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Feb 2016 · 607
resting place
gracious green rolls over me
like wind over smooth rock
relenting to the eastern shore
and vast sea

my window
to endless flickers
orbs from eons past
speak to me as if time
were a minor,
perhaps non existent entity

whisper to me once more
those words you spoke
the first time we set eyes upon the night
together

if only you could lay here
breathe in the air of forever
and view in wonder
our souls chasing the stars
Feb 2016 · 401
phenomenon
There are times in our lives when challenges may come
in the form of phenomenon
a remarkable word
for in definition it is; 'something that can be observed or perceived; a rare occurrence'
I believe most of us experience at least one phenomenon in our lifetime
It can be a life altering event or it can be immediately forgotten
as phenomenon raises questions, and questions raise inquiry and inquiry takes time
and most are simply too busy to delegate time to such frivolous things
I have lived a very mundane and ordinary life
yet I have witnessed more than my share of phenomenon
as a child I watched what I first believed to be a blimp
glide across the night sky without a sound
a strange light pulsating from within
it reached its closest point to me
then disappeared from my sight within seconds
in the blink of an eye
more recently I experienced a visitor in my home
for several weeks I could not see or speak to this visitor
but I knew the day he arrived and the night he left,
the most frightening night of my life
I've seen phenomenon in the form of coincidence that defy logic
not once but many times
and I watched a person who had passed to the other side
return to life

When it appears before you...embrace it
absorb and remember it
for it is real
I did not believe the information
just had to trust imagination
my heart going boom boom boom

- Peter Gabriel
Feb 2016 · 1.0k
here
here
cloaked within the desolate,
merciless shadows of time
i cling to that which has held me
when the dark becomes darker
and the hours become longer
i clutch the only hope remotely viable
in this wretched isolation that follows me
not like a curse
but more a tortured friend
i dream in the pleasure of sleep
and scorn my first waking thought
encircle me now
your shade is my only salvation
here
Feb 2016 · 487
here lay the bones
here lay the bones that dry
in the desert Sun
alongside those of the turkey vulture
that devoured the skin
before it rotted
here lay the shoes
that dropped as she run
screams that ran along the sand
until an iguana
heard a faint sigh
here lay the rusted remnants
of his 56 Ford
only 6 miles away
and 12 miles beyond
lay the bones of this sick *****
who in his frenzy to ****
forgot to stop for gas
Feb 2016 · 370
porcelain smiles
fragmented truths split the porcelain dolls posing in the next room
forever waiting on the badly impersonated wood shelves
for someone to break them
to save them from this torture
and they begin their well rehearsed lines this night
that will lead to raised voices and vile threats
that will lead to loss of control
loss of dignity
and something will get thrown
a glass, a spoon, a plate of salsa and chips
she will work her way to the bottom of the stairs
and allow herself one final scream before ascending
to her room
she will contemplate the porcelain dolls
as she catches a glimpse of them within arms reach
and they secretly plea for her to do it
but in their simple quiet beauty
they hold the only bit of sanity she can still touch
her only reason to cry
Feb 2016 · 306
as different as...
In light of day
I feel no more
I work I play
I shut the door
to feelings only night does hold
feelings deep within the cold
the cold and icy wall that shields
that which burns
that which yields
to secrets no-one shall discover
to dreams left vacant for my lover
questions too come with the night
to play the game or bare the light
this light that shines its brightest when
the Sun has gone
the dark descends
but why the thought so quickly gone
when day arrives
when rays of dawn
pour through the window
upon the wall
into thought
erasing all
I felt with night
I thought with light
that burns within
a few minor changes made to a 29 year old poem
Feb 2016 · 313
night caller
they search for the innocence in us
the naivety
the untriggered thought
when knowledge now comes in such small increments
as to be insignificant
life falters
you cannot create emotion, elation
sadness
when you have lived long enough
to rise above such mundane,
humane feelings
it is the curse of near perfection
I pity you
searching those empty, dark eyes
I sense how you long to be
human
again
Feb 2016 · 315
flicker
there is little light as i review
the empty pages i have filled
barren back roads map the years
stepping back
out of the Sun
the voices spoke
it is safe down here
it is quiet
what light remains
flickers weak
like wick submerged in melted wax
shadows dance
the voices speak
it is safe down here
it is quiet
Feb 2016 · 306
played
i am unprotected
at the mercy of
in the grip of
these most vile tormentors
they visit when i am most distraught
and play for me my most delicate dreams
the precious moments i have lost
that lead to solace i'll never know
outside these lucid scenes

