3 Out Of 6 Challenge February 25, 2016

 

This weeks challenge: 

Poets were given SIX PHRASES. They were to choose THREE of them  to use in the BODY of their poem, not in the title They must be used EXACTLY AS GIVEN .

The PHRASES for this challenge are as follows……

” it begins with me”                           “tiny miracles”

“God’s precious love”                         “love shines a light”

“one small star”                                 “one day at a time”

REMEMBER THERE IS NO THEME

__________________________________________

Out Of Darkness Came An Angel
~
There are times in life

When tiny miracles
Can seem huge

Angels grant such miracles
Just when you think

You have had enough

Darkness will fade into

A miracle of an angel
~
Some don’t believe and

Have said that saying you
Have a guardian angel is nonsense.
My guardian angel loves me

He puts his arms around me

Telling me “All is well”
~
Love shines a light

There is no amount of darkness
That can hold back love

The real kind
For a long time

I found darkness to

Be my best friend
Then my angel appeared

And touched my heart.
~
Often looking up

Into night time skies

Every now and then
One small star winks at me

Guiding me through hard times
Praying for peace and happiness

In my life has been a chore
If not for that one small star

I’d have no hope at all
~
A twelve step program

I used to know

Left me in question
Not satisfied I found that

Twelve steps were not enough
Learning to take life

One day at a time

Gave me freedom
To think other thoughts

Where do I stand in the face of me?
~
Searching endlessly

Reaching for a love

That I could identify with

Brought this angel to me
My angel showed me

That there is no love greater

Than God’s precious love

That I found in my angel
~
My angel said that

“You can search the world over
Looking high and low

God is everywhere.”
I realized what

He was saying to me

It took me a life time

To realize that

It begins with me

And only me
~
In some cases

Prayer can be useless and

If people used

Their own common sense

There you will find your God
Life is not easy

For in each life

There is some darkness
Darkness that can be overcome

By believing in ones self
~
LourdMoon ©
(Phrases used..“it begins with me” , “God’s precious Love”,
“one small star”, “tiny miracles”, “love shines a light”,
“one day at a time”)
************

Fragmented Psyche
~
It begins with me
When I was just a child
I had to live this life
One day at a time
I knew some important things
Before I was even in double digits
Living with an abusive drunk
Seeing the very ugly way
People who drink behave
I swore I would never touch
Poison alcohol
Tiny miracles led me
On into adulthood
Each realization
Was like a one small star
Leading me to the love I found
My love shines a light
Showing me the humane
Loving person I hope
I have become
If there is a God
God’s precious love
Kept me from becoming
A horrible drunken abuser
And healed my fragmented psyche
Thank You!
~

Martha ©

(Phrases used… it begins with me, one day at a time,
tiny miracles, one small star, love shines a light,
God’s precious love)

***************
I Like To Take
.
I like to take my life
One day at a time
Perhaps love shines a light
On me
I don’t know
It’s one small step
One small star
If you like to say
It that way
.
I like to take my life
In tiny miracles
Yes that’s what life really is
When you see
What people make of it
The good and perhaps
Even the bad
But turn it all around
And make people smile instead
.
When someone says something bad
Say “Oh you don’t say” ,
And walk away
Ask them what’s bothering them instead
Why are they being evil
That’s no fun
I like being nice to people
To me that’s the real fun
.
So, when love shines a light
Return it with all the glory
That you can muster
.
Susan ©
(Phrases used…… love shines a light, tiny miracles,
one day at a time, one small star)

