A Newer Day Will Surely Dawn!
For sake of peace, I keep mouth shut;
I cannot be unethical;
I live 'midst vixen, foxes but,
Happen will new miracle!
Four years sped off, leading this flock;
Black sheep exist 'mongst them I know;
For better grazing grounds, I knock;
But time eludes my search somehow!
Sometimes I feel so miserable
For leading such a flock of sheep;
To make ends meet, I'm unable;
Perilous vales surround me, deep!
But God has chosen me to lead,
In destined ways for some more time;
I know, my heart must sometimes bleed,
In inclement weather and clime!
But things must end, however bad!
And better days, I will catch on;
That God's beside, I am so glad;
A newer day will surely dawn!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 31-8-12
poem by John Celes

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Related quotes
Sonnet: Lord Jesus Christ - the Good Shepherd
Christ Jesus Lord is Good Shepherd - the one,
Who is ready to sacrifice His life,
For sake of sheep He leads, and He is Son
Of God, Redeemer and saves all from strife!
Christ gave His life upon the cross for all,
And shed His blood as price for mankind's sins,
So that the penitent can hear God's call,
And enter heaven with pure soul and wins.
The Good Shepherd has other sheep to lead,
For they too heed His call and follow Him;
For all His sheep in flock one, need to feed,
Returning safely when the light turns dim!
Christ is the owner of the flock of sheep;
With Good Shepherd around, no wolves dare peep!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 28-04-2012
poem by John Celes

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Sonnet: Good Shepherd’s Love
One sheep amongst the hundred, if gets lost,
The Good Shepherd begins to search for it,
Returning when ’tis found at any cost –
Lamb gets His shoulders upon which to sit!
God seeks and saves the lamb that’s gone astray!
He will not rest until lost one is found;
He leaves the ninety-nine behind that day;
He leads them on to newer grazing-ground.
What love, the Shepherd’s heart bears for His sheep!
He tends to every lamb with equal care;
Yet, some decide to take the plunge down steep,
And meet their death, despite His warnings bare.
The Good Shepherd will not forsake one sheep!
No wolves in sheep-skin dare to come or creep.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-7-2008
poem by John Celes

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The Shepherd
The shepherd goads his sheep by staff,
And leads them on to pastures green,
Instructing them to watch for wolves
That come in sheep-skin, in their midst!
The shepherd knows each sheep by name,
And calls them sweetly when they stray,
Or when they near the ledge atop
A valley deep or hill-side steep!
The sheep too know their shepherd's call,
And graze on meadows, keeping near;
They know he is their protector,
And will save them at any cost!
How safe it is when shepherd's near!
No sheep can ever lose its way;
The shepherd takes care of the flock,
But cannot bear to see one, lost!
Dedicated to Rev. Fr. Xavier Claudius, Parish Priest,
Holy Family Church, Perundurai, by his beloved parishioners
Copyright by Dr John Celes 31-05-2012
poem by John Celes

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Sheep
Sometimes I get so angry with the simple life they lead
The shepherds smile seems to confirm my fears
Theyve never questioned anything, theyve never disagreed
Sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears
And when you see a can I see a crook
And when you see a crowd I see a flock
Its sheep were up against
Sheep were up against
When I was young they used to get me counting sheep
But the counting I did was all in vain
No when Im tired and Im trying to get to sleep
I count humans jumping onto trains
And when you see a can I see a crook
And when you see a crowd I see a flock
Its sheep were up against
Sheep were up against
[influential guitar break]
And when you see a can I see a crook
And when you see a crowd I see a flock
Its sheep were up against
Sheep were up against
song performed by by Housemartins

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In a distant land many years ago, there lived a black sheep. It was executed by firing squad. A century later, the grieving flock erected an equestrian statue in honor of the slain sheep that looked very nice in the park. In the years that followed, every time a black sheep appeared, it was executed so that ordinary sheep could practice sculpture.
Augusto Monterroso in The Black Sheep and Other Fables (1969)

Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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The World Gets a New Pope! - (a prose poem)
Death spares no one!
Death spares no earthling!
Death spares no human being!
Death cuts the thread of life certainly;
And the Pope is no exception!
Pope John Paul II is no more!
The old shepherd had finally passed away;
He was eighty-four when he died;
He fell ill twice quite seriously;
He was Pope for nearly 26 years!
He was the ‘most traveled Pope’ and was a Poet too!
And he stood steadfast in all his spiritual endeavors;
He braved ‘the storms and calmed the seas that tried to capsize the Roman Catholic Ship’!
He led His flock to the Rock!
But some sheep did stray away;
Some had lost their faith;
Some went in search of ‘greener grass in newer meadows’;
But these were the souls which were dissatisfied, distraught and diseased!
A new Shepherd had been finally chosen!
Holy smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney!
On three occasions, it remained black!
The anxious flock stayed back in St.Peter’s Square, all day and night!
They prayed fervently to God to give them a new Shepherd soon;
But each time they saw the black smoke, their hearts filled with sadness;
Yet, their faith never dithered;
The Holy Spirit would answer their prayers fast;
The Holy Spirit had never failed them in the last 2000 years after Jesus Christ!
He had always provided a new Pope whenever the earlier one died;
The people waited anxiously with hope in their hearts that were
already saddened by the demise of Pope John Paul II.
And Lo! There was the smoke again!
But this time, it was white;
The burning of the ballot papers caused the smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney!
And it billowed up into the heavens!
And it was confirmed by the peeling of bells loudly.
A NEW POPE HAD BEEN CHOSEN!
The audio-visual effect was superb;
The flock cheered and sang thanks-giving hymns to the Lord;
They were jubilant and in ecstasy;
The air was rent with ‘Alleluias’!
The Holy Spirit had once more wrought a miracle;
A new Pope had been selected by the secret conclave of 115 cardinals.
God never abandons nor forsakes his flock!
Joseph Ratzinger, a German was the new Pope!
In thirty minutes, he chose the name of Benedict XVI.
He had served as Dean of the College of Cardinals for nearly twenty years earlier;
He was a man of great wisdom;
He was a great Philosopher, Professor of theology and an erudite scholar;
He had stunned the world with his orthodox, traditional approach;
He was simple and understanding, healthy and ever ready for dialogue with other religious leaders;
He was perhaps the best among the rest to lead the Church, in the new millennium;
He would lead the flock of more than a billion Roman Catholic people for the next few years on ‘their road to Heaven’!
‘Hope was reborn in the form of a new Pope’
The new Shepherd would tend to his flock and know each sheep by its name!
And they too would know their Shepherd’s voice and follow his footsteps without any hesitation on ‘The Road to Heaven’!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 21-4-2005
poem by John Celes

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Sonnet: Leave All Things to God!
Sometimes, some things don’t happen as we wish;
However long we brood, we can’t know why?
There is no point in being more selfish;
Such things are better left to God on high!
Why waste our precious time in thinking deep?
We have our limitations to discern;
Why spoil our mental harmony and sleep?
God’s ways are at times difficult to learn!
When things don’t happen as expected, then
Remember that God has a plan for you;
Be patient and don’t jump over the fen!
A miracle God certainly will do!
All human faculties are fallible;
God’s ways of doing things, infallible!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 3-9-2006
poem by John Celes

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Satan
Can Wolves shepherd a flock of lambs and sheep?
Can Lions guard the deer in forest pens?
Can Cats stay quiet, watching mice at play?
Can blind men lead the ones with good vision?
Some things are impossible in our life;
The innate characters of all can’t change;
Some exceptions are seen sometimes, some day;
Can Satan lead the souls to Heaven’s gates?
The fallen angels’ leader is Satan;
He is the Liar, Tempter of mankind;
He wants more souls to reach the Fire of Hell;
Relentlessly, he works to mislead souls.
But Satan knows he battles God, Most High;
His war is futile and destined to flop;
The Master of the Universe is God;
He will not forsake nor abandon man.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 3-9-2008
poem by John Celes

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Sonnet: God's Warning to Shepherds!
‘My sheep lie scattered and not tended well.
I'll find new shepherds who will do this job;
To ones who failed their duty, ‘twill be hell;
From me, my sheep, no one can ever rob! '
‘Disaster to shepherds who don't take care
Of my loved sheep, who leave my pastures green;
I'll get new shepherds, fearless and will dare,
Preventing sheep, from getting lost from scene! '
‘In prophets, priests, now Godlessness prevails;
They do not preach to people what's God-say;
They tell own versions and their made-up tales,
Deluding people, leading sheep astray! '
‘So, prophesy what comes from Yahweh's mouth.'
The Lord declares, ‘Just speak the Gospel's truth! '
poem by John Celes

