Seeds and Weeds

Poetry and Prose by JJ Johnson

3 Seeds

Young ones look up to us with learning eyes each day as they grow
Teach your children how to feel and everything that you know
About love and self-esteem and what you reap you sow
Parents who express no love raise their children down so low

Once planted in a heart, the seeds of hatred sprout then grow
Pride injects a high, like drugs, through veins where it can flow
To desire more, then crash from withdrawal addicts come to know
Three seeds of prejudice raise your spirit down so low

From the depths once descended exploring new levels to exceed
Is there nowhere inside their souls unconsumed by material need?
Hypocrites utter deception, telling half-truths designed to mislead
Said so many times even they believe in the lies that plant the seed

Corporate owners seem to have forgotten the slaves were freed
Robbing retirement funds to stuff their overwhelming greed
Keeping down the poor to maintain their status as the richest breed
Who refuse to admit the pecuniary progress they impede

Zealots point fingers and label "immoral", hearts that bleed
And proclaim God as a charter member of their creed
They hunger for power over fearful faithful they can lead
With a grip on their flock that strangles credence like a weed

Cowled cowards twisting scripture till they feel sanctified
Planting the tree grown for the cross, burned to become purified
But there's another fire eager to see how far down they can slide
Where the fallen one would rise to lead them to unholy deicide

Seduced by fear, bathed in greed and gorged the flesh with pride
Will they embrace all three until they've cast their souls aside?
Will God look back at the end of man and see the hate of genocide?
The first thing God did not create, the only thing that never died

The rainbow in their love filled lives kept them on the outside
Don't ask, don't tell the truth, there are rules to abide
Homophobia in fox holes is not morally justified
Love feels no conflicting virtues that ever could collide

Weak hearts are overcome when they feel a darkness drawing near
Listening to the movement beating war drums within each ear
Quiet those thoughts and open the mind to a silence all can hear
Look inside the heart for the courage to quell this secret fear

Eyes held closed to painful sights shed not a single tear
When they open up their eyes the truth becomes so clear
Mesmerized by powerphiles like headlights to a deer
In darkness till they will admit every human is their peer

Search within thick forests for three seeds that grew three shady trees
Knock on their wood to hear three names carried on the breeze
Listen for the quiver of terror, glory and desire shaking greener leaves
See spring saplings and perceive the grand design that hatred weaves

Time marches ever onward forming new circles in the wood
Branching out lines surrounding rings where only one once stood
Lines drawn in circles that separate where colors never could
While one more family tree draws cryptic bloodlines in the hood

The high and mighty tree grows taller with each passing year
The weight of its own branches make it hard to persevere
Until its hollow trunk caves in making way for freedoms true frontier
The first steps toward the promised land must begin right here

Created On: 05/12/2003

3 Semillas

Los jóvenes nos miran con el aprendizaje de los ojos cada día a medida que crecen
Enseñe a sus niños cómo se sienten y todo lo que sabes
Sobre el amor y la autoestima y lo que se siembra se cosecha
Los padres que no expresan el amor criar a sus hijos tan abajo

Una vez plantado en un corazón, las semillas del odio brotan luego crecer
Orgullo inyecta una droga de alta, al igual que, a través de las venas en el que puede fluir
Desear más, después del accidente de adictos a la retirada llegado a conocer
Tres semillas del prejuicio elevar su espíritu hacia abajo tan bajo

Desde el fondo una vez desciende la exploración de nuevos niveles para superar
¿Hay en ninguna parte dentro de sus almas consumidas por la necesidad material?
Hipócritas absoluta decepción, diciendo verdades a medias diseñadas para inducir a error
Dijo tantas veces ni siquiera ellos creen en las mentiras que planta la semilla

propietarios de empresas parecen haber olvidado los esclavos fueron liberados
Robando los fondos de jubilación para rellenar su incontenible codicia
Mantener bajos los pobres para mantener su estatus como el más rico de la raza
Que se niegan a admitir que el progreso moral que impiden

