There is pleasure
in the gain of praise

Try not to think you have arrived

There is sorrow
in the loss from blame

Try not to think you are a failure

Understand that the winds
blow from many directions
bringing with it
pleasure and sorrow

Tranquility can only be found
when we learn to stand
in the midst of the winds
and rest as a giant tree

While telling your lie
you become a slave till you die
to a story
that's hard to remember

But with the truth you'll be free
as that story won't flee
and you'll know it
even in life's December

It's morning
the night grew late
exhaustion
seemed was my fate

These open eyes
I so despise
I turn from the mirror
it tells no lies

They're oh so red
inside I'm dead
why did I ever
leave the bed

But it matters not
I must start the day
put on that face
that says I'm OK

Show the world
there is a way
in this game of life
I'm still in play

there's more to be done
I just can't give up
I know I'll feel great
after my second cup

Does poetry really depend on new ideas
fresh words concerning the nature of lives

Haven't the ideas with their words
all been presented

Throughout time, in one form or another
the stories all been told

Do we really think we have created something new
something original
by changing names and places

The expressions used changed
rearranged
and repeated time and again

Then labelled as cliché
as some have recognized the story

There is nothing new

Nothing purely original

It is all cliché to someone

If new and original are the requirements
and it's all been said

Then poetry is dead

Write on
share your heart
and though it's been said
tell your story

Somebody needs to hear it again

The moment missed
asleep at the wheel
the day now passed
I'm not sure how I feel

It's tomorrow already
yesterday's lost
keeping my eyes closed
came with a cost

Each day comes but once
when gone can't come back
traveling on the winds of time
leaving dust behind in its track

A dusty life
makes it hard to breathe
but to watch eyes wide open
lets you ride the breeze

Life is for living
celebrating each day
not for closing the eyes
and losing your way

I had no dog in the hunt
but I kept score anyway
at least I though I was
I believed that the numbers of the fallen
ours and theirs
was the score of war
the body count kept increasing
more soldiers were sent
when that war died down
another began
once again the thoughts of
'who cares, I don't have to go'
came back
once again I began counting bodies
the cycle kept repeating itself
I began to notice
so many former soldiers
disabled
homeless
more dying of suicide
than in the wars they fought
while the military industrial community
continued to feed their coffers
by the blood of the fallen

What was the score again?

I seem to have lost count.

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

I close my eyes
it only takes a moment
the pain subsides
my eye strain can be comforted

I close my eyes
the pain ever there
will there ever be comfort
for the hungry children

A single rail
a closed mind
no switches
ignoring that there are other paths to travel
there is but one destination for the train
leaving a single direction to see life
the rest of the world is lost
there is no growth
some think it to be quite a ride
there is nothing that is unexpected
others see it as a train wreck
for them the lack of variety brings stagnation

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

The people heard
but they wouldn't listen
their eyes were open
but couldn't see
the killing fields
this war at home
was never something
that should ever be
our children gone
forever lost
the right to bear
it has cost
when a crazy man
can still get a gun
and in his mind
it's for his fun
death will follow
excuses spun
the NRA
again has won

I see him
he's different
my judgment
misleads
for I repeat to myself
the words of another
the words of the bigot
who taught me

He knows not of my mind
I have not spoken
my beliefs aloud

He does not see
the darkness
within my heart

Why is it
that he can continue on
with a smile
while I harbor
a feeling of distrust
because of our differences

If we had been allowed
to be thrown together
while we were children
we would never have known
that there was anything
different to judge

My judgment
has destroyed
the man that I
was supposed to be

The promise of closure
there ain't no such thing
even when justice is served
it don't lessen the sting
when your child has been murdered
it isn't something
you ever get over
or quench the burning

The promise of closure
it's all one big lie
the loss is forever
you still question why
memories return
you again start to cry
shedding tears from within
of a never ending supply

Man's wishes are oft as he fishes
though he may cast many lines
he can only reel in one at a time

People ranting
raving
poisonous anger and frustration
surfacing
on the very edge of violence

Bitterness
bringing it forth

Sorrow enters my heart
for their lack of peace

The longer these poisons
are allowed to reside within
to imprison us
the longer we suffer

