Adam's Apples...

The apples from the tree of my love,
the best parts of me
all rolled into one
Call them my daughter and my son
but i think they belong to everyone
who knows me and loves me,
they are leagues above me
The wonder of the world is in their eyes,
truth is in their words
without guile or lies
They are my gift to the world
and a constant surprise
at just how wonderful they are
and whatever they become
i will always be there
to give them all my love,
to know that papa always cares
Their joys and sorrows i will gladly share
for my children are my world...
                03-03-10

Fruit of the Garden...

The heart knows what the mind doesn't,
as the soul nods in agreement
Love is pure, there is no cure
but it dies alone on the vine
One must tend this garden
if it is to bear fruit,
your light must shine
for there lies the proof
that love grows even in adversity
Love is pulling yourself close to me
on the days when i'm too blind to see
that, truly, love will find away,
if not today, then tomorrow
Love outlasts death,
love eases sorrow
If you must, then beg and borrow
to keep your love alive...
          03-03-10

At My Desk...

Near midnight,
by flickering candle light,
i swear, by flickering candle light
i sit there, illuminated by the keyboard
that i don't need to see
but the shadows that play
make Groucho's face dance and sway
as he rolls up his eyes in that, oh, so familiar way
Quasimodo has a shade tree, at least;
a corn plant
while he's tied to the wheel
in his torn green shirt
and his bright orange pants
The Crow and Hellboy stand together as one
underneath Red Hawk feathers a Coyote gave me
Spock raises his hand
"Live Long and Prosper"
Gandalf, Aragorn, and Bilbo
battle Orcs, Urukai, Goblins and Shelob
Yoda and the Emperor
Locked forever in combat
Daredevil stares blindlly
with nunchakas well in hand
and that is just before me
there is still behind me, friends
this is desk, home and computer
little wonder the fun never ends...
             03-04-10

Stitch in Time...

Patching an old pair of jeans...
just how many times
have i replayed this scene?
There is a calm that descends,
like the needle and the thread
as it rises and falls
in the rhythm
somehow known to us all
it's like i've answered a call
to banked memories;
of hunting on the run,
of traveling with the sun
in Long Ago now remembered
when you could trust
just about anyone
and those you couldn't
you could spot from a mile away
Not like today when we make ourselves illusions
decide our own reality
because we feel lost in the confusion
of money men and big top dreamers,
just plain thieves and the consummate schemers
geo-political machinations and ivory towers
all at the press of a button...
as you mutter to yourself,
under your breath,
"wow, so much i don't know..."
instead of
"gee, so much i still have to learn..."
            03-05-10

Rays of Light...

Before first light turns to morning,
after the stretching and the yawning,
when the day's first cup of tea
sits steaming by my hand...
something slips in almost unnoticed,
certainly unannounced,
on little kitten's feet
moving soundlessly about
This feline is quite friendly,
but always ready to pounce
at the hint of a smile,
at the turn of a phrase
at the shadow of a doubt
as words that send me reeling,
lose myself within their meaning
but it is you, my friends,
who explain my words to me
for i can't see my forest for the trees
planting seeds, these many years,
just to see if the words had roots
perhaps, here lies the proof...
and hidden deep within it all
one small universal truth...
            03-06-10

The Face of Friendship...

In words whispered,
in thoughts spoken out loud,
in opinions given
and advice offered,
there lies a bond of friendship
For to whom but a friend
can you speak to without fear of judgement,
who will take you as you are, flaws and all,
and still offer arms in embrace?
Who but a friend can you trust
with your fears and aspirations,
your depths of defeat
your heights of creation?
A friend will always be there
when you turn to look
with a knowing smile, a twinkle in the eyes
and a face like an open book...
                03-28-12

What's to Explain?...

By first light of day,
by Dawn's Early Light
take in the wonder and the glory
and, if words be birds,
see if the fledglings might take flight
into heights i could not have imagined
into places i've never been,
cloaked in mystery and illusion
sometimes wonder if i still dream
and the waking might disturb the message
which at times i don't understand
claim no answers, only questions
and i come with open hands
and open mind
and last, but not least, my open heart
for this is where the journey begins
a plaintive, hopeful sigh
and only good intentions on my part...
                 03-07-10

Just Another Morning...

Moon above me, to my right
holding on to the last corner of night
as the Sun rises before me
raising the line of sight with all its might,
lifting the mantle of darkness
to chase the Moon away
This is the eternal battle
that's fought every day...
i have watched it for centuries, it seems
rising each morning in time to catch this scene
so many dawns have come and gone
so many i have seen
and each one different, as the colors play
as with you and i, different
but in a similar way
Will the Moon win one day at last
wiill the mighty sun have it's last gasp?
not in my lifetime, my friend
and i, too, have always been here
watching the sun rise and the the moon disappear,
year after year...
        03-08-10

The Dying Light...

Love does not die,
that you must kill
it takes great stupidity
or an enormous strenght of will
to decide you no longer love
What breaks, beside the heart,
is the determination to make things right,
for to keep love you must give love
all day and far into the night
You must love the other as yourself,
you must always reach for that someone else
and think about their needs above your own
or your life will be empty
and you will live your life alone
Not lonely, for there is always someone
willing to share your bed,
but someone to share your life
is far better instead...
            03-09-10

Westchester...

Voices from the past,
echoes that last
resounding in the hall of Memory
When "Can't You See" was new
and we wore shirts of every hue
oh, how fondly i remember
each and every one of you
for there began this journey
that has taken me to here
there i sang my first song
and together we shed tears
we all stood together
against all the ignorance and fear
it is so hard to believe
it has been so many years
when it seems like yesterday
we were laughing in the sun
i have not forgotten,
not one bit,
and i love you
each and every one...
           03-10-10

The Watcher in the Woods...

The leaves as they crinkle beneath my feet,
let my smile add another wrinkle
for this is a taste almost too sweet
as i walk a path made not by man...
These are the moments
i have to come to understand,
Not the blare of horns
or the squeal of brakes,
not the smell of garbage
in the shadows of man's sorry state
i live for this and cannot wait
to walk alone in the woods
To feel the sun against my face,
the wind in my hair,
the open space
the feral memories
have not been erased
from this primitive
and if i could live in a secluded wood
with clear, clean running water
you know i would
it would do my son and daughter
a world of good
to live the simple life
This is all i would need,
my children and my wife
and leave civilization
and it's discontents
far, far behind
for i tire of the same old story
the struggle for money,
fools seeking glory
Lord knows i find it all rather boring
but i could watch a squirrel play
... all morning...
         03-10-10

It is What it is...