demons of a tortured mind
the life i've missed
played before me these eternal nights
the lost dreams of a fool
Feb 2016 · 475
on ice
they have arrived
the little girl in her pretty Sunday dress
and hat with red ribbon
laughs in delight as her new puppy jumps
pretending to nip at her hand
and the parents smile from the park bench
as a breeze whipped in Summer smells
and a far off awakening storm brings a coolness to their skin
the tops of the trees look like waves of blending greens
from above
and the sensing of change awakens the resting birds
they join others in flight to the south
and from a higher view the shadow is seen
like a moving wall
making it's way down the coast
the Sun disappears
mile after mile
inquisitive heads turn to the darkening skies
and one by one discover this is no storm
not shadows cast by clouds
but of something else
they have arrived
and they have sealed off the Sun
twenty eight thousand years would pass
before their return
to claim this prize for themselves
the lifting of the seal
they inspect their new home with anticipation
and fascination
a little one runs past a park bench
two frozen sculptures are huddled together
and two more appear to be playing
in timeless wonder
the little one turns to it's elders
hoping to gain approval
to pick up the pretty hat with red ribbon
Feb 2016 · 319
crossed
I believed she had fallen
into the dark of her mind
to forever languish in a sea of shadows
but she had only toyed with her thoughts
walking the edge of the abyss
she kept one thought alive
and here
now
in the life giving light of the Sun
she passes unknowing
that in one moment
long ago
our lives had crossed
and somewhere within that instant
in the whole of time
one life was returned
and another began
Feb 2016 · 428
Anneliese
demons took you
haunted by your innocence
and the power of your convictions
I am saddened by this life
unfulfilled
I mourn for what we lost
perhaps a Saint to be
a reflection of God's will
your light shone bright
through the cracks of hell
I trust you reside in the purest of light
that your soul shines in another
and that I shall again witness
the beautiful smile of Anneliese
Anneliese Michel
Feb 2016 · 299
I return
and as I face the fires of a new day
I place my truth in a jar
like an old man's teeth
twisted, honest smile
waiting for me
and the hours burn
the shore more distant
the eye less clear
yet I make my way
and undo the lid
hoping, searching I return
to me
Feb 2016 · 1.6k
the bluegill and the sunfish
....and so they swam together
the Bluegill and the Sunfish
respectful of one another
surviving each other
sharing the moths and flies and grasshoppers
that i provided them
taking turns snatching each from the surface
in their 10 gallon pond
that sits on a table in the corner,
serene
one day I mistakenly added a 3rd
and together the Bluegill and the Sunfish attacked,
plucking one eye of the stunned little Perch
'If you wish to view us swimming together
whilst you contemplate another pathetic poem,
do not add a 3rd to our happy little pond
unless you plan on getting a larger pond!'
it was difficult to understand them through the bubbles,
but I got the message
I had no room for a bigger pond
so I let them be
I took One-Eye Perch back to the big Pond and released him
I hope he's still not swimming in circles
for many months they gave me much pleasure
I'd watch them chase each other through the sunken tugboats
and fake sea plants
seeing their surprised, then angry looks
when they'd bite down on a rubber worm I'd toss in their pond
only to eventually laugh about it
very often they'd come to the corner closest to the tv
and watch 'The Simpsons' with me
One day I realized that they had grown too big for their little home
and I sadly faced the fact that they must be returned to their birthplace;