**************
God Directions
~

I woke up this morning got my coffee,
Drove to the park, and
Started reading my Bible passages
For my Bible study class today.
Then a breeze stirred,
Shook the large trees causing
A rain of seedlings to fall down.
Many fell on the asphalt.
Some fell down on the grassy area with moist dirt.
And just so the proverb was played out
For me in front of my eyes.
I relish these tiny miracles as
God’s precious love reaches out
To guide me on my journey.
I walked over to the strong tree trunk
Observing the graffiti which
Was beginning to fade out.
God’s love shines a light of inspiration
As I reflected briefly on the importance of
The mark I would leave once I was gone.
But this is not as important as
What I choose to do today
Realizing it begins with me.
This only requires a faithful heart full of humility.
And this is acquired one day at a time
Turning away from self and through community
To follow God’s precious son Jesus’ way.
I am only one small star in the universe of
God’s greatness yielding light and warmth
To those I come in contact with.
~
Robert Lanphar ©
(Phrases used… it begins with me, tiny miracles.
God’s precious love, love shines a light,
one small star, one day at a time)

**********
It Is Really About Love
.It begins with me

Knowing that
Love shines a light

Although at first
One small star emits

Such little light
It can increase

It’s brightness ten fold
Yes, love is the brightest star
As the heart lovingly responds
To kindness and affection
Better not given in tiny doses
In giving love we should

All be quite bold
.
The difference in attitude

When it comes to love

Makes all the world
A better place to live
Do not be only

concerned with what
You receive from others

Know it is precious

With love to give
.
Dave ©

(Phrases used… it begins with me, love shines a light,

one small star)

*************
Ambassador Of Love
~
The journey I take
It begins with me
Knowing I am sheltered
In God’s precious love
~
One small star
Twinkles back at me
As the tiny miracles of heaven
Fill the night sky
~
I have asked God to allow me
To be an ambassador for love
And in doing so
Love shines a light through me
~
This world needs to see
The undying love of God
And on my journey
That love will shine through me
~
I embrace each step
Each person I meet
Each challenge I face
~
I will live
One day at a time
As on my journey I go
~
Stella ©
(Phrases used.. It begins with me, God’s precious love,
one small star,  tiny miracles, love shines a light,
one day at a time)

 

“You Will Forever Be My Always”

My Always True Love
.
You will forever be my always
True love
Oh yes of that I know
 .
You will forever be my always
One that I want to go to
When I want to talk
 Or just take a walk
.
You will forever be my always
Voice of reason
To teach me lessons of
Good strike
.
You will forever be my always
 .
Susan ©

***********
Long Ago, Now, Until ….
~
We met long years ago
The exact date is still remembered
August 29, 1969
You were not exactly as envisioned
You were supposed to be that guy
That all the women went ga ga over
You did not look the part
But after talking with you
For a couple of hours
It became obvious why women fell for you
I too fell for you that very night
All those long years ago
We began
And here we are
Still together
It occurred to both of us
That we will always be in love
I know you love me and
“You will forever be my always…”
~
Martha ©

***********
When No Longer
~
When the sky is no longer
A sapphire blue
And the morning ceases
To be kissed by dew
~
When roses die
No more to bloom
And gone to dark
Is all full moons
~
When the oceans still
With waves no more
And the sand melts
Upon the shore
~
When snow and cold
Vanish and then
There is no sunrise
For the day to begin
~
When life has no
Night and days
You will forever
Be my always
~
Stella ©

**********
Love is the Only Word
~
I look at this from an Augustinian point of view
To see what I would be missing if the
Statement was considered false…
~
If you were not my always then
I would not be the person I am today
Full of life and the joy of opportunity
Directed on the good path
With a companion full of vim and vigor
To help guide me and
To keep me from venturing
Too far along side trips
I would not have children I am proud of
I would not have children of opportunity
I would be missing out on the joy of 6 grandchildren
I would not have all the experience of being
A Scout leader,
A religious education teacher,
A minister behind bars,
A minister to the sick,
A listening heart to those broken,
A closet poet kept in spousal isolation,
A cook with a hungry audience,
A loving, attentive husband.
~
So what does it mean…
You will forever BE my always?
The argument is obvious.
~
Robert Lanphar ©

