Poetry Lettering & Photos by Jobie Avonley
About Us
Welcome to My Site
Welcome to My Site
Welcome to My Site
Enjoy your visit. Glad you stopped by!
- Jobie Avonley
Poetry
Welcome to My Site
Welcome to My Site
Email hello@jobieavonley.com to subscribe to my poetry & lettering email list. A membership offering is coming soon. Check back here for more info.
Art
Welcome to My Site
Art
My Etsy shop will have more to offer soon. Will post
here when it does.
Lettering Designs
More Lettering & Poetry to come.
New Year Poem
Hushed Footsteps
As if on a carpet of fresh snow
this first day of the new year
people walk in an aura of hush
taking first steps in the
direction of their new year.
My footsteps fall beyond the sands of time.
An elder gentlemen precedes me
on the sidewalk - a brief case in hand
held with importance.
He turns the corner, ascends the steps
of Brueggers Bagels, and over the shoulder
announces, “This door is locked.”
I continue around the building.
From the corner of my eye
I see he enters the side door.
Customers chat intently
this rainy New Year’s Day
of some open stores.
But New Year’s resolutions,
like Christmas,
can’t be found in a store.
Progressive steps are on a higher plane of thought
but with symbols where humanity walks -
like hushed footsteps, made with soul.
- Jobie Avonley
New Poem(s)
Womanhood Delivered
My mind’s mouth
is sometimes covered
by an invisible cupped hand.
My facial mouth
is allowed to sip tea
and say niceties anytime.
Let words of honesty gather
and the cupped-hand
specter looms.
I don’t believe in ghosts.
“My heart, why are you quivering?”
“I hear the vicious taunt,
‘Being honest and efficient
means you’re not
a real woman!’ ”
“Don’t worry, no ghost’ll have our words.
They’re kept safe
until their time of birthing comes.
Then, we will stand and deliver.
The words themselves will
release the ghost’s smothering hands.
Not just from my mouth
but from all
who take my words to heart.”
Womanly talents have been developed
but hardly spoken of -
seldom used!
But the mere knowing of geography
doesn’t help arrive at
any promised land.
Useless, we wander
in the desert
finding only broken promises.
Then, our hearts see…
heavenly guidance?
“Look, a line tossed from above!”
Our hearts hold tight.
Our talents are reeled in,
put to use, in our promised land.
- Jobie Avonley
( You may also like the related poem,
Across the Rio Grande. You can read it here:
https://tenderandstrong.wordpress.com/2022/05/07/across-the-rio-grande/ )
Destiny for the U.S.
Is democracy in decline in the USA?
Well, it’s up to us to say.
Even if we follow self-rule to its tomb
it’s not final. There’s still a fix.
Self-government can rise again.
Stick with it to the end -
if needed, await its Phoenix.
- Jobie Avonley
Encouragement in Poetry
Beaming love
a sacred poem
by Jobie Townshend-Zellner
(aka Jobie Avonley)
Please visit link to read:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/449gaq6gja?s=copylink
Reader's Favorites
Here – a Piece of Paper
Here, your listening ear
landing pad for creation.
Here, the potter’s wheel
centers imagination.
Here, chisel meets stone –
transfigures a world apart.
Here, the open door.
Here, the ships depart.
Here, the seedbed
and the watering can.
- Jobie Avonley
Joy for us!
I am
in awe of
mirrors.
They redirect
light to
touch us.
Oh Divine One
praise Your dispatch
of reflectors
of all kinds -
the faces, places
talents, that shine
Your grace
into darkened hearts
rekindling their flames.
I praise God for poetry -
like sunlight reflected off
deep blue bay waters
it brightens our days
brings joie de vivre
to you and me!
- Jobie Avonley
Carvings in Rock
It’s in the breaking of the seed
that new growth begins.
Purity of water has power
as strong as love.
When we break bread, do we
recall the farm workers’ bending backs?
Using Apple devices, do we dwell on the close
quarters of those toiling to make them?
Will we recall and empathize with the plight
of workers slaving for our creature comforts
when we let ourselves be touched, and no longer
toss our heads and say “Cry me a river”?
Crying out, crying for, lost humanity - if we
all united in that, the flood of our caring
would break open calloused hearts.
As surely as ocean tides carve
new forms on coastal rock cliffs
we would carve new forms of
humane actions - guided by our
tenderness, newly broken open.
- Jobie Avonley
Courage in Poetry
SHADOW-WAR HERO
Once shadows were exciting!
Dark cloud shadows, with scent of coming rain
The shrinking shadow of a descending carrying-my-friend plane
Fan blade shadows, rotating over my summer reading
But lately, gloomy shadows have come creeping
across my mental landscape, screaming
fearfully ominous lies in my face,
as I’m forging ahead with good projects in my embrace.
“Why are you doing this at all?
“Somebody else could do it much better than you!”
“Your efforts for good are so small
nothing worthwhile will ever come through!”
I should have slammed the door in their faces!
They now hover over me, a black umbrella in all places,
blocking the light, suffocating what’s right.
Under their shadow, will I ever grow?
Hello, warm friend! I feel bouncing off you, the light of what’s true!
Can I grow across to you?
No. To be upright,
I, myself, have to head towards the light!
Thank you for your reflected light, it’s given me courage to fight.
I will destroy this tyrannical umbrella of lies by being wise.
When they’re not looking,
I’ll give them the boot with what’s true:
“Why are you doing this at all?”
I’m doing this because of my divine call.
over which you have no power at all!
“Somebody else could do it much better than you!”
There’s no one who’s “better” - what’s needed is my uniqueness;
but you can’t understand that - you represent mass hypnosis.
“Your efforts for good are so small -
nothing worthwhile will ever come through!”
My efforts are more than your unlawful lies, which are zero.
My source is endless good, which ultimately rules as hero.
- Jobie Townshend-Zellner