the Hill High Pond
the next morning I gathered up Bluegill and Sunfish in a small bowl while they slept
I paddled a canoe to the middle of the Pond at daybreak and awoke my friends
at first they seemed confused, but it quickly dawned on them where they were and what my plan was
I gently lay them one by one into the clear, calm water
as they swam away slowly
turning to wave their little fins in both goodbye and thanks
a Carp the size of Moby **** appeared from below and made a quick snack of them both
a tear welled in my eye as I stare dumbfounded at the unsettled water
a Catfish that looked remarkably like Fred Sanford
stuck his head and whiskers out of the pond just long enough to say;
" Ain't that a *****!?"
I paddled reluctantly back to shore
where I spotted an old man fishing from the edge
apparently he had witnessed the entire episode
"Years ago I got friendly with a tuna I'd caught in the Black Sea
came home one day just in time to see his tail hangin' outta my cat Charlie's mouth
first rule of the Sea, son
Never get attached
they'll just break your heart"
...and so goes my tale of Bluegill and Sunfish
a tail of two fishes
Feb 2016 · 355
Brewsters
In the back of Brewsters
where I always sit
watching the ladies dance
weaving their way through the gray cigarette smoke
clicking curves as the strobe light dances with them
Gloria serves up the intoxicating mixes
and teases the ***** hopefuls
who know they haven't a 'snowball in hell's' chance
the music thumps as Manny pummels
another joker who had a bit too much
as the hour of closing draws near
she slides by my table and smiles an invitation
I've been noticing her noticing me
as her 3rd partner heads to the head
leaving an opening for a 4th
not one to pass up an opportunity
I move onto the floor and quickly
work up a sweat that blends
with the rising inferno
'Smooth Operator' ends the chaos
and our bodies are now one
speaking in sighs and moans
of what is now obvious
this dance will not end at the end of this song
Gloria winks again as I grab my jacket
from the back of the chair
the smoke parts as we make our escape
based on a bar 'Michelle's' that I visited frequently as a young fellow
Feb 2016 · 298
link
pause
if for a moment
let your life force
melt into the energy that surrounds us
from battles fought within this
and alongside those occurring centuries past
from the first innocent child to see the Sun
we are the sum of these energies burned
we are the children of what came before
ever changing from ingredients
added to evolution's melting ***
from sea to cave to moon
and beyond
perhaps a home reflected
in the eye of the Hubble
energies link will lead us there
our beginning
Feb 2016 · 337
ghost at my window
A ghost is at my window
her eyes a demon red
she waits in patient silence
then moves upon my bed
she bends my dreams to please her whim
she steals my lover's sleep
unfolds her lust to pull me in
my soul now hers to reap
until the Sun creeps in to free
my heart in day's return
a ghost waits at my window
her kiss again shall burn
Feb 2016 · 307
long ago forgotten
I walk in dreams of faint vanilla
left to tease my senses after you have gone
that smell
long ago forgotten
I run through snow-covered fields
jumping to touch your smile
that floats just out of reach
that smile
long ago forgotten
we dance in rooms of endless halls
and whisper love's mystic words
that gently echo into forever
those words
long ago forgotten
we fold into each other
turned liquid by the thousand candles
that surround us
we touch that realm made possible
only by our love
a realm
long ago forgotten
in my waking world
Feb 2016 · 454
Lost in Van Gogh
In shallow pools of reflected thought
a child's face
sad and transparent
floats above a wheatfield
thick in bright yellow
amidst a flock of still crow

