in stolen fragments of hope,

whispers of freedom come closer.

Strives against captivity, rises above negative forces,

aborts prejudices that question his motives,

wants his merits to stand alone.

Alone….

A word that used to perpetuate fear,

callous his softened heart, softly speaks,

but loudly received into his thoughts.

Speaks faith among those whose faith can’t handle it,

despised for being positive,

he lies in the thickets of unkempt fields,

knowing it isn’t permanent.

Feels the pressure beat upon his structure,

but doesn’t break,

seen a couple storms in his day;

a few deaths that struck him,

some adversity that threatened to leave him in a rut,

but became better anyway.

Purposed for greater, bread crumb visions cleaved to,

received into his spirit,

its truth confirmed repeatedly in mouths of those

which once didn’t believe….

Friendships from those who began as enemies

scraping dust upon his shell,

no condemnations now,

just brains processing new memories.

An army forms into a fortress of faith

thawing the frozen moments,

hope grows from the soil,

good seed reaps a harvest a hundredfold….

Children play in the gardens,

no thoughts of the unkempt fields they once were,

a place where no one goes to prison.

The presence of the Almighty God robed in flesh
came to make a difference,
The Passover Lamb slain to receive power,
riches, wisdom, strength, and honor can now live in us.
Receiving the finished work of Christ
by believing in His name changes our condition.
Once forgotten, now accepted,
once condemned, now repentant,
we can become all things in Him.

If we abide in that secret place,
allow Him to abide in our darkest places,
He’ll make us divinely connected.
His sustenance would flow through us,
causing leaves to grow and fruit to show,
the evidence of His faithfulness.
With Him we can do all things,
but without Him we can do nothing
but await the fire, fruitless…….

By Marshall Jones

Friends don’t understand him,

almost like they speak different languages,

sitting amid struggle trying to make ends meet,

broken, depleted of energy to keep fighting,

stands at the edge of suffering tempted…..

What makes him think he was qualified

to tackle pinnacles of progress,

have a tireless drive for success,

to join the ones that have stretched the confines

of their space for a little taste of heaven?

”Don’t…do…it!”

A fear induced voice shakes out a plea for him to rethink his stance,

too afraid to join him on the edge of suffering,

so they beg for him to come down from a distance.

”Think about your family!”

A plea for him to regain perspective met with a cold glance,

’cause that’s exactly what is guiding his thoughts….

best if he leaped because if he didn’t,

he wouldn’t have any self-respect left,

And he’ rather die than to live in cowardice.

The brisk wind sends a shiver down his spine,

a tear strikes his shoe,

conflicted about the course of his life,

bites his lip to defy the army of moisture,

to subdue his stress.

A crowd forms under his eyes,

flashing lights transform into a runway for his flight,

no choice but to swan dive off the edge of suffering,

to live abundantly, or die trying.

Gone are days fighting for relevance,

depending upon people for a position of importance,

gone is the laying on his bed waiting to be fed,

his measure based upon someone else’s assistance.

He’s better than this…

Yet he stands on the edge of suffering,

reluctant to jump,

like who he was is something worth protecting.

”What do you have to lose?”

A gentle voice asks, and he knows it’s the Lord,

now discovering to discomfort was God disrupting the nest,

to make him want this more than anything in the world.

He smiles, then soars, off the edge of suffering,

diving into his destiny: true success!

We’re in a ”feel good” society, with really good imposters
disguised as ministers, disguised as sheep,
but are worse than wolves that are rabid.
The Word regarded as an instrument of influence
instead of life everlasting,
so respect for the privilege of being chosen by God
means nothing.

Teachers who have never been students
abuse the gift they have been given…
someone else blindly trusts in them,
unaware they are not being instructed from Scripture.
Blindly leading the blind into a pit,
giving the enemy a place to rest instead of resisting him.

There’s no accountability, no correction….
Sadly watching the thirsty misled into drinking poison
like it’s the water of life, trying to show them otherwise,
but some people are content with a little darkness
sprinkled around light.

I pray, hoping the truth frees them so they’d receive the Word
with an open heart instead of a matter of opinion,
because disaster awaits them that tamper with the Word.

I want to capture this image forever….

Floating in my mind are your eyes,

beheld a desire to know me better.

Days stretch into eternity,

nights where I watched you sleep securely,

knowing you were protected.

Your presence fills the room of my unfrequented heart,

a force so offsetting, I hold on for dear life.

Never wanted to love you, doubted I’d ever trust someone;

like you blew through barriers to tuck yourself inside.

Tried to push you out of the nest you made,

but you were willing to battle to the death for this place.

Relentlessly showing me the jaws of life weren’t strong enough,

every attempt to pry you loose made you want to stay.

No matter how unattractive I made myself, you found beauty,

thought you had to be crazy to replace my broken wings.

Told me I deserved to fly, let time pass by

just so I could return to the sky.

