CARPE VELO - 10th Anniversary Celebration!

CARPE VELO celebrates its 10th Anniversary today! It began with the series called "POEM of the WEEK!", but shortly after the first year it became apparent maintaining the high frequency of weekly posts caused the creativity to suffer -- hence, the change to "POEM of the MONTH!" Much has been learned by the art of the written word throughout this journey. I hope you've enjoyed the progression and the variety of styles.

Just a little over a year ago prose was introduced with a form of short-story called flash fiction -- see "Clarity" posted May, 2017. (Be on the alert for a new short story of greater length to be posted tomorrow, entitled "The Doctor Is In".

The focused theme of CYCLING POEMS has been a favorite list with the title poem "Carpe Velo" as well as the AWARD WINNING & PUBLISHED POEMS list; and more recently added, please see the BRUTAL HONESTY list, which includes poems inspired by the brutal honesty of the Psalms. (Lists are found on the left and right columns of the page.) And please be certain to click the "MAP of LIFE: The Bible" link where you'll find life restoring pages of Hope.

With tens of thousands of page views by people from all over the world, it is with great humility to thank you for visiting! I hope you've enjoyed the ride thus far.

To celebrate, I believe it's appropriate to include the link of the first poem posted 10 years ago -- the Ina Coolbrith Circle award winning poem, "Deed (a pantoum)".

Here's to another 10 years!

Thank you!
Dave Douglas

Is the Bride Dead? - POEM of the MONTH!

Is the Bride Dead?

Is the bride dead?
The flame in her veil
Is quenched with fear,
And an apathetic exhale.

She sits on the fence
With weak conviction,
Uneducated faith
And misinterpretation.

Novice or false prophets
Gifts misused or omitted
Warned by the belt of truth
Caring not to be acquitted

She stands overlord
With abusive power;
Prosperity founded
A top a glass tower.

Stained without surrender
She sleeps in the pew;
Another face in the crowd
Benefiting from the few.

Forgetting grace

Returning to works

With a warm embrace

As the enemy lurks.

Her tongue rips hearts
With an unbridled tort,
And idle conversation
Without exhort.

Deceived not to offend,

Blind toward idolatry,

Or everyone to condemn

To the point of bigotry.

Adapting with love,
She lacks altogether;
Bearing another's burden,
She will not weather.

Her sin brings chaos,
She divides like yeast;
Fooled by indifference,
Akin to the beast.

Tears of the bridegroom,
For she is adulterated;
Once abiding in unity,
Recently departed?

There is sincerity and truth
In unleavened bread!
Is she dead to the world,
Or is the marriage dead?


(Click here to read the Epilogue.)

Is the Bride Dead? (Epilogue) - POEM of the MONTH!

Is the Bride Dead? - Epilogue

Many trip over her tombstone,
Past and presently erected;
Only returning to the bridegroom
Can she be resurrected!

(Click here to read the first part.)

"... I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
- Revelation 2:4-5 

(See also James 1:26-27.)