Poem: Only To Love

Only To Love

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I rose only to fall in love with you

Not to dance

Not to sing

Not to play

Not to be made an option for another's eye

But only to love you

Nothing more

Nothing less

But even this simple task

Has become hard to complete

As you excuse yourself from my calling

Whenever I speak your name

Is love so feared

That it would cause you to run away

Is love so bad

That you dare not befriend it

Awakened to receive you

Yet it remains abandoned

Shall I too abandon you

Shall I fear you also

When the day comes that sense is made of me

And you run to greet me

Will your name have been replaced

Because you waited to see me too late

This I do not know

But I hope it isn't the case

But the longer you wait

Lesser of me will lie in wait

So will you choose

To catch me today

Or again leave me in waiting

For my patience grows impatient

And my wait time becomes shortened

As I grow tired

And sleep nears closer to rest me

So will you choose

To catch me today

Or let me again close my eyes to darkness

And be awakened

By the kiss of another

Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com

Poem: Whisper

Whisper

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Waiting for the thunder to roar

Or the fire to ignite

An act of a miracle

Or a flash of lightning's strike

To be a sign

Of God's presence

In the midst

Of where we are at the moment we seek His instructions

But it is not in those moments

And not because of those happenings

That his nearness will be confirmed

But in the stillness of silence

When we least expect His presence

Like a cool breeze

On a Summer's night

That a soft voice

Will speak into our ears

In the tone of a whisper

And it will be

God

There

Shoulder to shoulder with us

Reminding us that

He was with us

And had always been

Closer than we thought

But we were too busy

Waiting on the loudness of His arrival

Not realizing all along

He was with us

By our side

Every step of our journey

Photo courtesy of www.relevantchildrensministry.com

Poem: Payback

Payback

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Still on her it lingered

The scent of sweat and regret

Of temptation's victory

A mix of musk, lavender, and guilt

The dark line crossed

Forbidden terrority entered

Last night

After hours

Into the unknown garden of lustful desire

They crept

Captivated by eyes

Introduced by smiles

Entertained by dance

Embraced by empty shot glasses

Finding their way to a hotel nearby

Room 189

Outside it hung a

"Do not disturb" sign

Loud moans

Grabbed waists

Penetrated anger

Released grudges

They swam in the waters of vengeful pleasures

After the moment which lasted a few hours passed

And he left her where they both laid

Without a word said

She was left alone to cope

With the mistake that was made

But indulged in intentionally

She

Scorned by the hurt her lover placed within her

But calling the name of a woman other than her

He

Awakened from the blindness of the deceit of his wife

Who entertained the face of lust many a nights

Both

Deciding that on this night

Payback would be their choice of strike

Suspects of revenge

Victims of pain

Given of themselves freely to the ways of convenience

In hopes of making their others of love hurt like they

Because love fucked them both over

Like a trick who got served but didn't pay

The hurt they received and hoped to returned

Left them without a win to brag about

Only into the same category of deceiver did they fall also into

As their significant others

Payback

Paid them back

With wages of burdens

Too heavy to carry

No better than their loves

No better persons themselves

Equally responsible for their wrongs

Equally the suspects they vowed to themselves pay back

Also

Photo courtesy of http://www.singleblackmale.org/

Poem: Inquired Minds

Inquired Minds

By: Joi Maree Flowers

When asked to retell

We are prompted to remember

Those things wished to be forgotten

But inquired minds

Will always remind

And there is no escape door to exit

Or no wall which behind it to hide

It's inevitable

That the past will be revisited

Without our planning to do so

But it doesn't have to be relived

As we are no longer who we were

But are who we are

Now

And we can not be judged

Or held accountable

For days which we forgave and were forgiven

And we can not be cast

Back into the darkness

Of times for which we found a way out of

Because inquired minds

Enjoy listening to the stories of closed books

Poem: A Blessing It Is

A Blessing It Is

By: Joi Maree Flowers

Such a blessing it is to be

Alive

And

Able

To be summoned again at dawns rising

To awake

And rise

Not held by sleep's drift

Into death's slumber

Such a blessing it is to be

Needed

And wanted

To complete an assignment by God

For his will

And purpose

As destiny would have it

Written before our knowing

Such a blessing it is to be

Seen

And received

As a blessing to someone in need

To aid

And help

As one neighbor

To another

Such a blessing it is to be

Chosen

And loved

By our Father above

To be given time

To continue in this life

To continue to live our purpose

Because it is not yet our time to die

Amen

Poem: Last To Be First

Last To Be First

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I was the one to love you first

But was last to receive it in return

For our luster lost it's shine

Before we could record the length of spent time

I was first to feel your wrath

Although I wasn't the enemy

Caught in your battle of whether or not

If to be with you I was worthy

Unmentioned in your play's leading role

The forgotten character of your story

I was the light you never saw

Only the darkness to remind you of your self misery

So why stay for the reason only of convenience

So why force each day if over is our season

We loved when it was fresh and new

But could not love enough to last for forever

Poem: As I Am

As I Am

By: Joi Maree Flowers

I am stronger than my weaknesses

Higher than my lows

Content on my being

And held captive not by my woes

I am originated from the Creator's design

Chiseled by His perfect hand

To look not like those around me

And dare not be reconstructed by the hands of man

I am the seed planted into the earth's soil

Nurtured by the water of prayer

And the radiance of hope's light

Blooming into the beautiful flower welcomed by the kiss of Spring's cool air

I am she who will conquer

I am she who will stand

Even if the only voice that acknowledges me is silent

And no applause comes from so-called supportive hands

I am the blues in the midnight hour

The tears that fill the rising river

The loneliness of rejected lust

That finds a smile upon dawn's enter

I am the girl who was

The woman that became

Never to before be the same

For change is what brought me to this day

I am who I am

Flawed and stained

Strengthened by my faults

Beautified by my name