She looked upon the child in her arms
and was amazed--
in awe of what her body had created--
and she knew, without a doubt,
she had been blessed.
From the moment of conception
your child grew from a one-celled ovum--
to the babe in your arms--
directed by dna and rna
strands of life
combining mother and father
to create a new person
through genetic procreation.
Two weeks after conception
your child's
sex, hair color, eye color, . . .
height, and skin tone
have already been determined.
As the babe grew, your body nurtured,
sustained, protected
the growing embryo,
and by week three
there was a primitive
but beating heart.
By week four, eyes and ears,
a spinal cord, muscles,
arms and legs,
even nerves were present
as the amniotic sac
and the placenta
provided nourishment.
Six weeks into your baby's life,
eyes, arms,
hands with all ten fingers,
legs, and feet
were much better formed.
Your child was able to move
and respond to touch.
At nine weeks,
The embryo became a fetus--
able to grasp, suck his/her thumb,
and by the tenth week
fingerprints were visible.
In addition to sensing touch
your baby could feel pain.
At twelve weeks,
your child slept
and awakened.
Gender was apparent
by week thirteen,
and at the fourteenth week
your baby was growing rapidly;
hair was visible,
you could begin to feel
energetic movement,
and you began to show
as your "baby bump"
began to become visible.
By the eighteenth week,
your baby's ears were fully functioning
and your voice could be heard.
Your babe weighed about a half pound
(as much as a small can of tomato sauce)
and was eight to ten inches long.
You began to wear maternity clothes,
and the blessing of
having a child
became much more real to you.
Week twenty-two marked
an important developmental milestone.
Your baby's head now formed
about one-third of total length,
and if born at this point,
may have survived outside the womb--
with intensive medical care.
At the twenty-sixth week,
taste buds were fully formed,
eyes and lungs were fully functioning,
and your baby could cry.
Your "baby bump"
had grown considerably.
At thirty weeks, senses of
vision, hearing, taste, and touch
were being used.
Eyes were able to open and close;
your child could look around
and recognized your voice.
Between the thirty-sixth week
and the fortieth week,
your body began to prepare
for your babe's entry
into the outside world.
Your child shifted downward
and into position"
now ready for the big day.
Full-term,
your child
will weigh, on average, six to nine pounds
and is ready for life outside
the protection of your womb.
When born, at the fortieth week,
your baby's heart
is pumping 300 gallons of blood a day.
As you speak to this baby in your arms,
a tiny smile forms,
the eyes flutter open
in recognition of your voice.
and you know you are blessed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Pregnancy is God's test of our ability to truly love another person unconditionally and His way of saying, "You have what it takes to love this child and teach him/her the way to live."
Rays of light beam down; a moon in full bloom
is a nocturnal flower on a high
traverse removing the doldrums and gloom
with its bright round light emitting a sigh.
The brightest bloom on terrestrial earth
soars eloquently protected 'midst clouds
drifting, fore and aft, a royal sheathe--
steadfast, migrating shields and shrouds.
Any flower on earth could ne'er compare
with the yen to reach up and pluck it down,
put it in a vase filled with baby's breath
with a white diamond encircling crown--
a luminescent, winking, twinkling wreath:
breathtaking, romantic embodiment
of an everlasting promise to vent
angelic purity of loving scent.
Orbiting the earth, seemingly so close,
lighting the world with poetic diffuse
bursting from within, an enraptured dose
with the power to soften old man Zeus--
or the wise old God watching from on high.
Gifting us unrivaled, rapturous views
enriched with delight dispensed from the sky,
orchestrating romance--old Cupid's ruse.
Both the young and the old can appreciate
the memo encased within such vision--
that meteor shower for which we wait,
composing its meter with such precision.
Oh, beautiful sight, the moon in full bloom,
a romantic touch to lighten the gloom
adds a bit of stardust sheen to the room.
Even the farmer reaps much benefit;
with the heavenly light perched on high
some bring in the harvest by night with it
then rake in the profits with a sigh.
A dance on the beach, with its ebb and flow
causing waters to bunch 'neath strength of pull,
moving away releases, lets them go
as slow, smooth waltz invites a soaring gull.
Even humans exhibit changes of mood;
as its face shines bigger and brighter still
heaviness causes some to droop and brood,
and nothing seems enough to fill the bill.
Take care not to let it become your god
or dictate the paths your feet may have trod;
let it serve as a guide for tilling sod.
The Man in the Moon watches all we do
with his face quite clear on the brightest nights
but hardly seen when obscured from our view
by the waning mode or storms in our sights.
