Friday, October 31, 2014

The Autumn Breeze

The autumn breeze
the colors bold
loosing the leaves
both red and gold

Raining down
to meet mother earth
where they'll turn to brown
decay and feed a rebirth

A lesson that's rife
here for reflection
the circle of life
nature in its perfection



Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Man's Windows

Man's windows
to the world
his senses
open all
for his understanding
and his pleasure
his eyes feast upon
the beauty of the flowers
sun risings and sunsets
the colors of the leaves of autumn
his ears receive
the bird songs from above
and the sound of the babbling brook
his nose takes in
the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee
and the wonderful smells of the bakery
with it's freshly baked breads
his taste buds able to differentiate
the sweets from the savory
allowing him to enjoy the foods
meant to nourish him
and his touch
with its gentleness
not only to feel
but to bestow his love
upon another  



Monday, October 27, 2014

Just a Name

So, they say they are Christian
but how are they measured
do they act like their Saviour
can they truly be treasured

Or have they wandered away
from so many of his teachings
ignoring his words
it's his intention they're breeching

When you look at these people
quite often you'll find
they've forgotten his love
for all of mankind

Their treatment of black folk
less than human they were
three fifths of a person
not the Christians finest hour

Women had their day
in the churches not equal
again less than human
kind of like a rerun or sequel

Today it's the gays
trans-gendered and bi's
and these same so called Christians
have averted their eyes

Refusing to love
as that man Jesus said
gone to the extreme
of wishing them dead

Where is that love
where is their caring
are todays Christians real
or is just a name they are wearing





Sunday, October 26, 2014

Who are Those People

Where is Christ
they told me he was dead
I knocked all the doors
of all the churches
there was never any answer
I guess it's true

Has hope up and left
without him
what will become of the world

Who's that sharing his food
and providing a coat
to that homeless fellow?

Why is that person
giving his shoes
to that bum?

Did I just hear that woman
offer shelter and help with health care
to that pregnant teen with no home?

Do my eyes and ears deceive me
or is that.......

Wait a minute,

How come he's not in the churches?



Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Beauty of a Lemons Rind Hides the Sour Fruit Inside

I knew this girl, quite beautiful
and of course I thought, she's wonderful
until her mouth had opened wide
the words that she spoke were ever so snide
revealing to me what was deep inside
an ugliness that she couldn't hide
that proved her to be despicable
and made her quite unlovable



I Can Only Hope for that Someday

Both on the street
and battle field
the killings endless
they never yield

While all the talking
gets nothing done
it appears as they kill
purely for fun

I feel as though
I write this in vain
while so many others
continue to suffer their pain

If they who need to
will not listen
however will our words
ever glisten

Yet I'll continue to write
with hopes for tomorrow
that one day we'll wake
with none of this sorrow





Sunday, October 19, 2014

Own Your Own

No need to be threatened
by the beliefs of another
when the beliefs you have
are your own

No need to be upset
by their ideas and words
if yours are truly written
in stone

There's no need to fight
no need to argue
simple discussion
is a much better tone

For then if you talk
and learn from each other
you'll find in the end
you've both grown

Others words, ideas and beliefs threaten not when one truly owns his own.



The Fourteenth at Tomac Woods

I love it
I hate it
it's both my favorite
and least
a long and narrow fairway
lined by marvelous trees
so many different types
the colors
for a moment
cause you to forget how important
a straight drive is on this hole
the leaves in the landing area
tell you it really doesn't matter today
you're here to enjoy the course
wandering through the changing season
even now as autumn has taken full control
the joy playing
brings a smile that remains
ever present

Don't miss a day of it my friends

Don't miss a day!



