Poems by Abimbola T. Alabi

It's sometimes hard to see
How close a virtue and vice can be,
Yet the borderline of the two
Should we respect in all we do.

Being frank without a little tact
Can turn to rudeness after the fact.
Being brave may be a step away
From foolhardiness any given day.

When suspicion becomes routine
Paranoia is sure to settle in.
And when making humility a show
Pride readily begins to grow.

Where gentleness lacks a bit of nerve
Weakness is what others observe.
And where self-confidence is found
Arrogance often lurks around.

It's a borderline hard to tread
And plunges tend to lie ahead,
But it's by heeding moderation's call
That we can safely avoid a fall.

The sky speaks without words,
Messages that warm my heart.
It never ceases to amaze me,
Like a timeless work of art.

How it stretches far and wide,
With neither beginning nor end.
A fingerprint of the Creator,
Far more than I can comprehend.

It assures me of His blessings,
In its marvelous way of adorning
Each day with the sunrise -
That they're new every morning.

Happy times are understood
By the radiant hues in the sky.
Rain drops from darker shades convey
That sometimes it's okay to cry.

Now and then in broad daylight,
The beauty a rainbow will afford,
Affirms how great it is I'm loved,
By He who always keeps His word...

The One who sets the stars in space
And calls them each by name;
The One who set me here by design
And upholds me just the same.

What more is needed to show
The sovereignty of the Most High?
I find enough each time I spare
A lingering gaze at the sky.

There are times to hurry.
Some things in life call for speed.
But more than ever, I'm learning
That pace is really what I need.

Sometimes I'll ask myself,
What the haste is all about?
When strength is easier maintained
Than regained after burnout.

There certainly will always be
That job that needs to get done.
New challenges will always rise,
So will the battles to be won.

It's healthier to make a plan,
To give to God each new day.
To appreciate the gift of life,
And spend some time to pray.

To rise and stride into the day,
With a goal clearly defined.
And give my best to whatever role
It is that I've been assigned.

To make the space to savour
The joy of a task complete
Before hopping on the next challenge,
To take the time to breathe.

To fit in little things that matter
Than how fast I'd move each day.
Like the lifted mind or grateful heart
I would leave along the way.

To break lofty intents into bits,
And take them one at a time.
To simply take each day as it comes,
And steadily enjoy the climb.

Hold my hand, dear Lord,
As I daily follow you.
This journey before me,
You alone can see me through.

The distractions emerging
Around, almost every day...
They're subtle and compelling,
I'm sometimes prone to stray.

There's much I don't know,
And the road ahead seems long.
All my hope is in you;
I confess I'm not strong.

I'll need your gentle tug,
When my focus seems to shift.
Grant me your healing word
When I need a happy lift.

Hold my hand, lead me, Lord
In that path straight and true.
Help me to fix my eyes
Always and only on you.

Amen

The good deeds that I do
Are not what can save my soul.
That's not why I do them,
It should never be the goal.

I will never do enough.
For my failings, I can't atone.
All my righteousness is found
In Christ, the Lord alone.

He's made me brand new,
And all my sins, He did remove.
I do not need to act noble,
I've got nothing to prove.

Let me do them to produce
The one thing that really matters -
Not admiration for myself,
But a yearning for God in others.

So each time I try to do good,
Dear Lord, please take control.
With humility and purity of heart,
Help me remember the goal.

I'd be happy, only if...
Our often deceptive belief -

If I were a superstar,
Or rode a brand new car;

If I had a better house,
Or a more understanding spouse;

If I flew a private jet,
Or could get my dream pet;

If I had a lovelier face,
Or lived in a riveting place;

If I had a better friend,
Or could get more to spend...

Young or old or rich or poor,
Who doesn't want one thing more?

Joy thrives in no place apart,
From the kind and grateful heart.

Ever gotten there?
To that place where
You have nothing to prove
and can just be.
Nothing to hide
and all can see.
Nothing to lose
and so you can breathe.
Right in that place where
you know you're free.

I run to You with my hurts and fears,
Carry me, Lord, in Your unfailing love.
When no one really understands or cares,
I run to You with my hurts and fears.
And my anxiety disappears,
As Your peace descends from above.
I run to you with my hurts and fears,
Carry me, Lord, in your unfailing love.

I can't prevent attitudes
from knocking upon my door,
but I decide which to let in
and which ones to ignore.
Can't halt the passing thoughts
that cross over my lane,
but I decide which to resist
and which to entertain.
Though situations come or intrude,
unbidden into my day,
it's still my house and race to run,
I will always have a say.

I desire, dear Lord,
To cultivate the habit,
Of keeping in touch with You,
Minute by minute.

Not reserving prayer
For the more crucial things,
While leaving it out
Of the seeming routines.

To make a point
Of approaching the Throne,
Over daily concerns
Before fetching the phone.

To care to say grace,
Before having a bite,
Or taking a walk in the park,
Or picking a pen to write.

Help me Lord to see
You are right by my side,
A true friend willing to listen,
A Father ready to guide.