Thursday, May 15, 2014

The Seasons of the Tree

Spring brings
a budding
new life
to all that is green
a promise
of replenishment

Summer
in full dress
trees drink in the nutrients
from the sun
through the ground
that they may bless the earth

Fall costumes
the trees don their colors
the leaves celebrating
their job finished for the year
sharing their joy
giving us a show

Winter
baring their nakedness
the true character
of the tree branches are now seen
ever patient
awaiting a new season of growth



A Tale of a Salt Trail

He watched as the refugees wandered by
forced to leave their homes
all they would have left in this world
was that which they could carry on their backs

Food gone

Water in short supply

In their weakened state
much of what they started out with
was lost by the wayside
few had more than the clothing upon their backs

His heart was broken
for he had nothing to give
he knew
that he would soon be joining them

The new government was cleaning house

This was not the first time
he had been moved before
it was time to gather what he could
as he gazed in the mirror
he could see the trails of salt
still present upon his cheeks
from the tears
from last time



Is This His Weakest Link

Men often try to hold back their tears
through their tough exterior
they see this as strength

Do they not know
even sieves have a rough exterior
yet cannot hold water from passing through

Our heart are the source

Our bodies the sieve

Our emotions must pass through

To stop the water
from passing through the sieve
every hole must be blocked

Our source continues to flow

Our sieve fills to its brim

Our lives are made a mess as we now overflow

Their purpose has been altered
their usefulness is no more
their tears can no longer protect their hearts  



Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Careful With That Reaction

Is it not better
to live out on the edge
than deep in the middle
becoming a wedge
destroying a family
breaking them far apart
leaving them broken
when we could just depart

what about family bonds
shouldn't they be for life
regardless of differences
through good times or strife
are we really that shallow
when our feelings are hurt
that we give up on our family
just take off and desert

relationships ain't easy
they require some work
they're our responsibility
one we should not shirk
next time you've a beef
work it out, now don't scoff
after all, this is family
you'll be much better off





Distractions Are Deadly To Words

There is a way between voice and presence where information flows. In disciplined silence it opens. With wandering talk it closes. ~ Rumi

Often I have wondered
where the words have gone
they were there
really they were
just a moment ago
they were but an instant away
of the present moment
there was a slight distraction
and they were gone

I've searched everywhere
but they are nowhere to be found
the frustration
I began asking myself
aloud
what could have happened to them
soon I became frantic

Realizing the futility
I gave up
and yet still
shouting at myself
said
“TO HELL WITH THOSE WORDS”

“WHO NEEDS 'EM ANYWAY”

I forced myself quiet
emptied my mind
letting it all go
it was then that a strange thing happened
the words
all of them
returned





Rumi's River

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. ~ Rumi

From the heart flows
a river of love
this, a tributary feeding
a river of compassion
which offers up
a delta of hope
and finds its way into
an ocean of joy

Our heart we must share with another



Monday, May 12, 2014

Take Your Own Lead

Don't let others lead you. They may be blind or, worse, vultures. ~ Rumi

Life was grand
but you know how it is
there was never enough

it has been said
he who dies with the most toys
wins

as much as he had
there was still more
and he just had to have it all

he had run out of options
could not find a way on his own
to increase his hoard

one day he received a call
the voice on the other end of the line
had a proposal

FINALLY he thought
a way to have it all
with no sweat of the brow

he gathered together all he could
mortgaged his home
made the investment

he never heard that voice again
one was blind
the other a vulture



Crossing Paths

The crossing of paths
this is not accidental
there's a reason we meet
and it's quite fundamental

We each have a lesson
or a blessing to give
this is something we do
each day that we live

It might be some laughter
or their sorrow you'll share
it can be so many things
of which you're not now aware

Your day may be lifted
to heights you've not known
it could be the bad news
of a lost friend back home

But each path that is crossed
helps keep our lives underway
we become part of each other
molding our lives on the way



Sunday, May 11, 2014

There's Nothing Like It

It has the warmth
of a hearth
alive with the embers of hard woods
on a cold damp evening
satisfying more than your outer being

It has the freshness
of mountain air
crisp and clean
free of the filth and odor
created by the polluters

It has the feel
of crushed velvet
soft and comforting
delivering a sensation
more pleasurable than any trip to a spa

It has the taste
of chocolate mousse
so rich
topped with whipped cream
drizzled with caramel

