The Monthly Poetry Challenge - March 2007

seeing as how there seems to be a slight pause, i thought i'd jump in and place a challenge for the month.

So -

Choose a verse from the Bible and write a poem.
amended to add: you may choose a verse from ANY Bible or religious book so long as the verse and chapter (and Book) are quoted.

Please quote the chapter and verse used and include the verse at the top of your poem.




Extra for Experts (or those with time on their hands)

Choose one verse from 'Proverbs' and write a poem using the Proverb as a base for your writing. Again, please quote the chapter and verse used and include the verse at the top of your poem.



NB: To make it VERY CLEAR, it does not matter what religious belief you have, if any. This is simply a challenge to write a poem using one bible verse as a base. If there are any posts that do not relate to the technical aspects of poetry on this thread, I will ask the Moderators to immediately remove them. i.e. this is not a thread for religious debate, it is a thread for poems based on the bible verse you choose.







easy peasy lemon squeezy eh? have fun and don't forget to post your poems to this thread.

Trying to Convert Him

By their fruits you shall know them. Matthew 7:16

She asked if he found Jesus yet.
He asked if she had voted for
That terrorist without regret.
When she said, "Yes," he closed the door.

She said her vote's no reason to
Reject the Lord and go to hell.
He just rejects foul evil through
Her fruit that rots which he can smell.

Isaiah 46:5
"To whom will you compare me or
count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that
we may be compared?"


By a Cleaner

There is a mirror on the wall
that I pass each day,
I have no need to check looks
for you confront me enough

with comparisons, in magazines,
in daughters, in television models,
and I know I will never reach their perfection
the flawless skin, coiffured hair

and nails unbroken as if they have never
lifted dishcloths or bent their knees,
to scrub floors.

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace,
is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips
is esteemed a man of understanding.
KING JAMES VERSION Proverbs chapter 17, verse 28.
As a modern maxim:
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool
than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Hasten not to say your piece
lest your neighbours offer truth.
An ill-considered compliment,
though sugared as sweet vermouth,
will only cause the plain girl to smile
and think you a foolish youth.

Revelation 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

Waiting endlessly
From the best seat in the house,
In the universe, for that matter.
Forever has the tome beckoned
For me to peek,
To view text unseen since it was written.
If a book could whisper,
This one would.

“Just one sentence…
Hell, just open me,
You need not even read.”

But I have waited thus far,
So perhaps another year.


(Yeah, it's still not eloquent, I ran out of intelligent words before I used a single one. )

what a coincidence . . . i just did that recently.

is that cheating? . . . sue me. pfffft.


Insomniac’s Dream 23:7


In the middle of the night on this stretch
of road, the one I go down and down,
the only radio I can get in my car
is an evangelist. Static reinvents itself
and words come out of a night
that is customarily so empty and aloof,
for a second I think the voice
might be my own, broadcasting
to all my brothers, the eternally sleepless.

He tells me I can count on Jesus, and if
I want to figure out, once and for all,
who it is I am
and where it is I am going,
I should stop whatever it is I am doing

and find a good book. Ah, reading, I say,
the universal cure for what ails me—

I ignore his country twang
that makes me wonder
if he’s more storyteller than preacher,
if what he spins is more yarn than word,
pull in to rest at a no-tell motel
that is guarded by anonymity and Gideon.
I try to make something out of both of them—

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he, I read,

and it occurs to me I don’t know exactly
what it is I think, way down there
in that red, struggling thing
I’ve locked up like a butterfly a child keeps
in the cellar, in a jar somewhere,
with holes punched in the lid,

that I don’t know whether to find it remarkable
or disturbing that I’ve lived this long
and still not flown
into any beliefs or out of them,

that there is no new wisdom here to leave with,
that I’ve stopped one more time
and can take nothing
in this place, least of all a nap.

The Prayer of Agur

"Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." Proverbs 30:8-9

These two requests I make before I die.
Don't let me be the one who feeds the lie.
Please, give me just enough, and nothing more,
So love and honor won't tell me, "Goodbye."

well, i can see we have some pretty incredible poetry here already.

i'd just like to make note that i have amended slightly (or greatly, depending on your viewpoint) the original requirement to:

amended to add: you may choose a verse from ANY Bible or religious book so long as the verse and chapter (and Book) are quoted.

