Propertius Lives Still...

The same Tears

but for different reasons,

     the Years fall away

like the changing Seasons,

returning to find me still here;

a little smaller , 

     a little sadder 

with each passing year...

 

Is there Hope in recognition,

     what would move these feet of clay,

what cure for Doubt and Indecision

     and the Darkness standing in your way?...

 

How to bear vile words,

spat with contempt and derision,

     how many times must i bear your faults

and then tread softly around your condition,

     which is no worse

or better than mine,

but borne of different Sorrows,

      making it harder to be kind,

but this heart cannot bear

being broken another time,

     though it has always beaten for you,

 now, i let you beat me and my foolish Beliefs...

    

The one thing i cannot fathom

is why you would ever doubt my Love,

or me;

     one Day,

perhaps,

you will see me in different Light

and see in Truth,

you did not treat me right

     You took the Soul, that was yours,

out of the Knight

who would still Die for you...

 

     Sadly,

you could not,

would not

allow yourself to Believe

this true,

     maybe I am not enough

for you;

if you had allowed,

maybe,

 Together,

we have Saved

each other

     but now,

we'll  never know the Truth,

a Love,

despite all,

that is still here,

 for you...

Snow Day...

Frosted windowpane
     melting with the rising sun
as blue clouds stand shivering in the distance,
     hoping the day glows brighter than the cold drifts
Can the world get whiter than this snowy embrace
     that have taken the smile from many a face
with no place to put more as the cold lingers
     outside imploring, almost fingering the door?
If you stay safe and sullen within your cozy confines
     you will need to find something else to do with your time
as every step breaking through the crust and rime
     is like climbing up a slippery steep slope
Still, the children don't seem to mind...
     Can you remember those innocent times
when the cold of winter's splinter did not strike you blind,
     but opened your eyes to the wonders of winter?
Thank the Lord, i have not forgotten
     for what could be worse than to feel sad and misbegotten
and have to suffer through the winter's chill?
     Luckily, i have children and i will always be beholden
today there will be no scolding;
    just screams of joy as we slide down powdery hills...

Looking Down...

The cold remains within my heart
     icy eyes, dark as coal ,
breathe fire i don't control
     Don't get burnt, don't stand too close
today i would not need much excuse
     to send a fool toppling
There is no stopping, no relent
     to the stupidity of Man
 and yes, i realize i am as well
     but truly, people what the hell
could not our egos sit a spell
     and think of someone else?

Where have you been.
     what have you seen?
Is it all too much.
     do you wish it a bad dream?
Do you accept, then ignore
     pass the homeless by the grocery store
as you shake your head?
     What if we shared,
what if we truly cared
     about the why, the how,  not where
and see we are all to blame
     to our ever lasting shame
that may not last for long...

Love's fire burns,
     darkening my soul;
clouds as black as coal
     blotting out the sky
Build the pyre higher,
     your turn is next into the fire,
please keep in line
    No one heeds warnings,
at the precipice comes the dawning
     Stop or die...

But for the Grace of God...

The fog shone amber
     rising up to meet the shafts of my headlights
cutting the darkness but just barely
     as i made my way past farms and marsh
Road glistened wet blackness 
     the yellow dividing line reflecting back
keeping me in line as i sought the right track
     as ever , as ever...

Then in the grey curtain before me
     i heard the crash and grinding of steel on asphalt 
sparks in the distance sliding forward and toward me
     slowly  i brought my car to a halt
and my eyes beheld  the origin of the tumult
      A lone car, upended, lying across the road
with horn still blaring and lights flickering
     like a gaudy Time Square neon sign

I hesitated for a moment,
     not knowing what i would find
and then opened the door
     and what i saw made me wish for blindness
No face had he as he had stuck the steering wheel
     but he was still alive and gasping
so i knew this nightmare was real
     I held his hand then as i began to kneel
and felt for the seatbelt to release him
     With each gasping breath he sprayed me with blood,
the cold of the morning gave it the consistency of mud,
     he muttered something about his son
as he breathed his last into my face...

