Feet upon the Street and Other Poems by Maya Etkin - HTML preview

g{xÜx|áà{x[|z{xáàcÉãxÜ^Gã{|v{ ÉäxÜ tÄÄ wÉxá àÉãxÜ4

If we cry out "we're lost-help us at any cost"⁵ , and to God we humbly kneel and pray⁶ and tell Him that we choose His way,

then God sends out a Light
so full of Love and Might
that Peace and Justice reign⁷
with Righteousness proclaimed⁸.
Then we'll stand for all our days
beneath God's Holy Rays⁹.

¹ Psalms 1:6 "... the way of the ungodly shall perish."
²Matthew 28:7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:...”
³ Matthew 24:44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh..”
⁴Mark11:22-24 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God..... Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. “
⁵Psalms 121: 1,2 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."
⁶ Matthew 7:7,8 “ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
⁷Revelation 11:17 “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”
⁸Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled “

⁹ Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

TRUST BETRAYED ¹

A deceitful² predator came
with a trusted name;
dark and sleek in looks,
accredited in books.
In admiration he basked
while in geniality masked.
Pretending to befriend³, he swayed his victims to depend. Deception was his creed and seduction was his deed.⁴ A sly and evil snake, advantage⁵ he did take of innocent and vulnerable, with consequences horrible. In the traps where they were led, his victims suffered while he fed. With cruel and merciless lust, he betrayed society's trust. Concealed by his role he achieved seduction's goal⁶.

Some with pain in heart did revengefully depart. These victims spoke with zeal of his nature real. As illusions fade and yield, he stands a beast revealed ! Now true stories circulate, begetting much disgust and hate; gone respect for name, gone sought-after fame⁷. End of vicious game.

¹ The sin of Lechery.
²Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. “
³Psalms 41:9 “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,...”
⁴Leviticus 20:10...21 (sexual prohibitions)
⁵Jude 1:7 “ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
⁶ Matthew 7:20 “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
⁷ Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

FORGIVENESS

Dear God:¹
When a black, burning stone, from anger and resentments grown,² lies heavy on the heart, sending hate to those apart, whose harmful deeds still sting,³ whose hurtful words still ring —

Please help—
that such darkness may depart letting light into the heart. Please help us to forgive⁴, that we may live
without a blight ,
in Thy Holy Radiant Light.

¹ Exodus 3:14 “...I AM THAT I AM...”
² Leviticus 19:18 "Thou shalt not ... bear any grudge..., but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself:..."
³ Psalms 7:16 “His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.”
Deuteronomy 32:36 “ For the LORD shall judge his people, ...”
⁴ Luke 6:37 “...forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”
Matthew 18:21,22 “ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Luke 6:27-29 “ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; ...”
Romans 12:20 “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.”

A LADY RARE

Her gentle presence came to bless those in need and in distress; always gracious, warm and kind, with thoughts of others in her mind.

She thought: "How do they fare", and gave them of her care. She said:"I understand", and gave a helping hand¹.

She gave from her heart, and though she's done her part on the earthly plane, in the Heavenly Domain, she must like an angel be, a radiance to see,
still giving of her care, a soul rare.

¹ Proverbs 31:26 " She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

THE HUMBLE ONE¹

"I'm humble, you know" she often says.

"You must know I've naught to hide, all purity I am inside.
You see how very clean I am, and know I never hoist a dram."

"From straight and narrow I don't stray, nor do I any soul betray ; to my God I always pray

that others do not lose their way."

"I never ever others judge, nor do I ever hold a grudge ;
I never harm another soul, to be good – that is my role."

"I can the greatest pain endure and I can even cures procure ; my example others praise – it truly does my flock amaze !"

"You know that my house has no stain and that I'm known to be humane; I welcome all to my domain that I may help them with their pain."

"My love for all I do profess (although that's tough, I do confess), of helping them I don't complain because it makes for my good name."

¹Proverbs 27:2 “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth...” Matthew 23:12 “And whosoevver shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that is humble himself shall be exalted.”

 

The Humble One

"I never boast about my stock (which is aristocratic), nor do I brag about my flock (how they're all ecstatic)."

"Because– I care not to have acclaim, nor do I ever strive for fame ; you see – I holiness attain, as that did God for me ordain."

"Let others speak of my noblesse, let others boast of my prowess, let others say that I impress, let others say "God does her bless" ."

"Of course –
they may speak what I can't say, I would not myself display ". " I'm humble, you know !"

A PRAYER¹

Beloved Father-Mother God:

 

In everything I think and do I feel Thy Holy Presence too.

