All of it started with the  smile of a flower,
which was an  answer to my wink to her,
then a wind brought her scented thought, to me
to mull over, smile again was the answer, I gave.

Thus began a chain, animals, birds and words,
soon became the links creating lilting tunes,
stars at night chimed in, their magical words
crafted by many hues of pulsating light, delighting us.

Even pain had a heart rending rhyme, a dying star
in the candor of that moment told us truths concealed,
a telescope distant would take her moment of  glory
for records,she fell, showering in to cosmic chasm, magnificently.
I whispered this to her ear, she was willing to join the chorus,

"Aren't we like the elements of nature, braided together,
just reach the core, through many ways possible,
make yourself  this clear for ever; we together make one,
it'd naturally dawn,  if you've nothing to jettison,
those unwanted baggage  stuffed, does nothing for one,
when one gathers this truth  much delight dawns,
love travels at the speed of light, you are just a beam."

We attempt rescue, unable to bear
the stardust-coated dragonfly
beat, beat, beating
frantic on the glass.

We entice him to perch
on our extended lifeline-broom
nurse him in a box, where he flutters
quivers, lies quietly blue.

My son cries bitterly
as we place a minute cross
upon the dragonfly grave
while intoning our final goodbyes:

We honor those who have fallen victim
to this fatal architectural trap, lured
by skylights of enticing white-light death
and the paned illusion of freedom.

In admiration of winged determination
and perseverance in the face of futility
we carefully tend the fragile, curved bodies
lay them here to rest under the mock orange.

years of gauze-weighted detritus
swept beneath these ponderous shrubs
a reminder - what seems like freedom
                                                         ­           often isn’t.

Trillions of years from now
The scattered remnants of our Universe
Float in endless darkness,
All stars extinguished.

Scattered fragments and swirls of gas
Are all that remain
Of what was once a glory
Filled with countless galaxy clusters
Shining bright.

But something happens.
A trigger point is reached.
Two particles attract.
Two more.
And more.

Ever so slowly, Gravity takes hold again
Then faster and faster
All that matter
Implodes.

The Universe contracts again
Shrinking down
To that central Singularity,
Back to that point
From which it all Began.

Paul Butters

An ominous construction
In the gloming stood
It was dark, unlike the park
Of the neighborhood

Its architecture gothic
It was in disrepair
Its garden loomed and had no bloom
Just briars of despair

Cobwebs in the windows
Its gutters filled with leaves
The fence beneath like broken teeth
Wasp nests in the eaves...


The people living roundabout
We're angry! Up in arms!
Their neighbor had to labor
To give their place some charm!

So they all got together
And went there as a group
They had talked, and so they stalked
Up there to the stoop

There was a lengthy time
After the doorbell bonged
Then they knew the place askew
There was something wrong!

Some became quite anxious
They were sore afraid!
Their faces taut, they shook and thought
The house owned by a shade!

But finally someone answered
The mammoth darkened door
A wizened gal stood in the hall
An old lady! Nothing more!

"Have you finally come to help me?"
She asked, tears in blind eyes
"I lie in bed, my husband"s dead,
And I was just too shy..."

All the people were ashamed
Could not believe their part
As it were, blaming her
For the blackness of THEIR hearts!

So one by one they got some rakes
Some dustrags and some brooms
They changed their plan, made **** n span
They cleaned every room!

Bit by bit they found some wit
In the elderly girl
She took part, and had an art
Knew much of the world

So the moral of the story
Is plain as plain can be
Don't hold a grudge.
And please don't judge...
Until you finally SEE!


SoulSurvivor
(C) 4/14/2016

Garden to my left,
colors so bright
the snapdragons and sweet peas
nod their watercolored heads
in the morning's silken light
chutney-colored wall
leading to my door
shoes neatly stacked
with toys in baskets
upon the concrete-patterned floor
plants align the window sill,
marking the flipside to my kitchen
reminding me of wafting tastes
in the form of stir-fry
or juicy chicken
to the right
a pumpkin-spiced ball of fur
my Ginger nestled tight
body rising and falling
in deep slumber's purr
his springtime pillow
puffed just right
The laughter I hear
fills my ears and heart
as children, (mine, too)….play
and I sit with my legs upon the
Tupperware chair
and contemplate the day
Between my palms Turkish coffee
entices with its delicious steam
and here come the thought police
to interrupt my desert dream

Back off *******,
I'm not going to jail.

Scarlet symphony of rough elements,
celestial concubine of the good omen
slowly sipped though by a vogue fate.
Roots of legendary sources
are plunged into the rusty soil
and perched on waves
of frequencies in meditation.
Clouds of gold foil are felted
in lacquered curls by the wind,
admiring the highest appearance
of the innermost and pure awareness.