In the chilled noon sun
Facing spread of leaves in thought
Wait for last to fall

©  2017 Jim Davis

Leaf spinning in air
It’s time to live, now is gone
The still tree stands tall

©  2017 Jim Davis

At very first breath only
just a tiny green wee bud
Spreading out a bit bigger
Springing into love of life
Developing strong backbone
Hot sap coursing thru veins
Watching flowers of course
Doing it with bees and such
Growing through radiant sun
Living good should never end
Rustling bright in chilled wind
Sludging sap goes to slow
At those beautiful final moments
Glowing in a radiant splendor
Letting go of known anchor
Before spinning down in air
Joined again to earth’s dust
Waiting upon next to come


©  2017 Jim Davis

Life’s good... till it ain’t!

...
I
...



©  2017 Jim Davis

Light never fades to black

Standing at the lookout of Mt Scopus
We heard our loved begotten say “I do”
As they joined in love as one
For none to put asunder

Gazing upon the Shepherd’s field
We heard the angels saying
There is a new King born to rule
Who is the prophet’s Messiah

Treading carefully in Bethlehem
We heard a baby’s wailing cry
And his ****** mother in a lullaby
Knowing he was the chosen one

Discovering Magdala’s uncovered ruins
We heard the broken bleeding woman say
If I may but touch the hem of his garmet
Our Saviour saying  “who touched me”

In flowered repose at the hillside cave
We heard his voice teaching
Chosen apostles and us only hoping
A mustard seed’s weight of faith

Walking the Via Delarosa alleyway
We heard wood scraping stones
And heavy, exhausted breaths
Jesus bearing our burdens

Sitting beneath Christ's Thorn Jujube
We heard blood dripping to the ground
And a loud cry of mortal agony
Why have thou forsaken me

In sight of the ground near Golgotha
We heard heckles of laughter, lots cast
Time standing still
And finally the words “It is finished”

Near the rich man’s guarded tomb
We heard the stone roll back
For use as an angel’s seat
Revealing only the linen cloth left behind

Sitting near the Garden tomb
We heard our most innocent one say
I am the only way, to enter the gates
You must become like me

Buried in the flowing Jordan River
We heard the Lord say
You are now mine, arisen anew
We heard the angels singing

Gazing upon the Golden Dome
We heard the Lord say
Forgive them
For they know not what they do

Standing upon the heart stones
We heard the Lord say
Upon this rock I will build my church
Beginning the new covenant way

Standing close to Peter’s hiding place
We heard the denial thrice
Then heard the loud **** crow
Hoping for us it would not crow twice

At the second century baptismal
We heard bells ringing
Proclaiming the salvation we
And early Jews found in his blood

In the synogogue
We heard the sound of his voice
With those in amazement saying
Is this not Joseph’s son?

Stumbling the stones of Korazim
We heard the voice of Jesus saying
Woe unto you, your fate
is worse than ***** or Gomorrah

Wandering a Roman cardo Maximus
We heard the voice of a Christian
Singing Something About a Mountain
And heard us and angels in applause

Walking the obstacle maze of memories
We heard the voices of 6 million saying
From the ovens and chambers
Never again, Never again

Sailing on the Sea of Galilee
We heard the red, white, and blue say
As it flew with the blue and white star
We are your friend, Oh Israel

Scaling the heights of Masada
We heard the rebels shouting
To the assaulting Roman Legion
You cannot take our freedom

Sitting in stillness under the olive tree
We heard the voice of God
Saying “I am”
There is no other

Strolling the seashell shores of Galilee
We heard waves lapping at eternity’s silence
Knowing we will live wearing the crown
Sitting next to the throne

Looking within our hearts
We heard ourselves saying
Forgive me Lord, I have sinned
But have found Victory in Jesus

©  2019 Jim Davis

I’ll turn past six decades tomorrow
I’ll not live to love much longer
Coulda said the same
a decade of years ago
or on the day of my birth
I’ll not live to love much longer
Who really knows what
decades of years or
another tomorrow brings
I’ll not live to love much longer
Perhaps someday I’ll say
I’ll turn past nine decades tomorrow
that’ll be the day I’ll say
I’ll not live to love much longer

©  2019 Jim Davis

Take a slow look round
See what you can see
See all is a lie
Truth lies with your heart
Trust your heart to know
You must live the life
You are meant to live
And die much too soon
With the thought of me
As your best sweet hope

©  2018  Jim Davis

A soul has
many parts
Some parts
Don't give
A ****
But the
love part
Wants it
To be you

©  2017 Jim Davis

We walked to ahu
Set in stone
To stare at mo‘ai
Who also walked
To where they stood
Face to face
Now or past
Eyes uplifted to blue
White skies drifting slow
Moi and us both still
Seeing the fallen
Knowing we too
Will fall
Face down
In volcanic dust
To other worlds
Mana gone


©  2017 Jim Davis

Most beautiful...
at the vows...
then again...
at 50 years!