The sound of sirens filled the air as i turned off his car ,
     nervously running my fingers through my hair
wishing for all the world i wasn't there
    and sat on the guardrail , waiting
As i sat crying and shaking, i saw his soul rise
    a blue film like smoke rose before my eyes
it wavered and hovered for a moment
    then beacame a speck of light
and traveled slowly up into the night
     to join the rest of the lights shining
The medics came and washed me face
    and led me back to my car, there to wait
only then did i realize that might have been my fate
   was he a moment early or was i a moment too late?

The Robin of Oronoke Woods...

Crescent moon, nascent thoughts
     flying towards mountains of grey
floating in the brightening sky
     Rising sun, a glowing ember
ever warmer as it climbs
     to become a white hot spot,
too bright too look upon
     even through the fog it calls from the Earth...

The foolish robin which never left
     comes poking for an empty nest
as the red crested woodpecker watches
     and seems to smile bemusedly,
as though he as well cannot believe
     the Harbinger of Spring still clings to limbs,
fluffs himself against cold winds
     and on sunny days still has the heart to sing,
     though he knows it will be months before
warm winds touch his breast again
     But his heart still beats; he sings, not in defeat
but in awareness of his mistakes
     and in defiance of those who would shake him
from his tree,  or bring him to his knees
     Yes, at times he weeps but not only for himself...

Now, see a squirrel, with tail twitching and uncurling,
     hurling himself from branch to branch,
grabbing leaves still stuck to their limbs,
     repairing an old nest in the crook of a tree
Back and forth he scurries
     (are they not always in a hurry?)
and after, all the flurry,
     he stops and looks content
Looks to where the Robins sits
     and bows his head, joins his paws
and says , "here, my friend, be warm
     you were searching for a nest; this is it"
The robin and i, we both cry...

Like a Good Neighbor...

A change of heart
     does not always mean
a change in mind
     sometimes all it takes
is one random act of kindness
     for you to get over your momentary blindness
see the light still shines
     from deep within the darkness
where we all place ourselves from time to time
     Not to say moments of despair
and grim reminders won't return again;
     to paraphrase Joe Cocker,  "that is the way i felt back then"
and maybe if i read the words again i might learn the lesson
     for believe i'm not the only one reading these words,
scratching my head and guessing
     just what i meant and who might have sent me
these thoughts as new to me as they are to you
     and in the moments after i'm through
read them again and every time they are new
     not me, 
perhaps us,
    me and you...

Don't Tell Me it's Raining...

I believe what someone tells me
     until i find i can't
Excuses and stuttering denials
     and nervous movements of hands
Even took a course once to help me understand
     the signs that remind you,
the cold, limp fingers when you shake hands
     but we all come to know, it is how we grow
to see what's real behind what they try to conceal
     How my blood boils and then congeals
at my all too trusting soul
    for i am truly what you see
While there may be many sides to me,
    the heart remains the same
and i don't play games
     Somethings in me haven't changed
because there is no need
     but i heed, eventually...
Sometimes it takes another to help me see
     for all the same it is hard for me to believe
souls so dark they don't see
     their true intent is easy to perceive
once you look into their eyes
    Lord, protect me from the lies...

There's Always Tomorrow...

Had too much wine,
     felt fine for but an hour
Now the power that i thought i felt
     has sweated away
Did i do fine,
     did the words flow like honey,
aren't you hungry?
     let's go catch a bite
But i'll be all right in the morning...

Bright city lights,
    what's your enchantment
in the reenactment of someone's good time?
     Drink till your blind,
then stagger homeward
     Are you going forward
or did you fall down?
     But you'll be all right in the morning...

Tell me, my friend,
     a Truth when we're sober
Over and over
     the same tired lines
Had too much wine,
     felt fine for but an hour
Now the power that i thought i felt
     has sweated away
but i'll be all right in the morning...

Wipeout...

This is all i have ever had;
     printed word on page
In times of desperation and confusion,
     the depths of anguish,
amid my bitterness and rage
     Nothing else comes close
but it's not as if i chose
     for no one hears words i 've said
preferring the pretty patterns
     made by the splatters of my tears
and words written in blood red ink
     for i write what i feel , not what i think
letting you take long, languorous sips
    as the fool struggles on the ever sinking ship
while trying to document the disaster
     What is it i'm after, what is it i have sought
for all my love, my heart my soul
    have paid a price too dearly bought
and the only thing i have wrought
    is to hate myself even more.
for always crashing in the surf 
     just within sight of shore...

