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Bring Back the Poetry

“The weekly poem from Jason Tomlinson”

November 9, 2011 New Because I Want to

This was written more than two years ago.  I would love to stick to this ideal one hundred percent.  Thanks for reading!

I am not here because I have to be

I am not here because I should

obligation will not motivate me

duty often repels my attraction to good

I am not here because of right

my rights are insufficient justification

entitlement stumbles in the night

but I have a higher motivation

Not because I must

nor because I can

neither one yield the fruits of a successful plan

but desire sweet desire informs my every action

being neither pushed nor pulled

I am propelled by my own attraction

I am here because I want to be

I am here ‘cause this is good

privilege serves to motivate me

giving no regard to whether I should

nobody is making me twisting my arm

standing over me ‘til I get it correct

if I choose not to – I’ll suffer no harm

I have the choice to redirect

I have the desire to be here today

it is my choice that’s true

my voice has chosen not that I might or may

I come today because I want to

Be sure to come on out to the show at Wired in Hendersonville on Saturday at 7pm!

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October 18, 2011 Righteous Risk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve risked time money honor and reputation

to pursue my own ends in yielding to temptation

sometimes I’ve been caught sometimes I’ve gotten away

but every time I’ve crossed the line its been a very bad day

cause being in trouble aint no fun in the world or in my head

there is no joy in the feeling that turns my heart to lead

I’ve risked so much for the sake of being wrong

I hope to God I’ve had enough ‘cause its been this way too long

these risks I have taken just make no sense

trespassing across my neighbors fence

into realms forbidden for the likes of me

but in all truth what I’d really like to see

is a little bit of risk for the sake of righteousness

put myself on the line for the faith I confess

and get in a little trouble for doing what’s right

I’d take a lot of trouble for turning on the light!

in a world that has gotten so far down

let faith hope and love reverb and abound

and if that gets me in trouble then I say bring it on

let my risk remain for righteousness let my risk for sin be gone

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October 4, 2011 White Male Christian (An Apology)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My race my gender and my faith come with quite a price tag

all three have baggage all three have a huge bag

filled with the mistakes of those who came before

with a consequential history I cannot ignore

nor can I delete all my own offenses

my burned bridges and broken fences

so from all my ancestors and yes even me

I offer up this humble apology

European Caucasian mostly known as white

in the eyes of many ethnicities I can never be right

I am charged guilty upon introduction

and into the halls of villainy is my races’ induction

I cannot argue for a moment with those who feel this way

for too often have we stolen murdered and taken away

from those who we deemed were not our kind

but less than as we ransacked with depraved mind

rarely have we done as we should

the power of my race was supposed to be for good!

we were supposed to be the good guys

so on behalf of my race I apologize

To the women and children let me say

that even if I apologized non stop every day

I would not be able to sum it up as long as I live

so with the rest of my life I solemnly swear to give

back to those who we have hurt and left behind

we men have abandoned and destroyed as if with one mind

but it wasn’t supposed to be like this

the societal male blessing wasn’t supposed to miss

we have left those that needed us alone in the dark

we have blown every chance and missed every mark

we have looked you in the face while telling you lies

so on behalf of all men I apologize

The last segment of this sorrowful lament

comes from the most grievous place I’ve spent

for I am a Christian and how I wish that meant more

how I wish we Christ followers adhered to His core

but one doesn’t have to go very far to search

to uncover the sins of the Church

racism sexism slavery and war

cowardice lust and so much more

for we Christians have been the same as those we condemn

our hollow lights have glowed so very dim

and what excuse do we have for all that we’ve done

when our Example is none other than God’s own Son

we have too long gone with those unwise

so on behalf of my faith I apologize

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September 28, 2011 Three Birthdays

 

 

 

Mom and dad crossed the ocean with two leaving with three
far away in the Pacific Agaňa, Guam witnessed me
1977 December 2 1pm on a Friday
mom gave birth with dad by her side this was certainly my day
its true there were two before me as I was their third son
but as for dad being in the delivery room my birth was the first one
I was loved from the beginning of my entrance to this place
there was laughter in the air and a smile on every face