Click to expand...

if you are a poet who has already submitted one poem and would like to submit another using a different religious book, you are welcome to do so.

Metaphysical Meditations

Paramashansa Yogananda from Metaphysical Meditations Chapter 2 Expansion in Eternity.

"My earthly experiences serve as a process of destruction of my limiting mortal delusions." -

skin i'm in,
skin i'm in,
i say amen to the skin i'm in

because it gets cold and sick i know a sheltering mother,
because it gets weak and scared i know a protective father,
because it gets hungry i know joy and restraint,
but when it gets torn it teaches me most

even though i protective, i'm ready to sacrifice
to test how far it flows in the face of pain
to realize a product that goes beyond instinct
to build, what only in my mind's eye is real

even though what you see is where i begin
a secret,
"you aint just skin"
says the skin i'm in

Challenge

"I do not worship that which you worship, nor will you worship that which I worship." Qur'an Surah 109:2-3 (Al-Kafirun)

I do not love the things you do.
Do not think we are both alike.
You do not see them crawling through
Your mind and so you cannot strike.
I used to think we were the same,
Then lightning flashed across the sky.
I do not wish to give you blame,
But now I see us, you and I.

Job

Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my taste discern crafty devices?
I’ve stayed the course, I’ve proved my faith,
and still you would cut me to slices.
Subjecting me to his cruel tests,
taking from me all I know and all I love,
is past a point where most would go.
Not knowing this came from above
and from below me, pushed me far,
but I suffered quietly this disgrace.
Now therefore be pleased to look upon me;
for surely I shall not lie to your face.
I sense from you a question still,
so ask me if my faith is strong.
Or turn the question to your conscience
and then you’ll know where I belong.

_______________________________________

I put a slightly different spin on this. The story of Job was the inspiration, and I incorporated two verses into the actual poem. I'm not sure if I like the end result, but oh well. I never did understand why Job didn't renounce God, even though I've read this story more than once and in other forms. I guess the poem above is how I would feel if put through the same tests.

The verses are both from Job Chapter 6:
Verse 28: "Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; for surely I shall not lie to your face."
Verse 30: "Is there injustice on m tongue? Cannot my taste discern crafty devices?"

Job's Children

unapologetic said:

...
taking from me all I know and all I love,
...

_______________________________________
...I never did understand why Job didn't renounce God, ...

Click to expand...

And I never could understand how the loss of his original children could be compensated by having more children later.

"And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters." Job 1:2

With children taken by his foes to die,
Can God undo those deaths and make them right
To Job? They haunt his mind throughout the night.
Throughout the day, their loss tempts him to cry.
Would other children make his wild pain fly?
His Mary, smiling in the bright daylight,
His still young Joseph, laughing in his sight,
Forever gone, no matter what the lie.

(slapped this together for a 'wild-sweet' offering and turned this around just a tad) <grinin' (~_~)

Proverbs 23:5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle..


...for those that hold fast to their coins
can not fly with such weighted pockets

shall one shed their clothes, properties and belongings
in order to soar more swiftly?

Then again those who build castles
may not feel a need to be free
there-fore they build a wall around themselves
for protection of their wealth...

for true happiness is not just good health
but the ability to fly... freely
of course men are not eagles
though so many flock together like buzzards
to feed on those who have passed
stripping them of their coins
or their feathers.

The quality of one's life
is not in their pockets
but with their thoughts,
actions and life style.

Those who find happiness within a coin
are disillusioned about where they are going.

11 poems up with some very interesting perspectives. Great to see!

The month is nearly up... more poems are welcome in this last week, so thinking caps on and let's read your thoughts.

First post

My first post here: Something with a little heat for you beautiful people.

The Tree

"The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul"
Proverbs 19


To be there when the wing brushes you
Insensate and calm,
Falling back toward the Earth’s root
Like a diver, tipping skyward,
Unbelieving but believing in this,
The hard searching between your legs
That knows no limits, feels
No pain and is shivering upward toward
Your warm heart.