a shadow dressed in tattered pants
and a paint-stained shirt
brings a smile of recognition
to this lost child
then fades with a sudden gust of wind
the crow take flight
the wheat bend and sway into consciousness
our hearts are numb with the beauty of his pain
Feb 2016 · 374
illusion
lost in the hum of indifference
is the whimper of fading love
held captive and suppressed in false contentment
is the cry of a beaten soul
shackled by the devouring wind of illusion
this wounded heart beats
yet bleeds
of insignificance
Feb 2016 · 1.1k
The Birdman of Pine Grove
Winter wind makes it's way down this Virginia mountainside
creating the hum of bending trees
dogs bark at moving deer
light slowly leaves
as it nears closing time at this country store
wood burning stoves are stoked
and the small mountain town of Pine Grove
settles in for a cold night

One last visitor arrives
his quiet stride moves with the wind
I'm greeted with that childish grin
that never leaves the Birdman
he is James Dean cool
John Wayne tough
and Jimmy Stewart kind
his visits are like a good bottle of wine
always ending too soon

He winks and says; 'Goodnight brother'
then walks into the darkness
the Birdman left us this night
riding the wind to the kingdom he knew awaited him
The Birdman (Todd Torrey) died at age 53
he was a regular customer in my little country store
I sent this piece to 2 local papers and they each published it
one morning just after opening
his widow walked in my store and set about a dozen letters
she'd received from friends regarding the piece on the counter
they were all very positive and she said I had captured his spirit
if I never have a book published or have my work read beyond the friends
that stop by this site, those few words from her were all the reward I'll ever need
Feb 2016 · 1.6k
delicate dream
I refuse to surrender my delicate dream
that arrives with each rising moon
words come to play in a new color scheme
like a dance, the rhyme writes the tune
a connection I trust is somewhere made
when I share with the sad and reclusive awake
how the Sun is alive when observed from the shade
what a difference a thought can make
Feb 2016 · 934
Dyatlov Pass
It is not the secrets that we should fear
but rather, that which is known

The savage cold
the howling wind and blinding snow
the unforgiving heart of Mother Russia's Winter
this is what we endure
lest we shall never be called the best

Today we have drifted slightly off course
and must pitch our tent on this mountain side
so as not to surrender valuable distance
in the tent we warm ourselves
with our bodies and small heater
we tell stories of our childhood, our families
and our sweethearts
these are the moments most cherished
moments that we take home with us
that remain forever

Just as the swirling winds are about to send us to dream,
flashes of light, the scream of some unholy machine
and the shadows of terror thrash about like demons from our worst nightmares
someone grabs the ax and begins to rip the tent
from the inside out and we run for our lives
barefoot and frightened beyond all comprehension,
beyond all logic
we run as fast we can into bitter cold and biting wind

Four were ravaged while the others were separated
and they watched us until we froze,
too panic stricken to move toward the tent where warmth awaited
perhaps the thought of an even more unbearable death
kept us there
where we were found

this is our story
known as Dyatlov Pass,
named after our leader
and harboring nine souls
who never crossed
the mountain of the dead
February 2nd, 1959

It is not the secrets that we should fear
but rather, that which is known
there are no confirmed conclusions as to what took place at Dyatlov Pass
Feb 2016 · 1.0k
my father
curious child
peering from the bedroom door
half open
standing in the shadows
i watched him
he sat in his easy chair
right elbow propped
cigarette placed between index and *******
light from the tv flickering off the walls
smoke snaking its way to the ceiling

my Father
in his sixties then
lost in the vapid juvenility of Hee Haw
my Father
whose poetry i had discovered
tucked away
out of sight
out of mind
this little black book where he kept his soul
waiting
if he ever decided to find himself again
or perhaps to just remind himself

in the early stages of alzheimers
i saw him cry for the first time
wondering aloud
why after struggling for so many years
he was rewarded with a failing mind
and the loss of a friend
a friend left behind in a black book
a friend i never knew
Jan 2016 · 471
dreamers
we are but dreamers
you and I
we search for love
yet turn an eye
away from lovers
kind of heart
it is our fear
to play the part
our souls burn bright
yet we are cold
the more we love
the less our hold
on those equipped
to share our tears
yet bring to life
our deepest fears

