My Work

Published in Twilight Musings: The International Library of Poetry (2005)

How You Make Me Feel

You make me feel beautiful
You make me feel strong
You say that I’m right
When I know that I’m wrong

You make me feel happy
When I tell you I’m mad
And you make me smile
When I tell you I’m sad

You make me feel beautiful
When I know that I’m not
I hope you keep loving me
I don’t want you to stop

Now that I’m falling
I don’t know what to do
I’m falling so deep
‘Cause I’m falling for you

You make me feel beautiful
As I said once before
I know that you love me
I just love you a little more

Published in You Can’t Do It Alone (2015)

A motivational story of triumph over a troubled childhood and finding religion written by my mother Paulette Ashley

Every time I think of You
I think of all You do
I used to play the fool
And now I’m here with You

At first I didn’t see
It was hard to believe
And then I woke up one day
And You showed me the way

I was headed down a path
That wasn’t gonna last
But then You detoured me
To the life I now had

People tell me Your not real
But the feeling that I feel
The way my life has changed
There is no other way

No matter what they say
No matter what they think
Your everything to me
I tell You everyday

I walked into a church one day
But then I walked right out
A lot of folks were praising God
The screams, the tears, the shout

Someone said to go back again
I said I would but then
When that person walked away
On my face formed a grin

I knew I wasn’t going back
That church was a bit much
It was to loud, also the crowd
Couldn’t move well enough

I saw another church that day
Actually I walked by seven
It doesn’t matter any way
I’m not going to heaven

I seen a smaller church that night
I didn’t hear no one shout
I walk inside to see that night
I was sure I would walk out

The pastor said to have a seat
That’s exactly what I did
He told me to pray to myself
But I don’t know what that is

He must of seen my confusion
Because he took a seat
He closed his eyes & took my hand
And then he prayed for me

I walked out of church that night
I felt like nothing changed
He wasted his prayers on me
Because everything’s the same

I was angry and depressed one day
So I walked to clear my mind
I didn’t even walk that way
But I seen that church a 2nd time

I walked into the church that day
And no one else was there
I sat and talked with God that day
I felt like He was near

My whole life began that day
That church became my church
The pastor taught me how to pray
And joy formed from my hurt

I walked into my church one day
And started praising Christ
For everything He’s done for me
And helped me to live right

I walked into my church one day
That feels so good to say
I walked into my church one day
I’m glad I walked this way

I know now
What I need to do
First thing on my list
Get rid of you

You’ve had me to long
And I’ve allowed it
I can’t hold it in
I have to shout it

I’M FREE
Free to be me
Not who you choose
But who I’m meant to be

For Him, He
The great and mighty
Who died on the cross
And rose just for me

Who gave me His love
When I didn’t deserve it
Who gave more chances
When I didn’t even earn it

And now that I have it
Now that I can see
It’s clear who I was
And who I’m about to be

I’M FREE
I had to shout it again
I’m a slave when I’m with you
But I’m free in His hands

I’m free
And all I had to do
Remove one thing off my list
And I got rid of you