Joy and happiness
remain locked away from us

Anger must be let go of
bitterness released
frustration can be quelled

Forgetting is not always necessary
but forgiveness a must
many don't realize
forgiveness benefits no one
more than themselves

Letting anger, frustration and bitterness go
frees the heart and soul
from our self made prisons
that deprives us
of the joy and love
that is intended for our lives

Forgiveness is a reprieve for the heart
a tonic for the very soul
it renews a mans spirit

It gives us a place to rest

Adrift for days
which had turned into weeks
The current had vanished
and the winds
they had been taken from his sails
It was as if he was being held prisoner by the sea

Baked by a mercilous sun during the day
and feeling frozen at night
his hope had joined the currents and the wind
Another day of the same would only bring more pain

Yet the days continued to come
Each one bringing more of the tortuous rays of the sun

His eyes had been dried
unable to produce the badly needed tears
to relieve them

His skin damaged
The sea water which had helped to cool him
no longer brought relief
instead the salt produced prolonged burning

The eagerness of those first days to survive was gone
In his heart he knew that only death would bring an end
to the suffering

I drank in new life
my voice found
cried out simply to be fed
food for my bellies
activity to build my body
knowledge to nourish my mind

The feeding
often sweet
delivered times filled
with wonderful moments
and marvelous people

There were times the flavor
left a bitter taste
a feeling of aloness crept in
a time where I felt nobody cared
whether I was alive or in the grave
backs turned toward me

Depression
such a lonely place
empty of the one most important food
love

Nights were long, days were dark
minutes seemed more like hours
yet in my dreams there was a place
with magic healing powers

The travel would not be easy
the mountains they'll be steep
I imagine there'll be a price to pay
which I know will not be cheap

But here I am, I've made the trek
it's time to pay the price
but now that I  know how much it costs
I will not make it twice

This place has brought me heartache
it's delivered so much grief
I wish I'd known when I first came
it was owned by the spirit thief

He was there to steal my happiness
I had soon become his toy
but like all new toys, he tired of me
and he robbed me of my joy

Now life plods on
who cares how I feel
those **** dreams of magic
they're never real

The narrowness of understanding
it exists in all of us
a mind shut tight as if it were a rusty trap
with no desire for oil
denial that there is more to life
than their view
statements made carry consequence
many words
many meanings
often understood to fit an individual
then believed by another differently
each to fit their needs
neither is totally right
nor are they wrong
they are just different
how it can take so little of a difference to become
the seeds of conflict

Awakened by the brook washing over the tiny set of falls

I hear the birds singing a welcome to the new day

natures song is being played

its flute has come alive

the ivory of her keys are caressed gently

my ears gather their blessing

the peaceful surrounding have brought tranquility to my spirit

my heart fills with joy

how fortunate I am to see another day dawn

Thoughts of days gone by
came rushing in that morning
filling my mind with wonderful memories
as I wandered the bluffs alone

The grasses were heavy laden with dew
I found myself sitting upon the grass to watch
the sun was about to open this new day

I now understood what was meant
“this is the first day of the rest of your life”

I was not about to miss this sunrise
as I had missed so many
for so long a time

It was a prison of my own making
that had kept me away

As I sat and watched
a faint orange began to emerge
far across the sea
from beyond my imaginings

That prison I mentioned
had no walls
yet it seemed as there were many

It didn't matter the direction I turned
they always appeared only at arms length

The days seemed to meld into one another
as if they had no beginnings
nor endings

There was no laughter
nor were their tears

The days
no
years
just were

My eyes
turned back to the colorful sky
they filled with tears

My heart felt
joy

I began to laugh

I felt
alive
for the first time
in so many years

Why had I stayed within that shell of sorrow
how was it that a loss
could hold me for what seemed
forever

That wonderful orange

This orange sky that I see before me

Is the same orange

As the sarong she wore that morning

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.

There across the field
happiness awaits
the grass is so much greener
the air so much fresher
from here I can see
the sparkle of smiles
the joy in the eyes of others

As I begin my trek across to the other side
the brilliance from their smiles
begins to fade
the grass grows sparse
joy seems to be making way
as sorrow moves in taking its place

I turn away
as the sight before me worsens with each moment
and as I glance behind me I find
the place I had come from is no more

There is no return to what once was

I felt the fool for stepping away from who I was
away from my place in life
thinking that the other side of the field
held the happiness I so desired

Now the happiness that I had
was gone as well

It has been said,
“The foolish man seeks happiness at a distance;
the wise grows it under his feet”
           ~James Oppenheim~

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

When their smiling eyes
have too soon left
it's oft of real love
that they've been bereft.

