Opportunity knocks
And meets blank stares
It waves its arms
But no one cares
It sends goodwill
That’s knocked aside
It shows the answer
That you can’t deride
Don’t blame your lot
On luck or fate
When opportunity comes
It’s not going to wait

Ah Dorothy
Lost in the Land of Oz
Looking for your way home
All alone
But this time
You can’t just close your eyes
And click your heels and say
There’s no place like home
And find yourself there
But your friends are glad you are here
The scarecrow and the lion
Looking for brains
And the courage to roar
They say there’s a wizard
In that Emerald City
But what if it’s not up to him
But up to us
To connect
To find wisdom
And to be brave?
But I like this journey so far
And this lion for one
Promises to protect you
From all those flying monkeys
With those big
Racoon eyes

The warmth inside me smiles
As I greet the cashier
Her face lights up
Relaxes
Appreciates
As I say
How is your day going?

The happiness inside me smiles
And a fast food clerk
Smiles back
And laughs
As we joke together
About noisy office girls
Chattering over Christmas presents

The desire in me smiles
As the barista bends over
Her shirt unbuttoned below her apron
What would you like sir? she asks
An awkward silence, as if deciding
A grandé decaf I reply
Lying, with a smile

I took a vacation
From myself
And saw the world
Through others’ eyes
I listened to their
Deepest fears
And memorized
Their lullabies
I took the focus
Off my needs
And placed it
On the other soul
I saw the beauty
In their eyes
I saw the pain
The deepest tolls
I sent a message
From deep within
Love and trust
That were unfurled
I watched their faces
Brightening
As rapport
Transformed my world

I saw a garden
Mangled
By neglect and theft
The gardener
Absent
And the most
Beautiful bed
The jewel
And crowning glory
Withered
And destroyed
And I thought...
Our lives
Are like that
Ruined
In carelessness
Or by intent
And when
The damage
Is done
There is only lament
For a stolen rose

Beyond tears there is hope
And a brand new tomorrow
Pass through the suffering
Let go of the sorrow
Stand on the rock
And from faith’s scenic view
Scan the horizon
Await all that’s new
Open your heart
To love and to giving
See the goodness of God
In the land of the living

If it’s trust that you want
Close your eyes
Feel my arms
And the brush of my face
If there’s tears to be dried
And fears to be calmed
Feel my touch
And this warm embrace
If there’s shame to be faced
Here’s acceptance
If there’s hurt
Feel the love
I display
If the past
Is tugging at the corners
Look at me
Your concerns to allay

I remember
The first second
I saw you
The shock
Of recognition
Now what?
I thought
In anticipation
For you see
The vision
Did not lie
It’s not
The appearance
That’s the window
It’s the feeling
That’s inside
And since
That first day
How I have felt
Has never changed
So I know
I’m not mad
Delusional
Deranged
It’s happened
As they all do
These journeys
Beyond time and space
I’m terrified
I bolt awake
Heart pounding
Dismayed

There always are
Those big questions
Looming like giants
In the room
Spoiling our food
And tainting our water
Spreading
A pervading sense of gloom
For we’ve set
Our boundaries
And our limits
Of who we are
And what we’re not
And woe to those
Who cross those markers
For which generations
Of souls have fought
And so we live
As parallel beings
Crying, loving
In different worlds
Content
Until we look behind us
And catch a glimpse
Of truth
Unfurled

Qui sont les noms
Sur ta liste?
As tu suivi
La meillure piste?
Oui, on est sain
Et on est sauf
Mais l’ amour n’est pas
Un sale boulot
C’est ironique
Les choix qu’on fait
Quand l’avenir
Est decidé
Donc, ouvre le livre
Et trouve un vers
Et vis ta vie
A l’envers
Mais tu connais
La verité
On peut la voir
Dans tes yeux
Tu as tes rêves
Et tes espoirs
Et l’essentiel
Est en vue
Ton coeur te mene
Et ne ment pas
Tu sens cette
Realité
Fais attention
Aux signes reçus
On ne peut pas
Les ignorer

