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Joel Hawksley Poem
At dawn I kneel beneath a sacred glow,
My heart clings fast to truths I deeply know,
Yet through each beam, dark currents softly flow,
O Lord, what purpose lies within our woe?
In crowded streets where fleeting dreams bestow
A promise brief—like blooms that cannot grow,
I search Your Word where endless hope may show,
O Lord, what purpose lies within our woe?
The cross stands firm—a beacon all aglow,
Redeeming scars with love that gently grows;
In every trial, Your mercy we bestow,
O Lord, what purpose lies within our woe?
When midnight’s veil descends upon us low,
I trust You, guide through ebb and ceaseless flow;
Your grace redeems each sorrow we undergo,
O Lord, what purpose lies within our woe?
Though storms arise and bitter tempests blow,
I stand in faith, where deeper virtues grow;
Within Your truth, a quiet peace will show,
O Lord, what purpose lies within our woe?
At journey’s end, when mortal steps move slow,
I yearn for heaven’s light that brightly glows;
And in that promise, every grief meets foe,
O Lord, what purpose lies within our woe?
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
The mask I wear, a crafted porcelain guise,
Hides uncharted depths behind these shadowed eyes.
You glimpse the surface—an actor’s polished play—
But the soul beneath? He walks a world astray.
These laughter lines, etched scripts of light and cheer,
Conceal the wars I've waged, the silent fear.
My casual stride, a dance of practiced ease,
Cloaks ancient burdens, whispered on the breeze.
The tales I weave—a tapestry ornate—
Thread vivid joys, yet darker truths await.
Each word I speak, wrapped firm in bold disguise,
Veils restless doubts, unvoiced beneath the skies.
I long to strip this mask and let you peer
Into the fractured core, the flaws sincere.
Yet fear of scorn—a binding, spectral chain—
Keeps truths submerged in quiet, unseen rain.
Perhaps one day, in courage, I’ll reveal
The man unmasked—the wounds that time won’t heal.
Expose the jagged pieces—light and night—
And hope you’ll see a soul, both fierce and slight.
Until that hour, this visage I’ll sustain,
A nameless shadow, hiding depth and pain.
But know, beyond this painted, bright façade,
Dwells more than meets the eye—a soul unflawed.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
Aboard a barque, across cerulean seas,
Beneath boundless skies, chasing destiny's pleas,
Came courageous colonists, yearning to be free.
Dreams danced delicately in the salty breeze,
Eager eyes seeking sanctuary.
Founding fathers forged a future fair,
Guiding principles etched in granite grand.
Hope hummed, hearts held with fervent prayer,
Igniting liberty throughout the land.
Justice juggled scales, ensuring each had say,
Kindness kindled compassion's gentle flame.
Love labored tirelessly, lighting the way,
Mending wounds woven into history's frame.
Nature nurtured, nourishing spirits bold.
Opportunities opened like sunlit streams,
Paths paved with perseverance, stories untold.
Quilts of cultures coalesced with care,
Respect resonated, reaching every shore.
Sacrifices sung in the starlit air,
Tributes tendered to those who went before.
United under a banner bright and bold,
Victories vanquished shadows of despair.
Weaving wisdom into stories old,
Xenophobia's whispers found no space to share.
Yearning yearns for a world where all can thrive,
Zooming toward a future where dreams survive.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
Inspired by Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Let go the clenched fist,
the smoldering weight of old wrongs,
for vengeance is a shadow
that dims the light in us all.
See the stranger’s eyes—
they mirror your own quiet hopes,
their heart beats as yours,
a rhythm of shared, fragile dreams.
Love them as you would
cradle your own weary soul,
with patience, with grace,
a warmth that needs no name.
In this act, we rise,
neighbors bound by simple truth:
to love is to live,
and living, we touch the divine.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
One first flight, Columbia’s name.
Seven souls aboard, bound for fame.
Six days, then ten, experiments thrive,
Eighty hearts of science, dreams alive.
Sixteen days, the Earth they skim,
Reentry calls—light fades dim.
Tick-tick, hiss-hiss, crack-crack—a sound,
A breach unseen, the heat unwound.
1.67 pounds, a foam unseen,
Pierced the wing, unstitched the dream.
40 miles high, the flames collide,
Mach eighteen, as heat did stride.
Mach fifteen—a fiery scream,
The air ignites, the fragile seams.
Seven names, carved deep in space,
Their sacrifice, a lasting grace.
At 9:00 a.m., a nation cried,
29 months, the fleet must bide.
Tick-tick, sigh-sigh, hush-hush—we wait.
Columbia’s legacy will navigate.
Eighty dreams and the minds they fed,
We honor the fallen, their voices not dead.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
One thought, igniting the dream,
Seven bold souls, steady as they seem.