************
Always and Forever
..
You will forever be my always

And always be my forever
Not knowing you before

I know you now and

Want it to last
To hold you in my arms

Whenever I can

I know about love and
That to me is clever
.
It would be an awful thing

To be alone with you

The one I have dreamed about

I now hold near
So please realize

I will be here always and forever

My dear

.
Dave ©

***********
Someone Else ?
.
There have been many
To cross my mind  and door
But they’re all sometimes
.
Back and forth
In and out
Now and then
Passers bye pass their ways
.
But you will forever be my always
.
JWO ©

********
My Forever
.
You are the soft clouds as they slowly drift by
You are the song of the wind as it gently sighs
You are the stars that twinkle with love in your eyes
You are the warmth of the sun shining in the sky
You flourish with beauty and kindness
It awes me to know you are mine
Your personality and smiles make my life sublime
You will forever be my always……..
.

Justin ©

Windows Of Opportunity

This week’s theme was…”Windows Of Opportunity”

~

One or more of the following words were to be used in the body of the poem.

The words to chose from where……

opening, adventures, renew, challenges, walk away, past , advance, enthusiasm, around the corner, walk, run, with a smile, writers, dreamers, people offer you, future, past

_______________________________________

Windows of Opportunity
.
Walk away from your past
With a smile on your face
Opening yourself up for
New adventures and challenges
.
Renew your faith in what you
Are capable of accomplishing
With the skills you have acquired
Throughout your life
.
Look to the future with enthusiasm
Because you never know what is
Just around the corner waiting for you
Take a chance on the unknown
.
Do not be a dreamer of change
To dream does not achieve anything
You must be an adventurer
To open new doors to walk through
 .
Justin ©

(Words used.. walk away, with a smile, adventures, challenges,

renew, future, enthusiasm, around the corner, dreams, walk)

***********
Windows Of Opportunity
~
The past caused no enthusiasm for the future
Abused children are not really dreamers
It is difficult to walk away from abuse
And have a feeling of capability
For those who have been blessed enough
To meet someone who cared
Going on with life is possible
They are helpful
In opening the minds of the abused
To the possibility of a life full of
Adventures, positive challenges
Windows of opportunity
And the will power to
Walk around the corner away from the past
With a smile on their face
Then it will be very likely
That you will meet someone who will help you
Get past your past and be all that you were born to be.
~

Martha ©
(Words used: adventures, challenges, walk away,
past, enthusiasm, around the corner, walk,
with a smile, dreamers, future)

********
Windows Of Opportunity
~
Like dreamers often do
I constantly wait
For windows of opportunity
To open to me
~
And when they do
Like writers before me
I find adventures and challenges
~
My spirit finds
A place to renew it’s self
I find an opening that offers
A walk to the future
A chance to advance my enthusiasm
About memories and dreams
From the past
~
I step through the opening and
Walk away from dreams yet dreamed
With a smile I step around the corner
To were people offer you
A chance to share you poem
To share your stories
To tell of all that you dream
~
I walk and run with joy
For this is not like nothing from the past
The windows of opportunity are wide open
I will dream and write
And it will be read
~
Stella
(Words uses… opening, adventures, renew, challenges,
walk away, past, advance, enthusiasm, around the corner,
walk, run, with a smile, writers, dreamers, people offer
you, future )

*****************
Swinging Bar of Soap
~
It is the opening of the story
A chance to renew adventures and challenges
Some actually experienced in the past
Where for example
Turning around the corner
I can either continue to walk with a smile or
Run quickly away
The operative mantras
1. Past history will repeat itself in the future
2. Writers must be dreamers in order
To share with enthusiasm the story
3. Never walk away from what people offer you

