The Poet Discusses His Poem, ASKING, From the Book, Beyond These Dark Lands.

The Poem, Asking, a Poem of the Second Answer, is found on page 25 of my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy.

I wrote this poem because I hoped it would encourage people in a certain way.

TITLE
The first part of the title is just the word, ASKING. When you are going through dark times, there are many questions you ask yourself and God. It was for those times that this poem was written.

The second part of the title is A Poem of the Second Answer. This is to make you think that we must keep on asking because there is more than the simple common answers that we at first find.

STRUCTURE
This poem is 25 lines long, and each line is four to six syllables long.

The first four lines introduce the question of "why?"
     "The question of "Why?"
     Is a heart-scream of pain."
Lines 5 through 10 acknowledges how hurtful our pain is.
Lines 11 through 17 tell us that pain is real, legitimate, and should be faced.
Lines 18 to the end tell us that there is another question to ask and it may be the most important.

The Fork in the Road
Illustration for the Poem Asking
from Beyond These Dark Lands
Are Edges of Joy

The overall style is blunt and straightforward.

MEANING
There are times in our lives when we are faced with pain, and that pain is so deep that it causes us to doubt God, life, and anything good. It is in those times that we ask the big questions. Pain starts a process in our lives and souls, but we must be sure it is only a start and that we do not stay in the place of pain. Sometimes we need to be intentional about moving on.

SCRIPTURE
The accompanying scripture is from Job, “The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” Job 17:9, NLT

ILLUSTRATION
The illustration I drew for this poem is of a road going through the countryside, and the road divides in a fork going two opposite ways.

© A.E. Dozat 2019

How an Uber Driver Will Use My Book of Poems in His Ride-share

Why my uber driver friend gives out copies of my book of poems to his riders. 

Let me tell you about it.

Sometimes I work on my writing at one of the cafe areas at the local shopping mall. Glancing up I saw somebody smiling as they approached me. After a moment I realized that this was a dear friend. I asked him to join me and we caught up on what we both have been doing.

My friend is a man of faith and he shared that God is working in his life, some things have gone well and others have not; but he still sees God's loving touch in it all. He explained that driving for uber has helped him to make ends meet. He was excited that driving for a ride-share has given him opportunities to talk to people. Grinning, he said, "It's like I'm a bartender, everybody tells me their problems. They just open up." He offers them the kindness of a listening ear and every day he tells others about his faith in God.

I felt that God was speaking to me to give him some extra copies of my book of poems of encouragement, and his face lit up. He told me that it was a great idea to give copies to people who rode in his uber and that he would keep a few in the back of his car for his riders..  He reminded me that there are times when such a book will speak to someone's heart in ways that a sermon or minister couldn't. He said he knew people would be blessed and encouraged by the poems in the book. He said that just having copies for his riders to see will open up doors of opportunity to speak about God.

Of course, I appreciated the encouragement and felt very humbled by his praise. I hope he has many opportunities to share his faith and the book. I pray that God will be honored and people will be encouraged.

To order my book at wholesale directly from the printer CLICK HERE.

I am very excited that this book of encouraging poems is now available on Amazon. Amazon seems to be the way that people want to shop, so I am glad to make it available on their site. 

I did not write this book to make money but to be an encouragement to others.  That is why I priced it so low. I do not make much and what I do make I use to buy copies for those who need it and cannot afford it. 

© A.E. Dozat 2018

The Poet Explains His Poem, The Forever Part of The Pain, From the Book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy

I wrote this poem for my book of hope and faith because I wanted to give hope that God uses your difficulties to bless you in many ways. A time may come when what remains of your pain becomes a gift for others.

To order your copy directly from the printer and receive the best wholesale pricing CLICK HERE.

TITLE
The title is in two parts, the first part is, "The Forever Part Of The Pain." It is an attempt to respect that pain leaves a piece of itself with us forever. We may recover, move on, and heal but there is something that never goes away. This is not something that should discourage us but a reality we can live with.
The second part of the title is, "A Poem of the Gift." This part of the poem is curious and makes the reader wonder what gift there can be in pain. It also suggests that it is a hopeful poem that will point to something valuable.