 

For every step I wished to take Thy Holy Voice to me spake .

 

For all my hurts I ask Thy aid, so that I need not be afraid .

 

In every cloud and leaf and bird Thy Holy Voice is seen and heard.

 

Beloved God, our thanks to Thee for all that lives by Thy decree.

 

Thy ever present Love, dear Lord brings to me my best reward.

 

I love Thee, our Lord and Friend,² Who does Thy universe transcend.

¹ Proverbs 15: 8 "....the prayer of the upright is his delight."
² Deuteronomy 6:5 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might"

LIGHTS OF LOVE

From throbbing heart, to those apart, are sent out loving rays of gold which whirl and twirl and unfurl sending forth fingers of radiant light, which, touching gates
closed by hates
ignite and consecrate.

They penetrate murky hazes, open blind gazes,
enter empty spaces
and cold dark places, leaving their traces of loving fire to inspire
those who need to see; for them they are a key, the loving rays of gold which warm the icy cold of loneliness;

They come to bless and to caress, with warm embrace, with angelic grace they swiftly race
to those apart with stony heart, them to entice to paradise, wherein love reigns and sustains.

SOULMATES

Where we are
there is no space or time; we float in a bubble divine, in our shrine,
hands entwine;
with each sweet kiss
more heavenly bliss; we are one heart,
we cannot part;
our minds blend,
my dearest friend, we cannot end; we are one,
as one we were born, to each the other sworn ¹; we are the same,
we are one name.
Beloved God
we pray to thee
that together we be
eternally,
in the bubble divine,
in our shrine
where there is no time, his hand in mine.

¹ Song of Solomon 2:16 “My beloved is mine, and I am his:...”

INSPIRATION

From a fertile mystic place where there is light and love and grace,
come ideas, God inspired, which set creative souls afire ; inspirations, strong and swift to excite and to uplift.

Important writings – eloquent ; Paintings, sculptures – magnificent ;
Thrilling music – wonderment ; Sciences – enlightenment ; Ethics, morals – betterment ; Theology – a testament.

These find their place in man's ascent from caveman's art to the firmament. As genius seeks its soaring themes to manifest its highest dreams,

it's used as God's own instrument to build the needed monument, to help accomplish Sacred goals that are recorded in the Scrolls.

MY LAKE

My lake was scoured by icy power, conceived in glacial retreat, now a world complete.

It's long, narrow, deep,
in places rocky shore is steep. Like sentinels the guarding trees surround, and rocks lie scattered on pine-needled ground. The oak and maple, birch and spruce, and pine extend their branches to entwine, habitat for creatures small,
who fly and run and feed and crawl. See - little chipmunks running - tails up high, birds cavorting in the sky;
hear - the woodpecker's rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat,

the whippoorwill's aggressive nightly chat, the haunting cries of the exquisite loon epitome of nature's great commune.

In heat of day
the lovely pines emit bouquet, the air perfumed by their delicious spray.

My lake embraces
many changing faces.
It's morning mist so soft and cool and grey, disintegrates in warmer sunshine of the day;

my lake becomes a shining mirror clear where no disturbing ripple dare appear; its trees and rocks in shimmering reflection, gazing at their own sublime perfection.

My Lake Then currents move and breezes blow and foam and waves begin to show; shades and hues of cooling colours change from blues to greys through greens they range; the water gently laps at edge of shores. That soothing gentle sound my soul restores.

My lake surrounds a tiny virgin isle - a miniature unspoiled and pure,
thick with pine and spruce
untouched by human use.

The west wind blows,
and later still the gentle silence grows, broken only by the whippoorwill - until he's still. At night the stars look down from their great height, the shore a jewelled ring of sparkling light. Listen - there's the train's faint and mournful whistle bringing yearning to my heart;
now it fades and then reluctantly departs.

As sleep enfolds, I feel profound content, and an ecstatic wonderment at how magnificent is God's creation¹ inspiring adoration.

 

¹ Genesis 1:31 “ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”

PATHS TO LIGHT ¹

From the depths of darkness to radiant pure light², from violence and cruelty to spiritual might, from arrogance and pride to true humility,³

from hate, insensitivity, to love⁴ and empathy, from ignorance and error to wisdom⁵ of the mind, from evil deeds and selfishness to service⁶ to mankind.

1. Psalms 27:1 “ The LORD is my light and my salvation;...” Psalms 18:28 “ ...the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. “

 

2. John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”;

 

3. Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit (the humble): for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

4. Matthew 5:43, 44 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

5. Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:”

 

6. Matthew 5:4 “ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.”