Said I was special, counted me worthy of your affections,

blessing the paths I travel on this road to success.

Effectual prayers of a fervent nature,

petitioning for me to find comfort in your favor.

Abiding in the unity of love, everything I dreamed of,

while vying for something greater.

Even though a dream produced this vision,

I believe something like this exists for me somewhere.

Just don’t know where to look…..

More Time

I wish we had more time….

So many questions I never got the chance to ask,

too many conversations we’ll never get the chance to have.

But I count myself blessed by your presence for 35 years of my life,

and all the good memories keep me from being sad.

Angie, God had a plan for your life, finished before the world began,

and He that began a good work in your will perform it unto completion.

Until the day of Jesus Christ; until the blood washes you clean,

and passes you from death to life, I just wish we had more time…..

‘Cause this world’s a little colder without you,

but I know you’re home in one of the many mansions prepared for you.

No sickness withering you away, no pestilence flying by day;

healed and safe at the gates of Heaven, where our awesome God awaits.

A saint’s death is precious in the sight of the Lord,

but we think you’re precious too; adored,

every quality you possess collectively makes you special all the more.

I only wish we had more time….

More moments to discover what binds us,

but I think we’ll be just fine.

Your babies are growing into the amazing people you hoped for,

and we’ll continue your work to ensure you shine.

Just want to say thank you for driving across the country to see me,

for running across the visiting room to embrace me,

for putting an end to the difference that kept us distant,

because in that visit, I felt my sister returned to me!

My beloved friend, your purpose is complete, you’ve fought the good fight

finished your race, and on your head is the crown of life.

In a place where there’s no such thing as death,

so I’d be selfish to wish we had more time…We already did!

Rest in Heaven Angela Monique Jones, my Sister.

9/19/1978–5/20/2017

Shelter

Why did a backlash blow the church doors open,

when it shouldn’t have been closed?

Shouldn’t be the last place to provide refuge

to those displaced from their homes;

Church is supposed to be a safe haven from the storms that rage,

where the manifestation of God’s love is shown.

Unfortunate that the world has to call the church

on its misguided perception,

forsaking precious moments to be a blessing;

had an amazing chance to show the world what service really is.

Unbelievers, racists, and people who don’t support our message

put their convictions to the side to give a helping hand,

while the church says, “Wait for the shelters to reach capacity”,

before they help their fellow man.

No wonder they see us, but don’t see who we reflect,

why the church is a building now, not a bridge keeping us connected.

Forever under the microscope, our steps have to be ordered by the Lord,

always ready to perform well with what we’re given.

Quick to jump on a plane and be a missionary while a mission

exists right at your doorstep, a door you initially refused to open.

Could’ve saved thousands, won souls for Christ,

risen above judgements placed on us had you used your 17,000 seats

to be a type of Christ and shelter people from the storm….

It’s His

When people slander you, subject you to the fruit of gossip,

talk about you behind your back like you possess no real gift,

smile when they see you like your best interests are first on their list,

Just know the battle is not yours, it’s His….

When friends abuse the loyalty you have towards them,

purposely make problems, knowing you’ll ride ’til the end,

blind to the truth that you’re no longer on a mission to remain stagnant,

Just know, the battle is not yours, it’s His…..

When family doesn’t paint a clear picture of being a support system,

and you’d rather go at it alone than to ask for assistance,

when you fight not to tuck back into your shell like that old man did,

Just know, the battle is not yours, it’s His….

When you fight, toil, lose, and try again,

when you are weakened by a struggle that has decimated your “land”,

when you fall on your knees, asking God for His strength,

Just know, the battle’s already won, and it’s His!!!

No Tomorrows

The younger brothers are shocked to hear I have Life,

wonder how someone who grinds like they’re getting out tomorrow

can be sentenced to die.

Try to tell them that despite the eons of time before me,

I have the same 24 hours they do, the same opportunity to import

the support I need to see my vision through.

Expressed that the actions are the true indicators

of the passions they want to produce,

and lip service dooms any plans from a procrastinator’s roots.

Have to honor your word, because at any moment,

someone can call you on it, and if unprepared,

the very shot you need can fly away.

I don’t want to compound my struggle by doing nothing,

allowing my life to amount to a waste.

Holding myself accountable for what I fail to accomplished,

I encourage these younger brothers to do the same,

because until they do a self-evaluation, see that all paths begin today,

nothing in their lives will change.

The younger brothers are shocked by my life sentence,

professing that I grind like I’m leaving tomorrow,

but then I ask the question, “Why aren’t you?”

The Fall of Man

Hear the wails of mothers birthing stillborns gone too soon,

fathers failing to present themselves as heads of families

entrusted to lead.

Children see communities they’re raised in

turn into hubs of fear, suburban life no different than the inner city,

hoping politics will change everything.

Silence erupts…an unwelcome presence enters,

disabling security measures guarding progress.

Prayer closets forgotten among the generations,

venturing through life unprotected like the sex

threatening to scar them forever.

