Vipers

Photo by Jan Kopu0159iva on Pexels.com

By Michael W. Raley

A brood of vipers have taken over the world.

The vipers lie in wait for their next victim,

Ready to inject their deadly venom.

However, these vipers don’t slither around on their bellies:

They walk among us.

Ready to attack at the slightest offense,

One viper’s venomous bite is enough to send you into toxic shock,

But more and more of the vipers will seize the opportunity

To strike and bring you down.

These vipers are never satisfied,

As they are constantly on the hunt for their next victim.

Vipers, like all snakes, cannot be reasoned with

As they are snakes by nature.

It would be best to avoid the viper’s den

And keep yourself out of harm’s way.

However, if you encounter the vipers,

Remove them from your life

And arm yourself with the antivenom

Of peace of mind.

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The Day of Trouble

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By Michael W. Raley

As black storm clouds roll across the sky,

A foreboding sense of doom and dread

Creep into my spirit.

The thunder crackles like cannon fire

And the lightning lights up the sky

Like the afternoon sun.

The rain pours down trouble on all sides

And the ground becomes overwhelmed

With the sudden flash flooding,

I seek out the higher ground-

The Rock that is higher than I.

The Lord, my shelter, will guard me

In the day of trouble.

When terrors overwhelm me,

When life’s pressures become too much,

I find refuge in the Lord,

The Lord God Almighty

Who can turn the day of trouble

Into a night of joy and dancing.

The storms will come

And the storms will pass,

But the Lord remains forever.

The Path

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By Michael W. Raley

I thought by now the path would be made clear

And the course would be set.

Yet, I remain aimless and adrift

On a self-made ocean of obscurity.

I have progressed too slowly;

My patience has worn thin.

I have reached a point

Where I don’t see the purpose of this journey,

As my most desired dreams have not been fulfilled.

Time is of the essence;

My window of opportunity closes a little more each day.

Should I stay on the present course?

Shall I embark on the new and unfamiliar path?

Do I just need to settle on the safe path of unassuming mediocrity?

I try to move forward,

Yet I am being dragged down by the baggage of fear and regret.

I am heart sick, yet remain somewhat hopeful.

As long as I have the day,

As long as I have breath,

I cannot accept defeat.

I must rise up and walk.

Another Obstacle

By Michael W. Raley

Another obstacle lies in my path

And there’s no way around it.

There lies before me another battle

I must wage,

Yet, I don’t have the strength to fight.

For all of the fortitude and resolve I must muster,

I might as well be enduring the trials of Hercules.

I am battle hardened,

But my mental, spiritual, and physical reserves are depleted

And I don’t see reinforcements on the horizon.

I pray for a sign and await the arrival of the Deliverer.

Please, please, Savior, do not delay,

For my strength is almost gone.

Never Allow Love to Leave

By Michael W. Raley

Never allow love to leave your heart-

No matter who hurt you,

No matter what is happening in the world,

No matter if hatred surrounds you,

Allow yourself to love and allow others to love you.

God is love and love is our connection to God.

Love connects us as a common humanity,

Which knows no bounds and trancends

The barriers erected by society,

Which divide us and provide the tinder box

For the fires of hatred and rage.

As we begin a new day,

Let us reset our hearts

To love God, ourselves, and each other.

I Look Out into the World

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By Michael W. Raley

I look out into the world

And I see the rage,

The violence,

The hatred,

The deception,

The fiery rhetoric,

And my soul is overwhelmed.

I pray and I hope

For a better tomorrow,

Yet I wonder if the time for reasoning,

Accountability, and deep soul searching has past.

For the longest time,

When I looked out into the world, I felt a detachment,

Not realizing maybe I should be the one to change.

When I looked inside of me and my spirit,

I realized much work still needed to be done.

If I focused on changing myself,

The world would change as well.

I can’t change world events,

But I can change myself and my responses,

Thus, changing my perspective

When I look out into the world.

Choose Life, Choose Christ

By Michael W. Raley

What if we could extend God’s grace to those around us?

What if we could embody love in a time of anger and hate?

In a time of hedonistic pleasure,

The call for a return to virtue goes almost unheeded.

People choose to live by their own truths

Instead of the universal truths of God.

There are those who call out their own virtue

Without understanding the true nature of justice, righteousness, and love,

Bringing shame and humiliation to anyone who may disagree.

Brothers and sisters, this ought not be so.

Though we may have different skin tones and languages,

We bleed the same red blood.

However, the time has come for us

To stop shedding the innocent blood,

To stop the hate, the violence, the ridicule

And the mob mentality.

For our Lord is calling us to a time with Him,

A quiet time of prayer and reflection.

Perhaps it is a time of listening to the Lord

From His holy hill, allowing Him to transform us

Into who we should be,

Not what the world wants us to be.

The Lord is calling us to a spiritual paradox-

We must separate ourselves from the darkness

While being a light in that same darkness.

Choose this day whom you will serve-

The day or the night?

The darkness or the light?

Death or life?

Virtue or sin?

Choose Christ and choose freedom.

Struggling to Pray

By Michael W. Raley

It’s hard to admit to myself and even harder to say,

But I find myself these days

Struggling to pray.

Even during the darkest of my darkest days,

I’ve ran out of things to say.

As in the Scriptures, I want the Lord to answer my call,

But I feel as if I’m talking to a wall.

Silence, deafening silence is all I hear,

Painful day after day, depressing year after year.

Aren’t relationships supposed to be a two way street?

However, relationships are difficult if one party refuses to speak.

My spiritual eyes have grown weary,

While my spiritual outlook has grown dire and dreary

Waiting for an answer, any response from on high.

In my brokenness all I can do is groan and sigh.

Days of Trouble and Pain

By Michael W. Raley

Our days are filled with trouble and pain.

What do we get in exchange for our sorrows?

More tears?

Anxiety?

Depression?

A tired and worn out body?

A weary soul?

Every accomplishment is met with a devastating setback.

All gifts, such as life, relationships, joy, peace of mind, and health

Are slowly taken away from us,

Whereas others never get the opportunity to experience the finer things of life.

Maybe there is no grand purpose.

Maybe our lot is simply to make the best of what we’re given,

No matter how little it is.

What good does it do to wait for an afterlife

When what we receive then could be better used for the here and now?

You may argue about original sin or that existence is suffering,

Yet, I long for a time, no matter how brief,

Where we can all find happiness in this life.

If People were like Dogs

Photo by Julian Kirschner on Pexels.com

By Michael W. Raley

If people were loyal like dogs,

The world would be a much better place.

Spouses wouldn’t leave just because times were difficult,

Nor would friendships end over petty disagreements.

There would always be a loving, non-judgmental face

To welcome you home and say you matter to me.

If people were as loving as dogs,

A kind, listening ear would see us through the dark days;

A soft cuddle or nuzzle would help mend a broken heart,

Saving us from depression and despair.

If people saw from a dog’s perspective,

There would be no division in our world,

For we would see only people who needed love.

If people were as unselfish as dogs,

We be kind to each other

And truly understand

What it means to love

Another being greater than you could ever love yourself.