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Introduction
Poems, to be candid,
were never a particular interest of mine as I grew up,
although, at the same time, I never disliked them. One
could say I fairly ignored them. In fact, reading, and
especially writing, were special pains of mine except when
I must, or something "interesting" or amusing
was involved. I got around to enjoying reading after I
finished Secondary School though but never writing. Even
now, often, I still find it tedious.
It
was a few years ago after attending a
teaching meeting under a man of God that I respect a lot.
He had taught about true fellowship and how it was
seriously lacking among Christians and the need to be
expressive in our love if indeed it was true. After the
message he challenged each person to collect the name and
address of someone next or close to him or her, preferably
someone unfamiliar, and write the person a "love
letter" and or send a "love card" in
addition to exchanging visits within the following week. I
happened to exchange personal information with a sister
who was much older than myself and who clearly then did
not fit into my mold of someone attractive.
Here
was I wanting to prove true to the teaching of the man of
God but at the same time not wanting to lie or flatter.
Sincerely, I did not know what loving words to write her without
flattery and I did not want the escape of greeting cards
even though I was going to get her one, as I knew they
would be evasive and certainly stereotyped. For no certain
reason, may be just because I wanted to act the
instruction out in the true spirit of love, I sought
something true and nice to write her.
I
tried for days, trying to squeeze out something from our
brief meeting but always I ended up with one form of
flattery or another. However, somehow, very casually
though, but from the depth of my heart, I asked the Holy
Spirit to help me with words. Almost immediately a few
words came up in heart, they felt good and true at the
same time, as I picked my pen to write they just poured.
The feeling was my first to the best of my memory of
anything I had ever said in compliment to any one. I felt
good and I felt true, both at the same time. I read the
lines over and over again in wonder of where such a sweet
compliment came from within me. Of course I knew it was
not me, I had only given true love a chance for expression
through me.
That
was it, so it all began. The sister was admittedly
awesomely touched by the words and I from then discovered
a power of expression and articulateness that was
profound. It was as if I had been opened up and allowed to
pour like a tap that had long been under the pressure of
water but was locked. And indeed, as I later realized, I
was a "bottled up" person. Feelings rarely
escaped in words through me, more especially when they had
to with love, and most especially, love for someone of the
opposite sex, no matter the purity. In fact, how in the
world can such love be pure, so I thought. The fear of
being misunderstood or being embarrassed and the suspicion
of my own heart had enslaved me and diminished from my
personality.
Every
opportunity since then to appreciate someone became an
opportunity to write the person a few sweet words from my
heart. From birthday wishes to wedding toasts, to thank
you's and simple compliments, I just found delight in
writing lines of them, and the people who received them
were blessed. I later exploited the gift for the custom
cards I made then . So began my romance with poems.
Probably
my greatest adoration for poems is the medium it allows
for one to express so very much with usually so very
little and often simple words at no compromise to the
richness of the thought, such compromise as not uncommon
with every day language. With poems you can capture the
broadest, deepest, grandest, loftiest, and sweetest of
thoughts, passions and moments with the terseness that
time often imposes and save them full and fresh for
eternal savoring. Words may squeeze thoughts down and
never be sufficient as just words, but in poems they
stretch and expound thoughts and feelings.
To
the right is a list of the poems under their categories: I sincerely hope you
enjoy them.
*And in as much as
you
may feel free to use part or all of any that you find
appealing my copyright and my credits must be respected
and acknowledged with such at all times and in all ways,
and the use must not be commercial, either alone or in association with
anything, for material or financial gain without my
express written permission.
Welcome
to my poetic world!
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