We were exiled from the Garden of Eden.
Its sinless wonders nevermore to regain.
So every man on life's toilsome journey,
Must enter the valley of pain.
We don't enter because of desire
And it's certainly not a voluntary fare.
But, rather, it's a matter of destiny
Compelling and forcing us there.
Eden's garden; its beauty so magnificent,
Can't be reclaimed; it is a lost paradise.
Trees of knowledge and life gone forever,
We are now paying consequences price.
The valley of pain is bleak and lonely,
And all heartache must be suffered alone.
The petty and trite ceases to matter.
When facing hurt as never before known.
In pain's valley, no restaurants exist.
Shopping malls can't be found anywhere.
There's no joy to be had from entertainment.
There are no parks, for it is no picnic there.
There are no banks in the valley of pain,
No theaters, no lounges, no beach.
In this valley, we have no lofty aspirations,
Surviving the only goal we hope to reach.
Pain's valley in not a poor man's haven;
We'll find no comfort, or ease or rest.
Nor will we encounter family or friends
For this valley is one's own personal test.
Bitter anguish is experienced in this valley,
A site of conflict on a titanic scale.
A place of failing and spiritual torture,
Of deficiency and interminable travail.
When we enter the valley of pain,
We no longer worry about unpaid bills.
We don't fret about outstanding car notes,
We don't care about acquiring new skills.
When we enter the valley of pain,
We don't dabble in vain vanity.
For this valley inevitably drives us,
To the very brink of human sanity.
When we enter the valley of pain
Family prayer just will not do.
Praying in the church is insufficient,
And social prayer is inadequate too.
We must find our own secret hideaway
Close the door to the world and all its strife.
We must surrender ourselves to our God
And let Him work a miracle in our life.
Saundra L. Washington is the author of two coffee table books: "Negative Disturbances, Homilies that Teach," and the book from which this poem is taken, "Room Beneath the Snow, Poems that Preach." She can be contacted at: http://www.clergyservices4u.org
same day cleaning service Des Plaines ..You can do and you can be whatever you want.... Read More
I Shall Wait..On all the new mornings, and every singking... Read More
Lima, City with the Stretched out WingsIt's an ink-black... Read More
Kafka lands resurrected in Crewe deposited by a silvery alien... Read More
What do you do when you want to write poetry?... Read More
A Poem - By Lorraine KemberIt was a day like... Read More
McLean, VA - "The Healing Conscious" tells the story of... Read More
1) Do?a Leonor's Revenge [1627 AD]Rafael Ortiz's fate Was... Read More
Memoirs of a Wasteland's RimIt still was light when she... Read More
Advance: Mr. Dennis Siluk's poetry can have its fire-hearted twists:... Read More
"How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was... Read More
Growing hurts sometimes; saying goodbye to friends, ... Read More
English Version1) Grendel's DivorceYou must know that I do not... Read More
What Hides behind the Minute?What hides behind the minute? It... Read More
I will never think twice nor will I roll the... Read More
You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your... Read More
Cesar Vallejo: Black RosesBow down your head ol' poet- To... Read More
Old skin, once held tight Against her skeleton- Rose no... Read More
Rhymes of an Ordnance Man [Vietnam War: 1971]An eleven part... Read More
Here are three more poems by the author, Dennis Siluk,... Read More
Supernatural PoetryHere are five poems,-what I call-death and supernatural poems.... Read More
Time goes by to quickly to hold your feelings inside... Read More
The Torrents of HellHell's furnace- Likened to a chimney Vomits... Read More
She probably can't remember and I know I can never... Read More
Shakespeare's sonnets require time and effort to appreciate. Understanding the... Read More
home cleaning services Mundelein ..You are to me my lifeline my security. That scares... Read More
Ocean Heal MeOcean heal my wounds Let your waves curl... Read More
If a happiness poem could bring forth a smile, Then... Read More
In Poetry: Meaning of WordsWhen I write poetry, I check... Read More
You can do and you can be whatever you want.... Read More
Kamalakanta was born in Burdwan India in the late 18th... Read More
Part oneI see them in the skies I hear them... Read More
What's a prisoner to do when justice fails and... Read More
"All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling."--Oscar WildePeople write poetry... Read More
The Exit Poems [And Socrates]Iron and FireIron can be... Read More
She raised me like I was her own daughter from... Read More
Our home was warm in the shade of the trees... Read More
In early fall, in Minnesota, the rain falls, falls, In... Read More
On through the darkness she searches the bones Seeking the... Read More
Phantom of the Rocks[Huancayo, Peru]Night falls deepUpon the traveler!Low, over... Read More
What can I do to keep this world in its... Read More
Amy King's first full-length collection, Antidotes for an Alibi, insists... Read More
Charlotte Bronte (1816 ?1855) Novelist and Poet.Charlotte was the daughter... Read More
You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More
BoyhoodOh me! Thy glorious days have flown! I mealy noticed,... Read More
Black Blood, in Jeremiah's Vines [A Dream Poem]And I heard... Read More
It's dark, it's cold, its' just six thirty,thoughts of sleep... Read More
Kafka lands resurrected in Crewe deposited by a silvery alien... Read More
You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your... Read More
The following two poems, one in English, the other in... Read More
Poetry |