Ten missions past, Challenger soared,
Twenty-five flights, the program roared.
Tick-tick.
A countdown clear.
The world leans close.
The clock draws near.
Thirty-six degrees—a frozen doubt.
A seal strained tight; the gas leaks out.
Ignition. Roar. Climb. Silence screams.
A nation watches shattered dreams.
Seventy-three seconds, sky turned to flame,
History echoes their hallowed names.
At 5:00 PM, the voice of command,
A president speaks to a grieving land:
“The crew of the Challenger honored us all.
They slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.”
32 months, grounded hope rebuilt.
A frozen morning, a lasting guilt.
Tick-tick.
The seconds mourn.
We remember still
That frozen dawn.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
A message sent, an icon lights the screen,
Her heart skips with a hope—what will he say?
No flowers now, just words in lines between,
A digital courtship, love found this way.
She reads his thoughts, like whispers through the night,
A photo shared, a smile across the miles,
Though screens divide, emotions take their flight,
A growing bond, unseen but full of trials.
He types a pause, then waits for her reply,
No letters sealed, no hands that reach to hold,
Yet hearts connect, and neither can deny
The dance of love in forms both new and bold.
In virtual spaces, sparks ignite the flame,
Two souls entwined, though life is not the same
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2024
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Joel Hawksley Poem
(a quick tap-tap-tapping on an imaginary typewriter, lowercase and scattered across the page)
dear e.e.
(i)
(a small(fan))
(me)
your words(they)
(dance)
(like)
(little)
(birds)
(broken)
(free)
from (cages)
of (grammar)
(i) (love) (the way) (you) (make) (words) (do)
(things)(they) (never) (did) (before) (like)
(jumping)
(jumping) (jumping)
(off) (cliffs)
(of)
(sentences)
(and)
(flying)
(without)
(wings)
(i) (use) (your) (way)
(sometimes)
(in)
(my)
(own)
(little) (poems)
(but)
((it) (feels) (like) (stealing) (a) (song) (without) (knowing) (its) (name))
(so)
(e.e.)
(please)
(keep)
(on)
(doing)
(what)
(you)
(do)
(and)
(give) (your) (way)
(a) (name)
(so) (i) (can) (say)
(i)
(write)
(in)
(the)
(style)
(of) (e.e.) (something)
(instead) (of)
(feeling like) (a)
(thief of beauty)
(sincerely),,,
(a small(fan))
(me)
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2024
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Joel Hawksley Poem
The house is quiet, her voice is gone,
I let her drift like morning’s song.
I held my pride like a burning flame,
But it was me who struck the match of blame.
She gave her heart, but I turned away,
Chasing shadows that led me astray.
Now all the dreams we built are torn,
And I’m left holding the thorns of scorn.
I’m to blame, I broke it down,
The love we shared, are now ashes on the ground.
I see the wreckage of what we were,
I loved her so, but see my selfishness burned her.
She cried for truth, but I lied with ease,
Wrapped in my wants, I couldn’t see.
I watched her crumble, silent, still,
As I took from her against her will.
I’m to blame, I broke it down,
The love we shared, are now ashes on the ground.
I see the wreckage of what we were,
I loved her so, but see my selfishness burned her.
Now the silence screams in empty rooms,
And echoes of her perfume,
I taste regret in every breath,
Knowing I condemned us both to death.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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Joel Hawksley Poem
From thirteen colonies, a nation rose,
With liberty's flame, forever it glows.
Delaware first, its colors bold,
"Liberty and Independence" proudly hold.
Pennsylvania next, with virtue's might,
"Virtue, Liberty, and Independence" burning bright.
New Jersey joins, with freedom's plea,
"Liberty and Prosperity" for all to see.
Georgia stands tall, with wisdom's grace,
"Moderation and Justice" in its embrace.
Connecticut thrives, a spirit true,
"He who transplanted still sustains anew."
Massachusetts strong, with courage pure,
"By the sword we seek peace, but peace secure."
Maryland follows, with arms held wide,
"Fatti maschii, parole femine" as their guide.
South Carolina rises, prepared and free,
"While I breathe, I hope" eternally.
New Hampshire’s cry, bold and clear,
"Live Free or Die" without fear.
Virginia’s might, through tyrants' fall,
"Thus Always to Tyrants," freedom for all.
New York stands tall, with dreams so high,
"Excelsior" calls to reach the sky.
North Carolina, steadfast and true,
"To be, rather than to seem" is what they pursue.
Rhode Island, last, but forever bright,
"Hope" their beacon, guiding the light.
Copyright © Joel Hawksley | Year Posted 2025
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