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Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Cutting through the waves
Wind blows me so far away
Just another day

Slicing through the breeze
Time stands still for all to hear
The silence begins

Coursing through daylight
Set my sails and my rudder
To the edge of night

The birds they do sing
All the world is listening
A song of great hope

Riding on the tide
The world passes slowly by
Now washed on the waves
Richard Grahn May 2017
Your desert winds blows
Across the sands of my mind
I’m wrapped in your dust
Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Depends on how you view dust I suppose
Richard Grahn May 2017
These tempered thoughts
Roll around in my head
They spin me around
And fall to the ground
Down under my feet
Where I often tread
They’re broken to pieces
And left there for dead

But I pick up the debris
Of my shattered thoughts
And put it together
In a brand new design
One way or another
Let me tell you my dear
The story gets told
And the magic unfolds

In the heat of the moment
I take one more chance
I’m caught in your torrent
But I know how to dance
My mind turns around
And I look in your eyes
The picture I see
Is a pleasant surprise

I’m drowned in your laughter
And lost in your smile
That tale that you told me
Might last for a while
The music you played me
Is such a sweet tune
The moon in your eyes
Took me down deep inside

So…that Is my story and
I’m sticking to it
I’ve given you a deep look
Inside my mind
Don’t bury the treasure
Or think something’s wrong
Just let it sink in
And I’ll sing you a song
This poem was created from a stream of consciousness. I like writing this way from time to time. This just means that there’s no specific destination in mind in the beginning and I just let the poem unfold one line at a time.
Richard Grahn Dec 2017
two lovers:
a second bowl
of ice cream
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
A pleasant valley
Offers its serenity:
Tossed in the moonlight.
It seems that I'm in Haiku mode this morning.
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Watching the breeze
Come to dance in the trees
The season of green
Is so near at hand
Never a mention
Of what’s come to pass
Lets make a new chance
To take it all in
It won’t be the same
As the memory we have
The days they grow longer
As we drift and we dream
Caught in the measure of
Birds in the trees
We believe in the notion
And settle on in
Richard Grahn May 2017
There are times in a lifetime
When meanings collide
Times when we wonder
The reason why

There are moments of sadness
And gladness too
Those memories won’t last us
But they might have to do

There is such a fine line
Between the now and then
Such precious little moments
That we learn how to tend

So take up my hand love
And sing me your song
Our moments together
Won’t last all that long

Your heart is my mainstay
My chest full of pearls
Your laughter has taught me
My place in this world

Let’s spend time together
And weather the storm
We can chase all our dreams now
Before they are gone

Let’s live for this moment
And play out the game
Let’s share this adventure
To the end of our days
Richard Grahn May 2017
Somewhere inside
Your memory resides
There it shatters my mind
Richard Grahn Sep 2017
Sweet dewdrops remain
In the soft fields where they lay
Shimmering their way
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
There in her closet
She sat looking at her shoes
All five hundred pairs
Richard Grahn Jun 2017
These three simple lines
From the pages of my mind
Were so hard to find
Sometimes the obvious is so unobtainable.
Richard Grahn May 2017
A teardrop rains down
From the crest of the Heavens
The sky is alive
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
A waning season
Clouds billow without reason
Morning sky hovers
Richard Grahn Sep 2017
A dream is sleeping
In the still of the evening
Then wakes up to play

Long before the coming day
It drifts away into haze
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Cherry blossoms fly
As the season passes by
Soft hearts are melting*

4/29/2017
Richard Grahn Dec 2017
Standing at the edge of a pulsing highway, thumb extended, a lighthouse beacon under an early sky, raining hues of blue. A meadowlark stops to chirp, waiting for a ride on the next gentle breeze to somewhere. Grass whispers to the pavement. Gravel crunches under foot. Speeding cars drift slowly by on this never-ending road to nowhere, leaving their noxious gases floating, polluting the stillness of the morning air. Getting from here to there is a gas.

license plates fade
into the horizon...
dusty shoes
This is my first attempt at Haibun. Critique welcome and thanks for reading. Changed the haiku after original posting.
Richard Grahn Dec 2017
Lying back in a bed of grass on a warm summer evening, there is no moon or clouds. There are no trees, no bushes and no structures in the periphery. Little twinkles of heavenly light, rain down from all directions, breathing life into the midnight sky. All around the whispering glow of the Milky Way gently teases the soul like some grand Pied Piper on a mission from God.

