Calming the Storm

© O. Shtelman, 2020

© International Union of Writers, 2020

Poetry

The Happiness

 
A man is born into this world,
It dwells, gets strong, surviving,
Towards the happiness, this road
Is all what he is striving:
 
 
Towards the mountains to conquer,
To love, to glory, and the wealth
To force the enemies to fear,
To stay in power's control shells.
 
 
Still, there's a problem here today,
This happiness is flipping,
Like water – it just drifts away,
Like sand through fingers slipping.
 
 
Is it an enemy to blame,
Insidious case you're fighting?
Where is the safety beacon’s fame
From all this mess inside you?
 
 
It happens so that only one,
A peak abandoned in thought,
Unbowed, it still stays alone,
Only a soul of it's lord.
 
 
And very often, this same man,
It's own enemy becomes,
Living for years, even then,
Misses solution in a glance.
 
 
An answer in what Christ has taught,
In simple things He asked to follow,
That's hidden in your heart and thought,
In His to us so humble calling.
 
 
And there is harmony of soul,
As being born in heart so pure,
Will thirst for silence of the Lord,
And towards Him will open door.
 
 
And there is an immortal love,
That costs much more than diamonds,
And there's eternity's embow,
And passionless talent's finding.
 
 
And there is real power there,
As it's a miracle from God,
To stay in control of one's being everywhere,
No greater power man has got.
 
 
That happiness – inheritance so peaceful,
The simple things for us in store,
Next to eternity, so quiet and blissful,
It's where the Christ is calling His friends for.
 

18.08.2017, Šiauliai, Lithuania.

The Christmas Miracle

 
The Earth has taken shelter of the night
And all the ways drown deep inside,
All voices became silent and the eyes are closed tight
Under the power of the darkness falling wide.
 
 
Then sound of the heavens opened doors —
Along to hymn of solemn winds so strong
A glorious angel came to Earth
And many choirs sang along:
 
 
– ”Oh, people, people! Praise the God!
He came to you with love
To find a way to people’s hearts,
A little child sent from above.”
 
 
The constellations move in skies above,
And Milky Way has made a different turn
To city of the Bethlehem it ran
To manger where the baby has been born.
 
 
The star has been born in the night to stay —
There is a banner in the wondrous skies,
Kings with the camels are on their way
As every heart to cradle so aspires.
 
 
And all the shepherds, next to flocks they sit
Next to a manger they all see
An infant-God and Christ they watch in it
As their lambs so quietly bleat.
 
 
And He just watches them with light so pure
And gives the joy He has for all inside.
Mother of God, just like a moon through door,
Reflects all glory with her divine light.
 
 
What shall one give to baby Christ,
How can one show the love so strong?
– Live with your hearts all pure inside,
Gifts – acts of faith that come along!
 

Christ's Commandment

 
As He prepared the Apostles,
To the covenant of the new Easter,
With love, He tried to fill their hearts,
With fire so bright and blissful.
 
 
And knowing that the time has come,
Last moment that's deciding,
And that the light of sun's gone down,
A coming of an hour terrible.
 
 
Rose from the supper and took of
The clothes he was in,
And then picked up a towel clean,
And sink with water filled.
 
 
And He began to wash their feet,
Of disciples beloved,
And wiping of with towel, saw them sit,
With eyes of so much yearning.
 
 
Comes up to Simon Peter as He says,
“Give me your feet, my brother?”
Apostle, hesitating, sways:
“Lord, you do not wash them, rather.
 
 
As all the hosts, they have the slaves,
To wash the feet of strangers,
We must respect you, so it says,
And wash the dust remaining.”
 
 
“This, what I am doing now,
Will be revealed as time passes by,
If I won’t wash your feet by now,
You will not be a friend of mine.
 
 
Neither a part to share with me,
That for my children I prepare.
And here is covenant I give,
Accept it free with greatest care.”
 
 
And Peter then exclaimed to Him:
„Not only feet, my Lord,
My hands and head can be washed too,
If only you so want.“
 
 
„To those who washed only feet left
To wash and then he is all clean.
And you are pure, oh, friends of mine,
Still one of you remains unclean within.“
 
 
Since you believe that here I am,
A teacher and the Lord,
Then to each other do it then,
What you have seen and learned.“
 
 
By hearing His disciples talk,
Of who has more in acting,
Of who belongs to greater flock,
And thus, should be respected,
 
 
The Christ has told, hearing them talk:
„The Kings, – they have the world encircled,
And those who got under this flock,
Are proud to wear the purple.“
 
 
Our Benefactor! – people say,
As filled with much delight.
An opposite among you may
Just dwell and live its side.
 
