Petrichor

Petrichor

I know you well

it has been far too long

since your last visit

we have suffered greatly in your absence

but have survived

our crops will now flourish

your visit needed more than one could tell

your aroma is wonderful

now that the drought is passed

and the rain has come

The

The beginning

this must be the root

The end

seems to be absolute

The philanthropist

does he help all he can find

The bigot

I know there's more than one kind

The sea

more than seven to see

The land

tell me which one would that be

The title

can enliven ones mind

The word the

often leaves options behind

This word often says

there is only one

definitive as hell

for the writer no fun

yet we use it because

it's better than none

and quite frankly it fits

like a dog in a bun

Two Sides to Every Street

This world of ours in parallel

will only work its way to hell

their fond beliefs will never meet

and war their favorite meal to eat

The evil men they take their toll

always wanting more control

yet these words that they dismiss

will drive us to the great abyss

It's twisted people who find their gladness

by feeding off of another's sadness

how is it they don't know the score

when sending off their youths to war

And it's not only their politics

that seems to need to get in their licks

the religious crowd they want it too

control of the people, that means you

My hope is some day these folks will see

and maybe for a time they might agree

but I doubt the two sides will ever meet

when there are still two sides to every street

The Movie Screen of Memories

Within the confines of the eyelids

the entire cast of life is present

the show that has gone on for these 66 years

that's the show I have the privilege to watch

Privilege might seem a strange word to be used

there were

just as in any other life

the bad times

these were the times I learned the hard way

these were the lessons that had to be remembered

they're the ones that have brought me safely to where I am

You wonder about the good times

those memories are being played on the screen as well

they're the times that gave me a break from learning

everyone needs a break from time to time from the hard lessons

A person will never build the strength without the hard times

to survive in the real world you gotta understand real

and real doesn't come from playing and pretending

Ultimately, it takes all of ones life to make a person who they are

the bad times will always come along with the good

it's the balance of them that makes the difference

The good times

the play

the pretending

can build a body

the outside of a person

and make us physically able

But it is those hard lessons

the bad times as many see them

that builds the inside

the heart and mind

the intestinal fortitude if you wish

that teaches a person how to survive

Children will often play with fire

they are usually told of the danger

an easy lesson has been presented

but the danger never seems to be real

until they are burned by the flame

To learn the hard lessons of life is not often fun

but it is those lessons that protect us from future pain

How Wonderful The Self Hug Can Be

Arms crossed

hands nestled just below the armpits

so comforting

my eyes close

shutting out the world around me

I rest safe and secure within this self hug

this escape from a world filled with unrest

at least for these few moments

From here I can watch the gentle surf

the waves send the sea up along the beach

the it recedes washing the place where the sea meets the coast

Sometimes I am privileged to the company of the birds

they sing the tales of nature

and I am actually able to understand the lyrics

They call it a babbling brook

I hear the stories of the lands they have passed through

of the people that have sat on its bank

the brook seems to tell me of their conversations

conversations of peace, brotherhood and love for their fellow men

What a wonderful time this can be

sitting back

arms folded across my chest

hands nestled just below my armpits

within this self hug

in the silence of my temporary solitude

watching and listening

to all that should be

Witnessing the End

The sun rises

it also sets sets

each day passes

with growing threats

A world at war

no peace is found

the people suffer

hope is drowned

The sound of weapons

no sleep at night

rockets and missiles

increase the fright

But this violence is not found

on the battlefield alone

we have these senseless killings

right here at home

Will we see tomorrow

or be dead by dawn

and you ask why

so faces are drawn

This present day violence

should make us mad

but my lack of hope for mankind

is what makes me sad

Can man ever change

can he curb his hate

or have we gone too far

and it's now too late

How many more sun rises

will we see it set one more time

will there be more days to pass

or has man reached the end of his line

Giving Up is Not an Option or This One's For Me

I tried to read

my eyes so tired

the words

not much more than a blur on a sea of white

(did you know that having only one eye

you often cannot see past the floaters)

Occasionally they would clear but the story was all but lost

Do I back up and try again

or just quit

put the book down

give up

move on to mindless entertainment

The imagination is so far more desirable

The pictures the mind can paint

the completeness of the intent of the writer

the book so superior to the movie

(how often the transition of the story is missed

movies seldom do books proper justice)

