Category Archives: Original Poem

“I hate the fact that Facebook has such a phenomenal app for communication, but they are the controlling commies of our time. Clearly not enough to stop because of the good I still think it can do getting info out. But I do hate it. It’s like an abusive relationship.” -Eric Moutsos

Like Pavlov’s dogs who salivate each time they hear the bell
When we see red, we act live slaves to different bells as well
Classically conditioned, a perverted loyalty
And though we loathe the tyrants at the top we’ll never leave

The marketplace’s gatekeepers can be so treasonous
It’s strange a world-class UX tool can be so cruel to us
Alternatives are coming out, but will they be for naught?
We’ve long been hooked on tasty drugs, I doubt that we can stop

What happens when “conspiracies” are
Actually the truth?
When Occam’s razor doesn’t hold
The crowd will gaslight you

What happens when the wildest rumors
Turn out to be right?
“No way that ever happens here!”
But maybe it just might

Suggesting possibilities can
Brand you as insane
An ark with animals sounds nuts
Until it starts to rain

And those who raise their voice to warn of
Coming tyranny
Don’t dismiss ideas that may sound
Like conspiracy

“What we need right now is more women who are full of themselves.”
-Glennon Doyle (this quote makes me cringe )

“Live for your own dreams!”
“Follow your own heart!”
“Do it for yourself!”
Ugh, where do I start?

All this self-empowerment
We’ve heard it all before
And no it isn’t always bad
But maybe there is more

Never in our history
Have we been so obsessed
With our own comfort & well-being
Doing what feels best

I won’t win any friends for saying
This and being candid:
It’s narcissism renamed & it’s
Selfishness rebranded

And all these self-help influencers
Tell us “you’re enough!”
And then in the next sentence
They’re like “you should buy my stuff!”
This “find yourself” on steroids
Is not always fulfilling
While those who seek to serve another
Find more joy in living

While Christ, the master teacher
Has said “deny yourself”
Stop the toxic self-worship
Live for someone else

“What if the problem is not that we don’t think of ourselves enough? What if the problem is that we think of ourselves way too much?” -Allie Beth Stuckey

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” -Matthew 16:24-25

A little more judicious
A little more reserved
A little bit more cautious
A little more mature

A little less self-centered
A little less care-free
A little more for others
A little less of me

A little bit embarrassed (of how)
Little I once cared
A little more inclined
To send up little prayers

A little more compassion
A little more aware
My eyes are open wider
To the burdens others bear

A little less obsession with just
Little old me
Becoming just a little more who
God wants me to be

“Mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”
-Mosiah 18: 9 (in the Book of Mormon)

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
-Matthew 16:24

I feel like what we’re hearing is to hunt down dreams like game
The bloodier, the better, show the challenge of the gain
Rise up in the ranks, don’t write “potential” on your grave
Leave it all out on the field don’t let an ounce be saved

They say “embrace ambition,” and sure part of that sounds good
But maybe there is something more than “hustle til you’re dead”
It all sounds sort of stressful when the truth is I want peace
A day of honest work and then a restful night of sleep

I’m not here to burn out or to idolize my dreams
There’s more to life than passion or a certain fantasy
Serve the Lord with all your heart, then sit back and just breathe
Go chase down a dream or two, then love your family.

The things they said that I could have
Enthralled me for a time
The things they said that I could have would
Dominate my mind

The things they said that I could have (gave)
Dopamine galore
The things they said that I could have
I kept on wanting more

The things they said that I could have
I Lusted after, chased
The things they said that I could have
Can feel like such a waste

The things they said that I could have
The gains that I could get
The things they said that I could have
Have left me with regret

With endless opportunities
The thing that’s most ironic
The world is mine for taking
And mostly I don’t want it

Liberty is rising
We break free of the choke
Lines were crossed too many times
The sleeping bear was poked

Freedom’s on the comeback
The values that we hold
Everytime they’re violated
Backlash is 10 fold

Once a ragged army
Disheveled and divided
We boldly stand together and
Refuse to be gaslighted