 
And one who wants the greatest be,
Just work as less the greatest.
And to serve everyone, – be free,
A chief of all the eldest.
 
 
It's common to believe for men,
That one who's put above,
And lesser, what can be said then,
One serving less somehow.
 
 
And here I stand among you now,
As one who came to serve,
From God into this world with love,
I speak for you to learn.
 
 
Commandment, here I give to you,
Yes, you do love each other,
And they will recognize you too,
As you're in Christ, my brothers.
 
 
A foundation of faith it is,
It's where the laws should stand upon,
A cornerstone is what I am —
You’re like backwaters to hold on.
 
 
And here my love, I give to you,
Inheritance for you it may,
It leads me towards blood and through,
There's no other solution or a way.
 
 
And towards death, Golgotha for you all,
And those who come in future days,
My love will die when hour takes its toll,
And will arise on the third day.
 
 
I am a Lamb of God for men,
The one that will be slain as time will come,
From power of the evil, judges so unfair,
From those who slyly slander everyone.
 
 
All what I do, I do for you,
A covenant, it must be kept in care,
So not in vain, I test you through,
When a death hour will be there.“
 
 
By then, the Judas walked at night,
With crowd to Christ in joyous waving,
Executioners by his side,
He kissed the Lord, betraying.
 
 
The devil finished with his trap,
Made out of evil hearts,
And in his judgment like satrap,
He fell through his own thoughts,
 
 
It is a trap one he will fall into, he made,
Disastrous times he carved,
He walked all time towards his fate,
Golgotha he prepared.
 

2017.

We are not Orphans

 
Living with the worldly troubles,
Day by day across may fly,
Feeding from the earthy staples,
We don't see the God in sight.
 
 
Thinking that we own the world of God,
As Creator as if put aside,
Not for Him the Lyras play from heart,
And not for Him the souls bloom inside.
 
 
And thinking that we are the kings,
By learning laws, as we believe,
Of some unknown nature origins
A godlessness reproach we give.
 
 
Out of the soil we are ashes and the dust,
From which the Lord has made us all,
Our merits there are none, see it at last,
Our Father gave it all to people, free for all.
 
 
Just anyone of us, if he or she were God,
Would hit the globe with mighty fist,
And filled with fear, in an instant nod,
They would become Creator's slaves, at least.
 
 
The Lord has acted in another way,
And sent His only and beloved Son,
A worthy creator of love, He had His say,
Wishing for peace for everyone.
 
 
Not to punish or throw in perdition,
But to help us see what we are, why and how,
To serve to people, give a recognition,
To open up the door to Heavens with great love.
 
 
No need for slaves made out of fear,
As „children“ He is calling us with care a Father gives,
A heart that's filled with love so dear,
Our Father knows, it is a greatest gift one can receive.
 
 
We are not orphans anymore,
We have the Father that's in Heaven,
Just open up your heart's unlocked door,
As your gift back to Him that you are sending.
 
 
He is giving a hint on His own,
That anyone who lives in this world,
With a purest heart learns what is known
What Determinant for us all got.
 
 
One should learn with his heart to see,
Hearing all words that He says.
Those who seek for truth, he will fill,
Those who thirst for truth – get the ways.
 
 
All the answers to the questions are here,
And a different world we shall see,
When in dear God born again,
Then the peace of mind we shall bear.
 

What Will Save The World?!

 
It is very often that we ask ourselves:
– What can save this world? in disputing,
We answer in abstracts, wise, as if from book shelves,
In order to let the evil be smashed by beauty.
 
 
Even if love can save our world,
What do we mean in reality? —
An earthy love by this world crowned,
With its reveling in fatality.
 
 
Forgetting of who this world has created,
And whose laws are existing in it,
Inert people with hearts of dark radiating,
In passions and pleasures compete.
 
 
And still, with everything told,
Lord has mercy for all people living,
For everyone’s souls in sunrise unfold,
In changes to happen, He is believing.
 