When the words come
i let them run
They want to flow
so i let them go
and how they wander,
leaving me to wonder
if they are any part of me at all
Take no credit, nor any blame...
no longer feel guilty,
there is no more shame
Words jump and frolic,
to them it's a game
that's over in a moment,
like a sudden burst of rain
leaving me panting and gasping for air
but that's not a bad a thing
so with you, friends, i share...
              03-11-10

Don't Ya Think?...

Images can haunt,
memories are haunting
Ghosts roam the world at dawn,
Skeletons rattle in closets
Grey dawn's rising,
no glow on the horizon
the shadows have a moment more
they can dance and sway
as trees whisper and softly say
the prayers they've said every day
since the Dawn of Man...
Pleas lost upon the breeze
as thorn bushes scratch the trunks of trees
a little massage, if you please
to keep them from crying out
at the damage Man has done
ever since this Earth was young...
Man creates his world,
each and every one of us
always has a choice
and a voice we should use
when finally we choose
to speak out against the madness
and for the simple, basic truths...
              03-12-10

Late For Work...

Dawn came grey and wet,
the mantle of her robe
dragging across the sky
leaving all soaked in her wake
as the droplets fell as rain
to us mortals far below
Did she rise late this morning,
with a sudden start
fearing to be late for work
for the first time in all the long millennia?
Did she run from her bath,
slipping and sliding,
as her handmaidens rushed to cover her
and protect her modesty?
Did Apollo snicker and did Pan laugh
hoping to see the morning late at last,
While the Sun's chariot lies put away
In the grand stables in the clouds?
Who wakes the morning?...
                03-13-10

Rain Song...

Thought last night's rain
would wash away the night
but morning washed up at first light,
clouded and dim,
shivering from the cold
but here once again as always
Thought last night's music
would never fade away
and it hasn't
Wake to find it
still resounding in my memory;
echoes of laughter
and knowing smiles,
enjoying the union of souls
in the magic of the moment
that will not ever be erased...
              03-14-10

The Muse's Shadow...

Where did you go?
You were here a moment ago,
and then gone...
leaving me to wonder
where i went wrong
or if i don't belong in your world
Speaking one's mind
is not always kind,
though the truth may set you free
sometimes it makes you see
things you don't wish to believe
and wonder if you spoke foolishly
For me, it is the not knowing
for i can think of a thousand different reasons,
none of them pleasing to my mind's eye
for the dreamer who ever asks why
is never satisfied with his own conclusions...
                03-14-10

Holy Relic...

Make the sign of the Cross
and hope the gains
outweigh your loss
as you struggle to find yourself
in the suit and tie crowd of Christianity
Did they ever see me at all...?
it was there i became the Ghost,
wandering the halls,
wondering if someone would take note
of the empty desk by the window
and ask who sits there
Did they care at all...?
for no one heard my footfalls
as i prayed to a God i did not believe
to show me one sign He cared
and how i dared him to strike,
as if the lightning just might rouse me
but the carousing and careening
with all my senses reeling
became a part of what i was feeling
and the surplus electricity that emanates from me
became poem and song
so in the end, the wrong made right
and though it has been a long struggle
and ever the search for the light
have come to believe that maybe
it was the only way for me
to have made it this far...
               03-14-12

The Longing...

Every time is like the first;
the hunger from within,
the neverending thirst...
not for knowledge but for peace,
that the turnoil within may cease,
that the longing unrequited
may at long last be quieted
when it seems tranquility for me
is as far as a Sea on the Moon
and not how soon but how long
must the Minstrel sing this song
in a voice, quavering, yet strong
with the feelings he releases?
For what else is there to do
but what is best for you
though others may see
someone so differently,
what they believe they find you to be
because of words
to which they give their own meaning...
            03-14-10

Cosmic Question (The Five Ws)

What doesn't always matter,
eyes can squint for a better view
If is only important before the fact
for that is the moment to choose
When is always a factor,
for the moment is always now
Why is just a distraction,
when what matters in the end is how
Who is the most important,
for that is someone,
a soul, just like yours
Again, How comes to play with emotions;
we all cause our ripples in the Force
and it comes back again to the choices
we make and we take and we break,
how we handle our bid 'ness,
learning to live with our mistakes
And Where does it comes from
is always the Mystery,
gazing at works of Art
or pondering History
What have we learned,
have we come all that far;
forgetting our brothers
as we reach for the stars?...
           03-17-10

Token of Friendship...

It truly is the little things in life
that bring the smile back to your face
the silly, willy nilly things
that Time can not erase
for now matter how you fret
no matter how much you may pace
sometimes all it takes is another's thought
for your mind to stop and think.
to go back to chase the dream
when just a moment ago it seemed
that you were battered and broken
a kind word, a gentle touch;
all we need is a token
of friendship not forgotten,
to know we are not misbegotten
give me your tired, your lonely, your downtrodden
i want to see them smile...
            03-15-10

Island of Dr. Moreau...

The difference between need and want,
the difference between can and can't
the difference between what you say
and what you mean and the thousand shades
that lie in between black and white.
The difference between wrong and right,
the difference betwen fight and flight
is not always a thought,
it is often a feeling
of something you already believe
for we all truly know
what we need to survive,
what we need to be more than just alive
and ,despite what the powers that be may contrive,
we are not just bees in a collective hive
Are we not men?...
         03-16-10

Demographics...

Bureacracy will be the death of Democracy,
for when one hand knows not
what the other is doing
eventually both hands go up
in a gesture of futility
at the stupidity of the system
that drowns many a soul...
Lost in the interminable Black Hole
of paperwork and policy
that was not made for you or me
but added on as an amendment
by a gentleman's agreement
to some bill on government subsidy
Ain't if a laugh, this Land of the Free?
free to question but receive no answers
free to do as we please,
within the certain parameters
but don't cross that line
and ,please, take a number
one day we dig you out
from the collapse we're all under
but don't hold your breath
the mountains will sooner fall asunder
as we look at yet another Administration
and marvel at yet again the same blunders...
                        03-18-10

Electrical Impulses...