Just another day in the life ….

Where normalcy is the next person’s tragedy,

a 14 year old aborts a fetus worth more than

all the money in the world.

Dreams not coming to term,

the carriers seen as waste cast in a barrel and burned.

Fumes of the consumed fill the noses of passerby’s

and the epidemic spreads,

where lives cling to violence in the name of self preservation.

Selfishness is second nature,

won’t even have six pallbearers at your internment,

suggest you make a couple friends.

Carnage so intense it would make Jeffrey Dahmer squeamish,

no one’s asking, “What about the children?”

No one cares…..The fall of man.

More than Belief

I stare out at the crowd of brothers, release dates soon approaching,

wondering do they understand what’s at stake?

Much bigger than just going home,

the familiarity of stolen time,

a fabrication of freedom permeating in their brains.

In my lonely corner,

desperately desiring to admonish them to pay attention,

listen to the fading voice of their childhood begging to be heard.

Too much to experience outside of the box,

far more opportunities to knock on the hearts of people

having the audacity to search.

Hear dreamers speak on their release,

while refusing to work towards anything now.

Won’t move when time has slowed down,

accommodating seamless transitions into new visions,

knowing without preparation, life is certain to knock them around.

Praying these men return to the seeds capable of forming roots,

a ground rich and fertile for growth,

flip a light switch on to see the need to clean house.

Belief gets them to the door, pursuit opens the floor,

the day comes where they beat the odds,

becoming free forever, a future filled with promise.

Key to Destiny

I’ve found something to fight for,

more important than my own wishes,

Treasure something more colorful than prisms

basking in the sun’s glow.

Blessed beyond my childhood pinnacles,

I silently dream from the world to be without limits,

but what limits me?

I’ve found something to strive with,

more valuable than my own pride,

hold unto the pain of my struggle,

eyes overcome by rising tides washing over the despised.

Crickets chirping in the wee hours of the night,

I find myself comfortable with their constant pursuit of life,

but am I comfortable with mine?

I’ve found something to rest in,

more fulfilling than perfect poetry written with fluidity,

challenge my shattered think tank by rebuilding a new one

more collected than my thoughts on a rainy day.

I hate nothing that separates me from the quicksand

that tapered into a pit of flames, either drown in mire or burn by fire,

either way, it’s better than my former days.

I’ve found something truly special, key to my destiny,

now, I just have to find the doors…….

Legalism

There’s too much legalism in Christianity,

unwritten rules designed to trip people up,

keeping them shorter of a mark they’ll never reach.

Leaning on their own understanding,

decreeing how person think or speak,

standards so rigid, Jesus wouldn’t move to their beat.

Misapplying certain slang vernacular

like they don’t know what the words means,

applying negative connotations to innocence,

wondering why people aren’t running towards the mercy seat.

It’s not God who is restricting the airspace;

it’s the representatives that close in the space.

Telling you to walk on a tiled floor

without stepping on any cracks,

instead of teaching we don’t walk by sight, but by faith.

Never would’ve made it without God’s grace,

making up for my errors by stripping my old life away,

now watching people take salvation,

making it a series of woes and incarceration.

Our people fold under their guidelines for change,

never appreciating the process of the layer peeling back;

looking back seeing how far we’ve came.

Legalism doesn’t exist in the world God framed for us;

it’s the thing that keeps a man from seeking God’s face,

from experiencing the joy of transformation

cleaning ours lives day by day…..

My Worth

Since birth I’ve been searching…

Just like a cat, curiosity has been killing me,

filling my bloodstream with uncertainty,

too many questions, but the answers seem far from me.

Blessed with the gift of objective reasoning,

longing to relate these lessons to me,

Just want to belong to something……

Learning to be still, non-reactive to adversity,

doesn’t mean I’m void of feeling and things don’t affect me.

My light has to shine in the midst of darkness as a beacon,

Guiding those who can’t see.

Anxiety breeds unbelief, leading to unfulfilled dreams

and the hopelessness of a life incomplete.

The seeds under me can’t be able to see these traits in me…

I’m obligated, no matter the frustration,

to will myself to be great.

Fear of failure can no longer be my resting place,

suppressing the death of my goals,

speaking life to my aspirations by faith.

Saturating myself in this maturation process,

oblivious to any who aren’t running this race.

Forward progress wins the crown, so why are many running in place?

Reflecting when I was headed nowhere fast,

submersed in a lifestyle, aware it wouldn’t last.

An outcast redirected frequently, became a statistic,

because I had no vision, blasted others for living.

Went on existing, becoming deaf to the voices

calling for me to listen.

Drifted through one ear, sure to make a hasty exit;

missed messages, burned bridges,

overlooked everything positive.

Lost sight of my identity, turbulence became my sanity,

stability was always an unknown concept,

Recognizing the blessing in being able to look back.

My worth comes from God,

standing solely upon His promises,

experience and wisdom have been close friends,

needing both to grow and prosper as a man.