 
Let us trace the blindness and the bliss away,
And open up our eyes from this oblivion sleep,
And towards Heavens and the truth, let's have our say,
And leave what should be left and keep what is to keep!
 
 
Just like a mother, caring for her little one,
This way our Lord is taking care of men out there,
He feeds, gives water, clothes, we are not alone,
As His strong hand is holding us with care.
 
 
Yet, some will say in disbelief,
– I always feed myself alone,
And if my bed, I will not leave,
Who carries food to my own home?!
 
 
Of course, it's right, and there is truth,
But hurry up to take a look around,
At all this world so wise, easy to get confused,
My friend, that's where all what we take is found.
 
 
How do you really see the God?!
What would you like to believe in:
You're staying upon sofa, deep in thought,
And He's your servant that has to come in.
 
 
A cup of wine?! Or maybe some more beer?!
A roasted meat, and lobsters come along,
And you are chewing, drinking, as you steer,
Of what else should be quickly done.
 
 
As you are stuck in your TV,
Cheering for your favorite soccer team,
And your harem you cherish with the eyes that see,
Proclaiming: I believe just as I seem!
 
 
Alas, the lazy are not in God's favour,
And even the forefather Adam,
Living in Paradise, was hard in labour,
And God the Father always worked along.
 
 
In Sacred Scriptures we can read:
That God has worked hard for six days,
Creating world of beauty so complete,
Our Father rested on the seventh day.
 
 
Just tell me, isn't it a miracle we see,
That sun is rising in the morning?!
Confess, has it been done by you and me?!
Of course, the gifts from God, as you're learning.
 
 
Yet, isn't it just great when evening falls
And when the young moon comes or moon of late,
And all the stars with crystals scattered rolls
Beloved Heavens with rare beauty decorate.
 
 
The Earth is growing wheat for you and I,
The beet and cabbages' harvest,
A soil will feed from bits of raining from the sky,
Filling the rivers and the oceans with no rest…
 
 
And there it’s filled with different fsh,
The gifts of Sea are miracles to follow!
All metals to be found inside, turquoise,
As hands of men will seek inside the soil.
 
 
One finds the diamonds and the oil, gifts from God,
And gas, the marble, and cement…
Live, love, and work straight from your heart,
Remember of eternity and of its covenant.
 
 
Yet, men cannot just live in peace,
And passions of this world cannot allow,
To break away from pride and let it be beneath,
To live free until all these chains fall.
 
 
Here is the hatred and malice,
Hence, envy and the slander,
Insatiable maw that's never pleased,
From dusk till dawn, it is pounding.
 
 
Giving birth to the wars, destruction, and death,
The tears of widows like a river flow.
But those with money only hear them less,
Of others' grief they never know.
 
 
And, therefore, I'm here arguing today,
And what I'm trying here to tell always:
It's only Christ that saves this world, I say,
In hymns to Lord, I'll give my sincere praise.
 
 
I'm sure that everything will have another start,
Once our world a call of Christ will hear
Living according to Commandments left by God,
There’ll be no pain, no misery, no fear.
 
 
Yet, they will ask, how will it happen, whether?
How will it suddenly arrive?
Let's learn to live in God together:
Once there is love, it starts to strive.
 
 
A family's father will not fornicate,
One husband, one wife, no betrayal and tears,
No drinking, no fighting, no tyranny's hate,
As Man acts as guardian of family's peace.
 
 
And mother with a dove of tender heart,
Living for husband and her children,
With her eye poignant and sharp,
With love of wisdom will obey.
 
 
And people with their kindness pure,
Will start to be there for each other,
There'll be no place for grief at all,
All countries will behave like brothers.
 
 
An end to war, to robberies just no more chance,
A covenant of Christ, a covenant of love,
For all the Divine Law at once,
Will be for centuries from God above.
 
 
The gardens then will start to bloom for joy,
For simple men and those who wisdom hold,
A sweetness of a paradise may then return,
That's what bequeathed to our fathers as foretold.
 
 
Then people will hear a voice so eternal,
A call of God's Son, a call of dear Christ,
Immortal call accept as you are turning
And then in Him you all shall resurrect.^[1]
 

Let's Talk About Truth

I

 
Every single mind, sooner or later,
Seeks for an essence of earthly existence,
And with a kindness, struggling in waiting,
One thirsts for that truth seen in a distance.
 
