How is it we find amid Circumstance
Our lives barely clinging to rope?
In realms of change we keep asking,
“Are bare threads the last remnants of Hope?”
Hopelessness plagues like a haunting
Permeating pores of each dream
Nightmares crush Hope’s resurrection
Circumstance pours on the cream!
While joys meander about us
We hold tight to a hopeless gain
Circumstance presents its evidence
Judges rule over Hope’s name.
The earthbound all know weakness;
Crossings are made by the strong.
Then Hope caresses them, saying,
“I have carried you, each, all along.”
“Did Circumstance give up its game?”
Hope queried in peaceful tones.
“No!” shouted Circumstance, hearing,
“I still feast away on their bones!”
Circumstance gave Hope a warning:
“Even enemies have a voice,
And friends that feed human suffering,
Shrouding the power of choice!”
“They all make mistakes," Hope stated.
“But, the bitter make judgment calls!”
“Let their wise give them a hand.”
“Why? The bitter man always falls!”
Hope swooped down with intent;
Knocked its nemesis out of the way.
And blanketed choice with warmth
Gently nudging night into day.
A bystander wept frozen tears;
The Reaper’s field caved beneath snow,
Voices, once heard, became lodged
On the fence and wouldn’t let go.
Circumstance posed solid questions:
“Are you the Serendipity Flow?
Are you privy to the Hour of Knowing?
Can you tell them which way to go?”
Hope stood ground on the stalemate
And answered the sarcastic voice:
“I am what I am and you know it.
Mankind must make his own choice.”
Hope and Circumstance battled
And Hope settled into a few.
Others held fast to Circumstance
Letting hopelessness reign anew.
How is it we find amid Circumstance
Our lives barely clinging to rope?
In realms of change we keep asking,
“Are bare threads the last remnants of Hope?”
by Kelly Varner Johnson
AKA kvwriter
Author notes
Isn't life about this way? We doubt. We ask questions. We wonder. We even resolve internal conflicts. I have found this to be a never-ending process. But, that's just me . . . Thanks for reading.--Kel
A contest entry
- Deeper Meaning by Jim.
300 points, ended March 30, 2008, 11 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Just internal ponderings . . .
Comments
1 - 36 of 36
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Dear Kelly,
Cruel circumstance may sometimes inundate us
and make life seem impossible to cope.
No ray of light shines to illuminate us
within the pit of no relief or hope.
and yet, if we keep faith and persevere,
God's light will surely shine to show the way
to clamber through the depth of dark despair
and reach, in time, a brighter, happier day.
Your poem brings back vivid personal memories of the contest between circumstance in my life and hope, aided by faith. It is a profound poem
which expresses deep understanding of life and the human psyche.
Thankyou for sharing your thoughts, applause, love and hugs, XXX Hugh.
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Dearest Hugh,
Only those who have walked this path truly know the meaning of the battle between dark and light. You have dwelt in both realms and the fact that you held on until that light found you again gives so many people hope. That light is shining for me again, too, and I've gained a good foothold to prepare for the new journey. Been in the dark too long! Love to you, Dear Friend!--Kelly
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What a mezmerising poem, Kel. A spellbinding rendition of realism at it's most poetic.
I like that you began and ended on the chosen stanzas. The seem to meld the entire piece into the hope and circumstance of life,
An excellent write and congratulations on the trophy
Dee
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Missed you
... and this is great. Reminds me of a song by the sullen singer Scott Walker called The Seventh Seal, in which a Knight plays chess with the Devil, and ultimately loses.
I love the battle. The clash between hope and that which just is: circumstance. Great piece Kel. I'm glad I got to read this.
Sag
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Excellent
This flows with great beauty. And has an important message. -
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Thank you, Ellis. How have you been doing? It's been a long time! I'm back in Pampa, Texas now. Busy, but doing well. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and yours, always!
Kelly
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An exquisite, profound and REAL write. Holy wholly empties every burden of mercy and love into the single touch of every surrendered moment.
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Hey Big Tim! It's been a long time! Hope this finds you doing well. Keep the faith!
Kelly
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Excellent
You were robbed. This is a gold poem. -
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Thank you, Chuck! You are very much appreciated. How are you doing these days? You're in my thoughts and prayers, always.
Love to you and yours,
Kelly -
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I'm good kelly
I've had a stay of execution. The bio on my bones came in negative. They still don't know what it is, but its not cancer to the best of medical science knowledge. They did find skin cancer, but small. Unfortunately, they diagnosed me with Alz. Ah... no biggie, as I will forget that anyway! lol.
I'm really good. Working.
How are you? How is the marrage? Are you guys back together?
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Why this wouldn't have won gold is beyond me. I think it is a piece of genius. I love the Circumstances "still feast[s] away on your bones." Great line! This is so filled with wisdom about life, Kelly. A terrific poem that should be well read. ~ Joyce
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Thank you!
Hi Joyce,
I'm pleased you enjoyed my write and found a bit of wisdom within. It's always such a pleasure when you drop by. Hope you are doing well. Keep on keeping on . . .
Love to you, Friend!