find me while you sleep tonight
imagine one who sees your light
believe it true
you'll know I'm there
bring me to the dream we share
Jan 2016 · 2.0k
battle scars
Battle scars of lives once known
have come to haunt my waking life
I clench the wheel but waves have thrown
my modest journey into strife
clouds pelt rain from mighty storms
that rage relentless on endless seas
thunder rolls and figures swarm
the mountains dark and void of trees
the wind and rain like needles cold
submerge my desperate plea for light
the day now distant, faint and old
like a child's balloon drifts out of sight
there is no place for memories here
the waking life will pay the cost
seas are littered with those that fear
the echoes of the battles lost
Jan 2016 · 394
dreams awaken
voice calls gently in the night
dreams awaken lucid flight
gazing from Orion's shore
Angels open Heaven's door
shadows cross the face of Mars
lovers count the falling stars
Sun evokes a gentle breath
to mark another twilight's death
awaken dreamer to morning's light
dreams rest silent til birth of night
Jan 2016 · 410
old man at the corner store
Dreary eyed old man dreams of days past
his youth
he looks with a distant sadness through the window
perhaps to a spot where he once played as a child
a spot now made of concrete and steel
perhaps to a tree no longer there
under which he first kissed his lady
his only lady
who left him suddenly so many years ago
perhaps to a field now littered with progress
a field he worked for thirty years
he can almost taste the sweat on his lips
'Oh, to be young again' he thought

'Here's your change, Pops!'
said the purple haired, nose ring clad cashier,
unwittingly
'Perhaps not' the old man muttered to himself
as he shuffled into the Sunlight
okay...I'm not a big fan of those giant nose rings...studs are fine, but when you look like steer for auction, I draw the line...maybe it's because I'm an old man too! and hair color...I could care less...I'm really just looking at it from this guy's perspective...plus, she was rude! :)
Jan 2016 · 1.0k
balance
Some say I reflect only shadows
only darkness
only fear
am I to be negated for this
perhaps
accurate observation?
did Poe write of whimsical romps
through flower gardens?
did VanGogh paint in colors of glee?

balance
the dusk
the dawn
the unwitting pawn
the king who holds court
the peasant who merely survives

view from my pulpit before you judge
stand in my shadow before you declare
that I am without light
Jan 2016 · 377
web
web
you wear that cape of innocence so well
smiling, blinking, glancing
deception wreaks from you
draw them in
like a spider flashing diamond eyes
upon its back
only to turn and bite
when they are near
but I am not fooled
your web cannot reach here
your eyes turn cold when you look my way
for you know
that I see beyond those eyes
beyond the reach of your victims
you have given of yourself to me
and my soul remains undamaged
bitter loss my sweet
weave your web from my view
for I am unmoved
I add nothing to your insatiable demand
for power
Jan 2016 · 1.7k
a playground scene: 1967
the thought of death is an uneasy thought
in my case it's a ****** nightmare

