Monday, March 30, 2015

No Justification Needed

They spewed words
meant to offend

Their beliefs were not mine

They tried to change me
to make me see through their eyes

They were insecure in their beliefs
and what they needed from me

Was my approval, a justification

The reaction they sought
never materialized

Their anger grew
into a childish tantrum

To be secure means
never having to argue
your beliefs



An Honorable Movement

Who really wins
when you argue their folly
when it's your reaction
that gives them their jolly

It's your peace that is broken
personal harmony dies
shouting them down
is so seldom is wise

They seek to birth anger
with a message so sick
but living peaceful or angry
is your choice then to pick

But anger brings bitterness
and bitterness hate
that direction needs ending
before it's too late

A harmonious spirit
a peaceful heart
is an honorable movement
one we must start



Sunday, March 29, 2015

To Judge or To Love

The time that it takes
in order to judge
is time really wasted
when you could have shown love

As it is love that is needed
just someone to care
to lift up another
from their life of despair

A new man will emerge
yes from out of the blue
no, not the down trodden
that new man will be you

Your heart can be healed
simply by ending your judging
and channeling that time
to the practice of loving



Couldn't and Wouldn't

Is it couldn't or wouldn't
you know they're two different things

Do you not have the time
or simply won't take it
you've called me your friend
why do I feel that you fake it
each time that I need you
you just never do make it

Couldn't, no wouldn't
that's an action that stings

You said that you'd be there
but never did go that mile
should I accept this abuse
the way it's been done with a smile
you know I hate being lied to
but it really seems that's your style



Giving is Living

When ones heart is giving
their life is worth living
the smiles they receive
are quite enough

As their faces say thank you
and eyes well with dew
their need filled
today won't be as tough

This day they'll survive
once again feel alive
your heart being thrilled
your life being filled
your giving
to the living
has done the right stuff



Saturday, March 28, 2015

An Angel

Before him an angel
as if sent from heaven
to raise this mans spirit
as bread is from leaven

The man thought his needs
would never be met
yet right here before him
a new table was set

He ate of the bread
once again he felt whole
it was that angel who came
and returned him his soul



Friday, March 27, 2015

Hope, Where Art Thou

The dawn breaks
the sun aches
those left behind at setting time
cannot be found
only a cloud of despair

The cloud blocks the earth
from receiving his life giving warmth
the brilliant rays are stopped
this day sadly lacking now in any illumination
the people languish in their depression

Hope falters
when the sun
no longer shines
upon the earth
and its people



One Day at a Time

Feeling trapped
yet I must muddle through
the day dragging on
never sure what to do
but I make it each day
and I think I know why
at the end of each day
I just wave good-bye



Thursday, March 26, 2015

Aging

Though the days ramble on
and the years move ahead
a mind that grows old
is the one thing that I dread

A mind should stay young
the negative severed
keeping a fresh attitude
that we can cherish forever

Growing old
and growing older
to me they're two different things
the one is as winter
while the other
still spring




Youth

Our youth
the pressures they face
children fighting
for acceptance

fitting in with their peers
they strive for
it's a shame
so many have died for

where have we gone wrong
did we sing the wrong song
the lessons we taught
seem to have gone for naught

are we actually failures as parents

is it really our fault
have we pushed them away
what can we do
to help them today

turn this tide
so they've no need to hide
the feelings they harbor
so deep down inside

the hurt that drives them
beyond our hearts reach
unto the point
where their spirit's been breached

how can we help them
bring them back home
help them to feel
they're not so totally alone

get them to realize
that they're loved beyond measure
and here in our hearts
they are the greatest .of all treasure

I ask you
are there answers to this
if not we must find them
yes, that is truly my wish



Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Living Longer does not Mean Growing Old

Though I grow older
and closer to death
there's no reason at all
till I take my last breath
that I must act my age
or act as I'm old
I'll pause here a moment
you must find my statement quite bold

Yes I'm living longer
but I refuse to grow old
it's true, older I'll be
but the world I will see
through the mind and the eyes of a child
living my life free and wild
you see, youth
never goes out of style



Saturday, March 21, 2015

One More Lost Veteran Brother

He went away to save the world
at least that is what he thought
his government claimed that it was needed
a great lie that he had bought

But he went and served
then injured came home
where his government bailed
leaving him on his own

His body was broken
his mind had failed
no longer protecting him
he and his madness were jailed

Could no longer find work
losing his family and home
living now on the streets
he'd sit sadly alone

The days would pass by
one after another
till the day that he died
one more lost veteran brother



Friday, March 20, 2015

A Renewal

The sound of the wooden flute
it's as if I'm listening to the song of the warbler
those that visit at sunset
bringing rest and relaxation to the weary

Their song resting on a bed
of an ever present drone
of the didjeridoo
comforts and quiets me

There, the stick
beating on a block of wood
I feel as if there are
droplets of dew
falling from leaves from a tree above me
into a pool of water at my feet

