3 New Poems Inspired by Taking a Look Back

3 NEW POEMS

Writing poetry is one of my favorite activities. I always enjoy the challenge of different types of poetry. Today I’m sharing 3 new poems, all taken from the blog posts I’ve written in 2023. The form is ReVerse, where I look back over works from a certain time frame, taking one line from each. Then I put each line in chronological order to make a new poem. I first learned about ReVerse from the blog of Kat Myrman, a talented poet!

At first, I went through every blog post from January 2023 through April 2023, taking a line from each post. That turned out to be a long, free-verse type poem that seemed heavy and burdensome. (I will share this one at the end of the post).Then I decided to review only the posts that had poetry in them to write another type of free-verse poem. That proved to be easier to read and not as heavy. Not wanting to discard the first one, I thought I’d look back over it, take some liberties and write a poem with several stanzas in the form of haiku.

I will start with the second one, which took one line from the posts with poetry from January through April. Then I’ll move on to the third one and finish with my first try at creating a ReVerse poem. Within the three poems, my two words for #oneword2023 – abide and savor – are either used or described.

MY SECOND NEW POEM – FREE VERSE

Dare to dream of possibility
Shattered and scattered
God became man, all for love
His light guides our way

I believe God’s Word
He knows the struggle I have
Trauma, yet upheld by God
Abiding in Christ

A place of safety
Though we may be unaware
Beautiful in its own way
As God’s love fills

Rely on God’s strength
Be thankful for what He has given us
Springtime makes me smile
Sing and praise the Lord

MY THIRD NEW POEM – THE HAIKU

Abide in Jesus, 
In whom our hope is assured
Savor each moment

Darkness can’t block light
God our guide here on earth will
Comfort and sustain

God answers us in
Ways we might not understand
Yet His way is best

We are His children
Diverse and fascinating
With truth unchanging

Even though we trust
Our burdens still feel heavy
We are not alone

Christ, giving us strength
Hears and understands our cries
Sometimes thwarts our plans

Don’t fear scarcity
God promises to provide
So do not worry

Trust in God alone
When circumstances threaten
He gives us courage

Nothing takes away
His great love for all of us
Share with each other

With laughter and tears
Find things we have in common
Build each other up

Abiding in Christ
Taste and see that He is good
Resting in His love

MY FIRST TRY – THE HEAVY ONE

This new poem was created using a line from the posts from January through April. They were taken straight from each post with no editing.

We have a sure hope because of Jesus Christ, and we are told to abide in Him.
As I learn more of what it means to abide in Christ, I want to savor the moments of each day.
The darkness may come, but it can’t completely block the light.
While here on earth, God is with us, guiding, sustaining, and comforting. 

God does hear and answer prayer, though not always in the way we expect.
It is fascinating that God, through the work of Jesus, made us His children.
God cares for His people and has made us for community. 
Yes, there are differences in time periods and cultures, but truth does not change.

Even when we think we are trusting God our burdens can still feel heavy. 
Though I experienced a shock of surprise and trauma, I knew I was not alone.
When we unite in love, guided by the Holy Spirit, others will see that there is a better way.
Whether we are out in the open or hidden in a crevice, God sees us and knows us.

His truth is eternal and unchanging, and He is faithful.
We are not left on our own, but as we abide in Christ, He gives us the strength we need.
He is ready to hear our cries and our longings, and He understands.
Sometimes He thwarts our plans because He knows best. 

We don’t need to have a fear of scarcity. God has promised to supply our needs.
Sometimes we forget that the most important step in making decisions is seeking wisdom from God.
Throughout our lives, if we trust in God, He will help us not to worry. 
God provides courage when circumstances threaten to bring us down.

In fact, nothing can separate us from His great love.
God expects us to share with one another and build each other up.
When we share our laughter and our tears, we show that we have things in common. 
We taste and see that the Lord is good as we abide in Him.

NEW POEMS AND ENDING THOUGHTS

Though it took a long time to go through each post trying to decide on just one line to use, it was a fun, rewarding experience. Even in the long, heavy new poem there is a lot of truth. By condensing it into haiku, I think it makes for a better reading experience. It was a challenge to pare it down, but I think it still holds a lot of truth.

I’m linking up with: #oneword2023 and #InspireMeMonday

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