"churchgoers" poems
The windows down
Warm sticky air
Salty sweat
Kody’s beside me in the truck
She has a hatchet and I have a hand grenade
We’ve just been driving around town
Screaming **** the earth
Screaming it at all the pretty churchgoers
The school board members
Her old softball coach
I didn’t pay the rent this month
Kody didn’t eat a single vegetable
We ****** about 76 times
She’s been painting really beautiful
Its true talent
Mom sent some mail that said she missed me
I look pathetic trying to react like a son should
I’m almost as free as you would want to be
But what a God **** shame
I have to wake up in a few hours
Feb 23, 2012
Feb 23, 2012 at 1:55 AM UTC
Orange rinds and coffee grinds
Take me back to easy Sunday afternoons
Playing chess with former churchgoers in your tiny café.
I met a man who didn't believe in God
But instead put his faith into the Queen
"She protects" he'd say after ousting another piece of mine
"He forgets" he'd mumble as an afterthought, directed at no one.
But as it goes one fateful day
Student surpassed teacher
And didn't think twice about killing the Queen.
As if a bomb detonated just within the cappuccino brown walls
The chessboard flung against the wall
Causalities flying in all directions
A porcelain blood bath.
He left in a hurried huff
All owl eyes all snapped in my direction
I sat frozen -- shocked.
You broke the trance
Kneeled down to pick up the fallen Queen
Placed Her Royal Majesty in my right hand
Placed a free coffee on my table.
The café resumed it's normal character
Scattered chatter and newspaper shuffling
I took a sip of the burnished brown liquid
Tasted a hint of bitter citrus
And came to conclude that there exists a distinct conflict between
Power and Empathy.
Aug 13, 2014
Aug 13, 2014 at 11:25 AM UTC
Dr. James C. Kelly the vision that he saw
Salvation being another church at first
Rev. Dr. Kelly who saw New Jerusalem in having its own verse
The foundation in bringing churchgoers in
The name New Jerusalem on a journey of begin
New Jerusalem Worship Center formerly New Jerusalem Baptist Church
Welcomed arms in God’s sight
God opened more for to see the light
The church surrounded Dr. Kelly’s preach
It was the souls he was trying to reach
New Jerusalem’s work that is not complete
We are the congregation being God’s receipt
New Jerusalem is determined to go on
It doesn’t matter for how long
I didn’t know personally Rev. Dr. James Kelly
But I heard stories of what this great man accomplished and it was his preaching words
The vision, a time to prayer
It is also a reason to relay
God will continue to bless New Jerusalem
We must keep the legacy of Dr. Kelly and New Jerusalem alive
Through the efforts of Dr. Kelly, the spirit of Founder still yet remains
It’s Heaven bound being a continuous aim
Rev. Dr. Kelly will always have a place at New Jerusalem being home
This is where salvation will continue to roam
Home is where Dr. Kelly has arrived
His legacy is what keeps New Jerusalem alive
Tomorrow being yonder
Dr. Kelly’s accomplishment being an applause
A Dove has flown in
This is God’s goodness in a new horizon to begin
Praises in place of tears
The joy in having no fear
The heart holding God close and near
The soul of Dr. Kelly that New Jerusalem will continue to preserver
What matters most that salvation be spread coast to coast
We as the flock should not boost
God’s word stands for all
The homecoming of Dr. Kelly being Heaven’s call
Heaven summoned with an awakening wind
But we as the flesh were thinking from then
Rev. Dr. James Kelly work that was complete
It was his encouragement and telling us not to give into defeat
We are his among
We now look on Dr. Kelly being upon
New Jerusalem is only a name
Salvation being a serious business
We are the faith being the witness
Rise on your feet and repeat, “Rev. James Kelly, you have enriched us with praises words can’t express, but it is God who says it best, Good Old Faithful servant, a job well done”.
Sep 26, 2015
Sep 26, 2015 at 12:42 PM UTC
What if Judas was a scapegoat?
