struggling

[joel]

not its tightest...thought somewhere inside I'm wrestling with

When Jesus tells me, “Love your neighbor as
yourself”— I hope you won’t have thought I failed,
I hope your heart won’t judge me – sorry – I
apologize. I know I haven’t been
the perfect lover I’ve been asked to be—
believe me: heaven knows and so do you
and so do I. I only give you bits
of love and scraps— like a dove who shits
and craps on you and claims it’s payment due
for service as a songbird rendered. He
says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” My sin
is all that I have failed to love— but try
to understand, if love has seemed withheld:
these meager scraps are all my own self has.

[jim turner]

Dealing with difficult instructions, ergo difficult to find the language. You have done a good job. Do I suspect, from your comment, that it might be tweaked? I don't know about you but I'm always revisiting mine. jim

[.Lucy.]

This is when I pray,
Please Lord, give me the
Strength.
The Strength summoned throughout the ages
by peoples uncounted.
The Strength to carry the legacy
of love and tolerance
that was passed on to me
by my fore-bearers.
Faulty, weakened or watered down
perhaps, by some of those characters before me.
But passed down nonetheless,
and in my bones I carry the force
to know that I may fall weak
and pray for the Strength.
I pray upon it
to bring forward the best in my heart,
to push me to look past the now
And earnestly open my unchained hands
to the sky,
bared to the Heavens.

LT

[Sue Littleton]

All you can do is the best you can do, Joel, and if all you have are bits and scraps, then you have given your all.

Now, please go to my comment on 88th birthday. I have asked you an important question/favor. Affectionately, Sue♥

[.Lucy.]

Exactly, Sue.

Most important of all is the purity of your intentions- God knows your heart, sees within. All you can ever do it continue, to keep fighting on and giving what you can. Even if you're not content with what you've given, you carry the certainty that you've been honest and true- to yourself and to your heart.

This is all you can ever hope for, I'd say.

[.Lucy.]

Joel, your writing has rolled around in my head...this is a beautiful piece of work. It's delicate and rich but sturdy, like silk. Your writing is amazing!

[dadio]

Gerard Manley Hopkins, that, at least in theme, is who you remind me of. You have that yearn to be what your feel you ought to be and yet have doubts(don't we all) how to reach and match the high level. But that aside, you have the way with words that some would die for. This is very good poetry.


My sin
is all that I have failed to love— but try
to understand, if love has seemed withheld:
these meager scraps are all my own self has.

(really fine words)