PLEASE, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY

 PLEASE, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY    

By Jeffrey Porter 

I saw Moses, beckoning to me,

Asking if I would like to stand beside him

On the rock where he stood.   

Abandoning my fear of height, I began climbing.

I never saw rock climbing as a sport,

Moses kept shouting to me climbing techniques.

 

Indefatigably, my strength, endurance, agility, and Balance were severely tested;

Climbing over gigantic shelves of rocks,

Like a small penguin on a cliff

I have become a rockhopper.

 

I am perched on one of the sharpest of these rocks;

Exasperatingly, I am panting and grunting

With exhaustion.

 

It was a supernatural feat.

Exhilaratingly, I finally reached the summit -

Outstripping the range of mortal sight

Standing beside Moses.

I always wanted to stand on the rock where Moses Stood.

The scenery was picturesque; breathtaking, it was a Stunning panoramic view.  

I saw a magical array of thousands and tens of thousands

Of tiny, twinkling lights

I spoke with Moses for a moment

I saw the Phoenix rising from the ashes

I saw fields and fields of scarlet roses

And romancing eagles. 

Moses had a longing for the promised land

Where he belonged.

Copyright Geoffrey Porter

 

Note:

In Greek mythology the phoenix is an indomitable bird that was said to burn itself to death in a fire every five or six centuries and be born again rising from the ashes.  

 

 

SCHOOL DAYS

 SCHOOL DAYS

Jeffrey Porter

Norman James,

“Every member of my team is the captain, we must win.”

They played many teams, yet every year they lose every match,

They were trained to laugh at their defeat.

El futbol but it was more like a net ball match.

Twenty-five to zero, twenty to zero and they still played on

The spectators and their friends still came to see them

The women and girls still screamed and cheered them on.

They were heroes; they were trained not to fear defeat.

Norman, he was the greatest captain  

At the end of every game, he was ‘man of the match’.

He walked off the field laughing, “we don’t play games,” 

He would tell the winners congratulating them,

“Every member of my team is the captain, a Major Victory.” 

For years; the coach, Players, and spectators were disappointed.

They were taught to be emotionally tough.

They won no trophies or commercial contracts, but –

After every match, around the field they would do a lap.

With supporters crying and cheering, they would clap.

They were trained not to fear defeat, they were all stars

They were trained for the greatest game of all.

Graduation:

They did not attend their graduation,

It would be too sad, too solemn, the worst occasion.

So, weeks before, their supporters came,

From every direction, the men shook their hands

The women and girls cried and hugged them

Will we ever see them? Few people knew when they left,

They walked away one by one, sometimes in twos

They walked away without looking back  

They gained all the ‘O’ levels they sat.

They lost every game they played –

But they won the greatest game of all.  

copyright Jeffrey Porter