No longer bound by others’ perceptions

because of my awareness of what lies within.

I savor my return to my promising beginnings

because I now know my worth….

Open Casket

He grieves …

Purges his spirit of loss,

chalk lines of stolen time,

finds himself between a mountainous sea

and a tree with a lonesome leaf.

Screams of a bluejay’s confusion pour into his deflated ego,

too many holes for air to hold, holds his breath instead,

imagines the fallen remnants of his quiet struggle

going to his head, attacking him in his bed.

He grieves…

Tearfully building a kingdom amid people who would never enter,

saw the foundation and drifted away safely secure in his success.

He’s blessed, bled dry of toxicity, rearranged his heart’s contents,

now Christ is the center of his process.

No longer grieves for people,

the delegation of angels left behind their mantle,

a roadmap to their power,

an example of service.

He grieves …

The victimizations, poor self relation,

the times his reflection brought sorrow,

time wasted chasing ghosts complicit to his suffering,

scoffing at his weakness.

Beacons led him from soul trafficking to perpetual freedom,

seeks a better covenant, it’s promises sealed in bloodshed.

Stares into the casket flooded with memories of iniquity,

troubled by pain, damages extensive.

He grieves …

Because there are so many imprisoned just like he was,

but nothing sets them free.

Numbered

Some say I’m just a number …

A thumbnail on a manual of offenses too forgotten

amid 23,000 men and women.

How can I measure up to the Scarlett letters,

perpetual judgements of people,

obscene sentences with no incentive to be positive?

Who sees life imprisonment as a corrective measure

when there isn’t a second chance given?

Just pitched into the prison system,

a key broken off until we’re used in some tough-on-crime initiative.

I wonder what my judge would say

if we had a conversation 17 years later…

Would he be adamant to cast me away forever,

would he attribute my change to the same prison system

that tried to break my spirit?

Would he admit he was wrong about his analysis;

calling me evil incarnate,

deeming there nothing salvageable within?

No one sees me ripping at success in daily expressions of love,

counseling the downtrodden,

convincing brothers there is hope in their breath.

Statistics say my recidivism rate is less than

people with a month left, yet,

who broadcasts my Compas Report and Legacy Assessment?

Our nation is in need of prison reform,

but it begins in our homes, continues through education,

extends to our cities and bleeds into our state.

Can you hear the can being kicked by timid politicians

too afraid of their constituents to push for change?

Rather admit in hindsight that things

should’ve been handled differently than to do something substantive,

while people like me watch them drive with no engine,

headed nowhere …

Some say I’m just a number, 3-6-6-2-3-1,

relegated to a lifetime of prison,

where the sun will never rise again.

If they only knew the truth …

Glass Ceiling

Felt like a movie playing the day he sentenced me …

Time stopped as I laid my head on the table,

tears battered the carpet beneath.

Tears laced the face of my brother,

told me “Don’t cry”,

like life imprisonment wasn’t a good reason.

Still remember that day…

Glad to say the memory still follows me,

words conveyed, but construed as “expedient”, strangely,

everything I promised, I completed.

You see, I’m nothing similar to the miscreant I used to be;

I can be seen engaged in Bible study,

counseling brothers, mediating conflict,

appealing to their humanity.

Questioning the ingrained skepticism

rendering a prisoner stagnant,

combat the pundits who don’t believe opportunity exist.

I sit with them until they envision their own lies diminish

from the war against truth,

until they boldly defy statistics.

The prison system “needs” people like me

as a balancing point,

managing the temperaments they don’t understand.

Entrusted to discreetly calm these wounded spirits,

to help transform the thoughts of these men.

When asked, they pat themselves on the back,

taking credit for my efforts,

all while telling others I’m still a threat.

Every morning presents a challenge;

a decision to wrestle freedom from my captor’s hands,

look beyond the razor wire fences to what truly lies ahead.

A forest, dense with life,

growing unrestricted,

affecting the viewer with limitless pictures of blessings replenished.

Endless fuel for my journey over ranges of mountains;

some climbed for preparation, others for restoration,

yet others mastered for the purpose of strengthening my legs.

Cause I’ll never tire …

20 hour days struggling to reach others before they suffer,

some days I feel my harvest hasn’t reaped enough.

Reaching after the goals I’ve set

while battling disappointments,

proudly admitting this grind gets tough.

Drawing from the inspiration of people that broke through;

the Roderick Bankstons, the Alice Johnsons,

the Myon Burrells, the Cyntoia Browns,

all found themselves crashing through their glass ceilings.

What did they do when their own strength couldn’t accomplish it?

When assistance seemed so unlikely?

How did they fight when they were too tired to swing?

What kept their hearts from breaking?

Tearfully fatigued, I remember the day he sentenced me,

“Don’t cry” echoing, the haters retreating,

because I’ll never stop beating until shards of glass fall upon me.