For the eyes they say
will show you their soul
and if that smile is missing
they are no longer whole.

Give to them your heart
show that you truly care
then maybe, just maybe
a new smile they might wear.

With their spirit now lifted
they may gain renewed hope
and at least for today
be able to cope.

It's a day by day struggle
that can be eased for a while
you can help them feel human
when you give them a smile.

Yes you can make a difference
and there will be a great prize
it's that smile of their own
that will be in their eyes.

He once had a dog
It took too much of his time
Yet it still loved him

“I love you”

“Are you sure it's not lust”

“Well aren't they the same”

“Oh no, love's based on trust.”

“Love is forever
while lust fades away
are you in for the long haul
or just for today”

          “If all you are wanting
is to snuggle for now,
you may as well leave
so don't have a cow”

“If it's true that you love me
please tell me again
but don't use those words
to get a ****** friend”

Vietnam war
the U.S. *****
the CIA
they had to play
too many lost lives
and widowed wives

Protests at home
they weren't alone
they were in the streets
at rallies and meets
the lies we were fed
now at home more dead

Seventy-eight the fourth of May
students lay dead on that dark day
their minds were spoken
the lines then broken
the result of this protest
too hard to digest

The national guard
they came down hard
a simple mistake
put lives at stake
Kent State spoke out
then shots rang out
and there were four dead in Ohio

I sat in the shallow cavern behind the falls
gazing out at the fine mist
it was rising above the pool below
I watched as the sun sent forth its rays of light
as they passed through this mist before me
I felt as if I was receiving a gift
sent by the morning star
its brilliance
excited the millions of prisms
contained within the tiny water droplets
causing colors to burst forth
displaying the most glorious rainbow
more spectacular than I had ever witnessed before
all those wonderful colors
coming together
to make the whole of this vision in the mist
it was then that I realized
today this rainbow
that I was given the privilege of viewing
was not the promise spoken of
instead, it was a message
that all men
of all colors and races
of all faiths
believers or not
gay and straight alike
whether they're rich or poor
must at one point
all come together
if we are ever to be whole
for within us
it is the same river of life
being pumped through our bodies
by our hearts

Was it ever true
was it ever alright
there was more than a twig snapped
to give birth to this fight

two lives now uprooted
the end too soon was found
love hadn't been rooted
firm and deep in the ground

the anger had grown
they were both far too proud
neither could back away
their voices now loud

the violence was verbal
this had not come to blows
but the hurt went much deeper
as insults found some new lows

had love ever existed
or had lust been their bond
and with the newness worn off
they'd both found they'd been conned

those three words “I love you”
they lied through their teeth
all they had done was to hide
lust that had lain deep beneath

Forward
yet without direction
empty of purpose
empty of life
the spirit has left
my heart aches for love
does anyone care
it doesn't show
but how can I know for sure
if I don't look back
there is this feeling
that their eyes follow
do they watch as I pass
are they looking at me
or beyond to a destination of their own
are we all on the same path
has everything I have known
we've known
become a pit filled with nothingness
a complete void
that swallows any who dare desire
I long for a companion
one to pull me back from this vortex
maybe then this trek might seem tolerable
maybe then this darkness will abate
maybe then I can once again live

In the morning silence
sitting alone
well my wheezing cat is here beside me
but otherwise alone

Memories of my earlier days
seem to enter and exit my thoughts
seldom present long enough to dwell upon
unable to be opened fully
that I may enjoy those which had shaped
the good and positive portions of my being

The bad times
those that shaped the negative within me
they never leave
they're always with me
yet they were lessons that needed learning

These lessons
their very memories
repulsive as they are
move me toward an acceptable behavior

I don't even want to think about
reliving the moments that brought them

In continually moving away from these times
unto times that spread happiness to others
I am able to express my thankfulness
that I learned to pay attention

You see the pain of the negative
and not wanting another to experience it
opened the heart
and freed my spirit

