No, but Yes, November

A response to “No!by Thomas Hood (1844)

©dorahak

November threatens forgetfulness
of summer’s desire, the yearn, the yawn, the yes!
of existence, with no! of “no shine,
no butterflies, no bees”

with creak of knees, lines of face
silver hair and brittle nails
and yes! wintry death of all desire
but for the joy in plenitude

carpe diem of eternity summering in You.


“Thus the snow loses its imprint in the sun.” (Dante, Paradiso)

For Cee's FOTD (Flower of the Day), a dahlia;
"No! Vember," d'verse's Poetics prompt, pays tribute to "No!" by Thomas Hood and asks that we take "a line from this poem and use it as springboard for a new poem." I chose "No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees."

Poetry in Prayer: Elfchen #2

Late fall azalea blooms

The Elfchen or Elevenie form, is a German-inspired poem of eleven words in five lines, with 1, 2, 3, 4 words, then 1 word again for the fifth and last line.

Jesus,
Your love
Holds me fast
Eternally to abide in
You.

Branch
Of David
From Jesse’s root
Return soon we pray
Amen.


Jeremiah 33:15
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

John 15:9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

1 Corinthians 16:22
Maranatha. Our Lord, come!


Late fall azaleas for Cee's FOTD (Flower of the Day)

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving Day -2021-
We call to You the glorious Three-in-One
We praise You in verse in skill far from replete
You whose love makes our contentment complete.

“Rudbeckia” Image copyright dorahak
Photo for Cee's FOTD challenge, November 25, 2021: Roses
Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD): "Please feel free to post 
every day or when you you feel like it.  
Don’t forget that my FOTD challenge accepts 
gardens, leaves and berries as well as flowers."

Poetry in Prayer: Badger Hexastitch #1

A Badger Hexastitch is six lines of the following syllables in each: 2-4-6-6-4-2

Father,

Your love stays fresh

in my heart, cascading,

unfailing, quenching deep

my yearning for

You.

Lavender Asters
Photo for Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

The Land of the Young (Tír na nÓg)

For lyrics and translation to the song, click here.

Strange the tale of an elven king’s son
Who lured a maid into the land of the young.
There she took tea, fated never to return
To the land of the living where hopes reigned.

Once she escaped her besom buddies of elven-land
But euphoria died when her long black locks turned white
As haunting memories of the land of the young
Made her yearn for the revelry of elven friends.

On the steps of a cathedral she stood skyward gazing
Behind her from the woods the elven king’s son stood imploring
But she had found a love beside which earthly magic paled
A love eternal from her Maker that over all prevailed.

“I cannot go with you, sweet heir of elven halls
Though surely will I miss you and all your kith and kin.
I have chosen wisely with wisdom from above
To live and die a daughter of the God who does me love.”

The elven lords and ladies left behind remained wondering
Their days of wine, their nights of dance, youth forever blooming
Thrown aside by a poor maid as if they all were nothing
Impressed them not, sincere or not, and soon she was forgotten.

Crimson's Creative Challenge #154 prompt: Image credit Crispina Kemp
RagTag Daily Prompt Thursday: "Euphoria"
Sammi's 13 Days of Samhain vol ii: Day 2 – "Besom Buddies"
Eugi's Weekly Prompt: "Haunting"

Afterglow #RetroHaiku

Meditate

on God’s love

after: glow

Retro Haiku 3-3-3
Cee's FOTD, See the beautiful Autumn Mums on her site.Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD).  
"Please feel free to post every day or when you you feel like it.  
Don’t forget that my FOTD challenge accepts gardens, leaves and berries as well as flowers."
Eugi's Weekly Prompt -- Afterglow -- October 14, 2021

In Praise of Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky in 1872

You see through me,

Dostoevsky, you leave no light

between truth and reality

and a woman’s heart (like a man’s)

lays bared before your demands

that life be lived not in the shadows

but where madness, danger, evil threaten:

and faced, leaves no doubt of allegiance

to the God whose truth is love.

Sanaa at dVerse's Poetics asks that we "dip our toes"
into a panegyric: "Plainly speaking, the term “Panegyric,” 
refers to a poem of effusive praise. 
The genre being Greek in origin is closely related to 
both eulogy and ode. Click on Mr. Linky and join in!

Hope in the Lord

For Cee's FOTD, October 3, 2021
Crimson Queen Japanese Maple in the spring

Psalm 131 (ESV) A Song of Ascents. Of David.

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

I Would Be A Leaf

I would be a leaf
in Thy kingdom, LORD,
to drink the glory of You.

In the portmanteau
compartments of life to carry
Your photons of life.

Replenished daily
by the fountains of Your love
sky-full, earth-replete.

Dancing in the wind
whose great power tender breathes
Your eternal joy.

Stormed by sorrow, strife
refuged by Your haven-wings;
exulting, there soar.

Maple in Spring
Haiku 5-7-5
Sammi's Weekend Writing Prompt #228 – "Portmanteau" – exactly 59 words
Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) - September 26, 2021

A Common-Place Jotting: Corrie ten Boom

Common-Place or “Locus Communis” — a place to remember

Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) and her family helped Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II and, by all accounts, saved nearly 800 lives in the Netherlands. They were devout Christians.

On February 28, 1944, a Dutch informant told the Nazis of the ten Booms’ activities and the Gestapo raided the home. They kept the house under surveillance, and by the end of the day 35 people, including the entire ten Boom family, were arrested, Although German soldiers thoroughly searched the house, they didn’t find the half-dozen Jews safely concealed in the hiding place. The six stayed in the cramped space for nearly three days before being rescued by the Dutch underground.

Ten Boom Museum

All ten Boom family members were incarcerated, including Corrie’s 84-year-old father, who soon died in the Scheveningen prison, located near The Hague. Corrie and her sister Betsie were remanded to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp, near Berlin. Betsie died there on December 16, 1944. Twelve days later, Corrie was released. None of the other members of her family had survived.

In 1971, she wrote a best-selling book of her experiences during World War II, entitled The Hiding Place in which she recounts her extraordinary experiences through World War II and illustrates how Christ’s strength sustained her.

The above biography taken from biography.com.

“In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.”

Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place

“I have experienced His presence in the deepest hell that man can create. I have really tested the promises of the Bible, and believe me, you can count on them.”

Corrie ten Boom

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

Corrie ten Boom

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”

Corrie ten Boom
Continue reading “A Common-Place Jotting: Corrie ten Boom”