Liberty is rising
The sound of Gadsden’s rattle
Swords up and keep fighting
Go and take the battle

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.” -Galatians 5:1

The meaning that you’re seeking isn’t
Found in every crowd
Their messages on megaphones are
Shouted out too loud

And not all will support you
Not everyone’s a friend
You find something is lacking and you
Feel the thirst again

Listen to discomfort (it may)
Teach you something new
Some gatherings and groups and folks are
Simply not for you

The meaning that you’re seeking isn’t
Found in every crowd
And when your people show up then your
Heart is lost & found

“God without goodness is fanaticism and goodness without God will not long endure.”
-Dennis Prager (Orthodox Jew)

“Godlessness makes hearts of stone and brains of mush, and every bit of cruelty we see society embrace is a result of that.”
-Allie Beth Stuckey (Southern Baptist)

Godlessness and Atheism
Thinking we’re alone
Turns a head of brains to mush
Transforms a heart to stone

Taken to the full conclusion
Of what you believe
There’s no inherent value
But what you can achieve

We all worship something
Self or sex or sin
Always at least one thing
We elevate within

Non-aggression, love and justice
Peace and liberty
Come from Christian and Judeo
Objectivity

Of all the ethics, principles
We hold high and applaud
The truest moral compass
Will always point to God”

We need strong Christians who can defend the truth against moral relativism and militant atheism.”
-D. Todd Christofferson (member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

“As all of this craziness is going on outside of our window, God is working. All the things that He is doing… using Christians as the hands and feet of Jesus to serve other people. That stuff doesn’t make headlines. That stuff doesn’t trend on Twitter. That doesn’t mean that it’s not happening.” -Allie Beth Stuckey

The good that God is doing often
Doesn’t make the news
So much of what is happening is
Hidden from our view

Tragedy can dominate the
Headlines in our feed
Those with an agenda know what
Makes us click and read

There’s no use to be naive, to
Ignore, or to pretend
That there aren’t evil forces that
Conspire and contend

And still we can be hopeful of the
Things that we don’t see
The quiet acts of kindness and the
Generosity

The good that God is doing often
Doesn’t make the news
When everything seems dark remember
God is on the move!

“Yes, we should learn from our mistakes, but we don’t have to live in them.”
-Christy Wright

Stop revisiting the past
Stop reliving shame
Stop with pressing your own bruises
Self-inflicted pain

Stop with self-imprisonment
You’ve already served time
Stop the reel of failure, change the
Channel in your mind

Stop rehashing old mistakes
Stop with keeping score
The God of all the earth says He’ll
Remember them no more

Stop the graceless critic you were
Never meant to be
Stop the late night torturing
Go now and be free

“He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more”
-Doctrine & Covenants 58:42

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…A time to keep and a time to cast away.”

-Ecclesiastes 3: 1;6

Some Dreams are for a season
And Some just fade away
There’s may be grief, yet some relief
It all turns out okay

Some friends are just in passing
A touchstone on your way
They left a mark there on your heart
Then both your journeys changed

Not everything’s forever
We may not keep in touch
So ponder for a moment
On those who meant so much

Not all ideas are realized
Not every dream comes true
Some were never meant to be but
Keep some close to you

What matters most to God is not your license or degree
What matters most to Him is not your cash or salary
What matters most to God is not the metrics you achieve
What matters most to Him is how you treat your family

What matters most to God is not the things that you acquire
What matters most to Him is all the people you inspire
What matters most to God is the temptations you’ve withstood
What matters most to Him is that you use your gifts for good

So when you reach your goals
And you’re inclined to boast
Remember His priorities
And think what matters most

If she can swim, then burn her
But if she can’t, oh well
Her fate’s to drown, she’s going down
As far as I can tell

When they say jump, say “how high?”
Don’t you dare resist
Signal virtue proudly or they’ll
Put you on their list

The rules are always changing
Exploit past tragedy
Crush dissenting viewpoints
Make people scared to speak

The Kafka trap is toxic
Refuse to play that game
Speak your views with confidence (don’t)
Hang your head in shame

