Thrown Out of Eden

“Poetry is the soul’s melody; sometimes harmonious and flowing, other times stark and discordant, much like a symphony stepping out of time.”

Just as Thomas Paine’s words were essential to the American Revolution, so were the verses of luminaries such as Sophocles, Homer, and Tennyson, to Frost and Longfellow. With their profound insight, these poets captured the quintessential human truth, shaping it into timeless verse.

From ancient bards to modern-day wordsmiths, a poet’s voice must never be stilled. Silence seldom brings healing; it often breeds complacency and indifference.

My city, Dallas, stands testament to this, its heart still shadowed by the tragedy of 1963. Only through introspection, voiced through words, can we find reconciliation. As the victim of that fateful day once stated, “When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.”

Poetry, like a clarion call, resonates across ages, cultures, and oceans, weaving tales of humanity, imagination, and commentary.

Some writers perfect punctuation, others master grammar, but when I wield words, I strike with the might of a sledgehammer!

Dive into this collection at your pace, let it stir thoughts, evoke reflection, and gift you moments of sheer poetic pleasure.

Thoughts Unlocked

Written by a locksmith, Thoughts Unlocked shows us that an everyday worker can write thought provoking, passionate poetry that will stand the test of time. He writes with a keen perspective across four themes: life, love, nature, and Jayliana (his granddaughter). Bringing language to life, Alan satisfies first time readers of poetry as well as life-long lovers of the art form. Grab hold of his words and fill yourself with memorable thoughts.

Thought Prints

“Birthed in a month, on a day, somewhere in time. Somewhere in history.

Somewhere in my past, I didn’t exist… But I was to be.”

“When I look back in time, exploring my mind, I realize I didn’t glance…

But I was to see…”

– from “A Letter to Myself.”

With intensity and emotion, Thought Prints reels the reader in instantly! Anyone who has the pleasure of reading this compilation of poems will surely find magic. A collection of poetry with a story to tell!

The Timeless Love of Billy B for Scheherazade

Balthazar dreams of the perfect woman, one he can summon or dismiss at will on his computer screen. But as time passes, he becomes ensnared in his own creation, consumed by an obsession with this non-existent figure. As Balthazar spirals downward, losing everything from his identity to the use of his body, reduced to just his mind and the fingers tapping at the keyboard, she, in contrast, rises. She transforms into a modern-day Scheherazade, learning to command her prince.

Baltha B was unaware,
No more sits he upon the chair.
The relics of his body’s ruin,
Are the one last bastion
Of his undoing.
Death beckons when the hands they clap,
To say, ‘Enough! Your time is up’

The Pictured Girl and Other Short Poems

“Alas, the pictured girl

Was swimming in my tears

She was a soulmate lost

About a hundred years”

“But I had faith

That butterfly wings

When given time

Whip up great things”

Some of the best poetry is marinated in the stew of tragedy and time. Distance gives us a useful perspective. Terry Tatum was a child of the 20th century. His poetry is largely inspired by his own memories of this unique and complicated time in America. Nevertheless, this first anthology of short poems is a timeless encapsulation of themes of loss, conflict, cultural reflection and criticism, environmentalism, childhood idealism and restitution. For the present age, these poems are still relevant. For the fortunate reader, this rich and varied collection of short poems is likely to become iconic and unforgettable. 

The Longest Road

This autobiography depicted in a collection of poetry and non-fiction, is about love and pain beyond one’s own comprehension. It is about waiting for God, and the quiet moments after prayer. It is prayer. This book searches the soul of the author as she longs and questions the mysteries of loving another person, of loss, and a reality that lacks understanding. This is her pain speaking to her in images that sometimes seem as if it is resting in another dimension, because these words wouldn’t be what they are if the pain and longing were easily comprehensible. Discover all that the author has discovered in these words written over the course of seven years.

The Islands Are Not Lonely

Many people are living lonely. But as the islands under the rocking sea are connected, we who suffer are also connected to each other if we look into each other more deeply. This poetry is the fruit of an effort to make you feel connected.

The Honeybee Rivals the Spring

The Honeybee Rivals the Spring is a poignant collection of poetry that invites you, the reader, on a transformative journey alongside the author. As you traverse the pages, you’ll find your perspective broadening, compelling you to delve into the depths of your own thoughts and emotions. This compilation serves as a supportive companion, empowering you to connect deeply with the vivid portrayals of self-discovery and personal insight. Through its verses, you’re encouraged to embrace a journey of understanding, reflecting on your innermost sentiments and experiences.

The Heartbreak Adventure

The journey of divorce is not an easy one, but usually a necessary one. A profound journey that forces you to look deep within and be truthful and raw in order to be reborn. Avoiding truths, ignoring signs, and suppressing gut instinct will rarely result in finding the path to your authentic self. I quieted my own soul for a very long time until my whole world came crashing down and I could no longer ignore what had been right in front of me all along. The journey was heart-breaking, yet healing, debilitating, yet empowering. I felt deep despair and deep relief all at the same time. My mind, heart, and soul were forced to walk through intense pain. Yet through it all, I also experienced intense joy and soul healing moments. This anthology of poems is about my own Heartbreak Adventure and all the feelings that accompanied me along the way.

The Fume of Fresh Ash

The Fume of Fresh Ash is a story written as open-line poetry about two downward spirals told from the perspectives of a father and son, their voices differentiated by the use of italicized stanzas. The reader heavily follows the father's perspective and watches how the anger that sends him to hell festers even after he's crawled his way out, and we watch a once-good man decay into an insane murderer as his kid tries to find a way to stop him. Find out what happens when a man crawls out of hell, ready to bring his fifteen years of death into the world of the living.

The Demonic

The purpose of this poetic rendition of the demonic is to reflect the inner conflict between good and evil within a man’s soul. The soul encompasses all elements of good and evil, and those elements remain in constant conflict, vying for dominance. Life itself is defined by the contest between good and evil that plays out within each person. This struggle permeates every facet of existence - families, social circles, business dealings, and judgment calls. It influences all of our decisions and actions. Through vivid metaphor and examined discernment, the ongoing dynamic process of internal conflict and resolution is illuminated for the reader. This telling aims to showcase the complex navigation between light and dark that lives within us all.

The Cracks in My Bones

When I put my hand out

And reached for your smaller, softer hand,

I didn’t expect you to have turned

Your back on me;

To have crushed my soul in one sudden movement.

Why did you turn your back on me?

Even under the sun’s warmth,

You couldn’t see how

Torn, broken, crushed

I was.

You looked right past me,

And suddenly,

I didn’t exist.

How am I supposed to exist

Without you?

How am I supposed to put

One foot in front of the other

And move on?

When all I wanted to do was

Run to you.

My feet were stuck to the ground,

My hands trembling, my eyes watering,

And my heart was breaking.

I never listened to those old love poems,

Yet, you were my love poem.

I just didn’t know it till

You walked away from me.

And those words, those damn words,

Started to choke me.