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I knew right from wrong and the Spirit stirred
in South Dakota there was something about the Word
that drew me in at age 11
clothed with Christ I was seated in Heaven
never to die be separated or afraid
by the will of Christ I was remade
and filled up with the power of Life Divine
purchased by Blood I was no longer mine
departing the Valley of Humiliation
I followed the Shepherd unto Salvation

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Attraction dictates what we become
I like something because that’s where I’m from
unfortunate ‘til that time it had remained unseen
but I wrote my first poem when I was fifteen
Burton, Michigan sitting in class 1993
it came from within no one taught me
God made me saved me and gave me a gift
to cry out and grieve inspire and uplift

Life salvation and work with the pen
displayed for all treasured within

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September 19, 2011 Job Well Done

Hey everyone!  This week talks a walk on the humorous side.  Hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel my age a little more right now

adulthood is putting wrinkles on my brow

for the stress of impatience at my current vocation

substitute teaching has no shortage of frustration

immaturity infects the climate like a sickness

 I find myself brainstorming solutions with the quickness

 

I wish I could be Luke Skywalker the Jedi knight

using the force in the classroom there would be no fight

that I couldn’t handle I think kids would find

if they didn’t obey I would literally change their mind

shoot I’d go dark side on ‘em there’d be nothing greater

than choking them with my mind just like Darth Vader

but maybe I don’t need to do all that I’d probably get fired

though in every teacher’s lounge I’d secretly be admired

my goal as a teacher for every girl and boy

is simply to teach and not to destroy

 

Still it might be cool not to use the Force to slaughter

but instead  I’d be a wizard like Harry Potter

charms and spells could take the place

of screaming yelling and stressing my face

I could silence kids with the flick of my wrist

there’d be no way for any of them to resist

but the question is would I be able to hold back

and not give in to a dark magic attack?

cause I’m pretty sure I’d encounter the sort

that would make me go all Voldemort

and the crucio curse would be thrown all over the place

no kid would dare get up in my face

cause if he did he’d get the arvada kedavra for sure!

but that probably wouldn’t cause my employment to endure

besides I’m not really a dark wizard kind of man

and I definitely don’t want to get sent to Azkaban

I suppose what I need must come from within

though I am not the strongest among men

I have what it takes – be it boring or fun

no dark side no dark magic – just a job well done

 

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September 12, 2011 Runaway Praise

This is me going on about God.  He has been so good to me!  Pass it on if you dig it.

Grab a pen and pad the only thing I wanna do

is send praise out to the One who is faithful and true

you have to agree there is no one like He

Who made everything and set us all free

it moves me to go do be and pursue

the One who gave life and breath to me and you

He fills me with purpose and a word to uplift

and give my whole life as a daily gift

the only reason I do what I do is because He is real

He ransomed me from the grave and on me put His seal

let me just say there was a time that I now hate

‘cause everything I did was about me filling my plate

every day of my life was about me myself and I

little did I know or care for the Most High

all the while He was slowly drawing me in

He was calling me to release all my sin

He was calling me in worship to give it all away

He was calling me to the Throne Room every day

He knew He loved me and I could be brought back

and that His grace would get me on track

and then it happened but not just over night

let me tell you I did put up a big fight

but I got quite a dose of His Reality

and began to realize life aint about me

but this world my life – yes – the whole universe

is about declaring His glory in every single verse

there is no corner where He cannot be proclaimed

from the deepest to the highest His glory is exclaimed

and then and all over again infinite without end

from forever ‘til forever this is how we’ll spend

our time even when time is no more

His might His glory His name we will adore

lift up magnify glorify and raise

exalt laud applaud and praise

this what we will do in the land beyond the sky

this is life forever in the glorious by and by

lets engage so we’ll be ready to go

we’ll be with Father – fully in the know

we’ll be with Jesus – Who took all our sins away

we’ll be with the Holy Spirit in the land of endless day

forever and ever and ever we will give Him glory

from now until forever let this be our story

 

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September 6, 2011 She

Last week’s poem was the personification of peace.  This week is love.  Hope you’re well.  Thanks for reading.

