THE VOICES WE LEAVE BEHIND

The room is full, yet silent as a grave,

A dozen faces bathed in cool, blue light.

No spoken words to catch, no hands to wave,

Just quiet thumbs that scroll into the night.

We traded glances for a glass display,

And traded voices for a typed line—

Forgetting how a simple word can weigh,

Or how an eye can meet with yours, and shine.

Remember when a conversation breathed?

When laughter had a rhythm, warm and loud?

Before our presence was so softly sheathed,

And solitude grew crowded in a crowd!

They call it connection, fast and clear,

Yet no one speaks, and no one stays to hear.

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 28, 2026

SWALLOWS OF POISON

 

In the quiet room where the ego sits,

Pride counts the cuts and collects the splinters,

Feeding the hearth with frozen bits

Of a summer burned into endless winters.

We build high forts out of fragile clay,

Call it dignity, call it standing tall,

Trading the warmth of a clear today

For the cold relief of a stone – lined wall.

For trust is a glass that we hold too loose,

And common sense is a quiet friend

Left outside while we choose the noose

Of the crazy games that we won’t unbend.

A man will trade a garden whole

Just to prove he was right about the fence,

Carving a trench through his own small soul

In a grand display of no common sense.

He swallows the poison, expects the foe

To fall from the bitterness in his throat,

Wears his unforgiveness like a heavy coat

In the middle of July, refusing to let go!

The ego whispers, "Remember the slight,"

While wisdom sighs at the empty cost:

To win every stupid, burning fight,

And realize later how much was lost.

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 26, 2026

SCRAPS OF MY SOUL

 

Dedicated to all who feel unseen by a world in a hurry,

yet remain cherished in the quiet presence of God.

 

“Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not

when my strength faileth.” — Psalm 71:9

 

They set me on the curb at dusk,

a chipped frame, a rusted key,

Deciding rust is all I am,

forgetting I was once the tree.

Out of sight and out of mind,

The busy street rolls quickly by.

To call me useless suits them well –

a folded page, a breathless reply.

No factory needs my hands today,

No ledger counts the hours I give.

They measure worth in what is made,

and overlook the way I live.

Yet loneliness is not the end,

though silence sits beside my chair.

I sit beneath a large clock

and breathe the quiet, waiting air.

Let world-bound eyes see empty space,

a piece of trash left in the cold;

But I am not trash to Him who knows

how pure gold looks when it grows old.

No longer driven, no longer rushed,

Now I rest my spirit in His grace.

Unproductive to the street,

but cherished in a higher place.

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 25, 2026

PETRICHOR

 

The Loudest Kind of Quiet

Rain in an Empty vessel

The Scent of Standing Alone

Alone in the Open

Memories & Truth

What Rain Washes Up

Honeysuckle and Hollows

Where the Storm Left Me

Noticeably Absent

The Air After You Left

Only the Dirt Listens

A Solitary Downpour

The Scent of Missing You

Love in the Downpour

Honeysuckle and Soft Goodbyes

What We Kept in the Wet Dirt

The Half Life of Loving You

Rain-Soaked Longing

Where Love Stormed Through

The Rain Can't Wash Away Ache

Drenched in You . . .

The Distance Between Drops

After my Heart Breaks

I am Still Wet with You!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 24, 2026

THE GUARD IS CHANGING

 

A shift in the wind, a tear in the veil,

The heavy-handed kings grow frail.

The gold they hoarded, thick with rust,

Is turning back to barren dust.

For too long, shadows ruled the throne,

And claimed the earth as theirs alone.

They built their towers high and steep,

While promising the tired sleep.

But justice has a quiet tread,

A steady spark where hope was dead.

The keys are falling from their hands,

A quiet storm across the lands.

The guard is changing in the light—

The reign is taken from the night.

The crown stripped bare of greed and lies,

Now placed beneath untainted skies.

What once was stolen is returned,

From ash and fire, lessons learned.

The meek inherited what was lost,

No longer paying others' cost.

The righteous step into space,

With open hands and grounded grace.

The night yields slowly, but yield it must:

Kingdoms will soon lie in forgotten dust.

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 23, 2026

ON YOUR BEHALF

 

I climbed the mountain

I sailed the sea,

But was it all about me?

I swam the river

I shot the arrows quiver,

But to love it didn’t deliver!

I walked a silent path

I am pleased on your behalf,

But nothing will last!

