Love 2.0: Poetry for the Soul

WORD ANSWERS

Lord, every second of the day

You hear the prayers of people like me

Sincere petitions,

requested daily,

on bended knee.

Lord, look on us,

I am troubled by what I see

But You say, ‘Let not your heart be troubled: you believe

in God, believe also in me.’

So, I go on praying.

God, nothing is right, seems we're in bad shape.

The violence, the poverty, the hate

How much more, Lord, can there be?

But You say, child, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’

So, I begin to pray, all the more.

God, will anyone step up

to help us,

Maybe those with influence – like

the rich and famous?

You answer even this one,

Saying, always You, ‘will sustain’ us.

Still, after some time, my prayer becomes a bit more fervent

Lord, do You hear me?

Do You see our adversities?

And You say yes, and to remember You can

be touched, ‘With the feeling of our infirmities.’

So, then I realize the Word You've been giving to me, and that

I must respond in kind, by being receptive soul,

heart,

and mind.

So, I'll keep on prayin' and trust the Word You're sayin'

'Cause You settled the debt a long time ago,

Yes, the price, You did already pay.

See, woes are not mine to carry,

I'm merely to digest the Word,

each

and

every day.

THANKFUL

Got food, got clothes,

Got good friends that I hold close

Got a house,

May be struggling to pay

but still blessed –

I've got a place to stay.

Got a car, no, not new

it's years older, more than a few.

Got a spouse, got a child

Even got a steady job after a while.

Got good relationships, got my health,

Truly to someone's perception, I got wealth.

That's now, but won't forget then.

Take a journey with me to way back when.

I remember when we were considered to be really poor

Hand-me-downs, we didn't have much

Ate as a result of food stamps and free lunch

House was broken down

cause Dad simply was not around

Saw what some of the other kids were wearing

Name-brand sneakers and designer jeans

Didn't have none of that, even though that was important to teens.

Felt second best,

Mom worked hard so we wouldn’t be embarrassed much

But some kids were mean and laughed at us

Don't know why, maybe they just liked to meddle

Didn't get it though since we all grew up in the very same ghetto

You may now be living that exact situation

But please realize it's not complete devastation

Despite the fact that having money is rare

Our basic needs are met, we are not in despair

You see, ‘poor’ is a relative word

Poor in America is different from much of the world

I don't know how it feels to go truly hungry

Or to not know from where my next meal is coming

I have paved sidewalks and shoes on my feet

I don't have to walk on rough terrain for my daily needs to meet…

When you go to your broken kitchen cabinet

Looking for your next snack,

And then turn on the tv and see

And compare yourself to the latest celebrity

You may feel really, really poor,

but you need to consider the snack in your hand

And that you're not sitting on a mud or dirt floor.

We don't always have what we see others have

but if we have a full stomach, on a daily basis

and are not walking around, completely naked

Then we are blessed.

Even when our circumstances say we are totally unfortunate

Gotta recognize that – this a fact, it does not make

cause someone who looks like me and who looks like you,

has a swelled belly from lack of food.

What they see when they look at us

is plenty and more than enough.

So remember this when times get extremely rough

In their eyes, we are still truly prosperous.

So, be thankful.