It's in Your Eyes...

Truth comes through
     whether you think it shows or not;
the little quirks and smirks that Time forgot
     We share our souls in the brilliance of a genuine smile,
the memories that don't fade with passing miles
     Your open words ring true and can speak volumes,
may the Book of Your Life have many chapters still to go
     What you don't know, you may learn in time
if you listen to visions bright and dreams sublime
     You can hide behind a smile or wear you heart on your sleeve
but we can only become what we believe
     Back  around it comes to the word,  choice
the tugging at your arm, that naggin little voice
     caught between worlds of reality and fantasy
the razor's edge between clarity and insanity...

Friends and Acquaintances...

There is peace in the truth
     and, at times, pain as well
The lessons and what scars remain
     only persistence and time will tell
Opposites may attract but
     misery sometimes does love company as well
Hoping for self -absolution
     by sharing glimpses of my Hell
For it comes down to intent and what you meant
     not how it was taken
for relying on others to understand
     what you do not will leave your will shaken,
leaving you lying and crying in your bed
     feeling forlorn and forsaken
for reactions of friends to actions they don't understand
     making up their own conclusions
to questions they never bothered to asked
     i know but a few, at this moment, i believe i can trust
beginning to understand
     we should all be lucky to have as much...

Storm Crows...

Branches turn from white,
     to silver, to gleaming red;
candles of frozen colors
     changing as the sun's warmth
melts a little more of the top
     of the frozen landscape
lying sparkling ahead of me...

A white sky fallen to earth,
     twinkling and shrinking in the light,
hard as rock and slippery smooth
     caution cries out, "beware!"
with every hesitant move

Birds sipping water
     from icicles dripping in the glare
Squirrels sliding from tree to tree
     upended and pretending not to notice
or at least appear not to care
     Not even deer are quiet when they move
at least those that dare
     Tells me that i also should prepare
to hunker down and wait
     another storm approaches
and i would not want to be caught late...

The Storm Crows fly
     screaming at the sky
looking for morsels
     before the full force of the storm
forces them down
     Searching the ground
for whatever may be found
     what's left is what's good enough
for some it's all they've known...

Higher Education...

You can only give what you have
     or hear the request and laugh,
for what is yours to give
     is, indeed, what you need to live
The love you have gained,
     the love you have lost
The cost of a sad smile,
    water trickling through a sieve

You don't always teach what you know
     You may not believe it
but in the end the intention shows
     if you can learn by my faults and mistakes,
then take the lesson and grow
     but judge not lest i judge you
then no one learns, just tempers flare, smolder and burn;
     seeds on hard ground shall not be sown

No, we don't fall far from the tree,
      but neither do we all learn on papa's bouncing knee
Sometimes we grow alone, wild, naive and free
     from having been taught nothing
We learn from how we're treated
     not from what class in which we're seated
A lesson must be often repeated
    if at first you don't succeed...

Get With the Program...

Binary codes
     as simple as "yes" or "no"
A simple answer to a simple question
     will get you far if you know what to ask
What load too great, what task too small
     when one and two is all you need?
No need for confusion, just the need to believe
     sometimes it is as easy as one, two, then three
and yes, it's true, the truth will set you free
     if it frees you from yourself
so at last perhaps you'll believe
     the good within yourself
that others do, but you don't see
     when you're caught, hating your faults
and can't see the forest for the trees

Smiles with Empty Eyes...

The mist swirls, reminding me
     of things i can't see, things i can't fathom
when at the bottom of the chasm
     and daylight is miles above...

Frozen smiles and the guile,
     people who are friends for but a while
till you listen to what they don't say
     and go by their actions
This faction and that,
     sides changing at the drop of a hat,
how some people love to chat
     without ever saying anything real
just repeating what they've heard
      gossip loving myna birds
changing this fact and that 
     till the truth, if it was ever there, is blurred
and you realize they only heard what suited them
     Picking bits and pieces from the carcass
then shaking the heads in feigned sadness
     Little wonder i feel, not see, the blackness
when all the crooked smiles are the same
     so is it me that needs to change
or is it i have to rearrange my thinking?....

But is it all a Dream...