The soil beneath the grass is cool. The air is still. A meteor flashes across the sky then vanishes into a timeless sea of stars. The earth drops away as Eternity beckons, leading the dreamer into deeper space.

one small step…
tripping through fields of
dark matter
This is inspired by an experience I once had, literally feeling like I was falling into the stars. It was similar to the rush you might get from jumping out of an airplane. There was nothing in my view but stars. There was a moment when I realized we are just floating in space, just another speck in the universe. I was lost in space but I found something as well. The shock of it brought me out of my trance.
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
twisted in your spell
words, they fell into whispers:
trapped in your magic*

4/25/2017
Richard Grahn Oct 2017
Deep inside these dreams
Where your magic fills the air
Peering through the night
I’m watching you spin starlight
Into visions of delight
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Spirit comes to me
I’m tempted by her casual flare
Her thoughts spill over my rainbow
And wash away my every care

The scorching sands beneath our feet
Drift slowly by the thoughts we’ve shared
The story’s not completely wrote
Each passage has its special note

We while away the passing hours
The flowers bloom then fade away
Our time was bent beyond compare
The time we spent was meant to share

There is no place I’d rather be
No other muse I want to see
Her message was so very clear
Inside her spell there was no fear

The sands of time, they blow away
The rainbow’s fleeting  glow is gone
Each treasured moment passes by
The time was right, she had to fly
Richard Grahn May 2017
One heart and one soul
Pure Spirituality
Serves to make us whole
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Where did all this come from?
Where did it all begin?
Don’t let me sit here wondering now
I don’t know where it eventually ends
I put the words down on the page
I let them simmer in the light of day
There’s nothing really stopping me when
I type them down to make them stay
I can’t let go of this little thread
It spins itself as I watch it fly
My fingers touch the hallowed page
The light goes on and I start to say
The things I’ve thought
The way they’re made
There’s nothing here that can’t be said
I won’t slow down or go around
It’s through the wall I step again
Did you see what I had to say?
Do you think there’s better way?
Let me know and I won’t deny
I caught you watching so you can’t pretend
I’m living the dream as you walk on by
I’m happy in this place we’ve never been
Writing for me is pretty much a spontaneous indulgence. Knowing how to stop having fun is impossible. Well, I do require sleep and sustenance. Still, I love weaving a poem as it comes into my head one line at a time. Sometimes there is a basic floorplan to follow. Other times it is a pure “stream of consciousness”. Either way it’s all spontaneous.
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Margaret Atwood*

Spring is here
The awaking commences
Marching green explodes into life
Buds transform into leaves on the trees
Flowers explode across the timeless stage
There’s just enough time to plant what we need
Sprinkles rain down on this hallowed ground
Sprouts run up from the roots to play
The sun tickles life from the wind and the rain
Across the field the purchase is made
Grazing is easy on the tundra in Spring
We’re lost in the movement of wings on the breeze
Content with the dance that our reason believes
We settle our thoughts with the buzzing of bees
And capture the moments we’re so glad to receive
Richard Grahn Aug 2017
Yearning for sunlight
In this warm summer daydream
My stem reaches out

From the moist earth around me
Into the sunshine
I reach out for the heavens
Just learning to sprout

In the breath of the morning
Down by the river
With the crisp air around me
I  bask in the glow