How I yearn to be able to once again

sit and read for hours on end

allowing the art of the author to take me on a trip

trips that I have missed since that loss

The words have been shared

“never give up”

shouldn't they be remembered in all matters of our lives

I think maybe that it's time to go back and try again

I think, maybe I wrote this for me

It's All About Lust

Money, power

I gotta get some

if I ain't got the two

I just ain't the one

Week as a kitten

without any claws

what could I ever do

with two useless paws

Just give me the money

I'll buy me that power

I'll hit the ground running

and it won't take an hour

Don't get in my way

as I go on this run

I promise you now

you won't find it fun

I want what I want

I'll do whatever it takes

if it means burying you

it'll take less than two shakes

My lust is for power

you cannot deny me

how can you say that I'm evil

I'll have it, you'll see

The man used to care

his humanity meant all

but his lust for that power

had brought his great fall

There's more to life than power

success is not about money

those statements may seem strange

don't laugh, it ain't funny

Too much money and power

corrupt simple men

erasing their kindness

that they had back then

Often making them monsters

losing sight of who they were

and their pasts, they became

not much more than a blur

No love left in their heart

their humanity lost

not a show of any kindness

lust for power has a cost

The Eagle and His Dinner

Soaring high above the earth the eagle spotted it's dinner.

The rabbit, earthbound was minding to his own dinner

munching on grasses and leaves.

He was unaware of the danger that was far above him

The sharp eye of the eagle,

the silence of his lofty soar

gave the great bird an awesome advantage.

The great hunter dove toward the ground,

talons open,

ready to grasp onto his prey

and in an instant the rabbit was his.

The strong wings carried the eagle and his dinner high into the air.

Far from his nest, seeking the solace of his home to enjoy dinner

he climbed ever higher.

Spreading his wings to ride the thermals he lost altitude.

Again using his strong wings he ascended to the height needed

and again he found himself dropping back toward the ground.

This rabbit that he held onto in his talons

he found to be too much for him to hold onto and soar as he had hoped to.

He found himself struggling to fly.

The great bird began to wonder why he had chosen a meal so large.

The baggage of this rabbit had changed his life.

It was not for the good.