Saw the line between day and night
    as clear it was as the difference
between what's wrong and what is right
     Saw a robin hopping on the lawn
looking for a worm in the wet morning grass
     so it could sing its morning song
As the morning turning from black to blue
     heard squirrels rustling in the leaves
wondering what they would do
     As i pondered what i am and what i seem
could not help but wonder
     if this was all a dream
but then again if it truly was
     it could not be mine simply because
there are so many things about my life
     i would surely change
or turn around or rearrange
     and is it not strange how we all deal
with the imagined and the real
     that is in fact the difference we can tell
we choose our own heaven or our hell
     we decide the dream in which we spend
the sooner we wake the sooner it ends...

Light Mist, Light Heart...

Diamond studded spider web
    Swaying in the mist falling
so lightly as to not even be felt
    and seen only at certain angles
but a sheen lays upon everything,
     from the leaves on the trees
to the tall grass at my knees
     as the gently blowing breeze
softly caresses my face
     but not a trace of wetness on me
wondering how that can be
     as i see the water everywhere
but i remain dry from my bare feet
     to my unkempt hair
a miracle of science or of nature
     or just lucky that i be a "watcher",
a listener, a feeling human being
     that such little things start me thinking,
send my senses reeling
     what other wonders is the Earth concealing
just around the bend?

Wet Wish...

No longer elated;
     waterlogged and inundated
Too many showers on consecutive days
     when it is well past April
and now we have the wet flowers of May
     Too many grey days have come my way,
the water from the sky matches that in my eyes,
     misted though i insisted, begged and prayed
The mist conceals, the fog seemingly congeals,
    making a dank curtain too sodden to reveal
the beauty that lies waiting to dry out,
    the squirrels that sit wanting to cry out,
the birds perched wishing to fly out
     of the leaves that drip all day
Like the song from my childhood i sing and pray,
    "Rain, rain go away, come again another day"...

It's Only Water...

The air turns grey and brown
     as the wind swirls the dust around
in devils whirling without a sound
     picking up speed, lifting sand from the ground

The breeze smells of moisture
     as the birds start to land and cluster
among the branches and shake the dust from
    their tired wings of varied colors
Only the crow defies the wind
    calling, cawing again and again

in lazy circles that seemingly have no end,
    waiting only for the rain before they land,
before they find their way home
     People scurry with their eyes on the sky,
in a hurry to head home while still dry
    it brings laughter to my eyes
for we are not made of sugar...

Rains Unchanging, the Eternal Cycle...

Trickles of rain
     racing down the windowpane
strange how a little water
     changes the perspective
like water through a sieve,
     the clouds take and give
but nothing on this earth would live
     without this eternal cycle
Remarkable and unstoppable, the give then take,
     when full, the clouds will break
and all thirst shall be slaked...
One can go forty days without food or so the story goes
    but a scant three days
is all it would take to return you to the Earth
     then the ninety percent of you would begin to dry
evaporate like a dream, rising in the sky
     perhaps that why it is they say He rose on the third day
dust seeking water to turn into clay
     perhaps that is how we are reborn after we die
in the rain that falls and the tears cried...

How Long...

I go to sleep hoping i don't wake
     given all of what little i have and can
but this life is more than can take
     just once, dear god, i 'd  like to get a break
instead of lying like a broken toy
     What joy lurks, where does it wait
look in the mirror, hating what i see
    the fool who learned not in school
with feet of clay and fears that won't go away
    people listen but don't hear what i say
if you could only walk in my shoes for a day
     i cry, i rant, to whatever god will listen i  pray
hoping for something good to come my way
     and when it does don't let me ruin it
but it always seems that way...

Wish Upon the Light...

A new day, 
     let me find a new way
take the light from without
     and warm my soul from within
for fear chills and doubt kills hope
     when it seems you're at the end of your rope
A new sun, i pray today is the one
     that will let me see what's been blinding me
stopping me from believing
     give myself what i'm needing
stop the bleeding of my soul
     which has always been at my control
but steering in the wrong direction
     I stand corrected, today i am expectant
let it last, let me hold fast
     to what i know to be true...

Because...