What does it take to poem
Is doing such, a real verb?

To make words clang or chime
To bring out what in time has always
Been there, but lived a quiet life
in our known world, waiting unseen

As any artist does to live on
Oft not for gold or silver
Which tarnishes with time
But for pure love, rewarded indeed

Very rare, for one's words to match
Another's words, close in space, time
Even rarer, for a ******* of minds
Like many inventions throughout time

Words for worlds, from a mind's time
Laid in neat or no order, posed this way
and all that, to last long in time
Give light to a world, waiting for next

©  2017 Jim Davis

resting upon porch
swallows sipping pond's still glass
She brings mint juleps

When could I next hear
The bird's quietness
The wind's rolling
The thunder's boom
The rain's drops

When will I ever again see
The dewdrop's glisten
The grass's green
The sunlight's beam
The flower's preen

How much longer until I smell
The rose's aroma
The perfume's bouquet
The forest's dampness
The first day of May

How many more times will I feel
The touch's tenderness
The cold's bitterness
The water's wetness
The dragon's armor

When is my next time to taste
The whiskey's bite
The meat's blood
The kisses' sweetness
The color of blue

When will I again
Sense your love and
Believe it?
As well as I believed
Those other things

©  2017 Jim Davis

If one not in love,
are both out of love?

©  2019 Jim Davis

I've seen tulip fields, daffodils and
mountain meadow's spring blaze
Of bloom
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've floated the wow, in sea life filled,
surreal turquoise lagoon's sparkling
Drifting waters
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've dined with Mickey, at his home
but too late for a quick visit with his
Given grace
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've laid still with friends, from a long ago
through both through and in
Thick and lean
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've heard the oh so quiet winds blow
into one ear, and inside, out into the
Other inside
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've crawled into sticky lairs of trouble
more times than I can again sort of
Totally remember
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've jumped into the frypan much
too friggin hot for a figure of speech and
Of mind
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've gone into, over, through and
on top of, all the way in, then out and
Down under
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've slipped the earth's surly bonds
more than one time, possibly a one
Hundred thrice
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've watched stars and planets pass
me on by in parched, black filled
Desert skies
Still, I looked for a place to dream

I've traveled the whole world around
not once, but close to once, or at
Least twice
Still, I looked for a place to dream

Funny, I finally found the only place
that I need to dream right there in
My mirror
Staring at me from my mind within

©  2017 Jim Davis

I spend a good
part of each day
Writing poetry you see
At times in words
Wishing vision to see
Perhaps I've found
A real life calling
Or just a little thing to
Play with all day

©  2017 Jim Davis

Flailing in quicksand
As heart sinks, ever since his
bride left, with cold feet

©  2017 Jim Davis

Our eyes filled with wonder
Our minds twisted in change
Much like hobbits going afar
Then returning to sweet home
Our lives were changed forever

We rode slow and flew so fast
In tin cans from here and to there
Never taking off our shoes
Hardly touching the ground
Hardly touching Africa

Hiding behind camera lens
Wearing our face in masks
As a people not African black
Who worry not the future
Living easily in time’s moment

Like sardines aligned in tight
Wild creatures within confines
Electricity, steel, and wire
Tall fences stopping escape
To other worlds and realms afar

Except the leopards of night
Who easily roam across
All defined or artificial borders
Escaping cramped tin cans
Basking in Africa’s buttery light

Except for our African guide
With Christian name of Dexter
But named actually as
Tichayambuka Nekutenda
Nenyasha Chikerema

More comfortable sleeping in
Deep bush amongst beasts
Without down comforters,
perfumes, socks, or shoes
Living life in happy quiet freedom

A man raised speaking Bantu
in a small Shona tribe
Born in the Zimababwan village
Of Mutekedza in Mashonaland
East in the Chivhu Area.

From his father’s family
Given a totem of Zebra Brown
Then recited in love poem daily
by his proud mother
To affirm him as a man

Although he must also
be like the leopard
Unconfined in simple borders
Or tin can walls all around
Able to traverse the world

We as tourists were and are
Salty, smelly, near rotten sardines
I see him smile
And I laugh, and I know
Ndino ziva anorarama se  mbada


©  2017 Jim Davis