Poems by A.T. Alabi

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.

I am a work of art
In the Almighty's hands.
The intent of His heart,
He totally understands.

He shapes and He molds,
For to Him, I belong.
The perfect plan He holds,
And He is never wrong.

We can all live and just be
Who we are meant to be in life.
Allowing love to set us free,
Rather than giving into strife.

There's always space up above
For every willing bird to fly.
The heavens never have enough
Shining stars to fill the sky.

Without tearing others down,
We sure can build ourselves up.
Without dragging them to the ground,
We all can climb to the top.

Why make this life a contest,
To always compare and compete?
When we are truly at our best,
Lifting up those that we meet.

Let's strive for the best we can be,
Helping each other along the line.
The sky is vast for you and me,
And together, we all can shine.

Strive at work while you can.
God knows it's why you are a man,
But don't wait till the funds abound
Before you get to slow it down.

Give your calling all you've got.
Rewards to gain, they are a lot;
But don't lose loved ones you have around.
Create the time to slow it down.

Toil for things that you crave,
But how much gets taken to the grave?
As needs are met, the wants compound.
Take the time to slow it down.

Best things in life are from above.
The busy struggles are never enough,
And in this truth, peace can be found.
Find the time to slow it down.

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.

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

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.