The Thirst
by John Trent
Suffocating
Heat grips this faithless arid land
Windless figments dance and rise
Always, ever out of reach,
The shimmering mirage gives hope
With each step,
My thirst grows stronger
Yet, I walk.
Walk this ever changing path of sand
The dunes shift and fall on currents of a powerful wind
Eternally,
Searching,
Step by step……..
Knowing, I must find the spring of life
Every step,
I struggle,
Struggling more than the last!
Like undulating giants on the ancient sea floor
My obstacles gather and grow
………...And the eternal vastness
So very dry, this thirst consumes!
Should I take respite?
Should I succumb to the very essence of death?
No………
I must not falter
For I must find His spring,
As the tracks of my past slowly fade
On this quest for everlasting life
Dark Deeds
By John Trent
Ol’ Balaam has roamed in search of lost men
For millennia, his essence hides in plain sight
So listen and listen well, as he casts his evil
And devours our hearts both day and night
Humanity has worshiped and rose to his purpose
This fiendish devil of avarice and greed
We eternally grasp for what we cannot have
And acquire through the darkest of deeds
With rapacious desire, this sin of excess
Souls covered by self-indulgent scars
Each expectation, from a life of wanting
True happiness can never be ours
So on this eve, before you dream
Please kneel and whisper your prayer
And listen closely to the Almighty’s words
For we need nothing, whilst living in His care
Ghosts
by John Trent
Emotional thunder,
Crashing through my core!
A ripple of misery moves through these lost years
Ignored and buried, an unending cycle of pain
The ghosts of my past,
Wrap their fingers around my present
Silently,
They whisper from this heart of darkness
My anger boils,
It anxiously burns!
Unable to comprehend, what my heart learned from my yesterdays
Yet my overwhelming grief,
Ever slowly,
Resurrects the healing
Just One
by John Trent
She sits on the sidewalk,
Her head on dirty grey bricks
With a weathered face,
For her untimely years
Unkempt hair,
Clothes tattered,
Soiled……..
No beds at the mission,
So she sleeps in the cold
Our thoughts pass her by
We ignore her crusted tears,
We ignore her lost spirit,
And wandering soul
We ignore the small bowl
With only a few coins
We judge her as less human,
Because she begs for more
Willingly, our eyes shift away,
From her desperate face
She pleads for help,
Trying to catch our distant stare
But we keep walking and ignore her pain
Our hearts are calloused,
And our souls have grown cold
Except one,
A young boy approaches,
So pure of heart
With his day’s lunch
In his tiny hands
Crouching,
He makes his meager offering
And her spirit renewed,
By a handful of hope
Conversation With A Codependent
by John Trent
I don’t understand!
Such confusion
And I continue to walk
What did she mean?
Her words hurt
I continue to walk
Now I must decide
So exasperated!
And I continue to walk
I just can’t take it!
I’m not going to take it!
I continue to walk
But my kids,
Who will they go with?
And I continue to walk
How will they take it?
Anxiety building
I continue to walk
I hate this existence!
Fear consumes
And I continue to walk
I need a change!
My mind is racing!
I continue to walk
Their too young
Tears build in the corner of my eyes
And I continue to walk
They won’t understand….
Mind slow to calm
I continue to walk
I know what I need to do.....
So torn inside
And I open the door
And say,
“Hey guys, daddy’s back`
This verse is based on my journal writings from about four years ago. Since that time, I have taken control of my life and am very happy. Codependency can manifest itself as substance abuse and/or psychological problems with relationships. With proper professional assistance, one can lead a normal and happy life.
Over the course of the last five years I have learned one very important and simple truth, and that is I am solely responsible for my own happiness. Love is a choice! Thanks for listening to my ramblings, God bless…. John
Watercolor
by John Trent
A watercolor sky
Subtle brush strokes upon this eve’s horizon
Cottony vapors,
Linger,
Holding tight to a deepening blue
Illumined by rays from twilight’s distant reach
While a grove of painted palmettos,
Whisper,
Whisper a lullaby on night’s sultry breath
And welcome the encroaching darkness
As pastel colored dunes slowly fade from view
Meditation
by John Trent
Emptiness my desire,
Measured breath the key
With sandalwood ribbons,
Aromatic and free
Heavy my burden,
The toll from my day
I prepare for the journey,
As light fades to grey
Aromas of incense,
Smiling, I exhale
Lids lightly touch,
As blackness avails
My journey begins
A great vastness to explore
Thoughts start to clear
My mind opens the door
There is no beginning
At infinity’s end
The destination sought
Is eternally within
In silent existence
I travel the unseen
Today’s burden lost
Each moment, so serene
“The fragrance of virtue
Rises to the heavens”
With harmony of mind
I recite sutras of wisdom
As the Golden Lotus blooms
My being becomes whole
Forever, I remain
And eternal is my soul
