Richard M Knittle Jr.
A writer can take you on a journey with your mind, But a Poet can take you places with your heart that only your soul can find!
Recent Works
Demons
Tribute to Robin Williams
These demons I fight I know are for real,
from the scars on my heart to the pain that
won’t heal.
I lay in my bed but at night I’m awake,
for the bad ones have taken all of my
dreams to forsake.
My fate has been sealed and with God's
help I tried, but my world is now over as
it fell fast to their side.
My entire life has been nothing but one
day in hell, and because it meant nothing
to me the faster I fell.
I fought back for my freedom and for the
last of my sons, the addiction I beat easy
but for Ryder well it’s still on.
I fought hard with the courage of his only son,
but at the end of the battle I was still
only one.
To all those friends that I have taken with
me into heart, you have taught me that
humanity deserves a new start.
Please don't worry for me for I will never
really be gone, all the poems that I write
for you, they will carry on.
I hope when you read them and that tear
starts to call, it’s okay to remember me so
please let them all fall.
For people like me, that are hurting from
inside, we were born into the darkness
without the light side.
We hide our deep sadness from those that
we love, and could never be treated by
any doctor’s glove.
All the smiles that we share, and laughs
we hand out, well they only mask our
loneliness as we look for a way out.
We still love our left children so blame is
theirs not, but we tried all the choices
and believe me we fought.
So if the darkness doesn’t find you, don't
be so quick to cast out, you should be thankful
my friends that it missed you no doubt.
Robin Williams fought with demons, and
he fought a good fight, but he lost his long
battle with darkness, for him there
was no light.
So, I say thank you to Robin for all the
great laughs, you have been the light in our
battles as we walk down the same path.
I personally will mourn you, as my demons
may win, but as the gates of heaven open
I will say “Nano Nano” as I walk on in.
Colors
Tribute to the Pledge of Allegiance
I pledge of allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands...
I don't know about you but tears build up in my eyes when I recite the pledge of allegiance, it reminds me of when I was a kid in this great country of ours in a time when we could play barefoot in the park alone until the street lights came on without fear of being taken.
It reminds me of our bicentennial in 1976 when our country was strong and proud of our 200 year old birthday, it reminds of back when I served our country earning three honorable discharges that hang on my wall today, It reminds me of all the men and woman who have died defending our flag all over the world, from 1776 to now in 2015, they were black, yellow, white, and brown but the gunshot heard was their last sound.
From the African American Buffalo Soldiers, to the Navajo Indian Code Talkers, and the 442nd Infantry of Asian American Soldier's and more.
They marched for our freedom here in America, shoulder to shoulder they were Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers.
We fought for our American flag and our country and they still do today. Yeah, I saw colors alright,
hell all you had to do was look around to see that sight, there was Army greens and Navy blues that's what I saw then, and today when I look around, those are the only colors I see too.
One nation under God…
Christians, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews, Buddhist, Atheist and Wicca too, we saw nothing of religion that was your right to choose all I saw was Americans fighting with me and dying for you.
So the next time that you choose your sides, because you are all so uptight, please remember that someone died out on that field just so you can have that right. All this bickering of race and politics that we do, has really got to end, for not only the grownups sake, but the messages that we now send.
Our kids now watch and they listen, to all the hate that we spew, and soak up everything they see and now they are following though.
From Michael Brown to Dillon Taylor both shot while they were unarmed, that has got to raise a red flag up and cause us all alarm. So I say to you I'm white you’re not, does that really matter here? I say so no it does not let's just have another beer.
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Hope
A Prayer for Ryder
I was sitting alone in the park one day at lunch. I sat on the same bench where Ryder and I used to play. We would sing our song and laugh and pray, while letting the world go by, those were bright and sunny days of just him and I.
Then as I looked up it hit me, I was staring right at the tree where I carved out our initials for everyone to see. So I got up and I looked but all the tears that were now falling made it hard for me but I found it and it read:
“I love Ryder and Ryder loves me.”
All of sudden I got a sharp pain in my chest and I fell hard to the ground, it hit me so hard that it knocked me to my knees. I looked around and saw that everyone was watching, so I threw my fist up into the air, lifted my head up to God and I screamed as loud as I could:
“Why me?”
Why would you bring him into my life, knowing how much I would care?
I gave that little boy everything I had left to give in my heart and in my soul, all the strength I had left to give. Don’t you understand that he was the reason I am still here, he was my only will to live.
I hate you God that wasn't fair, and now I live with all of these memories that play over, stuck in my head and not like a dream. No, now my life is nothing but a living nightmare. I hear Ryder’s little voice calling out to me, “Ryder I am right here” and look, but there was nobody here.
Then in a whisper I say “I am sorry God I didn't mean what I said but I am finished here please take me now, I’d rather be dead. I hurt so bad every single day from a heart that is broken, it will never heal and a soul that is dying and can no longer feel. He is my son no matter what they say or do, Ryder is my little bundle of joy and I miss him so very bad. I am so damn tired of hurting from all this sorrow and regret, I am so lonely and sad.” And I looked down and cried and I sobbed.
But then I remembered God had a son once, his name was Jesus and he did understand. Then I felt His hand as he placed it on my head and I felt Him as my heart filled with so much love.
He wanted me to know he was listening from His home high above.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”
I opened up my heart and I let him back in.
Today I still hurt and I still cry for my son Ryder,
but now I know our Lord that is in Heaven above is watching, and he will let me see him one day because it is our destiny and our fate, either here on earth or high above at heaven’s gate, and that is what I now pray every night before I go to sleep.
In his name Amen.