As it waxes luminescent--moves close,
full and bright, visibility improves--
and hidden angles bid all adios,
while sharp, concise outlines of surface grooves
are revealed for those needing to know when
to plant crops producing above the ground
or best times to start those root crops again--
when to lay fallow, when to switch crops 'round.
The moon blooms for us up high in the sky
to give a growth guide for planting, and why
some days produce better roots to live by.
~~~~~~~~~~
Photo Above:Posted by permission granted from Silas Jackson South.
The trees are leafing, spring is in the air,
but its mood is sour and has not been fair
in weather put forth for all to enjoy
active involvement of an outside toy.
Instead, weekly thunderstorms are brewing,
along tornadic funnel path strewing
debris consisting of homes and huge trees
ripped up by the roots, carried by the breeze
on a not so fun ride to where 'twill abide--
forty or fifty feet laid on its side.
The storms set down. They travel on the ground
for miles while local warning sirens sound.
Otherwise, the days present as a mix--
some sunny and mild, providing a fix
for wintertime blahs we may need to nix.
Limbs are bursting with new life at each bud,
flowers peek through in their beds filled with mud.
Yellow-green clouds billow upper reaches,
against superior backdrop fetches
passersby attention, birds on the fly
seek rest from journeys soaring through blue sky.
The sun shines brightly, gardens are planted,
lakes and rivers call to souls needing soothed,
and hiking trails beckon fitness imbued
to engage in the life so long now queued--
waiting for the day living would return
with loads of energy begging to burn.
Actions the virus held in abeyance
now returning 'midst movement and cadence
high in the mountains and low in the fens.
Springtime seems to be calling out this year
to the souls and spirits of all who hear
her luscious promise so precious and clear.
Pain in our hearts for the victims of war.
Such an odyssey--fallacies afar--
blaming the innocent for their own fear.
How to learn from the daily wear and tear,
decrease the valence? With good intent we share
and attend the pain and suffering they bear.
It nay alleviates hate in the air
nor shields from the agony wrought anywhere
when the world looks on, tells them of our care.
No matter what we say as war instills pain,
hearts will ne'er reclaim the old peace again.
Remembrance o'er-shadows all occasion.
March came in like a proverbial lamb;
and she quickly began picking up steam.
The first few days were sunny, mild, and calm;
then snow brought by Winter's battering ram
escorted an annual Easter Squall
as cool weather squatted a few more days.
Another warm-up brought daffodils tall,
thunderstorms, tornadic torrential flays,
rooftops off homes, powerlines ripped from poles,
trees uprooted, homes and vehicles flipped,
damage for miles in corporate locales
where lives have been marred, heartstrings are now ripped.
From the anchoring strengths of hearth and home
where rebuilding takes time, tilling the loam
must be completed to stimulate phloem.
Lives must be rebuilt in this worldly realm
while another, still being ripped apart,
cannot ponder whence the 'morrow's dire helm
will position them. Those who leave home port,
praying for a reprieve, can have no thought
or hopes quite bold as news from home is told
and the days flow forth. Homeland hopes for bought
or borrowed time as loved ones lives unfold,
then refold when words not sharing their pain
rip hearts asunder -- tell home's not the same.
Faces turn ashen as their colors drain,
emotions rage for lost hopes they can't claim.
Now, as the month begins its final wrap,
it is preparing to give us a slap
when leaving us with a severe storm snap.
~~~~~~~~~~
March 2022 — In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion
So, this says The Old Folks Saying Rings True.
It certainly does this year for me and for you!
Take away this; then replace it with that,
give little thought for the things to be lost--
the value they held or replacement cost.
The morning will bring a new coat and hat;
'Twill wrap-up warmer than the one thrown out,
bolster the image and smooth the way flat.
Take away this.
New thoughts, new ways will remove tit for tat,
excluding habits known to increase frost,
forbidding views of traditional host,
supplanting the old with new voice in chat.
Take away this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Take Away This . . .
~~ Poetic Form Commentary ~~
by tkbrown
While the rondine form in poetry has traditionally been utilized as a romantic vent, my use of the format has — from the beginning — taken a different course. When my mind conjures a rondine, it tends to address irony by focusing on a specific word whose original intent focused one direction but often presents a view taking a divergent path.
With this rendition of the rondine, I have taken my variance up a notch to address political concerns and somber reality. Since the coronavirus sidelined our world’s best laid plans a few years back, our whole outlook on life has seemed to change — and I am not sure it has been for the betterment of our society as a whole. Therefore, I have tried to be the voice of many who are unsure whether or not to speak out.