Gone in a puff of smoke...
not so odd,
considering we never even spoke,
just lines on the screen...
Ain't this Cyber life obscene
when you can be whatever you dream
and choose what side of you
you wish to be seen?
Am i such a fool, to not play by these rules
to always be the me you see
and not some inflated self?
Never been one to parade myself;
all i wanted was to learn more,
to open other doors,
to see what lies in store
beyond the facade
It is sometimes a hollow victory,
to realilze that you did see
the truth at first
but this is my thirst that never dies
and i shall go on asking why
but who will answer my quetions honestly?
                  03-19-10

King of the Wild Frontier...

Farewell, Dan'l
Mingo says goodye...
Know you wouldn't have wanted this
but i have to sit and cry
You gave me the mountains
and the woods,
clear running streams
and air that was fresh and good
You were the father that always understood
and smiled after the lesson learned
You lead but you did not command
you took us all gently in those massive hands
and as Davey Crockett, you made that final stand
to die for what you believed in
Goodbye, Fess, i must confess
that i have loved you above all the rest
that you are a part of my life
my friends don't have to guess
To have know you
i truly do feel blessed
You changed so many lives
i will keep your flame alive
i can say with pride
that i still love you, Daniel Boone...
               03-19-10

Knowing Smile...

A voice from the past,
it's the tender memories that last
stand firm and stand fast
for this ride has just begun
Remembering when we were young
and wouldn't listen to anyone
and all the songs that were sung
by the light of the moon?
All too soon it was gone
as i wondered what went wrong
and how i got along all these years
without the friends i held so dear
All the buckets of tears
and the bitter pills swallowed,
trials and tribulations
and victories hollow
make me wonder if what followed
was meant to be,
what i needed to become free
of the baggage that i bore for too long
for what escaped in poem and song
is what i have to share
for what we all look for is as simple
as someone who cares...
           03-20-10

What Do You Remember?..

Times that were,
that went by in such a blur...
knowledge is a gradual process;
hints and allegations
and whatever else one may infer
That i remember at all
is something of a miracle
but isn't if funny how it all comes round?
My life is truly circular
and i'm coming round for one more revolution,
not having drawn any conclusions
but with a deeper sense of self
Finding i may have some wealth to share
and thoughts to spare
Wondering where the next stop is,
for there is nothing more than this,
a shared laugh and fond remembrances
of souls caught in the same quaqmire
of laughing while the house caught fire
and dancing in glow
but even the worst of times can inspire
if you have the heart to inquire
what, if anything, it may mean...
              03-22-10

Spooky Girl...

The Gypsy in my soul
who wandered into my life
when i needed it most
when i was full of anger and distrust
and a soft voice and a gentle touch
saved me for a while...
Remembering the crooked smile,
the laugh like rain upon a roof
no hidden agendas
just simple truths we told each other
and as the years took their toll
and i tried to gain some control
somehow even in the blackest hole
a fond memory drew me back
and of all the things i lack
and all that i can never have back
somehow this train is back on track
because now it is my turn to do the same
and there is not shame in this
there is no game in this
and certainly no one to blame
in case you missed
the point i'm trying to make...
            03-22-10

Book of Revelation...

I am the tiny voice inside your head
reminding you the kindess works,
that man does not live by bread alone,
that a house is not a home
i am the thought you don't express
bringing to light what i think is best
for you and for me
Can't you see that it's as simple
as the truth will set you free;
that posturing and posing
gossiping and nosing
will only lead to sorrow
if not today, then tommorow?
I am the tears that you don't shed
for fear what others may say
i am the ocean of emotions
that have washed upon your shore
and come knocking at your door
always wondering
"there must be more than this"
because, just because...
          03-23-10

241 (Two Forty-First) Street...

I remember your basement
and the buckets of rain,
the garden at the edge the Bronx
and the sound of the passing trains
the smell of the pizza
and the yells from the boys
as we darted between the cars
amid the clamor and the noise
See your crooked, nervous smile,
your eyes darting everywhere
how you always used to say,
"because it's so damn rude to stare"
You were the first to call me cousin
a word i have kept with me all these years
i'll not soon lose it either
nor will it be washed away by today's tears
For now the words from years ago
tell me what we both knew
when we were young
Farewell, old friend
till we meet again
there's one more song yet to be sung...
              03-25-10

And Then it Rains...

i've been here before,
will you be here again,
will we have times
like way back when?
Can you catch a dream
before it floats away?
Smoke rings in the sky
turn into clouds...
and then it rains

i've seen you before,
will you see me today
might you come down
and might we play?
Can you catch a note
before it floats away
upward through the sky
to pierce a cloud?...
and then it rains

Rain is sometimes happy,
other times it is not
Rain, it sometimes traps you
where it's hot, where it's hot

i've heard that before...
would you say it's so,
would you admit if you don't know?
Have you heard a cry
before it's died away?
Water from your eyes
travels the skies...
and then it rains
and then it rains
and   then it rains
and then it rains...

1981   

Yes, Virginia...

Turn on a dime,
snap to attention;
these are the things
your mother did not mention...
and while the facts and figures
may be in disupute
and under contention,
it is worthy of your time,
or at least some sort of convention
of minds like and otherwise,
of sparkling, sharp eyes,
of longings and yearnings
and kings in disguise
Of maidens and playthings
and damsels in distress,
of ogres and hobgoblins
and other monsters
and evils you could not guess
but, also, knights and their honor
and wizards and elves
and unicorns and rainbows...
It is as easy as decide for yourself
which story you follow
(i am told only seven)
i holding mine fast under my arm
and runnnig all the way
to my own happy ending...
           03-30-10

Vertigo...

i know now;
the world spins,
no further proof required,
for i am dizzy beyond belief...
Is it the heights from which i've peered
or the depths i have peered out from?
The changes as swift as to make my ears pop
and me drop down to my knees wondering,
what is the use in these,
my heart, my soul,
when i really have so little control
on the very things that define me?
Look behind me and you'll see a trail of tears;
a diaphanous veil, a thin veneer
behind which hides
or is it lurks?...
i can be play the hero
or be the villian,
feel as though both could work
all too easily...
      04-01-10

Talking in Tongues...

