(Wil's first poems were religious/spiritual in nature, many of them inspired by the contemporary Christian music of his adolescence. The selection of poems on this page is intended to be a sampling of the best of those poems, some of which Wil called "songs," and set them to music, either for acapella presentations or to be accompanied with piano music. In many of them, the reader will detect the questioning nature of Wil's personality, and the lack of answers he seemed to find.)
Dead Church
Feb. 7, 1988 (age 15)
In the church today, the people just sit around staring,
They don’t know God is watching them, they’re not even caring,
They degenerate because they’re lazy, or they don’t know what to do,
They like to be vegetables, And they love to warm the pews.
It is a dead Church, It’s a dead church
They’re following their tradition, and carrying on their religion
It is a dead church, Yeah, It’s a dead Church
Well, in the church where I grew up, that’s not the way things happened,
We jumped up and down, And praised the Lord with our clappin’.
We yelled, And praised the Lord with shouts ‘til our faces turned red,
And if someone would’ve died, we woulda’ raised ‘em from the dead
It wasn’t a dead church, Oh, a dead church,
We were following our traditions, And carrying on our religion, but
It wasn’t a dead church, No, not a dead church
If the church today doesn’t like some of the things that are happening,
They need to figure out what their problem is, and solve it.
They’ll need to praise God with their voices, and their clappin’,
They’ll need to invite the spirit into service, they’ll love it!
Then it won’t be a dead church, No, not a dead church,
Sure, they’ll follow their tradition, and carry on their religion, but
It won’t be a dead church, Oh, a dead church
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How Long Will It Last?
July 30, 1988 (age 15)
I’ve fought a good fight, I’ve run a good race
I’ve shown out my lite, I’ve kept up the pace
How long will this last, how long will I have to wait?
I’ve lived on this earth, for a long, long time
I’ve talked of your worth, not getting a dime.
How long will this last, How long will I have to wait?
I’ve taught about you, In my church and school
I’ve lived within you, they think I’m a fool
How long will this last, How long will I have to wait?
I haven’t been mute, I’ve spoken out loud
They will persecute, Out there in the crowd
I’ve been through so much, I think I might fall
You are not my crutch, I know you’re my all
I’ve listened to you, I’ve answered your call
I have been so true, I’ve given my all.
Now I’m getting tired, My body’s worn out
Don’t know what to do, I just ain’t that stout.
How long will it last, How long will I have to wait?
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In Place Of Me (original version)
Sept. 1, 1988 (age 15)
(later revised by Holly Urban & Kimberly Roever, for use in a live performance)
As I lay my life before You, as i lay it at Your feet,
i want to be as broken as i can be
i feel so bad for all, for all the sins i’ve done
i just want to repay you for the sacrifice of Your son.
the tears come to my eyes as i realize
just how unworthy i am
when i look to the Cross, i see the Lamb...
Jesus Christ was slain for all my sin
Jesus Christ was slain for all my sin
Why did He choose to die?
Why did He choose to die?
I should have been the one up there, hanging from that tree
No sin did He commit, He died in place of me
In place of me...
The blood ran down from His sores, the holes in His hands,
The hole deep in His side was painful, I know it must have been
The tears within His flesh were deep, deep enough to kill
The crown of thorns upon His head was pressed deeper still
the tears come to my eyes as i realize
just how unworthy i am
when i look to the Cross, i see the Lamb...
Jesus Christ was slain for all my sin
Jesus Christ was slain for all my sin
Why did He choose to die
Why did He choose to die
I should have been the one up there, hanging from that tree
No sin did He commit, He died in place of me
In place of me...
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Follow The Blind
April 12, 1990 (age 17)
They trust in the word of the man; they do his every command.
Blind fools, they follow the more blind, led off a path they cannot find.
We abhor this hypocrisy — blind belief is not our policy.
Instead, we choose to boldly trust in the Word of God, yes we must.
To speak of this, we take a risk — that some will follow us and miss.
We truly want to lead no one; we want them to follow the Son.
Trust us not in the faith we took; trust only words found in the Book.
Therein is your guidance and joy; therein is the Truth we employ.
Follow not biased, foolish men — they will cause stagnation and sin.
Don’t take standards set by masses — they are taught in brainwash classes.
The leaders will tell what to do; they want only to control you.
Leadership; it can be alright, but it abused, can bring the night.
Answers searched for in men of pow’r seldom help for more than an hour.
The Bible holds answers for all. Won’t you open and hear it’s call?
Hierarchy uses the Word of God to preach what they want heard.
Scriptures used to back what they say; They’ll deceive you every day.
Impostors are out there right now. Want to succeed? They’ll tell you how.
What God wants is your faith in Him, without which your chances are slim.
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In Mine
Dec. 6, 1993 (age 21)
As I journey through this land of trials, searching for the light at the end of my dreams I wonder if there’s anyone who’s ever made it through; maybe life is really harder than it seems. But I keep on walking through the dark, and I keep nursing this broken heart of mine, Hoping that one day I’ll live to say, “I made it through without anyone’s help.” But I know that I’m just too weak, and now I need someone to carry me through the dark. I know I can make it with His hand in mine. I don’t need any other sign, just to know His hand, His hand’s in mine. But even then, sometimes I fall, I forget that He carries me And I try to make it on my own, until I fall on my face again. And as I wipe myself off, I look up to the sky, And I pray that He’d let me try again; I can tell when He’s letting me walk alone, Trying to show me it can’t be done alone. So I fall to my knees and pray. I know I can make it with His hand in mine; I don’t need any other sign, just to know His hand, His hand’s in mine
