If you want to succeed in poetry, start off by showing your work.
Be proud of what you’ve created, even when others will smirk.
Focus on what is important, take a chance and write what you please.
Always stay true to your form and remember the a. b. c. ’s

Never be afraid to fail, get back up and follow your heart.
What you think is masterfully written, others will rip apart.
There are many types of poets, together we are never alone.
Follow your own set of rules, nothing is set in stone.

Don’t worry about comments, or how many hits you may get.
There is a reason why you write, so please don’t ever forget.
We all have to start somewhere, ignore the bullying ****.
If you want to succeed at poetry, start off by showing your work.

When demons come and join the fight,
they’ll jump the fence and flee the light.
They will know they’re on the losing end,
they’ll soon switch sides and seek amends

This battle will end before it starts,
the holy soldiers will play their part.
Trained by God they will not lose,
be careful of the side you choose.

The sky will flash and wield its sword,
the wrath of God brought by the Lord.
Hear the truth and change your ways,
or you will face your end of days.

Satan now claims to be on top,
but his reign on earth will soon be stopped.
Lace up your boots and pack your lunch,
wait for the mighty counterpunch.

If you come to my jungle, you will not be the king.
Stick a gun in my face and watch the wrath that I’ll bring.
I bow before one and my friend it’s not you.
Bring your violence to my doorstep and it will be the last thing that you do.

My home is my castle and here I am king.
I rule this great land and my bite it does sting.
In this land we are armed, from sea to shining sea.
A redneck’s justice is what you will see.

Here law and order, is in my two hands.
I have 13 acres on which I now stand.
It’s fortified and safe for family and friends.
It’s soaked with my blood and all hate has been cleansed.

If you don’t like my thoughts then you better pass on by.
Evil is not allowed here and I’m going to tell you why.
Jesus gave his all for this life that we live.
I now follow in his footsteps and for you that’s what I’ll give.

It was late at night and the thunder roared.
A bright flash of light across the sky now soared.
The rain poured down and the cold winds howled.
He saw a hooded old man with a scythe and a scowl.

His journey of life was near the end of its run.
He now looked back on all he had done.
The reaper now stood just ten feet away.
He had some cards on a table with just one game to play.

If you’re up for the task you can return anew.
Win this game of chance and there will be nothing you can’t do.
Your life will reset and your future will shine.
Just pick one card that’s better than mine.

If you should lose, your soul I will take.
Your teeth I’ll grind and your bones I will break.
Once you take a seat there is no turning back.
Make the right choice or face my attack.

God’s Porch Light

It was the first Friday in February, 1996.
I walked out in the front yard at ten after six.
It was a cold winter day just before the rising of the sun.
My mother’s life here on earth was finally over and done.

I saw but one star, all alone in the early morning sky.
I could see it shining bright, though my eyes were not yet dry.
It seemed to be hanging there, just for me to see.
It twinkled on the frost, that now covered every tree.

It was quite majestic and comforting, I wondered how this could be.
It looked like a distant porch light, that someone left on just for me.
As my eyes began to focus on this beautiful guiding light.
I could see my name appear, then it was gone, just like the night.

I see this star each year, on the day of Mom’s final breath.
It’s a simple message from Jesus, of life right after death.
My name is on this star, it lights my path each night I roam.
Maybe it’s the porch light of our savior and he turns it on to guide us home.

Mark Koplin

Our Last Stand

Last night in my slumber, I saw destruction and death
It wasn’t caused by the riots, heroine or ****
There was no discrimination, no discernible math
It laid waste to all, that stood in its path

It rained fire in the east and then quickly moved west
Many were consumed, our worst and our best
It had no empathy, it scorched much of our earth
Both the young and old died, many before birth

I had witnessed the technology of man and how it caused so much death
A simple malfunction, had released the dragon’s breath
We no longer stood divided, but united by one common goal
It was simply to survive, and regain some sort of control

In my deepest sleep, I saw mass destruction sweep throughout our land
But in the end it was unity, that saved our last stand

Twenty-eight years ago, I met a woman on the road
It was a cold winter night and she was laying all alone
I gave her my coat and held her blood-soaked hand
I never knew her name but I gave her all I had
I told her my name and that she was no longer alone
I promised that I would stay, until she decided to go home
It’s hard to find words for someone’s last moments of life
I knew she was somebody’s daughter or quite possibly someone’s wife
I’ve carried her with me, every day since that night
With my heart covered in blood, as I hold her hand tight
Somewhere in this world, her family still grieves
I wish I could tell them, in my heart she’ll never leave
If I was granted one wish, I’d share with them her last night
So they could see that a stranger, showed her love at that site
The twisted metal and blood would no longer be
If they could just use my eyes and see what I’ve seen

