The Poet Explains His Poem, Choose, A Poem Of Him

This poem, Choose, a Poem of Him, is found on page 4 in my book, Beyond these Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.

TITLE
The title, Choose, a Poem of Him, was not easy to decide on. It gives away too much too early. Obviously, the poem is about choosing someone over things. You have to read it to know who it is and what the things are.

STRUCTURE

Illustration for the poem, Choose,
From Beyond These Dark Lands are Edges Of Joy
Words of comfort and Hope.
By A.E.Dozat © 2018

This poem is written in a free-verse style. It is short, only twenty-one lines.  The lines 1,4, and 7 are one-word lines, the word "reject." They are each followed by a statement of three things to reject, which are related to isolating yourself. Lines 12, 16 and 18 Mirror the first half by again using only one word, the word, "accept" which is followed by a description of the presence of God in His Spirit.

WHAT IT SAYS
This poem uses the comparison contrast method to say that we must refuse to withdraw from God and His compassion, and accept His presence.

WHAT IT MEANS TO ME
I struggle with depression and I know that there are times when you just want to go away and be closed off to others and God. So for me, I must remember to avoid this unhealthy activity.

This is where the title makes sense because to reject one thing and accept another is a matter of choice. It is, at least for me, the foundation of other healthy activities.

ILLUSTRATION
Like all the poems in this collection, I drew an illustration. I know illustrating your own poems is amateur but friends encouraged me to include my art.

The illustration is of a road leading past a tree with a bench in its shade. The bench is big enough for two, this is to suggest that you would sit there with a companion.  It is a representation of communion with God.

This poem helps you to see that there are still some choices available during your difficult time and one of those choices is to choose to accept God's love and comfort.

You can read this poem on page 4 of the book. If you would like to read a sample poem choose the link below for the website.

To read a review CLICK HERE.

© Adron 3/19/18

The Author's Discussion On His Poem, There Is No Question, A Poem About Foundations.

The poem, There is No Question, a Poem About Foundations, is found on page 3 in the book titled, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Poems of Comfort and Hope, by A.E. Dozat.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE POEM

TITLE
I choose the title for this poem with irony since it opens with questions, and pursues those questions throughout the first half, but the title is really explained by the concluding line. (I can't give that away here, you have to buy a copy and read it).

STRUCTURE
This poem is 25 lines long and most of the lines are 4 to 6 syllables. It opens with the word, "Maybe" which is repeated in lines 1, 5, and 9. I admit using the word, "Maybe," reflects a soft voice which is reinforced with the words me and us but the soft voice is mitigated with the word, "certainly," at line 13. I considered changing the voice in the second half and it would have made sense for the second half but would have been distracting and cost the poem unity. The soft voice persists with the use of we and us but is dominated by word, "Certainly," line 13, 16 and 25.

The maybes are all solitary, especially the first,
"Maybe

Illustration
There is No Question, A Poem About Foundations
from the Book,
Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy
© 2017 A.E. Dozat

We each wander
Through our desert."
The following two maybes are less dramatic but still expressions of solitude or estrangement.
The certainties contrast the maybes with expressions of God's communion.

WHAT IT SAYS
The maybes reflect our questions of why do we go through trials and problems. The reasons given include our rebellion, anger or stubbornness. There are many reasons we go through trials and there are times we just do not know why so it is all a bunch of maybes. But there are certainties "We must lean on God..." and "God is willing to reach to us and revive us ..." The concluding lines point to the ultimate Certainty.

MEANING
The message of this poem is simple. The point is God; that He is the ultimate answer to our questions and the ultimate source of comfort.

ILLUSTRATION
I drew the illustration of low hills covered with barren trees and a road leading to distant mountains. The barren trees reflect the maybes of the poem causing you to wonder why the trees are barren. The distant mountains are a classic device that represents God.

This poem, like most in the book, encourages you to have intelligent confidence in God during the dark times.

You can read the poem, There Is No Question, A poem About Foundations, in my book Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy, which you can purchase for $9.62 plus shipping, use the Buy Now button below.

There Is No Question,

A Poem About Foundations

Maybe,

We each wander

Through our desert

To reach a point...

Maybe,

Because of our rebellion

Or our anger,

Or our stubbornness...

Maybe,

We must come to where

We cannot go on

And fall on our face.

Certainly,

We must lean on God

And just rest in him.