I once broke your heart

I almost fell apart,

But forgiveness must start!

I wonder where this is going,

And that’s quite annoying!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 22, 2026

A DIGITAL BLEED

 

Numbers click like an endless clock,

Flashing lights on neon signs lock –

We trade our hours just to turn the key,

Roads built with sweat, but far from free!

The meter jumps – a digital bleed,

Filling a gas tank that’s built on greed!

We spend our lives to turn the wheel,

Pay at the pump to cross the hill!

Hundreds of bucks to drive a mile,

To work a job for a little while . . .

No real choices – pay what’s on the sign

We pull our hair – we lose our mind!

Corporate greed with endless earnings,

But what are our children learning?

No trains to catch, no bus to wait –

Endless miles to the next toll gate!

Our bank account numbers in decline

The digital meters leap and climb –

So, pull the trigger, lock the steel,

Pay the price to turn the wheel –

We swap our sweat to turn the key,

Only in America, where we are free!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 21, 2026

LIFE STRIPPED AWAY

 

The door of life opens without a name,

And the endless debts we leave unpaid –

The words held back, the unignited flame,

And gentle hands we lifted or delayed!

As time casts light upon our stone,

We stand stripped bare, yet still unknown . . .

An unvarnished image lost in our mind,

But who, if any, has the right to fret?

Life strips away status, wealth and time

Leaving only intentions, love, and regret!

Just wait, the hourglass will run dry –

The page will turn, the thread unraveled;

Our quit days just keep rolling on by,

And no one saw the roads we traveled!

The scales are tipped by no earthly claim,

No money or title can clear the ledger;

The light demands no grand acclaim,

But measures love with a quieter measure

Each hidden motive, each quiet grace,

Stands clear at last in that final place.

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 20, 2026

FLAMES OF PASSION

Fire does not ask permission from a spark

It burns away quietly in the night;

It only knows the hunger of the dark,

And the soul, a taunting need to become light.

It is the needle that pulls against the thread,

An endless need before the sadness unfolds,

And it refuses to leave a single word unsaid,

Or let the quiet embers gather cold!

Feeling of blood running through our veins,

And follows where a gentle spirit goes—

Unaware of the danger or the pain,

Consumed entirely by the flame it chose.

Fire does not ask permission from a spark,

And neither does it care about the heart!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 19, 2026

CLUELESS HUMANS

 

I once was a liberal,

I know, that’s hard to believe!

Ignorance needs no introduction!

All it takes is a little common sense –

First, we stop listening to the world!

It simply comes down to control!

You see the elite wants to rule us all –

What to say, what to eat, and where to go!

Constantly feeding us propaganda –

And in truth – it’s all made-up lies!

(AI) now this has taken over our brains!

So, why is there a need to think anymore?

Our total existence is stored on iPhones!

A whole generation of clueless humans –

Can you stop long enough to imagine that?

We can no longer think for ourselves!

A creative thought – what in the hell is that?

Are you listening! There is still hope!

Take a quiet moment and ponder these words:

“Train up a child in the way he should go:

And when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 15, 2026

OLD JACK AND ME

 

I sit here all alone…

The night is so cold!

As moon shadows dance

In the silver shadows

Where my heart needs to cry!

Loneliness has no friends,

And time cares not!

I pour myself another drink,

And old Jack has a bitter taste!

I hear the ice crack . . .

And I can feel your presence –

Memories hidden in a glass

As emotions rise in my soul!

Your love is all I ever needed,

But yesterday is now gone

As I sit here all along . . .

Where my heart needs to cry,

And old Jack doesn’t know why!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 13, 2025

WALK QUIETLY

 

Cry, baby, cry!

   But we don’t know why –

The corn turns in the fields

   As time hurries on by,

The leaves are golden brown

   I guess summer is through

The dark clouds now linger,

   In a sky of blue.

 

Cry, baby, cry!

   The wind twirls on the street,

And the flowers begin to fade

   That once smelled so sweet,

Colors of laced all in blue,

   And some were scarlet red,

As the wind still dances

   In fields of golden thread.

 

Cry, baby, cry!

   Leave summer behind –

Fall is now in sight

   So, just find peace of mind!

Walk quietly in the shadow

   Of the time that was given,

And accept reality

   For all we have is now!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 13, 2026

WALK WITH THE WISE

 

I see the world upside down in my head,

And the truth of it all I dread!