Maybe the fleeting memories
those that I thought I wanted to dwell on
though grand
maybe they're not the important ones

Maybe it's the memories of hard times
that keep me on a road
that makes a difference

Judgment enslaves
living for that approval of others
denying our individuality
we put our self on the shelf
going out of our way
to escape their frown

we live in stress rather than comfort
the means to the end of their desires
becomes burdensome

why trample over my own desires
am I not worthy
of a life of joy
to be happy
should not my filling come first

how can I lift the spirit of another
when my own spirit
has become buried
beneath the judgment I am a slave to

please be not presumptuous to judge
not all are intended to walk your path
we must all find our own way

One eye blind
self pity grows
with each day

One eye remains
true beauty seen
for the first time

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

The kids, that get beaten
by one or more parent
keep on passing this down
and it's become quite apparent
that the circle of violence
the one folks often drive
will not soon be broken
and will continue to thrive

If we could just fix this
and change our direction
learn how to respect
and show true affection
our world might find peace
we could find brotherhood
oh to stop all this violence
now that would be good

Although it's peace
that we seek
we find ourselves
up the creek
viewing a picture
that's bleak
from the folly of man
and his long losing streak

It seems the way
of our times
fighting wars
that are crimes
killing kids
in their primes
robbing them
of lifetimes

Religion and greed
continue to shell
leaving death behind
in the wake of shrapnel
not just the soldiers
but civilians as well
yes it does seem
we've made our own living hell

Why can't we end this
why won't we cease
from these men who seek power
is there no release
death and heartache
continue on the increase
my heart cries out
are there no men of peace

Remembering war
visiting the past
why
all that comes is heartache
the loss of the lives
on both sides
the cost of war
ever at the door
leaving behind
broken families
wives without husbands
children without fathers
for what
political differences
religion
the cost is too high
the freedom of a people
should not be impinged upon
Edwin Star
“war, good God
what is it good for
absolutely nuthin'”
a simple lesson
that we have not yet learned
remembering war
has not made it vanish
war still goes on
our young men continue to die
I hate these wars
I love these young men
they will live again in our hearts
it is they who deserve to be remembered.

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

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

So many crayons
Colors chosen fill the lines
My past in the books

They speak
never listen
their world
crumbling
understanding
nonexistant
their minds
closed
it must be
their way
without waver

They speak
never heard
their world
crumbling
their needs
ignored
their hearts
distressed
their way
no longer
represented

Lend me you ear
I want to be clear
I don't want to appear
at all cavalier
or in any way insincere
that it's important you hear
from me, yes your peer
that this brand new year
many will be crippled with fear
stop it don't jeer
the problem's right here
yes it's really that near
and could be in your sphere
there's no need to sneer
and don't shed a tear
it's not really that drear
not at all that severe
you can be filled up with cheer
if you'd look to the rear
gather up all your gear
and head to the pier
and then persevere
to a whole new career
didn't mean to interfere
so, I'll disappear

Memories of those passed
not confined to the few
hearts broken through loss

Taken by wars
on the battle fields
and on our the streets
by both malicious
and accidental means

In any way that they leave
the pain of their absence
is not all that is left behind
for they have given us
the good times of their childhood
the awkward moments
of adolescence
and the pride we find
in calling them
friends and family

This memorial day
our minds are brought to both
the hard times and the good

Our tears
a mixture of
sadness and joy

How sad
knowing so many words
yet when they're put together
the man with no heart
has no understanding of them

I've noticed from time to time
people who pride themselves
on their great level of education
who have never learned to read for understanding
they prefer to nit-pic their way through life
finding fault in just about everything
that surrounds them
no matter what it is
if the structure
is other than what they think it ought to be
life itself
as we know it
must be reset
returned to start
and the rest of us will begin to receive
a reeducation

anyway

he misses out on so much of life
the dance of his spirit
to the song in his heart

without heart
there is no song
no dance
and no joy

life passes him by

how can the learned
carry so much ignorance
how can they not see
their own failings

these folks must needs
cast the beam out of their own eyes
before …...........

well you know the rest of the story

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

my eyes as I watch its dance
my ears as I listen to its song
my heart as I celebrate my place in it
all blessed by natures beauty