And from inside the church
The faithful pray toward a God
Hidden in the perfumed smoke,
Shy like a girl in love;
And they intone, these faithful,
Mournful songs
Of the better day—the day of
Atonement and mercy and forgiveness—
That for you has already
Come.

Against this tree you bite hard
On the sugar of stars,
The ashen disc of heaven you gaze at
Carries the cicada sounds
Far into the church—and yours?
What do these people believe in,
What do they pray for,
But the miracle of your desire
Nailed there to the tree
Overcoming death and indifference

They pray
For this to consume them entire
You impaled on a pillar of fire.


—Eluard (me, not Paul )

Eluard said:

My first post here: Something with a little heat for you beautiful people.

The Tree

"The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul"
Proverbs 19


To be there when the wing brushes you
Insensate and calm,
Falling back toward the Earth’s root
Like a diver, tipping skyward,
Unbelieving but believing in this,
The hard searching between your legs
That knows no limits, feels
No pain and is shivering upward toward
Your warm heart.

And from inside the church
The faithful pray toward a God
Hidden in the perfumed smoke,
Shy like a girl in love;
And they intone, these faithful,
Mournful songs
Of the better day—the day of
Atonement and mercy and forgiveness—
That for you has already
Come.

Against this tree you bite hard
On the sugar of stars,
The ashen disc of heaven you gaze at
Carries the cicada sounds
Far into the church—and yours?
What do these people believe in,
What do they pray for,
But the miracle of your desire
Nailed there to the tree
Overcoming death and indifference

They pray
For this to consume them entire
You impaled on a pillar of fire.


—Eluard (me, not Paul )

Click to expand...

Sorry for the threadjack all, but:

Wow, this is your first post on the PFD boards? You are officially the new hotness. (watch out of cliches and punctuation monsters, though.) Overall, a fairly unbelievable first post.

darkerdreamer said:

. . . a fairly unbelievable first post.

Click to expand...

a big-time ditto on that.

welcome, Eluard . . . Paul . . . whoever you are.

darkerdreamer said:

Sorry for the threadjack all, but:

Wow, this is your first post on the PFD boards? You are officially the new hotness. (watch out of cliches and punctuation monsters, though.) Overall, a fairly unbelievable first post.

Click to expand...

I completely agree - this is wonderful, and I hope it won't be your last post.

By the way, DoubleD, I prefer Punctuation Nazi.

Eluard said:

My first post here: Something with a little heat for you beautiful people.

The Tree

"The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul"
Proverbs 19


To be there when the wing brushes you
Insensate and calm,
Falling back toward the Earth’s root
Like a diver, tipping skyward,
Unbelieving but believing in this,
The hard searching between your legs
That knows no limits, feels
No pain and is shivering upward toward
Your warm heart.

And from inside the church
The faithful pray toward a God
Hidden in the perfumed smoke,
Shy like a girl in love;
And they intone, these faithful,
Mournful songs
Of the better day—the day of
Atonement and mercy and forgiveness—
That for you has already
Come.

Against this tree you bite hard
On the sugar of stars,
The ashen disc of heaven you gaze at
Carries the cicada sounds
Far into the church—and yours?
What do these people believe in,
What do they pray for,
But the miracle of your desire
Nailed there to the tree
Overcoming death and indifference

They pray
For this to consume them entire
You impaled on a pillar of fire.


—Eluard (me, not Paul )

Click to expand...

hi and welcome to Litland Eluard. i too think this is one great first post. but then, i am a a sucker for the word 'nailed' and the word 'pray' and the word 'brushes' and the word 'hard' and oh well, i think you get the idea. i just like words. and when they're put together with a semblance of poetry, well then it's my kind of reading. welcome aboard, i hope you enjoy your stay and post LOTS more poetry. i'm looking forward to reading your writing.

unapologetic said:

I completely agree - this is wonderful, and I hope it won't be your last post.

By the way, DoubleD, I prefer Punctuation Nazi.

Click to expand...

We don't cotton Nazis, at least I don't anyway... we do have the Grammer Police and the Federal Bureau of Incogitation here and specialists troops exist, too... the Oval Offals and the Verbal Assault Team. Welcome to Lit Eluard. TY for the poem.