The Breaking Down of the Wall

The wall had been built
strong and sturdy it was
it kept the state
from dictating religion

It's purpose to insure
that all men, women too
could believe, or not
worship, or not
in short to have their own faith
and that all may be treated as equals

It was built
to stop the witch burnings
to end the persecution of the baptists
to bestow upon all men, women too
the freedom to have their own faith

The differences were many
folks seemed to get stupid
thinking

“There's only one way
and that's mine”

“Laws should be made to
give me advantage”

“After all
can't you see God is mine”

They picked up the sledge
started hammering away at the wall
attempting to mold it, shape it, yes change it
and with all this pounding it started to fall

They were claiming the first
and yes they've that right
what they forgot
was the first was for all
they had picked the wrong fight

Then the fourteenth was born
to bolster the wall
build it back up
to insure to all
their rights be protected
but that wasn't enough
the hammering continued
and the state said

“ENOUGH”

“All have these rights
and you've no right
to deny them”

You claim you're non-profit
you've been given the freedom
to worship and believe as you wish
and in your church build your kingdom

But if you're licensed as business
I know this sounds hollow
but you've really no choice
it's the laws of the land you must follow

You've been given protection
and what did you do
started tearing it down
tell me

Who's encroached upon who?





Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Don't Miss the Important Stuff

Possessions and people
they'll come and they'll go
while the heart and the spirit
they're a world all their own

It's a world deep within
that's ignored by so many
who concentrate on the surface
only to miss their own beauty



Monday, October 13, 2014

The Earth is Ours, We are the Earth

We are children of the one creator
man has given him many names
but the names matter not
he is simply the ever present

We are all his creation
all of the same substance
I am but a small part of he
while he is all of me

Being one with the earth
the flowers of all colors
and the towering trees
the animals that roam
the forests and prairies

Being one with the seas
the gilled of the deep
the air breathers and shellfish

One with the heavens
the melodious songbirds
those great birds of prey
even the vulture
who displays great beauty in flight

They are all a part of him
all intended to be the answer
to the needs of another
the supply that sustains

He's not hard to please
he only wishes
to be treated with respect
a gentle touch
a soft footprint
use but don't abuse
and share it all
while traveling his paths

We are also the answer
to the needs of another

We are their sustainer



Friday, October 10, 2014

A Gentle Footprint

He had taken care
of each step he took
they were gentle
never destructive

Pebbles along his path
remained in their place
that path left open
no bridge ever burnt
always present
that others might follow
his footsteps

Gardens of flowers
ever fragrant
blessing his life with joy
always groomed
weeded so that others
might also enjoy their beauty

He had been taught in his youth
to respect all things of this world
for all things belonged to all people
to bless each according to their need

Destruction would deny a healing

His footprints were worthy
of being followed



Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Winter of Love

It was the dead of winter

A fresh snow had come
that pure white blanket
drifted across the walk
and just off the eves of my roof

The picture was like what you would find
only on a print done by Thomas Kinkade
That stone cottage
in amongst the trees
with a faint warm candle light
coming through its bay window

Warmed by the embers left in the hearth
we had explored each others bodies, minds and hearts
discovered that commonality only soul mates are aware of
we found a world that brought joy to both of us

It was the birth of our love






Wednesday, October 8, 2014

How Could I Not Love Her

Yes lust had come first
but love took its place
when once I discovered
she had more than a face
when I gazed in her eyes
I saw into her soul
she had this desire
to make everyone whole
she would care for those
deemed unlovely by most
to the down trodden and poor
she was ever the host
lifting them up
dusting them off
helping them to feel human
after they'd felt so lost
always the giver
denying herself
when they call and they need help
her life goes on the shelf
just why is she like this
I don't have that answer
the one thing I do know
is that I'll always love her



Poets Immortal

Poets immortals
ever with us
their ghosts still present
there's no need for to fuss

They mean you no harm
they're here for to bless
with the words that they've left us
they oft relieve our distress

Their words are alive
they are truly an art
a wonderful archive
here to show us their heart

These marvelous words
that we sit and we ponder
the stories they bring us
offer journeys to wander

The pictures they paint
with the ink that they share
introduce us to new places
and then take us there

They show us the heavens
and take us through hell
their inspired words
put us under their spell

Some are life lessons
others lessons of love
they document wars
and speak as the dove

Yes they live on
not one of them dead
they're truly immortal
as long as they're read





