My Mind’s Temple
Spiritual Poetry
By
Kimberly LaRocca
Copyright
2011 Kimberly LaRocca
http://klarocca2010.wordpress.com/
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Cover
Art by Tatiana Villa
In my mind’s eye a Temple, like a cloud
Slowly surmounting
some invidious hill,
Rose out of darkness: the bright Work stood
still:
And might of its own beauty have been proud,
But it
was fashioned and to God was vowed
By Virtues that diffused, in
every part,
Spirit divine through forms of human art:
Faith
had her arch—her arch, when winds blow loud,
Into the
consciousness of safety thrilled;
And Love her towers of dread
foundation laid
Under the grave of things; Hope had her spire
Star-high, and pointing still to something higher
Trembling I
gazed, but heard a voice—it said,
“Hell-gates are powerless
Phantoms when ‘we’ build.”
—William Wordsworth1827.
Table of Contents
My
Spirit
It’s
Time for the Lord
What
Evil Does
At
Peace
Wide
Open
The
Meaning
Staying
Afloat
Hope
Where
God Lives
What
I Pray For
New
Beginnings
Fear
No Longer
Weathering
the Storm
Letting
Go
I’ve
Been Changed
Lost
and Found
Forgiving
Me
A
Better Place
Afterlife
Faces
of the Devil
Remembering
My Name
Being
Happy
My
Own Downfall
Giving
it to the Lord
For
Him
About
the Author
Praise
for Kimberly LaRocca
My spirit cannot be
broken
no matter how hard you try.
I hold it tight
deep down
inside
until the day I die.
My spirit cannot be
broken;
without it I’m incomplete.
It makes me whole,
deepens
my soul.
It helps me to be free.
My spirit cannot be
broken
although the world does try.
But I survive low and
lonely times
keeping my eyes on the prize.
My spirit cannot be
broken—
a feat I deem impossible.
And in the end it will
remain
Even after I’m gone.
I know that it’s
time for the lord.
When all else seems to fail;
when things
start looking mighty bad
I have to turn to prayer.
And sometimes I
tend to forget
that everything is in his hands.
Surely if he
will let me fall
he will allow me to stand.
This is why I am at
peace
with everything in my life.
Even when things are going
wrong
I know that they are just right.
Even when I’m
doing good
and everything’s on track,
evil tries to keep me
down,
to knock me on my back.
Because of faith I know that
I
will always pull right through.
No matter what others may
say
or what evil tries to do.
Oh how I wish
that
you could feel
the peace I have inside;
peace with
everything
that I’ve done—
the wrong and the right.
Peace with why
I
was put here,
peace with what I do,
peace with how I treat
others,
with how they treat me, too.
Peace because I am
happy
with who I am inside,
peace with where I am in
life,
knowing all will be just fine.
Peace because I
believe
in the lord above,
peace because he loves me so,
even
if no one else does
Walking with my
head held high
is the only way to be—
being proud of who I
am
and what God made in me.
Taking prideful
steps forth
looking forward to what’s to come;
knowing that
the past is done
the future, wide open.
Although things may
be bad today
remember not to fret.
There are many things you
haven’t seen
haven’t experienced yet.
Sometimes the bad
is what you need
to get you to the good.
And the lessons that
you’re learning now
will one day be understood.
I have learned to
not to sweat
all of the awful stuff.
I know that things may get
bad,
maybe even tough.
Having faith gets
me through
any and everything.
Believing I’m where I’m
meant to be
even when I don’t know the meaning.
The motion in the
ocean
can be
tolerated
braved
conquered,
but what
happens on the boat
decides if it stays afloat.
Hope is on the
way.
I just received the call.
I packed my bags,
no longer
sad,
I think I’ll tag along.
I’ve finally got
my bearings.
I’m positioned for my ride.
I’ll hold on
tight, conquer the fight.
I’m ready for my life.
So many things I
had to learn
like
hope lives eternally.
So I open
up,
ready,
willing
for it to set me free.
One of the greatest
lies ever told
is that God does not exist—
a phenomenon
we
cannot hold,
lying outside our grips,
to hope and pray
every
day
for something that may
not come our way.