Dew drops on a spider's web;
somehow so apropos...
even it times of anguish and despair
it startles me,
where my mind will go
to find solace and respite,
to find the strength not to quit,
(not this time)
to take a moment in rhyme
and make it mine
and hope someone else can define it
For i am as a blind seer
an idiot savant, if you will
all who come near may be fascinated
but at the same time intimidated
and maybe just a little frightened
by the anomaly.
        04-05-10

Pale Sunrise...

Took to trail
in the morning light pale
to catch the glimmer of hope
as she rose in the east...
and the least of my worries
are most on my mind,
the flood of memories,
words soft and kind
and do you ever wonder
if what you left behind
remains as in your mind?
what matter the years?
it was the time we held dear
as we trembled in fear
at the prospect of age...
and the rage at the machine
the held us in between
caught between nothingness and eternity
and bound by our own uncertainties
to make foolish moves
in a sad pas de deux
the remembering of what was
and what always shall be...
             04-06-10

Age of Discovery...

Rascals and Eddie Haskels
and your mothers always liked me
as we smiled and bowed politely
on our way to madness and mayhem
and just how did we survive?
it's a wonder we're still alive
and when i think of those not here
it shall always bring a tear,
for there but for the grace of God...
and how hard were our heads?
always doing the opposite instead
The rest of the world had feet of lead
as we danced about them and around them,
we never failed to astound them
with the childlike wonder in which we held
which they did not even notice...
             04-06-10

Solstice...

Is this the solstice of my life,
as far as i will go?
Somehow, i think not...
The fervor and the fever is upon me now;
like a dervish, my mind is whirling
and i see endless possibilities,
and cosmic swirlings,
questions and profundities
and so many other good things
waiting just over the next hill
Take my hand, if you will,
and walk with me a while;
let us talk a bit and smile
and never notice the miles
until dark is upon us
and we look about
and see where our footsteps
have taken us today...
          04-07-10

Milky Way...

Imaginings and scatterlings,
spread across the earth
the trappings of society,
how do you decide your worth?
The vicious circle and cosmic cycles
the horrors great
and times delightful
will always remain despite
and in spite of you,
if you just stand and stare...
Have a care and take one also
Where did the milk of human kindness go,
was i born so long ago
that the time has now passed?
When was the last time you held a door,
when was the last time you refused more?
Are you so afraid to explore
the infinite possibilites...
           04-07-10

End of Tunnel...

Just a thought,
but is it mine?...
This is how it happens every time;
a simple line, a simple rhyme
to try to catch the moment sublime
And so i give a paper chase
and hope the memories won't be erased
before they find the page and rest
before they continue on...
Where do words go
after they are spoken,
what can one do when trust is broken?
do you wake each morning in sorrow
or hoping this day will change the world...
and it does and it has
and there is the laugh
for i beginning to feel
(no, i always done that)
i'm beginning to think
on the things that i lack
and the things that i've lost
and the things i'd like back
but Time isn't one
but now Time has begun
and Time isn't slipping away anymore;
it is giving me another day to explore
the wonders i have ignored
for far too long...
      04-07-10

This Land for Sale...

Sitting by a lake
as little parts of me break off
and i go skipping stones
across the water...
Sitting among the pines,
the temperature is fine
and despite it all,
i hear my laughter
A beaver dam,
one hundred yards
from where i stand,
as crows fly overhead
with their black and darting eyes
and the caws and hungry cries
as they scurry across the sky,
searching, always searching...
Reach out my left hand
and find a bone
some fragile bird
that died alone...
There's magic here,
i'll take it home
for my magic bag..
another Talisman
of hopes and memories...
             04-07-10

Over the Decades...

Rhyme and reason,
Time and season;
years get carried away
in the search for meaning
in the space between
wanting and needing
between crying and bleeding
what crap have they been feeding you
for far too long?
All it takes for me is song;
some words, so i might sing along
and feel like i belong somwhere
in the Grand Scheme of Things
What did you bring to this celebration,
can you stand a little elation?
Seems that since the Dawn of Creation
we have all been paying for one mistake
but now's the time to take control
or was it yesterday?
A day late is better than not at all;
think fast but do not hesitate...
              04-07-10

Nothing New Under the Sun...

The more things change,
the more they stay the same
You can't change your nature,
and there's no one to blame but yourself
for chances lost pondering the cost,
for hopes and dreams
that strayed from the path
and in doing so became lost,
leaving you adrift without a paddle,
a thoroghbred without a saddle;
leaving you to skeedaddle home,
licking your wounds and hiding your bruises
and in the end who loses
when you don't dream?
Your world becomes black and white,
with just grey in between,
and the joy that you felt when you were sixteen
has faded like a schoolgirl's giggle
but the memory of her wiggle remains,
leaving only ache and longing...
                04-08-10

Walk in the Rain...

Let the rain wash me away,
i need to walk amidst the spray
and the gentle kiss as the water mists
on the way down from the heavens...

Give me unleavened bread
and a pouch of water,
let me wander in the quiet, wet leaves
as my pants get soaked up to the knees
Let the wind whisper to me through the trees;
"this time remain forever"...

No phone, no home;
should i always be alone?
Amidst a throng, still don't belong,
half my life is taken wrong
and im tired of trying to explain...
            04-09-10

Ponce de Leon...

i'm tired
and i'm mired
in my own stupidity;
goes to cause and effect,
no need to look for profundity
Yet again i have reached out blindly, hopefully
only to scratch at the vaporous surface
For those who would treat me kindly,
hurt was not meant on purpose
it's just i dont know what good
all these emotions serve us
if they seek without finding,
if they ask to mute response
or worse, a kind lie,
if the blank stare is followed
by a sad shake of the head
and a tear filled eye
In three decades more perhaps...
i have will have learned enough
perhaps is six more i'll have earned enough
time in Purgatory to finish this story
but for now sit by my fountain in the woods
and dream of Ponce de Leon...
               04-09-10

Mowgli...