Your List

What are the names
On your list?
What path did you follow
Or did you miss?
Yes, you are safe
And you are sound
But the search for love
Won’t wear you down
It’s funny all
The choices we make
When what’s decided
Is at stake
Right! Use the book
And find a verse
And live your life
In reverse!
But I can see
You know the truth
It is written in your eyes
Your hopes and dreams
And all that counts
Are there for you
To realize
You know it is
Your faithful heart
That will lead you
To what’s in store
Just pay attention
To all the signs
That’s one thing
That you can’t ignore

Shadows of a different season
The past and present entwined
These emotional memories
Transcending space and time
In the sacredness of this second
In this truly hallowed place
I brush the tears from your eyes
Caress your lovely face
For it’s the sorrow of what has happened
The pain for what can’t be
Can’t turn back the tides of time
Rewrite our history
It catches us unawares
When we’re looking the other way
But the important things will surface
And will always have their say
So it’s in the beauty of this silence -
The healing of this pain
That comes only with divulging
And the world becoming sane
What’s repressed cannot be hidden
These soul splinters that remain
Will only be put to rest
Once they have been named

The lilac perfume
Wafts through the air
The senses are filled
With all that is fair
A garden serene
With lovers and friends
And family gathered
To talk at day’s end
The splash of water
The flowers so bright
Each corner a discovery
A visual delight
And the lake
Like a painting
Pale blue
As the sun
Reflects on the sailboats
Completing their run
Peace hangs in the air
While birds fly about
The children play quietly
And there isn’t a doubt
That a garden in evening
Brings rest to the soul
Preserves sanity
And makes a man whole.

The lovers touched
Their bodies trembling
The kiss of nectar
The heat descending
The embrace of love
And lust’s desire
The warmth of soul
The burning fire
The tender sweetness
And the passion
Forgotten feelings
Back in fashion
Seconds of peace
All pain healing
All darkness banned
And lightness feeling
Precious moments
Of joy and bliss
Ignited with a touch
And a single kiss

To hear the searching of the past
Bring out a pain so fresh
Tells me the wounds
Have never healed
And still can cause distress
You see the little boy or girl
In the eyes of the adult
Reliving painful memories
With always the same result
Of tears and sadness
And cracked voice
As the ghosts howl and haunt
The tentacles of darkness grasp
The demons prowl and taunt.

Lift up your wings
O cherubim
Lift up our downcast spirits
Heal the pain of life I plead
Or teach us how to bear it.

Il y a longtemps
Que je t’aime
Et je ne peux pas
Me reveiller
Même si
Maintenant
C’est le matin
Et je dois
Me preparer
Pour un voyage
Très, très ****
En chassant
Le soleil
Un voyage
A un montagne
Où je peux
Tout surveiller
Il y a longtemps
Que je t’aime
Et sans les dire
Les mots sont vrai
Tu es toujours
Dans mes rêves
Et mon âme
Est obsèdé

In the Shadow of My Dreams

I’ve loved you
For what seems
Like ages
Now I simply
Can’t wake up
Even though
The sun has risen
And a new day
Has begun
For I’m
On a long, long
Journey
As far
As my soul permits
But in the shadow
Of my dreams
It’s you
I can’t forget

Ah my love
What you were seeking eluded you
It flew away and scattered
Like leaves in the wind
Like ashes from a fire
What you asked for
You did not receive
But it passed by you and went to another
All that pain turned to hatred
And anger burning so deep within
What you held became broken
What was sacred, defiled
What was precious, squandered
What you found, lost
How sad, how tragic
How could this be!
What you were looking for
Was right before your eyes
And you could not see it
Yet the one
Whom you blamed and condemned
Was blessed
He found what he didn’t seek
He was given what he did not ask for
Kindness replaced hatred
And love burning holy and pure
Covered the ugliness of that day
Goodness visited like a friend
And in the most terrible of times
Thankfulness and gratitude appeared
And faith burning like a beacon
In the darkness
Encouragement and hope
Whispered constantly in his ear
And all the curses fell harmlessly away
Soundness of mind and health
True happiness and integrity
Were discovered
And everyone around was touched
And felt the difference
Insight and wisdom
Compassion and the gift of tears for others
Treasure after treasure
Riches after riches
When brokenness and poverty of spirit
Might have seemed the natural end
How does this work?
When good news comes out of evil
And victory out of defeat
And life conquers death?

