CRUELTY (POEM)

In the illustration, we see the first stanza of a poem I composed two days ago. Here is the full piece. I pray that it blesses everyone who reads it in Jesus’ name.

CRUELTY (POEM)

Cruelty comes in many forms
A cold stare
When a smile is needed
A sneer
When encouragement is sought
Tongue lashing, public shaming
It need not come to blows
These hurt just as much

Turning others into verbal punching bags
Poking fun at them all the time
Questioning their motives and intelligence
Belittling their efforts and accomplishments
Slashing their self-esteem and confidence
How these make the doer brutal like a beast!

Cruelty
It reduces those who show it
Makes them subhuman
It’s not a strength to gloat on
It’s a strain of an infection
Sin is the name and Christ is the cure

Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2016

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Scriptural references:

Proverbs 18:21
The tongue can bring death or life….

Romans 7:18
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature….

Romans 7:24-25
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. …

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

These scriptures, except the last, are from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.
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44 comments

  • CHUKWU RUTH IFEOMA

    Great poem ma, may God bless you for the good work you are doing. indeed cruelty is develish.

    • Edith Ohaja

      And the blood of Jesus can cleanse the one affected and with salvation comes a new heart, praise God! Nice to hear from you, Ruth!

  • Good one! Thanks for sharing it with us.

  • Eze Benjamin Oduma

    Some people fail to remember that cruelty does not pay and many a times can boomerang. Let’s shun cruelty.

  • Obetta Collins Odinakachukwu

    thanks auntie… this really made my day

  • Ikwuakam Oluchi Francisca

    The ceremonial name ‘cruelty’ codes the evil within the word I think,had I known all those are ‘cruel’,I would have been more like Jesus.

    • Edith Ohaja

      Being like Jesus does help us to refrain from cruelty. May your goodness show forth everyday in Jesus’ name.

    • Isaac sopuruchi peace

      The question is, what do people gain by being cruel, because I have seen none. We pray holy spirit helps us to be upright in all our ways.

  • Udeh favour makuachukwu

    You are 100% correct MA, cruelty doesn’t necessarily mean poisoning someone or killings. It has so many tenets and that’s what people fail to realize. Thanks for this nice poem it is really educating

  • Ozoguejiofor Uche Jacinta

    So true. People derive joy and have a sense of triumph over people they public shame. People they make feel less of human beings from comments. We should speak love often and not hate.

  • Anazodo Helen

    Cruelty is just another way of wickness, i dont know how people derive joy in doing so and it doesn’t even pay.

  • Adonu Ifeanyichukwu B

    Those who are cruel with their words or in their actions are mere sadists who derive joy in the pains of others. May God replace their burning desire to cause pains to others with brotherly love and concern for others Amen.

  • Nwele Euphemia Uzoamaka

    I loath cruel people, i rate them as people who derive joy from peoples sadness

  • Chioma Harmony

    I read a quote once that gave an encouragement of tasting ones words before spitting it out. Even the Bible acknowledges the tongue as dangerous. People should be mindful of what they say bearing in mind that words can make or Mar people.

  • Nwankwo Amanda

    Personally, I believe that cruelty is from the pit of hell, God needs to touch the heart of cruel people to change.

  • judith

    I find it difficult to believe, people can be so cruel, the fact is, it doesn’t start in a day, its a gradual process that diminishes a man, its becomes so bad when these steps can’t be retraced.

  • Cruelty is a disease that even those who have it are not aware of, it only takes the grace of God to cure it.May God help us to overcome such an inhuman act.

  • “A cold stare when a smile is needed” I think this is the worst of all and I am guilty. I just learnt my cruelty is reducing people’s self-esteem. I should change. Thank you, Aunty Edith.

  • Joan chikadibia Eze

    Many people have taken this bad attitude as their habit which murders people being humiliated. Therefore, we should learn how to approach people in all ramifications.

  • Mirian Ndawe

    There are many things that are worse than killing someone, being cruel is not just killing but also failing to give a helping hand when one is needed, discouraging your friends who want to try new things, etc.
    Cruelty is bad.

  • Eze martins Tochukwu

    Thank you ma for this wonderful poem. Cruelty is a very bad thing and people must not be cruel to their follow human being for enhance cordial relationship to continue.

  • Oshana Oyaku Endurance

    We can be cruel to people in different ways, some words we say to people are very deadly bullet that pierce them straight in their heart, so we should be very careful with how we talk, react and behave with others.

  • Arthur Ukaga

    There’s so much cruelty in the world today. So many people are insulted and downtrodden because of how they appear or their social status. They may think it’s all in jest but it’s cruelty. None of them ever consider how the receiving party feels. It may even lead to suicide. Lovely piece MA.

