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This Poem was Submitted By: marilyn terwilleger On Date: 2004-09-11 20:07:12 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!

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Listen For The Shout

Inside us all there is a force more vigorous than life. The human spirit, magnificent. Capable of overcoming daunting adversity it can overwhelm hate, indifference, greed, and prejudice. It can subdue affliction and conquer evil. This spirit resides in all humanity even when skies appear dark, seas swell beyond the sand, and cannons spit fire. This spirit is indomitable and knows not a method of surrender. If the maddened river rages and gloom abides throughout, if you feel the anguish of your morrow, summmon the spirit to sooth and rescue the soul. When death creeps about, as quiet as the wink of an angel you must listen for the shout of the human spirit, magnificent.

This Poem was Critiqued By: Mell W. Morris On Date: 2004-09-22 20:07:59
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Marilyn: This was # 50 on my list! It will be brief but I must comment on such a lovely write, of great tenderness at present for me and every person with a problem. Or just a lyric poem of riches. The first four lines are encouraging to hear...the spirit of the human being is so strong, it can overcome any adversity. You list some of the problems one may encounter and then reiterate that our spirits stand when skies are dark and seas swell. And that nice entity...war. **The spirit doesn't know how to surrender.** Oh, Marilyn, what an incredible idea and I feel the strength in those few words alone! The remainder of stanza 2 tells us no river nor anguish about storms of tomorrow can foil the human spirit because it rescues the soul. {Soul and spirit are the same things to me, so you'll have to explain that one}. "When death creeps about...listen for the shout" of the human spirit, magnificent. I really like the repetition of the 1st line in the final. Thanks for posting this right now as it is inspirational for where I am in life and that is not a good place to be. I am getting worse with each day but I haven't given up and I ask you not to give up on me yet. You, more than most poets, have e-mailed, sent hilarious goodies and I must tell you, when I read the one about the restroom, I laughed so long and hard, my stomach hurt. I haven't had such a laugh in years. I truly, deeply appreciate your constant friendship. Thanks so much for posting this when I need it. For me personally this is a *****. Best wishes always, Mell

This Poem was Critiqued By: Joanne M Uppendahl On Date: 2004-09-16 22:02:12
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Marilyn: This is incredible! You must be a musician at heart, as well as a poet. You got my blood stirring, my heart pumping, and my spirits lifted. I am very much a 'sound' person as well as image -- and you got me with the repetition of "the human spirit, magnificent"! It is wonderful. You must have been inspired when you wrote this, because it's energy is definitely contagious. I can't resist duplicating it here --- Inside us all there is a force more vigorous than life. --WONDERFUL! The human spirit, magnificent. Capable of overcoming daunting adversity it can overwhelm hate, indifference, greed, and prejudice. --all is not lost, even if it appears so on CNN It can subdue affliction and conquer evil. This spirit resides in all humanity even when skies appear dark, seas swell beyond the sand,--the sibilance here creates a grand effect and cannons spit fire. --and here! I LOVE this poem!!!! This spirit is indomitable and knows not a method of surrender. If the maddened river (fabulous image and sound) rages and gloom abides throughout, "if you feel the anguish of your morrow", summmon --this phrase brought me up out of deep gloom (I'll email you) the spirit to sooth and rescue the soul. When death creeps about, as quiet as the wink of an angel you must listen for the shout --"about/shout" and the image of death creeping around "as quiet as the wink of an angel" gives me chills and a thrilled feeling of exaltation of the human spirit, magnificent. STANDING OVATION!! I am tossing roses -- hope you like yellow ones. This is absolutely my favorite poem that you have ever written. May I say "Amen" and blessings to you? All my best, Joanne PS Awesome!

This Poem was Critiqued By: Gerard A Geiger On Date: 2004-09-15 14:14:28
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Dear Marilyn; I don't know what to say about this piece. You have outdone yourself and captured an often overlooked or maligned force for good present throughout our existence... You call it human spirit...I think it is also synonomous with Will, without the negative connotations usually associated with its use through sinning. I like this piece...I like the way you presented it in a new and fresh light. Not all use of free will is bad, it is just reported that way through the anti-man clergy. Wherever their is free spirit there is cause for hope. Thank you for sharing, Gerard

This Poem was Critiqued By: Wanda S. Thibodeaux On Date: 2004-09-12 21:32:30
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 1.00000
Dear Marilyn, This is an awesome piece, so inspiring. Your words do have weight in this day and time. It seems a lot have forgotten there is a force within us that can take us down a different path, guide us to a safer place. We have to listen tho and because of hate, greed, and prejudice, we stifle that voice, can't hear the shout. How I wish that would change. We need it now more than ever. Your poem is an inspiration to us as a whole, a truth we need to hear. Having read all of your work, I believe your human spirit must be quite intact, magnificent, in fact. Thanks for such thought provoking words. My best always, Wanda

This Poem was Critiqued By: James Edward Schanne On Date: 2004-09-12 18:47:19
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 8.57143
The triumph of the human spirit, certainly hard to knock a line, esp. from something so uplifting. The last three lines reminds me of a certain Dylan Thomas poem, Hey, I don't know why I keep rereading to see if I can think of some suggestion to improve without changing intent, I cannot.

This Poem was Critiqued By: Turner Lee Williams On Date: 2004-09-12 06:44:55
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.75000
Marilyn--I Love the title and the ensuing verbiage of this uplifting piece. An intriguing personification poem, and especially noteworthy are the bits about the "spirit:" your combination listing of it's residence, reserves and resiliency is a fresh citing/approach/stating for this reader. My favorite of all these "Great" lines; "When death creeps about, as quiet as an angel (supreb simile!!) you must listen for the shout of the human spirit, magnificent." This repeat of the title (in line #15) serves to en- hance and reempahsize the theme/tone. And, lines 15 thru 18 gives the post a feel/sense of finality (and they're poetic as well!). Thanks for the jolt!

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