Certainly,

God is willing

To reach to us

And revive us

When we collapse,

So we can learn

Day by day

That

God is

The Certainty.

© Adron 3/17/18

The Author's Commentary of His Poem, Above The Darkness,

This is the 3rd poem in my book, Beyond These Dark Lands, Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope. Like all the poems in my book, this is short and written in free-verse style. You can read it on page 2.

To get it through Amazon CLICK HERE.

THE TITLE
The full title is Above the Darkness, A Poem of Vision. It is a title that gives hope that we can escape the darkness of our lives but in a way that is not humanly possible.

STRUCTURE
Most of the lines in this poem are phrases of three or four syllables that make up the four sentences of the poem. This way the reader considers each statement on its own before moving on to the next. The reader is thereby taken by steps to the declaration at the end.  It all gets the reader prepared for the last line which is an encouragement and a visionary statement.

WHAT IT SAYS
The first section describes how we "Wish to fly... Long to run." We are trapped by our difficult times and want to fly away or run away.  "We wait the day...rise up on wings."

Illustration for the Poem, Above the Darkness,
from the Book,
Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of joy
© 2018 A.E. Dozat

Then it takes a turn with, "Do not give up! You may yet arise..." there is hope but not by your own power or by your own strength.

Then poem transitions to a future hope, and at the same time gives hope. Even though we are weak we must continue. Our hope must be based on a vision or view of God. The poem ends with a positive declaration that what we hope for in faith will be granted through the Spirit. Those who are familiar with The Bible will think of Isaiah 40:31.

The idea of looking to God in our weakness and receiving His gift of strength through Christ is one that I return to in several poems in this collection.

THE MEANING
We all go through times where we long to escape our circumstances but we lack the resources in ourselves to flee. In those times we can hope, and do more than hope because we look to God and keep our focus on Him. He is the one who lifts us. If we focus on God the time will come when we are not in that place of darkness anymore but above it. The place of darkness still exists but we soar above it in faith.

THE ILLUSTRATION
Most of the illustrations I drew for this collection of poems feature a road and this one has a road leading through a forest viewed from above. In the sky is an eagle with wings spread out.

The scripture footnote is from Isaiah 40:31. This is the only scripture I referenced more than once.

This is a poem of hope, a hope in the Lord, and His promise to lift up those who look to him.

You can read the poem, Above the Darkness, A Poem of Vision, in my book Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy, which you can purchase for $9.62 plus shipping, use the Buy Now button below.

If you would like to read a sample poem choose the link below for the website.

If you are in need of encouragement or know someone who does you should order a copy today, you will glad you did.

To read a review CLICK HERE.

(c) Adron 3/14/2018

A Poet's Reflection on His Poem, Crucible, a Poem of Intelligence Over Feelings.

Crucible is the second poem in the book of poems titled, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy. It is the first poem of Chapter 1. It is the second poem in the book because another poem is used as a prologue to the collection.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE POEM

I wrote this poem to inspire people who are going through hard times to consider the ultimate question of God's goodness. I wanted to guide them to see that God is still good even when times are not.

IMPORTANCE OF THIS POEM
Every poem was carefully considered before adding it to this collection, and this was no exception. Now I realize that no other poem could take its place because it introduces key thoughts that are foundational to the rest of the book.

HOW IT WAS PLACED AS CHAPTER 1 PAGE 1
I do not remember how I decided that this poem should be the first. I spread the pages over the dining table and made stacks for each chapter, I moved poems from one stack to another and then shuffled the order so that each chapter had variety while keeping similar poems separated. I thought that Crucible would make as good a beginning as any other. Now I see that this one is so important and foundational it had to be Chapter 1 page 1. It must have been placed there by the hand of God.

TITLE
A crucible is an iron kettle used to melt metals in intense heat to burn off the impurities so that the metal left will be more valuable, pure, and useful.  The title of this poem says that our hardships are a crucible and that our imperfections are being purged in the fire. I know it is not a very original title and many have used it before, but I thought about it for a long time and could not come up with a better title. The subtitle, "A Poem of Intelligence Over Feelings," needs to be seen in view of the poem, (sorry, you need to read the poem to fully appreciate it).

OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE
This poem is one long sentence. Each phrase is arranged on its own line, this forces the reader to consider the statements one at a time instead of reading the poem as a whole.

