Joe Stumpf - Taste of Truth Awakening to Authenticity

No hands to hold me, no laughter near, A child in chaos, I learned to steer. Mother was drowning, five kids, no air, I shrank my heart, thought no one would care. Built a life, gave love to the crowd, But solitude’s my shield, I’m finding out now. In and out, I dance with the weight, Longing for love, but I hesitate. Is it choice or fear that pulls me away? I’m learning to stay, come what may. Pri...

On my deck, the Pacific’s wide, Notebooks piled, plans I tried to hide. Sunset burns in orange and gold, But my heart’s restless, my mind’s too bold. Chasing answers, I stirred the storm, Till a whisper said, “Let the truth be born.” Put it down, let the chaos rest, Truth don’t chase, it’s in the quiet’s chest. Stillness ain’t empty, it’s where I’m free, Wisdom’s waiting, it’s calling to me. Still...

My mind’s a storm, a snow globe I shake, Thoughts collide, they twist, they break. I fought so hard to wrestle truth down, Thought I’d find it in the chaos I’d found. Days filled with noise, no room to breathe, Chasing answers that kept slipping from me. Tried to outthink the pain in my head, But it only stirred the storm instead. Truth don’t come from the fight, I see, It’s in the quiet, it’s wai...

Sandcastles rise, then the tide sweeps in, Dean Joseph my peanut butter boy laughter sparks where my heart begins. My daughters taught me, their joy set free, Love’s not earned, it’s just meant to be. I used to strive, thought I had to prove, Now I’m dancing to a lighter groove. Play’s the proof, it’s love out loud, No need to earn it in a crowd. In the moment, I’m alive, I’m free, The boy inside...

I see it now, in my grandson’s eyes, Tiny hands reaching, no need for disguise. His parents hold him, they meet every cry, Love that lands soft, like a lullaby. My childhood missed it, no warmth in the frame, Just chaos and longing, no one to claim. But love’s patient, it finds a way, Even when late, it can still save the day. From absence to presence, I’m learning to see, The heart of love lives...

Standing in my office, walls of fame, Awards and books, they call my name. Built a life, so polished, so high, But something’s hollow beneath the sky. Past self whispers, “This is who you are,” Clinging to stories, they’ve left their scar. Three selves collide, in the mirror I see, Past holds tight, but the future’s free. Present carries weight, yet I’m called to choose, Imagination’s spark, I can...

World keeps spinning, loud and bright, But there’s a rhythm in the dead of night. A knock at my door, it won’t let me be, Persistent pulse, it’s calling to me. I built my life, stacked success so high, But this hollowness won’t let me lie. It’s not a whisper, it’s not a roar, Just a truth I can’t ignore. In the quiet, it finds my soul, A deeper call to make me whole. The knock, the knock, it’s bre...

World keeps humming, a pulse in my veins, Second heartbeat, it’s calling my name. I’ve built empires, stretched ‘cross the skies, Chased the frontier with fire in my eyes. But now it’s shifting, not out but within, A quieter truth where my soul begins. No more chasing, no need to run, The signal’s clear, the truth’s begun. From the edge to the core, I’m called to be, Not what I build, but what I s...