Baggage has No Place in the Talons of Eagles

To fly with the eagles

carrying baggage in hand

limits our heights

we must understand

With our wings always flapping

there's no way we can soar

when our minds tells your hearts

we must hang on to a some more

We're held back by that baggage

it keeps us close to the ground

with cluttered up lives

there's no real freedom found

Letting go of that baggage

will rewrite our life's story

and we can then soar with those eagles

when our hearts have no worry

His Story

He told of his life

all that went before him was included

he claimed that it had all been passed down

from parents

from their parents

and ancestors from far back

Another man

told me of his life

he too included

all that went before him

the tale also had been relayed through the ages

passed down through the generations

Their lives

the lives of their ancestors

had crossed

time and time again

yet their truth of those times

came across as quite different

I have decided that

we will always have more than one tale

we will always have more than one viewpoint

and we will always refer to these tales as

History

Political Correctness

Political correctness

is not for the masses

it's just always political

being used by the asses

to garner your vote

and get them elected

then they cast you aside

so sorry, rejected  

A Little Kindness

Helping the homeless

how do you choose

so many have said

just look at their shoes

But what if their shoes

were just given to them

what's on their feet ain't a home

bedroom, kitchen or den

Just follow your heart

when you know it to be right

you won't have second thoughts

there will be no inner fight

Too lift someones spirit

a little kindness deploy

your reward will be swift

your heart filled up with joy

The Great Divide

The great divide

religious fanatics

cause it to grow wide

in the name of their god

think they're saving your hide

when in all honest truth

all they do is misguide

The great divide

separates families

groom against bride

splitting up marriage

conversation gets snide

from their stubbornness

that's based on their pride

The great divide

the different beliefs

relationship fried

run aground on the reefs

partners have cried

days together are ending

as this trauma takes them broadside

The great divide

organized religion

cause folks to take sides

rather than bond

total lives are shanghaied

and still they aren't seeing

that the great divide as always has lied

Burgers and Fries

The simple life

of burgers and fries

maybe not the best for your health

but they're a feast for the eyes

The very thought of 'em

just makes ya feel good

whether you're on the road

or at home in the hood

Yep burgers and fries

your waist might despise

but who the hell cares

when you're out with the guys

Go get you some Wendy's

or Micky-D's down the road

Sonic or Five-Guys

let some fat now get stowed

Once you start eatin' some burgers and fries

you're doin' it right

when you let out your belt

and your pants are too tight

Hidden

It's hidden

what must it be

they don't want me to see

beneath those sheets of bigotry

Eyes that hold flames of hatred

faces twisted in bitterness

hearts that thrive on darkness

why do they worry concerning their faces being seen

if what they do they believe to be right and pure

why are they not proud enough to be known

As a child

there were things my parents said

NO!

you cannot do that

so I did “that”

whatever it was that was forbidden

became the target of my curiosity

the most powerful motivators a young one could have

is to forbid something from them

As a child I hid those things

(just as my children did and and all will)

that I did not want my parents to know about

concerning whatever it was I was up to

that I knew they wouldn't approve of

They were forbidden

thus hidden

Today we hide

words of belligerence and of a demeaning nature

flags that inspire the hatred of the past

faces of the bigotry of the so called better than thou crowd

and the truth

of what they do to harm our world

Hidden to deny they exist

These things forbidden

grow in power

taunting us to be part of them

causing more hatred to grow

directed at individuals

who have never caused us any harm

To hide that which is evil

will only cause the evil to grow

The N-word (if you are offended by it, please read something else)

Nigger's a word

that can be used as a sword

and once the pots stirred

our vision is blurred

They say it's so filthy it should never be said

and when it comes out folks go out of their head

said in hate by a white man he could end up dead

but if never discussed we'll not move ahead

Hiding it only gives it more power

a strength that keeps growing with each passing hour

but today our society shrinks back and cowers

with a political correctness that they view as a flower

Hid behind its first letter an N

some cannot even write it not even in pen

but the insult of nigger will ne'er see an end

if it's never discussed by mature adult men

See the racist gets taught when he's really small

by childish men who think they stand tall

harboring prejudice and hate that is always on call

and they practice that bigotry without ever a stall

When will we grow up

will we ever learn

if we keep hiding the issue

we will inevitably burn

Vietnam

Vietnam

A terrible time for our country

The fear of what was called

the domino effect

Communism would be at our doorstep

if we did not stop the North Vietnamese

It was our own freedom

we were told that hung in the balance

We sent our young men

they fought

many died

others crippled and those who were fortunate enough

to simply make home

became the victims of a nation

that showed no support for the soldier

But the war was not about our freedom

It was about fear

Fear that traveled throughout our government

that we could be next

Of course history now shows

that was not the intent of the North

all they wanted was their country reunified

Our boys came home

the nation turned its back on them

many today still live in the streets

as do present day returnees from the middle east wars

It was the Vietnam veteran

who vowed

never to let another vet go unappreciated

The people have learned

but sadly

the government hasn't

The fear they have now

is the loss of profits

they continue to send

other peoples children

off to war that for these youg men

and now women

holds death and dismemberment

without giving those fortunate enough to return home

proper care and support

Today is so different from yesterday

Yesterday

the people spat upon the returning soldier

Today

it is the spittle of the government that they wear

The Visit

He came

we said our hellos

and the hugs

they were real

Then we talked over a homemade pizza

the crust could have been thinner

the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil from the garden

they made up for it that crust

Catching up over lunch

just being together again

it's was a wonderful way to pass the moments we had

Seventeen years is a long time

he was so much younger then

no longer the same little fellow we knew

of course Gramma and I

well, we might have changed a little in his eyes as well

It became time to rummage through so many old items

left overs that we had saved from the past

his past

We all have a past

his was a little tougher than most

mom and dad both taken from him

the one in her death

the other imprisoned

He was only five at the time

He never had a chance

this past was thrust upon him

much too early in his life

actual memories may have been few

but the few that made their way to the present

brought with them emotional moments

When he left

he took with him the things that meant the most to him

much too soon for my liking

but I was his age once, I guess I understand

It's hard to part again so quickly

there were so many lost years

but there will be another time

our hearts will forever beat as one

and the hugs will always be real