost.

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Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “mumble” to be used in a B line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge. Eugenia offers “round the word” for this week’s Thursday Prompt. I am thinking of Leviticus 11:45 and 1 Peter 1:16.

Soaring Leap

Without repentance, anxious, I
try hard to mindlessly sit still.
In lotus pose I’ll stay until
I save myself and learn to fly,
to levitate before I die
as gravity brags it will win.
My baggage stores a weight of sin
that keeps me from a soaring leap.
I need to find before I sleep
that way I’ve blocked, the true way in.

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Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “leap” to be used in a D line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge and Eugenia offers “soaring” for this week’s Thursday Prompt.

Unforgotten Street

So unfamiliar, everything –
You’re sure we lived here years ago?
This trail goes where? I do not know,
but there are birds ahead who sing.
I’m wearing still your wedding ring.
Some unforgotten, busy street
should have a place where we can eat.
Then at a table with two chairs
we’ll tell each other all our cares
and taste the dreams that turned out sweet.

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Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “street” to be used in a C line of a décima having rhyme patter ABBAACCDDC for this week’s Décima Poetry Challenge. Eugenia offers the word “unforgotten” for this week’s prompt.

Go

My soul’s a knotty network mess.
I know some demons have to go,
perhaps them all. I’d love to show
them to the door. I do confess
I chose this curse, but who could bless
me chained with guilt and justly bound?
They block my way. They’re all around.
“You’ve still one path to liberty:
Yes, faith in Jesus sets you free.”
And now no demons can be found.

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Ronovan Hester offers the rhyme word “go” to be used in a B line of a décima having rhyme pattern ABBAACCDDC in this week’s Decima Poetry Challenge. Eugenia offers the word “network” for this week’s Thursday Prompt.