Of Vice and Men

Fallen victim to ennui,

As they ready another pitch;

Fire with which to besiege,

And engulf her wayward spirit—

Yet conscience... is one's true, earthly penalty,

When he's engaged in sinful act;

His own body becomes carceral to a degree,

With the only luxury being that of regret.

Hasn't she suffered enough already?

Misguided in their purpose—

What right have they,

In this latest conquest?

The covenant's been forsaken in pursuit of frivolity,

As the deadlier sins of the world manifest;

We've all, at one time or other,

Fallen short of the Glory—

Flat upon once flared chest;

But because He died on Calvary...

We can tarry... and not perish.

You grew complacent;

Conformity grew more stifling;

The walls closed in,

And you rebelled like a defiant teen—

You know that isn't your penchant,

And you mustn't allow yourself to be preened,

By the specter of vain action,

That's damaged your self-esteem—

Reaffirm your life's mission,

But more importantly...

Let me help fix... your broken wings.

You've not lost your value,

Nor did your value depreciate;

And you've nothing to prove—

Not even whether you've grown less passionate—

However, leave it to a fool,

To examine one's soul and deem it inchoate—

In the pulpit, he may be seated higher than the pews,

Yet only One... who sits high is entitled to Judgment.

So let the pious try and scourge...

A spirit not theirs to reproach,

For soon enough you'll disengage,

Should they keep with this haughty approach—

And if you do, you won't be lacking in courage,

Nor shall you be distanced

From the Lord of Hosts—

The Church isn't all saints and sages;

You can just as easily find yourself there...

As you can in the waters alongside the coast.

Voy a pararme junto a ti—

Together we'll stand with aplomb,

As we watch the enemy,

March to the beat of the snare drum;

The cold wind blows from off the sea—

We're surrounded with no place to run...

But to get to you, they have to first go through me;

Just you keep safe... and focus on staying warm.

However... God is most adept,

At protecting you—

Preserving the sanctity of your soul;

It's for man to accept,

And whether he does or doesn't,

It's inconsequential,

For it's not his onus to inspect,

The spirit and deem it pure,

Like touchstone did to gold—

Omnipotence is not usufruct:

Man hasn't the power to put souls in Heaven or Hell,

So, friend, you needn't fret... an empty threat;

The rumors of man's power... have been duly dispelled.

Everything will be okay!

- Kevin B. Waring

"My flesh and heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:26

Driven Away

If I could go back,

To that tarnished moment,

Those hurtful words I'd retract—

And not have chosen to foment,

Anger without merit,

For lack of reciprocation;

I wouldn't have been bombastic,

Ultimately becoming someone whose

Own reflection he's grown to resent...

Like the portrait that housed Dorian's soul,

So, too, does the mirror,

Reveal that a soulless man can be both alive and cold—

Unfeeling, devoid of character—

I've said and done things I didn't think I was able,

To, and now I lay it all upon crimson altar,

Forever abdicating this destructive role—

Still, I know..., you deserve better.

I called you a horrible name—

Without second thought,

I set up my friend to take the blame,

Thinking I wouldn't get caught—

But I wasn't thinking; if I'd used my brain,

And not given free rein to my heart,

I'd never have gone against the grain,

Completely tearing our friendship apart.

If, then, it's really over,

Out of deference, I must speak what's true...

With or without the cape, you're still super—

You could change the world if you wanted to—

Even the words in red augur,

Because of what He did, so, too, can you—

Never acquiesce to the will of others;

Forever reserve your right to choose.

Please accept my apology,

And if you can't forget,

Say you'll forgive me for bartering love for enmity—

Call me what you will—I can take it...

Emasculate me to the compound of plastic,

I had no right to get angry,

Over a love you couldn't requite;

But I've driven you away,

Wishing now I hadn't...

This is my onus—

My latest blunder,

And I've no one to blame for this,

But half the man in the mirror;

Indeed the wind will be more brisk,

The nights ahead of fall and winter—

Moving on will prove itself hard, for I'll miss,

Dearly having you in my corner...

Yet... sometimes what hurts most is for the best—

For I don't deserve you, and you deserve better.

- Kevin B. Waring

Wait...

We've not spoken since Friday,

And every moment since then,

I've felt you slip further away,

The weight of sorrow bearing

Down upon both my shins.

The weight is inenarrable,

And the wait?

It's proven itself interminable,

A chasm from which I've

Been unable to escape—

Still I'm in free fall,

My heart a mangled waif.

I call your name,

But there is nay answer,

Stuck in still frame,

I'm static, and without you,

Feel as lifeless as a cadaver—

The moon itself waxes and wanes,

I never thought we'd be one to change colors...

Azure like the moon,

How did tomorrow come so soon?

You I'd just begun to croon—

Now my song is toxic

Like tainted legume—

I was caustic and acted

As though a buffoon;

In spite of what you think,

I do still love you.

You brought good to my life,

Once, and now again...hapless;

With you, I knew not of strife,

And felt as though atop earth's highest crest...

I fancy myself erudite—

Yet for all my knowledge,

To ignorance I sometimes regress,

And I'm sorry, truly contrite—

Please give me...one more chance.

- Kevin B. Waring

Logorrhea

They leave their indelible mark,

One we won't soon forget,

When they take to brave hearts,

With venom-covered bayonet...

We think...we haven't reason to fret;

Our hearts we're quick to entrust,

With those whom we've just met,

Because to be loved is a must—

It's the calling of the desperate...

Ofttimes riddled with disgust.

In their pursuit,

Love they anthropomorphize;

But such fallacy is like

Partaking of the fruit,

From the Tree of Life—

After the fact, all is moot,

When you've taken in

That which of your life deprives.

The wrong love can be fatal;

It's virulent, malignant—

It poisons life ever so daedal,

And breaks the will of the innocent—

Yet regardless of how you feel,

Hear me when I say that you are beautiful,

And that you needn't feel diffident.

Moreover, God loves us ever so deeply,

He's our everything, constant and ubiquitous,

Always keeping qui vive,

Even, when we ourselves are wanton and reckless—

Disillusioned with humanity,

I simply recall Salvation's promise;

It's the one thing guaranteed,

When all else ensconces itself from us.

Yet...we—I can't give up on people,

Nor abjure from love completely,

For not all thereof is fatal,

And some people are in fact trustworthy;

I believe that from this Augean stable,

Shall emerge someone e'er so twee—

A woman fully capable...and willing to love me...

So, to those that still believe in true love,

The decency of humanity—

Those feeling they've something to prove,

Seeking some semblance of validity,

Beneath cool crescent cradled by sky above,

Whose luminescence flits across frothy sea,

Tonight stand for what you feel you deserve,

Because, yes, you are worthy...

...And so, too, am I.

- Kevin B. Waring