I Choose Life

He who desires life and loves many days,
Let him deaden the flesh and walk the Spirit-ways...
I choose to be a servant of God
Not a slave of sin in the devil's squad.
 
I choose to be a pencil in His hands
Not a pawn of immorality in Satan's plans.
I choose Christ my life to control
Not let the Devil sift my soul.
 
I'd rather have the company of His cherubs
Than rub elbows with the spirits of Beelzebub.
I'll seek God's face in times of trial
Not the oracle of accursed Belial.
 
In Him I'll place an unending trust
Not hope in mammon nor in walking dusts.
The vine is Jesus in whom I'll abide;
His name is the tower where I shall hide. 

Written by Kingsley U. Ayistar

Here Am I, Lord, Thine Own To Bruise

Here am I, Lord, thine own to bruise
And bind up, only for thy use.
Chastise now my rebelling soul;
Whilst Thou woundest me, make me whole.

My feeble hands quicken and train;
Fix up these knees that eas'ly sprain.
Sheer me off the unrighteous path
Where endeth wrath for the fool's bath.

I grasp that he whom Thou lovest
When erreth him, Thou reprovest.
For good Thou wilt my style correct,
So I be found in Thee perfect.

Oh, how they fall that doth despise
Thy right statutes, Thy warning eyes;
They that Thy counsels loathe to hear
The wand'ring cat seekest to tear.

Here am I, Lord, born for Thy will;
Melt and morph me aright until
My parts adopt Thy chosen frame:
Faultless vessel, carved in Thy flame.

By Kingsley U. Ayistar ©2013

CARVED IMAGES

No, I won't bow to your carved images!
Can they heal the sick or give life?
They will turn soot when the Most High rages!
No! I won't bow to your carved images!

Unto different gods, you savages
Hammer on drums and blast on fifes;
You chant foul songs- your elders and sages,
And sacrifice babes with your knives!

No! I won't bow! To your carved images:
Can they heal the sick or give life?
Set me aflame in cruelest of cages,
I WILL NOT BOW TO YOUR CARVED IMAGES!

written by Kingsley U. Ayistar

Disappointed

Long I laboured, this wind to
tame,
Sowed all my hopes in earthly brains,
Their faith wavered like candle
flame;
Away, hanging on the Night, plain!
 
Promises I smoked like cigars.
Like pooch, I enjoyed sniffing words
Wagged my tail for pompous liars
That now have my ire incurred.
 
Foolish me! The fault bears my seal;
I see now that the Writ is right!
If I prayed, would God not me heal,
And keep my life from long-term plight?
 
"Cursed is the one that trusts in man"
Clemency, gracious King, I plead!
Scoop me out of this flaming pan,
Lest I be cooked as Satan's feed!
 
For "Vain is man's deliverance." -
This You've proven in my distress...
Give to me, Lord, another chance,
Without you, I remain a mess!

******************************************************************************
Jeremiah 17: 5 Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength. whose heart departs from the Lord"

Strive For Success

When Will resigns and Desire's unstirred,
How can it fly- the apathetic bird?
Would, in the wild, the Lion be tagged 'King'
If fear's its best against crises that spring?

'Tis for wonders man's subtle brain was made,
Why let mere shyness be sheath for its blade?
See how the Sun raptly donates its rays,
Show your skills and brighten your coming days!

For closed mouths never savor victory,
Neither do folded arms keep the trophy;
So you should leave your shell and climb the rock,
Kill the booming volume of Failure's mock.

Prepare your wings to explore the rich sky;
Graze the top whereon overcomers cry;
Your gift is a tool for building your dream
Into reality; let's see its steam!

Against Fear In Doing God's Work

When God's stirred us to do a job,
We should not let dismay
Nor allow words of vain men rob
Our zeal along the way.


Our quailing hearts must not forget
How great Jehovah is;
He'll keep us from the Devil's net
And snares greater than this.


Nehemiah's an example -
Doubted he not God's call,
But ventured out with his people
To build Jerus'lem's wall.



When Sanballat against him plann'd,
Confusion to create;
He charged his crew in faith to stand,
"Remember the Lord, great..."


Yea, great and awesome things God did
To help this dauntless man.
Sanballat's men could not succeed-
Theirs was a fruitless plan.


At last the task was done so well,
The rebuilders were awed;
Their foes, nations, could also tell
That this was done by God.


Christians! Children of the Most High,
Pluck courage from this tale:
Bear in your minds that God can't lie,
He will not let you fail!


By Ayistar (c) 11/06/2013

Stuck In Mud (On a people's plight)

The wind of disorder is blowing,
Slowing us down!
The dark clouds have eclipsed the sun,
Rendering the future bleak!
There is no light, no hope,
Even the birds are shocked to silence!

I looked and saw the disgruntled people
Wailing and cursing.
They were stuck in mud!
Helpless and distressed in the slough of hopeless deprivation,
Their fleshes grew weary as faces murmur in smiling agony!
Stuck in the mud, their voice trekked to oblivion
While the sincere liars ‘glow with pride’!