Illustration for the poem, Crucible,
from Beyond These Lands Are Edges of Joy
© 2018 AE. Dozat

It opens with a list of disappointments that we may face like an unfulfilled desire, a need for rescue, or for healing. Next the phrase "Then you are facing that critical collision..." introduces that action is needed because we have come to "a place of decision." The concluding phrase explains what that decision is.

WHY THIS POEM HERE
I wanted the reader to face God from the very beginning.

WHAT THIS POEM SAYS
In every trial, we are faced with questions of God, questions of His goodness, His power, or His will. This is the collision of faith and life which we must resolve. This is why I gave it the subtitle of A Poem of Intelligence Over Feelings. The question of God is answered with an intelligent act of will and leads us to make a faith decision.

In every struggle and trial, we make a decision regarding God. There is no going on without the answer to the question of God.

THE ILLUSTRATION.
Almost all the illustrations in the book have a road or path to give the book visual unity. I drew road through a dark wooded area for this poem. You might ask why didn't I draw a kettle but I thought it would have been too obvious.

CRUCIBLE

A POEM OF INTELLIGENCE OVER FEELINGS

When you do not receive

The hoped for blessing,

Or the rescue needed,

Or the healing of pain,

Then you are facing the

Intersection;

That place of decision

Upon which all matters.

Where you must decide if

You can declare boldly

Even in suffering,

That

"God, my God, is still good,"

Because that is the place

Where faith passes the test.

(c) Adron 3/11/18

What It Feels Like When You Make The First Sale Of Your Own Book.

As a niche publisher, I am on my own. I wrote the book of poems, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, for the hurting and struggling people I meet and friends who need encouragement and hope. I do not have the backing of a big business for resources and financing. I know right now my business model is more like a hobby, but I hope it will not be that way for long. I didn't write this book for the money, after all, it is poetry and only a handful of poets in modern times have made money; I just hope to break even and not plunge family and home into debt. I wrote it out of love for God and His children.

I had enough money to buy two dozen copies of my book and share them with some friends earlier this week. They are pastors and ministry heads at the Baptist state convention headquarters where I work in the mailroom. Even though they are seminary professors and most have PhDs in theology or church or something, they always treat the high school graduate in the mailroom (me) with the greatest dignity and respect. So I expected them to be gracious when I gave them each a copy, but they were far more than that, they were extremely affirming, highly congratulatory, and eager to celebrate my accomplishment.

Then today one of the ministry heads at the convention who is a man of God, a pastor, a Church planter catalyst for the state convention and head of a ministry organization to special needs families expressed his appreciation of my book of poems and ordered some copies to give to some folks he is ministering to.

It fills me with awe, humility, and gratitude to think that my collection of poems is going to be used by the Lord to encourage and bless people. You would think that I would be jumping for joy that someone likes my book of poems so much that they want to buy some copies, and yes I am joyful but the sense that I tried to do something for God and that He is blessing it is an awesome realization. I feel like I just want to keep on saying, "Thank you, God, it is all for you Lord," over and over.


If you would like to read a sample poem, choose the link below for the website.

If you need encouragement or know someone who does, you should order a copy today. You will be glad to have this book.

(c) Adron 3/8/18

The Author's Reflection on The Poem Titled, My Letter to You, a Poem of Invitation.

Here is the first poem in my book, BEYOND THESE DARK LANDS ARE EDGES OF JOY. This poem is intended as an introduction.  In fact, an earlier version of this poem was titled, Introduction. I hoped to use it to set the tone and expectation for the reader.  But when one of my reviewers suggested it would confuse the audience by having an introduction in the form of a poem, I renamed it "My Letter to You, A Poem of Invitation."

Scroll down to the bottom of this post and read the poem

I was still committed to the poem and the idea of putting it ahead of the body of the book, so I compromised his advice by leaving it in the location of an introduction.

This poem begins by describing how I want to write beautiful poetry, "About daisies in the fields, where little lambs sleep and the children laugh..." I admit it is not very deep, but I like beautiful poems with vibrant picture words, and I would like to write that kind of poem for people to read.

Line drawing illustration for the poem,
My Letter To You, A Poem Of Invitation
From Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Joy.
(c) Adron 2018

But this poem explains that there are many people who "live lonely lives in cold, windswept lands..."   I was expressing that this collection of poems is for those people who struggle and have pain.

Starting with this poem, I tried to be sensitive to people's lives of hardship and wrote that I won't "Belittle your struggles..." Many inspirational poetry books are filled with shallow overused platitudes and quaint sayings. I was committed to offering something thoughtful, meaningful, and depth. I wanted this book to really encourage people.