And tomorrow I wonder where we stand –

It’s like we’re sinking in quicksand!

But through it all we need to have faith

With God’s help man has what it takes!

What do we accomplish by being hopeless?

The world will always be in a mess!

So, when we rise, look outside . . .

Will it be a good day – only we can decide!

Yesterday is just a memory lost in time –

Don’t let negative thoughts fill your mind!

“Look carefully then how you walk, not

as unwise but as wise, making the best use

of your time, because the world can be evil.”

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 12, 2026

THE DUTY OF MANKIND

 

“The only true wisdom is in knowing

you know nothing.” ~Socrates~

“But those that know God

have total wisdom.” ~TT~

So, my question is my dear friends:

“Which would you rather have –

Knowledge or Wisdom?”

“To believe there is not a God is a fool!”

A scholar or an ignoramus falls to

the same fate!

Sadly, some believe in the

“Big Bang Theory.”

BANG! And all we see or not see

just came into existence! WOW!

“So, we gather and we hoard all

our lives to leave it to those that don’t

deserve it!”

A rich man or a pulper will all

stand before God and give an

account of their lives!

Solomon summarizes: “Now all has

been heard; here is what matters:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of mankind.”

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 10, 2026

BE CHILDLIKE

 

Splashing in puddles of rain

Before the world drove us insane!

Once a man twice a child –

Come and rest your mind for a while!

Can you remember when life was simple?

Go ahead – show me your dimples –

It was a time when we could run and play,

And we could be kids – like every day!

Today it’s hard to be an adult –

We feel like we belong to a cult!

Living in a system that has total control –

“Our God given rights we don’t know!”

So, how about regressing for just a day

Be childlike – go outside and play!

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 6, 2026

LIFE HAS MEANING

 

I heard the wind

I wondered where it had been

I heard the rain

I could feel it’s pain

I saw the evening shadows fall

I saw the trees standing tall

I thought to myself

I feel there is nothing left

I heard a small voice whisper

I’m the speaker you’re the listener

I heard a rushing sound

I stopped and looked around

I realized I was dreaming

I know that life has meaning

 

Thomas Theophilus© September 5, 2026

WHEN I THINK

 

As the dawn brings her light . . .

I’m still lost somewhere in the night –

I remember all the times . . .

As special moments come to mind

The way your lips press against mine,

And the way our bodies entwine!

The sweet sounds of your words

Like songs my heart has never heard –

The one thing that I know is true

There will never be another you!

The moments we’ve spent together,

And the storms we have weathered!

“When I think,” I know I love you

That’s something I can always do!

 

Thomas Theophilus© August 28, 2026

TANGLED DOUBTS

 

What brings joy to one’s heart?

Love or hatred, which sets it apart?

Lack of love can cause enmity,

And sadness will never let us be!

“A heart is never in control” . . .

I know that seems to be a little bold!

Love is the only thing in life that’s free,

But for some reason we can’t let it be!

Time is wasted – looking like a fool –

“Seft control,” can that be our rule?

To obtain true love we must give in,

But it’s not about who is going to win!

When we give into love enmity is out,

“A heart tends to over complicate its

owe desires, turning simple truths into

tangled doubts!”

 

Thomas Theophilus© August 24, 2026

THE WORLD BY THE TAIL

 

The dust twirls on a dusty road,

And living life can be a heavy load!

Today the sun shines so bright,

But we never know what’s out of sight!

We’ll not always have the world by the tail –

Without warning things can become hell!

So how can we prepare for the worst?

“Stop worrying about riding in a hurst!”

Today has enough troubles of its own –

(Trust in God) and leave the future alone!

Can any of you by worrying add a day?

So, enjoy life! I find that’s the best way!

Anxiety just has no place in this life!

Smile and be happy – it causes less strife!

 

Thomas Theophilus© August 22, 2026

 

ALL WILL BE REVEALED

 

The world we know is about to change!

Let me try to explain:

Since Satan was thrown to the earth –

We’ve not known the truth since our birth!

Lies have brainwashed our minds –

Just look around – you see all the signs,

“Wake up!” Truth has value we can yield!

“The Bible says that all will be revealed”

 I understand that most just don’t care,

But living in ignorance and not aware –

That is not an acceptable excuse!

You don’t want me to truly turn loose!

The world we know is about to change!

Our way of thinking will be rearranged.

 

Thomas Theophilus© August 21, 2026