The last star to wink out
blinks at me a few more times
as the shadow of birds in the trees
dance at my feet
as they peck, preen and flutter
"How neat", think i
as i pretend it is a puppet show,
watching Punch and Judy
as they run about the stage

And at what age will you grow up?
i'll let you know when i've had enough
i truly never tire of this stuff,
it eases my troubled soul
has helped me out of many the black hole
somehow it has control;
this feral side of me
the boy that still climbs trees
with dirty hands and muddy knees
splashes in every puddle he sees
and always turns his face towards the sun
and the breeze...
      04-12--10

To Thine Own Self...

There is a lesson in pain;
listen, lest you feel it again,
though sometimes your ears might strain
to hear the little voice inside your head
Choose the higher road instead
on the path to where you're being led
Beats the hell out of staying in bed
and letting the world pass you by
Not promising you won't cry
can't say if you might lie,
for from here i can't see your eyes
and that is always my gauge
For at what age will we realize
that the very things we despise in others
are reflections of ourselves
that we think are on grander scales?
So we rail against our own inequities
hoping one day the world may see
when in the end ithe answer is as easy as
know thyself...
    04-12-10

Leaping Lizards!...

In a thought heretical,
in a moment hysterical...
in the blink of an eye,
without asking why
you realize Time does fly
and you will never catch up;
to words you wish to take back,
to the tears washed away to the sea
to the friends lost in life but not memory
to chances lost to uncertainty
to children full grown and gone
to parents living lost and alone
to siblings living lives on their own
to cruel comments that cut to the bone
but there is always Time for
what you hold dearest;
find it and never let go...
          04-12-10

Tis a Far, Far Better Thing I Do...

It's true,
a few birds start early,
before the sun rises,
hoping for the worm;
as squirrels hop
from branch to branch,
never noticing the world turns...
Nor do you and i,
though we may never ask why,
it's what we've been taught
Is it just another line we have bought
from the powers that be
to rule us, to fool us,
to govern absolutely?
What care i of kings and queens,
and so called democracy
when they have no real power over me?
just what i allow them...
          04-14-10

Merlin...

Back to the Crystal Cave,
to being Time's slave
to wait in amber sleep
till the return of the Sword
as it is rowed from the mists of Avalon...
That is where i belong,
guarding the mystery;
the Knight Errant,
home at last
the anachronism
pining for the past
the Sentinel,
waiting at the Gate
praying it's not too late
and that the Calvary is on the way
and John Wayne might save the day...
               04-14-10

Day Dreaming...

Go back to remember
and images come flooding in
and i feel like crying...
rushing past in a whirl of color
leaving vapors trails
and it will start me dreaming
every time without fail
Don't think me crazy
and i'm not lazy either
but i stop and wonder...
ask me now
and i will not comprehend
i am caught within these messages i am sent
on a channel that i can't change
and yes, i find it strange also
but thrilling as well...
          04-14-10

Janus...

Most of the things i treasure
have not real world worth
the love, my hope, my memories
will not put coins in any purse
i could be a millionaire
but i could be much worse
i could lose my soul
to the lure of money's curse
Nor do i want fame
(i've seen the results of that game)
and how the allure changes
and estranges you from those you hold dear
and i want my friends and family near
to share in what in me i have found
but how to drop a pebble in the water
with making a ripple or a sound?...
               04-14-10

All I Know...

This i need,
this i bleed,
now almost a creed;
to write words down
whenever they're found...
Or is it they who find me?
but not waiting,
no baited breath here...
As with Brother Deer,
should you come too near
i will dart away,
too afraid to play
the game i learned too young
Think me not the fool
for the little learned in school
only taught me some things
you have to learn on your own...
            04-14-10

Pagliacci...

I am the fool
who makes you think
after the chuckle
writing down emotions
that made my knees tremble and buckle
Not a school
but we all learn from each other
Golden Rules and other tools
taught by mother
never prepared me for this
The bliss and the agony,
the torment that lives within me
Will i ever be free of this
and do i want to be?
So much more heroic
to live a life of tragedy
than to muse on the mudane
but the strain is great
when it seems you don't decide your fate...
i've spent a lifetime waiting
for my moment
and i'm still on hold,
for i have never had control
of my life, my emotions or my soul
and tired of the ringing in my ear
or is that just a dial tone?
"the number you have reached
is no longer in service"...
i live and love so much
but to what end, what purpose?
sometimes there seems only one way out
and above and beyond
but i suppose it depends
what precipice you look down from...
               04-15-10

One Reason for All...

Breathe deep
and look around;
look to your feet,
are they firmly on the ground?
If not on this earth,
where are you bound
and determined to go?
And let it show;
the frustrations,
the elations,
the consternation at yourself
when you want to save the world
but cannot save yourself
from the quagmire of emotions,
from the tears turned into oceans,
from all of the commotion
this life entails
But you cannot fail
if you never give up
and there is only one reason for that;
Love...
           04-15-10

Heaven's Gate...

I have more than good reason
to be bitter
and no seasoning
would remove the taste
Spent long years questioning
my fate and realize now
it was all a waste of time
but again there were lessons sublime
that did not materialize
until i gazed into the mirror
and finally liked the man i saw
and the law of averages
says that sooner or later
you will learn what you need to know
(hope it's before i meet the Creator)
but i will still have a few questions
that i may not have mentioned...
                 04-15-10

Resignation...

Sadness defines me,
sadness refines me;
the search for peace conitnues on...
in a life begun so wrong,
in hopeful song,
in a wish to belong
somewhere...
Raised amid stares
and the world of compare
what do you have to share
and are you willing?
and it's killing me
can't you see
that i truly am an innocent?
and all the useless energy spent
searching for an honest man
began as a result of horrors
i will not repeat
but Nietzche was right
think i'll end this fight
by letting the slings and arrows
bounce off my heart
that is turning to stone
and learn to live alone...
           04-15-10

Haunted...

The Witching Hour;
when the living cower,
this Ghost roams the world
in search of reason
Or is it rhyme
and images sublime
that aid him on his climb
out of the depths of despair?
and wherever his footfalls take him
he cannot shake the mistakes
he has made back in time
when he was too afraid
to speak his mind
and the people kind and otherwise
have no clue, cannot surmise
because unless you truly gaze into my eyes
none of you really see me at all
just a painting on the wall
for your amusement
here today, gone tomorrow
to voice your joys and cry for your sorrow
if you don't feel emotions
here are some of my you can borrow
for they do me little good...
              04-16-10

The Little Things...

