Freedom, or The Ending of a Marriage

Rural Mississippi, 1946

Baby, don’t think for a second 

You gone start a 

Bunch of drama for me! 

Take your insinuations 

Back where they come from. 

You won’t steal my joy or 

My liberty. 

Somehow, you think by talkin’ 

You can just make anxiety start 

Churnin’ in my brain. 

But, baby, let me tell ya, 

You had sure better think again. 

Don’t think for a second 

You gone start a 

Bunch of drama for me! 

You ain’t got the power 

To make me surrender, 

‘Cause tonight, I’m settin’ myself free!

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published May 2012.

Peace Goes With Me

Blissfully unaware of my
Noisy surroundings,
I stare off into an urban sunset
Thinking of the evenings,
Years ago,
Spent rocking on the front porch –
Children laughing,
Running,
Playing –
The peacefulness of it all.
Then, suddenly,
I find my mind enlightened by a truth.
In the midst of all of the noise,
I finally seem to understand: 

The peace of the country is in my heart,
And wherever I am, it’s peace goes with me.

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published May 2012.

Don't Forget Us

Whispering through the trees
I hear the sound of voices,
Telling tales my ancestors told
Long ago.

They lived,
Worked,
Played,
And died here in these woods.

And they still live,
Through me,

Every time I make my way home from the city.

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published Apr. 2012.

Every Once in a While

Every once in a while

I re-open the letter you sent me,
Filled with joy,
And hope,
And promises,
And love.

I remember the words that
Once rang true in your heart.

Every once in a while
I pull out the old photo
Of you and me together.
Two faces filled with laughter,
Eyes only for each other.

Every once in a while I remember,

I used to be the man in that picture,

With you.

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published Apr. 2012.

Let's Agree to Disagree

Just because

I have a different opinion than you

Doesn't mean

I’m less of a person.

It doesn’t mean

I’m not as intelligent.

It doesn't mean

That I’m faithless,

And on the verge of eternal doom.

It just means that

When I checked out all the facts,

And thought through the details,

I arrived at a different conclusion.

That’s okay with me,

And I’m pretty sure Jesus is cool with it, too.

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published Apr. 2012.

When You Can't Go Home

I hear the rain
Falling on the roof,
On the trees, and
Hitting the ground with force,
Like an angry drunk
Slamming his empty bottle of
Beer on the table,
Demanding more.

"Just put it on my tab,"
He says.
The bartender replies,
"I think it's time for you to go home."

The truth is, he would,
If there was anything to go back to.

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published Apr. 2012.

Between These Hills

In my view there are two hills,
Both filled with bright green grass.
The sun shines over them,
Showcasing a picturesque skyline of peace,
Hope, and new life.

I sip my coffee,
Thinking about my life in between these hills.
I smile a kind of furious smile,
Like when you lose awareness of everything
Around you,
Becoming lost in a beautiful daydream deep within.

In the living room of the old house
The television set is on,
Locked in to some news report from the city.
A shooting,
A robbery,
A demonstration in the streets.

I call for my wife to turn the volume down.

In my view there are two hills.
And this life I live in between them

Is filled with peace,
Hope, and new life.

And I don't want that interrupted.

This poem © Kevin Walker. Published Feb. 2012.