Kelly
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Much to think about here
I myself have circumnavigated the earth many times and by all the means available to me . . land, sea and air - and circumstance is always present if you have a lucid analytic mind – how irrelevant we are when all is said and done in our earthly endeavors.
How do you define wisdom? I have laid under a thousand skies contemplating . . why?
Albert
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The word/question "Why?" lives on and on and on. You truly understood this write. Bravo, my friend! And wisdom? I can't fully define it, but I know it's present, alive even, though it can be as elusive as a wanderer.
Thanks for reading, Albert! I send my love to you and yours!
Kelly
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Outstanding write. Great personification and dialogs you have penned here. You present some profound wisdom and advice in your write.
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Thank you for reading my work. I appreciate it very much and have found your work a joy to read. Will be reading more of you.
Kelly
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dear kelly,
heartfelt congratulations on the well deserved silver ... as much as you were guided to read my poem about immaculée, I was guided to read yours and to integrate the profound wisdom and guidance your words offer ... I love metaphor and personification more than anything, and you are a master in using these devices ...
much love,
maa
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Yes. ;)
You've done an excellent job with expounding on your premise. I see your cheering section agrees. All in all, not bad.
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I've thought about stuff like this a little. And I think you wrote a great poem about it here. Life does seem a little like this. I get the basic meening of the poem about how circumstances can kind of squash hope. I may not have this one down totaly yet it is a confusing subject for me. Some of your ideas were a little beyond me. But a very enjoyble read.
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You've got this down just right here. You said exactly what I'm saying via this poetic story poem thingy. lol.
I tend to be a bit wordy at times and need to tone it down and get a better grasp on my ideas before putting them out there.
I'm actually enjoying brevity. This was written before "brevity" and I became friends. Lol.
Glad you enjoyed it though, Reese. Thank you for reading. That is always very much appreciated!
Kel
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I loved this poem!
it spoke to us on so many different levels, the intellect and the senses! WEll done poet! well done!
written flawlessly, and with powerful flow!
What a great poem!
ears2hearyou
Kathleen : )))
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Thank you, Kathleen! I'm pleased you, both, enjoyed and understood my poem. Thank you for stopping by.
Kel
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Liked the alliteration in these lines; we all need to beleive in ourselves and love ourselves before we can love others; yet we need to watch that we do not become egotistical at the expense of others.
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Excellent read here
Yes so often we plunge through life and ignore the circumstances for it cramps our style yet only to find yesterdays are tomorrows for our past follows us all the while
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awesome
dude...u rock....very good imagination
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great read .. was a pleasure... almost song like in your rhythem.. keep up the good work!
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this is a deeply thought provoking poem congrats "Crossings are made by the strong." what did you mean by this line - could guess but much rather you write/tell me? very good ending brings it back to your main theme quite concisely thanks for sharing regards zaj
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Thank you, Zaj. By "Crossings are made by the strong," I'm meaning, if we are born into this world and we walk this journey and we face death, pass through it, that is incredible strength. Is this what you might have guessed?
Thank you for reading and commenting. This write means a lot to me. Appreciate you.
--Kel -
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something along those lines thanks for the favour of your response best zaj
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Many thanks for entering this poem in our final contest, it was a joy to read and made me think. Thanks also for being with us for most of the contests, we hope you have gained as much from it as we have, it has been an experience that we will repeat and we hope you will join us in the future.
All the best, keep writing
Sue and Jeff
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How to express..
Certainly your work as always is beyond excellent. In this one, you've written above your normal levels and expressed yourself in a way that demonstrates the battle between self disgust and self awareness. The ego against the evil little devil that nags each of us in our heads depreciating our efforts no matter how hard we try or how well we accomplish ...anything. These battles are in us all, to one extent or another, but overcoming the ltl devils words is harder for some then others. Great write kel!
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Thank you!
Appreciate the read and your take on what is behind this work. Yes, we all battle, struggle within ourselves. I do believe we can overcome and that it's really not as complicated as we tend to make it.
Would it be that it was as simple as nodding the head? As simple as saying "Yes," or "no"?
I believe it is. The write probably seems complicated but it was the best way, I felt, to express how complicated we tend to make life and how we struggle within ourselves when all we have to do is make a simple choice and follow it up with belief.
This may be an effort in vain, but I am certainly trying to do my part to shed my own light into the darkness for others as others have shed their light for me.
Thank you and bless you.
Love,
Kel
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OUTSTANDING -- Excellent Writing
This poem speaks for itself SO WELL. It had to have come from a brilliant mind with a deeply poetic touch.
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Awesome
A Novel I am glad I had the pleasure to read. The flow was brilliant and the story line excellent. The poem keeps the reader intrested and dispit its leangth wanting to continue to read it. A poem for me is judged by weather you want to stop reading after the 2nd stanza this poem I wanted to read constantly. Well done with this as they are saying now ott. good luck in the contest Brian
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Thank you, Brian. Glad you enjoyed this. I have read some incredible long poems in novel form, literally, and others much longer than mine, all along. So, perhaps mine will fit right in. I really couldn't fit "life" into a tiny fragment because it is such a broad topic. Next one will be shorter, then the next one longer, and so on. Appreciate ya stopping in and ott to you too!--Kel
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