Monday, September 29, 2014

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

Monday, September 22, 2014

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

Monday, September 15, 2014

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/

Friday, September 12, 2014

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

Monday, September 8, 2014

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

Friday, September 5, 2014

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

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

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