2: Made new

       Spinning and shaking alone in despair, crying with a broken heart that is beyond repair.  The room goes silent, I hear my own breath. Fading into blackness I know I near death. Thoughts of my past come and flood my head. Images of angels tell me I’m dead. I see them dancing on the walls. Light is shining as glory falls. I see the light, the light of God, I have entered the place, where angles trod. My dark thoughts are gone, what I feel is free. I feel warmth and compassion, who I’m meant to be. I’m meant to feel joyful and not to feel sad. In His presence I have found my Heavenly dad. He speaks to me with a loud booming voice, tell me my son why you’ve made this choice. I gave you everything you could ever need, but it wasn’t good enough so you took the lead. You had a wife and daughter and beautiful home, but you let your demons take over and you started to roam. You wandered off the path that I had made, and turned your life into a big parade. You turned to the bottle instead of to me! I could’ve saved you, you would be free! You then turned from drinking to turning to a drug, Alone and comatose on a vomit filled rug. Your whole family left and you had no one to care, but I still loved you! More then I could bare! That’s why I’ve brought you to me to have this talk, I’m sending you back so you can walk the walk! I’m putting your broken pieces back into place, you’re a new creation now with a purpose filled race. Call to me my son when you are at the end! Open up my mom Word, find the hope that I send! Don’t go back to your old way, watch your life change every time you pray! Go back now to your body my beautiful son, I have forgiven your past, what is done is done. Suddenly I’m thrust backward and my soul is thrown, back in my body I let out a groan. I’m alive again, and I am made new. I hope this poem will soon help you.

       Backstory: I had a very real and extremely intense dream 5 years ago about meeting Jesus face to face, I was going through a lot of personal struggles and major depression and crippling anxiety, I woke up from that dream at 3 am and wrote this poem in 10 minutes. This was definitely a blessing. I hope this poem will inspire you to trust in Jesus and allow Him to change your life like He did for me.

42: Through the Eyes of a Dog

Once clear and bright his eyes are now old, his heart however is still as precious as gold. His sight may be fading and seeing less of this Earth, but his purpose remains as true as the day of his birth. Through the eyes of a dog, he sees your pain. His tears match yours, both falling like rain. Through the eyes of a dog, he sees a best friend. More than an owner, you’re the sails to his wind. Through the eyes of a dog, he sees your face… he sees your smiling eyes and such sweet grace. Through the eyes of a dog he sees that stick. He sprints to fetch it, drop it, and then gives you a lick. Through the eyes of a dog he sees the most beautiful view… and that beautiful view is a mirror as he looks back at you…

Backstory: On May 8th, 2025 my wife and I were blessed start our first day of dog and house sitting for some friends of my parents! Their dog named Argus, is a very beautiful dog, kind and gentle and has big brown eyes. As he was sitting and staring up at me, it struck me that I should write a poem about what a dog sees hence the name through the eyes of a dog. Argus gave me the idea, but my true inspiration came from my first dog Bruiser. He was a yellow lab. He passed away at 13 on my 13th birthday. I remember looking into his cloudy old eyes, as much as they were clouded, I could clearly see the love… I hope you enjoyed this poem.

22: Wet A Line

       Let me set the scene, I am in a stunning place, beams of warm sun, shine down on my face. Fishing pole in one hand, tackle box in the other, last time I fished years ago I was with my brother. Now I've got my son with me tagging along, trekking through the woods and humming a song. We reach our destination, a cool and slow moving creek, my son looks at me and says this is the best ever week. I smile and nod, while I bait his hook this is no doubt the best trip we've ever took. We cast out our lines and take in, the picture perfect views. The sun setting on the water gives off incredible hues. Suddenly, my pole dips forward and I feel a bite! My son cheers me on as I struggle and fight! I pull out of the water a seven pound bass. The water becomes peaceful and once more becomes glass. I say your turn son, give it a cast! This memory is going to be one that will last. This last year was hard for both me and my son but now we have a break and are having some fun. I got one dad! He yells as he starts reeling it in, I see the surprise in his eyes has his reel starts to spin. You’ve got this son, don’t give up yet! It's a beauty, keep reeling, it is yours to get! He summons the strength and pulls it out of the water, stumbles back a bit and begins to totter. He is so proud of himself filled with smiles and joy! I say to him wohoo! Now that’s a fish my boy! He looks at me with big blue eyes, gives me a hug and gently sighs. Thank you so much dad, it was such a fun time. I love fishing with you dad, it ought be a crime. As we walk back to the truck and smell the sweet smell of pine, I say I'm so glad we got to wet us a line.

       Backstory: One of my all time favorite memories with my dad, Doug Ott, is fishing in Mexico on a family vacation when I was young. We were fishing in a boat on the Sea of Cortes. I absolutely loved fishing with him. I caught a bunch that day! I thought about it a few years ago and wrote this poem from the perspective of me fishing with my son, in a wooded paradise, just me and my boy. It was really awesome going back to that memory I had with my dad and kind of paralleling it with the vision that I have one day with my son.