on the 16th day of May, 1967, Mr Youngblood took his 6th grade class to the playground as he always does, every Tuesday after lunch. The kids spread out to their usual positions. Some played catch with Mr Youngblood. A few, like Roger and me went to the basketball net and several played on the monkey bars, both of which were part of the big asphalt square. Just opposite this area was the soccer field and then some good distance between that and the Middle School. Lots of open space for a bunch of suburban kids to have fun. The Sun was bright and the wind was light and the temperature was right around perfect. We had been playing for 10 minutes or so when the wind picked up and clouds seemed to move in out of nowhere. We all thought it must be a storm coming...and it was. A distant laugh froze everyone. At first no-one saw him, but then we all saw him at once. He was walking across the soccer field towards us, long deliberate strides. Where he came from is a mystery as there was nothing but open land behind him for several hundred yards. He was tall and lanky and as he approached us, I noticed that his face was contorted and discolored...a pale, almost painted white and he had jet black hair combed back, long and greasy. His lips were thin and black and his eyes bloodshot and almond shaped. He wore a black suit, a black shirt and candy apple red tie. He looked like a mosh-up of Curry's Pennywise and Ledger's Joker, only I would have traded for either one of those ******* right now over this guy, ten to one. He came to the edge of the concrete square. Johnny ****** his pants and Charlene fell from the monkey bars, landing on her left side and causing a compound fracture, her radius protruding from her skin leaving her hand dangling like a dead fish. She did not scream either because she was scared it might draw his attention or she was going into shock...or maybe both. He took two more steps forward and then began laughing as if he'd just heard the funniest joke he'd ever been told. His teeth looked as if they'd been replaced with shark's teeth. I swear there were rows of them and his mouth stretched inhumanly wide. His laugh slowly winded down to a snarl, and he gave a long look to each one of us, as if he was burning the faces to memory. And then he spoke..."You children just go on having lots of fun! Well, except for you Johnny...didn't your Mom just rip you a new *** for ******* your pants at Grandma's? shame, shame!" And Johnny was off...tripping twice before he got his feet under him. "You run home and ...Ha Ha Ha...oh my...change your pants, you pathetic little ****!" Mr Youngblood picked up Charlene and started to carry her inside. By this time her pretty pink dress was soaked in blood. The freak addressed him. "Nice man...but you can't save them. In a few days they will all be mine." He laughed again and every kid ran for their lives back to the school. I was the only one who stayed. To this day I'm not sure why. He turned and walked towards me slowly. "What have we here? The little man isn't running with the others. Are you not afraid Billy boy? Afraid for your life?"...and he leaned in close...close enough that I smelled a foulness that cannot be described. "Because that is what I'm here for...your life!" "Who are you, I asked" and with that his dark black and pointed eyebrows raised and he straightened up. "Who am I...Who am I? My, my the boy has a backbone. The nerve to question while others lose control of their bladders. Well, I'll tell you who I am, child. I am God's worst nightmare. I am every ***** little secret thought you've ever had. I am evil in all it's forms wrapped up in one little package and sent to collect the souls of the innocent. All of you here today will be mine tomorrow. Roger will fall down the stairs off of his front porch and break his neck. Charlene will die from infection due to that nasty little accident and Becky will be hit by the school bus Thursday morning. That will be most nasty! Almost a decapitation. I won't bore you with the rest, but they will all die. Hmmm...you know what Billy... I like you, so I'm thinking, perhaps...yes, I'm going to make a special offer to my new special friend. I won't take your soul until you die from natural causes. What do you think of that idea? At that moment, when your family is gathered round your bedside after suffering that...well, maybe you don't want to know the details... you will see a bright light...but you won't be going towards the light Billy...at that moment I will place my hand on your shoulder and that light will slowly fade into darkness and we will meet again, and you will become my apprentice. So, what do you think of that, Billy? Do you want to be my apprentice, or do I **** you now? Come, come...I haven't much time!" I tried to answer, but my mouth was as dry as cardboard and I could only manage a weak gasp. That laugh again and he turned and walked away in the same direction..."I'll take that as a yes. Remember, you are mine upon your death, Billy boy!" The wind died and the Sun appeared again.
By the end of the week, every child on the playground that day had died...exactly as he stated they would.

And now you know why, even in my darkest days, I never, ever contemplate suicide.
this story was prompted by a Joker bobblehead I found in a collectibles store that is creepy as hell
Jan 2016 · 517
til death
I have fallen to one knee
as I turn to see your shadow,
just in time to prepare for the second blow
in these final seconds before,
the state between death and the dying thought
one's life does play out
in a wave of weaving shadows
on a pillow of blinding white light
my last conscious thought
of your eyes,
the day you looked at me from across the room,
from across the universe
in death one can hear,
for you repeat as you look upon my bloodied body;
"cheater! cheater!"
I can only summize you refer to the lipstick on my collar
put there by your mother
who I happened upon at the grocery store
while picking up your favorite yogurt
you always were the jealous and suspicious one,
but I love you just the same
Jan 2016 · 422
the storm has come
the rain beats endlessly
upon the ears
it snakes it's way inside this house
wrapping itself around the grief
and drenches us with sadness
the Sun resides in a far off place
where smiles await
where joy finds refuge
in time
the storm will remain here
will darken these rooms
and blur the days ahead
what light finds it's way
will only serve to cast shadows
i will understand her grief
i will wait beside her for the cloud to unwrap itself
for she is her father's daughter
and i know so well
this storm
sadness depression loss
Jan 2016 · 591
white
As the Winter storm approaches
to cover my world in white
a blanket pure as fresh picked cotton
endless in my sight

