Hawks
birds of prey
prefer fresh meat
bring a violent death
to their meal
the people of a nation
go hungry

Serving the ******
our boys off to wars
returning disabled
from far distant shores

That's when they come home
fatigued to the bone
no sign of support
and they feel all alone

Now as if a young whelp
and begging for help
there's no answer delivered
to this loud screeching yelp

Where is our country
who've sent our children to die
then abandon the veterans
can someone please tell me why

He lay helpless in the gutter
so many people walking by
he was treated me as if  invisible
he could see them avert their eyes
was it his tattered clothing
the gaunt face of hunger he wore
they ignored his plea for help
what has made them immune
to their hearts
you would swear
they were born without one
how is it that they have so little care
for those who have needs
that they can no longer provide for themselves
so many who's only crime
was that they were the working poor
sentenced to life on the streets
the homeless
who have fallen through the cracks
here in this land of plenty
this country that spends so much
in support of other countries
while criminalizing the results
of their own greed
here in the richest nation on Earth

the game of symantics
the war of the words
participants battling
wielding their swords

the problem with english
too much means the same
with neither man wrong
it's our language to blame

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

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

His eyes ached
his vision now blurred
it was like when steam
created by scalding hot water
coats a mirror

Life was a drag
was this how it was to end
would he simply fade away
as the sunlight at dusk
slide below the surface
as the sun itself sets

There was a time
that he was well
felt strong
and had a feeling of purpose
he had a dream

Those days were gone
his dream was beyond reach
it vanished in a haze

The warm air
escaping the dryer vents
it was all he had to keep him warm
it smelled of softener sheets
his eyes ached

In this small town
in my quiet little corner
of a world at war
I cannot escape
that which aids in its destruction.
The stress brought on by the news of the day.
It comes at me from all directions.
It is in the air and around the corner.

People with their opinions
without seeking facts
argue over who is right
and who has their head in the sand.

The discord between neighbors
ever growing for the political theater
of the media.
Actual news seems to have
disappeared with Walter Cronkite
and the rest of the story
died with Paul Harvey.

Must we be subject to the extremes?
They refuse to talk with each other
nor with those who might still believe
that there is a middle ground existing
where we might come together
as a people, as a nation
or globally have a chance.

Have we truly lost the art
of getting along with each other?

So many bigots

So many targets

So much hate

So little tolerance
of others with different viewpoints
who have been shaped by different cultures

Sure each of us are individually different
but we share this great blue marble
which orbits the star we call the sun.
We are all made up of the same stuff
with the same blood
flowing through our bodies.

Under the skin we are all
brothers and sisters.
Yet we seek to destroy each other.

Man, the specie
his own worst enemy.

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

Infants
born with hearts for all
the children
use them to play ball

Bigoted parents
begin the fall
as they teach their kids
to ***** a wall

The hate they teach
then brings a squall
the size of which
is never small

The storm then rages
for mans great shortfall
the result of which
forms his worst pitfall

We once had hearts
as I recall
that's right, together
we once played ball

But now it seems
as we've grown tall
the lessons of bigots
have brought our downfall

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

My right eye
lost to glaucoma
self pity took my heart
the days were long
the question was always
why
why me
a constant mood of darkness
my attitude was sour

it's strange how a person can change
totally change for such a small disability
so small compared to those who have lost both legs
so small compared to those who become paralyzed
so small compared to if I had lost both eyes

it was those thoughts that brought me back
losing one eye was little
a minor inconvenience
mostly just a loss of peripheral vision
that and my depth perception leaving me
within that six to eight foot distance it was strange

life was changing for me again
it was night and day
from sour to sweet
the self pity was gone
what I had was far greater than what I had lost
I was immediately able to appreciate what I still had
no more did I rue the loss
I began to realize
there was beauty in the world
that I had never seen before

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

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

They say what doesn't **** 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

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

I don't care, so what
the arguments of a child
let them remain blind

I had met an intellectual
he said I was wrong
but he never really wondered
the reason I had for my song

He went about finding my faults
it seems that's what intellectuals do
and I suppose the reason
is to prove they're so much better than you

Well he was so insecure
with all the crap that he knew
he began to nit-pic
and the list of course grew

I said go ahead speak your peace
point out all of my gaffes
make a fool of yourself
while my friends and I laugh

He then moved away
his tail was tucked under
but I'm sure he'll be back
to point out my blunders

So thankful I am
for all the help that they give
for with a good hearty laugh
is the best way one should live

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

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

Though his eyes were blind
he saw in ways that others did not

With ears he listened
and the truth of a man's hearts
became opened up to him

His nose would not deceive him
for the beauty of each flower
revealed themselves to him

Flavors upon his tongue
painted pictures for his mind
to relish and savor

As he placed his fingers upon a face
he would know a mans joy
or the troubles that beset him

Though many would claim him disabled
he never knew himself to be

I tried patience

Always waiting
Mostly for peace to arrive

Believing in their goodness
Every man
Inside and outside of our circle
Need our respect
Giving it is the least we can do

Can we come together
Each of us
Not just in words
Something much more is needed
Our actions are the important part
Reviving the spirits of others
Even when we feel at the bottom
Determines our destiny

Everyone says it just can't be done
so why should I even start
waste my time to do the impossible
we all know that wouldn't be smart

But how will I know if I never do try
what if at first I was right
and if I succeed the look on their faces
now that could be one crazy sight

The eyes hurt.
I so want to close them.
Yet I will suffer the pain
rather than miss the beauty before me.

