Tag: Poetry

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A Little Bit About “Before the Severing of the Silver Cord”

Matt Harris, author and owner of thepoetspoint.com

A friend of my wife recently brought our attention to an Old Testament passage of Scripture found in The Book of Ecclesiastes. It has been quite some time since I have visited these writings of King Solomon. Fans of classic rock might recall The Byrds’ hit song back in the sixties called “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Most of its words came directly from a passage from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3. The song shows how King Solomon’s words are just as relevant in modern times as they were when he wrote them back in the ninth century B. C. They don’t write songs anymore like they used to. That’s for sure.

The passage that stirred my wife’s friend’s curiosity, however, is found in Ecclesiastes chapter 12, Verse 6, which reads: “Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosened….” She was particularly interested in the meaning of the “silver cord.” As I looked more deeply into the chapter, I began to see how some of it also seemed to tie in with end-time Biblical prophecy. That’s where the idea for my poem “Before the Severing of the Silver Cord” originated. Although the poem was not initially intended to be one about grief, the poem nevertheless took a “Turn! Turn! Turn!” in that direction. I suppose grief escaped from my subconsciousness somehow since I had been mourning the loss of my father who had recently passed away.    

Blogs

A Little Bit about “Turning the Tables”

Matt Harris, author and owner of thepoetspoint.com

I began writing “Turning the Tables” in January of 2022. My new wife, Amanda, and I had just been newlyweds for two months. The temperature dipped into the twenties that evening; and To keep warm, we decided to clean out my closets to make some room for her things in our small apartment. At that time, I had been reading Emily Fragos’ poem, “The Sadness of Clothing.” The speaker in the poem tells about going through her spouses clothing after he passed away. Even though no one had died, I still felt a sense of grief as we pored through my stuff that had accumulated over the years, deciding what to part with. “Turning the Tables” started churning when we found my old rucksack with its portable table inside that I write about in the poem. I rarely write in the second person viewpoint, but the way Fragos used it in her piece inspired me to try it in mine. I truly would not feel the impact of her opening two lines, however, until months later as we went through my father’s “sad clothing” after he passed away: “When someone dies, the clothes are so sad. They have outlived / their usefulness and cannot get warm and full”.

Blogs

My Unearthing

Matt Harris, author and owner of thepoetspoint.com

To forgive my sin, God died in my place.
High in the heavens He sits on His throne.
My Savior, Jesus, rose to give me grace.
Before I believed, Death laughed in my face,
knowing how Hades would burn every bone;
to forgive my sin, God died in my place,
for all the worldly pleasures I used to chase:
the drugs, the dollars, the false religions I was shown.
My Savior, Jesus, rose to give me grace!
When I started seeing through blindness, I quit the race
for the drugs, the dollars, the false religions I was shown.
To forgive my sin, God died in my place.
He loves us all. We’re each His special case.
Until I found out, my heart was like stone:
my Savior, Jesus, rose to give me grace.
The Potter’s pierced hands healed this sightless vase;
my salvation now rests on Christ alone:
to forgive my sin, God died in my place;
my Savior, Jesus, rose to give me grace.

On December 12, 1982, I placed my hope for eternal salvation in the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. On that day, I came to terms with the fact that I was a sinner, for “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” And since “the wages of sin is death,” I knew there’d be Hell to pay after I died. On that day, I also learned that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” That’s when I threw in with Jesus, who was God in the flesh, who loved me enough to die on the cross to forgive my sins, and whose Father then raised Him from the dead. That’s the Gospel, and that’s what saves us from Hell if we repent and believe it. I share my testimony with you today to let you know somebody cares and that there’s hope beyond the grave: “…whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.” -Matt Harris