Joshua's Poetry: Into the Wild and The Forgotten Apostle

Publisher's Note: Joshua's visitation was held on Friday, February 18, 2022, at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home in Elgin. These two poems are from his personal writing collection. As I prepared for that day, I felt strongly led to search for his writings, and these were the poems I found.

That evening, I stood before family and friends and read them aloud. When Joshua penned these words in October 2015, he could not have known that nearly seven years later they would be chosen and spoken just feet from his coffin.

I made a few minor edits to both poems for readability.

Joshua Baez — October 15, 2015, Perryville, Maryland. One day after writing “Into The Wild.” Captured through his own lens.

Into The Wild

By: Joshua Baez

Oct 14, 2015

I live a life of joy and happiness,

I once thought.

Prosperity and luxuries,

That could give me a lot.

Though dreams all these were,

Now I see the reality.

A bitter Earth...

As cold and despair run through my veins,

I realize now this is all my own pain.

Something you would call karma,

Unfortunate in every way.

Now my life ends and for once I will pray…

The Forgotten Apostle

By: Joshua Baez

Oct 27, 2015

Once there was a wondrous bird that lived through the sky,

An olive-colored condor, unique as it flies.

People of old thought it as doctrine;

I don't get why something so hideous was so idolizing.

The wonder of centuries,

Made into a forgotten apostle.

Don't worry about the memories,

That novel is just another fossil.

As frosty as can be, this rhyme you just can't believe.

In this office of mine, I would've never made a dime.

As I'm about to travel time into a lozenge,

A capsule for time,

I swear I'll bring solid proof that this bird is anything but a fairytale.