Zelotes señalar con el dedo y la etiqueta de "inmoral", corazones que sangran
Y proclamar a Dios como un miembro fundador de su credo
Tienen hambre de poder sobre los fieles temerosos de que puede llevar
Con un control sobre su rebaño que estrangula credibilidad como una mala hierba

cobardes encapuchados torcer las Escrituras hasta que se sienten santificado
La plantación del árbol crecido de la cruz, quemados para purificarse
Pero hay otro incendio ansiosos por ver qué tan bajo se puede deslizar
Cuando la caída se elevaría a llevarlos a deicidio impía

Seducido por el miedo, bañado por la codicia y saciaron la carne con orgullo
Se abrazan los tres hasta que se hayan fundido sus almas a un lado?
La voluntad de Dios mirar hacia atrás en el fin del hombre y ver el odio de genocidio?
La primera cosa que Dios no creó, lo único que nunca murió

El arco iris en su amor llena de vida los mantuvieron en el exterior
No preguntar, no decir la verdad, hay reglas que respetar
La homofobia en los agujeros zorro no está moralmente justificado
El amor no siente virtudes contradictorias que jamás podría chocar

corazones débiles se superan cuando se sienten un dibujo de la oscuridad, cerca de
Para escuchar los tambores de guerra movimiento astuto en cada oreja
Calma los pensamientos y abrir la mente a un silencio todos pueden oír
Mira dentro del corazón por el coraje para calmar este temor secreto

Ojos que se mantiene cerrada a lugares de interés dolorosa no derramó una sola lágrima
Al abrir sus ojos la verdad se vuelve tan claro
Hipnotizado por traficantes de poder, como los faros de un ciervo
En la oscuridad hasta que se admiten todos los seres humanos es su punto

Buscar entre los espesos bosques de tres semillas que crecían tres árboles de sombra
Llamar a la madera para conocer tres nombres llevado por la brisa
Escuche el estremecimiento de terror, la gloria y el deseo de sacudir las hojas más verdes
Ver retoños de primavera y percibir el gran diseño que el odio tejidos

El tiempo pasa siempre adelante la formación de nuevos círculos en la madera
Diversificando las líneas de anillos circundantes, donde sólo una vez estuvo
Líneas dibujadas en los círculos que separan donde los colores nunca
Mientras que un árbol de la familia se basa más crípticas líneas de sangre en el capó

El árbol alto y poderoso crece más alto con cada año que pasa
El peso de sus propias ramas hacen que sea difícil para perseverar
Hasta que su tronco hueco en cuevas para dejar paso a las libertades verdadera frontera
Los primeros pasos hacia la tierra prometida debe comenzar aquí



Created On: 05/12/2003

    Seeds And Weeds is a philosophically expressive compilation of poetry and prose, offering progressive views on politics, peace, nature, fate, faith, family, friendship, introspection, and poetic inspiration. Seeds and Weeds is more than simply a collection of verse with splashes of imagery, this book challenges the mind and heart to find a better way through observations and feelings on the rise and fall of character, creatively expressed in rhyme and reason.
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Copyright © 2006 Joseph F Johnson

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US Copyright Office Registration: TXu1-162-978

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2006905763

ISBN-10 # 1419633090

ISBN-14 # 978-1419633096

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 Author JJ Johnson was born  in 1963 and raised in Gloversville, NY and later moved with his family to Schenectady in 1979. After graduating from Linton High School in 1981, he attended DeVry Technical Institute and Schenectady County Community College from 1981-1984. JJ was a Teacher’s Aide in English at Schenectady High, formerly Linton High when he attended school there. Seeds and Weeds is his first collection of poetry and prose with another in the works titled Passion and Pain. He is an active participant in the local poetry community and hosted an open mic poetry reading for over two years at the Moon & River Cafe. 

 JJ has long been a peace and environmental activist and continues to speak out and attend events concerning these issues. His desire to help others continues to be a driving force in his life. He has worked professionally with the physically and mentally disabled with BOCES, Northwoods at Hilltop and Living Resources. JJ was a mentor and Youth Division Aide for the NY State Office of Children and Family Services as well. Several of the poems in this book were inspired by events that occurred while working in these positions. He is also a FCC licensed Technician class Amateur Radio Operator and has participated in numerous public service and emergency operations in this capacity.

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that reflect concepts put forth in each of the chapters of Seeds And Weeds they appear on.