But I
believe,
though I can’t see,
because
God lives in me.
I pray for
happiness inside
and not just for myself.
I pray for friends
and family
and also everyone else.
I pray for peace
and to feel whole,
to know that I am complete;
that I will be
ok alone
and not let life defeat me.
I pray to always
know my worth,
to have happiness inside,
to always remain
positive
and enjoy every moment of my life.
You ask me if I
fear the end.
That question makes me smile.
Thing is, I have
never been afraid
of what comes after this life.
God knows who I am
inside and out,
that my heart is good.
He knows the peace I
feel inside;
that I’ve lived just as I should.
So my reply would
be that I
do not fear the end.
It will allow me another
chance
to begin again.
After the fall
you
lifted me
so that I could sing.
After the
fall:
such an awful thing.
After the fall
you
brought me through
and I am still here.
After it all
I
still can smile,
the worst no longer feared.
The sun doesn’t
shine
all the time
as sad as it may sound.
Sometimes the
dark
swallows the light
where nothing can be found.
We feel our
way
through the night,
attempting to hold on.
Getting a grip
so
we can rise
and weather the storm.
I open my arms
wide.
I take a step,
ready to fly.
Letting go
of all of
my fears.
Trusting that
I will be
suspended in air.
Ready
to
float away
to a better place.
Thought that I was
gone away
but he brought me back to say
I’ve been changed.
He delivered me
from hell,
restored my faith so I can tell you
I’ve been
changed.
My belief in him is
so strong
it’s allowed me to carry on.
I’ve been changed.
Because of him I
now believe
that with him I can do anything.
I’ve been
changed.
So I praise his
name,
give thanks to him,
welcoming the fact that
I’ve
been changed.
I heard a voice
today.
It said
Don’t get lost in the meaning.
Don’t
upset yourself
wondering why,
how come, maybe if,
probably
should have,
could have, would have,
if things hadn’t turned
out this way
I would be different.
Getting lost in the
meaning
prevents us from living the life
we should be
living—
the life we were given.
And now
I am no longer
lost.
I have been found.
God spoke to me
today.
He told me that he had forgiven me.
I had been
down
because of a choice that I had made,
one that I was sure
had displeased him.
The choice had already eaten away at me
the
way sickness eats away at the dying
and those who have lost
hope,
given up.
God told me to let go.
I had asked for his
forgiveness
many times before
and he had forgiven me.
But I
needed to forgive myself.
So today
I forgive me.
I lay
Staring up
at the sky,
tears pooling by the wayside,
thinking
how
lovely it would be
to be a bird.
Up high,
flying
free,
having no worries ever again.
Looking down
at what
we’ve done,
at our own devastation,
longing
to be above it
all,
soaring
to a better place.
I lie awake
in
the place
where the sidewalk ends,
suspended in time,
neither
here nor there.
Memories are all I
have
of my previous life.
They are married
to
desperation,
which overrides anticipation
of what’s to
come.
Words begin to
flow,
happy now
because they are free to roam,
no longer
locked inside,
waiting to be free.
Refusing to go
back
to an earlier time
before the sidewalk
ended.
Instead
residing where the road begins.
Do you recognize
the face in front of you?
What looks good aint always so.
Do
you recognize the smile in those eyes?
Maybe their intentions are
unknown.
The devil has many faces,
and they’re not always
known.
Yet they are all still the devil,
even if their faces
aren’t shown
What was that you
called me?
I didn’t answer, though.
Whatever word you chose
to use didn’t sound too cool.
It didn’t sound like my
name.
The way your face twisted when you said it, so mean.
I know that I’m
not what you say,
though you say it anyway.
Maybe it’s not
really about me.
You could be mad at your own reflection you see.
In me you see what
you could be—
happy and at peace.
In me you see what God has
made—
a child who’s not afraid.
See
if I was
taken away today
I would still be proud
because I have lived in
such a way
that makes my God smile.
I prayed today
that
I would no longer feel
love for you.
It hurts too much
to
bear.
My aching heart
is
killing
what’s left of me,
the person
I used to be.
