Poems by K. Stan Tinos

O God, who formed the boundless skies,
Why does Thy mercy ebb and rise?
The stars obey Thy firm command,
Yet I am lost a grain of sand.

Kings' hands, with crimson deeply stained,
Through time, Thy grace and pardon gained.
Their swords were raised, their banners flew,
Yet Thou didst hear their cries anew.

The cannons roared, then fell to rest,
And war's dark fields no more oppressed.
Time's flood has washed their sins away,
And cleansed the scars of battle's fray.

The Pharaohs ruled with iron might,
While tyrants burned, then fell to night.
Their deeds, though fierce, by time were veiled,
As ash and dust their legions paled.

But I, who wear no crown nor shame,
Who struck no blow nor dealt in pain,
Am left to hold this unnamed sin,
A wound that festers deep within.

Thy grace absolves the vain who mourn,
Yet I, in shadow, dwell forlorn.
Bound unto sins I cannot flee-
Is mercy's gift too vast for me?

The wind alone shall heed my cries,
While cold and silence stretch the skies.
Yet if the world from ash may rise,
Then hope, though faint, within me lies.

Is it wiser to guard our fragile peace,
Or step into despair's depths,
Bearing a flicker of hope?
Is it divine to shield from pain,
Or more divine to bear it-
To tread shadows, shoulder someone's grief,
And make it our own?

To heal, to comfort; and by comforting,
Ease the ache of a weary heart.
A grace devoutly wished,
Yet not without a cost:
In solace, what sorrows do we inherit?
'Tis the burden of compassion-
The weight that makes courage noble.

For who would brave the silent cries,
The echo of despair unanswered,
The chill of isolation's walls,
When we could stand as a beacon,
A steady light in the storm?
To comfort is to risk,
To risk is to love,
And in love, we find a light so pure
It guides them toward reprieve.

Thus, conscience binds us as one-
A yearning to heal the fractures,
To crown the world with hope.
Salvation lies not in solitude,
But in hands that mend the fray.

Yet softly now,
The choice remains: to reach or retreat.
True strength is boundless compassion,
Daring to weave courage with despair
And forge a path toward healing-

But my strength falters.
I've borne every shadowed life,
Given peace while losing my own.
Now, in my need, no hands extend,
No light breaks through my night.
Alone, I stand, emptied, unseen-
A flickering flame consumed.

And yet-
In the quiet of shadows,
I wonder is this the cost of love?
To give until nothing remains,
Yet leave behind a warmth in others.

So let the darkness take me,
If it must.
For if my spark has kindled hope,
Perhaps, in time,
A brighter flame will rise.