In the still of the daylight
Warmed by its bright rays
Mesmerized by the dewdrops
I can now cast my shadow
Started this poem about a week ago.  Then my body decided to have a stroke. Spent four days in the hospital and then came back and finished the poem. A brush with mortality can surely sharpen the senses. All is well though.
Richard Grahn May 2017
In the realm of space
Time churns many stars to dust
Powdering the sky
Every line in this gave me fits. Hours and hours of fits. Started with a concept that just wasn't interested in confoming to the form.
And to make matters worse I gave it the wrong title initially.. It changed so much it no longer matched the original title.
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Tested by fate, we yearn to see
That mighty chasm we’re taught to believe.
The other side is so far away,
We can’t go around so we might have to stay.
The picture is grand but it stands in our way.
The measure’s unknown, dug down deep in the ground.
We’re found in a moment where the clock breaks down
And spins us around to the end of the day.
This problem requires a giant leap.
The edge of the cliff is mighty steep.
The bottomless pit is an impasse they say
But we might have the key to open the gate.
A simple step into the abyss.
Next thing you know we’re already there.
The chasm is closed as we walk on by.
The time we’ve spent was worth one more try.
Richard Grahn Jul 2017
Let your thoughts congeal
Into songs, into stories
And let them take flight
Richard Grahn Nov 2017
Thanks for the strawberries and cream.
Thanks for the simple things you do that
mean so very much to me.

Let me thank you for the time
and the encouraging words,
for the memories,
the meaning,
the laughter
and the healing.

Thanks for the caring
and your bountiful sharing.
Thank you kindly for being kind.
Thank you for your ever-soothing touch
and thank you for the love,
I love you so much.
This one popped out of the oven and was ready to eat five minutes later. Got to get in the mood somehow. ;)
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Sunlight considers
It’s memories while dancing
Light everlasting

4/23/2017
Struggled with this one over the course of a day--just coming back to it every so often. The last line came like a light switching on and there it was.
Richard Grahn May 2017
Storm clouds do wither
Sunshine breaks out in laughter
Light steals the winter
Richard Grahn May 2017
The sun’s piercing rays
Sweep away all the darkness
Just daylight remains
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
The measure of pleasure is hard to explain
Caught in a tempest, what a song we might sing
They say that the moment cannot truly last but
Don’t let it go, hold on to it fast!

Catching the train to a lost destination
The tune that we’re riding is not for the faint
With gestures we made just to get through the day
The fact remains that we can’t walk away

There’s nary the time to settle the past
We’re holding on fast to our very last chance
For miracles passing and echoes dancing
We tender reflections of our own sweet intentions
Richard Grahn May 2017
She sings a sweet tune
With a whisper and a sigh
One heart passing by
Richard Grahn Sep 2017
I recall the day
When your love swept me away
Very far away
Richard Grahn Oct 2017
You think of me in terms of you.
My normal doesn’t satisfy.
It doesn’t matter what I say;
you only see me in your way.

The news is good but you see bad.
I’ve had it up to here with that.
You fear the worst; I see the best.
You’re really an obsessive mess.

I’m standing here as plain as day,
wanting you to see the facts.
Wanting you to just let go
of broken notions you still hold.

Here I am, just take a look.
Read the book I’ve given you.
The things you took away from me,
I want them back; why can’t you see?

Truth means very much more to me
Than what you give me credit for.
I’m worth a chance, please give me that
Or stand aside to play your games.

Pick on someone else’s brother.
Choose another to twist and turn.
Let me live my life today
Or get the hell out of my way!
Power corrupts...
Having one of those days...
He drew a line in the sand and I'm about to cross it.
Just had to get this out first.
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Love shares its meaning
In the recesses of time
Tangled in my mind*

4/22/2017
Richard Grahn May 2017
So tattered and torn
My memories of you have
Slipped into darkness
Richard Grahn Jun 2017
I live with the premise that,
Life has some meaning,
That time is not stealing,
Instead it’s revealing.

But...

Inside the mirage
Is where we reside.
The waves of our time
Just keep drifting by…

We’re washed up to dry
On the desert’s hot shore
Where the visions we see
Are so hard to ignore.