One day, they’ll ask how I disgraced the impossibility,

how I’ve been set free …

The Climb

Saw a frog climbing a wall, so I stopped to watch it,

amazed by its blending in with its surroundings.

Gave me its history, how it previously almost made it to the top,

but plunged to the ground, but here it is, still climbing. . . . .

Saw two other frogs sitting at ground level, content with being stationary,

happy with people feeding them, but they weren’t attractive. . . . .

Saw the profundity in this moment,

correlated it to my life and reassessed my own movements.

Inspired by this amphibian who never gave into its predicament,

never gave up when it was knocked to the ground, after all the effort it put in.

It just rested and hopped back to the wall, and began to climb again.

The frog’s unwillingness to accept its current position lit another fire under me,

encouraged me to keep climbing,

keep rising,

keep fighting until I’m one day free.

If I never see the top of what I fought so valiantly for,

then at least I can say I died trying.

In some ways, that frog is me!

Front Lines

All my life, I stood on the front lines ready to fight….

For a family that fractured before I was 5, a disaster by the time I was 9,

my pillow became the dam that didn’t flood my mattress,

so that became victory in my eyes.

Challenged authority as I battled the majority of those around me….

Composed of people hating my guts for striving to achieve excellency,

battered me mentally for being smart, 

then physically for being meek.

Fought my way in and out of the neighborhoods I inhabited;

it was either play rabbit or rabbit punch,

sometimes I’d punch and run, 

maybe stomp one before they jumped in.

Befriended the enemy, became dependent on safety,

so I relented just enough.

The fight for dominance became a chess match,

so before we moved again, I went from bottom feeder to leader,

from hated to loved.

All my life, I stood on the front lines, ready to fight….

For love that abandoned me, 

gave me inferiority issues, overcompensating so they wouldn’t leave,

tried to be everything so they’d see I’m worth keeping.

Tattooed my low self-esteem to my sleeve,

wondering why they mistreated, 

unaware that my body language made me open season.

Felt if I fought and forgave, if I’d travel barefoot in the desert,

they’d care enough about sacrifices to stay.

Mistakenly thought a war fought for the name of love

would grant me my soulmate,

but it only stood in my way.

I learned that love isn’t the battle I thought it was,

real love is gifted, not something I had to jump off a cliff

to prove I’m worthy of it, nor is it something that will leave me stripped.

It’s the presence of God manifested through interactions of his people,

something that’s freely given, 

but here I stood, ready to fight for it…..

All my life, I stood on the front lines, ready to fight….

Until the word of God showed me that He’d fight for me

if I shall hold my peace,

If I’d seek His kingdom first, He’s add everything I desire unto me.

The battle was never mine to begin with,

so how could I have victory when I haven’t trusted this war to him,

or receive a promise in a land He hasn’t sent me?

Seeing my folly made me stop fighting for family and love, 

because I never had to fight for these.

He ordains family to spring forth,

welcoming me into their embrace, 

not something I have to climb out of holes to receive.

I stand on the front lines,

my heart open, glad the war has ended….

Remission

His potent flowage of thoughts begin to siphon his focus,

glow where darkness has led him into unknown lands,

where demands upon his patience command him to stand silent,

he learns the terrain around him.

His eyes behold the treacherous motives of lonely hearts,

desperate overtones of growling tummies,

becoming a chorus of only the gifted in solitude,

box of emptiness in their hands.

He plans but he’s out of touch with his inner man, so he fails,

hailed a hero but the nails that have driven him into the earth

have failed to give him peace.

He sees grief, he sees dying, 

he sees the eyes of his comrades lying inside 

of darkened lids of fatigue.

Doesn’t see the blessing under such misery, 

question the fairness of him being released.

So many are afflicted permanently,

so what makes him more deserving of healing?

Everything he prayed for is happening,

but he’s looking at the ones that aren’t as fortunate….

A melody of a flat line sends shivers down is spine,

a message of a white flag lifted in defiance.

The hospice he was sentenced to life in, slated to die in,

became the place he heard the most coveted word: Remission.

He departs conflicted, seeing a new world through old lenses,

blessed but discouraged…..

Forgotten

I am forgotten….

Among the people too weak or sickly to see me as special,

in the circles of toxicity, along the pathways of the diseased.

Amnesia becomes them, 

their presence becomes as thin as the air on these mountains I climb,

conditioned to breathe where others have died trying to reside here.

My tears recycled into the water I ingest,

the world is confounded….

I smile while the world expects me to be stressed,

I blessed when they curse me and pray for my death.

I comfort those who never held my best interests,

forgiveness is my weapon, a weapon that prosper them…

I am forgotten….

Among the forsaken, along the highways I’ve been saved from,

Separated from the tares the enemy planted,

my wheat can grow obstructed.

No weeds to choke out my success, of keep my bound to their disbelief,

no longer grieves me to destruction when people leave,

maybe, I’ll be better of without them.

