I'm looking for god, but I don't know where to start
Perhaps he lies dormant in the vastness of my heart
A seasoned man advised me to consult an old book
Within the back pages and footnotes to look
But with what I found, I wasn't pleased
For within even a thousand pages, god can't be squeezed
Too many rules, and laws commanded to obey
But the word of god doesn't command to stay
Perhaps god resides in a holy house
I heard of it's extravagant windows and the holy mans embroidered blouse
But What need does god have for buildings such as these
Or the monuments erected to appease
For the entire universe is the house of God
He can't reside in a confined quad
What of the poor, the sick, and those full of despair
Surely God has to be there
To lift there hopes, and to set them free
From the shackles placed on them by society.
But alas, my efforts are to no avail
For if god where there, they would prevail.
How about with the wealthy, The ones who are doing well
Does god network with them? From heaven to hell.
But god is good, benevolent, and full of joy
God does not judge nor employ.
I'm looking for god, but where can he be.
I can't see him, but his will keeps beckoning me.
He's not in a place, but alongside  the flow of life
In the people you meet, and the moments of strife.
He's along side the birds, the fish and the trees
Alongside anything eager to please.
He is the collective will, of the universe in motion
But it's hard to hear him amongst all the commotion
You must silence your mind, and pick your body apart
Then allow God to resonate from the vastness of your heart

What I want to be

If anything in the world I could be
I wish, I wish I were a tree
So little would be expected of me
To simply grow and sit patiently
To provide shade in the hot summer days
To let the birds perch and sing out praise
My mind no longer trapped in a haze
My purpose defined within this phase
No longer would I be asked to think outside the box
If I simply were a fox
Or better yet I could be an Ox
No longer trapped by time on clocks
I'll be free to roam
And call any sunny patch my home
No longer would I feel alone
Nor carry sins for which I must atone
Oh why, has the universe placed me in this physical form
For wandering eyes to scrutinize and scorn
Oh why can't I just be
Proud and sturdy like a tree
No questions would be asked of me
No expectations demanded by society
But what type of life is this
Deprived of both pain and bliss
For how do I know that I exist?
And after life, will my dreams persist?
Once blind, now I see
That my dreams could come effortlessly
And life is such a blessing to me
I can only wish I'll simply be

She was the pure powdered snow, and he the springtime breeze
While little of love did she know, he was eager to please
Delicate was she, as every flake unique and fragile
Unrelenting was he, moving fast and keenly agile

She covers all of life, in a smooth and even coat
He tussles her hair every now and then, and leaves a simple note
He tells her he’ll be back, through the patterns that he makes
She awaits him till the dawn, till the more of her he takes

He loves her slowly, as day-by-day goes by
No longer is she lonely, as life begins to spry
She’s warming up to him, ready to experience love
But her future looks so grim, as the sun shines down above

His burning love, of swift and vigor, has cost a terrible price
As she condensed, and loved him so, paying the ultimate price
The springtime breeze never had a chance, a love that does not last
For how does she accept his love without becoming past?

In tribute, the springtime breeze took heed, and finished building with another
The summer night in need, he flourished with his brother
There was no end to life that grew, no blemish nor sign of decay
Until the fall rain came through, and washed his remnant love away

August 4th, 1942
My sweet darling Judith, I’m sorry I could not write before
We’ve been so busy, training and preparing for war
It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen your angelic face
Oh how I cannot wait to collapse into your heavenly embrace
How are your parents? Are they doing well?
And what about our daughter Dorothy? Hope she’s not giving you hell
Just know, I miss you all with all my heart
And cannot wait till we’re no longer apart

October 2nd, 1942
Oh my dear sweet James, I’m so glad that you finally wrote
My soul aches for your return, like a knot in my throat
My parents are well; they just bought a new home
And Dorothy is finally learning to walk, oh the places she’ll roam
How are you being treated? Are you doing well?
And what about the other soldiers? Hope they’re not giving you hell
Well I can’t wait for your return; I’ll stay on guard
And protect our home, like your protecting us abroad

November 22nd, 1942
It pains to hear I cannot see our daughter growing up
But every morning I rejoice while I sip from my Dixie cup
Because I’m alive, and I know all of you are safe and sound
And ill make it back home, to see you again, my love found
The other soldiers are fine; I met a friend named Mike
He’s also from Mississippi; we have much alike
The sergeant can be a pain, from time to time
But I know its all for the best, living in this grime

December 28th, 1942
Every morning I wake, I pray that you’re still alive
I don’t know if I could make it, how this family will survive
Christmas was hard; my father has passed
My mother is in tears; I don’t know how much longer she’ll last
But, I maintain my faith in our child and our love
And most of all in god almighty above
He’ll bring you back home, all safe and sound
And our family will be stronger upon this ground





January 27th, 1943
My heart drips tears of anguish upon this ****** ground
For your father was the greatest of men I had found
It seems like Christmas was eons ago
And in the New Year, I fought in the trenches below.
My friend Mike fell victim to a land mine.
I hope one day we can visit his shrine
He was a great man that I wish to remember
A shinning light in the cold darkness of December

February 14th, 1943
Happy Valentines Day from your family back home
Since my father has passed we had to take out a bank loan
We sold the house and now my mother lives with me
With your daughter it’s a generational house of three
Times our getting hard, but I imagine for you its much worse
This war is nothing more than a curse
How I plead every night and morning for you to come back
And get this family back on life’s track

February 14h, 1943
Happy Valentines Day my love, my world
Images of you flash every time my body is curled
For you are the only one that I fight for
But, I don’t know how much longer I can fight this war
My body is weak, and my spirit is drained
On top of it all, I feel my soul has been stained
I don’t believe men were meant to see such death
But, for you I shall hold on until my last breath