I saw God today
in the early morning light
I saw him smiling in the sun rise
as he led me from the night
I saw his almighty hands
In the trees there all around
I knelt down at his feet
In the green grass on the ground
I heard his booming voice
as a distant thunderstorm passed by
I saw his loving eyes
In the clear blue morning sky
I saw his arms reach out
with his mighty staff and rod
I witnessed the presence of our father
today I saw God

My well-seasoned heart seeks love's light
Years of heartbreak, thwarted romance
Harrowing each eternal night
A wall flower in life’s last dance

Optimistic wish from years past
Sad thought on which I now reflect
I pray yesterday’s woes won’t last
Prize of love I've yet to collect

True love lost can negate life's joy
I will try to move on once more
Passion between a girl and boy
I seek with absolute rapport

Pity and self-loathing must end
I found true love with my best friend

I’m proud to be an American, I love the Red, White and Blue.
I’ll protect the Stars and Stripes forever so be careful of what you do.
That Flag you are kneeling on and the one that you just burned.
Protects your life and Liberty, and the Freedom you never earned.

It’s a symbol of this nation and for those who gave their all.
We should honor and respect it, that’s more important than playing ball.
It represents our Future, our Present and History Past.
It’s for every fallen soldier and for their lives that didn’t last.

The next time you’re feeling entitled and you want to burn our sacred cloth.
Remember our Flag is also protected by the man up on the Cross.
My God protects this country, that’s exactly what I believe.
If you can’t respect our way of life, then pack your bags and take your leave.

I love the taste of summer its beauty is all around.
The colors and the music, green grass now on the ground.
The Lilacs and the roses tell all that’s summer’s here.
Weekend trips out to the ocean, good friends and ice-cold beer.

Reality seems to pause as the birds fly through the air.
The doves and golden eagles, little cubs with mama bear.
The kittens and all of the puppies out frolicking while they grow.
Shade trees out in the yard, I love the summer glow.

The lakes and city parks, give way to summer fun.
Our children play outside and keep us on the run.
The summer sees not color, it’s there for all of man.
This season brings us peace, enjoy it while you can.

A time of year I truly love, sunshine now warms our lands.
Downtown and country markets, parades and marching bands.
My favorite part of summer is hard for words to find.
It’s the smiles and happy hearts, summer’s love will always bind.

The Wild West

******* your six shooters or reach for the sky.
The police in Minneapolis are going bye bye.
The powers that be want the police department gone.
Be careful of what you wish for and the line that you’ve drawn.

Maybe we should stop paying taxes and see where that leads.
Defund our government and start wearing beads.
The summer of love in two thousand twenty.
A redo of the wild west in the land of good and plenty.

At least we are still armed and able to buy lead.
Our safety and security are quickly being put to bed.
Remember to lock your windows and both of your doors.
The criminals now rule in this political war.

Will we die from a virus or get shot in the street?
More lawless communities, now wouldn’t that be neat.
I’m disappointed and sick when I think of what’s next.
Our leaders are causing our fall and need a reality check.

We welcome the tired and we care for our sick.
North Dakota is home and we don’t carry sticks.
Gun powder and lead protect every home.
We all stand together no one is alone.

For my friends in the cities, no longer safe from harm.
Don’t forget you have friends, up north on the farm.
We’ll continue to love and God’s word we’ll still teach.
Don’t mistake that for weakness, we still practice what we preach.

Riots and fires, destruction with bricks.
You better go home and never mess with us hicks.
All ****** is wrong swift justice we need.
But if you bring your violence here, we will make you bleed.

None of us are animals, black and white both bleed red.
We are responsible for our actions we still make our own bed.
These are my words and I pray that you hear.
Don’t bring your hate to my home, you’ll just find God and guns here.

40 days and 40 nights.
My beer is gone, this really bites.
The tipping point has passed its mark.
I’m sneaking out right after dark.

The moon is out and shows my path.
No more wine and bubble baths.
Old Billy Bob his sheds in view.
It’s time to sample his bitter brew.

An underground tavern out in the woods.
Home-made beer now understood.
A roll for loo you best have got.
Billy’s beer will make you squat.

Down the hatch and out the rear.
The family genius it would appear.
This secret brew spreads far and wide.
With no regard for one’s backside.

I have a dream
from me to you.
About what we’ve seen
and what we should do.

The stars and stripes
one nation under God.
The pledge of allegiance
thy staff and rod.

We have lost our way
we have gotten weak.
Our future right now
seems dim and bleak.

We need to return,
to the ground with boots.
We need to go back
and find our roots.

Out in the country that’s where I’m from.
The Northern Plains, Redneck to some.
Born and bred by God’s own hands.
We’re tough as hell and rule these lands.

From the Red River Valley to the great Black Hills.
We follow one law and do Gods will.
We’ve paid our debt, formidable and ready.
Tred on me and I’ll thump you steady.

