Sky. Flail. Sky. Flail. Feet front forward. Knees knocking with each step. Feet frail as they falter. Knees nosedive, too weak to hold. Feet foist away from the field. Knees hit hard, nailed to the ground. Rise, Fall, Stand. Stagger, Stumble, Crash down. Tumble, roll. Crawl and press. Ground and bound, Weary and broken from the struggle.

The Struggle

ByIsrael Shaw

Verse 1

A Poem on Isolation and Hope: The Struggle Within Verse 1: Sky. Flail. Sky. Flail. Feet front forward. Knees knocking with each step. Feet frail as they falter. Knees nosedive, too weak to hold. Feet foist away from the field. Knees hit hard, nailed to the ground. Rise, Fall, Stand. Stagger, Stumble, Crash down. Tumble, roll. Crawl and press. Ground and bound, Weary and broken from the struggle.

Verse 1

Sky.
Flail.
Sky.
Flail.

Feet front forward.
Knees knocking with each step.
Feet frail as they falter.
Knees nosedive, too weak to hold.
Feet foist away from the field.
Knees hit hard, nailed to the ground.

Rise,
Fall,
Stand.
Stagger,
Stumble,
Crash down.
Tumble, roll.
Crawl and press.
Ground and bound,
Weary and broken from the struggle.

Verse 2

A Poem on Isolation and Hope: The Struggle Within Verse 2: Try. Fail. Try. Fail. Breath comes short, brusk. Lungs labor, grasping for air. Breath buttoned. Lungs letting loose in gapping gasps. Breath bumbles and stumbles. Lungs lose. Slow, Gulp, Deep, Inhale. Steady, Control, Spasmodic, Convulsive. Lungs constrict, Air pilfered, too stifled to breathe.

Verse 2

Try.
Fail.
Try.
Fail. 
 
Breath comes short, brusk.
Lungs labor, grasping for air.
Breath buttoned.
Lungs letting loose in gapping gasps.
Breath bumbles and stumbles.
Lungs lose.
 
Slow,
Gulp,
Deep,
Inhale.
Steady,
Control,
Spasmodic,
Convulsive.
Lungs constrict,
Air pilfered, too stifled to breathe.

Verse 3

A Poem on Isolation and Hope: The Struggle Within Verse 3: Why. Bail. Why. Bail. Hands heave. Palms propped, trying to hold on. Hands hesitate, Palms slip, plummet fast. Hands haggle for hope. Palms plop, fingers flail. Whisp. Call. Cry. Implore. Relief? Denied. Remedy? Negative. Solitude. Cold, indifferent, relentless – Life.

Verse 3

Why.
Bail.
Why.
Bail.
Hands heave.
Palms propped, trying to hold on.
Hands hesitate,
Palms slip, plummet fast.
Hands haggle for hope.
Palms plop, fingers flail.
Whisp.
Call.
Cry.
Implore.
Relief?
Denied.
Remedy?
Negative.
Solitude.
Cold, indifferent, relentless – Life.

Verse 4

A Poem on Isolation and Hope: The Struggle Within Verse 4: Seek, Hunt, Search, Comb. Kick down, yet furtively searching Beat up, yet asking for more. Isolation attacks its prey. Time whispers “Give up. Play dead.” Alone in the dark, thoughts disrupt. The abyss in my mind swallows deep, Hard to care. Gloom Echoes. Light fights void. Hope seeps, Eyes ache, Heart’s dry, Hope? Nope. Hope! It lingers. Quiet. Persistent. Why?

Verse 4

Seek,
Hunt,
Search,
Comb.

Kick down, yet furtively searching 
Beat up, yet asking for more. 
Isolation attacks its prey.
Time whispers “Give up. Play dead.”
Alone in the dark, thoughts disrupt.

The abyss in my mind swallows deep, 
Hard to care.
Gloom Echoes.
Light fights void.
Hope seeps,
Eyes ache,
Heart’s dry,
Hope?
Nope.
Hope!

It lingers. 
Quiet.
Persistent.
Why?

Now may the G_d of hope 
complete you with every kind of joy and peace
in the believing,
so that you abound
in hope
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Profile Pic of Israel Shaw

Jesus helps me understand the world. I am Iz. My goal is to share my daily fight in the hopes of being an example. An example of what exactly? Of someone who is trying live victoriously in Jesus. I fail often. Just as often, the Holy Spirit provides comfort as Jesus advocates for me before God the Father’s throne. It is my constant reality. It is a liberating reality.

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Bible Translation:

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Posts prior to 2024 use the ESV Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

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