The cabals in high places see them,
Sinking deeper and deeper into the mire,
But their hands are too busy to help,
Counting gold and pouring wine!
“Who will deliver us?” I mutter,
But the question ascends like a balloon,
Steadily, into the sullen sky…

(c) by Kingsley Ayi Ukpanyang (@ayistar) and Showumi Olawale Michael (@shomyk)
Edited by: Kukogho Iruesiri Samson (@xikay) -

See more at: http://www.naijastories.com/2012/11/stuck-in-mud-on-a-peoples-plight/#sthash.Fn30td7H.dpuf

The Lazy Jazz

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet,
But a lazy man's slumber is his greatest feat.

It irks a lazy man when early
birds chirp;
For he loves not to discontinue his sleep:

Instead of getting up to fetch the hoe,
He'd bury his face in the pillow!

The lazy one muses about fortune and cars,
Yet thinks it enervating to fill up his jars;

While he tours the realm in style and speed,
His land is overgrown with serious weeds!

When his belly murmurs thunder and his face is drawn,
He will seek the yeoman and beg for corn!

Poverty is justice for the lazy man
And failure for him with no plan

In all labor there is profit,
But idleness boosts deficit.

A shiftless person is the devil's animal,
You'll find him picking pockets at the bus terminal!

"I DUG MY GRUDGES"

I dug my grudges from my trove
And stowed it in a chest.
Off I heaved to the west,
Fluttering my wings of love;

I did cast it into the sea,
Its pressure made it drown:
The load is gone which weighed me down;
Thus, my heart is free.

TURNING PAINS TO GAINS THROUGH WORSHIP: TEMPTATION In the wilderness,Christ was temptedT...

TURNING PAINS TO GAINS THROUGH WORSHIP:  TEMPTATION In the wilderness,Christ was tempted
T...:  TEMPTATION In the wilderness,Christ was tempted Those forty days, He prayed and fasted; Getting ready to start ministry, He was a...

What Man Is Special

What man is special?
Misfortune visits all!

E'eryone must face trial,
What man is special?

Bear burdens with a smile
Stand or fall!
What man is special,
Misfortune visits all!

(c) Ayistar
18/12/2012

*A Triolet is a short poem of fixed
form, having a rhyme scheme of
AB, aA, abAB.

THE WRITER'S DIARY: ART OF POETRY

THE WRITER'S DIARY: ART OF POETRY: Bitter or sweet, it all begins from the heart My thoughts, my feelings, creates an image within Like a secret longing to be revealed throu...

THE WRITER'S DIARY: THE MAGNIFICENT GOD

THE WRITER'S DIARY: THE MAGNIFICENT GOD: I knelt down in the presence of your Lordship Honour and praises I atoned in your worship Though the land is dining in hardship In the fa...

This Work Of God

This work of God amazes me

More than the yellow sun or the blue sea--

To behold a babe when it is born,

And before you know it, it can even run.

'T is a wonder of divine dexterity

For a child to crawl, toddle and possess an innocent mind of curiosity;

This work of God really amazes me

More than the yellow sun or the blue sea!

The Masterpiece: Who is this Wonder

The Masterpiece: Who is this Wonder: Have you ever stopped to wonder, have you ever stood to ponder Have you ever sat to think, who made the water that you drink,...

God Made Me A Wonder

God has made me a wonder,
A star for all to see- 

His glory, His existence
In little me.

God has made me a wonder,
A light of the world; 

For kings, and queens,
And all, to behold.

God has made me a wonder,
A salt of the earth,
To be of value to humanity
And Him while on earth.

God has made a me wonder
My sins a' discarded:
I am purged, I am pure-
No longer retarded.

God has made me a wonder,
Let my light so shine.
Let me please Him in heaven
As did the True Vine.

God has made me a wonder,
His sheep, His son:
Let the serpents beware;
And the lions be-gone!

At The Tunnel's End

Although they say
My future is bleak
I believe, one day
I shall have what I seek.

They may laugh or leer
At my attempts to succeed
But I don't care
I'll keep sowing my seed.

For at the tunnel's end
There's light waiting for me;
Like a bird, I shall ascend
Out of this hole, I will be free.

Gold must pass through fire
So must champions too
I will not retire
Until my dreams come true.

It is in me, I feel it
Gold innately within to refine
It is me, I know it
A star that must shine

Although they say
My future is bleak
I believe, one day
I shall have what I seek.

The Music of Friendship

I'm happy when I see my friends
They are wonders that never end,
In this world, to thrive,
They are remedies for a boring life.

When our tro'bles are much and all,
Friends, they make it small:
A problem shared is a problem solved,
Only if one is truly loved.

O when they call my name
I feel blessed with a little fame,
A wonderful feeling of being known
Flits through the hollows of my bones.

Our hearts sing a song so sweet,
This makes us smile anytime we meet;
Life's no longer difficult
While we laugh and forget our faults.

True, a faithful friend is not a curse
And a bad one makes life worse;
I'd rather sail with my friends on a dangerous ship,
Than trek alone on life's difficult trip.

Round and round the world goes

Round and round the world goes,

Like a merry-go-round;

Life is a circle.

Round and round the wind blows,

O'er the earth's old ground;

Life is a cycle.

Round and round our deeds go,

Faster than our voices sound;

We reap what we sow.

The Silent Watcher

The Lord cannot be seen but can

be found,

Though he sits above the sky and the

stars abound,

His presence is still felt on

the planet earth.

And while the sky is dark and

the sun has set;

He silently watches, He doesn't sleep-

separating the goats from the sheep.