STRUCTURE
This poem has 26 lines. Each line is fewer than five syllables long. The first half describes the aftermath of pain and how it cools and seems to fade, "After the furnace fires of tribulation have cooled,"
The second section is only three lines and tells us that others will seek us out for this gift.
The last part, lines 18-26, are beautiful and among my favorite in the collection. They tell that the gift left by pain is something you can give to others.

MEANING

Illustration for the Poem
THE FOREVER PART OF THE PAIN
From The Book,
BEYOND THESE DARK LANDS
ARE EDGES OF JOY
© A.E. Dozat 2018

You will get over the experience, but something of pain remains. It is different for each person, and you must draw your own specific about the nature of the gift left by your own loss, it may be compassion, experience, comfort or understanding. But you wouldn't have this gift if you did not go through pain. The surprise is that this gift is not as much for you as it is for others when you share it with them.

ILLUSTRATION
There is a picture of an oak tree with a chair swing hanging from its branch. The chair swing looks like it is for two people sitting side by side. You can imagine two people may sit there to talk about their experiences.

SCRIPTURE
This poem is accompanied by a verse of scripture from the New Testament.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT

This poem offers comfort that because of your pain there will remain something that you will have that will bless you and others.

If you want to read this poem it is on page 21 of my book which you can purchase below.

© A.E. Dozat 9/13/18

The Poet Explains His Poem Freedom, a Poem of Leaving Darkness.

Freedom is a poem from my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope. When you read it you start to understand that forgiveness is possible.

To get it through Amazon CLICK HERE.

TITLE
The full title of this poem is Freedom, a Poem of Leaving Darkness; it suggests freedom will be found when you leave the place of darkness. Darkness may be anything but this poem applies to the specific enslavement of guilt, and the darkness we carry inside.

STRUCTURE
This poem is 27 lines long and most lines are five syllables. At first, it looks like free-verse. It is one of the rare poems in this collection that uses the first person singular of  "I."The I starts a new section of the poem four times.

• Lines 1 through 6 is the "I see you oppressed..." section, where the poem opens up with the observation of the readers struggle with guilt and darkness. 
• Lines 7-13 are the "I would give freely..." where the poem moves to compassion, but with the suggestion that there is a solution to be received. 
• Lines 14-17 is the "I, too, needed..." and "I have found..." section of confession and admission. The "I have found..." is repeated in line 18, I prefer to avoid repeats because they generally weaken a message. I made the exception to satisfy the question of what was found. 



Illustration for Freedom
A poem of Leaving Darkness
© A.E. Dozat 2018 

• The last 9 lines are a declaration of having found freedom from darkness and guilt. The last line of the poem is simple but after you think about you see more than what is on the surface. 

In these posts, I try not to give away too much since I want to sell the book but here is the ending.
This pardon 
He gives
Is so wonderful 
That I would have it 
Overflow to you.

MEANING
I wrote this poem because I know a lot of people struggle with guilt. Guilt is a darkness in our souls that we can't get rid of no matter what we do. I offer the solution that through Christ the Father offers forgiveness because of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.

ILLUSTRATION.
This poem is illustrated with a drawing of a dark deep valley with a rocky path.  Beyond the valley, the path enters distant pleasant lands.

The scripture at footnote for the poem is ”For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14, NIV

This poem offers hope that if you are struggling with guilt that there is forgiveness for you if you receive it from Christ who gives it freely.

© A.E.Dozat 6/7/18

The Author Explains His Poem, The Passing Shadow, a Poem of Returning

The poem, THE PASSING SHADOW, A Poem of Returning, is found on page 12 of my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.

The death of my brother who died of an overdose was the motivation for this poem about grief and bereavement.

To get it through Amazon CLICK HERE.

TITLE
The encouragement begins with the title. It explains that our time of difficulty and trial will come to a conclusion and that there is a time when you will be able to hope again. The shadow is grief, and time allows it to pass. The "Returning" makes you think of your own returning to living life after the season of grief.

STRUCTURE
It looks like a freestyle poem, but it has some rhythm since most of the lines are 6 syllables long except for a few variants that give emphasis. It is 26 lines.

It starts out by describing the deep grief we sometimes feel. The first 13 lines describe sorrow and loss,

Illustration for the Poem, The Passing Shadow,
A Poem of Returning,
From the Book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy
Words of Comfort and Hope
By A.E. Dozat © 2018 

"You can walk away...
But you cannot leave 
The emptiness You carry inside."

