Promise of Now

With fleeting breath, find my ground,

Promised heart wound tight, spellbound.

Answers I hold, though none are heard,

Answers lie within, just not with a word.

Looking back to past mistakes, they call,

Can’t dwell in this past long, it’s a wall.

Firm roots, planted on the ground,

In shadows past, new wounds abound.

Eyes dart ahead, the future in tow,

Endless promises, o how they glow.

Firm roots, planted on the ground,

In mirrors light, now will be found.

In the present, I find my place,

Shadows stretch, I need not chase.

In the present, I find my grace,

Mirrors light, should not race.

Pasts behind with future unknown,

Promise of now, I do not walk alone.

Futures ahead with past time shown,

Promise of today, will not disown.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2025. All Rights Reserved. Okay to share in full with clear credit to the author. Partial excerpts require written permission.

The Weight of Tolerance

Tolerated, like chalk on teeth,

we bite our tongues, breath is weak.

“Love the sinner,” they smile and pray,

while shoving our full selves away.

Patience frays, a threadbare shroud,

as whispers slice through Sunday crowds.

“Just endure,” the robed ones press,

while our bright edges come unstitched.

No more bowing at pulpits’ feet,

our worth was ne’er theirs to keep.

We rise, not as their unwelcome guest,

but wholly ours, and self-possessed.

Let them clutch their hollow creed,

we’ll plant our truth like stubborn seed.

Not tolerated, but embraced.

We stand. Unmoved. Unchased.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2025. All Rights Reserved. Okay to share in full with clear credit to the author. Partial excerpts require written permission.

Where the Night Holds me

Scars of my past, bruises to my name,

Where can I go to get rid of the shame?

Past stays in its past, where silence lay,

Bullshit, then why is it here but to stay?

There was a time when dreams laid bare,

When people only met me with a glare.

Nobody ever said life was safe from loss,

Determined as I am to obey the cross.

Thoughts I’m not enough, or too much,

These are the things I aim not to touch.

Thoughts are loud, calling me through,

Mustn’t believe them, in minds queue.

Breakthroughs occur on nights delight,

Not all healing journey’s in minds sight.

Feel grief, feel pain, where day shines,

By nights dark blue sky, it gives signs.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Okay to share in full with clear credit to the author. Partial excerpts require written permission.

Tapestries of Truth

In the rift of time, a darkness spread,

Murmurs of ignorance where hatred treads.

Bias grips our legacy, a legacy of fear,

Fueled by blindness that’s always near.

Evil be its name, forged in chains,

Must crumble beneath enlightened gains.

The color of skin, a story, a song,

Yet they deny the beauty, and that is wrong.

Blind eyes once turned are now forced to see,

That in our differences we find our unity.

Not colorless dreams, but vibrant and bright,

Tapestries woven from black, brown, and white.

Racism, a stain on hearts and minds,

With wisdom and love, we leave it behind.

For no one is born with hate in their soul,

Break the cycle that keeps us from whole.

Ancestors’ hands, stained by choice,

Built empires on backs while denying a voice.

Yet in the truth, we seek to stand tall,

Healing begins when we confront it all.

We must not judge by hues of skin,

For locking anyone out serves no win.

Stereotypes linger, bred from fear,

Ask yourself why when the truth is clear.

Many are denied the same fair chance,

Struggles repeat through circumstance.

Look beyond shadows and you will find,

We are all capable with open minds.

In worlds where colors bloom and thrive,

Each shade, each story keeps dreams alive.

Differences dance, not meant to divide,

But to unite us, standing side by side.

Celebrate the tapestry woven with care,

For strength is found when all voices share.

Harmony in diversity, the greatest art,

A world bound together, not torn apart.

We rise with hearts that beat as one,

The fight for justice is never done.

Unlearn the hate, let love renew,

The future is shaped by what we do.

Speak out, stand firm, sever the chain,

Wipe away ignorance, end the pain.

In unity, we’ll find a way to start anew,

A world where love heals and hearts stay true.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Okay to share in full with clear credit to the author. Partial excerpts require written permission.

Duality in Motion

Thoughts dashing, ne’er calm nor mild,

Twisting winds, in chaos beguiled.

Fleeting focus, like fireflies in flight,

A mind alight, yet lost to sight.

Emotions swell, a tempest wide,

Surging forth, on fate’s gray side.

Feelings creep with a whispered hue,

Ne’er restful, they force their due.

While others walk a quiet storm,

Minds in light, their hearts inform.

Firm in purpose, the course is set,

Time is theirs, with no regret.

Connections flare, yet burn within,

O yield the mind, like fruit from skin.

Thoughts entwined with impulse caught,

Madness reigns where calm is sought.

Grief blooms when words fall dead,

Fingers point, their trust misled.

Eyes widen, mouths agape,

Anger flares as it takes shape.

Chaos blooms like wildflower dread

Grace in the walls of time not dead.

Storm’s embrace, truth shines clear,

Unlike lips that speak without fear.

Strength lies deep, in shadows bound,

Thoughts unsure, now turned ‘round.

Should I heed this fleeting time,

Or let it pass, in motion’s rhyme?

Embrace the chaos born in still,

Haughty thought, not break my will.

Chaos and calm, a maddened kind,

Beseech the thought, torment the mind.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Okay to share in full with clear credit to the author. Partial excerpts require written permission.

Armor of Loss

A hollow vessel in my place,

I wish I could see your face.

Up at night sinking with grief,

I hope this grief feels brief.

Shadows linger in the empty room,

Where you were, shadows loom.

Feel the void, pit in my gut,

Not your fault, my heart is shut.

Thoughts do blur, can feel them slip,

Won’t forget though, mind can’t skip.

Hopes for current day, where we stay,

When I see you again, o we will play.

Shadows dance where light laid,

Your sweet smile, never afraid.

We dance again, in the starry sky,

One day we will, with us flying high.

Grief, the weight I bear yet not alone,

Brought life to laughs, much is known,

Binding souls together, keeper of hearts,

This, where you belong in these parts.

© Dereck Pritchard, 2024. All Rights Reserved. Okay to share in full with clear credit to the author. Partial excerpts require written permission.