A man who had so much
Faith in planning
That he
Would **** his God for it
With just the slightest
Hesitation
He became unable
To live within the new world he created
Bear the consequence of forgiveness
Sometimes consequences
**** you by your own hand
And what if Revelation
Is a metaphor
For the wickedness of human nature
For the private palaces and castles
Golden idols
Hells and heavens in our heads
I ask
But Lori won't have it
She is far too literal
For all my liberal ********
She pulls my wayward soul
Back into the real world
Back in with the churchgoers
And Jim hugs the life
Back in my chest
They have held my hands
Through valleys full of death
And breakups
They have seen my makeup
Smeared across my face
They have seen me in the worst places
Wearing all my worst faces
And they still invite me over for dinner
So I fear no evil
When the Kaisers are with me
For they are witty
They are beautiful from the inside out
They are not afraid to get loud
And they have taught me
Everything I know about
Being a Christian
Even though I lose my way
Even though I lost my faith
In definitions
Wandering doesn't mean I'm lost for good
Just exploring my options
With my feet bathed in still waters
Getting tan
In green pastures
I will have these holy verses
Tattooed in my brain
Forever
All the comfort and humanity
All the divinity I could ask for
All the love I'll ever need
And just because they've
Heard me cuss
And seen me bleed
And probably
Read my ****** poetry
They would never judge me
They'd just slap me on the back
And say
"Quit worrying. Jesus loves you honey."
And in their prayers that night they'd mention me
So God could hear my name
May 27, 2013
May 27, 2013 at 12:50 AM UTC
Holiday.
Blurs of Red and Green.
The smell of peppermint and pine
lingering in the atmosphere.
Sounds of bells chiming
Ringing
And carolers singing
As churchgoers
also join together in their hymns.
Family
joining together.
Couples
under the mistletoe
and hearing
the crackle
of wood burning
in the fireplace
Enlightening everyone all around
With its warmth.
Dec 20, 2014
Dec 20, 2014 at 3:30 PM UTC
Churchgoers
sing certainty hymns while
heavens weep
- fr
Feb 15, 2014
Feb 15, 2014 at 7:05 PM UTC
She was the daughter of two healthy churchgoers,
A sister of a little rebellious girl,
And a list maker herself.
She made lists of the simple:
What to buy at the grocery store,
What to pack for her vacation,
What she needed to do for the week,
What CDs she wanted to buy.
She made lists of the complicated:
What she wanted to do with her life
(While comparing it to the list of what everyone else wanted,)
Who she would have to say goodbye to
(All too soon and sooner than she realized,)
Where she planned to travel in the future
(Granted she wasn’t drowning in debt,)
How she could easily **** herself
(Even though she had no intentions to do so.)
She was a pensive, well-spoken woman,
Someone who loved with all her heart,
And made lists to make herself feel better.
Lists of the pets she wanted,
The names she liked,
The books to read,
The letters to write,
The addresses of friends,
The dreams of hers,
The movies to watch,
The poems to memorize.
Her lists brought a sense of organization,
A false feeling of having it all figured out,
Despite the fact she knew her life could crumble
At any moment from all the pressure.
She was convinced the world was weighing her down
To be a certain person,
When in reality, all the heaviness came from herself.
She thought she would let down her family,
But she would only let down herself.
A world where the ground was made of words and the sky of paper
Saturated her vision,
And her lists kept her ignorant,
Her lists kept her happy.
(It’s all too sad until you know,
That the list maker is me.)
Apr 30, 2014
Apr 30, 2014 at 1:03 PM UTC
i.
The pale man with a fat collar sharpened his teeth to bite
into the pulp of a psalm. I envied him
closer to God and nearly having eaten the microphone.
ii.
Suddenly, the bobbing aisles and shuffling pews cease
to biblical current.
Behind him is a fountainhead of distraction.
The mosaics are rich in blood orange
and specs of sunlight
through stained glass electrify
young churchgoers into a disco scene.
iii.
A Xavier boy is likely to yank the ponytail of the girl in front of him again. His khakis will become an eyesore in an overpopulated neighborhood of plaid skirts. I will find myself searching the room for disruption. And during that time, God will be searching for me.