Because the moon shines
    i look up to see it
Because the sun shines warm
    i hold my arms out to feel it
Because the Earth spins
     at times i feel dizzy
Because i am human
     i wonder if anyone will miss me
Because i feel
     sometimes i cry
Because i think
     i sometimes wonder why
Because i'm kind
     i let insults slide
Because i get mad at others
    i wonder if i have too much pride
Because i live i am all of this
     Because i know i'll die
i long for that one magic kiss
     Because i wonder
i write it on the page
     because so many don't
sometimes i'm filled with rage
     Because i'm me and not you
little wonder we are all confused...

Cyber Kindness (Electronic Hug)...

Small  kindnesses make me cry
     to know the milk of human kindness
truly has not run dry
     Though sometimes i feel it's congealed,
all it takes is a kind word and an open heart
     to know there are people still real enough
to sense when your road is too rough
     and extend arms in an embrace from miles away
Today, i woman i have never met
     reminded me, there is yet hope
today, i strive, not sit and mope
     despite my many faults
and all the mistakes i have made
     i see my i still have a chance to change
to turn this moth into a butterfly
     for the sun still shines and the sky is wide...

A Fleeting Moment...

It only takes a moment
     to become lost within a moment
that Eternity can never erase
      A fleeting glimpse of serenity
as simple as someone bringing a smile to me
     a laugh so sudden and so free
another look how things might be...
     It only takes a second
for one to wonder where the moment went
     a second chance,
 a sidelong glance and the moments past
     for as we know the seconds pass
never again to return
     but happy memories last forever
and man will always yearn
     to find the hidden fountain,
to climb the highest mountain,
    to have his treasure lie uncounted
but content in knowing that it's there...

Beneath the Waves...

The river winds
     or does it unravel?
Like a leaf floating along the river's edge,
     a lovely way to travel
You can almost hear the glistening,
     listening to the water's echo
Is it a fog or mist
     rising from the shadows?

The trail is long
     but it's a wonder
ever changing, ever new,
     some it tears asunder
Fragile beauty can be frightening,
     tranquil times enlightening
the wolf's coat, the eagle's wings,
     the coyote's howl...

The seas are wide,
      some say there's no bottom
Lost among the waves,
     Atlantis hidden in the fathoms
From here i've heard man rose
     rising from the foam
and he's been lost ever since,
     searching for his home...

Just a Little Squirrely...

Watching squirrels hurl themselves from tree to tree,
     timing the breeze that makes the branches sway
as their weight tips them closer for a moment,
     jumping on the nadir of the downswing
It cannot help but bring a smile to my face,
     as it seems so perfectly in place
and simple moment never to be erased,
     the simple pleasures for this simple man...

That is truly all i am, not one to connive or plan
     just trying to enjoy being alive when and as i can
between discouragement at my own faults
     that at times i can barely stand...

Always to return to the woods, the calm of Nature
     that i have somehow always understood
Lost within civilization, but Natty Bumpo on the trail
     confused by rotaries on the road
but along wood and water i can never fail
     to find what i seek, to gain strength when i feel weak...

Perhaps, one day, the meek will inherit the Earth
     for they are the only ones who merit it
Meek of soul, meek of heart, meek in manner,
     those without daily planners,
those who always long, take a moment
     to get lost in sights or song,
the ones who see our World is wrong
     and seek a return to the Earth...

A lone squirrel with torn tail,
     ripped and tattered back
eating the breadcrumbs i have left
     having survived some predator's attack
With piece of crust in his paws
     he raises his head and , i swear, lets out a guffaw
Yes, any day above ground is a good day...

Miramur, Maxima de Nihilil Nasciture Historia... ( I Marvel, from Nothing is Born a Mighty Tale )

Squirrel pups ran up to my porch
     skittering, chittering, rolling, gamboling
and extolling the wondrous day
     "The crocuses spoke to us
and told us winter no longer holds us!
     The snow will no more enfold us
and each day will be warmer than the one past"
    And i had to laugh at being freed from the icy grasp
Let yesterday be the last gasp of cold we feel
   Can it be real, has another year come full circle?
Herculean has been the winter, records shattered
     along with mighty trees reduced to splinters
Time for all creatures, great and small
     to crawl out from the burrows they went into
The same can be said for you and me
     as we stretch our limbs and stand blinking
at the wondrous light of Spring;
   once more to revel in the simple things
and the simple joys they bring...

Of Thee I Sing...

