"Knock-Knock|" Mistress Heart; A query from the mind to the heart

"Knock knock" mistress heart

It's about time you and I had a heart-to heart

I certainly do not understand your emotional arts

And I know I do speak for all the other parts

"Knock knock mistress heart

Why are you so sudden, quicker than the hart?

Your paths so unpredictable, smart I cannot chart

And your moods so unstable, each one a rare delicacy in an exotic mart

"Knock knock" mistress heart

 I can't ever keep up with your detailed stats

One fall in the pit of love can make you as blind as ten bats

It's hopeless trying to make you see the glaring facts

"Knock knock" mistress heart

Obviously there isn't a battle against you I can win

Even my best, most calculated reason seems to you another tale spin

And I just hate it that you could be right but what's to lose?  I'll still hold up my chin

And so before I leave having laid out my charge now bare and thin

"Knock knock" mistress heart answer me quick, make haste to your kin!

E.B Opoku

Copyright(c) 13th June 2011. 00:26 (Atlantic time)

If you're giggling from this read, I'll take one straight guess and like a purposed arrow, I know it will hit the bull's eye. You're at least a one time victim of this mind to heart monologue no? Yes it is a monologue for almost most. lol!(I'm totally aware of the exception to every rule, rule.) Good for you if mistress heart could give you clear reasoned responses about her actions, although I doubt she did. And this is the age-old fight between heart and mind summed rather aptly in the words "the heart does things for reason that reason cannot understand" and mind you these are the sayings of a French Mathematician and Philosopher (I'll let you figure out who). Rare combination I think, a pragmatist and a dreamer! You usually don't find a combination of these two talents in one. Anyway If I'm emphasizing this Mathematician-Philosopher's resume, it's for the added effect of validating that the statement didn't just originate with some  common, ordinary love struck guy who just randomly and by accident came by the statement in a 'one-off' stroke of genius.

I speak for me and I reflect the many times my clever mind still manages to lose out to my heart in the battle for the most sensitive and important decisions. Not all the time though. I mean that would question the cleverness of my mind or enforce the dictatorship of my heart. I'm definitely not dumb and I certainly am no dictator! So where is the balance you ask? He's called the Holy Spirit. And thanks to Him, I've been making the best decisions for quite some time now. The times when I haven't, I probably have been relying on either one of my faculties. Many people approach life with a question: to follow their hearts or to use their heads? Well I learned that life is way beyond the head and the heart. And even a combination of both will still likely not get you very far. The Bible talks about acknowledging God in all your ways and He will direct your path. Wise old proverbs and its true. Solomon surely was wise enough to know that the heart was tricky and evasive and thus, the secret to taming it would be to put it to the unending task of trusting in God. He also did know that the mind can be a smarty pants, thinking it does know better when it is totally flawed and so he admonished to lean not  on its understanding which appeals to most considering its coherent logic unlike the heart which has missing equations in its math! Though I have given up trying with my mind to understand my heart, I still haven't stopped observing their differences and learning why those two are mostly irreconcilable. This poem was thus birthed out of this observation considering that again my heart which loves poetry is all out at work to make something beautiful with words, while my mind is telling me that I should be sleeping. You know what they say "early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy, happy and wise." I frankly don't care who's winning. I just have a simple message to give. That people will find life much easier If they decide to trust in God and His Holy Spirit to show and lead in the right way rather than play tug of war deciding whether to listen to the mind or the heart. Cheers!!!

Memories

Sun rise,

time flies.

Its all gone.

Except for you, it's when you're born.

Streams part,

distant lands in a glance,

sorrow and pain a work of art,

are all evoked in your trance.

The kindness you bring from tales of yesterday's dance,

the pain and bitterness of the unlucky chance:

you tell it tall,

you pitch its fall,

every single detail captured in your famous hall.

But without you life would be no dream.

It would be plain black coffee; no sugar nor cream.

And so to live with you we must.

Day in day out, learning to adjust.

Feeding on you when you're yesterday's sweet pie crust,

and forging ahead ignoring when you're that dreaded moment's deadly rust!

Indeed memories are but a mixed blessing;

at a point in time, a beautiful love story that you could sing,

at another, a marauding gang riding with sorrow and pain to bring.

E.B Opoku Copyright(c) 2011

This poem really was borne out of contemplations on a simple question: are memories good or bad? Everyone has memories. Unless of course you've recently suffered amnesia but God forbid that should ever happen to any of us. Some of us have very good memories which is good and bad; good when you're reliving out some good times and horrible when you remember every single detail of an event which is just bad. Countless times, I've felt like throwing out my mind just so I wouldn't remember some things and it's really frustrating when you think you've lost a bad memory and one slight trigger brings it all back like it was never gone. Well I haven't thrown out my mind and so thankfully I still have my good mind to write. I dont know if I have the right answer to this but for me it's comforting to know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His unchanging nature assures me that His love will always be there to cover my yesterday, to celebrate my today and change my tomorrow. And no matter what events take place in my life, there's one memory to look out for in it all; the Jesus factor and How he compliments it all!

