Ever-present Help.

I open my eyes to harsh despair

Soul rotting and mind laid bare.

The pit is dark, cold and deep

The climb upwards grows ever steep.

The walls of the pit are jagged rock

They smell of sin, mold and rot.

Gasping for air or a sign;

I perceive the stench is mine.

Anxious, I stare at the pit's entrance

I cry out for Your presence. 

By my screams the fog enhance;

My vision barred by blame's trance.

I try to climb up, heart filled with shame

Down I slip my palms are maimed.

I try harder, harder still

Till I can no more tears spill.

Down to my knees I sink and gaze up

My mind numb and soul corrupt.

Hope lost of attaining life 

I await death and fate's strife. 

I turn to sit, but am shocked to see -

You standing right beside me.

All along You were here with me!

How patiently You waited for me to see.

You the honey in my heart of rock -

Sweetness that I have forgot. 

But, how can I taste the trough 

For I have but closed You off. 

You stretch out Your hands to me and smile,

You save me from my own exile.

In You I rest, You I trust

Shame and sin You turn to dust.

You wrap me in Your forgiving grace

My heart is warm, with Your embrace.

You guide me up into the light

Into Your love - calm and bright.

I open my eyes with thanks and prayer

Soul calm and mind aware.

In You alone, can I truly be me

Thank you Lord, for setting me free!

Theresa. V

This is a poem that I have been working on for sometime now. I wanted to portray how we can be completely blinded by the magnanimity of our issues/sins - that we completely forget that God is present right beside us - waiting to help. All we need to do is ask and receive his grace.

I have tried to sprinkle in metaphor and imagery throughout the poem that you can find, a few include:

• The 'pit': my way of describing what it feels like when a person has sinned/let God down - and is trapped in their own mind.
• Stench: The lingering guilt, shame and sinful/rotten nature of the mind.
• The fog: Our mind blurring out everything that matters/ that can help us - because it is so focused on what we did/ our actions.  
• Honey trough in the heart: God. We've always been told that there is good in everyone and I believe that that is God's presence in one's heart. In the poem I portray it as a running channel in of sweet honey in out heart of stone (inspired from the song "Sweet honey in the rock"). Sometimes we harden our hearts and close out God's sweet presence - and I wanted stanza 7 to show this.

Also, the last stanza is a direct contrast (or antonymous) to the 1st stanza - I wanted to wrap up the poem with a 'full-circle' effect and also show how different life is before and after acceptance of help and grace.

This poem actually started out as a paragraph. I wanted to write an article - something that was short and personal. But it sort of morphed itself into one of the longest poems I have ever written! I hope you enjoyed and relate to this - please let me know your suggestions, advice or thoughts in the comments.

❤Tess.