Reaching a Hilltop

i reached a hilltop today
during my journey
towards dreams realized
during my journey
towards dreams fulfilled

it was a place of reward
for all the hard work
of treading trails led
by visionaries, patriarchs,
and pioneers

it was a place of rest
for strained muscle
a place of escape
for stressed nerves

a relief for all the headaches
a solace for all the heartaches
a band for the breaks
and ice for the burns

it was a cool, calm place
where i wiped away my sweat
a room of silence
where i quieted my fears

a spot caressed by winds
where i soothed my tension
a place warmed by sunlight
where i dried my tears

as i gaze on past paths
i remember friends,
i remember family
some no longer here

i smile as i reflect
on those pleasant times
that helped me through the hard days
year after year

so i stand on this hilltop
and i peer ahead
surveying landscapes
planning paths for tomorrow

off to my next daring pursuit
off to my next phase
off to my next adventure
off to my next dream to fulfill

towards my next hilltop

i will follow

“Reaching a Hilltop” and many other poems can be read in “Good Morning New Year”

amazon.com/author/jtjohnpoet.wordpress.com

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My Journey as a Poet



The Beginning of My Journey as a Poet – part 1

I took writing poetry seriously in the summer of 1992 and by early fall one of my poems, “I Be a Bad Dude” was published by Catalyst Literary magazine.

The writing and the preparation prior to receiving the acceptance letter marked the beginning of my journey as a poet. 

During that summer of ’92, I wrote and wrote and wrote poetry.  One of those summer nights I walked into my little apartment in the throes of rage.  I’d just finished confronting a young man who was disrespecting his parents by cussing in their presence and threatening violence towards them.  I intervened and we went to blows.  No one lost.  No one won but after we both rose up from the floor, he walked away just like a bully does when confronted.  

(to be continued next post..,)

“My Journey as a Poet” is the series I plan to blog about during this Summer’s posting season,

My Pen Refuses to Die


how dare anyone ban reading
how dare anyone exile wisdom
how dare anyone assassinate visionaries
how dare claim anyone
the pen is now no longer
mightier than the sword

my pen refuses to die

though literacy is an outlaw now
though an aggressive, arrogant
ignorance exalted remains
though grand dragons now flourish
though jim crow boldly shows his face

my pen refuses to die

Our pens refuse to die

It’s Blogging Time Again

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My break is over. It is time to start my weekly blog again. I have taken a look at my blogging strategy. I did not have one when I started blogging. I began by posting poems. I also took a stab at short story writing. I kept my followers informed on literary events I attended, I advertised and posted many other miscellaneous items I thought would be of interest.

I think of strategy and purpose now. I still have neither but I have a few ideas I want to implement this time around.

First, I will reduce my posts to twice a week: Monday’s and Tuesday’s. I have a day job. Further, I also spend time writing, submitting to publishers, practicing for spoken word events and organizing events. The job and my other writing activities require a lot of my work time.  Therefore reducing my posts will help me manage my time and be consistent.

Lastly, I will establish a posting season. The commitment to a weekly schedule will be seasonal. Think of television shows. A show does not run all year. A show runs in the fall or the summer and so on. For now my posting season will be summer and winter.

None of these ideas represent anything I have read in instructional manuals nor do the ideas reflect any advice I have received. As a matter of fact these ideas are contrary to the instructions and advice I have read or received but I need to manage my writing time efficiently. I am far from being any kind of expert on the subject of blogging but I believe this approach will work for me. I will be blogging about the results in the future.

See you on the blogging pages soon.