Priority Prayer

Lord give me the pen of a writer,

so that my dreams through pages will reach generations after, brighter.

Lord give me the tongue of the learned,

that my speech will be heard in places untenured.

Lord give me the hands of a skilled craftsman,

to turn things beautiful for which you are praised even by the layman.

Above all Lord: 

give me a heart that sings out YOUR LOVE;

a heart full of the love that turned you into an outcast!

When all you had to offer was pure goodness that would through time and eternity last;

salvation for mankind that would echo from the streets to the palaces in one grand past.

A love that is unselfish and yet strong.

A love that is pure and does no wrong.

A love for YOU, first and foremost, OVER and ABOVE ALL,

and a love for my neighbour for whom your grace is sufficient also to lift from the fall.

E. B. Opoku 

Copyright March 2011

Aloha! I've been learning some valuable lessons from nowhere else yours truly-the Word of God. I'm in that season where I tend to pray a lot for 'things' if you get what i mean. Lately it's been "Oh God I want this" to "I want that" - not that it's bad in and of itself but it's the peculiar nature of the season I'm in. God is tending to draw my focus and attention to His priorities rather than my own. I will let you know that it's not been too easy learning to relax and be comforted about the truth that God will come through for you with your desires especially if you delight yourself in Him, commit them to Him and trust Him about them also. (Psalm 37:4-6) Infact, His word assures us that when you do the above, He will establish you so grandly it will be hard not to notice you. But you know we humans and our unbelief. Maybe i should be writing one soon that addresses the problem. However, God in His ever loving and ever faithful nature has reminded me and very effectively too using the hammer and the forge at times but He has gotten my attention about being more concerned with the primary root of our calling- Love! There is a song that goes like " and they'll know we are christians by our love..." You probably have heard it or have not but nonetheless my emphasis is on the fact that the most fundamental and essential part of our salvation and our calling is our love. Jesus stated the golden rule "thou shalt love the Lord thy God... and thou shalt love thy neighbour.." We will make it to heaven because of love. We will win souls because of love. We will be successful in helping others in ministry If we love and above all, we would be nothing, absolutely and totally nothing without love. Let's live the standard of love, God's kind of love. And to begin, well here's a prayer for you. While you get on your knees, I hope your hearts will be blessed as well. God bless. Cheers!!!

From the Sisters to the Brothers

The piece you're about to read was borne out of a note on some random person's  fb wall that said "If you like me tell me, if you miss me show me and if you love me prove it" and it made me smile. I began to contemplate the piece as the cry of many a girl's heart when they are just at the point of 'falling' for want of a better expression for that special someone who is probably at this point sending mixed signals of cloudiness. Sisters will agree with me that the time is very frustrating and filled with many high and low points. Anyway, I also contemplated the matter from a guy's point of view and for that I have V.E. to thank for allowing me to observe rather accurately ;) If I may dare say. Your openness on all our discussions and back and forths on the subject is a great contributor to the success of this piece and so thank you! All in all, I sought to make it a balanced piece by including thoughts and feelings from both parties and a special resolution of course which has been my own guideline and underlying principle. It is the portion I hold most dear in this piece and I certainly do hope that this audience will find in them a treasure for keeps irrespective of whether or not you are in a relationship. Cheers!!!

Sisters:

Many of us sisters just don't understand you brothers

Generally, yes, but specifically your love moods are bothers

You go round and round in circles spinning and weaving foundations that resemble a web of love

And then its like you cannot connect the dots or fill in the blanks with your speechless attitudes resembling a dove

Its confusing and many times annoying

And you give us the impression that you are just toying

So please be real and stop this drama

Unless you intend to adopt the 'yes we can' spirit like 'Obama'

Brothers:

Likewise many of us brothers just don't know what the problem is with you sisters

You know the signs when you see them, we dare say you have a wealth of experience telling the tides with matters

But you insist on acting innocent and playing dumb

Suddenly all our efforts at wooing have turned you into jelly and made you numb

Which by the way is not the problem because that move in itself is cute

What is irritating though is how you just won't make it any easier by offering a help parachute,

Infact you step it all up by going farther and a little out of reach

And then its more difficult because our next steps may just constitute a breach

A little heads up will be nice to let us know we're in the right

We don't want to play cat and mouse; Tom and Jerry chasing each other ends at some point and mostly on a note of friendship bright

From the sisters: A little heads up!

Fine we admit sometimes we let it drag

We enjoy the chase not wanting it to end too soon; but you know we've also got our swag

The dumbness and numbness really is an advantage plate we throw at you to emphasize

But boy oh boy! you brothers just don't recognize

Suddenly you are the ones who become clueless,

Its amazing to watch you in one moment go from hero to absolutely gutless

Really its a puzzle

But since you say its our fault you can't make your next move, here's hoping to unmuzzle

Its really simple brothers so don't get yourselves tangled:

If you like us then say it; loud and clear to our faces, not to your mirrors and your buddies and on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere.

We appreciate straightforwardness  and tenderness in a speech and since we're telling it, ignorance will be no excuse in getting your speech mangled.

If you miss us then show it; an excited over the phone conversation, or a bungy jump hug does more than you can say.

