Renaissance: poem by Patrick Connors

Renaissance

Integrity turns to courageous hope
Vision of what is and ought to be
Only if and when we are ready to
Believe there is no fear in perfection

Audacious belief in what seems unlikely
Fierce like the fire which consumes me
Blazing the trail as I follow it
Though I would rather not, I’ll go it alone

Sorrow will surely lead to temptation
Reason to artfully dwell and wallow
We cannot beholden to the bottom
For from there is nowhere to go but up

Allowing the bounty of limitless grace
Growing in love we grow with each other
Bonding together, made ever stronger
Instruments of the divine by way of the sublime

The race we run, not a sprint,
But for the distance, we breathlessly seek
And find in each other by want and need
Delight and share as we follow the path

Does my heart seem to be open again -
After ages alone drifting in dreams
Of a time when anything could matter -
Breaking the barriers holding it down?

Universe which defines and shapes me
I long to fill you with how I feel
Boundless energy towards your creation
As you make me a part of your all

Long have I waited to be completed
Grown and felt and prospered and made ready
Every different day I approach the same
Until the one which makes everything new


Patrick Connors
newz4u.net




note from poet and bio:

My poem, "Renaissance" was named after The Renaissance Cafe, where I did my first featured reading in October, 2008.  It is very important to me, because it portrays my relationship with Jesus Christ, and also the folly of trying to get through the struggles of life without totally relying on Him.  This poem is also important to me because I tried to get it published a number of times without any success.  However, it is now a Juror's Choice in an innovative project by Scarborough Arts called Big Art Book 2012, where two other of my poems are also posted:  http://issuu.com/scarborougharts/docs/bigartbook_scarborougharts_2012

Bio:  Patrick Connors recently featured at Sunday Poetry at Ellington's, and  was the inaugural guest speaker at the Toronto Poetry Club.  He is shortlisted in a poetry contest out of County Cork, Ireland, and is Co-Chair of the 4th annual International Festival of Poetry Of Resistance.  This past Thursday, he hosted the highly successful event, "Occupy the Poetry", at the Queen Gallery.