John McKinley Pride Jr. Poetry & Art

“Grey Matter” This evil crosses your mind and twists your spine. Creates a demon in you; Creates a hate in you; Creates a part of you. A part of you lost; A part of you gained; A part of you that you no longer can ignore. No longer able to close your eyes to it. This evil crosses you. Crosses you out; Points you out; Breaths you in and exhales you out. This evil crosses your mind more than one time past the grey matter. Building up neurons of criminal hypocrisy. Unwinds, unwounds, uncoils from around your brain. Sinks deep within you; sinks past your gyrus, and into your sulcus; to react or not react has become your final deepest thought. This evil crosses your mind but you pass on it one more time. By John McKinley Pride Jr 8/18/11

“Let Me go Love” Please don’t cry to me love. Please don’t lie to me love. You know I must leave. You know I must go away. If I don’t go away, they will surly hang me high and then swing me low. They will put me six feet closer to hell I know. So please don’t cry to me love. You know I must go now. I love you so; I never wanted to let you go. Give a kiss to our boy for me. Tell my mother to not worry so. This has to be; it is what it is, and I have done what I must. Bleak as it seems. I will love you all my days. So, please don’t cry my love. My heart is too weak to let you go, and if I see tears I will never go. So don’t lie to me love. Just let me go love; just let me go. By John McKinley Pride Jr 8/8/11

“Hands Aflame” With my hands aflame I push you A way You stand red faced; like a tyrant in shame caught in your acts. Bring your echo loud and clear I push you away with my hands aflame; they have never burnt the same. You fear me because you know me; your echo stays loud and clear Repeating your hiding fear that’s there inside of you. There is a fire that burns with in my hands and it consumes the air around me the same today as yesterday. My hands a charcoal black smoldering and burning Bright red like a black smith’s fire I light the night with sparks clanging from my very heart that molds the fighter in me. There is no water that can cool this heart There is no water that can put out this flame It has become eternity and it has become golden My hands aflame I will push you away and you will see a different light in me. By John McKinley Pride Jr 8/8/11