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Parables of Jesus: ‘The Lost Sheep’
A shepherd with his hundred sheep,
Was grazing them in a meadow green;
When to his horror he noticed
That one was missing from the flock:
‘It wandered off and had got lost! ’
‘It wandered off and had got lost! ’
He left the ninety-nine behind
In the open, open country-side;
He went in search of the missing one,
And finding, lifted it with love,
Placed it on his shoulders, neck,
And came back to his flock with joy;
And came back to his flock with joy.
“Rejoice! I’ve found my sheep,
Just one out of a hundred fold,
One that was lost sometime ago,
I love it dearly anyhow!
Rejoice, my friends and neighbors all,
The sheep that was lost is found;
The sheep that was lost is found! ”
Sheep that was lost is like a soul,
Afilled with sins, and far from God;
And when a sinner repents then,
There’s much rejoicing in heaven;
There’s much rejoicing in heaven!
Lost sheep is like a sinner who
Commits sins and has strayed from God;
But God of love for all creatures,
Seeks him out without delay when
He has atoned for his sins,
And soul comes back to Maker’s fold;
And soul comes back to Maker’s fold.
The Good Shepherd – Lord Jesus Christ
Was sent to earth to be born man
in utter poverty and strife,
And suffer for the sins of all;
And suffer for the sins of all.
He came to earth to preach God’s Word
Of forgiveness of mankind’s sins;
He sought just sinners and not saints,
And made their hearts truly repent,
And saved them from the fiery hell,
Whither unrepentant souls go;
Whither unrepentant souls go.
The Good Shepherd is Jesus Christ,
Who came to preach the Word of God;
He sought the sinners’ souls all lost,
Explained to them about God’s love,
And the need to feel sorry,
As God’s ready to forgive sins,
No matter how many / grievous;
No matter how many / grievous!
Joy fills heaven, Abode of God,
And angels rejoice much more when
A penitent sinner repents,
And soul embraces God again;
And soul embraces God again;
Copyright by Dr John Celes 12-09-’10
poem by John Celes

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Pope John Paul II (A Biography Poem Sequence-2)
Faith of the Millennial Pope:
To him, his faith and God were prime –
‘Man needs God’s help in every clime.’
A Godless world would never thrive;
The Almighty was man’s sole (soul’s) drive!
His heart with faith queries aflame,
The Shepherd didn’t put sheep to blame
His faith to him was much real –
Panacea that could all heal.
The God of goodness yearned to love
The man, He made and to him prove,
That without Him, no man could live,
And God would graces amply give.
He went across the globe often
To meet his sheep, to hearts soften;
He raised queries of faith candid,
And gave answers to them lucid.
Goodness of man all came from God;
The evil-hearted face His rod;
The human race would not exist,
If God was not first in man’s list.
Man’s connection with transcendent
Made life meaningful and was meant
To help man live a better life,
Amidst a world of increased strife.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 12-01-2009
poem by John Celes

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A Shepherd's Dream
A silly shepherd lately sat
Among a flock of sheep;
Where musing long on this and that,
At last he fell asleep.
And in the slumber as he lay,
He gave a piteous groan;
He thought his sheep were run away,
And he was left alone.
He whoop'd, he whistled, and he call'd,
But not a sheep came near him;
Which made the shepherd sore appall'd
To see that none would hear him.
But as the swain amazèd stood,
In this most solemn vein,
Came Phyllida forth of the wood,
And stood before the swain.
Whom when the shepherd did behold
He straight began to weep,
And at the heart he grew a-cold,
To think upon his sheep.
For well he knew, where came the queen,
The shepherd durst not stay:
And where that he durst not be seen,
The sheep must needs away.
To ask her if she saw his flock,
Might happen patience move,
And have an answer with a mock,
That such demanders prove.
Yet for because he saw her come
Alone out of the wood,
He thought he would not stand as dumb,
When speech might do him good;
And therefore falling on his knees,
To ask but for his sheep,
He did awake, and so did leese
The honour of his sleep.
poem by Nicholas Breton

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Sonnet: The Flocks Need More Shepherds
Shepherds are turning scarcer, day by day!
Fragmented flocks have lesser sheep in fold;
With many lost, many sheep go astray;
Devils on rampage trouble, young and old.
Meadows have lesser grass that's succulent;
More sheep want better grass, water to drink;
The climes these days are turning turbulent;
The few shepherds are old-aged, on death's brink!
Shepherdless stay some flocks for many days;
They do not know the shepherd or his call!
The shepherd does not know his sheep by face;
From wolves' attack, there is no staff to stall!
Yet, God will find the shepherds in strange ways;
All righteous find their way through earthly maze!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 15-07-12
poem by John Celes