 
It's a crucial matter for one's heart and a mind,
To learn of an essence of things in each fashion,
By opening door of a knowledge to find,
To choose only truth, avoid capture in passions.
 
 
A lot of roads to walk on Earth with different labels,
Yet towards truth, there's only single road to learn.
„Will seek to enter in, and shall not be able“,^[2]
Even though road of truth, it takes no turn.
 
 
And every day, by fighting just like on frontline,
By making choice through all what is abound —
Upon the scaffold standing with the truth alive,
Or standing with a lie, stuck in a feast of crowd.
 
 
A year after year, through cold and thunderstorms,
We shall meet our time of wisdom as we learned a lot.
Not as the ones who cherished dreams in hearts forlorn,
But as the ones who have been tested by satan and God.
 

II – A Lie

 
A lie, it's alike to a poisonous snake,
Just like rum, man's mind intoxicating,
Here gives a birth to children without break,
In passion's heart, it finds it's home awaken.
 
 
A lie, it always hides the first birthright,
And strives for power, never taking turns,
By hiding ugliness beneath the face of light,
It twirls everything inside just like a storm.
 
 
It always slanders against truth
„Just look how holy is I am!“ – of herself she's screaming
For bloodshed battles, it confuses,
Calling along „for truth“, it sees, life has no meaning.
 
 
And now, as she is ready for sweet speech,
Lie always has the lips of sweetest honey,
Adroitly weaving traps of words unreached,
To nowhere it always beckons so many.
 
 
And then, as always, rivers made of blood are shed,
And through the ruins all great minds cry,
And at the broken trough we shall be always sat,
Forgetting once again, now who are you and I?
 

III – The Truth

 
The truth without a colour or a taste you're feeling,
Like water from a purest source,
This is what makes it mighty and so healing,
With power of a greatest Doctor's worth.
 
 
The truth is modest and unselfsh as it is,
Only a heart of pure it all can comprehend,
A gaze so sober always finds and sees,
The silence of this secret understands.
 
 
The truth, it does not ever need crusades, The fire and a sword are far from truth.
He quietly says: „Put up again thy sword into his place,“^[3]
Be strong in Truth, and faithful may you be”.
 
 
The truth does not hit, it does not demean,
A shelter of love there may everyone find,
It only gazes through, the silence from within,
So bitterly, for all upon the Cross it's crucified!
 
 
Truth does not smolder, won't grow older for a fact,
Sometimes for three days it may fall asleep,
And on the third day's coming it will resurrect
The ones who chose the road of truth to keep.
 

IV – The Aim

 
The lie has an aim, just like always before,
In Paradise once towards people it came,
Sweetly deceitful with hope's taste in store,
With deadly plaque it came engraved.
 
 
Since those times and even still by now,
Inside a dream in vain, drunk way through,
They dream of being God without God somehow,
By marrying satan in spirit as they do.
 
 
By fireworks, mirage, and by the smoke,
All stupefied with beauty that is false,
In pulls one to an edge of an abyss within a stroke,
By covering the path to Heavens with it's stance.
 
 
To deprive the saint sons of all inheritance they have,
This good stepfather knows what he is doing:
Throw them into despair of abyss's endless well,
To shut them in abyss forever, dark and looming.
 

V

 
The aim of Truth is same as it has been before,
In Paradise so sweet He told Adam to live,
And told him just to keep in hope and therefore,
With heart of wisdom faithfulness to give.
 
 
Despite so many fallings,
Malice, the slander, and the fuss,
God wishes good for all the children fallen,
And let them call Himself just when they're confused.
 
 
So people, as they see the light once more,
A light of divine truth, of love, and simple things,
Are living full of courage as they seek the answers for
In a refection of God's beauty, each of them may cling.
 
 
Here, in such a holy union with God,
Renewing inner harmony of soul,
A man adores fully with expanse at heart,
An immense height of God he is to follow.
 
 
To taste infinity's eternal gift we're having,
God's filial power to feel through as much,
And once for all to step from century into forever, —
A depth of immortality to touch!
 

Šiauliai, Lithuania. 2013.

How Many Times by Now…

 
How many times by now they told the world:
A string of death is in a sin of man;
And do not make yourself an idol, we are told,
Otherwise, a misfortune comes up then.
 