We hail from the North and from the South.
Known far and wide by word of mouth.
We are the strong who protect the weak.
God’s chosen few are of whom I speak.

We’ll never fall we watch the many.
Our guns and ammo are good and plenty.
We run on faith and fueled by love.
We are protected from up above.

Have you ever seen a sunset, that made you smile and weep?
How about a harvest moon, that simply knocked you off your feet.
Have you ever seen stars, that made you want to jump and fly?
How about a morning sunrise, that made you sit back and wonder why.

How can all of this beauty, which surrounds us every day?
Be overlooked and forgotten, by so many along the way.
If we all took a moment, and remembered where we are.
Maybe life could be a little better, and maybe not so hard.

I'm thankful for this day, and I wish for many more.
I'm happy that I can see, to admire and adore.
If I should ever lose my eyes, how sad that would truly be.
But I would be thankful for the poet, for they write down everything they see.

I surely don't mean to brag or boast
But my words have been read to many a toast
Golden words may flow now and again
Raging from the poet's pen

Sculpted and molded some words beware
Some poets write truth and others just flair
Some are put on cards and some in songs
But all end up right where they belong

Most are heard but seldom seen
They get passed by and loose their sheen
Like a dying flame they slowly fade
Waiting for resurrection on some other day

Our words are powerful surpassing unique
Our words can be happy and sometimes bleak
Your pen will bleed and before you know it
You've joined the ranks of the unknown poet

Let’s take a moment and really think about this man.
He came here as a mortal with just one plan.
With grace and valor, he came here to die.
How many of us would do that, how many would even try?

As a mortal man he shared all of our fears.
He knew exactly what he was in for, but still chose to come down here.
Imagine his pain, the ridicule and torture.
This was the right hand of God, Man’s true enforcer.

With dignity and honor, he took every lash.
Each thorn on the crown, every ****** ****.
They spat in his face disrespected by us all.
He still carried that cross, for us he stood tall.

He stood face to face with the darkest parts of the human soul.
To defend, love and save all of us was his only goal.
When life brings destruction, chaos, death and loss.
I just think of this man who hung up there on that cross.

You’ve allowed me life and delivered me strong.
You highlight my path to where I belong.
You have cleansed my soul with your vitalizing blood.
I’ll never deserve your grace and love.

For all you have given there is nothing more that I need.
For you I will fight, for you I will bleed.
When the demons march from the pits of hell.
I’ll be waiting right here for your order to tell.

By light of day or the dark set of night.
I’ll go for the head so it can no longer bite.
Sure-footed and quick, graceful and strong.
I’ll prove my faith for with you I belong.

My soul I devote and lay at your feet.
I’ll be swift and true with every beat.
I kneel before you, the creator of man.
I’m forever grateful, because of you I am.

With an unprecedented shortage of basic supplies
People worldwide are learning to be wise.
Loo rolls, medicine and the safety mask.
Making do with what we already have is the new task.

I’ve seen diapers and bras used as new safety covers.
Drugs for malaria and stool softeners as miracle cures, are just a few among others.
Even the orange headed one is coming up with new treatment ideas.
The new scene for loo rolls is now our expired tortillas.

Slowly thawed or quickly nuked with the microwave oven
Soft and abundant and recently discovered is the new lovin.
It might not be charmin, but equally as soft on the ****.
Biodegradable and able to flush, no longer needed is the backyard bush.

I will always love my God and pray whenever I can.
He gave me common sense and the tools to be my own man.
I don’t live for fortune and I won’t live for fame.
Let’s be clear, for if I fail, I only have myself to blame.

I will only bow to the one true father of man.
Go ahead and judge me, frankly I don’t give a ****.
I will live my life just how I see fit.
I will never budge on my values, not even a little bit.

I am a soldier of God, for him I will fight.
I give Satan my business end, which he can kiss out of pure spite.
I am loyal there is no other way.
I know who has my back at the end of the day.

A blood red dawn eloquently drizzles in through my windowpane.
Added beauty greets my morning once again.
The barren leafless trees hide what they’re able.
Stifling our world’s incumbent label.

Centered testament as I face this day.
Observing some blue as I recognize collected grey.
I will venture out more risky work at hand.
All normalcy henceforth marginally banned.

More freedom incrementally begins to fade.
Persuading mistakes our new future is being made.
Exhaustion and fear now become the norm.
Mauling sensation as I navigate the storm.

Thank you, God for your majestic trees.
My biscuit at lunch, kissed by your honey bees.
The birch, the pine and the mighty oak.
Even this tasty Marlboro I’m about to smoke.

Thank you for taste and all of life’s treats.
Thank you for my eyes and the food that I eat.
Thank you for my friends and my family as well.
Thanks for my ears so I can hear them tell.

