No Harm, No Foul...

I come to Listen

by the Water

sounds to me

like lazy, lilting Laughter

as when you get the joke

a few seconds after

you should have

for not paying

proper attention

to the speaker...

 

It is a Weakness

of mine as well

that sometimes

i'm in such a hurry

to tell my own story

I don't Hear you as well

as I know I should...

 

Will try to let

you finish, Friend;

give me a nod

when you near the end

i'll be nodding my head

so you know I have heard you

and look up with a smile

once in a while...

 

We all have something,

some, maybe just one thing

to say;

what harm in the Listening?...
Dec. 27, 2015

 

No Footfalls Here in the Forest...

Babbling Brook,

what have you  learned,

prattling on,

whirlpools and eddies,

over slippery rock

you must go steady

that is why

always the staff or stick

but still

as always

one must be quick;

a Fool falls in Forest

and all the animals hear him

and bray his name...

 

Forest floor,

the musty, musky odor I adore;

to pick away the moist leaves

to the black Earth beneath

the tiny beads,

so delicate
as to wipe away,

clean in your hands...

 

Moss and Lichen,

now ever-present Green,

an insistent color

it would seem

yet it never looks lost

or misplaced;

therein lies the Lesson

if I am guessing correctly...

Dec. 28, 2015

 

Epiphany...

Don't need a Burnin' Bush

or a Pillar of Fire

or a house to fall

from the sky on my sister;

this Fire's been lit

for a long Time

but like David said,

" it's been a long Time gone"
climbing out of the Dark

and sometimes it is

the tiniest of sparks that ignites

 not your passions,

for those have always

been yours to share,

but your Light
to truly Shine,

to make another wonder

just what is behind

and it is then,

in a flash

brighter than a Supernova

you realize it had been

there all along,

not behind you,

whipping you forward

but before you with open arms,

but the opposing forces,

within and without,

leading to Distrust and Doubt
led to you Question everything

until you figure some of it out...

Pardon my later arrival...

Feb. 28, 2015

Duh...

Modern Miracle
of Science

or should it be called

a Natural Wonder;

in the current

Scheme of Things

what is it you Dream,

my Friends,

for not had one

or is it forgotten them,

dropping old toys

when they are no longer needed,

the lawn's been raked,

the Garden's seeded,

so think might

pause a while

and do a little reading,

for I consider it and Act,

an Art, a Lost Beauty,

not just,

"doing nuffin",

it is upward movement,

it is Home Improvement,

it is taking Time out

of the Hours of your Life
for your Mind to find

(now listen very carefully,

for this may

blow your Mind)

to find the Moments

of your Life that matter,

on can almost hear it,

the karmic, cosmic laughter,

but then, is that God...
Feb. 25, 2015

Birds of Fire...

The Little Death,

Sweet Oblivion;

only now

have I come to  know

the space between

Nothingness and Eternity,

returning me,

burnishing me;

that fault lies within

us, after all, Will,

for the Lesson

was long ago
but this Waking has taken

a different Meaning,

wonder what messages

I have gleaned

from the Infinite
Star Machines

that wake each of use

in their turn
and it seems

some of us wake

much earlier than most

making me wonder

if I am Kitchen Staff
or am I one of the Hosts

at this Cosmic Gathering,
or is it merely

a comical smattering,
Towers of Babel
and endless chattering

but one thing learned,

though I could always

be wrong,

on this still dark

(as usual) Morn,

I am not a guest...

Feb 24, 2015

Sharon (His Plain, His Song)...

Beleaguered  Angel
with flashing Eyes,

commanding the Troops

and brooking no compromise

but, at times, yes,

they're tired

and you can see the hurt;

for the lies

told to her face

she's had to swallow,

for those she's seen

who wallow in the degradation

and the dirt,

and the schemes

of those who "play" The System,

dreaming ever of free rides,

worse yet, the Vultures

with drooping shoulders

and bowed heads,

in their quasi-sacerdotal disguise,

trying to pluck at heart-strings

they are amazed

to still find there,

for in this faded, jaded System

she is among The Few,

she Cares...

 

Carry on,

Dear Heart,

may your resolve

never fail,

you have been more help

to more people

than you will ever believe

and this is not the end

of your Courageous Tale...

Feb. 26, 2015

Leap of Faith (II)...

Walk,
keep the pace,
let the breeze
caress your face
as the first warm Day
after the Storms
dances around puddles,
jumps the mud,
walks on the sunny side;
Seasoned and Grizzled
Veteran of manys
the Winter Campaign,
it's been seen before,
he'll see it again
but it is he who stops
a moment
and with a deep breath
takes it all in
and makes of it
whatever you take from it
'cos he's just saying
or maybe it's a Psalm
and not a song or a poem
for it's been said
"that they who sing
pray twice"
and we surely need
all the help
we can possibly get,
this High Wire Act
will have no net
and Wallendas we are not...
Feb. 22 2015

Old Bat and the Boy Wonder...