We agree that it may be a bit awkward but hey, you're not going to get strangled.

Finally, 

If you love us, then prove it; fortunately love is a language that can be understood without being overly expensive.

Little things and big things alike paint a pretty picture of love one just can't ignore.

We warn that we may be dazzled and thrown aback and not know what to do momentarily but don't hesitate, because its just us being rangled.

A note from the poet to brothers and sisters;

When its all said and done,

Your aim should be sticking it out and remaining as one

Patience and understanding will do more for you than pretty lunches and love notes

Wisdom and guidance will get you years of many votes

Above all prayer and devotion to God must be your foundation stone

For He will keep you come what may and will guard your hearts firm and in tone

Make this advice your song

And you'll be telling your story of love, long and strong.

E. B. Opoku

Copyright (c) 2011

Gallery

I think the most asked question in life is "Who are you?"Before you get into grade school, you're asked different aspects of the question like your name, or how old you are or what your parents names are. In grade school you won't get off without having written the famous 'Myself' essay. When you're old enough to work, cv's and resumes replace the 'Myself' essay and on and on it goes. 'Gallery' is my first public poetic reckoning of who I am as an individual and what my beliefs and philosophies are or at least so far ;) I think its a healthy exercise each individual should undertake. In the very least, there's no escaping it anyway so here's mine. 

About me...

is an essay I attempt at every stage of life.

But, I realize that there are changes for every age and with every strife.

Some things remain liked, while others fade,

and in the end, it all adds up to colours of different shades.

Then I came across an age old Book,

whose story told a timeless Truths!

It spoke about me... a Love for me, that took,

upon His brow; pain, shame, a crown of thorns and a heavy cross...

Intrigued by what I read,

I continued, and my heart was fed.

And so the story goes,

that Love paid the price untold,

for me, all I had done and redone once, twice or thrice,

just so that I could have a new and full life,

not defined by the edge of a bleeding knife!

And now I understand that about me,

I am who He wants me to be,

changed, renewed and alive in Him!

And so about me you ask?

MY LIFE IS A GALLERY; a total display of HIM!

Punctuations and God!

English has been the major language of instruction throughout my entire education. Here though, I want to talk about one of my favourite aspects of the subject - "PUNCTUATIONS"! 

I know many people who did not enjoy their punctuations and many more who were particularly confused as to when to use their commas and colons. Today however, I explore the subject in a whole new way. I have come to the bright realization that punctuations have everything to do with God! 

Let me explain! (Clearing my throat)

The full stop! It is God's mark of finality on every matter. He's the alpha and OMEGA, the beginning, the END. He's that check in your spirit that registers peace and stillness when life throws you overboard to the rough ocean waves. He says "Peace, Be STILL and know that I am GOD" and everything else pales in comparison to the finality of His authority! 

The comma is not a very pleasant vocabulary choice with God as it involves waiting, a pause which our usually impatient human spirit loathes. However God is not slack concerning His promises as some count it and finally give up or bend. God's 'wait' is a time to renew our strength and to let patience complete her works in us so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking NOTHING. God's comma is in essence, His penchant for the development of character wholeness.

I see the exclamation mark and immediately my mind gets giddy with excitement as my eyes pop wide open at the imagination of all the beautiful things I want to happen in my lifetime! I'm further blown away at the thought that God's ways are higher than mine and likewise His thoughts towards me and so it ties in perfectly that He can do EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE, all that I could ever ask or think! Now that's WOW!!!

And then, there's the colon. It reminds me of the endless list of promises that Christ Jesus has blessed us with: prepared mansions, streets of gold, crowns, eternal life, no tears or sorrow or pain, etc. The list is all-inclusive, inexhaustible and nothing has been left out because we've been blessed with ALL spiritual blessings!

There's also the semi-colon which typifies the essence of the Father's love and His willingness to explain His message of grace through salvation at the cost of the death of His only begotten son. It's like this; we ask the Father how much He loves us and though He's already explained His message from Adam, to Noah, to Moses and the Prophets, He doesn't mind breaking things down further by sending His son to die on a tree. Now you tell me, which demonstration has better explained the message of the gospel than the fact that 'God so loved the world and so He sent His son to die'?

Which brings me to the question mark? It gets me thinking about how life challenges us every day and we draw blanks to the situations that come along in life. Yet, we still have all the answers we need through the Holy Spirit who searches the mind of God and even the deep mysteries that humans are yet to discover. With God, we are assured that there's no question in life that will beat us because like Daniel said, there is a God who reveals mysteries. No wonder John on the Isle of Patmos saw Christ, the REVELATOR!

And how can I leave out the all - important quotation marks? It makes me think of the many times the Lord speaks to us. Whether it is "Thus sayeth the Lord" or the still small voice of the Spirit, we can always respond lovingly like little Samuel, “Master speak, for thy servant heareth"!

Now go on out and enjoy your punctuation marks! Just think about God when you have to use them and your English will be a whole lot sharper or better yet sharper than the Queen's I bet! She may not be your mother but in the words of Donnie McClurkin's 'Walking in Authority, "Your Father is King of Everything!"