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

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

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

when will they end
they're killing our men
the wars in the east
have gone on way too long

they just keep sending our boys
treating them like plastic toys
while they sit back and profit
that's wrong

the dead and the dying
the maimed none of them lying
they're just numbers
in the countries archives

what's the hell's wrong with our leaders
it seems they've become bottom feeders
feeding their glutinous appetites
while the have-nots pay with their lives

December 26th, 2015
how strangly empty the sites I visit are
no-one seems to be around
my first thought
the folks I normally see
they've received gifts that they didn't like
now they're at the stores
returning them
exchanging them
to meet their own desires
I know it's allowed
it's also pretty common these days
it seems that there's just no appreciation
not for the givers anyway
I guess those days are gone
it's the thought that counts
isn't very popular anymore

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.

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.

Moving forward
as a river flows to the ocean  
we find a life of vitality  

To sit idle
as a pond which has no feed nor exit
the algae grows upon our spirit

Ultimately
we grow stagnant
life itself is choked away

The heart of the peacemaker
it'll will never be heard
there is no profit in peace
the greed of the hawks is far too great
they will never let loose of their cash-cow
so why do we continue to speak
why do we write poems for peace
when we know we preaching to the chior
if it weren't for our own sanity
I fear we would give up altogether
our words would dissappear
there would be no-one left saying
“there's a better way than war”
but a heart grown cold
it would only helpo to feed the evil
maybe if we could change one mind
one heart
turn one away from spoils of war
it would be a step
I guess that's why we keep walking

The journey at first
seemed to be taking forever
now the miles fly by
I'm not sure where
when
or for that matter
how it will end
but it's been great
I think I'll celebrate today

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

Seary-El, a planet far away
home to three classes
of course there was
as always seems to be
a master race of beings

Below them there were the trids
a slave race
a people that were mistreated
kicked by the masters
in order to exact their labor

The third class
the sabbits
a masochistic people
also had residence
upon this planet

As this third class watched
the trids were being abused
kicked over and over
experiencing the pains of
their servitude

Sabbits
masochistic as they were
became jealous of the trids
they approached the master race
they requested to be kicked as the trids were

The masters listened
considered the request
then spoke to the sabbits saying
“Really sabbits,
kicks are for trids”

There is a stream
that carries the music of life through the forest.
Ever calming the soul and spirit
of the creatures beneath the canopy above.

As I sit by waters side,
my toes being kissed by its current
I find an unexpected blessing
that was ever there for me.
All that was needed
was for me to accept it

To get here I  left a world ravaged by
a rushed and impatient society.
Its greed  and lack of kindness
has taken its sad toll of men.

It would have owned me
had I not come to this place I now sit.
Far away from that world
free of stress, in true comfort.
A place more tranquil
than one could ever imagine.

The thoughts of the world I have left
have been washed from my mind.
My soul, my very spirit
has grown new ears.
My heart has opened
peace and joy have entered.

I am one with the forest.
The stream flows through me.
I am filled with its music.

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

“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”

When love comes along and touches a heart
It's stay there is permanent and will not depart
But if it appears and then leaves on the morrow
Infatuation has come with all of it's sorrow

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

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

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

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

Mourning has arrived
the sun has yet to burn through the clouds of sorrow
fond memories of the departed have brought the occasional smile
as days move on
the memories will bring more smiles
his smile
his joyful demeanor
will live on in the hearts of those who knew him
the sun will find its way through that cloud that holds our hearts
bringing with it the joy of knowing him
renewing to our spirits
he will live on in our hearts forever
rest in peace Ura

There's a place in life that we belong
some don't ever find it
they just plod on through
day after day
their lives stagnant as a dead pool
no drain for their depression
no fresh inlet for joy to enter
how they wish for an escape
a chance to run away
from the doldrums of life
but what is it that they would run to
to dart blindly into the unknown
that would surely be folly
without direction
they would have no place to turn to
how does one move on
when there is no place to go

Death and dismemberment
that's what they bring
while songs sung of heroes
are the tunes that we sing

Soldier on soldier
a body count is the score
but it's the folks who build weapons
who are winning the wars

It's all about money
satisfying their greed
the rich filling their storehouse
while they haven't the need

Today's wars they're for profit
of money, of land
and the worlds children keep dying
as we strike up the band

When will we stop
will it ever end
war, ****** for hire
was not meant as a friend

The birds and the brook
I hear them again
such a wonderful reminder
how nature's my friend

She comes to comfort
my inner being
blessing my soul
with all that I'm seeing

The bee sharing pollen
the worm aerating the earth
to help bring forth the plants
proving all have a worth

Both the rain and the sunlight
they nourish the land
providing for growth
a great helping ha

There's a balance that's needed
from the great to the small
and if man doesn't care
it will be his great fall

Encompassed in darkness
the light of day unseen
the years passed in a hole of lies
this faith is not my own
if it were
I could find joy
but there is only darkness
a spirit that has no life
birthed by false hope

The negativity of those men
the ones who seek  power
to hold control over others
their words were so inviting at first
those words are no longer so
today they bring a loneliness
a longing
for the days of innocence

I ask myself why
why have I slept so long
why have I walked through life
with my eyes wide shut

His rule was iron ******
his subjects lived in fear
his wife and children hated him
no-one dared draw near

His knights remained quite loyal
defending all his land
while living in the shadow
of the executioners hand

It was as he had no subjects
it was a feeling very strange
in all his land and not a single soul
with a smile to exchange

He traveled his kingdom and found no love
depression mounted with each mile
with one desire upon his heart
my kingdom for a smile