Red, white and blue morning rose
in colors bright and streaming,
to pale as the sun climbed higher
like our faded, jaded, oft paraded Old Glory
We are living in twilight's last gleaming;
the glory that was once, the horrors now upon us
Is this still the home of the brave and just
or just more lies my teacher told me?
Take a good look around,
see which way the wind is blowing,
put your ear to the ground
hear the rumbling as we stumble,
look for the justice if it can still be found
as the money men smile, content in the knowing
that only the money keeps flowing
through us, not to us and of little use
for of what use is coin of the realm
when it will not purchase the Truth?

Howling Wind...

The wind blows, but does it know
     what it is rushing past?
At times it howls, causing scowls
     upon those standing before the mast
I've heard it scream, with ears keen,
     to listen to any words
but with the ringing in my ears
     at times it's hard to hear;
sentences run together too fast
     and words become blurred...

Trees bending against their will,
     the proud ones will break,
for there is only so much
     even the mighty oak can take
but see the willows by the lake
     weeping, but surviving another day...

Whose shoulders don't slump,
     whose head doesn't sag
as comes to us all one time or another
     in this game of cosmic tag?
Some of us are just a little confused by the rules
     and where's the ball, that is all
so easy to play, so hard to stay away
     not all the games we play
are meant for children...

The wind rushes,
     not stopping to brush,
it sweeps away the remains of yesterday...

Fog Lake...

A blue fog covers the valley below me
     cold winter lake risen from the river's warmth
moving too quickly to freeze, over silver-sheened rocks in the shallows
     with frozen platforms among the eddies
where layer upon layer is rising in the moonlight
     and melting with the sunlight in diamond droplets
from sky blue sheets of compacted snow
     etched by the river's flow...

A mantle of clouds surrounds the horizon,
     a billowing shawl that doesn't warm at all
as the temperature continues to fall
     settling on the porch and at my feet

As the sun's warmth dissipates the translucence
     the distant shoreline recreates itself,
with new contours appearing as the foggy tide recedes,
     slowly, eventually revealing the highway
that by the winding river speeds
     It is then i take a step lower on the porch steps,
for there are some things i don't wish to see...

Trees, with limbs outstretched in the air
     as if about to kneel in prayer
to glorify the vision seen
     and asking the meaning of this dream
Once again i stand and stare
     caught within a moment, lost
and not caring where...

Mentior? ( Do I Lie? )...

Crumpled parchment moon
      held up by gossamer strings
surrounded by incandescent clouds
     reminding me of cherubim wings
Wake me, shake me, take me there
     above and beyond worries and cares,
shadows of doubt and sad-eyed stares
    to somewhere where i might belong
For i have never been that strong
    it seems, rarely right and more likely wrong
in my insane struggle to get along
    i fight with my hands tied to false pride
and anger at the misconceptions,
   sleight of hands and misdirections
so hard i find to make a connection
   when i don't even understand myself
Possessing a wealth of useless knowledge
   i taught myself and failed out of my own college
do more harm than good, more cowardice than courage
     the scourge of my own existence
my laments pile high with renewed persistence
    it is only at your insistence i rouse to give you another glimpse
It may sound funny but, please, don't feed the monkey....

Et in Nubus Unde Perennis Aqua ( When the Clouds Draw their Unfailing Water )...

A sudden, but not unexpected shower

     splattering and scattering the drifts

of winter's sand, silt and powder;

     exploding like wet fireworks,
 leaving moist asterisks,

exclamation points on the ground,

     making soft drumming sounds

to those that may be listening,

    amid the dry spots that can be found

until all is wet and glistening

     As the landscapers hurry to keep dry,

they keep an eye upon the sky

    scowls on their faces
 and resignation in their eyes

as they have little choice
and less voice to utter their complaints

    as the water paints them grey and grim

They, like us, are creatures of Nature's whim;

    you can fight it or you can run

but whether you're safe
and dry within or out amid it

    the weather will have its way and its say...

Sum Sine Cogito ( I am Without Thought )...

Fog cloaked morning,
     rain soaked day dawning,
Words come without warning,
     unasked and unexpected
Untested and untried
     they step boldly, not wanting to hide
i wouldn't call it pride; they are what this is
     No need to explain, that would be redundant
rarely if ever changed, for there's always more
     in that i am more than abundant
In the few moments spent i am content
     to let the words flow as they will
Little thought, like a angler by the stream
    feel a tug, see what i've caught
as i almost dozed in this waking dream
    for me it is as simple as it seems
Without pretense there is no fence
     and limits are never seen;
just words in which others find the sense...