You must will to act
In determination
In calm decision
And contemplation
Break free of the inertia
Of dread, fear and need
Let go and embrace
What needs to be
Taste life in its newness
By bounty kissed
Caressed by grace
Not plagued
By what’s missed

For it’s a choice to release
That which has died
The fact that its haunts you
You cannot deny
But you can’t love a ghost
Your soul needs much more
Than memories and longings
Of what went before
For a ghost is a phantom
And you give it sway
And its haunting will scare
The present away

They say that love’s blind
And there’s always a rush
You forget what is obvious
It’s lost in the buzz
But deep in your conscience
An alarm softly sounds
That you quickly ignore
As your heart leaps in bounds
Your friends they all warn you
And you say What’s the fuss?
Then you look the wrong way
And get hit by a bus

Miracle child your day
Has dawned
You’ve been knocked out
And you’ve been wronged
A violent collision
Has sent your soul
Spinning and lifeless
Out of control
You lie in death
With your eyes closed
Certainly
A fatal blow
But then you awake
And open your eyes
The confusion so strong
You can’t even cry
An angel of God
Has held your head
You've survived
When you should be dead
You were given
A second chance
You can breathe
You've rejoined the dance
Your father cries
You've come alive!
There's a purpose for you
For you've survived!
So live each day
As a gift that is given
The miracle is you
And the life you are living

God is bigger
Than our expectations
Of whom He is
Or our limitations
He unfolds our lives
With many surprises
That destroy our myths
As one realizes
He works in ways
That don’t fit our own thinking
We don’t see it all
There are more dots to be linking
Yet still we fight back
And the unknown we loathe
Try to push back the tides
And stop our own growth
We don’t realize what’s missing
We’re not even searching
Don’t see the precipice
On which we are perching
Till it comes crashing down
And our ruin is effective
And we see all the ways
Our thinking’s defective
Then out of the ashes
We discover our purpose
That we had forgotten
Though once it had served us
And our eyes are now opened
And here the mind races
Finding love, truth and beauty
In unexpected places

In the still of twilight
The warm air bathes me
As I look at the clouds
And the moon hanging bright
Shining in the late evening sky
The sailboats barely moving
In the silence and the calm
The lake serene and still
And words of encouragement
And hope flood my soul
And I feel joy and thankfulness
And peace for all the good
That is to come
Laughter, healing, singing
As my spirit rises and
Sees in faith
The final outcome

This sickness
Of dwelling in the past
Of not letting go
Of refusing
To accept change
And embrace the wonder
Of the present
Is not what God intended
For decay and ruin
Are the fruits of this neglect
And distance and isolation
Follow closely
Memories of what was
Are not meant
To be a prison
But a source of joy
And the sadness
Of the passing
Of what was good
Is not meant
To weigh us down
There is something wrong
If we idealize the past
Because it was
Just as full
Of fear and evil
As the present
We’ve only chosen
To let this be forgotten
These selective memories
Do not serve us well
If we **** the present
For a past that did not exist

When someone loves another person
The world around them is transformed
A blast of winter becomes the setting
For a shelter from the storm
The rain becomes a softening presence
Cleansing, calming, setting right
The air is filled with expectation
Of company in darkest night

When someone loves another person
The rules are changed and lose their form
No law on earth or in heaven
Can halt the magic love performs
So why hold back what is healing?
Why stop what nurtures and defends?
If you can stop the world from spinning
Then tell love that its work must end

