He stood in this forest
of trees at night
and he couldn’t help but stare

at the light
peeking through the leaves
letting him know it was there

He gazed upon
this beacon of hope
waiting to say a prayer

asking God
what he wanted of him
and why should he even care

Then came
an ethereal answer
as if riding upon the air

“Look for all that is good
in your life
Then be grateful enough to share”

Can’t seem to read
between the lines
Can’t seem to see
the shades of gray
The adults in the room
have much work to do
if the children
are to remain at play

When the ingratitude
of never having enough
breeds feelings of defeat
when life’s not that tough
Come cries of self-pity
that aren’t all that pretty
because our shots off the tee
land in the rough

Forgive my sins
for they are great
and wish my past
be not my fate
I pray my heart
be void of hate
and hope this prayer
is not too late

In the absence of gratitude
self-Pity is there
to fashion yet another
cross to bear

The fright at the brink of his
waking
The sweat of his body’s
quaking
Only moments before
his face pressed to the cold steel
of the rail
Eyes fixed on the roaring machine
that force the wide in his eyes
each morning
Be a friend Sandman
Keep it all away until the light
Sworn by any natural law
not to betray him
they toss him to that steely
night freighter
only to return to their warm beds
It would be easier
if they were monsters instead

Sofie loves the sun
and now she’s having fun
thankful that Spring is near
and Winter’s nearly done
She skips out around the yard
rhyming like a bard
Her poems are like
these playful songs
to heal all the badly scarred