I am forgotten….

Among the ones that have gracefully bowed out, 

along the avenues of wasted moments,

only at the beginning of gaining in the face of losses?

Placed my faith in the purpose of my Father,

Who both gives and takes away,

what remains is sufficient and well worth the cost.

I’ve lost nothing by being forgotten,

so why does it prick my soul sometimes, 

to walk around unacknowledged?

A question I wish was among the forgotten…..

Gunshots

Gunshots….Do you hear the gunshots?

Clotless blood floods the sewer, gets stuck in the drains,

the brains of many dead men washed away.

Dead men?

Men used to be the main victim, 

now women and children fill the pits as magazines extend…

10 extends to 17, 17 to 30, 30 to 50, 

depending on the fear that extends to every man.

Gunshots….Do you hear the gunshots?

Lots of bullets dislodge life from people,

projectiles litter our city streets, our passionate anger feeds the cemetery,

all while the gun has no enemies.

We kill, but our humanity dies with the murdered,

never knew it would unearth the existence 

of the walking deceased.

Gunshots….Do you hear the gunshots?

The progression of a child’s nonchalance to tragedy is damaging,

branding their brains to accept violence as reality.

Grow up holding the guns of their elders,

without the knowledge they possess,

made instruments of violence instead of pillars of success.

Fed lies as destructive as pistols tucked in the waistbands,

they fire at the wrong targets, innocence becomes another casualty.

Gunshots…Do you hear the gunshots?

Do you hear the souls drowning in the bloodbaths of mass casualties,

afflicted patients fill hospital beds,

a tearful shriek of a mother crying over her dead?

Does the sound echo into the hearts of men,

abound the the minds of them who are haunted by thoughts of death?

Caught between the crossfire of conflict,

the recipient of something unintended,

they question God’s existence, a funeral procession gets their attention.

Gunshots….Do you hear the gunshots?

Or have you gone deaf?

You’ve given me wisdom, then it’s tested to prove its presence,
considered when making great decisions,
so all can witness its existence.
I sometimes bypass sound wisdom beneficial for my growth,
complicate things when You make them simple,
I never seem to rest when You tell me to.

Fighting battles instead of rising above them,
I act as if I never was given wisdom, pissing and moaning
like I’m going to be suffering forever.
Lacking insight because I fail to ask with expectancy,
letting myself stay dormant instead of knowing
that in You lies all my plans.

It would be wrong to ask for more wisdom,
judging by the fact that I haven’t mastered what I have yet,
so my prayer is that You show me the proper direction.
Because if I move in my power, in my own intelligence,
and in my own strength, then I know hard times are ahead.

Without Your wisdom, I’m up a creek without a boat,
let alone a paddle, fairly expected for me
to be in over my head.
Teach me what I need to know,
because what I thought I knew is not good enough
knowing You is the difference….

Promising Look

I look as if the sun’s shining on my face,
never allow a hard time to disgrace me,
causing a negative thought to have its place.
Looking forward to better and brighter days,
where I’m not scrutinized mercilessly,
trying to remain in the Lord’s promises
instead of allowing fearful thoughts to have reign.

The battle doesn’t demand me to fight it,
nor conceive how the victory will be won,
but it does require me to trust in God by faith.
Pouring myself in Scripture to replace the fear of uncertainty,
certain that there’s nothing I can do to un-ring this bell.
Some storms are meant to endure;
maybe what’s birthed from this is another level
of strength, ensuring I’ll never fail.

Given me a greater thirst for righteousness,
surveying things I entertained, choices I’ve made,
doing away with even more things that can lead me astray,
because there are souls at stake,
people who rely on me to send a positive report their way.

So I’m grateful for the opportunity to reassess my life
in order to continue to live out my best days.
My hope springs up, the sun comes out,
I smile in the face of fear….victorious!

The Bowels of Injustice

In the bowels of injustice lies a message,
an opportunity to regain perspective about blind spots
one continues to ignore.
Imploring him to refine himself even further, he relents,
allowing the pain to wash over.

Drowning in the lavas of self-improvement,
still confused as to why he’s in the fire.
Thought his movement alone spoke for his continued rise,
but to much is given, much is required.

As badly as he wants to scream ”woe is me”
because the pain is a little extreme; he knows the truth,
that he’s a blessing; walking, covered and protected,
something a hard time could never undo.

His perception of himself allows him to step out of the throes
of affliction for a second to find a connection
between what he’s been through and where he’s going.
Trying to find purpose in anything, even suffering,
so he prays, hoping God shows him.

Hanging in the balance waiting for answers
while being rooted in faith is not for the weary,
but he finds himself tiring;
hopefully the fire’s burning off any weakness.

Persevering for the sake of a message
that will push him into his next chapter,
hoping sadness isn’t one of those blind spots,
cause that’s a mighty mountain to climb with sore legs….

