Peace

I long for peace

Inside myself

To feel like I am whole

And not torn in two

I long for peace

In the world in which I live

For families to love

And not tear each other apart

I long for peace

In my own country

For sides to come together

And leave the past behind

I long for peace

But not sure how to get it

Where does it come from?

And how does it heal?

The good news is,

That peace is within us

We just need to believe

And it will come to us

Peace can be achieved

If we look within

And realise that this life

Is about more than us

J Kennedy

August 2018

Not Alone

You gave me the ability

And an imagination

To take me to places new

Inside my head

In the darkness

I can turn on the light

And there I will be

Standing in illumination

In the brokenness

I can take the glue

So I can patch together

The lost bits of life

In the loneliness

I can go to places

Where I have been before

And smile at the memories

I can also go to places

Never before seen

Where I am not alone

Because you are always with me

Jo Anne Kennedy

August 2018 

Grace

Who are we?

What are we?

What is our identity?

By God, we are saved

In Him, we are raised

By his side we sit

He has gifted us

He has equipped us

And by Him, we are commissioned

Through this grace

We can say goodbye

To all earthly condemnation

So goodbye to all the lies

That people tell us we are

And all the lies we tell ourselves

Goodbye to the words we hear

Stupid, unproductive, quitter etc

And hello to the words of God

To Him, we are spiritually alive

And heavenly positioned

We are His honoured children

By His grace, we have been forgiven

By His grace, we have been made new

And by His grace, we are now His.

J Kennedy

August 2018

Time to Grow

I need a break

I need time

To shower my head

And restore my soul

I feel suffocated

Not allowed to grow

Being told no

In being able to serve

It’s not for you to decide

What is best for me?

I am held in the hands

Of one who is bigger than you

He’s bigger than me

He decides my future

He is the one who,

I should be listening to

Please give me space

To breathe and grow

Help me to grow

Do not stunt my growth

Let me flourish

Let me serve

Be a friend who helps

And not an enemy who restricts

Jo Anne Kennedy

August 2018

A Reality

I just want to be married

I want to have kids

I want a perfect husband

These are the wishes

Of many a teenage girl

But are they always a reality?

Being married will sort everything

Having a husband to love

Will make me content?

These are the thoughts

Of many a woman

But is it a reality?

A man will make me whole

Life will be perfect

And I’ll never be alone

These are the thoughts

Of many a female

But are they are a reality?

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2018

The Perfect Man

You don’t ignore us

Don’t look down on us

Or condemn us

You talk to us

Not because of who we are

Or what we have done

You come alongside us

Because of who you are

And what you have done

We could have had five husbands

And five failed marriages

But you do not judge

You understand our hearts

And our deepest longings

And you offer yourself to us

You will not disappoint us

Nor will you abuse us

But you will love us unconditionally

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2018

Here With Me

So I feel so alone

When I hear a voice

Telling me I am not alone

He is here with me

He says to me

If you want to walk

Take a walk with me

For you are not alone

If you want to rest

Then rest with me

Because you are not alone

For I am here with you

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2018

Sunday Morning

Sunday Morning

It’s a struggle every time

Do I go or do I stay in bed?

If the answer is go

Then that brings up more questions

At the door, I panic

I am alone and it’s a struggle

Who is there to sit beside me?

Or do I sit on my own?

Then when it is all over

And the questions arise

Do I go for coffee?

Or do I just go home?

If I stay

Who will I talk to?

Where do I sit?

I just feel so alone again

How is it that in a full place

I feel so so lonely

Struggling with anxiety

And wanting to run away

July 2018

Jo Anne Kennedy 

You

You sit there all jittery

Constantly looking around

As if you were in hiding

I tried to avoid you

But it wasn’t easy

Cos you were always watching

I didn’t talk to you

But you took it upon yourself

To chastise me in front of others

What is your problem with me?

What have I done to deserve this?

You always seem out to get me

You really do not like me

And I am not sure why

I so wish I did

You really hurt me

With your cutting words

But that's probably your aim

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2018

Grow and Flourish

Lord, I am frustrated

I want to flourish

I want to grow

I want to serve

But its difficult

As there are no opportunities

To help me do this

And no one to grow with

My growth is stunted

By people’s attitudes

And pre-conceived ideas

That I am not able or capable

My growth is stunted

By people who fill seats

But do nothing else

To help others grow

We need to come together

To help people grow

We need to change our ways

To help people flourish

We need to leave the past behind

And focus on today

And get up off the seat

And into the street

Go out and be with others

Try to bring people in

So that there will be opportunities

To help us all grow

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2018