 
Yet, little man is just like fly,
It strives to get into with head apart,
Ears do not hear and cannot see it’s eye —
A Covenant divine, given by God.
 

Dumas at Tsar Nicolas II’s Portrait

 
A portrait painted in gray that’s getting less,
With wonder loving, simple and with care,
A great King with a fatherly caress,
Is looking at you, the spectator, through his stare.
 
 
The military uniform with aglets,
Honour rewards – the orders that he wears.
Of him they sang the hymns, cantonic outlets —
The times of gold those were, I must confess.
 
 
Yet, in a moment, like tornado, in a crowd of people,
A proud ardour of the mind has played it’s role,
And holy son, just like a rootless slave is weeping,
Got drunk with sin and mind has lost it’s call.
 
 
The oath upon allegiance is trampled down
Slyness, cowardice, and deceit
Have brought the death, destruction, poverty all around
Enveloped in the lying charm inside.
 
 
A buzzing crowd threatens strictly with a fist,
With dream insane their eyes did shine,
They wish to live without God, no least,
And without Sovereign King they want to strive.
 
 
The speakers hover above crowds,
With playful lies the souls they beckon:
“We walk so free, we are allowed!” —
With words of fables they reckon.
 
 
“It is an end, you holy” – enemy rejoices through fire,
In the alarm it shouts: “I captured you all!
The Tsar, a heart of Russia entire,
Will die… and all his people then shall fall!”
 
 
And someone’s hand, so ruthless and so cheeky,
With iron muscle upon death it stood,
Wishing for blood to see, in final clicking,
The thirst has been fulfilled to see more blood.
 
 
And Tsar has asked: “Have no revenge, my friends.
I seek my only merits before God instead
I’ll finish deadly bowl to a bottom’s end —
A crown I shall wear upon head!”
 
 
He prayed for them, eyes full of tears:
“Forgive them all, they are deceived,
Lured by sweet speeches in their ears,
May their leaders be forgiven”.
 
 
Monarch has loved it’s people and the Mother Russia,
With much more passion than he loved himself
For them he prayed to Christ, asking Messiah,
With love, he drank the bitterness of sufferings he had to dwell.
 
 
He knew the Scriptures, knew the words of Christ so well:
As soon as seed will reach the soil at feet,
Then it will die just to arise from soil again,
As much more grains will grow out of it.^[4]
 
 
The Russian field will spire from then on,
According to the kind of given seed,
And just like sea it will roam strong,
With flocks of gold, without chaff in it.
 
 
Without chafes, it still cannot be there,
As Christ has told in Parable of seeds in words alone,
A field left alone in immutable care,
For time of harvest before Judgment will be done.^[5]
 
 
A century has passed already and the field marvels on,
The domes of temples in their glory,
The people with the Walk of Cross move on,
And to the Russian Tsarthey give their glory,
 
 
A portrait for an icon they are changing,
Singing the prayers of a beauty pure and strong,
All by the holy prophecy’s foretelling,
His family is gently glorified along!
 
 
And faithful ones who followed the King —
For death and truth who always stood their wages,
Have fallen towards ground with gift unseen,
By shining with immortal light through ages.
 
 
A lengthy path of victory achieved,
It seems it should be like a dawn rising high,
Just like a banner for all people that have ever lived,
The truth that’s one for all, for you and I.
 
 
Yet, there are strange things we can see:
The portraits of the ones who took the lives before
Are hanging honoured right where the people sit,
And in the rooms of government and then at every door.
 
 
And in every town and every place,
A great genius and a villain can be met,
Watching from monuments always,
Calling to Mausoleum with his cap hung from head.
 
 
A lesson from the history has not been learned,
Yet, still the dawn comes so soft and tender,
A time will come, God’s name they’ll carry on,
And Russian Tsar will be remembered.
 
 
Without chafes, it still cannot be there,
As Christ has told in Parable of seeds in words alone,
A field left alone in immutable care,
For time of harvest before Judgment will be done.^[6]
 

* * *

 
Together with the Virgin Mary,
A Mother of the Earth they call,
They pray to her Son in a glory:
Oh, dear Lord, forgive us all!
 
 
Remember us the sinners,
Protect the ones we love,
The souls inconsolable
Give us the strength now from above.
 
 
By faith and by the prayer, —
We shall keep the world good,
May it will sound will love —
A hymn of Motherhood!