Hope… in the midst of Corona Virus

Hope always finds a way.

Lose it and you may lose your way.

Life’s of little meaning without hope.

For our very survival depends on hope.

Hope keeps us going.

Even when the storm keeps raging.

Hope keeps us rising.

Hope for an end in sight.

Hope for a better life.

Hope in a better tomorrow.

Keep hope alive.

You’ll stay alive.

You’ll keep afloat.

In all of life’s boat.

A world without hope is a battle already lost.

So, share a bit of hope with all that’s feeling lost.

And together we shall win.

A dying world, life to receive again!

©Mark Gadogbe, 2020

Don’t burn your bridges

I was your bridge when you needed one

Your life saving help

To cross that mighty ocean

That threatened to swallow you alive

No matter how small my bridge

It helped you cross over

I bet the feeling was great

Like that of being alive

A new year to behold

Like I was to you, many have been to me

Life does get so hard sometimes

That every once in a while

We all need bridges to ride over our fears

It’s human to require another’s help in times of need

But if the bridges we burn after crossing

If our promises we fail to honour

If our part of the bargain we fail to uphold

We demonstrate a limited insight into life’s uncertainties

But life has a way of bringing us back

To the same bridges we travelled in times past

For good or for bad, our fate then we will learn.

© Mark Gadogbe (McApple)

Marriage & Personal Development Author

A TREASURE CALLED CHILD

Every child is a star and deserves the right to twinkle

To shine so bright with the beauty of a thousand stars

A child’s lovely eyes sparkles with everlasting joy

The voice of a child is soothing

More soothing than the serenades of a loved one

The smile of a child summons deep emotions within

Emotions that refreshes like an early morning dew

God’s gift of a child

Blesses our lives in too many ways than we can count

A mother’s most priceless jewel is her child

Who can tell of the joy she feels

As she daily cuddles her priceless jewel

Lifting her jewel sky high and peering into those little lovely eyes

Gives her an aura of accomplishment

And a sweet satisfaction no earthly treasure can offer

Her gift of a child is heavenly

And her heavenly gift is her well of joy

Though life may be difficult

As she beholds her jewel and holds it close to her heart

Her slate of life’s miseries disappears at least for a second

And she receives a moment’s comfort and reassurance

And a hope for the future

 

(A poem dedicated to our little Princess Arya, aka “Sweet Face” 😂. We promise to love you in every way possible to man. May you find fulfilment in your name and may life never defeat you 🙏)

©Mark Gadogbe (McApple), 2018

THE CHOSEN

From many I chose you

‘Cos you were the most favourable amongst them

Your lovely character seduced me

And played tricks on my emotions

A part of me gets excited at thy graceful sight

An excitement that heightens

With every lovely thought of you

You are so amazing a figure

A blessing amongst all the Lord’s carvings

So beautiful a living monument

So sweet a manifestation

Of God’s gift of love to me

My heart craves strongly for thy love

And breaks whenever thy love

So rich and true

Is far from reach

Inside my emotions are stacked up

Like full old wineskins ready to burst

I have been looking for so long

And I bless the day I found you

‘Cos you brought light to my spirit

Oh how the light of my soul shone the brightest

The day you accepted as true, promising and trustworthy

Those carefully chosen and well rehearsed sugar-coated words

In your eyes I find the radiance of true love

Your lips are so blessed with soothing words

That puts my agitated spirit to a sweet sound rest

That reassures my soul of a hope

And a future not too far away

A life together and forever

© Mark Gadogbe (McApple)

(PS: A poem to mark the celebration of our marriage proposal anniversary today)

Good hearts

God created some of us with a heart for others.

Yet it’s been trampled on many times.

And a million times we wanted to give up on people.

Yet He keeps whispering…

“Son, do not give up; I’ll be the strength you need”

Again and again He will say

“Just hang in a little, soon you will know why I needed you not to”

It can be difficult at times not to give up

When people take advantage of your good heart

But if the Master requires we don’t

His will we must obey

Maybe there’s a lesson in there for us

How He never gives up on us

For the many times His love for granted we took

 

© Mark Gadogbe (McApple), 2017

Marriage & Personal Development Author

 

image source: Dreamstime.com

 

 

THE BEAUTY IN A WIFE

Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it

But the beauty of a good wife speaks and shows for itself

A timeless beauty that is reflected in her soul

One that grows exponentially with each passing day

One that is evident in the passion she glamorously exhibits

And the unadulterated love she offers

Her heart is a fountain of unceasing love and forgiveness

Nothing measures up to the depth of warmth

And the fondness felt in the embrace of a good wife

In her embrace her spouse feels a sense of peace and security

In her embrace her spouse feels never alone

And never forgotten

In a world that can be so cruel

For your many beautiful acts of love

I say thank you, my love, my wife, my beautiful

On this International Women’s Day

For thou oh Julia art a woman worth celebrating everyday

 

© Mark Gadogbe (McApple), 2017

Marriage & Personal Development Author

​IN TIMES OF NEED…

I was in need.
But instead of helping me

I helped you. 