Lines 14 to 19 expresses our response is sometimes with anger and withdrawal,
"You just have to sit ...
And be angry at God 
And hate everything..."

Lines 20-26 offers the hope that a time will come when you can live again,
"The days of Exhaustion will come. 
Then it will be time..."

Everything leads to the last line that tells about the hope that after this shadow passes we will begin to live again.

ILLUSTRATION
This poem is illustrated with a road leading past a solitary great oak tree in a barren land.

The Passing Shadow is part of a book that offers encouragement and hope, this poem says that it is ok to react with sorrow, anger and even withdrawal for a season, but there comes a time to begin to live again.

SCRIPTURE
The scripture in the footnote is from Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

© A.E. Dozat 4/23/18

The Author Explains His Poem, To Touch The Pain, A Poem Of The Healer

My Poem, To Touch the Pain, A Poem of the Healer, is found on page 11 of my book Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.

I wrote this poem for those who seek freedom from the burdens of their inner pain and to point them to The Lord who is the master physician of hurting hearts.

TITLE

I gave it the title, To Touch the Pain, with some reservation because A person may not want to be reminded of their pain. The subtitle takes us from pain to the Healer.

STRUCTURE

This poem is 21 lines long and most are three and four syllables, except for lines 12 through 16, where a new rhythm makes the main point of the poem stand out

The poem does not have much in the way of illustration but opens with a metaphor for pain.

"You have known pain
For so long
It has now fused
To your soul
Like hardened iron."

I did not want to belittle the pain anyone feels, but to acknowledge it.

The 21st line makes a concluding point and that line is given effect by being six syllables long.

    TO TOUCH THE PAIN,

    A Poem of the Healer

    You have known pain

    For so long

    It has now fused 

    To your soul 

    Like hardened iron.

    Its weight breaks you,

Illustration for the poem, To Touch The Pain,
A Poem of The Healer
© 2018 By A.E. Dozat

    And you need

    To be made whole.

    This pain is deep,

    Unending and dire.

    You are willing

    To try any cure,

    Make any sacrifice,

    And pay any price; 

    Why not

    Consider God?

    If you reach for Him

    You will find 

    He is willing,

    And you will learn

    That to touch Him

    Will begin

    Your healing.

MEANING
This poem is simple. It describes the struggle with pain, then asks that since you are willing to do anything for relief "Why not consider God?"  It encourages you to reach out to God because you will find that He is willing to begin your healing.

ILLUSTRATION

The illustration is a pen drawing of a road that leads across on a rocky desert landscape. In the middle ground is a cross.

This poem, like many in the book, will inspire people to be open to God's healing and working in their lives. I hope that when a person is ready to deal with their pain that they consider the comfort and healing from a source that was rejected before, and look to God.

The footnote is a Bible verse, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-29, NIV

You can read this poem on page 11 of the book. 

To read a review CLICK HERE.

© A.E. Dozat 4/8/18

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The Author Explains The Meaning of His Poem, Its Power Never Ends

The Poem, It's Power Never Ends, A Poem about the Source, is on page 10 of my Book of Poems, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.

This is a poem of rational hope, a hope that is founded on an intelligent belief in God's active mercy in our lives.  It is my vision that this poem will inspire others to a deeper hope in God during their difficult times..

TITLE
I wanted the title to grab the reader's attention immediately. It makes you wonder what the "It" is, and what the "Power" is.

The subtitle, A Poem about the Source, is to deepen the reader's curiosity. You assume that this fundamental something that is powerful eternally.

Illustration for the poem
Its Power Never Ends, A Poem of The Source
From the Book
Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy
© 2018 By A.E. Dozat

STRUCTURE
This poem is 29 lines long and forms eight sentences. The overall tone is direct like a 98-word sermon. I did not use metaphor and imagery. The lines are short, some have only one or two words. Most lines are four five or six syllables with very few rhythms. There are two halves; the first half makes a statement and the second half expands the statement.