Monday, October 6, 2014

The Side we don't See

He had it all
not a worry one
his life a picture
of nothing but fun
he had all the toys
that one could ever want
and always in public
appearing so nonchalant

Why suicide
whatever was wrong
often it's drugs
that have stolen their song
was having it all
without any limit
the last nail in the coffin
that had taken the spirit

That will live
where does it go
what the hell are they missing
does anyone know
those rich and famous
why so hard pressed
to always appear
as their lives are so blessed

Down deep inside
they lie to themselves
their lives become wasted
the best parts have been shelved
always in character
ever playing their role
in truth they've run aground
on a deserted shoal





Sunday, October 5, 2014

Memories

Wonderful memories
bringing forth tears
the times of my youth
those long lost years

Often forgotten
hidden by years
of life's many trials
and day to day fears

Seldom they come
yet once they do start
they race though my mind
and again touch my heart

Bringing back feelings
I thought were long dead
taking me back
to my youthful homestead

We'd gather with friends
I can picture their faces
they're right here in my heart
though we're in far away places

These tears, they're the good kind
they take me back home
to spend time with my good friends
reliving days long outgrown



Old Friends

Old friends
no, not those of Paul Simon
there was no park bench
for them to sit on
they were not like bookends
different as night and day
was what they were
yet they were friends
from their youth
the very best of friends
now they had aged

As boys
they were inseparable
if you saw one
you saw the other
they did everything together
sandlot baseball
driveway basketball and boxing
worked a paper route together
they even attended ballroom dancing classes

Elementary school had come and gone
junior high and then high school
it was here that they started to become
two very different people

One was smart as a whip
he was also quite adept at sports
The other
well, not so much
The one went the college route
while the other entered the service
The one became a professor
the other a working stiff

Like I said earlier
two very different people

They now live half a country away from each other
they're no longer seen together
they haven't shared time
on the sandlot or in the driveway
in more years than one cares to imagine

Still they share the same memories
they continue to live in each others hearts
they're not Paul Simons
but they're old friends



Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Death of the Flower of Love

If your heart is a volcano how shall you expect flowers to bloom in your hands? ~Khalil Gibran

She watched him real close
still lost him you see
pushed him far away
thinking what business had he
spending his time
on anything but me
this was the main thought
of her jealousy

Well he'd done it again
watched a game with his friends
why would he do that
it drove her to no end
he ought to be home
there's no reason to go out
a tantrum should cure this
followed then by a pout

She was like a volcano
he could stand it no more
it was time that he left
she had a fiery core
her heart wasn't soft
their love couldn't grow
still he loved her like hell
but she just didn't know



Friday, October 3, 2014

some things are not meant to be FOUND

He sought peace at the beach
the surf was thunderous
though the sea was calm

He looked to the rain forest
the morning mist was light
yet sounded as if he stood under a tin roof during a downpour

The mountain top proved no better
he could feel no breeze
but stayed disturbed by the howling of a winter wind

Wandering the Earth
the peace he searched for
could not be found
giving up his quest
he sat upon a rock
strangely he felt tranquil



Happiness

Within
or
without

Where is it found

Is it ever with you
or
must it be renewed

The permanence of
ever with you
so real and alive

How many times
can it be renewed
before you're left without



I Will not Forget

I will not forget
I relive the moment
this bitterness
grows in my heart
see what you've done
stolen my joy
so much of my life
dedicated to finding
happiness

That part of me
that lacks the ability
to forgive

Thy name is

Thief



Thursday, October 2, 2014

I am a Product of My Past

I have seen what war has done
the vision entered through my eyes
touched my heart
I felt pain for those who were maimed and killed

I have heard the words of hatred
they entered cruelly into my being
burning my ears as they passed through
I felt sorry for the ignorance

I failed to stand up
to put an end to the harassment
of another
how low this made me feel

All that I had seen, heard and done
made me stop and think

Who was I becoming

Each person I met
was shaping me
steering me along
along my life's path

I was a product of my past
it made me who I was
there was no way
I could change that past

But learning from it

I could affect my future