There is some truth or a fresh angle
Which can be capitalized upon
Look at the creative product and visualize
How this is a present advance of art
5. Celebrate with a community of like minded artists
To get a fair critique and the occasional accolade
~
It was a dark and stormy night
A good time to stay inside and play a game
I continued to play with myself
Tossing the thirty sided, triacontagon die and
In seven throws it came up consistently with the number 27
With a probability of that happening is
One thirtieth raised to the seventh power or 0.000000000046
Which tells me that the powers that be
Were really yelling at me to get off of my butt.
So I went outside, it was 2:13 in the morning,
And I went down to the corner and as I turned it
A homeless man was approaching
Much in need of a shower and a shave and a haircut
And definitely some deodorant.
In his left hand he was wildly swinging back and forth
A mesh bag with a hard bar of soap.
I knew enough from my encounters with the homeless
That this was a cheap form of self-defense or offense
And could quickly subdue an opponent with only
Non-specific bruises left as evidence.
In his right hand was a paper bagged bottle of some booze
Because every several staggered steps in synch
With the swinging of the soap
He would take a long contented swig.
I really was not fearful of him
Until he began to reach out towards me
And opening his right hand he dropped

His precious elixir to the ground
~
He stopped, he stared at the ground, and only then did his face
Take on a Dr. Jekyll look of despondency and evil
Turned and ran as fast as my zories and robe would allow me
And after only ten strides all I could hear was laughter
And I turned and looked over my shoulder
And it was the homeless guy laughing at my funny gait
And now I stopped and got mad and realized that
The only weapon I had to combat this personal affront
On my person was a rubber zorie and that ain’t much
So I decided that this dream had gone on long enough
And I woke up.
I did have a hurtful, non-specific bruise on my butt.
~
Robert Lanphar ©
( Words used: opening, adventures, renew, challenges,
walk away, past , advance, enthusiasm, around the corner,
walk, run, with a smile, writers, dreamers, people offer you,
future, past)

*********
Windows of Opportunity
–
They were ready for the
Windows of opportunity

They could not wait to see
What was in store for them
They wondered what adventures
Awaited them

They hoped it would bring great joy

To their future

They knew that there could be

Nothing but a great adventure
With the windows of opportunity
They could not wait
To see what their future
Would be like
They knew it would
Be something good

–

Jet ©

(Words used…adventures, future)

*********
Windows Of Opportunity
.
Windows of opportunity
What are they exactly
Are they taking advantage
Of those you know
If they offer you a job
Is that one window
.
Windows of opportunity
Is it being in the right time
The right place
The right frame of mind
.
Windows of opportunity
They say they knock
Do you let them in
.
Windows of opportunity
Is the opening small
Or is it wide open
Do you walk away
Or stay and explore
.
Windows of opportunity
With writers and dreamers
They say that their heads
Are in the clouds
Perhaps they are
But hey isn’t that what makes
Them what they are
.
Windows of opportunity
Don’t be shy
Don’t be coy
Take what people offer you
And say
“They helped me to get where I am today”

 .
Susan ©
(Words used…opening, walk away,
writers, dreamers, people offer you)

**********

Making It Work For You
.
The windows like doors open

Then close
So one should always be aware
Especially when it comes to the
Windows of opportunity
Times move as seasons change
Being ready to take the chance moving
.
Although it’s so easy to let time
Idly pass by
Letting fortune come to you
We are not all rich and

The good will not merely be

To us inherited from the past
Keeping an eye open and ear
Being aware does not mean

All other things

Like love and caring
Should be discounted

But achieving by
Stepping forward

Being a go-getter
.
It is up to us as individuals
Overcoming obstacles and barriers placed
To make it easier for others to move
It is all serious yet so many knowing
They are pre-advantage

Play it as a game

Know your stamina and determination
But don’t lose faith
And always remain kind
.
Dave ©

(Words used…. open, past)

 

” A Whisper In The Night”

 

Call From The Urban Interface
~
Last night there was a pack of coyotes
Whopping and yelping for about fifteen minutes
My own canines barking
From the safety of the house
~
My attention was obviously reoriented
As I could not continue
To read articles on mind dysfunctions and
Listen to Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony
So I placed my reading down
Muted the Bose,
Quieted my dogs and
Tried to make sense out of the
Pack calls
 ~
Soon it seemed apparent the
Alpha female was returning to the pack
Possibly with din-din
As the pack calls changed from confirmation
To excited, wild, exuberant calls and
Just as soon to complete silence
~
I was alone with my thoughts as
A whisper in the night
Was carried on the gentle breeze…
~
“We are still here,
We are still here…”
~
Robert Lanphar ©
************

Silently

.