Garage

Slowly trying to move items in,
hoping to make a home out of this garage,
no plumbing, nothing working,
just an empty space that needs to be filled,
desperate to be whole.
Inadequate in what cries forth as a lie
that keeps the space unoccupied,
almost like if doesn’t see that it needs this.

So it allows fear to weigh so heavily
that it keeps the door opening, the closer I get,
the more if seems to work against me.
Halfway in and halfway out, halfway doing everything
and that’s why nothing gets done.
Doesn’t even want it decorated, just empty,
a place to drive in and pull out, nothing attractive,
and definitely doesn’t want people to inhabit it.

Throws in a couple of cobwebs and the connection of arachnids
to keep people at a distance, but it’s ruining its own blessing,
and that’s why it doesn’t have it.
I’ll just leave a small trinket, hoping it will accept it
and watch for the next time I’ll be able to move something else in.

Won’t Quit

I don’t give up when the fair weather turns into rain,
I wet my beak with hope that the seeds I reach for will
bloom into the plants they are.
Have faith that a star’s death makes room in the sky
for ten more to come alive, so inside,
I won’t feel troubled by a light’s departure.

Vision requires understanding of times,
seasons and reasons why people leave,
and trying to cling onto someone exiting, can drag you
through rocky places with nothing ahead but grief.
I try to be smarter than the fool-hearted person I used to be,
exercising a little patience, staying grounded
when I try to fly out of my seat.

I just keep pressing until I’m breaking through the vortexes
restricting me from seeing the other side,
because I won’t be another star dying,
being replaced by ten more like me.
That would be a waste of everything I fought so tirelessly for,
to make it this far only to bow out to defeat…Not Happening!

It’s time……
Feel it in my spirit that it’s turning around for me,
ready to step out until I’m living past the edge,
faith as the substance, belief as the humble origin
where the Word is absolutely everything.

No longer bound by the convenience of passing time
wishing for my desires to come true.
No darkness to keep me in a stagnant fear
of what may come into view,
I relinquish my hardened heart, exchange it for openness
that with God, all things become new.

Easy to look at what could go wrong,
or stare in the faces of the people that don’t move an inch
because that secretly say my progress is pointless.
If I believed their report instead of the messages sent by God,
I’ll be nothing more than someone standing
on the outside looking in,
never accomplishing anything,
just finding myself growing bitter by the minute,
timid when it comes to obstacles, so I stand there limited
by my own lack of momentum.

It’s time I stand in the boxing ring with this violent competitor,
never taking no for an answer, I fight until they either
hoist my arm up as the champion,
or carry me out covered on a stretcher.
Either way, I’m getting the hell outta here!

Circle of Friends

He sits outside of the circle of friends he’s known his whole life,
watching them crack jokes, having fun without a care in the world.
The outskirts have always been his comfort zone,
his point between the family he’s always hoped for,
and the isolation that he feels he deserves.

Wants to be a part of the banter,
but feels he has to play protector of his own heart,
secret knows that if his life came tumbling down,
it would be him alone to pick up the pieces.
So many people have told him to leave and, and roll solo,
that he’s always taking losses due to his loyalty,
never tending to his own needs because he’s so eager to please.

Would break himself in a heartbeat for his homies,
knowing they wouldn’t bend if he was ever in need,
but feeling if he set the proper example,
they would follow his lead.
They don’t learn a thing and neither does he,
so it’s him beating a dead horse, expecting to hear a heart beat.

Years later, surrounded by barbed wire and electric fences,
he sits outside of his circle of friends, watching them,
having no desire to join their camaraderie,
he’s too busy doing his own thing….

Immortality

I live to achieve immortality,
having my presence on earth speak words of wisdom,
reach birds that migrate south for the winter,
teaching people ideas can go anywhere.
A drum roll brings formations of patient angels
awaiting instructions while I yearn for an answered prayer,
trumpets sounding to signify safe passage
while my mind is playing tricks,
trying to convince me that I’m too late for something
already happening …..

A cold rain discourages people not under the umbrella of confidence
that any weather can produce a blessing,
I allow the water to fall on my face,
knowing this momentary discomfort will still grow my seeds.
People want everything but are not willing to sacrifice anything;
they conceive extraordinary feats while they do nothing,
I watch them all, and my sadness turns into compassion
because I remember those days all I did was dream.

I have a history that can lead me in all directions,
so I become excited by my options, ecstatic by my prospects,
enamored by the potential for success.
Then I abandon it all, choosing to view life
like it’s my first day, nervous but ready,
immortality may come today.

Itching Ears

I speak the truth to people with itching ears aiming
to believe in what makes for a good feeling.
Not going to be the symbol of popularity
when the tares outweigh the wheat,
appearing to be a flower,
but from the root, it’s nothing but a weed.

Passionately put the Word on display as the ”trier of different”
only to see it swatted away,
exchanged for words like ”my opinion”, ”my belief”,
or ”this is what I think”.
Drinking the poison of your own understanding
instead of being justified freely by faith,
I thought them that know the truth shall be set free?