Feb 20, 2019
Feb 20, 2019 at 2:05 PM UTC
Music is the elixir to my soul
Lyrics make it feel better, after the world has taken its toll
Songs written it seems about me and my life
They make me smile and sing, while others cut like a knife
These sounds may change as quick as a guitar riff
If it's rap, acoustic, or punk rock it makes no big diff
For me everyday I sprinkle in some Tony Sly
Lyrically one of the best, why'd he have to die
“ I need a beat, the sounds to calm me down
Lyrics that are deep that keep me a float while I drown
This world's so ****** it needs a cure, some type of mixture
Everyone needs to slow down, I've got the elixir”
A few of them even use a catchy metaphor
About, how their ex walked all over them like a linoleum floor
These songs bring out the suffering and joy of the people
They all flock to concerts like churchgoers to a steeple
Only a few actually take the time to actually decipher
And once injected with knowledge of a song they become a convicted lifer
So turn up the sound and flip over the records
Let the music dispense with all of life’s discords
“ I need a beat, sounds to calm me down
Lyrics that are deep that keep me a float while I drown
This world's so ****** it needs a cure, some type of mixture
Everyone needs to slow down, I've got the elixir”
Apr 18, 2018
Apr 18, 2018 at 9:26 PM UTC
Mountain winds carry the church carillon through town ,
hymns echo across sleepy juniper meadows and hamlets for miles around ..
Neighbors gather for Sunday morning service , children laugh and
play throughout city square park benches and monuments , husbands and wives are rather 'chatty' and quite proud in their finest attire ..
Restaurants open at noon , hungry churchgoers celebrate life
and togetherness , one day out of the week the locals swoon jointly
over the month of June , impending harvest , all that is good in the world on a sleepy , thankful afternoon ..
Feb 10, 2016
Feb 10, 2016 at 12:10 PM UTC
morning mists
along hilly country roads
the sun
not quite awake yet
struggling to rise
above a drowsy
Sunday landscape
sends out occasional
left-footed rays
we speed along
quietly
images of the past
time together
on our minds
walks on the beach
and through old lanes
dinners at the ocean
wild nights
lovely late mornings
we keep passing early churchgoers
in stirring villages
the sun keeps gathering strength
the world turns clear
the mists of our memories
dissolve into
the moment of parting
* * *
Mar 17, 2015
Mar 17, 2015 at 9:37 AM UTC
the ceiling light at the door flickered
and the hair on my arms
stood like a thousand churchgoers
rising from their pews at the Priest's command
I knew I had a visitor in my hotel room
Spirits can be very particular about what you ask them
I inquired about the flickering light and his or her name
with no response
but then I asked; 'do you like to stay in this room?'
and I was amazed to immediately hear their response
'I...like the room'
the direct responses are the most rewarding
the connection narrows the divide
between the living and the dead
we are all connected
and to those who grieve for their loved ones
who's spirit lives on minus this mortal coil
it is just a matter of time
before we are reunited for eternity
https://youtu.be/8DpLlxnr0eM
Feb 7, 2019
Feb 7, 2019 at 4:09 PM UTC
The massacres of our beautiful people must STOP.
It is unconscionable and unfair to destroy so many lives
For selfish, greedy and hatred reasons. God, in his archives,
Have recorded everything, which occurred, from top
To bottom, from sunset to sunrise, from the start
To the end. God knows what’s going on in every one’s heart.
God knows what took place in Cleveland, in Charleston,
In Santo Domingo, in Staten Island, in Sparta, in North Charleston
In Buffalo, in Texas, in New York, in Ferguson.
The Lord is fully aware of what has been going on.
The massacres of our beautiful siblings cannot go on.
The brutal and deadly violence against the innocents must cease.
Too many of our people are weeping, too many are deceased
From unnecessary gun violence. Too many have been unjustly executed.
Too many egregious mistakes have been made. We need to see a STOP
Put into this nightmare, this quagmire. We need an end to this flip-flop.
