standing in the pre-dawn glow
I raise my arms to the last great god of men
and wonder why no one
praises Venus
when they crossed the sea
it was Venus who parted the waves
when they looked around at calamity
it was Venus they cursed
when they wrote calendars
it was the variation in the great comet
that influenced days, months, and years
we have forgotten –
a bright spot on the horizon
is all that remains
of the horned beast
that nearly wiped humanity from existence
the massive upheaval documentation
either verbally in the native tribes
or physically as with the Chinese or Hindu
state clearly the reality
natural destruction
in the eyes of those who came before
was placed on an invisible all-knowing god
while today,
news agents would explain
an incoming comet
is about to destroy all life as we know it
get ready –
looking up at the star filled night sky in wonder
and amazement
as I now understand why
these were the gods
and their movements and actions so carefully notated
sadly, we will not get to relive this sight
it will be our own actions
that bring about the new age of man –
no longer is a planetary body required
when we can build nuclear reactors and dump waste into the oceans
there is no real necessity for god to send
agents from heaven
to smite unholy cities
we drone bomb the innocents daily
long past are the days in which a vengeful lord
would take actions against those who would deny
Monsanto and BP have completely poisoned
any and all available land that was once
suited for inhabitation or food production
engineered salmon swim through
plastic islands
in a quest to bash their mutated brains
into man made dams
that no longer do anything but
stop the natural flow of the rivers –
broken promises of a returning savior
have the masses crying out
while refusing personal responsibility for anything
when they burn in the fires of neglected industrialization
I will sit atop a lonely mountain peak
and enjoy natural hand-made marshmallows
with those who would listen
and take heed --

The memory,
Of our first official kiss.
Runs through my head still.

The days of you chasing me,
Still exist at will.
I can remember the hesitance,
That our bodies bore.

Our first awkward night,
The reactions of those around.
Still gives me a smile.

It just shows how much I love you,
My dear and best friend.
It will never die.

I love you.
I don't regret this one bit.

promise! This will be the last...

The glinting shadow of the Sun
In the Philippine waters.*

© 2015 J.S.P.

I remember when I was around six
soon to be seven
We met on a plain grassy field,
the first place where our lips,
never touched.
You swore this was not a game,
but why did you bring the dice this time?

Oh what did I bring?
Nothing but this blanket covered in dust.
Was I too lazy to brush the memories?
No, I just could not imagine
our childhood being in the air.
I reach for your hand,
like a baby reaches for their bottle.

Silly is not?
Please just listen.
The crickets are still and accept us.
No coyote is howling at our skin.
You swear a tree is falling,
but how sure are you about that?

Now we are nineteen and
moving on to our twenties.
You swear that we have changed,
but all I notice is our age becoming older.
More memories with
our wings damaged.

My wings?
Oh, you care to know now,
they are shattered as you left.
I have one healthy wing,
the other is bruised and crippled.
Why?
You can answer that one,
with your memories and imagination.