First Post with New Version of Blogger

Here is a random poem
Made up on the spot
As I've made this blog's transition
New Blogger, new blogspot

Been quite awhile
Since I've done this kind of thing
I should stop by more often
And see what I can bring

Now it's time for me to go
It's been a lot of fun
Check out something else
'Cause this post is done

He Set Me Free
In December 1994, I came up with twelve presents to give my wife Jennie for Christmas. The last present was to be an engagement ring. I wrote the poem below, rather quickly, in fact, to be one of those presents.

He set me free
From all my guilt and sin
From my despair and hopelessness
From the chains that bound me tight

He gave to me
A chance to start anew
A purpose for my life
A life with so much fullness
A love that never ends

He's changing me
I'm not the man I used to be
I'll never be the same anymore
He's changing me more and more
His Spirit at work within my heart

I'll cling to him
It's the least that I can do
I wanna show him more and more
I love him so much
I'll never leave him

He set me free

Horrible poem

I agree with Jennifer. Someone was definitely reaching with this one.

Romantic Movements

The next series of posts is a collection of related poems I wrote when I was back in high school. You may say they are like 'Movements' of a classical music piece.

They are entitled

1. Confession
   
2. Pain
   
3. Passion?
   
4. Worship?
   
5. Fear
   
6. Reunion
   
7. Permission
   

Trash
In the summer of 1986, I attended the Governor's Summer Institute for the Gifted and Talented at the University of Cincinnati. While there I attended a Poetry Workshop with some other high school juniors. For one of the exercises, we all came up with one word, and the entire group had to write their own poem, using those words or a variant of those words (e.g., using 'chin' instead of 'chinchilla' was okay).

If I can remember correctly, the words we had to work with were as follows: serendipity, soliloquy, chinchilla, rhetorical, oxymoron, understand, communicate, and manacle. Below is my contribution. Oh yeah, the last stanza is exactly how I felt after writing this piece. Fortunately, I don't feel that way now.

All because of serendipity --
The theatre director was amazed at
The way the man who portrayed the cat
Performed his soliloquy.

Standing on the stage in his costume,
He improvised a monologue.
Reminiscent of Shakespeare,
It still had relevance to the play.

"Why should the heavens
Take their anger on me?
Why must I walk
Under the formidable sky,
Which gives me such a chill,
With unpleasant joy?"

Thought the director:
A rhetorical question with an oxymoron
In a contemporary play --
With loads of symbolism
Was a creative idea.

Though no one understood it
The actor explained his question,
Which grabbed the audience's attention.

The director left the theatre
In search of more of those
With great communication skills.

And thus the young poet finishes his work,
Looks at it and tosses it into the trash.

No Man is an Island originally published 02/11/2002 11:07 PM at Journey Inside My Mind

Hebrews 10:24 :: NIV

I've been seeing a lot of selfishness in my own life and in others' lives. Even now, I don't feel like giving my heart to others because I'm not feeling 100% healthy. We can be so easily distracted by the worries of life, etc. We all need to do our part in taking care of ourselves and each other.

In addition, we need to keep praying to God. Write letters in a journal (this online weblog is a great venue). Write poems, love letters to Jesus. We all need to grow deeper in our love for him. For help, I often go back to the Psalms, for example.

In addition, the Bible states in Hebrews 10:25-27 that we need to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. I believe this is possible. I also believe that God has given all of us gifts to be used to serve him. I am trying to think of my mental illness as a gift from God. I'm not always good at doing that, but I'm trying. The apostle Paul wrote that God uses our weaknesses to demonstrate his power, so, Amen, then, show your power, O Lord!

I look forward to the plans that God has for all of us. Let me encourage you to read Ephesians 1. I read that a lot this weekend, and it encouraged me so much! It was like I was reading all of this for the first time.

The Phone Rings

by Dan Johnson, Jr.

The phone rings rings rings
Will it ever stop
I unplug it
The phone rings rings rings
I put it in the garbage
And go away from it
The phone rings rings rings
It’s driving me crazy
I cannot escape it
I bite my lip until it bleeds
The phone rings rings rings
No one else hears it
Are they deaf? No
The phone rings rings rings
I take it outside
And destroy it with a hammer
I dig a hole in the ground
And bury it
But while I’m sleeping tonight
The phone rings rings rings
I wake up and unbury the phone
I set it on fire
And watch it melt
The phone rings rings rings
It’s a piece of melted metal and plastic
I cannot answer it now – Never
The phone rings rings rings
It’s driving me insane
I can’t get rid of it
No one understands
No one believes me
The phone rings rings rings
I put it in my car
And drive far far away
I put it in a garbage dump
The phone rings rings rings
I drive home
And go to sleep
The phone rings rings rings
It’s right outside my door
I open it
There’s a man in white who says
“Your time has come. Shall we go?”
The phone rings rings rings
The man and I are walking
I cannot see anymore
There is a blinding white light
The phone rings rings rings
When I wake up there’s a sign:
Welcome to Heaven—
The phone no longer rings.

NOTE: I was inspired to write this one night in 1987 in high school while trying to do homework. I kept getting distracted by people calling on the phone. So I took my frustrations out on paper rather than on the phone, although I wished otherwise.

Update: Listen to me read this poem over at Journey Inside My Mind!

Sharp - A Poem originally published 02/21/2002 10:02 PM at Journey Inside My Mind

Jolts of hot, searing pain
In my right shoulder
Sitting too long in one position

In agony and desperation I
Use my pocket knife and cut
Into my flesh

There I put a large
Block of ice
Chill out

Random Mind Leakage - A Poem originally published 02/20/2002 11:07 PM at Journey Inside My Mind

In the haze around my head
My eyes are seeing red
I cannot make out all the sheen
What does all this mean?
Time is quickly flowing away
Time to call it a day.

I Reach Out For You O God - A Poem originally published 02/12/2002 4:23 AM at Journey Inside My Mind

I reach out for you, O God.
I know that you are near.
I know you hear my cries.
I know you see every tear.

This doesn't feel right.
I don't understand.
Please hold onto me
In the palm of your hand.

I need you right now, Lord
I want to love you more
I want to know you
More than I ever have before.

My life seems so confusing
Sometimes it makes no sense at all
I need you to hold me tight
To catch me when I fall

I will wait for you
You will take care of me
Some day this all will be done with
And your beautiful face I'll see.

Whirlwind - A Poem

originally published 02/06/2002 2:36 PM at Journey Inside My Mind

Note: It's been really hard to concentrate today. I feel like my mind is going in so many directions, and it's hard to do simple things.

My mind's a whirlwind
Thoughts racing around
My real objectives
Are hard to be found

Needing concentration
I grasp and fight the air
Screaming for some sanity
Trying desperately to care

In my present situation
I know that I'll prevail
Because with God for me
I know I cannot fail

Music Over Matter - A Poem

originally published 01/16/2002 5:33 PM at Journey Inside My Mind

Drums thumping in my head
Fingers tapping on the keyboard
Head bobs...
Just listenin' to some tunes at work.