Dizzying heights of Conceit
or Demoralized Depths,
nothing close to fifty shades here;
in this World

chance is always 50/50,
only two sides to the coin

the grading is pass or fail

best you somehow

leave a trail for yourself

but take the cannoli

bread crumbs,

we already know

would be of no avail here...

Unlikely pairing;

Karma and the Cross,
Preacher and Agnostic

Shaman and Christian,
peering into a Neglected World
and wondering what's become of

the Lost Boys,
the Fallen Women...

Choose carefully

the bricks you build

this house upon

for the Winds of Adversity

will huff and puff
and blow your house down,

batten down the hatches,

hitch up ol' Paint,
think it's Time to go
on the War Path
but this Time
the trophies will be

for all to share...
Feb. 21, 2015

Jig Saw Pieces...

Dispassionately write

about the Strength

of the Emotion you Feel,

separate yourself from yourself

in layers, perhaps,

metaphysical,

but, then,

why is it you look

so quizzical,

for if you look

you might find

you are swathed likewise;

bundled and trundled away,

warm and snug in the cocoon

of your own making,

hoping for the day

you might reawaken

from the chrysalis

emerging a better Self...

 

Pie in the Sky,

why not

Cake by the Lake,

where Willow,
as ever,

weeps

and the cattails sway

and keep the beat;

the Now, the Present

that is never ours to keep,

too soon gone,

too soon gone...

 

Ask,

I will answer,

will you do the same,
after that

you take your chances

for you never know

what might dance upon this lawn...
Feb. 21, 2015

 

Eternity's Urkel (Did i Do That?)...

Is it the Thought that counts

or is it

the Road of Good Intentions;
no good deed goes unpunished

(so they say...)
and who are "they"

then anyway

for it is they who seem to know

as all these little adages

creeping and crawling

to be written

the subway walls
and tenement halls

and can I use that

if it has already been mentioned?

 

Come along

and let us cry together

for you know right now

I have to stop and take a knee,

the wind was knocked out from me

and I need a moment,

maybe longer,
to gaze back into myself
for now

and see if I recognize

the Demon

who was on the prowl last night

and if I caught his name,

for to name a thing

is to know a thing

and then see where it fits

within this Game...
Feb 23, 2015

 

Can You Smell the Neglect?...

"The Great Unwashed"

takes on it's true meaning

in a room full of Homeless,

for when the first thing lost
is your Dignity

and you must choose

between washing yourself

or eating for free,

the choice is as simple

as the filth you smell and see

that stands before you...

What doors are open,
what alley or doorway

do you stand within,

hoping for a chance

to wash or even toss the socks

you've worn for the last week,

with knees weak

and belly empty

for the soup kitchens

deny you entry

because your hygiene

is a health issue?...

 

Grab a tissue,

shed and alligator tear,

there is nothing new

under the sun,

so the Bible says

yet this continues

year after year
but send your regards
in a check and a postcard;

thanks for oh so little,
my dears...
February 21, 2015

 

The Bridge Between...

Biting Wind,

snarling Dog of Winter,

howls again;

your hair could be like icicles

feel cold splinters

piercing fingertips

to the chilled bone,

no, make that marrow

and if you're unlucky enough

to be on your own

you might be discovered

on the morrow

turned to stone

like Bilbo's Orcs

without a campfire

to warm your frozen toes

for Winter kills,

Winter kills

but you go willingly

to the Old Man's Embrace

and this windy ten below

trying to get past my defenses

is just a taste
but I'll not have

my Last Supper

at that table...

 

Black to under lit,

to Grey comes Blue

turns White
and Rose come dancing,

the Line of Day
marked on the Horizon;

Thomaston and W. Main,

on the bridge

overlooking the River;

Night behind me,

Day before,

which way would you go
for I've never seen a Tomorrow
nor been back to Yesterday...
Feb. 20, 2015

 

Parchment Moon...

Muted Moon,

Whispers of White

stalled in Sky

as Night explodes in

Silence;

yes,

the Calm After the Storm,

that,
is True;

when Earth

catches her Breath
and takes a Moment

to smooth her skirt,

for you know
She would never wear a dress

though

once (Upon a Time)
She wore a tunic...

 

Soft, but soft

Moon's Music holds sway;

again up at the Witching Hour

The Shaman in me

will have His Way;

The Unseen,

the Unbelievers

who say it does not Exist,

like religious Zealots,

fearing to argue,

to Hear another point,

lest their World

come to an End...

