the world is not ending

the world is not ending,
it's not even pending,
nothing is that important,
nor are you that brilliant,
that the world must stop,
while you lose your top,
get angry if you must,
scream, rant, cry and cuss,
take notice, someone might,
but to hurt another, you have no right,
worry yourself sick,
and watch the seconds tick,
the rest of your life away,
as the rest of us play,

by Shawn Ann Murray ©2011

my soul is fine

please save your judgement,
my soul is just fine,
it's your friendship
that I now mind,

when topics turn
to sex, religion or politics;
the conversation,
I rush to nix,

you have your beliefs,
and I have mine,
and the twix
rarely combine,

if we are to be friends,
avoid topics thrice;
talk about the weather,
will surely suffice,

better yet, let's forget;
the damage is already done;
talk about me, and around me,
and have your fun,

the one's I call friends
can debate topics of the day
without causing my heart
to turn to ash or clay,

by Shawn Ann Murray ©2011

disappointing

I've heard it said
that friendship
is the only
choice we have.

we can't
choose our family,
and we
can't choose
who we fall
in love with
but we can choose
our friends,

which is why
it's so disappointing
when a friendship
ends
and leaves a hole
in your heart
that never mends,

by Shawn Ann Murray ©2011

save your judgement

Judge not lest yea be judged
but yet you judge me anyway
your book is so important to you
but have you really read it?

What is more important to you,
our friendship or my soul?
must be neither if you attack me so,
judge not lest yea be judged.

judging me just shows
that you have a need to judge,
do you feel better about yourself?
but yet you judge me anyway.

I have my beliefs, and you yours,
though similar, they’ll never be the same,
my truths don’t come from a book while
your book is so important to you.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
is the only statement biblical scholars concur,
that, in the Bible, Jesus, Himself, spoke,
but have you really read it?

by Shawn Ann Murray ©2011

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This poetic form is called a Cascade and is a creation of the poet Udit Bhatia. The rules:

*The first stanza can be any length
*Each subsequent stanza must use a line from the first (in order) as the final line of that stanza -- until all the lines from the first have been used.
*And that's it. No restrictions on meter or rhyme.

(paraphrased from the article Poetic Asides by Robert Lee Brewer in the February 2011 issue of Writer's Digest)

and what were you thinking?

"deals on heels"
the oldest profession?
got to get
my head out of the gutter.
it's only
a sale on shoes.

by Shawn Ann Murray © 2011