This first poem bluntly explains my purpose to offer hope. As a person of faith, I believe that God is the source of hope through His Christ. Near the end, this poem gives a loving picture of Christ.

The last line is my favorite. I won't give it away here (sorry for the teaser), but it pulls everything together.

I placed the illustration in a small circle in the lower right corner. My drawing shows an open gate to symbolize the invitation. The open gate leads to a sunny field occupied by two sheep.

This first poem is an invitation; it invites the reader "to come" to a bright place where the God of hope waits.

I would write pretty poems
About daisies in fields
Where little lambs sleep
And the children laugh
In the summer sun.
But most of us
Live lonely lives
In cold windswept lands
Of gray stormy skies.
I won't belittle
Your struggles and pain
But acknowledge them
And offer hope
That
There is a place where
Daisies bloom in sunny fields;
A place made safe
By the One Good Shepherd
Who
Smiles as children laugh
And waits to take us in his arms. My friend,
If you are willing
I would go there with you.

You can order the book Beyond these Dark Lands directly from the publisher for the best price. CLICK HERE.

 

(c) Adron 3/4/18

Can Poetry Be Used By God To Minister To Someone Who Is Discouraged?

Can God use my book of poems in somebody's life to make a difference?

GOD IS A BIG PART OF MY LIFE
God is a big part of my book of poems. I felt that the commission to write it came from Him. I was working on another collection of poems last year but felt that The Lord wanted me to do this one instead. I know a lot of people say God told them to do this or that and when it is done you really wonder why, so I approached this with great care and reverence.

As a person of faith, I feel that God must be part of everything I do. He is not just a part or afterthought but the directing energy that leads and empowers me. To do something for God in your own wisdom, or strength is not doing something for God, it is doing something for yourself; so I sought God for every word and each step in writing this book of poems.

THIS BOOK HAS QUALIFIED POTENTIAL
This book has a unique potential to be used by God.

• I drew on my experiences knowledge and the wisdom gained from following the Lord for over forty years. 
• I did research to maintain healthy and doctrinally correct content.
• I even withdrew some pieces that were not sound according to discussions I had with licensed professional counselors. 
• A friend who teaches counseling at a seminary reviewed it and I made further changes.
• Over the last year, I made many revisions to keep the message clear.

RELIANCE ON GOD
More importantly, I relied on The Lord for guidance through much prayer and searching His Word, the Bible, daily. I constantly returned to Him to seek His leading and even His censure. I listened to his "still small voice" in times of meditation and reflection.

JUST THE BEGINNING
I feel this book is in accord with God as He revealed Himself in the Bible. I've written it in a spirit of humility and obedience and believe it is something that He will use. Of course, He is God the All-powerful but He is also God the All-holy and He will not partner with sin, rebellion or foolishness but will use that which is lowly and humble.

GOD'S WORD
Every poem features a Bible verse that encourages or points to The Lord and His Christ. Putting Bible verses in the book was not a ploy or marketing hook but an expression of faith and honor to God, who said, "My word will not come back void but will accomplish that which I please." (Isaiah 55:11).

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
God through Christ is the answer to our pain, guilt, and emptiness. I finished the book with an explanation of how to come to Christ, who by his atoning death and resurrection is the source of peace and hope for each one of us.

HOW GOD MAY USE THIS BOOK

• A friend may give it to someone who is going through a difficult time and the words of comfort may speak to their heart.
• A pastor may share it during hospital or hospice visitation, after conducting a funeral or counseling someone experiencing loss or grief.
• Copies may be placed in the lobby of a house of worship, funeral parlor, counseling center or any place of faith or service. 
• A copy might be mailed to a friend or loved one who is going through a hard time.
• It could be available in retreat centers and a person in a season of reflection may read it and hear God whisper comfort to them.
• Missionaries doing work among the poor or homeless may find it useful as a way to begin conversations.
• First responders and disaster relief counselors may find it helpful to give to victims of a natural or personal disaster.

When a person receives this book they may not then be ready to receive comfort or be open to the Lord at that moment, but it will be there when they are ready by God's spirit to read this and turn to Him in faith.

If you or anyone you know feels that you need God to speak comfort and light the way to hope in your life then pick up a copy of this book, He may use it in your heart.

(c) Adron (c) Adron 3/2/18