WHAT IT SAYS
This poem makes its point early in line five that the poem is about hope.
The next three phrases began to expound on hope...
"Hope is as strong or
As weak as
Who your hope is in."
It points out that we should not blindly hope in hope, but we must hope in God who is not only able to meet all of our needs for deliverance He is divinely worthy of our faith.
Lines 12 through 14 points out that we must clearly define who or what our hope is in. The poem ends like a Psalm where God is declared worthy of our hope.

ILLUSTRATION
Most of the book's illustrations have a road going through the dark lands. In this illustration, the road winds around a hill with an empty tomb representing lines 20-21.

SCRIPTURE
The footnote is the verse from 1 Corinthians, "Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love". 1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT

This poem is a valuable statement that we can have hope. Reading it will strengthen those who need reassurance that God is worthy of their hope.

You can read this poem on page 10 of the book. 

© Adron 4/8/18

The Author Explains the Meaning of the Poem, His Place.

His Place, A Poem of Renewal, is found on page 9 of my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.

I wrote this poem to inspire people that in the trauma of difficulties we can find peace in God but we must seek Him.

To get it through Amazon CLICK HERE.

TITLE
This is one of the more simple and obvious titles. The phrase, His Place, directs us to look to The Lord. Of course, Place is not a physical location but a spiritual one.

The subtitle, A Poem of Renewal, is very important because that when we spend time with The Lord we are renewed and able to live in the world victoriously.

Illustration for the Poem His Place
from the Book, Beyond These Dark Lands,
are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.
© 2018 By A.E. Dozat

STRUCTURE
The poem is 21 lines long and forms eight sentences; almost every line is five syllables long. The tone of admonition goes throughout the poem. It begins with an imperative in line one, you must find that place..., in line eight, you must be faithful...,  in line nine, go there...,  and in line 14 neglect not...

The fourth line describes the place, it is a silent place... and God waits...

The poem turns from describing this spiritual place to the blessing we find there, the blessing of Him... that is from being in God's presence.

The last five lines are hopeful with and emphatic. In line 19 the words you will... is not a command but a result of being in the presence of the Lord. The poem ends with a positive declaration; you will carry His light...

WHAT IT MEANS
We must be devoted to finding God, even in difficult times. If by faith we meet with Him we will carry His peace through our day.

ILLUSTRATION
The picture I drew for this is a path leading up the side of a hill where a bench sits on an outcrop of rock that overlooks the landscape below. It is an attempt to illustrate a quiet place where we might meet with the Lord.

SCRIPTURE
The footnote for the page is the scripture reference of Exodus 34:35, “The people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining.” It is about the time when Moses met with God on the mountain and his face was full of the brightness of having been in communion with God.

You can read this poem on page 9 of the book. If you would like to read a sample poem choose the link below for the website.

Beyond These Dark Lands 
Are Edges of Joy,
Words of Comfort and Hope
Poems by A.E. Dozat © 2018

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

To purchase through Amazon CLICK HERE. 

Use the Buy Now button for Paypal

$9.62 Plus $4.17 Basic Shipping

For large orders or digital downloads follow this link to TheBookPatch, my print on demand partner.

To find out more and read a sample poem visit my website, A.E. Dozat.com.

To read a review CLICK HERE.

© Adron 3/19/18

The Author Explains the Meaning of His Poem, Extreme Knowledge

The poem, Extreme Knowledge, a Poem about His Choice,

This poem is found on page 8 of my book Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope. Published 2018.

I wrote this poem to remind hurting people that they are not alone with pain. The Lord personally knows your pain; because the Lord carried your sin to Calvary then He carried your pain too.

To order your copy directly from the printed at the best wholesale pricing  CLICK HERE.

TITLE

Illustration for the poem, Extreme Knowledge
From the Book,
Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy
© 2018 By A.E. Dozat

This title was easy for me. The word, "Extreme" has several connotations; one is the utmost physical exertion, which points to the suffering of Christ described in the poem's conclusion.

The words, "His choice," points to God.  He chose to create us and give us life. He chose to redeem us after we fell from grace. He chose to become mankind's redemption by His sacrifice on the cross for us.

The reference to knowledge goes both ways, God knows us and wants us to know Him through the bridge of Christ's sufferings which Christ endured on our behalf.