Human beings are suffering and dying. Let’s not apply a band-aid
On this humongous wound. Let’s do our best to provide appropriate aid
To our serious and minor problems. Real people are being killed,
School children, churchgoers and shoppers are being killed,
We are not fantasizing; we are obviously not at the movies.
Our People are real, with human flesh; they are not dummies,
They are not actors; they are not all guilty by association.
The massacre of our innocent people must stop in this nation,
In this state, in this borough, in this city, in this town, in this school,
In this cathedral, in this church and in this community pool.
The mental and physical slayings of our people must END.
All potential perpetrators must look in the sand
To find themselves, reverse the role, think of being
A potential victim of racism, bigotry, indiscriminate shooting,
Senseless firing, ignorance and all sorts of sins under the sun.
We need to defeat the negative feelings that are eroding the fun
That God had put in our soul, and are destroying our natural gift,
Which is to love our fellow men and women. Let the Spirit lift
Us to a higher ground, to a more sane and comfortable pasture.
Let’s be human again, and be stronger, kinder and more mature.
The slayings of our beautiful must be something in the past,
Some crazy events in history, some horrible times that must not last.
Let’s free ourselves from negative emotions, let’s be free at last.
Let’s not be silent, let’s speak, and let’s tell it like it is at last. Alas!
Copyright © July 21,2015 Logerie Hébert, All Rights Reserved
Hebert Logerie is the author of several collections of poems.
Jun 23, 2025
Jun 23, 2025 at 11:47 PM UTC
🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯
Lighted candles were placed
on top of empty church pews.
in the absence of churchgoers,
tiny flames flickered on,
to mourn for the dead,
to bring hope back to life,
and to lift to God all pleas,
floating in the atmosphere.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
some flames burned still, some were
fervent...a mix of exasperation and
anger were silenced, as God's mercy
and intervention were sought,
⚡️⚡️⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
to shut down infection,
to accelerate vaccination
to stop the race between
the two.....but, we cannot,
it's a sad reality, we don't
have what it takes...we don't
have that kind of power.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
there're those who sincerely care,
and some....really don't care.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
Today, Sunday, in most churches,
the pews will be empty....again.
.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
sally b
© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
April 11, 2021
Apr 10, 2021
Apr 10, 2021 at 11:28 PM UTC
Okay church,now let's get in formation.
Prove to him you've got some cooperation.
And as I speak these words from the depths
of my heart,quite loud and clear
Please,be not filled with fear
It might seem queer but I tell you now
It's only Jesus who can help you here
The bible says we ought to love one another,
embrace one another and encourage one another
But see,just the other day,I saw another gossiping
bout the other
It came not as a surprise to me that we churchgoers
say such slanderous words about our fellow brothers
But what is saddening is how we tryna act all holy,
quoting all bible verses
quoting O Christ Jesus
Nyasha and Kamo over there being the first one to state the ten commandments!
Rise and shine,sleeping church!
We are blinded by the world's behaviour
We are deceived by the world animosity
We are lured by the world's conformity
Don't be swayed,let's set our own standards
and be our own people.
Jesus says,we are a peculiar people,a chosen
generation,a royal priesthood.
Rise and shine,sleeping church!
Don't you ever feel guilty that Jesus Christ
died on the cross of calvary for you and me.
For you and me to be who we were meant to be.
For you and me to gaze at this marvelous creation
so we may be a peculiar people in this blasphemous nation
For you and me to be adorned in the finest of jewels,shoes
and dresses
so that when our enemies look at us,they see God's good grace'sss.
Rise and shine,sleeping church!
Jesus promises us an eternal home up with him.
A heavenly future.
Okay church,now let's get in formation.
Prove to him you've got some cooperation.
Aug 1, 2018
Aug 1, 2018 at 6:03 PM UTC
Seven souls
Visited
This morning.
Arranged
On the line
In a two
A three
And two ones.
And one one
Sang
For the group
A swirling song
I knew
And I missed
Them
When they fled
The churchgoers’ traffic
Without saying
Goodbye.
Nov 17, 2024
Nov 17, 2024 at 9:09 AM UTC