Faith Hope & Fiction

By Joseph Roque

UNAFRAID

My body is flesh and blood
with torn, muscled sinew
wrapped around brittle bones
that keep me from collapsing,
keep me upright and mobile,
and yet, I still fall—

still fail sometimes at
common sense and discernment.

I have been used and abused, bruised,
betrayed and brokenhearted
and understand that life’s endgames
are often played this way
but,
its darkness has not dampened or
dissuaded me, has not succeeded;
and I am unafraid—

The mystery of unconditional love
revealed as indescribable peace—

All in the simple, soft sigh
and willing warmth
of His loving embrace.

SELDOM SEEN                                                            

Life is mercurial and unpredictable,
so I appreciate each day as if
it were my last, celebrate anything
new that comes along, no matter
how small or insignificant—

It is not always about winning or
receiving, but just as much about
giving, about failing and losing
but getting up again to continue.

It is important to know that the way
we treat devastating defeats defines
our courage or cowardice, our
faith or negativity.

I need only look around to see how
many poor souls have problems
so much greater than mine;
suffered so much more,
but never complain—

These are the real heroes,
the real lessons.

PROCESS AND PATIENCE

He has been practicing
the letting go of things
he can’t change or control
and changing for the better
all the things he can.

He has learned how to recognize
the differences between
the fixable and the unassailable;
how to stop overthinking every
minor triviality into something
problematic.

He is a Renaissance Man now—
no more nosebleeds,
blood pressure spikes
or broken belongings
and surprisingly,
it feels generously good
to have less on his plate
not more—

To have peaceful contemplation
and serenity replace reactive rage.

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Joseph Roque is a poet who frequently writes about life, love, loneliness, growing older, alienation, and the joys of youth. His poems have appeared in Psychopoetica, Mad Swirl, Aphelion, Death Head Grin, The Poet’s Haven, RagMag, and Cerebration. His latest book is Ashes And Excuses.