STRUCTURE

This poem is 26 lines long.  Like most of my poems, the lines are short. It is like a free-verse poem, but with random repeating rhythms to give it some structure. Most of the repeats are couplets.

WHAT IT SAYS
The poem begins by acknowledging our pain, and then asks, "Does anyone know... my pain?" The answer is a description of the pain Christ endured for mankind's sin. It concludes with an affirmation of his knowledge of our pain.

EXTREME KNOWLEDGE,

A Poem About His Choice

We know that

Pain is worse

When carried alone.

And we ask,

"Does anyone know

My hurt,

My loss, 

Suffering, 

And my pain?"

Yes, there is one who knows.

The Pain Bearer knows

Your hurt,

Your loss,

Anguish,

And more-

He knows

Its price.

Your pain

Is real to Him;

As real as the 

Lashings across His back,

The piercing of his hands,

And the laceration

Of the twisted thorn crown.

He knows your pain

Firsthand.

MEANING
There is a doctrine that Christ identified with mankind when he took our sins upon himself and paid their penalty. I push this a little with the suggestion that in suffering for our sin he knows our pain too.

FOOTNOTE
The Scripture reference is from Isaiah 53:6, which says, "the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

ILLUSTRATION
The illustration for this poem is of a cross beside a path on a mountainside.

To order your own copy of this book of comfort and hope directly from my printer at the best wholesale pricing CLICK HERE.

© Adron 4/4/18

The Author Explains The Meaning Of His Poem, Fruit of Repentance

My Poem, Fruit of Repentance, A Poem of the Spirit, is found on page 7 of my book Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope. It is a poem that will bring you closer to God and give you the strength to move forward through a difficult time.

TITLE
Repentance is understood as meaning to turn around or to reverse the direction of your actions. To think of repentance as being something that produces fruit is a new concept for many people. The reference to fruit has a double meaning which those who are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit found in the Bible will understand. See the Scripture reference in the footnote on page 16.

STRUCTURE
This poem is 28 lines long but many lines are one word, and most are three or four syllables long though a few are five or six syllables long. This poem is without metaphor or imagery, but it is a dialogue written as a prayer. The form of this poem is like a prayer since it opens with the address to God. "Father, of love..."

The next two lines form a couplet of three syllables each followed by a line of four syllables. This structure is repeated three times as the prayer-poem rushes into a confession. The sins confessed are lovelessness, joylessness, and peacelessness.

Line 11 introduces the fourth sin, it is a summary of the first three and infers many more.
"Forgive me
For the sin
Of stifling
Your spirit 
From presenting
Its fruit in me."
The point is made at the end of most of my poems, but the point comes early in this one then follows it with a sub-point.

The last seven lines do not have rhythm but the lines are a familiar length. The lack of rhythm draws the reader's attention to each statement. The prayer-poem changes to petition and askes God to lead you to repentance. The concluding lines are an affirmation of faith.
"I now receive
By faith
The gifts of 
Love, joy, and peace."

WHAT IT SAYS
In my poems, I avoid anything like advice since I am not a counselor or therapist, but on matters of faith I can speak confidently so this poem contains aspects of teaching for those of faith.

Illustration for the Poem, Fruit of Repentance,
From the Book
Beyond These Dark Lands are Edges of Joy
By A.E. Dozat©2018

People accept that a lack of love is a matter that requires repentance but to say the same of joy and peace is new for some. All three are equally a fruit of the spirit, all are commands, and all are gifts from God; if they are not present in your life than something is wrong. The first step in the Christian culture from which I write from is to confess and repent

WHAT IT MEANS
If you do not possess love, joy, and peace then you that must confess and repent of it. We have a responsibility to have love, joy, and peace even though they are the fruit of the spirit. The spirit will bring the fruit if we let it and so we have to begin with confessing it as a sin and repenting of that sin and receiving the power of God's Holy Spirit to bring the fruit in our lives.

ILLUSTRATION
The illustration for this picture is symbolic it is a dove. This illustration breaks away from the others because it is one of the few without a road leading through the land.

You can read this poem on page 7 of the book.

© Adron 3/29/18

The Author Explains His Poem, Identity, A Poem of The Freedom Place

The Poem, Identity, a Poem of The Freedom Place, is found on page 6 of my book of poems, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy, Words of Comfort And Hope.  This is a poem that gives hope in God during your darkest days.


