A Jonestown Tale

Have you ever heard the stories of Jonestown?
Of a preacher so horrid he killed all around
A story of people young and old that died
Because of Jim Jones' plan of mass suicide

Filled with paranoia that ultimately killed
Jones created a plan incredibly skilled
He deceitfully gathered people who felt weak
Bringing them to Jonestown as part of his technique

Isolating them from family and friends
Jones prepared them for serious ends
Countless white nights called as preparation
Telling them death was their only salvation

And when the day came, the final white night
His victims were ready without any fright
They drank a lethal poison to instantly die
That's how they told the world their goodbye

So many died on November 18, 1978
Their ties with Jones had sealed their fate
909 was the final number found dead
A murder-suicide that caused so much dread

The story of Jonestown is sad but real
We cannot forget despite how surreal
Next time someone asks you of this tale
Tell them the story in its grave detail

***
I'd really like to know what people think of this. I'd like to fix it up possibly. Short answers are fine. Is this good or bad?

You told the story well, perhaps a bit verbose though. The use of too many words can be as bad as too few, especially as they work into your metre.
(example: "lethal poison" are not most poisons lethal). I think you can say exactly the same story using fewer, yet smoother, words.. As always an opinion.

I definitely am wordy (with everything). I'll work on that.

In terms of "Telling them death was their only salvation" that isn't true in all religions. For example, I'm Jewish and that is nowhere near the case. But, anyhow, I guess that needs to be more clear. Jones made them practice the way they were going to die. He was paranoid that outsiders who were visiting were going to shut him down so he told his cult members that they were going to be tortured, so dying would be the only way to save themselves.

Maybe I'll put that in somehow.