Don’t bow down to the mob
Smile, be bold, and speak
Freedom and forgiveness are the
Antidotes we seek

“Use boldness but not overbearance”-Alma 38:12

“We want a break from the chaos but then we just go create more.”
-Christy Wright

The firefighting arsonist observes the blazing land
The chaos that she’s battling all started from her hands
She got all curious, interested, then hell-bent on her goal
The flames took on their own life and they burned all her control

Destruction starts to take a toll, but there’s a devilish catch
Can sit so still for so long, then she’ll strike another match
I’m bored or overburdened and can never seem to win
Disordered back to order then the cycle starts again

“Life exists as an interplay of order and chaos.”
-Jordan Peterson

“Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted”
– 2nd Nephi 4:19

Once you’ve left the garden
Where do you find peace?
Once the scales have fallen
Where is some relief?

Once you’ve tasted bitter fruit (how)
Do you force it down?
Once the seas grow violent
How do you not drown?

Once the wind is blowing (is your)
Candle still aflame?
Once you’ve felt the crushing guilt (how)
Do you shed the shame?

Every day’s a battle
A challenge to be tested
I don’t have all the answers but
I know in whom I’ve trusted

“Whatever the question, the answer is the gospel of Jesus Christ”
-Elder Jeffrey Holland

See what is invisible
Support given to you
Labor that’s unheralded (that)
Women often do

It’s not exactly glamorous
It’s hardly ever fun
Things that go unnoticed
Unless they go undone

Work that’s done in trenches
For no fanfare or show
Without it, life would fall apart
There’d be nowhere to go

Stewardship can be satisfying
Still’s a sacrifice
There’s no amount of money that could
Compensate the price

Not asking for a paycheck
Don’t want to make a scene
I just hope we can value all the
Labor that’s unseen

“Virtue turns to vice being misapplied”
-The Friar in Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet”

The flame that you’re holding
Is a power to discern
A lantern that can guide your path
A fire that can burn

The brick in your hands
Don’t use it too fast
Can build a house of worship or
Destroy a sacred glass

Salvation or seduction
A blessing to a curse
The best part of your qualities
Transform into the worst

O be wise and prudent
What more can I say?
Keep your eyes on Jesus
Don’t be led astray

“O be wise, what can I say more?”
-Jacob 12:6 (in the Book of Mormon)

“Line upon line, precept upon precept”
-Isaiah 28:10

Don’t water it down
Don’t sugar coat it
A heart is so tender so
Don’t overload it

Deliver in stages
Line upon line
Accepting a new truth can
Sometimes take time

An excellent question can
Cut to the heart
Cognitive dissonance is
Where it will start

God’s the convictor
We cannot change souls
All you can do is to
Act out your role

“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.”-Proverbs 18:17

“It is not requisite a man should run faster than he has strength.”
-Mosiah 4:27

Leave it to the angels
The load that you can’t bear
Hand it to the heavens
All the world’s cares

There’s others who will carry
The problems that we face
Someone else can find some of the
Answers that you chase

You have a role to play in this
Always do your part
Toil and work and try
Then rest your weary heart

You’re bruised and battle worn
Exhausted from the fight
Leave it to the angels
Sleep in peace tonight

“She hath done what she could”-Mark 14:8

“I will fight your battles.”-Doctrine & Covenants 105:14

Calm or Creative
They both need a turn
One’s when you relax
One’s when your mind churns

One’s full of ideas
Adventurous thrills
One’s when you slow down
You’re peaceful and still

One makes your heart race
You build and dig deep
One slows down your breath
You finally can sleep

Calm or Creative
They may feel at odds
They both have their day
They both are from God

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” -Mark 4:39″

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.” -Elder Dieter Uchtdorf

All the dreams I had before (aren’t)
That appealing anymore

The things I wished for, prayed for, hoped for
Worked for every day
They seem so selfish, shallow now
Just fade into the gray

I don’t mind if the crowds and masses
Never know my name
Simplicity is beauty (there’s no)
Need to hunt down fame

And all those high achievers (brought their)
A-Game to the fight
The big names I admired aren’t so
Flawless in the light

Dreams in flux and shifting
There’s so much more than me
Ambition’s overrated
More love and family

“Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.”
-Exodus 20:3

Mark, you’re not my God (although I)
Give you too much time
Jack, you’re not my God
Your evil’s worse than crime

Jeff, you’re not my God
Not everything’s for sale
John, you’re not my God (but I)
Pray that you prevail!