There exists in this city
The town called Good
A different feel
From my old neighbourhood
No snow clad mountains
No brooding rain
But just flat rolling ground
On a lakeside plain
No vistas of grandeur
To lift up the gaze
Only concrete and steel
And brown laden haze
I had forgotten the mountains
With their mist laden sides
I‘d forgotten the beauty
But I could decide…
So I remembered the sunshine
The springs soft and mild
The play time, the forest
The games of a child
I remembered the berries
Delicious and sweet
That grew in the forests
And at the sides of the streets
I remembered a family
United, together
I remembered a father,
But not rainy weather
I remembered the friends
And the fun that we had
I remembered the sunshine
Before I was sad

So close
I can almost hear your breath
Feel your pulse
And the slightest whisper
So close
I almost resonate
Synchronized
Thought upon thought
Hope upon hope
Prayer upon prayer
So close
Yet that is why I always let you go
For this orbit
Almost surely is not of man
But of God
Who else could bring you
So close?

In the blizzard and coldest night
The warmth of friendship and candlelight
Melts the feelings frozen in time
Unleashes joy and song in rhyme
The thoughts, the love, compassion feeling
Sends strongest warmth, happiness reeling
The frost and cold lose their hold
When hearts grow tender and love grows bold
They say a storm is now descending
But all I see is hope ascending.

The blood pours
And life drains
Triage means
A card with my name
Is held in my hand
Shaking….
Dizzied with shock
On one knee
Tired
Must rest…
As I plead
Going down
To the floor….
There’s shouting….
Awake
A nurse
Is speaking to me
Can you get up?
Looking sideways
I see
Trying to move
Crying….
I get up
To the stretcher
Lying down
Blood
Soaking hands
And running down
Pressure stabilizing…
I regain my strength
To a room
We walk
My son and a nurse
And all the small talk
And stop
The bleeding….

I walked where life
Has stronger roots
Where beauty blooms
And silence moot
Guards the sentinels
Brooding strong
Away from the din
And the noisy throng
I’ve scanned the heavens
I’ve searched the skies
I’ve listened to counsel
Strong and wise
I’ve risen at
The light of morn
And climbed the slopes
Where clouds are born

Can I be your silent friend?
I’ll just gaze at you
As you read my face
And wait for me to say the words
You can take me off the shelf
And flip the page
It’s up to you
And then
I’ll just smile and beam
At your beauty
As your mind races
Through my thoughts

Forgiveness
Is to our own benefit
For pain and
Bitterness
Will slowly
**** us inside
If we do not let go

It does not mean
All is right
Or all the pieces
Fit back
Together again

But is does mean
We are well
We are whole
And we are healed

For mercy is a kind friend
To all

This emotional dependence
Wanting your mommy
Clinging to her skirt
******* your thumb
...ancient child
Missing your father
Who disappeared
Without a trace
Blaming yourself
...innocent child
This emptiness inside
That lifts with the company of friends
Laughter, music, smiles
...lonely child
This needing
This wanting of someone else
To be understood
And loved
...eternal child
Yet there comes a time to let go
To feel the sun warm your soul
As the wind sings in the trees
And the waves lap in melody on the shore
To feel the warmth of a body
And a kiss
To give and give again
To let go of childhood complaints
To hug the child
To wipe his tears
And say
Be strong little one
Let me see that happy face
Doesn’t that feel better?
The crying stops
The face beams
And the child
Runs away
To play

I feel pride
When I see the uniform
My son so tall
And strong
Quiet
Yet focused
With a sharp mind
Commanding respect
With just his look
Beneath is steel
And determination
Will power unyielding
Save to its own
Intelligence
Judgment
Discernment
Leadership
Not learned from books
Nor in lecture halls
But from inner growth
That happens
So mysteriously
In ways unknown
But of this
One thing is certain:
Grow the man
And the rest will follow
As surely as spring
Follows the season of snow