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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. Peter 1 (Chapter 5)
The Elders and Young Men:
A fellow elder to elders,
A witness of Christ’s sufferings,
And one who’ll share glory to come,
I exhort you to all behold:
‘Be shepherds of the flock of God,
Under your care as overseers-
Not just because you’ve been compelled,
But that you’re willing as God wants.
Not after money but to serve;
Not lording o’er entrusted sheep,
Be examples unto your flock.
And when the Chief Shepherd appears,
You will be all in joyful tears,
Receiving crown of glory then.’
‘Be submissive to old, young men;
Be clothed in humility then;
God does not like the proud brethren,
But gives His grace to humble men! ’
‘Humble yourself under God’s hand,
And He will lift you in His time!
Cast off your anxieties on Him,
Because He is our caring God.’
‘Control your self and be alert;
Like roaring lions, devils prowl,
In search of someone to devour;
Stand firm in faith and resist them;
You know the world’s brethren suffer,
From all the devils’ overtures.’
‘The God of grace who called you all,
To live in glory eternal,
In Christ, after your strife awhile,
Will Himself make you strong and firm.
To Him be power, forever.’
Amen.
Final Greetings:
‘I have written to you in brief,
With faithful Silas brother’s help;
I testify the grace, that’s true
Of God, that encourages you, ’
‘Greet each other with love-kisses;
Peace be upon you in Christ’s name.
From Babylon and my son, Mark,
I send you greetings- Stand steadfast! ’
Copyright by Dr John Celes 6-22-2007
poem by John Celes

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Bible in Poetry: Gospel of St. John (Chapter 10)
Then Jesus said, ‘Amen, I say!
Whoev’r enters not through the gates,
But climbs the fence of the sheep-fold,
Is thief or robber doubtlessly! ’
‘Whoever enters through the gate,
Is but the shepherd of the sheep;
The watch-man opens gates for him
He calls his sheep, each one by name.
And leads them out, till last comes out,
And walks ahead while follow sheep,
Because they recognize his voice;
But they will follow not strangers;
They will not heed the different voice’
None could understand what He told;
So, Jesus said, ‘Amen again,
I am the gate for all the sheep;
All those who came before were thieves;
My sheep did not listen to them.’
‘I am the gate for sheep’s entry!
Whoever enters me, I’ll save
They come in, go out to pastures;
A thief enters only to steal;
He also comes to destroy, kill;
I came so that all may find life,
And have it in abundance too.’
‘I am the Good shepherd to all;
Good shepherd gives his life for sheep;
If hired man and sheep not own,
He leaves them to the wolf’s mercy,
Which catches them and scatters all.
This is because, he works for pay,
And has no true concern for sheep! ’
‘I am the Good Shepherd, Jesus;
I know my sheep, they know me too;
Just as my Father knows me well,
I’ll lay my life down for my sheep;
But other sheep are there as well;
They do not belong to this fold;
These sheep also, I ought to lead,
Until they recognize my voice;
And there be one flock, one shepherd! ’
‘My Father loves me for this cause:
My life I’ll lay for Him because;
No one else can take it from me;
I’ll lay it on my very own;
I’m empowered to die, arise!
A command that my Father gave.’
Again there was chaos ’midst Jews;
Some said, ‘He seems to be possessed;
While others said, ‘These aren’t words
Of someone who’s possessed because
A demon does not open eyes,
Of persons blind surely, truly.’
The Feast of Dedication came;
By then, the cold winter set in.
Then Jesus walked in temple place,
On portico of Solomon;
Some Jews surrounded Him and asked,
‘How long you keep us in suspense?
Just tell us if you’re Messiah? ’
So, Jesus answered them and said,
‘I told you but you don’t believe;
My works I do in Father’s name,
And so they testify to me.
You don’t believe for you are not
Among the sheep, I shepherd now.’
‘My sheep all hear my voice and come,
To follow me, to where I go.
They are given eternal life,
And so they shall never perish.
None can take them off my hand; .
My Father is greater than all;
And none dare take them off His hand.
My father and I are but one.’
The Jews again took rocks to throw.
Then Jesus said, ‘I’ve shown good works:
For these, you want to stone me then? ’
The Jews answered Jesus and said,
‘We’ll not stone you for your good works,
But you’ve committed blasphemy:
You make yourself equal to God? ’
Then Jesus said, ‘Is it not writ
In book of laws that you are gods? ’
‘If they are gods for who came word,
The scripture can’t be set aside.’
‘Can you call me, bless’d by Father,
One who blasphemes because I said:
‘I am the Son of God, Father! ’
If you can’t do my Father’s works,
You need not try to believe me.
But if I do, despite the fact
You don’t believe, believe the works;
So that, you understand the fact,
The Father’s in me, I in Him! ’
They tried arresting him again
But he escaped from their power.
He went across river Jordan,
To where John baptized Him at first,
Remaining there for quite sometime.
And many came to Him and said,
‘John then performed no sign like you,
But everything he said comes true! ’
So, many did believe in Him.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-23-2007
poem by John Celes

