Tag: inspiration

Distance Separates Us, But….

Author – Irene Agudu Muiri

I wrote this poem for a friend many years ago. I din’t quite figure out a title for it back then. Looking at it now, I still can’t get a title for it. With or without a title, it is still a sweet friendship poem.

Distance may separate us
But we are under the same sky
Praying to the same Father
Breathing the same air

We share the same dreams
Of meeting again
Over and over
Down this road called life

So true is the saying
Out of sight is not out of mind
For you form my thoughts
By day and by night

What we shared yesterday
We have for memory today
And with each other’s prayers
Strength for tomorrow awaits

What’s Your Story?

Author – Irene Agudu Muiri

Everybody has a story
Some are stories of victory
Some are stories of defeat
Whoever you meet
Pretty or otherwise
In their hidden space lies
The scars from their battle
And the rewarding mantle

So, listen and pick the clues
You will learn a thing or two
For her stitched heart knows
The path through your shadows
And his rough face knows
How to dodge life’s blows
So, tell me your story
It might be my victory

Don’t Let Me Walk This Road Alone

Author – Irene Agudu Muiri

I wrote this poem probably 15 years ago. It has been in my little poetry book for all these years and finally it can now see the light of day. I have not changed anything to it. I have simply typed it out the way I wrote it then.

I have no recollection of what inspired me to write this poem, all I know is that I still love it the same way I loved it then. The poem is more like a prayer, a prayer for guidance. A prayer for assurance picking from Psalms 23. 

Don’t let me walk this road alone
For my human state it’s far too long
With humps and bumps, I often fall
Even when I rise, I can’t stand tall

Keep my feet planted on the solid ground
That as I tread, I may follow the sound
Of the trumpet blast, where victory is found
In heaven high where angles surround

By your strength take me through the land
let me know that we’ll be hand in hand
Bestow joy upon my way
That greater heights I may gain everyday

Walk besides me, with your staff and rod
And keep me going on the same road
Through the storm rages upon me
Let it be that the cross is all I see

So, don’t let me walk this road alone
For my human state it’s far too long

Half Full or Half Empty

Author – Irene Agudu Muiri

We see the same glass but not eye to eye
You say it’s half empty; I say it’s half full
We can’t compromise, it’s a push and pull
Till all we have left is a cloudless sky

You say the zebra is black with white stripes
White with black stripes is what I see
I guess what matters is if we agree to disagree
Rather than fight a battle at a high price

You say my strategy is mission impossible
Yet in my eyes it all makes perfect sense
Then we go in circles, talking in defence
Failing to accept that we are all different

We can love without seeing eye to eye
If we could just pose and simply reflect
For under the sun we are all imperfect
Let’s agree on this one thing before we die

Good Riddance

Author- Irene Agudu Muiri

Well, to start off, this is not an angry poem. I simply wanted to write about people who put other people down but as I kept writing line by line and trying to stick with in the rhyming scheme; I ended up with “Good Riddance” as a poem.

So why do people put other people down? There are plenty of reasons if you want to look for them, but none is justified. Some people are generally threatened by standards because it takes commitment to maintain them – a trait that doesn’t come easy.

To live a principled life is to have standards. To maintain the standards, one needs to have a character(s). Characters don’t change. Let’s take the English alphabet as an example. The letter A cannot be written as anything other than A. It’s just what it is no mater what. So is character. You uphold certain virtues whether it is day or night, whether you are being watch or not. A person without character will promise something and do another.

Unfortunately, you come across people who want to shift your standard bar. They want you to lower your standards to meet theirs. Well, if you’re an assertive type of person, you may ask them, “why don’t you raise your standard to meet mine?” Chances are that you will never see or hear from them again, and that’s okay.

Only One You

I wrote this poem while thinking of a couple of people I know who have lost their lives due to mental illness. For some of them- I didn’t know they had this condition.

It is hard to talk to someone you are worried about, however, don’t underestimate the importance of just “being there”. At times, being there makes a difference in helping someone feel less alone and supported to overcome their problems.

Asking is usually the starting point. Don’t hesitate to talk to someone you are worried about. Be genuine in your approach. If you say, “you know you can talk to me if you ever need to”, then be ready to be there when the other person finally comes around. You may also ask, “You have not been yourself, is everything ok?”

Listening is also key. Resist the temptation to offer advice and solutions, as well as making assumptions. It is with in our human nature to judge, but try to be non-judgmental by taking an empathetic approach. Just listen and offer support- which may simply be a shoulder to lean on.

What is My Worth?

Author – Irene Agudu Muiri

Self-worth is an internal sense of being that comes from self- understanding, self-love and self-acceptance. Abraham Lincoln said, “it’s difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself”.

Self-worth is how you value and regard yourself despite what others think, say or do. It means having a high opinion and estimate of yourself and your abilities. This gives you the power to radically transform your life for better, as well as transform the people around you.

We all know the saying “Where there is a will, there is a way”. Self-worth fuels your self-esteem, self- confidence and ultimately your self-will to reach beyond the stars. To aim beyond the sky into the unseen. To achieve what everyone said was impossible. To do what doctors said you would never do. To succeed in life contrary to your test results. To become what no-one ever believed you would become.

We all have untapped potential waiting for to be explored- if only you dare; if only i dare!

Addiction

Author – Irene Agudu Muiri

I write this poem from an empathetic angle, recognizing that addiction is a real deep struggle. It’s made more difficult by the fact that it’s an internal struggle within one’s self. A struggle that is hard for others on the “outside” to fully comprehend. I believe that we are stronger than we think we are. However, the reality is that when you are struggling with an addiction, you need help from the outside. You need the love of your family, true friends, and divine grace that only God can give.

The third stanza of the poem reminds me of the words of Zack Williams in his song Chain breaker “If you’ve got pain, Jesus is the pain taker; if you feel lost, he’s the way maker; if you need freedom or saving, He’s a prison-shaking savior; if you’ve got chains, He’s the chain breaker!”

I have compiled a list of some steps to take for anyone who wants to overcome an addiction. Whereas I recognize that it is easier said than done – I believe it is worth giving these steps a fighting chance;

  • Acknowledge your addiction: Once you have the desire for things to be different, then that self-will can set you towards the direction of a solution. Ask yourself, how is this addiction affecting my life? Is it something getting completely out of control?
  • Take responsibility: Stop making excuses. What happened in the past cannot be undone, but you can decide your future by taking control of your present.  
  • Generate a new positive behavior: Your addiction was once a habit you developed over time. Your body, brain, spirit and soul need a new empowering habit that replaces the addiction pattern.
  • Seek help: I can’t over emphasis this point. An addiction is like you are behind steel bars in all four corners. You can’t break through on your own from the inside. You need someone on the outside to help break those bars as well.
  •  Take gradual steps: This is the last line of the poem. Keep fighting one day at a time. Some days will be good, and others will be terrible. Despite the ups and downs of your recovery phase, keep going. A saint is just a sinner who fell and got up.