TITLE
I always struggle to come up with titles for my poems and often wait until after the piece is written. I want one that is not obvious but is a clue to the poem so readers will be forced to think about it.

With this one, I went through several titles as the poem took form. I ended up with a title that refers to a doctrine of the Christian faith about our accreditation before God as being hidden in the sacrifice of Christ. The scripture at the bottom of the page, Romans 8:1, is a reference to this teaching.

STRUCTURE
The 27 lines make this one of the longer poems in the book. There are three sentences which are broken up by line breaks, most of which are 5 and 6 syllables long with a few exceptions placed for emphasis.

Illustration for the poem,
Identity, a Poem of the Freedom Place
From the Book,
Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy
© Adron 2018

It starts with a repeating phrase of three syllables followed by a five syllable line,
"You try, and
 You try, and
 You try to do good..."
(Yes, I know it is redundant and a cheap emphasis). The drama is further set up by two lines of five syllables,
"But your failure
Seems to be stronger..."
The poem takes the first turn with two 5 syllable lines,
"Until your bones ache
With guilt and remorse."
The next turn introduces the hope,
"But the promise of God
Is..."
This is part of a set of six lines of five and six syllable lengths, which cause the reader to move through with ease. This section leads the audience to the hope which is the object of the poem.
Line 24 ends the second sentence with the two words, "In Christ."

The poem switches to a soft voice as it concludes. The conclusion is made of three lines of different lengths, so the reader pauses to consider each meaning. The bluntness of the conclusion is a contrast to the metaphors earlier. The soft voice calms the bluntness of the last statement.

WHAT IT SAYS
This poem says that in spite of our best efforts we experience failure of character or purpose, leading to guilt and shame. But there is hope because those who have come to God through faith in Christ will find that they are free from guilt and condemnation.

WHAT IT MEANS
This poem points to eternal, powerful, and abiding hope. It is not a hope in our efforts or some vague force of the universe. Our hope is in God because He does not condemn our failures if we are in Christ.

This makes sense of the second part of the title because our freedom from judgment is through our identifying with Christ.

This poem points out that if a person is feeling guilty and discouraged by failure in their lives they can have hope because of Christ in their lives.

ILLUSTRATION
The picture I drew for this is a road through a barren land divided by a crevasse. It illustrates the first half of the poem about our defeat.

You can read this poem on page 6 of the book. If you would like to read a sample poem choose the link below for the website.

© Adron 3/24/18

An Author's Discussion Of His Poem, He Who Works

This poem, He Who Works, A Poem about Your Plan, is on page 5 of my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, Words of Comfort and Hope.

I wrote this as a poem of reassurance of the loving purposes of God on your behalf.

TITLE
The title, He Who Works, A Poem About Your Plan, is in contrast to the poem. A reader may think it is about their own plans by the words, "about your plan." However, when you read it you find it is not about the plans you have made, but they involve another one.

MY CREATIVE PROCESS
I often start with an image or word picture of something and weave my message into it. This one began with the desire to say something particular. First, I wrote it out as a simple statement, then tried for days to come up with imagery to explain my thought but nothing fit. I tried different rhythms but felt the message was diluted by too much structure.  I returned to the original thought and kept rewriting each section until it said what I wanted.

STRUCTURE

A drawing of a wheelbarrow with flowers ©
Illustration of the poem, He who works
from Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges Of Joy ©

This poem is so simple it is barely a poem at all. It is in a free-verse style and has only 20 lines forming five sentences. Some of the line breaks are one or two words long. It starts out conversationally with two "they say," and "you ask" statements; this brings us to a question that sets up the poem's concluding narrative.

WHAT IT SAYS
It starts with, "They will tell you God is good..." This is what people of faith say to encourage others in their times of difficulty. But lines follow that ask, "You say, 'where is the good...'" The poem acknowledges the pain "Yes, it hurts..." Then offers an explanation, "but God is working." The last five lines are an affirmation of God's love and goodness.

WHAT IT MEANS
We have a different perspective of God's goodness when we experience trials than when we are at ease. When we question God's purpose we may not get an explanation that satisfies us, but there are reasons to trust God and to hope during these times.

