Be Still My Soul

Be still my soul
The Lord is in control

Be still my soul
There is more than you know

Be still my soul
The troubles are but smoke

Be still my soul
Christ is your assured hope

Be still my soul
You will be made whole

Be still my soul
See what the Lord has done

Ezeonyeka Godswill
© 2025

not Ready

When I thought about the word
My heart leapt in silent laughter
as if to share in quiet joy my awe
At how I once believed readiness was a chapter
That I needed to attain to do more
Such an appalling misrepresentation of the matter

To be ready is to be a willing one
To serve opportunity’s timing now not after
To date today and not cheat with tomorrow
To learn while you grow from experience gathered
To live prepared for the much you know and the few you control
And ready you will always be, if you follow this pattern.

– Ezeonyeka Godswill
(c) 2021

POWERLESS

Control controls us
The things we rule, rule us
Still, we build these kingdoms
With dungeons meant for us

We keep a lookout, armed with mistakes
Raising shoulders, bending knees, holding steady
We still keep count of the paths we take
Like life won’t shoot till we’re ready

Our lives are like a feather
Dancing in the wind of our maker
Left alone we’d fall and wither
But with him, we hold the power

I hope we one day learn to wield
Power that creates and changes things
I hope we one day learn there’s a will
That makes boundless power ours to inherit.

Godswill
Erudite
©2020

Ripped pages

Ripped pages
Torn soul
Burning heart
Out of control
Nothing seems whole
Lost sight of the goal
Now stuck at a corner
Sin knows how to cajole
Tongue twist your mind
Makes sure he leaves you blind and weary
Leaves you sailing in his storm
He will always change the norm
But I choose not to conform
I choose to see the calmness in God’s voice and faith in his word
That is my choice
For when trials come, I will always rejoice

Isoje Victor
© 2019

Numb

There is a numbness in my head
A searing pain that threatens to strip me of my sanity
And blur my senses of whatever hold on life they have left
So much that my hands cannot thump my chest
Cannot allow me to say it is alright and that I have help within
Groaning out to remind me of who I am and why there’s life in me, but I scream

The numb becomes a pain that only allows me see the trauma
And bitterness and anger I carried for so long
That I could not forgive myself because of
And has now taken control of who I am
The numb has spread to my fingers
I cannot touch my face, to feel the life that lives in me
Cannot feel the warmth on my skin
The blood that flows through my veins

I stagger backwards and I feel a panic rising in my chest
Up to my windpipe threatening to come out through my mouth and when it does
I gasp for air, for a breath
I steady myself by a wall and with wide eyes I take deep breaths
Swallowing as much as I can force down then the tears come
Willingly, patiently, next they become sobs, loud
Choking sobs and in that moment I feel the life seep out of me
Slowly, without a fight and my legs, weak, throb
Throb so bad I can no longer stand so I slide down while hugging myself

It is not going to be alright
It won’t be alright until I see the help right within me
Silently saying ‘it’s okay’ all the while I was fighting with myself
Telling me to stop and allow him fight because my defenses are down
With the numbness and pain
But I could not see it because I took my eyes off him and focused on me
My pain, my panic, my hurt and so it’s not going to be alright
Until I stop fighting alone

IFIOKABASI OKOP
© 2019