Then I Will Abide...
when justice no longer has a color,
and is not defined by economic status,
religious or sexual preference,
then i will abide by your laws!
when freedom is as real in the alleys,
the dumpsters, and on the streets
as it is in your brick houses,
then i will believe in your freedom.
when all men and women,
of all colors and ages,
are treated with equal dignity
and with respect,
then i will stand for your equality.
when each of you can look
into the eyes of your neighbor,
and see God...
then i will abide in your humanity!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Truth And Justice... (Part Five)
the facts that we've allowed
people around the world in
famine struck countries to
starve to death...
that the countries we do
business with imprison their
own people for speaking out
for justice...
that we send our young men
off to fight unholy wars, and
then bring them home to no
jobs and no homes...
that we dont teach our own children
respect....
that our system of justice is
bought and sold...
that we still judge human beings
by skin color and sex...
that we condemn our young people
to poverty and drugs...
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I Do Not Fear... I Fear!
i do not fear....
Armagadden, not the end,
not soldiers wearing masks,
not the plague, not nuclear disaster....
not prisons, not persecution,
not being labeled or hated.
not losing it all,
not guns, not drugs, nor
one world order.....
but i do fear....
not living all that i can live,
not giving all that i can give,
not matching beliefs with action,
not seeing all people as people,
not doing what i know is right....
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Laughing Quietly...
that old shutter,
banging against this old house.
the wind rises, making angry faces,
water surges past stopped up gutters.
trees bend and sway with magic,
the grasses moan in orgasmic delight.
the world threatens, its final statement.
death taunts as if by choice.
long dusty roads beneath the eyes,
flood, and are then reborn.
life teeters, lightning creates,
bones to dust to beginning seed.
standing in the doorway, drinking thunder,
laughing quietly at myself!
on the brink of infinity,
the moment fragile, filled with awe!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Old Man (Faraway)
old man, old man,
sitting in your chair;
tell me the story
behind your faraway stare.
i can see by your wrinkles,
and the scars on your hands.
it's been a long journey
from that faraway land.
tell me who and why you fought,
tell me what you won and lost.
tell me who that you loved,
and who paid the cost.
tell me what you learned,
would you do it all again?
have you made peace with yourself,
are you ready to go 'round the bend?
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Signature Of Angels...
he said:
'you are a wretched man,
and bound for hell.
for you are not a disciple
of our creed...
i cannot pray for you,
you wear the mark of Cain! '
i smiled, and replied:
'ah, but i read the scriptures
of the human heart,
written by the indelible hands
of passion and time.
i lift in prayer the sweat and the tears
of hungry souls struggling to survive.
i sing the hymns of the naked body,
my offering, myself, without restraint.
if i be wretched,
then stoke the fires!
the mark on my forehead,
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
You, And I
september, and roses;
a lot of things turn grey.
and the book never read
stands alone on the shelf.
the clock ticks, scraping
against the walls of eternity.
part the Sea, or just walk
on the water, what difference?
lying naked on the rose petals,
or standing in the unemployment line.
the ghosts of Martin Luther King,
Jesus, and that old cat
who slept in my guitar case.
every ordinary moment, holy!
and small memories we leave behind
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
For Russell Means
we walk in silent circles,
mountains rise within.
rivers weep as if they knew,
somehow i think they do.
buffalo prayers dry like bones,
crows grieve as only they can.
the Great Spirit sows deep with destiny,
the sacred hoop calls forth souls.
night bows in silent awe,
waiting for dawn to undress the day.
wild horses gallop past kerosene huts,
where children speak the forbidden way.
a voice returns to silence,
leaving the truth in battles fought.
freedom takes back her lover,
ah, but soon he'll ride again!
for Russell Means
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Homeless
nowhere to go...
from bridge to alley,
maybe a tent.
barrel fire, robbing the trash,
a little something to eat
that nobody else wanted...
panhandle a cup of coffee,
maybe bum a smoke...
hope to hell it dont snow today.
the shelter's full,
the soup kitchen aint open yet....
nowhere to go.
houses with curtains & plates
give way to vacant buildings....
children's voices echo the sound
of rats scurrying in the dark...
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Too Late To Believe
rain, fire, and smoldering ashes...
truth demands the air it breathes.
every step a choice,
nothing to go back to...
we stand on the brink,
a people without a land.
you and i no different,
even the taste much the same.
the leaves on the tree have fallen.
paying the cost of the lash,
the wheels mired in mud.
even our prayers cant lie anymore...
America, America,
do you recognize your face?
your children weep,
your father's graves long lost.
only the back, the hands,
and the hearts remain...
[...] Read more
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!