How I wish
The grip of sadness
Could be released
And I could feel
Joy and gladness
And hear laughter again
I have no peace
No healing
And even the very best
Of things
Do not take away
The pain
You talk as if
I never loved you
But my suffering
Is your answer
So I pay
For sins I did not commit
Well sadness
Mark this moment
When what is honourable
Is lost
And what is precious
Is scattered
When what is broken
Cannot be fixed
And what is torn apart
Cannot be mended
Yes sorrow
Do your work
And then let me go

Beauty is snow
Falling gently
Like emeralds
In the sunshine…

Rolling hills in
Summer
Decked in green
As far as the eyes
Can see…

The ocean glittering
Like diamonds
Under the hot
Summer sun…

And beauty is you
In all your being
So full of that elusive thing
Called love

Des fois quand
Je pense à toi
Dans le silence
Même si c’est
Du déjà vu
Il faut garder
Une distance
Car il fait froid
Encore une fois
Avec un vent
Bruyant
L’aire est glaciale
Et la vie arrête
Avec tous ces
Mensonges

Life Comes to a Halt

Sometimes in the quiet
I am haunted by you
It’s hard to keep that distance
Although it’s déjà vu
For it’s freezing cold again
And a piercing wind blows
And life comes to a halt
With each lie that is told

It’s the love
Behind the words
That you would like to hear
The respect
The pride
The acknowledgment
That will calm your fears
Behind the good intentions
You’re searching for a sign
You’re looking for a message
You can read between the lines
And the failure to communicate
When it’s an absolute must
Is a death blow
To that fragile thing
The emotion we call
Trust

Troubled
By the sins of others
Wrong decisions
Spiteful thoughts
Hatred’s deep
And brooding presence
Brokenness
That failure brought
I sought in prayer
The Savior’s mercy
Freedom
From a deep-felt pain
Sorrow, hurt
And depression
Twisted
And no longer sane
The magic words
I stumbled on them!
Allowing me
Again to live
I asked for mercy,
Then I gave it
Saying the words
“I forgive”

I shivered in
The freezing cold
I dialed the number
My bare hand froze
The flames burned hot
In winter’s night
And parliament
Filled my sight
Veiled in winter’s
Majesty
I described the scene
For you to see
And as I talked
My heart just glowed
Full of love
Country and snow

Freed from a weight
I could not carry
That bore me down
And wore me out
I float above
The clouds of worry
Step from the wreckage
Of fear and doubt
Before me lies
A golden future
Of choice and freedom
And inner growth
Accepting that
My life is worthy
Of time and energy
And now both
The past mistakes
And all the good things
Fall behind
In retrospect
Peace descends
Excitement rises
For all the good
I now expect

How can you say
You don’t believe in love anymore
When the stars still come out
In all their twinkling splendour
And my universe
Simply sings
At the sound of your voice?
You see, I caught you in a lie
Loving someone
And that someone cannot describe
In words
What he is feeling
It’s like
The feeling of a little child hearing
His mother’s voice
When she comes home from work
Or a father hearing his newborn son’s
First feeble cry
Or the joy of a fondest dream
Fulfilled

The wounds are healing
So deep inside
Rearranging
But still the smile
The colour
And the joy of life
Are holding back
And that’s not right
Now when I hear
The joyful banter
The passion
The spark
And the things
That matter
I pause
And glance around
Once more
And wonder how
It’s all restored
Do you turn a switch?
Do you find the light?
Do you change yourself?
Do you take a wife?
Oh to be intimate
And close
Trusting
At peace
Not to keep
My guard up
And to find
Some release
Just to laugh
And be happy
To sing
And be glad
To feel
The world’s friendly
To have what I had
For l know
There is wonder
In each living breath
And the choice
That you make
Between life
And slow death
But when zeal
Has abated
And hope’s
Beaten down
Life becomes jaded
And you
Wear a frown
It’s the dream
That you’ve lost
And all
That has changed
Your feelings
Revealing
What words
Cannot say
But you do
Care for others
Their tears
Call your name
For you know
We all suffer
When things
Aren’t the same