 

Don't send me postcards

where you are.

write me a letter
about where you want to be...

circa Dec 2014

Oh, Jerusalem...

Newly formed shine,

a wet glistening,

and if you listen

carefully,

you can hear

raindrops

on the last leaves

left upon

Library Park's lawn,

they ones that stay on

till Spring,

like the other brothers
down on Bank Street,
disappearing on Willow,

running free one E. Liberty
in the Shadow

of the Holy Land;

I was there

when it opened for a Day...

Did I tell you
by a Trail,
brambled and broken,

 not taken by others
I found,

in miniature,

the Tomb of Christ?...

What odds,

an agnostic

finds it there,

walking about
where it seemed

others dared not?...

Ah, there's the Lesson;

in the Question...

ThunderBolt...

Let not the Moment

be spoiled by

the Thought,

simply enjoy The Vision

which in you're caught;

different Thoughts
and Emotions
at diverse angles
bring different perspective;
Teach one,
from another
take Direction,
"Could you keep it down
in that section?",
Welcome to the Monkey House,
my Friend...

The Mad, Glorious
Sweep of it all;
bridges rebuilt,
Treasures
you will always keep
deep and dark
within recesses;
there,
where no one else
has dared to trespass,
I find you waiting,
no small respite,
yet energizing,
just the same...

I need not ever
speak your name aloud again
for you to know
it has ever been
for you...
Feb. 19, 2015

With Trembling Voice...

The sharp intake of Breath,

a quickening of the pulse;

I know that Voice

like the Birds that sing

in the Trees

and a warmth fills me,

I can feel it on my face;

little wonder the Arctic chill

of the past few days is broken,

for such is the effect

you have ever had on me

and even the Heavens smile,

sending Warmth and Sunshine

to the rest of the World

so all might share

in the Magic of the Moment,

understand and nod in agreement

that, yes, today

is a wonderful Day...

Never gone from my Heart

but back in my Life;

what greater Reason

have I,

what greater Inspiration

have I ever had

than the Thought of you?...

All pale in comparison,

all others fail

when I think I might begin again

without you;
I have always know this

One Truth,

what's more,

I have never stopped

Believing...
February 19, 2015

3 am - Sleeping Sickness (SlowlyCreeping)...

Waking,

need not look

to know what Time it is,

the Little Voice calls;

rise but do not shine,

for it begins with

an Inner Glow,

a heat rising,

an Invisible Sun,

a Desire deep,

a Need to Know...

 

Where was I

just moments ago,

where did Sleep take me,

on what Journey

did I go;

what did I Learn,

what else do I

need to know

before Day begins

and the Sins of Our Fathers

continue to smother,

Ambivalence
and Apathy

continue unencumbered,

for the Wagging Dog

entertains

but leaves you

in a fog, a wet rag

wondering where Truth lies,

where Truth lies,

Truth lies

(hmm, there's a concept)

realize the Truth has been a lie...

Feb. 18, 2015

 

Family Dinnner...

The Power of Friendship,

the Love of Life

overcomes all obstacles,

bridges gaps, fills voids,

soothes souls, eases Strife;

Souls in Union,

Stars that shine bright,

Eternity in a moment,

a Lifetime in a smile...

Come,

let me embrace you;

here is a taste

of true Reality,

here is what Life

was meant to be;

let me, for once, speak

without Fear and freely,

knowing i'm not being judged...

Look upon a Family;

content and happy
within themselves

as it should be;

Caring, Sharing,

Daring to call themselves,
"We",

Alive, Vibrant
as they were meant to be;

a model of how

life could easily be...

 

It as simple as Honesty,

with yourself and others;

Live this Life to the fullest,
for there is no other...

Feb. 17, 2015

It Only Takes a Moment...

Let the Spirits

carry me away,

let the Winds settle

to catch their breath

but a brief, soft moment,

a sigh,
pick me up,

gently,

taking me,

to who knows where?...

Would you care

if you were on

the Golden Stairs,
finding not the Slumbers,
but the Golden Dream
takes you there;
upon the Portal
would you give a hearty chortle,
wasting the moment,
Lost in yourself,
still,
after all,
or
would you heed the call
bounding up the stairs,
not caring where
the next foot falls?...
Feb. 10, 2015
 

Height of Emotion II (Train of Thought)...

Now the Old Freight

has gone back,

actually,

this part of the tracks

is just part of the turnaround,

as the Train,
Old before the last World War,

went back,

then forth,

back,

then forth

for I don't know what

Good Reason
(it is on a track, after all)

and my track atop

and alongside

the rail is gone...