What’s that I hear?

Am I awake or asleep?

.

I hear those lovely whispers in the night

Is my pillow talking?

.

From where they’ve come I don’t know

But their sounds attract me

.

Let it be another night as this one

Falling on my ear so softly

.

A whisper in the night

.

JWO ©

***********

Lovers Talk
~
We were talking
Before we fell asleep
Maybe should have gone to bed
But we just wanted to cuddle
And talk about our up coming vacation
We held each other
We discussed all the places we wanted to go.
We just drifted off into dreams
Then I started waking up
He was breathing rhythmically
Then there was
A whisper in the night
“I love you” he said softly
And I whispered back
“I love you too”
~
Martha ©

********
A Lonely Sound
~
From across the lake
On a damp cold night
A lonely sound
Has taken flight
~
It easily wakes me
From my dreams
It comes to me
On hidden wings
~
Soft and slow
The train horn blows
Floating across the
White files of snow
~
Lonely moaning
A farewell song
It stirs up memories
Of a sadness gone
~
A sound so haunting
Tears fill my sight
I was awaken by
A whisper in the night
~
From across the lake
On a damp cold night
A lonely sound
Has taken flight

~
Stella ©

********
A Whisper In The Night
–
I was soundly asleep
Or so I thought
But all sorts of interesting
Things were going through my mind
Was I dreaming
Was I having a nightmare
–
A whisper in the night
It wasn’t clear at first
I didn’t believe it was real
But it got louder and louder
Were the coyotes
Having a feast out there
I don’t know
–
A whisper in the night
They are surrounding us
Wild animals
I know I’ve heard them before
In my sleep
In my awake
Will they forsake me
–
A whisper in the night
Come on light
Get me out of this trouble
 I dare you
 –
Susan  ©

***********
True Love
 .
She was going through a lot
And he just held her in his arms
And whispered in the night
In her ear words of comfort
Words of love and peace
Trying all he can to calm her
For he did not like to

See her so upset
He gently stroked her hair
As he kissed her on the cheek
He did all he could think of
To relax her and comfort her
He whispered in her ear
Sweet nothings hoping
It would help her to stay away from
The negative  thoughts she was having
A whisper in the night
Was all she heard
Which brought comfort to her
And made her feel loved
She felt as though
She had found her true love
 .
Jet ©

***********
Here To Stay
.
A whisper in the night,

Yet all is so contrasting

With a shout in the day
Good in daylight to talk loudly

But talking softly at night

The only way
 .
Hard to contain my

Outright love for you
Acknowledgment bursting

To break out
My heart holds

All my true  feelings inside
To express it loudly in the day

I will shout
.
When you are snuggling

Close to me

I hold you tightly and

Whisper my love dear
I speak softly to tell you

The things I’ve longed to say

For you I will always be here
.
So my things to say

Emotions to explore and
So much more

Let my love and

Kisses explain
If the world is cold

With so many uncaring

And selfish people

Know that our love

Will always remain
.
Dave ©

***********
A Wanting
~
I’m a lil bit older
Not much wiser
I’m still here wanting you
~
I say it’s ok
I can wait

I can wait forever
~
A feeling so strong
I can’t hide
Even if I wanted to
~
When I sleep
Well try to sleep
I long to hold you close
~
When I wake up
I’m missing
All the times to say good morning
~
But nights are the hardest
Sometimes I hear
What sounds like your voice  as I sleep
~
Then I wake to hear the wind
And hear a whisper in the night
Wishing it was your voice
~
Lindsey ©