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Image by Thomas Despeyroux

Dragon

Dragon.

Cold blooded, heartless.

The heat of his fiery blaze stifling every breath.

You befriend, you trust.

The sly dragon knows the truth.

The flying serpent; sharp, venomous tongue.

You wait, you love, you listen.

Fearless protectors?

Symbols of good fortune?

Vain.  Ugly.

You feed the serpent, wanting more.

Find yourself weak and wasted.

Always there when you don’t want it.

Always gone when you do.

Serpents with wings; stealthy and vicious.

You trust; you wait; you hurt.

Dragon.

What becomes of your prey?

Feeble hearts, fearful.

Dragon.

What becomes of your prey?

Vengeful souls, death.

Disembodied

​

My heart mourns for the soulless

The one’s without a story to tell

Every breath of wind, every memory

gone.

Fate sealed with a kiss; gripping and chilling

Right down to the core.

Empty shells

The gift of mortality; the curse.

Damnation or blessing in disguise?

 

My heart mourns for the bodiless.

Feeble and weak.

Faint apparitions on the black night sky.

Ghostly; pale.

Existence meaningless and lingering

Immortal souls doomed to walk the earth forever

Minds corrupt and blank.

No truth; no logic.

 

My heart mourns for the heartless.

Vain and cantankerous; spiteful and vicious.

No happiness or love.

Blind to its powers.

Hatred and deceit looms overhead.

A disembodied figure unrecognizable

Even in death.

Shadow
Image by Adam Kring

Reflections

​

I thought I saw her reflection
in a mirror once.
Or was it just a trick of the
light?

The others claim to have seen her
but how could they?
When they stand
frozen
eyes glazed and clouded by their own
sense of self.

The more they stare;
the less they know,
as they wait to be
Reunited
with who they once knew
or who
they never found.

But now, I have learned better.
And I walk
the jagged roads of life
feet dripping with the thick crimson goo,
with my face pointed upward
the sky my boundless haven.

 

Doomsday

​

I
Heads cocked back and necks craned
start a ripple effect.
As the streets crowd, people,
all with the same haunting look.
Fear.
If only eyes were like telespcopes,
able to pierce through the daunting layers.
Troposphere…Stratosphere…Mesosphere…Thermosphere…Exosphere…
However, that may only serve more panic to ensue
as the massive balls of gas and rock
align from 1 to 9.
Yes…back then, there were 9.

​

II
“We will be thrown into the
abyss of darkness!”
As the clock stuck 12,
our Thinking Machines will blow
into a frenzied confusion.
Catastrophic meltdown.
Are you ready to party?

​

III
The Dark Cloud returns.
We survive one
and another is at our doorstep.
An Expiration Date.
A Stamp.
A Brand.
Sewn on the back of Human necks.
They say, life is a numbers game.
And apparently…so is Death.

​

IV
With eyes endlessly up
people bump into walls.
The shadow in the alley is always
…hovering…
where you can barely see it out of the corner
of your eye,
then it’s gone.
Chins glued to shoulders…looking–
Always looking. Forever looking.
Doomed to look
Second ice age? Tidal wave? Spontaneous combustion?
Its all a mystery. A silly rumor,
until…
Doomsday comes again.

 

Willie Neal Poole

​

The Voice that called her was Loud–Strong
A voice of Kindness, Power, and Authority.

Her daughters danced around her feet
As they teased their younger brother
and he suffered from being
The Only Son.

She smiles.

But then, she hears the Voice again.
Wanting to Obey.
Wanting to stay.

As times passes, the Voice grows louder,
while assuring her that everything would be fine.

“I know they’ll survive without me,”
she thought.
“I’m going home.”

And with that she stretched her arms wide,
took in a deep breath and
Let Go.
Her body falling elegantly upward as
she jumps
and is caught up in the Holy arms of
her Master.

 

Our Swing in the Park

​

The smell in the air is familiar.
A place of my childhood.
Thick with sweat, metal, and dirt.
The creaking of the chains almost melodic; hypnotic.