It truly is the little things
that make you feel like you alive
and i'm not joking...
a simple word, a loving voice
and you have no choice,
to know that someone cares
makes you want to sing
and run around in circles
for all the joy that it does bring
Come hear my laughter
and let's talk afterwards
for you know me best of all

Hear my heart
it is beating once again
it starts and stops
ever since way back when
before i was me
and came into this world,
a Stranger in a Strange Land

And people, people, people
do you hear some of the things you say?
How much better off
would we all be
if no egos got in the way?
and i'm a child, i'm a child
who doesn't understand
the workings of society,
the stupidity of man
but im no better, i'm no better
wondering whether you see too
that thinking of others first
is the best thing you can do
so take a moment
and take a deep breath
a take minute to think it through
before you say the things you do...
              04-16-10

Rain on the Beach...

The cold of the morning,
the ice in my heart,
this glacier is not melting today...
i've tried to explain
but who hears my words
beyond the images
with which i play?
Misunderstood,
where is the harm or the good
in the choices you need to make?
Mighty oaks fall,
kings have been made to crawl.
the willow weeps but remains
Give me an answer
or a second chance, sir
i'm not a dancer
but i've been know to prance

Crimes gainst my soul
have washed away
turning to sand on the shore
but i still walk alone
that's how it seems
i dream...
but lord knows i want more
Dreams are like the fish
that swim in the sea
mingling with longing and hope
Under the surface
there's treasure buried somewhere,
perhaps that's what i need to cope
Go find your galleon
with semphoras and bullion
miles down below in the sand
Just be sure you have air enough
and are prepared
for the pressure is greater down there...
                  04-17-10

Sands of Time...

How does one find
what is lost in plain sight?
It is like a three dimensional puzzle
that confounds and delights
You may think you have it solved
for a moment
but then something is not right
and the picture is not making sense
Do you know what you see,
are you really looking at me?
You should know by my history
the way that i think
Many's the time
i've seen the brink of disaster,
inuendos and lies only get you there faster
i'm no one's slave
but i don't want to be master...
Is that what you want,
is that what you're after?
Is my getting better
why this is getting worse?
Like Karis, the mummy,
for want of true love,
i am cursed...
     04-17-10

 

The Lone Stranger...

Just because
you have emotions
that you have no control over
does not make you less human,
does not mean you're bipolar
Better to feel allive
than to play dead and roll over,
like a tortoise in a shell
afraid to race the rabbit
and what were once vices
have now become habits
and i have few answers
but i'm always stabbing
with this pen, mightier than sword,
from which images seem to flow
of their own accord
thank god for that
who wants to lived bored
and hoping for some excitement?
and if you mulling over what i meant
then my job here is done
Onward, Silver, away,
let's live to fight another day!..
            04-18-10

If I Knew...

Thoughts wander
and i'm no longer
bound to this earth...
floating in the morning mist,
dancing like a lover kissed
for the first time by the right one
and do you want to come along?
if i knew the way i would show you,
if i thought prayer would help
i would kneel in adoration
for these creations of mine
are given, not taken
they are fragile,
please, don't break them
when you stop a while with me
and you take the time to read
because they are what sets me free
and where in the world would i be
how would i know you have heard me
without this?...
         04-19-10

Thinking Back...

Do you remember
back when you were young
and believed in miracles
and mystical, magical things?
Every day, electric
as the hum around your head
would keep you up night
with feet squriming in the bed?

and today is not any different
perhaps it is you who's changed
sometimes the days flow fast together
and that's not strange

Do you recall the weather
the day that you were born?
i think not but it tells the tale
Stormy Mondays
and childhoods full of thunder
make you wonder just what this life entails

and today is not any different
perhaps it is you who's changed
sometimes the days flow slow together
and that's not strange

Do you remember
all the things your mother said,
do they go around in circles in your head?
She tried to tell you
but how could she explain?
so she lived the best life for you
that she could instead

and today is not any different
perhaps it is you who's changed
sometimes the days flow as they should
and that's not strange...
           04-19-10

Tides Turn...

Seems i'm alone
wherever i turn
too many bridges
seem to have burned
left here wondering
if my intentions are good
when all i want is to show i care
Will you remember
what the weather was like
at the turning of your life?
Hidden virtues don't mean a thing
when you have the pie
but choose a slice
turning to ice..

if someone doesnt shake me now
i wonder if i'll ever wake
from my foolish dreams
that always seem to break
and i don't know how much more i'll take
before im swept away...

im not thinking
all i ever do is feel
and my emotions are way too real
perhaps some drinking
will relax me
but no, not really, my friends
it wont help me to conceal
or turn my heart to steel

if someone doesnt shake me now
i wonder if i'll ever wake
from my foolish dreams
that always seem to break
and i don't know how much more i'll take
before im swept away...
            04-19-10

 

Hair Shirt...

i'm not concrete,
nor am i paper and pen
not a clown to prance
for your amusment
im a beggar
throw me alms
as you pass me by
but be sure, please,
not to look me in the eyes
for they never lie
i cannot help the way i am
don't even try to understand
ever the child, never a man
catagorized and profiled
ever since my life began
look away now
something you may have not seen
some emotions are more than obscene
i want to scream
and rend my hair and gnash my teeth
what must i do
when will i believe
i've never known what i really need
just what i lack...
           04-19-10

Kentucky Derby...

Don't piss on my back
and tell me it's raining
feel the flick of the whip
even as muscles are straining
i am falling behind in this race
or am i gaining, a slight advantage?
As the horses 'round the bend
the finish line disappears again
and suddenly the wind becomes gale
Keep close to the rail,
keep an eye on the tail before you,
do not let the others crowd you
lest your rider fall
Neck and neck amid the jumble,
watch your step
for you may stumble
and you would be trampled underfoot
by the others caught up in the race
but don't give up this chase
now that you've had a taste
of the exhiliration and elation
of running full out...
            04-20-10

Morning Mystery...