Thanks folks — these responses have made me feel very welcome. I knew i would love you folks as soon as I saw the name of the website.

Eluard.

champagne1982 said:

We don't cotton Nazis, at least I don't anyway...

BUT​

we do have the Grammer Police and the Federal Bureau of Incogitation here and specialists troops exist, too... the Oval Offals and the Verbal Assault Team. Welcome to Lit Eluard. TY for the poem.

Click to expand...

Speaking of Cotton Nazis, etc. For a short time remaining we also have MNS, the shredder of the sheet heads.
Matthew Chapter 21
verse 13
...ye have made it a den of thieves

God's Complex*

it's so freakin' simple
every so often a Raboni
goes off in the temple
overturning the jabronies'
tables set full of baloney
lashing at the pimpers
of po's

*title dedicated to the wonderful anon who said I had a God Complex, be careful now, title itself is complex

Miriam

The first prophetess
Composed songs,
Shook her timbrel,
And danced in triumph
Over the pharaoh.
If not for her,
Rescuing puah of Moses,
That victory might never have been.
So speak your mind and
Make your voice heard.
Live a life inspired by
The earliest of feminists,
But don’t forget to dance.
________________

Inspiration:
Exodus 15:20
"And Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Arron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances."

14 poems by 9 poets. not a bad turnout at all.

lessee....

Fifthflower, your rhyme crept up on me without me realising. a short and succinct poem with an interesting perspective and i like how you captured the essence of the verse in the last line. to improve, i might extend the poem a little - fill it out... only because i'd like to read more. *smile*

champagne1982, a well done perspective on your chosen verse. i like that this piece rhymes with just the right amount of adjectives. short and sweet and i actually can't think of any improvements for this one. well done. *smile*

darkerdreamer, i like the 'from the best seat in the house' line. lol when i first read revelations i was blown away by the gilding in the imagery and there you go just laying it out flat. i love it. i was going to suggest you could improve the poem by taking out extraneous words like 'for that matter', but they seem to fit, to give the writing a certain ambience. i think the last line could have a little more impact. interesting read, thanks for sharing your poem. *smile*

TheRainman, nice to see you join a challenge, thank you *smile* some thoughts... 'no-tell motel' - is this a cliche phrase (or is it just that i have read this poem so many times that it is etched on my mind forever?). sorry, that's all i can think of to offer as a possible improvement for this one. feel free to write on all the other verses that take your fancy too.

AChild, Paramashansa should be Paramahansa. your poem reads like a meditation which might well have been the whole idea. my only other improvement suggestion might be to cut back a few of the 'it's mentioned in the third stanza - not sure, but it might be worth trying. *smile*

unapologetic, i do not know the story of Job, so won't comment on the synchronization between your poem and the story. to improve what you have written, i would like to see more concrete imagery, something my mind can mentally grip as i read your poem. thanks for sharing your poem. *smile*

My Erotic Trail, interesting take on your chosen verse. i think you have used good concrete imagery in this poem. what i'm not so sure about is the way you've delivered your thoughts. yes the bible verse you've chosen is a command (as are many others), however somehow this comes across strong in your poem. i think some may see it as an enhancing feature, but for me i found it a little bit distracting and i don't know enough to be able to tell you or offer you help as to why. give me a few more days pondering and i'll see what i can come up with. *smile*

Eluard, i really liked the poetry in this poem. i do have a couple of thoughts...
what is the wing from? it doesn't appear to be mentioned elsewhere in the poem. also, the diver seems to confuse me, i can't get a good image of what you are wanting me to see - that is possibly my own fault as i don't know much about diving, water or sky. thanks for joining the challenge. *smile*

MyNecroticSnail, sorry but i didn't understand your poem on first reading. i looked up Raboni and wondered if it should be spelt 'Rabboni'. after a little researching i figured out what you were saying. i think to improve, i'd suggest you tried using sentence format of initial capitals and periods. i don't think there should be an apostophe in the last word. thanks for sharing your poem. *smile*



these thoughts are simply my own opinion and i hope something in here is of use to you.

thanks for joining the challenge, yet again I learnt a lot.

Thank you, WSO for the idea and to all the poets. I've enjoyed reading your contributions.