Dead Sea Scrolls
Lost Poems Found
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
-Front Cover -Synopsis (ATB) -3 Poems (Interior) THE LORD by J.L. Powell************ When the gates of hell have opened, And you’re standing there, alone, With no light on the horizon, With bare feet, on jagged stone, And the cards are stacked against you, And no hope within your sight, And you know you cannot win- Pray. When the laws of man surround you, And your case cannot be won, And you know the final outcome, And you know it can’t be done, When the light grows, oh so dimmer, And the flame it flickers low, And the darkness is upon you, And you have no place to go- Pray. As the jeering crowd condemns you, And the jury’s verdicts in, And the outcomes all but certain, And you know you’ll never win, And you stand there, without pardon, Without solace, without sin, And all odds are bet against you, And the bets are coming in- Pray. As a thousand demons charge you, With a ruthless heart of rage, Without mercy, without justice, As they finish you that day, In their victory lap of conquest, As the end in just in sight, With the last breath left within you- Pray. As the sunlight casts its shadow, On your cross upon the hill, And the thief’’s sins are forgiven, As his body dangles, still, It is finished, three of his words, That was spoken there that day, The last thought sent to heaven- Pray.***************************** COWARD by J. L. Powell******************** With gun in hand and eighteen dead, The hero stood so proud. He stopped advancement of these men, He stopped the rushing crowd. Inside a cell, not far away, Another man stood meek. He could not take a human life, A coward, branded weak. Next morning, proud tall man stood straight, A general by his side. He spoke of courage, honor, strength, But not why eighteen died. And peering out his iron cage, the coward gazed in awe. The gallows built were much too big, For a man they labeled small. The medals pinned upon his chest, Eighteen of silk and gold, Were his reward for his fine deed? A story to be told. With fibrous rope around his throat, And sweat upon his brow, The coward wondered, Was I wrong? And thought, It’s too late now. Once home, the hero waved his hands, The cheering crowd gave praise. It was my job, I had to kill, So freedom could be saved. And in a hole the coward lay, alone, Unknown, flesh chilled. I guess a price a man must pay, A man who will not kill.*************************** HAPPINESS By J. L. Powell************************* When I was young, I read a book Of happiness and cheer. And so obsessed my mind became, I had to make it clear. So off I went into the world, In search of happiness, To catch the secret of the book, The book of golden crest. I found it here, and found it there, In such small quantity, That it began to make me think It’s made a fool of me. But then again, I’d look ahead, And happiness I’d see. When I thought it would last for good, I’d turn away and flee. One day, I turned around and looked, But all my friends were old. And the book I loved to read so much Had suddenly grown cold. It’s funny in a way, I think, So odd, and yet so clear. Happiness was far behind, And I was never near.
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About the Book
Jack was a sailor in the US Navy from 1974 until 1978. At age twenty-two, while sailing both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he wrote poetry. His poems rested on land, unread for thirty-eight years in an old cardboard box. Out of Jack's sea chest comes a book of poetry that captures a historic cultural viewpoint of an American sailor at sea almost four decades ago. Jack's collection of poems reflects his observations on society during the 1960s. Themes expressed include, war, death, fame, 1960s ideals, and nature's majesty. Imagine if you will a 22 year old sailor at sea with no axes to grind, and no agenda to meet, simply writing thoughts about his experience in society during the 1960's. A thousand miles out at sea with only ocean spray, windy breezes, and blue skies. At night, a billion stars light up the heavens. Candlelight provided from God to illuminate ones thoughts. Your only companion out here is nature's presence. In this setting innocent thoughts emerge that allow total freedom of expression without the hindrance of social approval or expectations of reward. A young mind expressing heartfelt thought just capturing that inner voice that all humanity has. While listening to that inner thought, truth emerges. Pure truth that is hidden deep within each person's soul. That is the essence of the book. With these thoughts in mind, I invite you to journey with me back in time and take a glimpse of society of the 1960s. A time when youthful innocence and civil disobedience joined forces to create a consciousness so powerful that no force on earth could stop. The existing establishment could no longer govern by the rules of the past. Discover some innocent truths buried and unread for decades in the darkness of an old cardboard box. View one perception of reality about society in the 1960s that was felt and expressed in simple verse. J.L. Powell
About the Author
Jack grew up in a small rural town in Delaware, population 6,000, and was a child of the 1960s. In this setting he experienced America’s social transformation. During this time social change peaked and civil disobedience was a source of individual pride. His educational system was segregated until he reached high school in 1969. In ninth grade he flunked English and had to take summer courses to pass to the next grade. During this time in American history, original artistic music, art, and literature flourished. As a teenager he experienced firsthand the threat of nuclear annihilation, the passage of segregation, equal rights, the first moon landing, the Hippie Movement, rock and roll, the Vietnam War, and America’s political crisis that resulted in the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. All of these personal experiences resulted in the writing of this book. Jack is currently a hairless baby boomer who lives on the eastern shore of Maryland with two cats named Tinker and Willy.