These spoken-word pieces come from my original poetry albums and from years of writing about love, loss, family, faith, laughter, hospice, addiction, and the ordinary moments that shape a life. They are the roots of this journey—poems written to be heard, felt, and shared.
Some are serious. Some are funny. Some carry memories of people I have loved and lost. But every one of them began the same way: with a few words, a microphone, and something in my heart that needed to be said.
I’m Not Perfect
A deeply personal spoken-word piece, voiced by Reagan, about living with disability, facing the judgments of others, and finding identity, freedom, and wholeness in God’s love.
Mother’s Day
A tender reflection inspired by my mother’s dream of calling her own mother in Heaven. Years later, those same words carry a new meaning—as I find myself wishing I could make that call to her.
Just Waiting
A tender spoken-word piece about Reagan waiting for a childhood friend who has grown older and moved on, while Reagan still lives in a world that feels much the same. It’s a quiet reflection on friendship, disability, growing up, and the ache of being left behind.
Window Pain
A reflective spoken-word piece about grief, healing, and the complicated emotions that come with loving again. On the night before her wedding, a widow looks back on the husband she lost to cancer while standing at the threshold of a new life.
Seasons
A deeply personal spoken-word reflection on the changing seasons of life, spoken by the man whose own journey inspired the poem. His voice gives the words a truth and tenderness that could never be recreated
All Alone in a Place Called Home
A deeply emotional song about a mother returning to an empty house after divorce, grieving the loss of everyday life with her children while finding the determination to rebuild. Performed by my daughter, Kasie.
Why the Angel Cries
A tender reflection on childhood disability and the way a child may see themselves through the eyes of others. It speaks to the hurt of feeling different, while reminding us that worth, beauty, and love reach far beyond what the world can see.
The Hand
A tender story of love, loss, and remembrance, centered on an elderly woman who carries a quiet connection to her late husband into church each Sunday.
The Beast
(Vocals by Mark Stracener)
A dark, bluesy song about alcoholism and the unseen grip of addiction. Each time the man drinks, the Beast on his shoulder grows larger and its claws sink deeper—while he remains unable to see what is slowly taking hold of him.
Willie and the Black Stallion
A haunting but tender hospice story about a man who kept seeing a black stallion drawing closer as his illness progressed. What first felt frightening slowly became something else entirely—a final journey home.
Call Me Dad
A heartfelt reflection on the moment I first saw my daughter after she was born—and realized that in an instant, my life had changed forever. From that moment on, I was no longer just me. I was Dad.
Have You Seen Her
A deeply personal reflection from a father searching for his daughter and longing for her to know that home is still open to her. Whatever she has been through, whatever scars she carries, she is still loved and still welcome home.
Simply Paradise
A peaceful reflection on a day imagined in Heaven—walking with Jesus, surrounded by beauty, light, and the kind of peace this world can only hint at.
I Have No Army
A compassionate story about an elderly woman who comes up short while buying only a few groceries—and the ordinary people around her who quietly step in to help. A reminder that sometimes kindness becomes the army we never knew we had.
The Hummingbird
A tender reflection on a treasured heirloom passed down through generations, and the love, memories, and lessons grandparents leave behind. The hummingbird becomes a quiet symbol of legacy—small, beautiful, and still carrying their presence forward.
Just One Minute
A warm reflection on the comfort of coming home after a long day and finding everything you need in one simple thing—a quiet, sixty-second hug from the person you love.
Finally Home
A deeply personal tribute to my mother, written from the heart and read at her funeral. It is a reflection on love, loss, and the blessed assurance that her journey did not end there—she had finally made it home.
There’s No Cat on My Beach
A humorous spoken-word story about a man trying to survive one frustrating morning when absolutely nothing seems to go his way. Sometimes the worst mornings are just waiting to teach us something we never saw coming.
Perfect Harmony
A faith-filled reflection on finding peace, strength, and purpose in God’s presence. Even through the broken notes and uncertain moments of life, His love can bring everything back into harmony.
Addiction
A powerful spoken-word metaphor about a man trapped by the consequences of addiction, standing at a moment where every choice matters. With danger closing in around him, he must decide whether to move toward freedom—or reach once more for the very thing that helped put him there.
Love Is Love
A tender reflection on an elderly couple facing dementia together, where names and memories may begin to fade but devotion remains. It’s a reminder that love can reach deeper than memory—and still recognize the heart.
The Rainbow
A reflection on a man who has reached the point where nothing seems to be going right and hope feels almost gone. Then, in the middle of all that darkness, something simple appears in the sky and reminds him that maybe the story isn’t over yet.
Deliver Me
A heartfelt story about an unexpected friendship between a postal carrier and an elderly woman, and how one simple act of kindness grows into something much larger. What begins as a small connection eventually touches an entire family and changes lives along the way.
Waiting for the Angels
A tender hospice reflection on the quiet hours spent beside a dying woman, as her husband and care team wait with her through the final moments. In the end, what seems like a goodbye becomes something gentler—a peaceful journey into the arms of the angels.
The Gift
A deeply personal Christmas reflection about a present my mother wrapped for me before she died. I never opened it. Each year it returns beneath the tree in fresh paper and a new bow—not because of what may be inside, but because of the love that wrapped it in the first place.
Dat Sizzlin Sound
A downright silly spoken-word story about a wife who loves the sound of food frying just a little too much—and a husband who learns the hard way that trying to stop her may be hazardous to his health, his head, and eventually the whole trailer.
Recording Credits
All spoken-word recordings were produced by Eric Chesher and recorded at Infrared Records.
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Special Credit to Maestro Dr. Rex Bell