Non Datur ad Musas Currere Lata Via ( Narrow is the path that leads to the Muses )...

Listening to, but not watching the rain
     as it drums its changing, window pane washing beat
against and upon the empty air conditioner cover
     discovered hovering back and to the left,
back and to the left...back and to the left...
     above but not directly, deftly stepping just to the side
the wind becomes a swirling tide
     far too easy into blinding tempest,
i fear so soon it may become...

Ponce de Leon and Columbus shared a ship
     with related but different wishes
One was searching for the Garden of Eden,
     the other for the ever youthful sip
We all want to be the one to roll away the stone
     for without proof we're left with faith
and that path is narrow, the road is long...

Let's see who rises on the third day
     what surprises, what miracles might it bring?
The first, the last, the oldest rabbit-hole
     the test of faith, an offering
a pledge of allegiance, a show
   when giving your word still meant something

Any Given Day...

Fog formed shadows lurk behind the trees,
     bare footsteps again, staff in hand,
pants soaked starting down from my knees
    where coat ends and the water it sends
wets the cotton from top and not the bottom
     though my feet were wet from the first step
off concrete and on to grass...
    
Down the path cut during construction,
     little signs left of the swatch of destruction
they laid across woods small patch here
     to build rows of identical townhouses there
Forgotten concrete catch basins, filling and drying,
     massive pipes of ponderous weight
rolled down this slope to where they're now lying
    Huge mats of linked rubber meant to keep ground covered
when explosions rolled like thunder
     as they tore homes from the rock
atop a windy hill they picked and gouged
     hootin' and howlin' till they had cleared a way...

Off trail, from  mud soaked track
     where rushing water cleared the path,
taking leaves, leaving mud
     A wet vacuum of a sort
dried by the wind's laugh
     Now wet leaves wash my feet,
as fog rises i feel its heat...

Natura in Minima Maxima (Nature is Greatest in the Smallest Thing)...

The edge of Woods,

     drawn like a green curtain,

the only thing certain

     is behind it is full of life

As Light emblazons the leaves

     in thousand shades of green

made different each moment,

     or so it seems to me,

again, i cannot help but Wonder

    at it and ponder about it...

 

It's these thoughts that won't quit or stay still

    with my trembling hands on the window sill

i lose my way within this moment,

    not hear cars i know are going and coming,

to listen to the Grouse i hear drumming

   imagining the fallen log it sits upon...

 

Come and share this little Peace,

     little else pleases me as much as this:

a tiny patch of verdant Heaven

    you'd be sure to miss

when you're not looking for it at all....

Ocean's Kiss, the Sea's Gift...

As the Sea rolls to the shore

smell the salt, feel it it every pore

My hair and skin turns to sand,

my feet start to burrow where i stand

as the salt water returns to the Ocean once more;

dancing, prancing,

foaming seahorses go on uncharted courses

cleansing them, then covering my toes as they go...

 

I feel as if the Waves are mine to command

in a senses of onesness impossible to describe,

but simple to understand

as i bid them welcome home,

knowing they will stay but a moment

to begin the eternal circle again

as Circe appears floating in an instant,

Seagulls swoop and dive in the distance,

gathering meals and squawking persistently,

laughing like sailors made mad by the Sun...

 

A shell lies uncovered for but a moment,

how many times discovered and unlike any other

shaped by the current, the sand and Time?

This Time it is brought home,

this one is mine...

 

Dic Mihi De Nostras, Quae Sentis? ( Tell Me, Truly What do You Think?)...

Colors sparkle and shine
     shades of green intertwining
a verdant canopy stands before me
    beckoning with every flutter of the
My knees feel weak, my mouth goes dry,
    it is hard for me to speak
as the scene from a long lost dream
     becomes today's reality
There are those who this don't see
     but then their thoughts are lost on me
as i go dreaming in the gleaming of the green
    Perhaps it is i shouldn't, if only that i could
but i can't help the heart that skips a beat
    when i gaze into the woods
It calls to me with every rustle of the trees
    while the everyday hustle and grind
only brings pain and sadness to my mind
   A creature of earth, a handful is all i'm worth
but i can't help but feel that is all we deserve...
   