The sun shines
And nature rhymes
The coming of the season
With songs of birds
And little girls
For no other reason
Than to dance and sing
And drink it in
The wonder of creation

Alive again
The world springs forth
With life and verdant greenness
The people smile
The children play
The whole world loses
meanness
Long gone the winter
Of cold and grey
Now comes life in all its glory
That grows and pushes from the ground
To write a brand new story

What is real and what is fake?
The drama is there in each out take
The spotlight shines, the crowd looks up
The change rattles in the beggar’s cup
So there you are in blood and flesh
With glistening eyes and low cut dress
And wit and charm and graceful style
Your beautiful face and dazzling smile
And you question if the date is real
As I tremble at the way I feel.

When life happens
And you are young
There is nothing
But confusion
You are helpless
Don't have a choice
And draw
The wrong conclusion
A hug, a word
A gentle touch
Can turn
That fragile emotion
For growth
Is not just physical
It's your spirit
That's in motion
You form, you grow
Within yourself
Through love
And interaction
The unseen growth
Of your soul
In thought, feeling
Reaction
So when our bodies
Are full grown
And now the issues
Surface
We look back
To our childhood
To find our inner purpose
So often
We've believed a lie
Self taught
Or others have said it
The damage done
To our surprise
It cripples
If we let it
Forget the cruelties
Of this earth
My special
Wonderful child
Be healed
Of all the wrong
That's been
And allow your life
To smile
Your spirit now
Is formed
And strong
Don't believe
Your childhood dictums
Get up in courage
And live your life
And remove
The victim

It's in these silent moments
That what's pent up
Gets released
Like tears on your pillow
Words flow from
Somewhere deep
Emotions flit
Right through you
Not stopping on their way
And you're left gazing
At beauty
As you flip from page to page
Decisions and deep burdens
Lazy thoughts in their own lairs
Truth shining on the places
Where you realize
That you erred
It wasn't the intention
It wasn't what you planned
It's just you missed the signals
And you didn't understand

You talked of pride
And of pain
I could see it
In your eyes
You talked of exhaustion
And emotional drain
And the countless tears
You cried
You talked of worlds
Moving apart
And you knew
You had to decide
That it wasn’t worth it
To go there again
It would just tear you up inside
I heard you talk
On your phone
And the words
Rattled in my mind
Then you hung your head
And closed your eyes
And continued
The subway ride

Obstacles arise
And fears set in
When faith gives way
And trust wears thin
How is this possible?
You surmise
As you search for portents
In threatening skies
Yet shafts of light
Shine through the gloom
Words of promise
And assurance loom
Against the facts
So cruelly hurled
You can accept what is
Or change the world

There is peace
Where there is trust
Honesty and frankness
Of knowing what you're dealing with
And who you really are
There is comfort in relaxing
And letting down defenses
You can hear it in the laughter
As you gaze up at the stars
There is healing
With acceptance
There is freedom with forgiveness
A lightened heart of joy
And pain that fades away
There is hope
And new beginnings
Salvation in its glory
When faith gives birth to promise
And you step into that day

This sudden spring
Arriving before the gardeners
Have prepared the beds
A profusion of growth
Invading the gardens
With startlingly vivid colours
Before their season
The trees have budded
As if an invisible hand
Has tilted the earth
Just a fraction faster
Than normal
There are no complaints
Of this early spring
The gardens can be raked later...

This sudden emergence
Of what matters most
Love and all it awakens
Feelings forgotten and now relived
Dreams and hopes reborn
It's as if our hearts have now learned
How to love deeper
And with more understanding
And compassion
The other "things"
Will just have to catch up
Things that can be bought or replaced
For that which is irreplaceable
Has made its appearance
And has transformed our world

On the cross and in our lives
The light dispels the darkest day
Exposure burns away the night
Releases those beneath its sway
Turning sorrow into good
Letting love find its way
Transforming what’s been understood
Not letting pain have final say
Tricking evil into the open
Disarming powers past obeyed
Turning lead into gold
The art of alchemy displayed