My past tendencies of a poetic nature have presented themselves in batches of a particular form. Thus, I am inclined to believe this will be the case in this venue. I have written political satire before–though I am not sure this is satirical. As you read, contemplate what the poem says to you, and please scroll down to “Like” if you appreciate what I have written. Then post a comment letting me know what you think. Does the rondine enhance the message presented–pro or con, I would like to hear your thoughts.
Just when it looks like summer
has settled in to stay,
sunshine follows days of wet
with a teeny bit less heat
during mid-day sun
and some temperature drops
as nighttime turns to dawn.
Cooler temps have been knocking
for a few days now,
patiently awaiting just the right time
to make a grand entrance
and take Mother Nature's bow.
Highs in the seventies
and lows in the sixties--
then suddenly lows drop
into the upper forties.
Knock, Knock, Knock:
Fall pleading to be let in
to meet the schedule
as planned--
beginning an end to life's cycle
currently at hand
as the never-ending circle
inches forward in the sand.
As time and warmth fall back,
colors explode along scenic drives
to ease the pain when mostly black
with touches of grays, browns,
and splotches of green
signal hibernation--
from which Mother Nature
slowly awakens the Southern Hemisphere
where leaves and buds begin to appear
in varying shades of yellow green
and the most beautiful flowers
a body has seen
poke their heads out to welcome the sun
as we flip earth's annual cycle
of fertility and recline.
The fall equinox
with it's Harvest Moon
is knocking quite loudly
on summer's tune
as Mother Nature's produce
is reaped and stored while Earth's
lower half is tilling and sowing
for the abundance provided
by summer's noon.
With a knock, knock, knock,
cooler temperatures arrived--
just a wee bit cooler,
from those storm clouds derived.
When the sunshine returns
with an inviting hue,
heads swivel about to view
the blinding sheen.
Then suddenly, a warning
of a cold night to be--
quite unexpected
during Harvest's Jubilee.
As it slowly returns to normal
over nightfall--two or three--
we will see the colors blossom--
yellow, orange, sienna, and red
will be ushered in for free.
God will be busy painting hillsides
as He beckons days of gold
followed by the nighttime
filled with shivers from the cold.
It is time to pick the pumpkins,
acorn squash, and butternut--
put them in the freezer
for the goodness they impart.
Apples, pears, and walnuts
are being harvested as well
to create delicious treasures
for a healthy winter shell.
Cooler days just seem to call
for something cooking on the stove:
time for Shrimp and Pumpkin Curry,
a pot of aromatic Red Beans,
Sage and Walnut Pumpkin Butter
spread upon a wholegrain bread
or saucing tortellini
for a filling winter spread.
It's time to create
a healthy formula
where spices explicate the flavor--
taking sugar down to size--
in recipes far better
for the heart, and health, and eyes.
These pursuits decrease the half-life
of the wither doldrums when
idleness is created
by the binds of winter strife.
The harvest--then in storage--
promotes artistic flair
just to see the results,
small the aromatic air,
and exhilarate the taste buds
from the harvest reaped in fall.
As the hot summer days are winding down,
schools returning for the yearly session
are faced with the delta variant surge--
most virulent COVID yet to emerge:
wearing masks, for some virtual learning,
keeping social distance while returning
to classrooms for in person instruction.
Those who succumb go into quarantine
logging in from home to the classroom scene
where some locales have rebelled--banned the mask--
saying it subjugates the students' task.
Some instructors opt to protect themselves--
wearing the masks, getting virus vaccines--
while the opposed spread vile, poisonous germs.
The world looks forward to a fall cool-down,
experts predict twin pandemic to drown
all hopes of relief from the COVID heat
as second strain moves in and takes a seat.
Inter-country travel sets new limits
on those allowed entry--and on exits.
The twenty-year war in Afghanistan
ended, victory flagged the Taliban:
U.S. citizens, fearfully stranded,
call for their transport to be commanded.
The U.S Embassy stands empty now,
and Taliban says diplomats can't go.
Between the war and coronavirus,
the toll has been large on American lives
with experts reporting new mutations.
The fall equinox takes its place on stage
with promise of change whatever your age.
Cooler temps touting a view in the hills
where potent colors laud sensory thrills.
Beautiful photos to brighten the mood
when placed upon walls where atmosphere broods.
Such a gift God provides a dying world
to ease the deep umbrage at times unfurled.
Yellows, reds, various shades of orange
provide quite a lift in visual range
and stir a desire to actively merge
in ritual dance 'midst surrounding dirge.
Fall festivals, hayrides, pumpkin patch tours
celebrate life which is patently yours
and abate sadness with merriment cures.