The breeze caresses my face and tousles my hair
as his hands push against the small of my back
sending me swinging like the pendulum of a clock.

Each time I return I feel his warm breath on my ear.
He whispers a letter–K…I…S…S…
The pendulum stops.
I swallow the irritating itch in my throat and look up
into those green eyes, just as I imagined.

He leans into me; instinctively I close my eyes.
And I couldn’t imagine a better place to be.

Eternity

​

I want to be in your arms forever,

To feel the heat of your breath on my face

when you kiss me...

To feel the strength of your body

when you hold me close to you...

The sweet taste of your lips is addictive.

The look in your gorgeous green eyes is captivating.

My heart flutters wildly when you’re near me

and I yearn for you when you’re away.

In your arms I feel safe, beautiful, and loved.

The lyrical sound of your voice is intoxicating.

I could wrap myself up in the warmth of your sweet scent

and never want to leave.

You make me feel special.

Special and invincible.

I think to myself; questioning whether or not this is love.

Even when I feel discouraged and ugly

you tell me that I’m beautiful.

I want you to be in my life forever.

I always want to feel that embrace and the love you show me.

I want you to feel the love that I feel for you.

The happiness that swells inside of me when you touch me.

My skin tingles under your hand

and I tremble; foolish and embarrassing.

The butterflies in my stomach swarm when I think of our first kiss.

A swing in the park; you whisper in my ear asking my hearts desire.

Childishly I evade my answer; attempting to make this moment last forever.

Me in your arms; your breath on my cheek.

The perfect fairytale.

Your lips meet mine; my tongue, your tongue.

Enraptured in the sweet taste of your mouth; your eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Oh to taste that sweet taste again.

To be wrapped tightly in your arms; the heat of your body, the beat of your heart.

I never had the pleasure of having you fully.

You were never mine to hold.

I never had the chance to call you my love but I didn’t care.

I love looking at you.

You’re beautiful to me and you’ll always be.

My love and desire for you is eternal.

You will forever be in my heart.

They Asked Me Why I Lift My Hands

 

They asked me why I lift my hands 

This simple question makes me pause

It's an action so automatic that even the most devout Christian forgets why they do

They asked me why I lift my hands 

As if there were some other alternative 

To lifting my hands to the God who gave my life meaning and purpose 

They asked me why I lift my hands

Perhaps they can see the weight pressing down on my shoulders

The enemy's claws tearing at the very core of my soul

The ink of the dark hallways overshadowing the eternal light from Gods door

They asked me why I lift my hands

When the whole worlds coming down around me

And my body is still ravaged with disease

They asked me why I lift my hands 

As if a Christians life is suppose to be perfect 

The days we forget to include God just as important as the days we remember

They asked me why I lift my hands 

When our minds create so many reasons 

To put them down and slowly walk away

Again I pause

A simple question at first

But one that's sent my mind reeling

Searching for the correct Christian cliche just to please them

They asked me why I lift my hands

Only this time I answer

The hands that are lifted are not

Perfect, holy hands

But the hands of someone

Bloodied and bruised

These hands attached to the body that has been abandoned

The mind that has been confused

The heart that has been broken and mended more times 

Than its comfortable to count

They asked me why I lift my hands

And it's because no matter how many times I fall 

He's there

Be it a whisper or a roar 

I'm never alone

Despite how hard the enemy tries to get me to fear

The faithfulness of God sends the weights 

Rolling off my back

And for a moment 

I can breathe

So I'll take that moment to give honor where honor is due

I lift my hands to my king

He breaks every link of my chains

So when they asked me why I lift my hands 

I finally realize that when you truly have God

There's no need to ask why

When Stars Go Out

​

I never expected the Sun to dim

Yet everything seems... dull

I can’t see for the clouds in front of my eyes.

The weight that hangs on my heart.

The pressure your emptiness brings.

It was sudden.

Unexpected.

Nearly impossible to comprehend

that the Sun would never shine as brightly as it once did.

