John McKinley Pride Jr. Poetry & Art

“Broken Teeth” (not yet edited) Like knifes and sharp steel Like burnt rubber upon your back Like eyes of white light that lie to you. A mind torn from moral and immoral How will it dominate? What will curdle the skin? A mouth full of blood, a toothless bear Try to protect your self from the hungry dogs that attack you. Your face in the sand You’re to blame for walking on your hands needing to feel where you are led to go. Cut pieces of the words from your tong to cover up your heart where scars have formed from lies that hibernate with in your chest of gold about the feelings you hide. It burns you from with inside, festers within your veins; ties you up like a straitjacket and sows your mouth shut with ugly truths. I dare you to do something I dare you to try I dare you to stand up and let the world see you cry. Like knifes and sharp steel Like burnt rubber upon your back Like tunnels of white lights that lie to you and never let you turn back there is really no end till you grow s...

I have been a little busy as of late; but I will be having holiday soon and will have time to get out some more poetry that I have not been able to post. Over time we all have a note pad that we feel up and never get to share this work with others well I will be doing this soon. I have a gob of new material ready to post but have not had the time so please stay posted. I hope every one is having a wonderful Thanksgiving and sharing and loving others. God Bless John M. Pride Jr.

This will be the 15th book I have had the honer in been a part of with Pattimari Sheets-Diamond and company it has been such a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful experience and it just keeps on getting better.My Poems in this book "This Heart Bleeds Forever" & “Let Me go Love”. Pattimari Sheets has a number of great books and has helped many people. Take a look and see for your self

This will be the 14th book I have had the honer in been a part of with Pattimari Sheets-Diamond and company it has been such a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful experience. My Poems in "Desirea" 1. "The Day the Sea Swallowed the Sun", 2. “The Wolf’s Clothing” (How does Pan Ware you?), 3. “Hands Aflame”, 4. “Grey Matter” http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/desirea/17148327?showPreview

“Hands Aflame” (Revised) With my hands aflame, I push you away. 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 within my hands, and it consumes the air around me the same today as yesterday. My hands, charcoal black, smoldering and burning, Are a 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

“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

“The Wolf’s Clothing” The wolf dresses in sheep’s clothing. The lawyer dresses like a shark. The government dresses like our big brother. Teachers dress like small gods and teen idols. Parents dress like their children and fear about how they will grow. Little girls dress like women and little boys dress like thugs. The media dresses like your friend till they find the rules they can bend. Businesses dress up like shiny new things to get you to buy them a wedding ring. We dress as we are told and never change a thing. By John McKinley Pride Jr 6/2/11

Art Work "Jean Genie" By John McKinley Pride Jr "A Moment Lost but not Forgotten" There are silent words that pass from each glance back and forth; a second look, a third to see if it is real and not just a mistaking graze upon the very tips of your hormones. Right there, right then and there you realize it is not a mistake; that the very thing you hoped for was true and there been not just a glance but like windows open for a peeping tom you stare into each other seeing a second, seeing a moment and seeing an infinitesimally of lust. Then some where in the back ground a glass drops to the floor crashing, breaking the strong hold upon the eyes. The moment lost, never talked about, never shared and never acted out again; just a glance that never leaves the memory. Just an amazing moment that is frozen in time wondering the outskirts of the mind and never leaving the dreams that now destroy your sleep. You think to your self if I could just get one more chance to gaze...

A Spoken Word Poem up and going; You can find me on youtube under the name "riverboatsong" “I Feel Nothing but Tears Fall” Darkened Hurst I know where you are going I know where you have been I know what you carry and I thank God that I am not them Your window dark as night Chrome shiny and bright Rolling along the street What a blight sight I fight back the tears but it’s just no use Like a fuse inside my heart has burnt out These feelings will not flee me These feelings I must not refuse These feelings I must never lose It is not you I fear or your black glossy coat I see my self in It is not your friend death that drives you or the reaper that fallows close behind you It’s the widow I feel for It’s the mother and father I feel for It’s the sons and daughters I feel for I do not fear you or the day my empty body is laid abroad in you. By John McKinley Pride Jr 1/31/11

I'm just a simpleton, with a simple way of life. I live in a simple house, with a simple spouse. Simple as I may be, simple is all I can see, I'm just a simpleton watching monkeys fly from a blue moon and the curling top hat from a snowman’s head feeling the pupil of my eye with buttermilk dreams and fantasy schemes. Just a simpleton with a simple way a life, simple as I may be all I can see is simple this and simple that. It's a simple little tragedy to be the simpleton majesty. By John McKinley Pride Jr. ©7/12/97

"Ant - Archy" (I wrote this on a whim, a girlfriend of mine at the time bet me I could not make a poem about ants up off the top of my head over the phone to her so I got a pen and pad and this is what I came up with not that brilliant but just fun which is what poetry is about enjoying your self.) They came in to my house six legs and all; taking over my yard they are rude is what my friends say coming over every day. They carried my dog away, they carried my car away and my parents too I call this Ant-Archy you would too if it happened to you. Why don’t they just leave me be, just go away ill even pay; I step on them but they just multiply. There in my refrigerator, there in my closet I’ve just about lost it; my girl came over to help but they just carried her away too. I’ve been attacked by Ant-Archy; I woke in the morning and in my cereal there they stood everywhere. What can I do and were can I go? Here I am surrounded by Ant-Archy; why can’t they just leave? Wha...

"Death Gently Smiles" I do not have the time to listen to you spade yourself; these feelings are alive with hate. Let us stand here for a while; let us think about this for a while; did you know we die? We really die. Think about it while I gently smile; stand up to a knowledge, a thought in your head; yes, it might slow you down some. A little change might take away some of the pain; Every time you do, I would look in the mirror at my ghost. I am still with out peace; I see it in the death of you. You are truly paralyzed by the heap of lies you have piled upon my back; you’re standing at what feels like the factual beginning; which in truth, death gently is smiling upon you, like you smiled upon me, in my end. By John McKinley Pride Jr. 4/25/’96

"The Candy Cain Tree" With sand in my eyes; I try to stay sane as I head for the door; my knees buckle below me. I feel like a fool’ no turning back as my time flies by with flower scented grace. My face falls off into the mirror on the floor and I need to open my eyes once again. I hear my voice say out loud grief will find you; don’t lay still your not under the candy Cain tree. The taste of peppermint is in the air; my eyes going blurry; my mind goes blank; they have truly left me behind again. To swallow my own Pride; my feet are back on the ground and nothing will stop me now; I’ll never forget the candy Cain tree; were they left me. By John McKinley Pride Jr. 4/27/’05

"Brother" Brother It never happened this way, not enough time in the day to make it right, not enough time to write the words I want to say they fell from my tong before the time ran out. Yet I wait and wait for a simpler day to come. I know there are more people in this world than just I. It sounds selfish, I guess when things don’t go right, I curse and fight with the clock just trying to get things straight, it’s never worth the wait. Deciding if this will be your fait or your third wind, you get in the black out of this stress ridding pain staking free fall. Some might say in this world there is less pain then tragedy, if I could rip the very heart that beats in my chest out and show it to the world what would they say? Would they say lay down and die? Would they say that the blood dripping from my hands was not enough for them? What would be there verdict for me? How would they judge the truths versus the lies others have taunted me so well with through my life? Less w...