Enthralled in
a
never-ending
whirlwind
of sorrow and grief.
My mind wants to
be
devoid of love.
Disintegrate the chains
tying your heart
to mine.
My heart says otherwise.
You say
we are
better together.
Better to eat
your poisoned fruit
than to
gorge myself on solitude.
I disagree.
My father
says
Child
you have learned your lesson.
Move on.
Take
what you were given and
Move on.
Free yourself.
Be happy.
My Own Downfall
I am my own worst
enemy;
more dangerous than the rest,
seeing the flaws others
cannot.
Failure at its best.
Do I change what
they can’t see?
Become a more perfect me?
Let vanity shape
who I am
simply because I can.
I choose to love
what God has made.
Accept my flaws and all.
Cherish the woman I
have become.
I am no longer my own downfall.
I wish I could
open
your eyes,
show you all I’ve seen.
But
I’ve learned
that
I cannot change
or interrupt
your journey.
See,
I’ve been
where
you want to go;
learned so much
along the way.
I
could show you
so many things,
save you so much pain.
It hurts to
watch
you make mistakes—
ones you could avoid
if you’d
only listen
to what I have to say,
though I know you’ll
just
ignore me.
So
I say my
piece,
tell you what’s right,
always doing my motherly
chore.
Then I close my mouth,
take a step back,
and give it
to the lord.
I am
beautiful
bathing in the light
of his glory.
Unashamed
boastful
even,
proud to declare
his love for me
has elevated my
being
to a higher state.
Doubt,
desperation,
and
depression
are no longer
within reach,
light years away
from
my realm of
possibilities.
Thankful I am
that he
continues
to show me
the way to be,
despite my humanity.
I
glow
in a world that purposely
attempts to dim my
light,
extinguish my internal flame
which burns brightly.
For
I reside
where love for self is king,
because
I was made
in
the image of
by
and for
him
About the Author
My Mind’s
Temple is Kimberly LaRocca’s second collection of poetry. Her
first collection, A Black Girls Poetry for the World, poetry on
love and life, can be purchased on CreateSpace, Amazon.com,
BN.com, and a host of other online retailers. Visit
http://www.kimberlylarocca.com
to enjoy more of her work. Thank you.
What others are saying about Kimberly LaRocca’s
work
“When the world comes at you hard, your only
option is to learn quick. A Black Girl’s Poetry for the World is
a collection of poetry from Kimberly LaRocca as she reflects on the
world coming after her and her harsh realization of becoming an
adult. Through motherhood, womanhood and everything it entails, A
Black Girl’s Poetry For the World is moving and unique reading,
highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A Black
Girl’s Poetry for the World by Kimberly LaRocca reflects on
times of love, friendship, bitterness, desire, anger, joy, loss,
forgiveness and determination.
Kimberly LaRocca is a talented
poet. There is so much understanding and enjoyment to be gained for
the reader and I recommend Kimberly’s poetry to girls of all ages
and races. A Black Girl’s Poetry for the World is a collection of
poems to be revisited time and time again.”
—Five Alarm Book Reviews
Poetry can be an
intense and deeply personal art form. It can celebrate nature, the
human condition, love, loss and almost anything in the human
imagination. It can be high and lofty and full of flowery language,
or it can be as simple as a tear drop, a laugh, a quiet smile.
Kimberly LaRocca’s
very touching, insightful book of poetry is all of that and more.
It’s a celebration of love, desire, anger, need and many more
thoughts and feelings that we all may experience in a single day of
living. Yet, it feels a lifetimes worth of soulful expression.
This isn’t the
clever language of Shakespeare, or even the lofty words of Frost.
This is thoughts and feelings in words we might speak to each other,
but with a deeper meaning than we ever do. LaRocca bares her soul,
and by doing so bares ours. She shows us her pain, her joy, her love
and shows us our own.
Maybe that is what
poetry is supposed to be. Poetry is what happens when nothing else
can. Poetry is what happens when life happens and LaRocca understands
that and conveys it to us so very well.
—Robert Carraher “The Dirty Lowdown”
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