 

She always does what’s best for me

her will for my day is the best it possibly can be

her intentions and executions agree one hundred percent

what she does is always what she meant

how I wish I could say the same

for in the deficiencies of our relationship – I am to blame

my distractions preconceptions and biases prevent

proper reception of the messages she sent

she doesn’t give up though even if she’s mad

she believes in me and I am so glad

she’s able to get in and let me know

that no matter what I do or where I go

I’m never too bad too low or too far away

for her to change my night to day

I’m learning to receive what she freely hands out

I find that as I’m able to let go of doubt

there is nothing but sacred beauty in her service to me

and holding on to her I am who I was meant to be

I find what I have had no grasp of

when I let go of me and hang on to Love

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September 1, 2011 Father Peace

No matter what – peace is always here

in every room of the house – he is ever near

whether we acknowledge him or not – he doesn’t go away

in isolation or fellowship he’s available every day

the difference is me and the choices that I make

and whether or not I choose his hand to take

remarkably the thing you would think make him go

are the things that cause his presence to grow

in an ideally bad day he will shine like the sun

to his presence in his arms like a child I will run

and crawl up when I could be depressed

and bury my face deep in his chest

Peace holds me in the moment of need

I am his he is my father I am his son indeed

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August 23, 2011 It’s a Wonderful Life

The Fatal Attraction of my Basic Instinct is no Pulp Fiction but an Inconvenient Truth
I was Home Alone Dazed and Confused Every Which Way But Loose Behind Enemy Lines
in Clear and Present Danger my Temple of Doom was none other than Sin City
I was Falling Down and I could not get Up
my Bad Teacher said there were No Strings Attached
but the Indecent Proposal tried to pull me into the Abyss
surrounded by Ruthless People I was nearly Gone With the Wind
my Higher Learning couldn’t save me from those Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
a Cool World had Bewitched me Across the Universe
my Beautiful Mind had been Cast Away
the Faces of Death were too Big for this Titanic to float
My Life had become the Night of the Living Dead
this Lone Ranger got Dumb and Dumber
til my Deep Impact was an Unbreakable Armageddon
plugged in to the Matrix I believed the Inception
my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was in a League of Their Own
and I was the Invisible Man 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
before I was Gone in 60 Seconds I knew Something’s Gotta Give
my Neverending Story proved I couldn’t Lean on Me
my Crash left me Unknown in a Chamber of Secrets
well there came a point when the Angels in the Outfield started playing Hide and Seek
I left the place where Some Like it Hot and headed Over the Top
Oh believe me it was the Perfect Storm and there was a Rumble in the Bronx
but the Ghost Busters of my Resident Evil restored me to Glory
Chariots of Fire ushered in the Flight of the Navigator
and I was Saved! no longer in a Field of Dreams
Life is Beautiful no longer on a Hook
I had Atonement no longer Unforgiven
I had an Excellent Adventure no longer a Bogus Journey
Some Kind of Wonderful took my sin Far and Away
now I am a Witness to The Power of One The Passion of the Christ
and there aint no Lethal Weapon that can take away my Braveheart
I no longer Supersize Me ‘cause it’s all about Jesus Christ Superstar
His Fellowship repels the Two Towers ‘cause I believe in the Return of the King
and though there be Series of Unfortunate Events
though life can be Stranger than Fiction
though the Empire Strikes Back with the Phantom Menace
I have a New Hope ‘cause I can say “It’s a Wonderful Life”

April 25, 2011 Jason Tomlinson live at Wired

Hey gang, I’ll be performing at Wired on Sunday, May 22 at 6:30.  Come on out!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=205328982823991&notif_t=event_wall#wall_posts

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