The early morning
has always been my time
as calm rises from the earth,
like the morning fog
spreading opaque tendrils
of soft water vapor
you breathe into your lungs
and out through your soul
leaving your mind refreshed
and your spirit whole
as your body drinks in
the last few drops of ambrosia
left by the gods on high...
Don't ask me why, for i could not say
why mornings have alway saved me,
defined me, made me feel this way
The wonder of another morn
as if each day i am born again
wihout having to have the rude slap
that started all our lives...
             04-21-10

False Spring...

False spring,
as birds swoop and sing
exultant in the uncommon warmth
Sun shining down
after the morning's rains
giving the earthy a musky aroma
that rises like fog
from the still wet grass
Even the sky looks warmer
as we stay out longer
feeling the first warm breezes
touch our face
Enjoying the unexpected heat
curl our toes and warm our feet
a day like today makes everything complete
but still stands out as unique...
                 04-13-12

In the Knowing...

In the time it takes
to say your name
i am transported yet again
In the moments that linger
i lay enthralled, smitten
by the touch of your fingers
In sounds that echo in my ears,
satisfaction comes in the knowing
that you are near
As our breathing races faster
we become caught within ourselves
and the sweet union 
we're both after
Seconds turn into eternity,
even with our eyes closed sweetly
we can clearly see
that this moment
is where we belong,
where we know we should be...
                04-13-12

Ray-Ray

He's a good kid
but don't you mess wid him
he'll let you know real fast
not to come up behind him...
He's got a good heart
but you better not start
anything you don't want to finish
Took me to his home
as left me alone with his mother
telling me she's having a rough time
take care of her for me
and in a moment of clarity
i had an epiphany
knowing this is where
i was supposed to be
at that moment in time
and when he returned
the three of us learned
a little about each other
he always carries a weapon
cos he don't want to get stepped on
and i wondered where society went wrong
to make him live in such a world
asked me if i could give him a ride
to his father's house with his mom
and said you don't have to stay
you can just drop us off
but his mom handed me her grandson
and said "i hope you don't mind,
"he seems to know that you are kind"
so we entered the house together
with Ray-Ray trailing behind
and his father welcomed me there
and never mentioned my hair
and didn't ask what i was doing there
he just smiled and shook my hand
and when we left he told me thanks
for bringing his family to his place
he had not seem them in years
and l left with a smile on my face
and the wind in my hair
and tears for a memory
time will never erase
i hope he doesn't end up shot
i pray for him cos he's got a lot
to share and family who cares
it seems no matter where i go
i find the real people still exist...
Ray-Ray, keep your head high
you're known as Blaze also
let your flame reach the sky...
              04-21-10

AAAAAAAAAUUUGH!...

Distance me from myself
deliver me from my living hell
i'm dying each day
and wondering if you can tell
or even notice any difference
and sour recompense
are the words that spew from me
that are always new to me
upon each reread
for if this is what i need
why do i have to bleed
and cry for the things i think i need
when half the time
i don't know what to believe anymore
this life is such a chore
would that it were just a bore
but the things and people i adore
have never needed me
have rarely heeded me
and seem to have only speeded me
on my way to disillusion
by the long road of confusion
wondering which side that your on
in this battle for my soul
fighting for control
over all that i don't undestand...
             04-21-10

Meow...

They comfort you
withou a word
and let you rub their hair
sit by the window for hours at a time
waiting to see you there
They rub up against you in a slow curl
just to show they care
and when you find something broken
they look at you
with a innocent blank stare
You wake up to find them
curled at your feet,
the way they play
with balls of dust
is hilarious and sweet,
they slide on carpetless floors
to land in a corner in a heap...
Why is it cats are crazy?...
         04-24-10

New Morning...

As the darkness fades,
as the new day is made
in drops of light and color
that never fail to fill me with wonder,
i can sit and muse
upon my gains and blunders
and see which outweights what...
and the butt of the joke
doesn't always laugh,
sometimes we are the last
to see our own gaffs
but always give your all,
all that you have
for that is all that you have
The chance to laugh,
the time to cry,
the things that define us,
what makes us ask why
are drops in this ocean of life
From the heights of elation,
to the darkness of strife
take it all in...
Breathe out
and begin again..
       04-25-10

 

We Need the Rain Sometimes...

As the morning mist
washes away the night,
bringing grey to the day
and a chill to my heart,
i wonder when did this
and just how it did start?
Words that come easy to me,
find me here waiting,
like a supplicant with bloody knees
waiting for the Lord's reprieve
i feel, sometimes, like a child
tugging on his mother's sleeve
for a chance to speak
For so long, this child
was seen and not heard,
have gone half my life
without speaking a word
Now that this bird sings
i have to grade on a curve,
for all is not as it appears
and the nearer you get
the worse it appears,
the smell of the decay and despair
of civilization had never left
and what is the answer
somebody take a guess
for there is no quick fix here...
             04-25-10

In the Fading Light...

I breathe you name,
in warm tones that flow
from my lips to the swell of your breasts,
where my fingers draw gentle circles
round your nipples taut with excitement
This is not sin,
this is that natural order of things;
birds on the wing,
singing as they soar,
always seeking more
of what they will not know
until they find it
Our legs intertwine,
finding the hollow behind our knees
that never fails to please,
to find that tingling
as i seize your calf softly
and cup the muscle in my palm,
finding it warm and soft to the touch
So much and so little,
it gives and takes
and how will i ever slake this thirst?
Never, is my hope...
           03-11-12

Nsreen...

Illuminated by the moon,
high atop a rolling dune
that moves in waves of sandy sea,
the graceful gazelle faces the cool breeze
made by the ocean winds
as the shadows of the clouds
cross the sand like horses at full gallop...
A sister of a friend
is a friend to me;
someone who shares a laugh
a thought
an idealolgy
that all thing are made right
if you strive to grow
we are not all alone
on our own deserted isle,
just like Robinson Crusoe
but a gentle word,
sometimes a gentle reminder
is all we need
to know we are never alone...
          04-27-10

Julie...

From the Land of Castles and Dragons,
from the Shores of Avalon,
hoisting a flagon of malted barley,
she comes...
Descending the stone steps
from the Castle Keep,
wherein lies mysteries
dark and deep
and fitful dreams
and restless sleep
waiting for young Percivel...
So do not take it personal
if she seems ethereal
or, like famed Mary, so contrary
as to cause you pause
For she asks questions
some do not dare to mention
and so the Mother of Invention
has another child today...
             04-28-10

Where Does the Money Go?...