ILLUSTRATION
The poems in this book are illustrated.  A theme in many drawings is of a road leading through a landscape, some of the scenes are pleasant and others are barren. I choose a pleasant scene for this one, with a cart full of flowers beside the road.

You can read this poem on page 5 of the book. 

© Adron 3/21/18

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

What is it like to finally get the book you wrote in your hand for the first time?

After working over a year on writing, organizing, revising and illustrating my book I opened up the mailbox, and there it was at last; a priority envelope with a copy of my work, BEYOND THESE DARK LANDS ARE EDGES OF JOY, WORDS OF COMFORT AND HOPE, my Collection of poems. 

On the inside, I am dancing for joy. 

I went upstairs to my desk and opened the packaging. The book looked beautiful and just the way I hoped it would be. I sat down and looked at the illustrations I made for it and was very happy with the drawings. I was able to open the book and sit in a chair and read it for the first time as an audience and not as a wordsmith full of doubts and second guesses. It was a time of sweetness and pure indulgence, it was the only worthy way to reward my work. 

The printing company, The Book Patch, did a nice job, I was afraid it would be an inferior job or second-rate, but not at all. They took my work and produced a book that would stand with pride on the bookshelf at any store. I am eager to show it to all my friends. 

I am immediately aware of the many people who helped me along the way; without their help, I would

Holding My Book
 At Last!

not have been able to accomplish this task. I am very grateful for their help and encouragement. 

But this is not the end of the road because as hard as it was to write the book I am beginning to understand that promoting and marketing it is much harder. 

Obviously, I have the blog and the Facebook page, and a website under development. But I am beginning to see that getting my book of poems to market may be the harder part of the enterprise.

I've been thinking of this project as a piece of creativity and an expression of my devotion to God and service to others. Now I have to think of this book as a product or a piece of inventory and myself not as an author but as its marketing agent. In fact, if someone were to ask me I would not say I am a poet or writer, I would say that I am a publisher in a niche market.

So the moment of elation is over. Now I am going to go and write a business plan.

(c) Adron 2/28/18

What Is My Purpose For This Collection Of Poetry?

I have written poetry since elementary school. I love the art form, and the way poetry can say something in a meaningful way. For some people poetry is cathartic, a method of therapy, self-discovery, a way to vent, for others it is a powerful tool for communication.  For me, it is some of that but something more.

GOD SAID, DONT WRITE THAT ONE (FOR NOW)
When I started this project I was already working on another one but felt that God was calling me to turn from it and build this collection, instead.

GOD SAID, WRITE THIS FOR NOW
I was sitting in church and listening to the pastor preach and I don't remember what he was preaching about but somehow I began to think about all the hurting people in this world. I believe that my writing is a way to help others. Maybe my poems will help them take a step forward or maybe my poems will inspire them to keep on going and not give up. Maybe my poems might give hope to someone who feels they are at the end of their rope.

THE VISION (I mean that metaphorically- I am a poet)
This book of poems might reach someone who would never go inside a church or see a counselor. A concerned friend might share it with someone who is going through a loss or hurt. A pastor might leave it after praying with someone over a tragedy and they can read it when they are ready. It might be in the lobby of a house of worship and a person with a secret pain might pick it up when no one is looking and later in quietness find comfort and hope.

GOD GIVES US DREAMS
I always wrote poetry and always dreamed of publishing a book. I believe God puts dreams in our hearts to help guide us. Of course, the primary way He reveals His will is through His Word the Bible. From the Scriptures, I know His will is for us to share the Gospel and be His witness. So balancing the scriptures and my dream to publish my poetry I wrote this book of poems for those who are hurting and struggling with the deepest hurts and losses in life. In this book are words to comfort and hope to people. It is not another book of cheap overused platitudes, nice sayings or vague nonsense but offers hope that is thoughtful and substantial. I wanted the meanings to be easily found but leave you with much to think about while pointing to the God of all Comfort and His Christ.

THE GOOD NEWS
This book concludes with an appendix which is a three-page explanation of the Gospel of God's love and His Son's sacrifice to pay for our sins. I hope that the poems and scriptures will be used by God's Spirit to prepare a person's heart so that when they read through to the end and they will learn how they can have hope in Christ.

(c) Adron 2/25/18