​

I never expected the Sun to blacken

Cascading a blanket of pain so thick

it could be felt even in dreams.

I thought death was a façade;

A tragic flaw in life’s design that

would never befall anyone I held close

But I was wrong.

That was the foolish prayer of a child.

​

I never expected the Sun to rise

over a world without you in it.

A river flows deep

through the corners of my soul--

but I can’t stay here.

Though your light will never leave me,

I have to expel the dark;

to live the best I can for you who’s no longer able.

I can barely drag my feet

Trying to escape the pain.

Oh, what do I do

To find shelter from this rain?

 

The worries of this life

Are getting too much to bear.

My choices of existence

nicknamed distress and despair

 

I work and I work

Trying to save up some green.

But what's the point?

What's it all really mean?

 

I picked up this bottle

Maybe it'll help a bit

Nope, no chance

my therapist tells me to quit.

 

So maybe the answer is

in money or sex

Women and men

Spellbinders who hex

 

It fills the void for just a blink

Yet still, it grows bigger

Through the drinks and the drugs

I find time to think

 

The vision of a man

comes in to view

Though I'm almost too faded 

To see anything through

 

But I hear him, he speaks

telling me about a great plan

There's a man named Jesus

Also called the son of man

 

He'll love and shelter

Covering with grace

And then when we die

he'll take us to a magnificent place

 

 

Jesus died on the cross 

For your sins and mine

God sent him here for us

And he paid the ultimate fine

 

His sacrifice cleanses us, yes

But the story doesn't stop there

He wants a relationship with us

Oh, this I swear

​

So many stayed clouded

With the thought they are perfect

But it was the blood of our savior 

That makes any of us worth it.

 

God isn't blessed to have you

You're blessed to have Him

He didn't have to save us

From our evil and sin

 

And then I heard a word

That rose like leaven

It was the Lord speaking

Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven

 

But God what does that mean?

Surely the gates are open for all.

He said to me, listen and teach

Many are missing their call.

 

So this is my prayer

For everyone who thinks they believe

Deception has crept into your Christianity 

The serpent, wiggles and weaves

 

You CANNOT truly please God

Without a truly surrendered life

He gave yours to you

Giving him yours doesn't even suffice

God knows we are human 

Mistakes are in our nature 

So giving Him EVERYTHING?

Proves that it's He who's our pleasure

 

Our hearts and our minds and our bodies

All his

If we do what we want

Heavens not our home, hell is 

 

So I hope you too see 

the truth beyond the lies

Christianity isn't easy

Because to live, you must die

 

Die to yourself

What you want isn't important 

Put your trust in Gods kingdom

And your eternity is certain.

​

My final plea dear lost ones

Do not believe the hype

God doesn't want a cheap prayer

He wants your love through the evidence of your life

 

When you stand before our King 

May your hands be lifted high

May you praise the day with great joy

That you finally allowed yourself to die.

He asked me did I want to know Jesus

Who seems like a really cool dude

So I said yes and we prayed

the void finally full

​

But then we went our separate ways

And now I know there's a part I missed

But let's not jump ahead of the story

Or the moral may be dissed

​

I went back to life

Doing the same old thing

Thinking I was invincible

 because I had a secret king

 

I had a golden ticket 

As soon as the prayer left my lips

I could do what I want now.

Though something inside me rips 

 

I ignore the gnawing feeling

That something inside is wrong

Once saved, always saved right?

Soon I'd be singing heavens song

 

The Lord knows my heart

What I say or do doesn't matter

Some preach the gospel, some don't 

So I think I'll take the latter

 

Some say to read the bible

But who has time for reading?

My world is way too busy

Surely, it's ok to miss one prayer meeting

 

But still, there's never peace

And day by day the emptier I feel

I thought I loved Jesus, 

But I realized I was treating him as though he wasn't really real

 

The doubt in my heart grew stronger every day

Until I learned the truth

Salvation isn't possible without sacrifice 

And now, here's my proof

 

Once Saved: 4 part poem

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