March 18th, 1943
Happy Birthday Judith, Hope things for you are going much better
Hope you’re not falling behind on the debtor
Hope your mother is doing great
Hope our daughter has plenty of food on her plate
Hope you wont get too mad
But lately I’ve been quite sad
Hoping this all will just come to an end
Hopefully I wont loose another friend

May 3rd, 1943
How dare you hang your head low
With all of the duties you still have to go
The payments are hard, but we manage to get by
Everyday I try and try

June 3rd, 1943

Oh sweetheart don’t take my words too harsh
But, you cant begin to even imagine the night I spent in the marsh
It was wet, it was cold, it was filthy, and scary
There were mosquitoes, and pests, and animals of all kinds to be wary
And what? You don’t think that I try?
All the horrors I’ve seen just trying to get by
So save the lip for another man
For I have dealt with all that I can.

July 4th, 1943
It’s the 4th of July, America’s independence day
Yet you are overseas fighting a pointless war away
They should let the Jews take care of their own
And not force good men from their home
There’s a large BBQ tonight at the mill
I hope there will be a good thrill
To finally get out of my cumbersome house
To bad I don’t have the company of my spouse

September 4th, 1943
Happy Birthday James, the father of my child
Things back home have been crazy and wild
My mother finally passed, she caught the fever
And I have lost god, for I am no longer a believer
This is all getting too hard
Dorothy got a stray dog, so now we need a yard
I don’t know how much more I can take
So please, James, hurry back to claim your stake

November 26th 1943
Oh Judith, be patient the war is almost over
But, luck is more than just a 4-leaf clover
You must try and stay strong for us both
Dorothy still has much to learn, and much left in her growth
I’m truly sorry to hear about the passing of your mother
She was kind, loyal, and was unlike any other
Hold on, it will all be over soon my dear
And I will see you again in the New Year






December 21st 1943
I’m sorry James, truly I am
But, I have decided to leave you for another man
Dorothy needs support, she needs a father
And I need someone to lean on, somebody to bother
I feel so alone, and I have nobody to cry to
I have nobody to laugh with; I have nothing to apply to
I’m lost in this world; I’m no longer the woman you know
I have lost the house, and now I live with a fellow named Joe
We met at the mill BBQ that eventful night
He was kind; he was generous, and very polite
Oh, James, I write to you with such a heavy heart
You must understand, that I could no longer take us being apart
I don’t think I could ever forgive you or forgive this war
You left me, for so long, holding the door
But, I can no longer hold this anger inside me
I can no longer carry the burden beside me
I can no longer live a life, wondering if
I need peace of mind, before I fall off of this cliff
My last wish is to have you write back to me
I need to know you understand so that I may be free
I must know, for fear I may take my own life
And leave Dorothy orphaned, in these moments of strife
Ill never forget you James, my dear
And one day, I hope, that our spirits our near

December 25th 1943
To the family of Second Sergeant James E. Wiseman
My sincere condolences for your loss
The body of James, was recovered by Lieutenant Ron Simon
On December 14th, he was buried under a cross
His spirit will be carried on by his platoon,
And his name we will remember
My hopes is that this letter will reach you soon
For James, was a shinning beacon of hope, in the cold darkness of December.

I have great disdain for the light of the day
Oh how I plead the sun shall go away

2. The world around is much too bright
And every speck is seen in perfect sight

3. In the day, there is no mystery, there is no danger
There are no heroes, there are no strangers

4.The light illuminates each crack on the street
And the flaws in everyone you meet

5. For the day is dedicated to the labor
The workers hand in hand with neighbors

6. In the light we toil through the same routine
Just a small part of the big machine


1. I much prefer the darkness of the night
And bask in the shadows of artificial light

2. For the shadows, they lie in between
Where the darkest of corners are never meant to be seen

3. In the night, there is a history, a story changer
An ambiance of impending danger

 4. And in the dark, the streets are paved with desire
Our passions personified, ignited by fire

5. So into the night we venture in sin
Impatiently wishing for the adventure to begin

6.Because in the darkness we are all free
Masked by the shadows from the people to see



7. So as the sun reaches it’s greatest of height
I go inside to await the embrace of the night
For the truth hurts too much to stay
I have great disdain for the light of the day

I am the ember that waits in the heart of the burning flame
Hot, like the passion of estranged lovers in the moment of self worth
The foundation and I were once one in the same
Before dancing pirouettes glided upwards from the earth

The sacrifice of wood in the efforts of just and reason
Weakening inner strength as we tumble down in size
Like the boxer, who trains a lifetime season after season
The weight of winning, will be his ultimate demise

I know, eventually the dancers will slide away
Unbeknownst to the other embers, who wait in desperate hopes
Fearing the flame will no longer stay
The hangman tightens his gallows ropes

Exhausted after a life of vigor, my fate is ultimately sealed
Once bursting with passion, now anxiously tame
Much like the warrior, who sustained a fatal wound, on the battlefield
I am the ember that waits, in the heart of he burning flame

I live for those fleeting moments
that capture your imagination
of a bright future.
A word,
a gesture,
or even a glance.
That instant,
when all the possibilities of your fantasy
seem only a few steps away.
Where you fill the gaps of your dreams with the opportunity in front of you.
But alas,
as that opportunity comes and goes, the gaps seem more barren than before,
and you're left once again
with only the dream.
The dream of a bright future
where these moments no longer pass like whispers in the wind.
But instead,
are engraved like crevices in a tombstone.
Because in life we only have our dreams,
and the hope that these fleeting moments
turn into eternal memories