ποίημα

ποίημα: poeima, Greek. anything made or done; hence, a work, invention, deed, or act; a poem.

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I am his poetry
I will not hang my head
For I am his handmade calligraphy
I am his masterpiece
So I will not hang my head
His banner is over me

♢♢♢

Lord, when you created me
You decreed that I should be
A stanza of your poetry.

Your ποίημα, your workmanship
Your song, your deed, your masterpiece
Creation made to glorify
The One who made me
with His song:

Oh Λόγος, all-creating Word
Whose breath has made me who I am
Whose hands hath formed me into man:

Am I a song?
Am I a masterpiece?
I can be no work of Thine
For I am a disaster trapped in darkness
In death
In sin of my own doing.
Oh Father, am I your poetry 
Because if I am,
It seems I can’t take it
It seems I won’t let you be my author — 

I am discordant chords
And splattered paint
And broken rhymes

But you said I am your poetry.

Oh Ποιητής who made me thus,
Help me remember what you’ve said:
You made me for your glory. 
You made me for your good. 

So even though my chords are discordant,
I will glorify you in the dark.
Even when my colors are chaos,
I will offer a song of hope.
Even if my rhythm is shattered,
I will remember that you are my God.

You are writing me, forming me, 
Making me into something I cannot see the end of
And I will praise you
Despite this darkness
Because this poem, like all others you have written,
Will end
With joy. 

You are my reward.

You are my savior.

You are my God.

So even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
Because you are making me
Your poetry.

You are making me
new.

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λόγος: logos, Greek. organizing principle; word, speech, story; reason, law; wisdom.

ποιητής: poietes, Greek. maker, composer; author; poet.

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For we are his workmanship, his ποίημα,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
~ Ephesians 2:10 ~

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inspired by
“Poetry” by Taylor Leonhardt
“It’s Complicated” by Propaganda
“Masterpiece” by Slugs and Bugs
and
a fun conversation at college
when we should have been studying for finals
but instead were writing Bible verses in Greek on the whiteboards