Not So Different After All...

When the air is fresh
     my soul and the earth mesh
it is anybody's guess
     where the two will take me
Shake me, wake me now
     someone show me how
all the leaves that grow
   eventually fall without breaking
Time will tell if this spell will last
   time to break this fast
for my thirst needs slaking

When the sun is bright
     wish i were a kite
when the wind is right
     i could soar forever
but my feet stay rooted
     though they are unbooted
and the truth is man was never meant to fly
   But my spirit soars
and i ever seek more,
     more than what i am
a solitary, lonely man
    since i can remember
For no one sees my pain
    they only read my words
and i can't help but wonder
     just what it is you heard
if you decide to take a second look

 Crying in the wilderness 
     of concrete it is anybody's guess,
the echo that you hear
    between the asphalt and tears
The steam vents billow ever on
   while below the city, in the tunnels
families huddle closer to keep warm
    in their Stygian dank homes
Realize they're not alone
    others just don't recognize their surroundings
because we all are truly floundering
    searching to belong...

Windborne Thoughts...

What color is the wind,
     where does it start
and where does it end?
     Does it have a place in mind
when its journey begins
     or is it always in transit?
When we don't feel it
     is it just somewhere else;
spinning and reeling,
     just enjoying itself
waiting to sneak upon you
    over the next hill
bringing southern warmth
    or the northern chill?
Does it have a mind of its own
     or is it just like us,
just blown away?...

The City and the Sage ( A Fable )

Once upon a time in ancient Rome, there lived a wise old sage who gave counsel to all those who wished his advice.  His wit was sharp and, as his advice was prudent and well thought, his fame grew throughout the empire and many flocked to the stall he had set up in the agora.
     As time passed the sage's fame grew tenfold. He wrote books appeared on the Davidus LettterManus show and was greatly sought by other cities to be their Sage in Residence.  He was kind of a Annais Landeraus, without the bouffant.  One day Cairo offered him substantial skekels to be their sage.  The offer was more than generous and who could resist all that beach front property?  Bidding his fond farewells, he packed his camel, left for Cairo and  was seen no more by the good people of Rome.  Rumour has it he made an asp of himself in front of Cleopatra and found permanent residence in dirt city. 
     Meanwhile, back at the forum...  The city muckety-mucks decided that they needed a new sage.  the Chamber of Commerce ( headed by the popular Barracus Obamawicz ) stated tourist dollars had decreased significantly since the sage's departure.  Research indicated another worthy sage would increase revenue, decrease taxes and improve the general welfare ( except for those sent to the Coliseum as "entertainment" ).  Runners were dispatched throughout the known world - some say even as far as New Jerseyius - to seek a new purveyor of wisdom.
     A most learned man was chosen and the muckety-mucks believed they had gained in the bargain as the new sage was considered quite young, as far as sages go, and his contract kept him exclusive to Rome, with "guest appearances" only through Chamber of Commerce approval.  He soon set up his stall in the agora in the departed ( in both senses of the word) sage's spot, complete with "Under New Management" banner and flyers handed out offering two for one deals and gift advice coupons. 
     But the people grew vexed... They weren't forum, they were against him.  "Not witty enough", said some.  "Too young", said others..  So, this being ancient Rome, they conspired to have him torn to pieces.  They planned to invite him to the latest spectacle at the Coliseum, "Royal Rumble IV - Back to B.C.", hosted by Vinci McManopolous, that Ides of March and arrange and "accident" during the prerequisite tiger mauling act. 
     The young Sage got wind of the plot ( he was a Sage, after all ) and confronted the conspirators.  He told them it was his lot in life to give counsel, not to be a stand-up theologian like Sheckyus Greenus.  Besides, he told them his had been trained in Kung Fu while traveling through China by Shaolin priests and was more than a match for any and all of them. 
     The crowd surged forward, overwhelmed him and tore him to pieces, this being ancient Rome and not some Jackaraius Chanopulous play.  Hos replacement, Conainus NoBrainus, kept the populace in stitches but, as we know now, it lead to the downfall of the Roman Empire through his not so sagely advice to those in power. 
    Moral: It is fine to be taught and entertained at the same time, but given a choice it's best to learn...