It's as if the water of life
my life
is returning home

As the shamisens strings come alive
I see a field of wildflowers
they wave gently in the breeze
that is brought forth from its music

Peace is mine

Happiness abounds

My spirit is renewed



Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Bird in the Cage

The bird
in the cage
each day
woke with rage
squawking till loosed
the man
loved his bird
and his thoughts
often heard
of his wonderment
about its behavior
blind
to what love was
the bird died
became only fuzz
what he couldn't see
was the birds need
to be free





The Evil of Intolerance

The world it is mine
if it is here you wish to stay
one thing to remember
you'll live in it my way
for there is no variance
and no we do not play

You've now heard the rules
what is it that you say
accept or decline
there is only today
it is time to decide
or your body to go on display



To Love

To love
is not small
in fact
it's giving your all

Dying to self
when another has need
that's how it is seen
through that very deed

Oh yes, it can hurt
at times mortal pain
and sometimes frustration
can drive you insane

Yet you continue to give
and you'd have it no other way
not just for the moment
but until your dying day

Yes, this is true love
it's not infatuation
yet it's so seldom found
outside of imagination

If you've got it you're lucky
one of the few
and the blessings you have
are as droplets of dew

The dew is so fresh
these droplets so many, so fine
are a picture of love
brought forth from a mine

A mine that's been emptied
producing a treasure to give
to one truly special
for as long as they live



Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Closed Minds Begin to Stink

Is there a man more blind
than he who has closed his mind
to refuse to consider that which is new
his growth is halted
his path in life
becomes one of stagnation
overgrown with an algae
that chokes away any freshness
that his spirit requires
to remain useful
even to himself
everything about him
begins to develop the smell
of rotting vegetation



The purveyors of the End of a People

They came from the other side of the great water
they brought with them their customs
their religion
their guns
the only right way to live
was their way
and they had no tolerance for what they found
for here
at the end of their crossing
was a new people
people of a sort that they had never experienced

In the first days
it was these new found people
that helped them to survive
showing them the ways of this new land
but as these who had made this pilgrimage
learned to survive
they no longer found a use
for those who worshiped the earth
rather that their god

Did I mention
that they also brought with them
diseases

Today those diseases that they brought with them
are still rampant in our country
bigotry and hate are everywhere



Monday, March 16, 2015

Entering Chapter Two

I find myself alone
even the cats have slept in
there is a strange quiet that comforts the soul

Within my mind
there plays the soft music
the sounds of tranquility
dew dripping into the silent pool
doves gently cooing in the branches

I close my eyes
the moments pass
the music of remembrance continues

I have no need to seek peace
for it has found me

Though my shell
is of no further use in this world
my spirit soars

Chapter two
brings new life



Sunday, March 15, 2015

I Long for the Days of Old

Where have they gone
those days of old
when men had hearts
and weren't so cold

Family and friends
not thrown away
once you entered a heart
you were there to stay

Honesty, loyalty
the mark of real men
that was their measure
in those days way back then

These men dealt with honor
their word was their bond
it's these days of old
of which I am fond

I would they return
even if for only a day
that all men might learn
they've gone too far astray



Time, A Blessing

Sitting, waiting
writing once more
it was a blessing of time
that had opened a door

Behind it were words
that begged to be heard
but needed assembling
so I brandished my sword

Putting pen unto paper
arranging them with great care
those words became poetry
a breath of fresh air



Saturday, March 14, 2015

If it Doesn't Kill Ya

They say what doesn't kill ya
is what makes ya stronger
and when it comes
to man's fighting spirit
that's a fact

But when that spirit is gone
men become weak
as a fawn
and to stand on your own
is no easy act

There's a defeatist attitude
which fosters
their failing interlude
beating them down
as if they've been severely whacked

So please don't criticize
when you see someone broken
help them to stand
and don't be a token
show them you care
with more than words
merely spoken
become the strength
that they've lacked



Tears for the Children

Tears spilt for children
the hungry
the dead
the dying

We can feed the world
but we don't

We can stop the killing
but we won't

How many more innocents
must die
before these tears
need no longer be shed



Their Power has Poisoned the People

Lives lost
a terrible cost
for the stupidity
of men seeking power

Many children do starve
with no turkey to carve
for the stupidity
of men seeking power

Many more are now homeless
as the people grow hopeless
for the stupidity
of men seeking power

It's this power they seek
that paints a picture so bleak
for their stupidity
of caring only for power



From Trying to Dying

The failure to thrive
the longer man is alive
is the result
of when he quits trying

He feels he's played his last card
to move on much to hard
there's no hope
is what he's implying

Then his spirit it dies
as his mind tells him lies
and deep within
his heart is left crying

But now it's too late
once backed off from the plate
striking out
with little left but the dying