The illusion resides
In the depths of our minds
Where reason dissolves
And mystery evolves.

The tempest we see
When we look deep inside
Is all just a dream
That our memories abide.
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
A tempest twisted
Her magical state
Such simple thoughts
Arranged by fate

Strong yet true
So hard to use
The blues she sang
Were tough but true

The time she took
To spin her tale
Was lost for words
Inside my mind

The terminal point
Of her passing endeavor
Revealed a measure
Of another whenever

Her moment in time
Was drifting by
It opened my mind
As I watched her cry

I held her head
Against my breast
And listened closely
To all the rest

She whispered quietly
In my patient ear
And spoke those words
I found so dear

We found a place
Inside the now
To settle down
And laugh and cry

We made a pact
Right then and there
To be free of worry
And always care

4.12.17
Richard Grahn May 2017
A temple of leaves
Embraces the lofty sky
Mother Earth worships
Richard Grahn May 2017
You push me
You tempt me
You twist me around
You bring me sweet promises
Of things I’ve not found

You lure me with passion
And tell me sweet lies
You move me with reason
When I look in your eyes

You offer me sunshine
In the darkest of skies
You taunt me with laughter
And the thought of surprise

You’re really so clever with
These promises that you make
I’m lost in your banter
About the chance I should take

Nothing is clear here
Though it sounds pretty good
You said I could try it
But don’t know if I should

I’m enthused by your passion
And the song that you sing
You’ve captured my memories
But it starts to sink in

I’ve been tempted before dear
And you won’t be the last so
You can take what you’re selling
And skip right on past
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Born in the tempest of a rising tide
In a whirlwind turning
At some place in some time
Testing the water
I look deep inside
The wind keeps on churning
There’s nowhere to hide

Never been down this path before
I’m lost in the hedgerows
On the stage of my mind
Caught in the menagerie
I’ll see what I want to see
Lost in the fantasy
I’ll walk with tenacity

I know what you said
That it’s all in my head but
I’m really that limber
With all things considered
I won’t be defined and I’ll never resign
I’ll just ride on the tide
Through the winds of my mind
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Perpetual motion takes to the stage.
It doesn’t exist but it’s fun to pretend.
Notions, little notions, I can’t get away.
The patterns in daylight are here to stay.

I’m looking on over at your gay little tune.
Measure by measure it burns in my ears.
The clock swings around to chime out the hour.
From here and to there the distance evolves.

If you come back right now we can play it again.
We’ll tender the silence into verse we can mend.
The thoughts of our passing like ships in the night
Are haunting my dreams and dulling my sight.
Richard Grahn May 2017
The key to this life
Is to nurture what you’ve sown
And just let it grow
Getting a bit philosophical here I guess.
Richard Grahn Jun 2017
Only* made nothing!
Only that or this.
Only for a moment but,
Only for a kiss.

Beware conceived of something.
Beware of that or this.
Beware of giant thoughts in there.
Beware of mindless bliss.

Content took just a moment.
Content with that or this.
Content to breach the levy.
Content in the abyss.

Always stops at nothing.
Always that or this.
Always finding something.
Always gets the gist.

Amazed comes on in waves.
Amazed of that or this.
Amazed rained down in teardrops.
Amazed was not remiss.

Aware was very clear to see.
Aware of that or this.
Aware took all the rainbow seeds
And vanished in the mist.

Amazed, she kissed the Only.
Only touched Beware.
Content reached out for Always.
Amazed became *
Aware.
Richard Grahn May 2017
Little drips of rain
Yearn to become a great stream
The ocean awaits
Richard Grahn May 2017
On our battlements
The great war of perception
Rages over time
Richard Grahn Apr 2017
Tumultuous waves
The passive shoreline awaits
Rocks devolve to sand
Richard Grahn May 2017
Your words in my mind
Resonate through the hollows
And chase me through time
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