I see overwhelming bondage in brothers,
leaders that reject leadership,
teachers who don’t receive the same Scripture they teach.
If we shall be known by our fruits,
and what’s known of you is no different than what people in the world do,
then how can we come out from among them and be separate,
touching no unclean thing, looking to be received?

I want to rightly divide the Word of truth,
represent Christ well by being a good shepherd,
never allowing a sheep to be led astray,
exercise the courage to spoil someone’s taste,
having the goal of showing them the Way.
They fight against the word right in their faces,
and I’m lost by what I do next;
I guess all I can do at this point is pray.

Distant Love

I see you Love, speak to you hoping you’d listen,
got a few things to say, hoping you got a minute.
I’m not myself without you,
traveled the world looking for you in people,
tried to feel your embrace with money, going in circles,
moving from one thing to the next, never in life finding rest.

I’m tired Love because you feel slippery,
taking all my power to hold on to you but I fall short,
sometimes, I think you’re mocking me when you see me crawling,
feels appalling to keep believing.
Saw reality into edible pieces, I have my fork and spoon ready,
begrudgingly eating until my stomach feels heavy.

I’m angry Love, because games have replaced your power,
defaced your message, desecrated your temple,
erased the memory of your benefits from the minds of people.
Now it’s hard for me to give anything resembling love away,
not because I don’t want to, but because people put you to waste.
Left with a gift no one seems to want anymore,
guess our ships can’t leave the port
because nothing fuels it but hate.

I see you Love, but why are you running away?

Today’s a great day for a funeral…..

The casting away of flesh, discarding the nature of sin,
the enemy mourns my absence, despises this newness.
Truth has replaced the inauthentic demonic messages,
its prevalence used to make me captive,
laughed as I tried to operate in my own strength,
my resistance futile.

My accusers eulogize me…..

Speak evil of my conversion, deem my new life worthless,
my path destructive to this ”peaceful” prison environment,
some say relapse all but certain.
Waiting in the darkness for my light to extinguish
so they can distinguish me among the lawless,
cause me to forsake my call to come out from among them
and be ye separate.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so……

Standing over the buried, broken remains,
transformed by the power of Christ renewing my mind.
Rewarded, blessed to trade in my darkness for light,
a blind man regaining sight.
Under my feet are the promises of God,
my residence built on The Rock,
Christ the Chief Cornerstone of my foundation,
the wings behind my flight…..

Same time tomorrow?

Many questions tumble in my saturated brain,
beating me into an afterthought,
relieving me of every ambition.
Difficult to see in the midst of darkness,
darkness I extended an invitation,
its ”plus one” is depression, something I discounted.

Planted seeds of desperation and only got weeds,
pondering its rate of increase, sauntering in the halls of despair
connecting to the gruesome image of hopelessness,
expecting a reprieve.
I live to relieve myself of this plundering of my thoughts,
this moment in time pressing into my lungs,
affecting the way I breathe.

I’m better than this…….
Created in the image of God,
buried in the likeness of Christ’s death,
risen together with Christ in resurrection……

How can I be defeated when I can do all things
through Christ who gives me strength?
How can I be downtrodden when I have God in Christ
always causing me to be triumphant?
Should I feel discouraged when the Word of God promised
He would never leave me comfortless,
and what sense does reflecting upon my reflection make
when the water’s edge represents judgement?

The tears pooling have pronounced that healing waters
have broken the curse forever……
I’m free to be me again!

Another family’s grief at the hand of the police,

Another community’s fury because he was an unarmed teen,

Seems like a running theme if you ask me.

Black men are systematically targeted,

Automatically profiled as hardened thugs,

Startled by the lack of humanity seen in us.

Started to cry in anger, fallen tears for our fallen peers

whose deaths have made them famous.

Protesting injustice to a system who perceives our cries for help

as people making a fuss, and they wonder why towns burn up.

Enslaved initially, beaten, raped and maimed,

until our history is erased from our brains.

Placed into a state of inferiority, perpetually rendering us captive,

Active are the thoughts of our oppressors who transformed us into bastards,

Transformed the plantations into prisons,

Further diminishing the value of black men

until laughter follows the thought of them,

Until the world’s convinced that Egypt’s not in them,

they’ll methodically strip the power of knowledge

which is the key to our strength.

The war on drugs has morphed into the war on us. . . . . .

Tired of imprisoning us so the answer is killing us,

filling us with clips of shells while flipping the script on us.

Saying that our violent trends justify the lack of life that’s in them,

but upon first sight, their minds are made up about how this will end.

But they won’t win!

I will breathe for the ones before me, whose lost breath pave the way for me.

I will breathe, patiently waiting for our essence to return safely.

My breathing is breeding life that no man can take, no slave master can rape,

no KKK can hate, no judge can incarcerate, and no court can segregate,

Because the origin of my breath is love.