~~~~~~~~~~
Photo Above:Pumpkin Patch in Autumn @depositphotos.com.
“But of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'”
Genesis 3:3 — “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
Thinking back to the devotional about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, what can we learn from Satan’s role? He appears in disguise as a serpent and delights in creating havoc when things are going well. God created Adam; then He created Eve as a helpmeet to Adam. He put them in the Garden of Eden which He had filled with every beautiful tree and trees with fruit for them to eat. However, He told them not to eat from two trees or they would surely die.
Satan saw how smoothly things were going. God was even going to the garden every afternoon in the cool of the day to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. Satan decides to “have a little fun and confuse the issue with Adam and Eve.” How often have you heard one person say, “so-and-so was picking on me!” The other person laughs a heartless laugh and chortles, “I was just playin!” Well , this is the attitude Satan had when he talked to Eve about the tree from whence she and Adam had been told not to eat.
~~~~~~~~~~
1 — “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said, ‘Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?””
2 — “And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:'”
3 — “‘But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.””
4 — “And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die.””
5 — “‘For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.'”
6 — “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.”
7 — “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.”
8 — “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”
9 — “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, ‘Where art thou?'”
10 — “And he said, ‘I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.'”
11 — “And He said, ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?'”
12 — “And the man said, ‘The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.'”
13 — “And the Lord God said unto the woman, ‘What is this that thou hast done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.'”
14 — “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.‘”
15 — “‘And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.'”
16 — “Unto the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.'”
17 — “Unto the man He said, ‘Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, ‘Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;'”
18 — “‘Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;'”
19 — “‘In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'”
20 — “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”
21 — “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them.”
22 — “And the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:'”
23 — “Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”
24 — “So, He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:1-24 — “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
So, Satan saw: Adam and Eve were happy in the garden of Eden, things were going as God intended. Satan was unsettled by this. He plotted and schemed (which is normal for Satan) and devised a plan to cause God some grief. Unbeknownst to Adam and Eve, they became putty in Satan’s hands, and he molded them as he wished. They fell right into his plan. The result was: God’s plans went awry.
This is the same role Satan plays in the world today. All of the chaos around us, all of the violence and ill-will–Satan’s doings: and humanity falls right into his scheme and pushes it along.
~~~~~~~~~~
12 — “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”
13 — “For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:'”
14 — “‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.'”
15 — “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.'”
Isaiah 14:12-15 — “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
When we are tempted to do wrong, Satan is pushing those buttons, making us believe there is nothing wrong with whatever we are being tempted to do. He tells us “if God is good, He will not punish you.” He makes us believe all manner of falsehoods about any and all things by which we are tempted. After all, he is the one tempting us. When we do his will instead of doing the will of God and Jesus in heaven above, Satan wins. If this happens often enough for a long enough time, we reach a point where our hearts are hardened to God’s word.
~~~~~~~~~~
12 — “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;”
13 — “but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
Hebrews 3:12, 13 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
If we allow our hearts to harden against God and His plan for us, we will never listen to His plan of Salvation again. We will never believe Jesus is God’s Son. Ultimately, we will never enter heaven–and Satan will have won. At that point, he knows we will spend eternity with him in hell; since he is the father of sin, he will then be the father of those who follow him instead of God and Jesus.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
John 8:44 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:8 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KVJ)
~~~~~~~~~~
If we wish to make an eternal home in heaven with God and Jesus, we must first believe Jesus is God’s Son. Then, we must study God’s word, that we might know what to do in order to follow Him instead of Satan. Finally, we must do all that Jesus and His apostles commanded. They spoke with authority by divine inspiration in order to guide those who were receptive to God’s will in the way they must go.. Today, we must adhere to Christ’s plan of eternal salvation, and we must be faithful to that plan unto death if we wish to spend eternity with God and Jesus in heaven.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
In order to defeat Satan in his game of deceit, it is necessary to arm ourselves with the knowledge of God’s word. We must overcome temptation and devote our life in service to God and His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 5:8 (above) says Satan “is like a roaring lion, roaming about the earth, seeking whom he may devour.” When we do wrong, there are always consequences for those wrongs. When those consequences “eat at us” it is Satan devouring our lives one sin at a time. If we do not stay alert and resist his temptation, he will win–we will be cast into hell along with him for all eternity. Therefore, we must gird ourselves with God’s protection as we turn from sin. If we are truly trying to overcome temptation and avoid all sin, and if we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, God will provide the knowledge, faith, and strength to avoid Satan’s snares,
~~~~~~~~~~
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version: (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Ephesians 6:12 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
I pray we all strengthen our faith in God and Jesus through the study of God’s word that we might turn from Satan. His trickery may make him appear to be an “angel of light,” but it will only give him cause to lock us in hell with him for all eternity. There is an old saying: “misery loves company.” We read above, in Isaiah chapter 14 verses 12 through 15, about Satan (Lucifer) deciding he was going to overthrow God and take over heaven as the Most High.” The result was: God cast him to the pit of hell. Now, he wants us there with him to keep him company. He wants to ease his own guilt by convincing all who are in the world to embrace his guilt and join with him in it. He does not want to be alone in his guilt for all eternity. He wants us in hell with him.