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Sheep
The Sheep adorns the landscape rural
And is both singular and plural—
It gives grammarians the creeps
To hear one say, 'A flock of sheeps.'
The Sheep is gentle, meek and mild,
And led in herds by man or child—
Being less savage than the rabbit,
Sheep are gregarious by habit.
The Sheep grows wool and thus promotes
The making of vests, pants and coats—
Vests, pants and coats and woolen cloths
Provide good food for hungry moths.
With vegetables added to
The Sheep, we get our mutton stew—
Experiments long since revealed
The Sheep should first be killed and peeled.
Thus, with our debt to them so deep,
All men should cry 'Praise be for Sheep!'—
And, if we happen to be shepherds,
'Praise be they’re not as fierce as leopards!'
poem by Ellis Parker Butler

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Sonnet: The Good Shepherd Protects All His Sheep
From everything unholy satan does,
The Master of the creation, God will
Find out the ways to protect His righteous
From all effects that are adverse and ill!
For, God is our Care-taker, Good Shepherd,
And won't allow the wolf to steal his sheep,
Who listen to His call and every word,
And protect them from falling down the deep.
The sheep will know the wolf in lamb-skin fast,
And run for cover to the shepherd near,
Who with his wisdom of the present, past,
Instills self-confidence, removes all fear!
The Good Shepherd knows every sheep by name,
And knows the wolf's designs and every game!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 23-07-12
poem by John Celes

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Intellectuals
Is it so hard for men to stand by themselves,
They must hang on Marx or Christ, or mere Progress?
Clearly it is hard. But these ought to be leaders . . .
Sheep leading sheep, 'The fold, the fold.
Night comes, and the wolves of doubt.' Clearly it is hard.
Yourself, if you had not encountered and loved
Our unkindly all but inhuman God,
Who is very beautiful and too secure to want worshippers,
And includes indeed the sheep with the wolves,
You too might have been looking about for a church.
He includes the flaming stars and pitiable flesh,
And what we call things and what we call nothing.
He is very beautiful. But when these lonely have travelled
Through long thoughts to redeeming despair,
They are tired and cover their eyes; they flock into fold.
poem by Robinson Jeffers

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Disappointments
A Disappointment can be, my friend, a detour by God unto a better end.
When things do not go as planned, you can sometimes see God’s Hand.
Friend, a small inconvenient delay, could be God preparing a better way.
Moving today’s plan into tomorrow, could be saving you grief and sorrow.
Friend, God at times will intervene, to avoid a problem that can’t be seen.
Even though it doesn’t make sense, in God you can have full confidence.
For who had thought by killing Christ, man would enter into Eternal Life.
God’s ways are not ours friend, and God’s thoughts are higher than men.
Friend, God will never lead you astray, no matter what all men may say.
God knows the beginning and the end, and He’ll guide you safely friend.
And you my friend will never lose, when it’s Christ’s lead that you choose.
As Shepherd Christ guides His sheep, from day to day and week to week.
He guards His flock very carefully, from hidden dangers they can not see.
Christ will change your chosen path, and this to avoid any potential wrath.
He faithfully watches all His sheep, when they’re awake and when asleep.
And Christ lovingly cares for His fold, all of His sheep both young and old.
Even though we may choose a plan, God directs the steps of each man.
As The Shepherd He does His part, to guide and direct a wayward heart.
So when you are discouraged friend, remember you don’t know the end,
Or the next step on this journey, as Jesus guides you safely into Eternity.
(Copyright ©03/2005)
God warns all Shepherds (Jer 23: 1-6)
‘Disaster waits for shepherds who
Shall lose or scatter any sheep
Belonging to my pasture, fold,
declares Lord Yahweh, rather cold.’
‘My flock, you scattered, and drove them;
You didn’t take care of them as told;
I’ll punish you for your misdeeds’ –
Thus speaks the Lord about shepherds.
‘I’ll bring the remnant of my flock
from all the countries, whence they’ve gone,
back to their folds, to be fruitful,
increasing in their numbers fast.’
‘I’ll raise new shepherds for them soon,
to pasture them without a fear;
No one shall ev’r be lost again’ –
Declares Yahweh, the God of all.
‘The days are coming, ’ says the Lord,
‘I’ll raise a David’s upright branch;
He’ll reign as king, remaining wise,
And doing what is just, upright.’
‘Judah will triumph, in his days;
Israel will live in safety then;
He will be called by just this name’ –
‘Yahweh-Is-Our-Saving-Justice’.
Copyr ight by Dr John Celes 7-19-2009
poem by John Celes

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