Again,
the Mad Gleam,
once more
another scheme,
and back upon the rail I go;
this Time
made so much easier
for the passing Freight,
its weight has compacted
the snow just right
and I can walk down
the pencil line
drawn in the sunlight,
softly whisper a name
that hasn't changed
all these years,
though I know better;
or do I,
or have I?...
Feb. 7, 2007

 

Odd Numbers...

How  many in

a Crowded House,

how many in

a Mob in the Street,

how many mMedals

on one Chest but

how many lines written

on the Wailing Wall;

how many Tears

make up the Sea,

how many Tears

left on that Trail?,

have been told

there are

Tears of the Sun,

Lagrime Mundi,

has always

been another one
of my favorite one...

How many Grains of Sand

along the Beach,

how many billion Stars,

all out of reach,;

how many Waves

until this piece of coral,

bleached beyond white,

finds a home upon some mantle

in the warm Fire Light

and the sandy, salty whisper

becomes an Earthbound Delight,

a relic of a Moon-Lit Night,

when two were hands squeezed

in wonder at the Sight

of a Communal Awareness

that comes only from

Appreciation of the Other

and Loss of Self,

floating in the Entire...

Feb. 6, 2015

 

Height of Emotion...

Monday Night
tracks untouched
since the Storm just passed
has had its way.
the soft white,
such a Delight,
shining bright
in the clear Moon Light,
to be seen along the rails
you know lay there
but remain to be seen...

An idea comes to Mind,
recalling Wallendas
and others
of their Kind;
atop the left rail
I precariously climb,
a dangerous six inches
from the ground;
planting my walking stick
into the Snow,
fourteen inches thick 
on either side of the rail,
no further than the
heel of my next step,
slowly I place my instep
upon the rail,
letting the Snow on either side
support and balance me...

And so down the tracks I go,
six inches off the ground;
My Winter Low-Wire Balancing Act...
Feb. 4, 2015 

Leave Well, Enough...

Through the misty Morning fog

come Squirrel,

fat and sassy,

with a blackened nose

from having,

once again

dug up a nut

 to place somewhere else,

somewhere safe...

 

He does not see my

ground blind

of Wood and Leaf,

nor does he catch

my scent

for my last layer

is always

Wood-smoke...

 

Bouncing noiselessly

in the sodden leaves,

he starts and stops

looks here, looks there

'till he comes to

a fallen branch

forming a bridge

over a rock...

 

Upon his back
goes Squirrel

and jams the nut
in a notch somewhere

and goes off,

almost giggling

to himself...

 

...

The nut falls,

Crow descends;

his laughter,

and mine

never end...
Dec. 10, 2104

 

 

 

 

 

With a Twinkle...

Candle licks at Air,

in a room full;

fat and lazy,

not his Brother,

CampFire,

bound to one spot,

but rooted still

and warming Earth

a warm spot

on Mother's breast,

as another wayward child

stops to rest for the Night...

 

Other Flames

light Sky;

Cosmic Warriors,

(how long ago stilled

was their Battle Cry?)

for the Eyes of Heaven

never close but the

Spirits close their Eyes

and nod their heads,

having seen and knowing

what adapted and survived,

what stood stubborn

and is no more...

 

It is easy

to Die

for what you believe;

harder still

to live for it...

 

The Stupor Bowl...

Another Day
for drunken excuses,

Armchair Quarterbacks,

Vandals and Looters,

let's all go down

to the nearest Hooters
and make Fools of ourselves;
The Stupor Bowl,

welcome to The Fold,

the Brotherhood of Macho,

scream and flex your muscles

before you, veins popping,

there's no stopping you,

you plan on drinking brew

till you can't see straight...

 

My Heroes don't game

kid's games for three hours,

hopped up on steroids

and bovine growth hormones

so the can feel false Power,

making obscene amounts of money

from contracts half of them

could not read, much less
even begin to comprehend...
 

The Teachers eating Cup of Soup

to bring notebooks to their class,

the Cop walking a beat alone,

putting his life on the line,

a Pfc. from the Bronx

defusing a land mine;

my Heroes are Heroes

twenty-four hours at time...

Feb. 1, 2015 

 

For Robin (Kayo?)..

Too often i still

find myself

taut, tense

in a stance,

ready again

for the next advance

upon my senses;

questioning everything,

looking under the rug

don't you realize

how smug you stand there

without knowing

your slip is showing,

how i find

so many averted eyes

at that crucial moment?...

Mine are hidden in a myriad

of flashing Emotion;

too quick, too fleeting,

too intense for some

this is a rolling, reeling Ocean;

some would sooner

walk the plank

than try to figure out

all this commotion

and it was even too 

much for the Pan...

But he died as he began

a soft whisper,

not a bang,

a slowly closing door,

just a few lines of a song he sang 

but for years the Clarion he rang...

Feb. 1, 2015