Therefore, I pray we all turn to God for strength and perseverance in our fight against Satan that we might have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
May God give us the knowledge, the understanding, the faith, and the strength to “win the good fight” that we might spend eternity in heaven.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:11 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV)
~~~~~~~~~~
Sources:
Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Genesis 3:3. “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version” (KJV). U.S. Congress. (29 August 2021). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-3-3/.
Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). John 8:44. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV). U.S. Congress. (29 August 2021). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/John-8-44/.
Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). 1 John 3:8. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV). U.S. Congress. (29 August 2021). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-John-3-8/.
Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). 1 Peter 5:8. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV). U.S. Congress. (29 August 2021). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-Peter-5-8/.
Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). James 4:7. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version” (KJV). U.S. Congress. (29 August 2021). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/James-4-7/.
Dedicated To:those who are now in High School and to those who have been.
Diploma:by Mica Hart @pixabay.com.
by tkbrown
Tis the month when school bells begin to ring
even though the virus is surging again.
Teachers, students, classrooms,
binders--three ring,
notetaking, not writing, something akin
to mega seminars--and yet it's more--
with old friends, new friends,
and many new plans,
not enough time,
no energy left at end of day.
Crawling into bed--
out like a light--
the backs of my eyelids
such a beautiful sight.
All too soon morning light peeks in
reminding of needs to be met.
A brand-new day, an old routine
with advanced equations,
how to calculate sine.
What happens later
midst well-laid plans
was not intended--
it was not planned--
protect my heart from this 'start.'
I do not understand
how it managed to rend
the innermost core
and alter who I am.
New emotions running deep,
welling up, unable to keep
them in.
Sensations flowing new and free
at the chance, passing sight of thee--
concentration and focus have all but flown
out the open window where seeds have been sown.
The future is out there, unsure as to where
this path of emotions is leading--
the person I was
taking steps toward
the one I will become.
That first High School band
marching on the field
to enrich experience at halftime
for those watching, marching,
and me.
Do others feel the same?
Is the aura surreal?
Does it show on my face--
this awesome new feel?
One day at a time--
sometimes just an hour--
seems such a waste of rhythm
when my mind is speeding ahead
toward the end of these four."
Can I wish my life away
and be sure I will remain
the person I was
when I stepped onto this train?
Maybe I should
step back for a bit
to catch my breath
before I take . . . a run for it.
High School.
I was born to be wild . . .
not penned up in a zoo,
not meant to be cooped up
to fuel the pleasure of you.
I was born to roam free
with my babes and friends,
exploring the world
until my life bends or ends.
I was born to attack
when the need doth arise--
protecting my own
under wide open skies.
My name is Zambia,
I was meant to be free--
not in a concrete jungle
for your sickening glee.
I am the "King" of my kind
with the need to stalk prey,
need to challenge the mind--
teach the Pride to sashay.
I protect the Pride's young,
sacrifice self when I must,
overlooking our freedom
midst the just and the unjust.
We need plenty of cover
and much space for the chase;
keeping preying skills shining
helps the "King" to save face.
We need dedicated parkland
away from people and towns
to preserve our heritage
and prevent dying down.
People are impeding
all the places we have lived,
making them uninhabitable--
many Prides are deprived.
Our prey must be large
and live where we live,
so hunting skills can excel
as our cubs learn and thrive.
Preservation is the need,
hunting is the skill,
teaching craft to our cubs
is our protection still.
When humans move in,
settling within our homeland,
they take away our freedom--
bidding extinction take its stand.
I cannot be a "King"
midst my homeland and Pride
if we are dying out
'cause there is no place to hide.
There is very little thought
given to our lifestyle
and what it takes to survive
for e'en a little while.
When we have no place to go
to live the life we must,
the old life we must retain--
or we will all return to dust.
This is my heartfelt plea
to all of you who care,
"Please return our homeland
undisturbed by human fare!"
by tkbrown 
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