Sitting in the candle light again,
wishing somehow i had a goose quill pen
Dreaming back of days gone by,
the way back when...
The Before Time
before the ravages of Man...

Red hot liquids poured out
steaming from the Earth,
salted waters bubbled
creatures mired in the tar,
there to return,
to begin the cycle once again...

Let the wheel turn;
when you see your number
and you're asked
"what have you learned?"
From books thrown out,
torn and tattered, not from age?
From televisions
blaring electronic rage,
to computer screens
saving themselves but little else?
Never ceases to amaze me,
the excesses of wealth...
         04-27-10

Desret Bloom II...

The bloom
is not off this rose
or this friendsip, i suppose...
Funny how connections
mind not direction,
distance, time or woes...
Simple words and little jokes
are easy to display
but that doesn't change
the smile or the thoughts
it brings my way
In kindness found,
without a sound
it's as though i hear your laughter
wind chimes in the desert breeze
never fail to please,
the little drops of happiness i'm after...
            04-27-10

Handful at a Time...

Well, i'm down by the waterwheel
but it ain't turning
This river dried up
long years ago...
Marsh weeds invaded,
the soil they created
started the bog you see
before you right now...

Time moves slowly,
wheels need oiing
That sneaky, squeaky one
is always getting the grease
If you talk only
how are you gonna
figure out the difference
in what we all say?

Don't want sun every day
lord knows how boring that would be
Give me a taste of the bitter and sweet
We're all gonna get down that road
one sweet, fine sunny day
so be kind to the people you meet
Let's take a stroll and hold each other's hand
and walk towards the sun
and maybe hear the galloping of hooves...

Time moves slowly,
wheels need oiing
That sneaky, squeaky one
is always getting the grease
If you talk only
how are you gonna
figure out the difference
in what we all say?...
      4-27-10

Confused (As Ever)...

Morning's will come
and morning's will go...
The sun always rises
this we all know
What do you find,
how do you see,
what are your wonders?
Share them with me
and help me to see...

Most days i'm lost
and yet to be found
i like to wander
without making a sound
Listening now
and hearing the calm
leaving no fooprints
on this road i'm on
so who will know when i'm gone?

Let the Spirit take me away...
Years i've searched for
the right words to say
and as i stand here
before you today...
I still don't,
no, i still don't...

Taking your time
has it's rewards
Running towards heaven
is somewhat backwards
i take my time so i might see
Life goes so fast
sometimes it's blurry
or is that tears
welling deep within me?

Let the Spirit take me away...
Years i've searched for
the right words to say
and as i stand here
before you today...
I still don't,
no, i still don't...
    04-28-10

Good Morning, Sunshine...

The morning's come electric
and the connections being made
have the words paradiing, serenading
while the guitars are being played...
As they dance along the avenue
in a Dixie crawl,
relishing the moment,
while savoring it all...

The bitterness of life
makes the sweet achingly so
Time spent wandering in solitude
makes greeting old friends
that much warmer,
as each time it grows
For absence does indeed
make the heart grow fonder
Loneliness is a state of mind
where you don't have to wander...

Attitude gives you the lattitude
to stop and take a breath
in your climb,
for we all must climb
to feel alive,
to see over the next hill
and what is next..
      04-29-10

Nomad (Time to Go)...

So easy to get lost
when no one knows you're there,
amid the hustle and the bustle
the loneliest of hearts
lies beating, barely, here...
Drained by the minute,
straining like a colt at the bit
so tired and so cried out
i weep now only sand
that i hold in trembling hands,
as i watch my life pour away
and blow away
on a windless day
like the sand around the Sphinx,
who sits alone and thinks
but never gets up any more,
he has lost his heart...
       04-29-10

Shake My Soul...

Time fades,
memories remain
as constant as the Northern Star
this anguished soul will never change
for the strain would be too great...
The stooped shoulders and back bent
by the tears, years and fears
could not bear one more cross...

So i must rearrange
what others might see as strange
so some things may be different,
while the whole remains the same
how to grab a crazy dream
and how not to go insane,
how to give all you have
without losing all but your name
how to be all and nothing,
when i'm just a ghost flitting by
maybe i am just your imagination...
that little tear in the corner of your eye...
               04-30-10

The Well of Lost Souls...

Monstrosities,
i don't need to see;
believe me, cousin,
i know they are there
i'm not the one
you need to convince...
it's the millions who don't care
or take the time to realize,
to see themselves
in someone else's eyes,
to look at themselves
and cannot help but despise
a fault within themselves...

Who's to delve into that well,
the Well of Lost Souls?
That Void lives deep within us all,
be careful, lest you fall in its thrall
There..again, but for the grace of God
goes each and every one of us
the good, the bad, the ugly of us
that is why we always must
look upon ouselves with Truth...
             04-30-10

Learning the Hard Way...

The Rainbow comes only after the rain
though sometimes it is caused by a mist
made by the Tears of the Sun,
so hot as to evaporate before touching Earth,
the hottest of emotions burn white hot...
And i wonder, does anybody else wonder
about the water that comes from above
and goes back down under
to swirl among the carbons
and the garbage left by Man
as it makes yet another circle in the cycle?

Ten thousand years of refuse,
the fires of Sheol truly do still rage;
this i heard from a man
who's seen it with his own eyes
the smell of decay has never changed...
Down cobblestoned roads masked in history
but no mystery in man,
with his crimes and with his cruelties
we, all of us, fight it every day
and have since the Dawn of Man
and some it gets the best of
what matters is what you think of yourself
at the end of another day...
and can you live with yourself
at the end of another day?...
             05-01-10

Akhkt Jamel (Beautiful Sister)...

Friendship Flower,
Love Blossoms;
to have the two together
is Wonderful and Awesome
but Oil and Water do not mix,
remember to use caution

when navigating
Love's Stormy Seas...

Lost amid Love's ocean...

The Waves can thrill,
the Waves may chill
Love does it Die
nor does it Kill;
Love waits in Patience,
Love waits here still,
in Shadows,

but without Doubt
that Love and Love alone
can turn this World about...

 

May 2, 2010