This Poem was Submitted By: Cathy Hill Cook On Date: 2004-03-18 00:30:35 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!

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Courage is Fear That Has Said Its Prayers

Once upon that hour of dreams I held so dear... My clutch so tight that they began to melt with fear. Brilliant colored pictures majestically falter effortlessly. As portions of my dreams let go to wonder now freely. I knew I had the desire and the gift of my dreams. My self-confidence and motivation once lacking in each of these things. When I did finally let go of my tight unforced grip... I knew portions of me and my dreams would take freedoms trip. I had dreamed through out my life by wishing all I could be. They were just the illusions that my mind had created just for me. I realized fearsome worry is like that of a rocking chair. Its intentions is to keep rocking and gets you virtually no where. Fear of failure is like fear of the unknown... Inside my mind where my dreams held tightly and fear is grown. As I tried to grow differently in a positive way on my own this time, I saw an opened world to the portions of dreams I had left behind. I ask God to help me to let go of this fear my dreams did wear. He whispered to me that "Courage Is Fear That Has Said Its Prayers".

Copyright © March 2004 Cathy Hill Cook


This Poem was Critiqued By: DeniMari Z. On Date: 2004-03-23 22:14:12
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.50000
This poem is absolutely fantastic, thought compelling and one of the best I've read so far this month. The ending is just perfect " Courage is Fear That Has Said It's Prayers", how true and how uniquely stated. This stanza is where you really shine - you let go of some inhibitions?, or restraints that would keep you from pursuing your dreams, because you knew what you wanted all your life, just perhaps not how to go about getting it. Fear, perhaps of not being able to attain them, and then relating it to a rocking chair, which of course moves but goes nowhere, very very good analagy. When I did finally let go of my tight unforced grip... I knew portions of me and my dreams would take freedoms trip. I had dreamed through out my life by wishing all I could be. They were just the illusions that my mind had created just for me. I realized fearsome worry is like that of a rocking chair. Its intentions is to keep rocking and gets you virtually no where. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this - and the message you are conveying is clearly comprehendable through the whole poem. My best to you, DeniMari


This Poem was Critiqued By: Sandra J Kelley On Date: 2004-03-18 19:40:01
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.31579
Cathy, I like that statement courage is fear that has said its prayers-once you let god take control you don't stop being afraid but you have the courage to do it anyway. I do have one suggestion. brilliant colored pictures is a vague phrase it might be more meaningful if you described what you are seeing name some of the colors etc. I like the rocking chair analogy it is concrete we know what you are talking about immediately. Overall you did a nice job with this one. Sandra
This Poem was Critiqued By: marilyn terwilleger On Date: 2004-03-18 11:45:59
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.33333
Hi Cathy, Welcome to TPL..hope you like us. When I first joined TPL I had a lot to learn about writing poetry even though I had done is most of my life. This is a wonderful place to sharpen your skills and the poets here are willing to help you do that. I think you are doing the same thing I did and that is to use unecessary puncuation as there are some places in this piece that can stand on their own without periods etc. This poem has a lot of merit and shows talent that cannot be ignored. I am not a technical critiquer...instead I tell the poet how their poems make me feel...in other words I critique from my gut. However, I do notice that you have ended each line with the exception of one with a period and I think this piece can stand on it's own in that respect so I would delete them. In the first line I would delete "that"...in 2nd stanza 4th line you can also delete some words so it reads like this...'they were just illisions my mind created for me'...suggestions you can use or lose! You have good rhyming in this poem and for the most part flows smoothly. Also I love the statement you are making...keep writing I know you will do well. Blessings..Marilyn
This Poem was Critiqued By: Irene E Fraley On Date: 2004-03-18 07:56:01
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.50000
Hi Cathy, Your name is new to me, so let me say "Welcome!" I love the messege of this poem. It is so very hard to let go of our old, entrenched fears, and to my mind does need intervention by the Creator Of All sometimes. As I was reading this poem I was struck by the rhyming. I think you did quite well. If I had any suggestion to give you it would be to try and simplify the language of the poem and the line length. These things pour out of our hearts and then we all have a tendency to try and decorate them in the name of poetry, when they were perfectly alright as origionally conceived. (At least I do this, perhaps I'm just projecting!) If you will please forgive me for taking the liberty, I'll try to show you what I'm picturing. It's your poem, so please feel free to tell me to take a flying leap... Once in that hour of dreams I held so dear, my grip so tight they melted with fear, ... Does that make sense to you? It's just one poet's viewpoint (and I'm no great shakes at this stuff) so take it with a grain of salt. That said, I absolutely love the image and similie you presented in, "I realized fearsome worry is like that of a rocking chair. Its intentions is to keep rocking and gets you virtually no where." (I would say "intention" here.) I will continue to follow this poem and you as you continue to post here. It's obvious that you can write well. Rene Fraley
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