It is LOVE



Saturday, May 10, 2014

Storms

The day so gray
the clouds hang low
you can smell the rain coming in the air
the distant rumble of thunder, warnings of a storm

They come more often this year
with them, more devastation
leaving death and destruction
in their wake

Tornadoes measuring a mile wide
hail the size of baseballs
rains so voluminous
a mountainside buried a town

Is that what's on it's way
how bad will it be this time
will the sirens sound in time for us to find shelter
whose turn is it today





Up the Crowded Down Escalator

Our peace can be lifelong
and we can float right along
like a leaf traveling down a calm river

One thing we must know
we must accept the natural flow
of what the river of life has to deliver

Sure daily we deal
with all that which is real
the key is to not to let it shake us

See when we act while we're shook
it's ugly stress that we'll book
and that's just not really worth all the fuss

We damage ourselves
trapping our lives on shelves
when unsettled dealing with our conflicts

When we fight tooth and nail
we'll be sure to fail
it's tough kicking against all of life's pricks





Monday, May 5, 2014

Duty or Heart

There's quite a big difference
between duty and heart
and the folks who need helping
can tell them apart

When you treat it as duty
you may get a “thank you”
but when it comes from the heart
you'll create life anew

They can see in your face
the direction you've come
if you feel burdened by them
it was duty you're from

But when it's compassion
causing you to be kind
you often give birth
to a new hope in mankind

It's written all over
folks who really care
it's shown in their eyes
and the attitude they wear

But either way
a man might sleep in a bed
a woman less cold
a child be fed

Does it really matter
whether duty or heart
when it comes to helping others
they can still both be a start





The Ghost

Before There Was Anything
There was the Ghost
And the Ghost was without form
Wandering the non-existence
Of what we today know as the universe
Cold and lonely
In his nothingness
It became time for the creation.
Looking about
He realized that all that was
Was within him
He was the only raw material
(so-to-speak)
And he decided to sacrifice himself
For the sake of creation
Imploding upon himself
Our universe came forth



Sunday, May 4, 2014

What Makes A Poem

Rhymes and metre
is that what makes a poem
or is there a style
you can make all your own

Maybe that's prose
how the hell would I know
I'm not all that schooled
I just write on the go

The one thing I've learned
and it's been a great start
has been to sit down and listen
to what's being said in the heart

It's there you'll find truth
and there's no better way
of sharing with others
that which you have to say




Take Life In Stride

Life can be easy
when taken in stride
but it must be lived
without too much pride

For an ego too large
brings with it a fall
many say no not me
but it happens to all

We rush through our lives
thinking we're in total control
not realizing that someday
we must pay the toll

It's that simple mistake
confidence starts to tumble
disappointment takes over
our world seems to crumble

But this need not happen
don't run off and hide
just slow it down some
and take life in stride



Saturday, May 3, 2014

Seven Letters That Just Might Make The Difference

I've a word, just one
that can truly make a difference
eliminate needless bickering of neighbors
change lives and birth peace
create a brotherhood among men

Imagine
no crime in the streets
no abuse of wives
or husbands for that matter
the end of war

People would care enough
to feed the hungry
to shelter the needy from the elements
to provide a coat to one who's cold
treating all as equal
regardless of their stature
their clothing
their color, creed, political beliefs
even their sexual preference

It is just one word
a mere 7 letters long
when practiced
will make all the difference

R eturning kindness while

E ngaging others with

S ensitivity being

P aid to who they are and what they believe

E qually in a manner

C ivil in our speech and

T reatment of them





The Deep and The Shallow

The deep
so quiet
as they ponder
what they see
and what they hear
their lives flow
in peace
without confronting
the turmoil
of todays world

The shallow
insist
that they
be heard
carrying with them
tumultuous times
living as if
a day without
confrontations
is a day lost

Both have lives
that flow
toward a final day
one is
at peace with himself
and the world
while the other
has fought
tooth and nail daily
without any real
happiness



Thursday, May 1, 2014

Drones Don't Take Names

Innocents die
there's no wonder why
when the wars that are fought
are from drones in the sky
you see the way that they're flown
is too much like video games
yet the targets they strike
well they have actual names
sure some are combatants
but many are not
should an innocent child
be in that cross-haired spot
what about grandma and grandpa
should they die for no reason
has war become no more
than a mass killing season
in war we must know
where the enemy lies
how can we be positive
from those far reaching skies
with no eyes on the ground
can we really be sure
you see once innocents are dead
there just isn't a cure