Tony’s not my God
The standards change and shift
Tim, you’re not my God
(and your phone could use a lift)

Don, you’re not my God
You gave the Left some fears
Joe, you’re not my God (but you)
Will be in my prayers

The God I know is steady (and has more)
Power than all hell
No trust in flesh will save us
They are all lacking still

The enemy’s not hiding
Some freedoms lost and dead
And courage is required for some
Dark days up ahead

So pray and practice vigilance
Like never done before
After all the losses
We know who wins this war”

O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh.”
-2nd Nephi 4:34

I don’t want an empire capturing eyes
I’ve built up a kingdom to my ideal size

I don’t need 10 million to be filthy rich
Enough to live comfortably scratches that itch

Not looking for more than the mind can conceive
There’s cash on the table I’m alright to leave

Not trying to achieve some impossible feat
It’s okay with me to not be some elite

I don’t want a crown or to sit on a throne
When everything’s done, all my dreams are at home

More babies will surely die
At least we don’t have Trump
Roe v. Wade they’ll codify
It’s not as bad as Trump

Fracking ban will kill some jobs
Nothing’s worse than Trump
No more rioting and mobs
After Mr. Trump

Need someone whose civilized
That sure as hell’s not Trump
Tara Rhead was full of lies?
Not sure, but I hate Trump!

Need a stronger head and mind
We didn’t have with Trump
No signs of cognitive decline
“C’mon man! Wait, who’s Trump?”

Masks just for 100 days!
Now that we’re done with Trump
Makes the virus go away
Caused by Donald Trump

CRT will be expanded
Least we don’t have Trump
School choice start to be disbanded
Meh, who cares, cuz Trump!

And hey the first woman VP!
She’s miles ahead of Trump
I’m sure she’ll bring the unity
We never had with Trump

CCP is salivating
Least we don’t have Trump
US won’t be dominating
But hey, we’re rid of Trump

Cost of gasoline will soar
At least we don’t have Trump
Women’s sports will be no more
Good riddance, Donald Trump

Now we’re in the Golden Age
Since we said no to Trump
Mean orange man has gone away
Eureka, no more Trump!

Now I want to talk to you
Who helped to dethrone Trump
A million thanks for voting blue
WE’RE FINALLY FREE FROM TRUMP!

Before you ate the fruit
The world, it once seemed kind
But then the hard truth set in deep
Weighed heavy on your mind

There’s no more blissful innocence
You can’t unsee it all
Realities, brutalities
The outcome of the Fall

So hold on to the hope (that it’s a)
Temporary sting
Hold on to the peace
That only Christ can bring

And when your days are dark
Remember who’s the light
Rest easy in the Lord
Your battles, He will fight

“I am the light of the world; he that will follow me shall not walk in darkness.” (John 8:12)

“Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world.” (Ether 12:4)

“I will fight your battles.” (Doctrine & Covenants 105:14)

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.” -Hebrews 10:35

Cast not out confidence
Cast out your net
A sale or success
(see) what you can get

Failure might happen (but)
Without the risk
Your net stands no yield
You’ll never see fish

And though disappointment
Can bring about shame
Mistakes give experience
It’s part of the game

Cast not out confidence
Sow in your field
In time you can harvest
Reap what you yield

The tools that you taught me
The things I now know
I took just a seed for my
Garden to grow

The gifts that you gave me
I use them for good
But maybe not in the same
Way that you would

Was once inexperienced
My life a rough draft
Apprentice to Master
Perfected my craft

The lessons I learned from you
Hard work and sweat
The tools that you taught me
I’ll never forget

“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”
-Frank Capra

Listen to the whisp’rings that your
Heart keeps telling you
Divine ideas and messages just
Desperate to get through