Poetry

Johnathon Morris

New Wine

Oh, the dreams of my sleep!
I fair thee long juniper trails

of spice, 
berries, 
and herbs;

the beauty of her passage
really pleases me
and all my longings.

Am I walking as the blind man
when he discovers
the wonders of New Wine
caught between the walls

of a strange wine glass
and the clay of a superb wedge
facing him?

Pairing milk
is the honey of my wine.


The first taste on my lips
after my first breath across
the breadth
of the glassy surface
sooths a red on my neck.

Her Rosy Red Mirror
seeks out a muse
of all my thoughts
and my thoughts into vision

into the deep of my sleep
and the wake at early dawn
before conquer and profit

turning to
New Wine
once again.

Cleveland Rennaissance

Free fall leaves on top the blades of grass
Window panes heave broken sills and broken glass
Broken doors, gates shuttered tightly
Owners remote repos nice things
Spray paint caches under corner lights
Five ex-wives with legs
Fighting for the lives of their nine kids
Tin can jingles flight like fingers fly
With high notes at night

Across keys on pianos and hats with drum solos
Singing "Here we are Cleveland, here we are!"

My name is John Morris, and I am a student at Cuyahoga Community College, focusing on obtaining my A.A. in Business Management to pursue a career in development. I was born and raised in Northern California, where music played a crucial role in my childhood. The song “New Wine” encapsulates my struggle with replacing my love for my wife with a newfound, destructive love for alcohol, before I finally overcame this obstacle. I found salvation in 2019, experiencing spiritual redemption in faith and trust in Jesus Christ, though the scars of my past losses remain. Embracing true faith in Christ, I redirected my focus toward reaching out to others, aiming to expose human brokenness and offer hope to those who are suffering. Driven by a passion to aid those who are hurting, I am dedicated to using my experiences to foster and develop community initiatives, focusing on ministry development and evangelism to support and uplift those in need.