I shall sit outside my mountain home
and watch it all unfold
a foot or more would warm my heart
if this old man's truth be told

See and hear the softest noise
in each flake's slow descent
a beautiful word
a symphony heard
inspiring event

I will close my eyes in prayer
as the final flakes are falling
and will be at rest
when the white is gone
for this day
is my calling
Jan 2016 · 784
dream's dilemma
Through the walls of narrow minds
walk the paths they guide
within these walls
the sparrow finds
a nest to feed it's pride
burdens drag as dusk descends
sleep may hold the key
for in the dark
the bravest bend
the weak a chance to see
follow that which follows you
pull the deepest root
dilemma soon must leave the nest
to bear forbidden fruit
Jan 2016 · 451
in a colder place
I find myself in a colder place
growing older, not wiser it seems
the light has subsided from my face
fixed in the stare of old dreams
a simple life I once desired
a partner and children to love
a haven from those who relent
who are mired
in the madness a few rise above
I grow slowly and silently into this place
of solitude and fear
that I am drifting too calmly
that I am hiding too well
for another to find me here
Jan 2016 · 589
am i worthy
am i worthy of such a love
this simple man, this fool
whose darkness shines in dead of day
the night is where i dwell
only howls in the distance
and the silent call of the lost
spark my soul to move

am i worthy of such a love
whose light burns like a thousand Suns
illuminating the same darkness i call home

there is beauty in this world
beyond the desolate thoughts
beyond the pitch black that i see
beyond the colorless landscape where i dream
She resides there
this endless field of light and hope
this world i long to touch
am i worthy
Jan 2016 · 399
burning fields
Spoiled centerpiece at table's edge
red apples turned a dull brown
grapes withered and wrinkled
like the hand that lay motionless
sprinkled with drywall dust
tv screams in neutral static
the only surviving kitten suckles it's lifeless mother's ****** in vain
the burning corn fields crackle and snap
the skies turn a smokey haze
before the Sun disappears on schedule
somewhere along the road
Grandpop and Joe are in the truck
with melted ice cream
they were bringing back from town
Jan 2016 · 1.3k
heritage
In the fragile hands of my little girl
who knows not the agony of my years
nor realizes the joy she provides
the balance her innocence brings
she holds a picture
framed in red oak
figures in black and white
posing beneath a gray tree
which no longer provides shade
on a hill no longer there
she talks to them in almost silent whispers
those who were gone before knowing her first breath
those I miss so desperately
she sets the picture back in it's place
and for a moment looks achingly sad
'tell me about them Daddy'
she says
Jan 2016 · 550
I have yet to write
I am very tired
yet I have much work to do
I have yet to write of the child in me
that kept you close and made you smile
I have yet to write of the terror in me
that held life and death on a precariously short leash
I have yet to write of my love for you
though draining and awkward
was the love meant for this soul

Take me to where the light follows the waves to my feet
as she settles
behind the horizon
and I will write my final words
in the hours that remain
in the moments I have saved
in the grace of the setting Sun
Jan 2016 · 257
There's a hole in my heart
I remember a line from a movie long ago;
'There's a hole in my heart that cannot be filled'

It was five years ago I had first heard of him.
'Hayden sat next to me at lunch, Daddy,' she would sigh,
and we would tease her,
her older brother, sister and I.
'Well, you need to talk to him, tell him that you like him'
'I can't do that, the kids would make fun of me. Besides, I'm only six!'
From kindergarten through 4th grade,
this modern day Tom Sawyer had captured my little girl's heart.

