Congratulations, Artists!
Yes! Congratulations to all the artists, photographers, and poets who won awards at the 21st Annual Festival of the Arts, held this weekend at St. Francis School in Haskell, NJ. It was a wonderful event, a favorite that I look forward to year after year. I didn't win any awards this time, but it was still great fun to participate and I definitely enjoyed viewing the artistic entries and listening to the musical presentations, and of course...the poetry!
I'm pleased to share with you one of the poems I entered and read at the festival poetry reading last night. It's titled, "Identifying With Those Sleepy Disciples."
IDENTIFYING WITH
THOSE SLEEPY DISCIPLES
There’ve
been times I attended
the
Friday night service
at
my church
after
a busy work-week
and
although my pastor’s messages
are
always interesting
and
often profound
and
even though I determine
to
pay close attention, still
on
more occasions
than
I care to admit
my
heavy eyelids droop
my
head nods
and
the pen in my hand
makes
a jagged mark
across
the page of my Bible
or
worse, the Bible slides
off
my lap, and slips onto the floor
As
a result
I’ve
missed significant portions
of
the message, and flushed
with
embarrassment and shame
That’s
when I remember
Peter,
James, and John
those
sleepy disciples, who
on
that fateful evening
after
enjoying the Passover meal
walked
with Jesus
to
the Garden of Gethsemane
then
Our Lord, filled with anguish
asked
them to watch and pray
for His time was at
hand
I’m
sure they wanted
to
be supportive, wanted to pray
but
their weak flesh got the better of them
and
they fell fast asleep
That’s
when I give them grace
as
Jesus surely did
and
as He surely gives to me
That’s
when I forgive myself
and
vow to stay awake and alert
next
time
Maude
Carolan Pych
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