Ready to Swing (sonnet)

The bell rings like an echo in my head.
I wipe the sweat and blood from off my face.
I'm down, I hear the count, but I'm not dead,
And I will not let this end in disgrace.
I muster up all the will I can find
To pull myself up on my knees and hands.
I scrape the corners of my weary mind
To summon an army from no man's land.
I lean on the ropes and pull myself up,
Willing my body to do as I ask.
The killer rounds have been many enough,
And I don't know if I'm up to the task.
I hold my head high, get ready to swing,
And pray they don't drag me out of this ring.

Uphold Me, Lord (sonnet)

Uphold me, Lord, when my footsteps falter.
Keep my upright when I waver and fall.
Bring me low before Your Holy alter,
I sacrifice to You my life, my all.
May Your praises ever be on my lips,
May my gratitude be without an end.
Hold me tightly each time I nearly slip.
You're the nearest thing I have to a Friend.
May my prayers to You be conversations,
Like pals who're speaking one to another.
Show me Your own secret revelations,
Comfort like a loving, older Brother.
May my outstretched arms praise You like the trees;
For only You can bring me into peace.

My Own Hero (sonnet)

Nobody is coming to rescue me,
No knight in bright armor will save the day.
I can't really count on others to be
The thing that gets me moving on my way.
My mother won't be coming to my aid,
My friends have problems, plenty of their own.
So why is it that I'm still so afraid -
After all I'm a woman that is grown?
My children look to me for direction,
But I've no energy to lead the way.
Exhaustion spreads just like an infection,
Leaving me but a blob of shapeless clay.
My own hero, I'll simply have to be.
I cannot count on anyone but me.

A Brand New Day (sonnet)

Today I feel the shadows rolling in,
The clouds obscure the sunlight in the sky.
I can't seem to find the will to begin,
I'm stuck in a rut and I don't know why.
I know blue skies are out there just waiting
For me to open up my wings and fly.
So why am I sitting here debating
Whether or not I should give in and cry?
The blessings around are such a glory,
Opportunity's knocking on my door.
Now is the time to rewrite my story,
So what exactly am I waiting for?
A brand new day is dawning just for me,
Lord, help me make it the best it can be!

Simply Have to Wait (sonnet)

No little green car in the parking lot,
No smiling face to meet me at the door,
I thought she would be there, but she was not,
I had my dates all mixed up yet once more.
Here I was prepared to bare all my scars,
My heart was hanging, tattered, on my sleeve,
And I had wasted many useless hours
Convincing myself there'd be a reprieve.
Of course it is not that big of a deal,
I can pack up the worries, thoughts, and dreams.
I'll tell myself I have to wait to feel
Until sometime next week, or so it seems.
I am often early and seldom late.
All my issues will simply have to wait.

The Maze in My Mind (sonnet)

Ageless and nameless and faceless, I feel,
As though I do not fit in anywhere.
Are my thoughts or my feelings even real,
Or did some weird stroke of fate put them there?
There are some things I know with certainty,
But there are so many things that I doubt.
I have learned a great deal from books, you see,
But there's still so much I can't figure out. 
Do others struggle with questions like these,
Or am I just some special kind of freak?
Will my heart and mind ever be at ease?
Will I ever find the answers I seek?
How on earth will I ever hope to find
A way to explain the maze in my mind?