I did because I realized 

Your need was greater than mine.

But did that erase my own needs?

No, it delayed my own needs being met. 

It’s called sacrifice, fellow feeling.

Being Christian, maybe.  

But after your needs got met

You forgot to “help me help me”.

Somehow you forgot that sometimes 

Unmet needs produce more needs.

So eventually my needs did increase. 

Maybe I did mention my needs at a point.

Maybe I never did.

But somehow I thought you will just know

One good turn deserves another.

Maybe I thought you knew

How unwise it is not to return a help.

I thought you knew

Not keeping to a promise creates unsavoury reputation 

And breaks the beautiful chain 

Of being a blessing to others.

Maybe I got it all wrong.

Maybe I should have just rather helped me. 

But by not helping me help me, 

You have now created in me

A fear of helping others. 

But no, others we must continue to help

Because it’s our Christian duty to.

And our defaulters we must forgive.
©Mark Gadogbe (McApple), 2016

Marriage & Personal Development Author 

UNFAITHFUL

You came squirming in blood

But I did not let you die

I provided wisdom to cut your umbilical cords

To wash and wrap you in cloth

Your glaring nakedness to shield

Loving, caring hands of a mother

I provided them all

Strong and tall I made you grow like a healthy plant

A young woman you became

Breasts well formed into two tall twin towers

Hips well shaped like the finest arts of Michelangelo

Skin shining as one rubbed in the finest olive oil

In clothes of embroidered silk and linen I dressed you

Jewels and ornaments of gold and silver put I on you

Shoes of the finest leather and the choicest of meals

Your beauty became dazzling and captivating like that of a queen

Beauty met admiration and fame and then begat pride

Then in your adult glory and reign

You forgot the one who made you so lovely

You never for once remembered your childhood

How I treated you when you were young

But like they of easy virtue you took to revealing

The breathtaking beauty of the breasts I brilliantly molded

The very “behinds” I built in bravura

The thighs I tediously tended

The stomachs I skillfully shaped

And the coats I provided for your nakedness

You fashionably converted into little aprons

That every eye may see and toy with

The hidden and sacred treasures I placed

At specific “body geographical locations”

With specified bearings and vectors

Longitudes and latitudes

Coordinates and cardinal points

And passwords, serial numbers and codes exclusive to you

But as many as admired, to them you gave the right of free access

To break into thy security system and steal thy jewels

Even in the non-admirers you created unforeseen pressures

Enticing their unstable souls

How bad enough that you have become unfaithful to me

And the life purpose for which I created every part of you

 

© Mark Gadogbe

Marriage & Personal Development Author

 

 

A matchless love…

What manner of love can this be?

A love as strong as death,

A love as mighty as the Lion of the tribe of Judah,

A love that endureth the trials of a cross,

A love that endureth the torment of a shameful death,

A love that bears all iniquities,

A love that despises every shame,

A love that is glorified over all,

Surely it is my Beloved’s love,

Yes, my Beloved,

The incomparable lover of my soul,

Yes, my Beloved,

Who fans aflame His love in my heart,

And excites the ardour of my spirit,

Never such love like my Beloved’s,

That excites emotions within,

And turns my weaknesses into strengths,

Never such love like my Beloved’s,

In whose light I discover my ungratefulness,

And in whose touch I am made anew.

 

© Mark Gadogbe (McApple)

Image source:
www.logomoose.com

A new woman

I was a distant admirer

My eyes liking what they saw

The beautiful personality of a simple lady

So simple in all respects

Circumspect in choice of friends

Godly in character and dressing

Her chasteness so alluringly satisfying to me

I wished I could get closer

To experience her Godly ambience

But these now are mere ruminations of the past

For a new woman now I see

A totally changed personality

Running down an ungodly road

The road of conscious self exposure

A new love found in garments so scanty and revealing

My eyes lost all admirations

Having suffered a thousand “negative externalities”

From her now ungodly self exhibitions

Casting off her “breastplate of righteousness”

And parading her nakedness

To the displeasure of God and Godly men

But the pleasure of worldly men

To some, a shame to womanhood

To others, a good display of woman empowerment

I wondered what went wrong

 

© Mark Gadogbe (McApple)

 

Image source:
dailybiblememe.com