We sat in the back of the church,
Hayden's Father is saying goodbye to his son.
She rests her head on my shoulder,
her strength deeper than my own.
I came to know him this day,
this beautiful child who brought a light to my own.
His huge, brown eyes reflecting love of youth
and the joy that resides in innocence.
Those moments so pure,
her thoughts of Hayden will no longer grace our lives.
How wonderful they were.
There's a hole in my heart that cannot be filled,
and the light of childhood has been dimmed.
The balance of joy and pain has come much too soon
to one so young, my little girl.
Hayden died when he was struck by a falling goal post during a soccer game in which he was the goalie. It was an incredibly difficult time.
Jan 2016 · 223
the pass
Hold fast the crescent moon
stay the edge til the orb be full
time and spirit will arch your view
crack the void with specks of light
breathe deep in a pause of hope
step away from a second lost
freeze the spiral pattern laid
blank the screen of thought
succumb not to the tide that pounds
your bleeding heart like a thousand drums
deny the ocean another soul
turn
and feel the Sun
inspired by the 'Rush' song of the same name
Jan 2016 · 484
temporary insanity
she walks at the edge of my sanity
and knows she can cross the line
where reason becomes a distant thought process
where anger engages fear
and control is hers
where the power she feels
excuses her brief, uncontrolled period
of love
Jan 2016 · 424
silence of the Sun
and in the final hour of destiny's call
she turned and ran like a scared child
I watched her golden hair
bounce and fall about her face
her eyes, her beauty intact
she looked back before turning a corner of pure light
that blazed me blind
only the negative image remained
for a few sweet moments
then burned away
into eyes that were raining
behind the deafening silence of the Sun
I know this piece leaves many unanswered questions...and that's exactly what I intended
Jan 2016 · 580
embers
I will find
in the remnants of a lost love's thought
some semblance of warmth
some piece of a dream past
some hope that it may rise again
from the embers
of a once blazing heart
Jan 2016 · 1.4k
the poet returns
In the haunts of a shadow he dwells
unseen
so as not to surrender his stoic vision
unheard
eyeing his subject with cat-like secrecy
prowling among the broken souls
absorbed in the sorrow of the hopeless
destined to report on the status of pain

from his silent pulpit
to silent eyes
the poet returns
to affix a smile
Jan 2016 · 236
Moving Pictures
In silent, moving pictures
brilliant flashes of horrific red
shrugs of shoulders when told to stay
turning of heads toward the grassy knoll

in silent, moving pictures
it screams to us
'A ****** hidden in the wood'
vision from the past of this fallen Hero
yet missed this day
and taken away
all but one

the vast universe is within our grasp
galaxies crystal clear, though light years away
yet what is viewed in front of us
we cannot decipher

in silent, moving pictures
the killer is killed
no words are revealed or ever written
those who spoke, forever hushed

in silent, moving pictures
it screams to us
but the screams become faint
and what is known by few
will pass to no-one
Jan 2016 · 280
King of Lost Souls
Ghosts of bitter sorrow reign
within my somber, dark domain
tears of Angels streak my walls
cast aside, they walk these halls

voices echo in the night
whispers of their lonely plight
lost souls searching, drawn to me
window to the living sea

I am haven for their grief
once the king of disbelief
hidden here like tears in rain
they find solace in my pain
Jan 2016 · 574
my eternal
the grass has covered your stone
such a sad thing to be hidden
though just a name
it has rained for several days
and the nights stay warm
others are here
and they too mourn
silently
on bent knee
to tend to theirs

I want to tell them about you
I want them to see your name
once again unveiled
such a sad thing to be hidden
one as beautiful as you
quiet heart
in a loud world

the Sun now hides
as dark clouds open
tears and drops of rain
fall as one
the wind stirs
and I see you in my thoughts
you are not forgotten
Jan 2016 · 379
scatter
Memories of a life are blurred
dreams entrusted
now only dreams
thoughts turn into hollow words
endless seas
now shallow streams

Share with me your life content
so I may know that sacred place
where those whose futile life is spent
not stumbling through an empty space

I once knew a time when golden light shone
where two in love could make a stand
against the world we stood like stone
unfazed, unbeaten
an imagined land

Then time unseen
like a stalking beast
hid in shadows
silent
still
dimmed the golden light of love
pictures scattered
of a life to fill
did a major re-write on this one this morning. written many years ago. I think it still needs work...but here goes
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