As the sun sets before me, I know that I am blessed.
Thanks for your introduction, so I know longer need to guess
Thank you for making me strong and smart.
Thank you, my God, How Great Thou Art.

On this special day oh Lord
I give you many thanks
Every Christian now bows
Throughout the ranks

We remember your life-giving journey
Every step up that hill
How you carried that heavy cross
And every drop of blood that you did spill

You suffered dearly for us all
And you died for everyone here today
For all of our sins
You did graciously pay

My life is all yours Lord
I know it’s not much
I will forever be grateful for all that you gave
and my heart that you did touch.

What will you decide for yourself today?
What is your self- worth, what price are you willing to pay?
How will you face the obstacles at hand?
For what exactly will you choose to stand?

You will be faced with failure time and time again.
But never give up, stay true to your domain.
Don’t look back at the dangers nipping at your heel.
Remain focused and steady under life’s keel.

Stay strong in life’s darkest moments.
Calm and steady will earn your endowments.
Make your decisions wisely sort through life’s odds and ends.
And never no matter what ring that bell my friends!

All is quiet, my corner still safe.
Ten more pounds, I’m beginning to chafe.
I’ve chewed the couch and the lazy boy chair.
I look like a hippy with all of this hair.

Civilization does need to return.
The dogs want me gone as my stomach swells and churns.
A fresh box of ding dongs and twinkies galore.
My britches don’t fit I can’t take much more.

I never thought that I would see the day.
A line outside Walmart, no freaking way.
How long will this last, I don’t have a clue.
I’m stuck indoors with the quarantine blues.

Do you feel lost, still waiting to be found?
Do you feel forgotten, like a pair of feet with no solid ground?
Forsaken and abandoned, still waiting for some sort of subsidence?
Do you feel pushed aside to evaluate, like a ship with no guidance?

You are important, you're not lost nor alone.
He will never forget you, and he will never disown.
He is always here, right by our side.
He will be holding our hand, taking each step in stride.

Remember the one, who helped us get here.
He will always love us, and he will never disappear.
He is a beacon of light, for every lost ship at sea.
He hung on that cross, he died for you and me.

In the early morning, right before dawn.
Today approaches, yesterday is gone.
Our legacy left, be mindful of time.
Make the most of your life, let the sun shine.

Treat each day as if it could be your last.
Your future will one day become your past.
Plant your seed, water it, and watch it grow.
Your future now comes, please stay in the know.

Educate and live, pass on and pardon.
Put forward your best and tend your garden.
Maintain and deliver, watch your brother.
Remember God's son, love one another.

Take care of your sails and keep your mast strong.
We will weather this storm, we do belong.

Mankind has now entered a new chapter of life.
Unprecedented circumstances, brings forth newfound strife.
Your conduct and demeanor are controlled by only you.
Don't let fear of the unknown control what you do.

Educate and prepare, protect yourself and your kin.
We will get through this, remember where we've been.
I wish you the best, I pray for each one of you.
This is just a break from the norm, we will get through.

The darkness is gone, not even the light can take hold.
I'm trapped in the void, no more love to behold.
There is nowhere I belong, a lonely broken heart.
I've been cast out by the light and expelled from the dark.

I have nowhere to run and no chance of flight.
My sentence will run, with no end in sight.
I'm surrounded by life, muscle and bone.
Can anybody see me? Am I here all alone?

I have nothing left, I now circle the drain.
My walls have been built, each brick laid with pain.
There are plenty of others, who know how I feel.
It's all in my head, but the struggle is real.

Why am I punished, for some other's sin?
I long for the day, when the light comes back in.
In the void I am numb, no harm can come here.
But the dark and the light, are both very near.

Imagine your life's desires, what exactly chases your tail?
What motivates your morning, what's behind that blinding veil?
Is it simply robotics, or maybe love for family or a friend?
Could it be a house or car, or making more money to spend?

We all employ free will, there is no accounting for what others may think.
Perhaps you feel manly in flannel, or maybe pretty in pink.
Take pride in who you are, and in everything you do.
How you choose to live your life, well, it's really up to you.

You might be rock or country, you could be straight or gay.
You might have many more years to come, or it could all end today.
Go out and strike your spark, see all that you can see.
Continually accept the challenge, be all that you can be.

We all possess dreams, that we aspire to achieve.
Treat all with respect, no matter what you believe.
Achievements can bring arrogance, failure can humble.
Support your brothers and sisters, pick them up when they stumble.

Despite talent or beliefs, we all have the same goal.
Attain knowledge from life, engage and enroll.
We are all here together, embrace and show love.
We can all help each other, like Noah and his dove.

There has been some damage done, but together we can fix.
We can spread some love around, before we're under by six.
Our world is laden with partners, take some clock and unite in dance.
Promote and construct, go out and give it a chance.