  • NWACHUKWU VICTORIA TOCHUKWU

    This just explains what goes out everywhere and anytime. Curelty from other’s has even brought the victims down to a depressed state of mind, making them question themselves like God didn’t do a perfect job. Being strong and believe that you are made perfect,is the key. To support the ending… Sin is indeed the name and Jesus is the cure. Thank you ma for such an informative poem.

  • Chinelobi Treasure Oluchi

    Cruelty reduces the one who shows it, but kindness and love makes one beautiful no matter how ugly/disabled you are.

  • Okorie Adaora N.

    When encouragement is sought
    Tongue lashing, public shaming.This particularly line is very bad and very common. It reduces one’s self esteem and the victim starts hiding in his shell even at that the same cruel people come around and call you an introvert. I just pray God deliver them. Amen

  • Thomas Rebecca Ina

    Wow! It’s all here, a ridicule instead of encouragement, a frown instead of a smile, most hurting is public shaming, and people don’t know just how deep the cut gets. Unfortunately, sometimes we are guilty of being cruel not because we want to hurt someone, sometimes unconsciously, it makes us guilty regardless so at this point we must learn to apologize and get things right.

  • Duru Joselyn Amarachi

    “It is not a strength to gloat on”. It reduces those who show it to ‘sub’ humans. Sin is the name but Christ is it’s cure.
    If we read this poem with depth and understanding, we get to understand that the reverse is the case in our world today. People brag about how much they have sinned and take pride in sinful and shameful acts. Guys brag about the numbers of girls they have slept with and ladies brag about how their attractiveness brings only rich ‘sugar daddies’. Remember humans are not dogs and as such, any behavior that is depicted in likeness of an animal indeed makes one subhuman. And so, I concur with Aunty Edith for Christ is the only cure.

  • “”Cruelty
    It reduces those who show it
    Makes them subhuman
    It’s not a strength to gloat on
    It’s a strain of an infection
    Sin is the name and Christ is the cure””.. Hmmmm this lines gave me goose bumps….
    Why not give kindness a chance.. It takes absolutely nothing to be kind.

  • Ogbonnaya Noble Comfort

    The public shaming aspect of cruelty is really demeaning, it kills morales but all the same, I’ll put on self-confidence in the midst of every one of them all.

    • Leonard Ugwu (Leonard D Great)

      The Beast of Cruelty

      And he stood like a mountain
      Throwing bitter threats to their heart
      Who in Israel can challenge my might
      I am the fountain of Philistine

      Speak! Oh soldiers moan!
      Let your eyes be fed to the dogs
      And your skin scraped from your skull
      Is there anyone to challenge me?

      And he stood tall calling on death
      His flaw and damnation exalted him
      Whence he spoke of God.
      “The helpless God of Israel ”
      Woe to him.

      Come! little shepherd
      Come!!
      you are the powerless might of me
      And now in you my exaltation.

      Hahaha! “what’s that stick for? Do you think I am a dog? ”
      Come ! Oh Israel
      Bring your weak God I will slay him
      Like a fowl

      Who is this noise maker?
      Who is this foul?
      Wait on the God of Israel
      And you shall be worse than shame.

      The God of Israel rumbled
      “Enough! You cruel beast of Philistine
      Take a shameful sling let silence rule
      A stone of no worth I made worthy

      The cruel beast fell worse than shame
      Vultures searched for his head

      and God took his glory.

  • Victor-sunday Daniel

    The last line of the article crowns it all, ” sin is the name and Christ is the cure”. Therefore, to every single cruelty, shame, guilt accusations, slander,sneer,a stare, dehumanization to mention but a few, JESUS is the cure, why not run to him, surrender your Life and be committed to his love, then watch you life as it takes a drastic turnaround. Thank you Ma for this exposition.

  • Victor-sunday Daniel

    The last line of the article crowns it all” sin is the name and CHRIST is the cure”. Therefore to every single cruelty, shame ,guilt, accusations,slander, sneer, a stare, dehumanization to mention but a few, JESUS CHRIST is the cure, why not run to him, surrender your life and be dedicated to his love, then watch your life as it takes a drastic turnaround. Thank you Ma for this exposition.

  • Goodness Oluebube Nwaneji

    Christ is indeed the cure! Nice poem Ma.

  • Treasure Emone

    Cruelty is evil and we should all flee from it.

  • Kamsy Mbamalu

    The only cause of cruelty by humans is sin!
    We need to reach out to those who are cruel and the victims of those acts especially in this generation where cruelty (sin) is praised.

  • Agha Onyinye Judith

    These do hurt just as much 😓 I’m sorry if I have ever made someone feel this way.

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