Thursday, March 12, 2015

Happy to be Here

Blind in the one
I see ok out the other
but the ears
they be ringin' all day
the knees ache when I rise
it's a pain I despise
an the back
needs support in some way
now the nose sometimes works
but can't identify much
the taste buds confused
whether food's sweet or sour
it seems I'm declining
with each passing hour
but it don't matter much
as you should be believin'
all that really matters is
that I'm still here breathin'



Monday, March 9, 2015

Bigots - haiku

Their words came as fire
scorching the spirits of men
Earth's peace now in flames



There is but One

They rode to war
outnumbered yet unconcerned
right was on their side
so they believed

no enemy could stand before them
their creator would ensure victory
should they die
he would welcome them home

the combatants met
the battlefield was as a sponge
soaking up the blood
of both armies

the soldiers spirits left their bodies
rose to the heavenly home they were promised
and enemies met once again
only to find they fought in the name of the same creator  



Sunday, March 8, 2015

More Than Evil

These wars my friends
have gone on way too long
the deaths of the innocents
are so totally wrong

they call it collateral damage
there's no winner in war
and accepting those deaths
not just evil, much more



A Horse With No Name

We've entered the desert
the horse has a name
we rode it to war
the day terrorists came
killing so many innocents
and today it's the same
because of that day 9/11

The lives lost
the mounting cost
how many did fall
who answered the call
to fight in a war
that can't even a score
delivered that day 9/11

For in the desert
our children still dying
families at home
left behind crying
so many because
of government lying
concerning that day 9/11

And the war still goes on
the region out of control
how many more
will we need to console
have we even considered
what will be the toll
of the horse we call 9/11



Saturday, March 7, 2015

Flames of Failure don't last Forever

So few days
but in many ways
the journey too long
the things that went wrong
there seemed no return
from the terrible burn
the flames of failure deliver

The dream too soon over
I'd counted on clover
but luck wasn't with me
it just wasn't to be
now everything lost
I had not realized the cost
then I began to shiver

Then my life turned around
I emerged from the ground
it didn't take long
to find that new song
which extinguished the fire
lifting me out of the pyre
the world then began to shimmer



Wednesday, March 4, 2015

There is a Way

Where is the road
the path they claim
leads to happiness

A hedge of despair
blocks it from view
as if trapped in a maze
with walls too tall
how am I to know
left, right or continue

I have come too far to return
to the safety of my old
and miserable ways

Oh how I want that to change
to leave depression behind

It has been my understanding
moving left or right
is lateral and gains no ground
I cannot simply move on
imprisoned by who I was
I must somehow move forward

The hedge still stands in my way

Is it really an epiphany
when the answer
is so plain to so many others

The only answer it to remove
that which stands in my way
and learn to laugh



Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Whispers

Whispers
shadowed words
said behind backs
when said aloud
they are often
hurtful

So much carelessness

These words unheard
leave behind insecurity
they breaks bonds
often forever
ruined lives
are left in their wake

Kindness has no need to be hidden
it is pain that resides in the shadows



Monday, March 2, 2015

My Own Little Private World

Sitting
waiting
music playing

the peace within is extraordinary

alone in a crowded waiting room
isolated as I enter my own little private world

people are in too much of a rush today
way too much
slowing down brings so much joy
lets my mind wander

I sit
relax
and travel
to places that have to be recorded in some way

but how do I paint all that I see
I haven't the words to describe
the places that have been shrouded
by a veil created through
today's rat race

there has always been a mist
blocking me from seeing reality
or was I just hoping that reality
was something else altogether

if I'm not given the words
how can I share these wonders
my inner most self has been attacked
by my own lack of belief in myself

my peace has become threatened
I feel the crowd
it seems as they are closing in around me

they demand that which I cannot deliver

how is it that I must continue to sit and wait
even the music has abandoned me

why must I be required to return
from my own little private world



Ogden Nash a limerick

What we know as a limerick were truly his swan
And over the poet we often did fawn
They were wrote in a flash
By the great Ogden Nash
But it seemed when he died they were gone



The Days of Limericks

The days of limericks
gone with the tide
thought as old fashioned
were they too hard to rhyme
or maybe thought childish
no longer taught in the schools
i hope we're not raising
a generation of fools
even old timers
seem to leave them alone
setting rhyme up with meter
is a skill that they hone
if we'd just write a few
and sharpen our mind
I think a lot of great poetry
is what we would find



Sunday, March 1, 2015

Up From the Embers

The flames do wane
yet the embers remain
there is still life within
a heart filled
with memories
a spirit and soul
warmed by them
my time upon this great blue marble
far from over
there is much yet to see
and hear
they bring new adventures
for the mind
it is as if new wood
has been found
placed upon the embers
creating a new life
from a revived flame



Don't Stop

To sing
laugh
and dance
is life
when we stop
our spirit dies



Paradise is in the Heart

Life in itself
can imitate paradise
when one has love in his heart for all
and lives respectful with everyone

Being satisfied with the little things
he will find joy in his heart
and beauty in all that he sees
there is no man more fortunate