At Sea II©

The start of an ocean voyage starts like life; fresh and new
And best served with a brew

The shoreline disappearing from view and star bright
Replacing the street lights fading fast into the night

The seas are calm in that cove as you leave a safe haven
Moving past that beacon with an escort from a raven

The gulls fly overhead their wings spread wide to catch the breeze
And the shrill of their screech fills the air as they escort you out to a distant somewhere

Soon we are alone at sea, no shoreline indicating safety
There is comfort and a strange sense of calm and serenity

But as time passes and the storms roll in
Rough seas are a sure thing

The waves pound the sides of our boat and
Swales high and low remind us we are quite remote

There is no way to swim to shore and a long way to the ocean floor
We say a prayer for all on board and listen to the roar

Our thoughts turn to those back ashore, family, friends, and others galore
And through it all there is hope that we are not a dope for being on a boat

As quickly as gale force winds came they are no longer found
And the smell of ocean air fills our lungs as we look around

Maybe getting there is worth the wait
To make that journey far and wide we shouldn’t hesitate

Instead of cowering inside and avoiding the ride
We should embrace her like a bride

And then it is there for all to see, land ** I say with such glee
Safe harbor has returned to me

Andreas Simic©

The Blame Game©

I am irate, I want to be angry.
Something has set me off
And I want someone to be responsible
To be the target of my rage

I just want to let loose
To vent this unexplained feeling
It is like a storm that has brewed
And now like a tornado wants to become a twister

To unleash that which has been pent up
Now looking for someone to ****** my energy upon
A nameless victim who doesn’t even see it coming
Who will be the benefactor of the ****** released

Likely someone who is close like a spouse or a friend
Or maybe a complete stranger
Unaware of the catalyst
That will spark this verbal assault

I just need that someone who will listen
To my frustration, my angst, my worries
Hear what I have to say and just be
The voice of reason

And as time passes
As I journal and negotiate with myself
It has begun to dissipate, to unravel
And the storm has passed

There is no one to blame
It was all part of the game.

Andreas Simic©

The Dower Flower©

It is a misty summer day, the morning rain
providing a sheen on the sidewalks
the temperature warm with the touch of a coolness

My eyes are drawn to a neatly
manicured bush with a bouquet of flowers
freshly awoken from their protective buds

I stand in awe of their beauty and the magnificence
they hold, the expression of vibrancy in their colors
The tenderness they exude softly swaying in the gentle breeze

My walk continues and our paths cross as they have many a time
She is tallish, young with usually longer blonde hair
Most would call her attractive and good looking, even statuesque

I often imagine her to be a model given the varied times of the day
that our paths have interwoven and her stylish and fashionable attire, yet in the midst of the mystique something feels asunder

There is an aloofness, a sense of unhappiness,
never a smile or a warm glow on her face
in its place I feel sadness maybe lonesomeness

My conjecture leads me to ponder and surmise
how someone so young can be so dower
she is the other flower, the dower flower

There is beauty but it is locked up inside
one day my hope is that her bud too will blossom
and she will become the flower she is meant to be

Andreas Simic©

The Flower – A Tribute ©

Thank you flower for the wonderful bouquet you present to me

Thank you flower for your fragrance
That fills the air and makes me smile

Thank you flower for allowing me touch your silkiness
And to feel beauty

Thank you flower for blessing me with your array of colors

Thank you flower being there...

On my Birthday and to count the years

On Mother’s Day to thank Mom for being Mom

On Father’s Day to be with Dad

On Valentine’s Day to let my sweetheart know I love her

On my wedding day to celebrate my relationship

To celebrate my child’s birth

At so many special occasions

Even when there wasn’t a good reason

And one last thank you,
Thank you for being there when I pass on

I know you will brighten the room
Even if it is a sad moment for those left behind

Thank you flower for making me feel better
Knowing that you will be there

Andreas Simic©

The Quandary©

Standing high on the mountain side
I take in the first breath of morning
It seems so much more refreshing here
Maybe it is the altitude that we are at

The aroma of my morning brew reaches my nostrils
The steam a reminder of the time of year
As I survey the pristine landscape my thoughts wander to home
Father would be at the farm readying for harvest

He too would be having his first cup of java
I can hear mother in the background reminding him of something
Soon he would be culling the herd for winter meat
Isn’t that what people say I do, cull

Yet for me gazing down the hillside it does not feel the same
Sure I do this with my fellow men to survive
But it feels like to me that we are taking them out in their prime
That somehow it is a travesty

Back at some headquarters they will remind that others will follow
We are only doing what needs to be done
That much good will come of what we will do today
And in that is my quandary

I see them fall some younger, some older, some not at all
Those few spared to provide seed for new generations
That last gasp is the same regardless of their age
The word “timber” signaling their death knell

That which took decades if not centuries to grow
Will be felled in a matter of minutes
The tree which has lived longer than I now dead
A seedling placed where it so proudly stood

I am a logger
But you can call me Bob

Andreas Simic©

The Natural High©

Long before there was an ***** crisis
And before we even heard of ISIS

We too were looking for that hi(gh)
It might be at church and in the choir nearby

Or just to sing a ring a ling a ding
With our friends and neighbors we would bring

High as a kite had a different meaning
Ours was on a string in the sky; in and out it was weaving

Playing in the school yard
Did not require a security guard

Using a needle and taking a chance
Sounds less fun than being at a school dance

Being out of it meant taking a seat during a game
Not your head in a cloud to stay sane

Glue was for art class and a lot of fun
Not for sniffing by anyone

A snort was something a horse did
Not a white powder up the nose to be rid

An arm was for wrestling
Not a pin cushion for testing

We didn’t need a pill to chill
We thought life was enough of a thrill

A cocktail was a drink
Not something that would make you shrink

A concoction was something you made up in class
Not a chemistry brew you grew

It just seems to me as I read this stuff
The natural high was good enough

Andreas Simic©

Aging 101, Pearls of Wisdom©

What I would tell someone young about the topic
In those moments of philanthropic

Number one would be
It will happen to you automatically you’ll see

Number two would have me say
Live life day to day it will happen anyway

Number three without a doubt
Enjoy each day with glee and feel free to shout it out

Number four is a golden rule
Stay in school and don’t be a fool

Number five you cannot skip
Sorrows will come and go though sometimes they are just a blip

Number six is all about trips
I mean those far and wide, not the kind that can end up in ticks

Number seven for those that care
Live long and prosper and always share

Number eight don’t hesitate
To see outside the box and co-create

Number nine if you have time
Leave a legacy that will shine

Number 10 to remember
Take family and friends alongside for the ride

Number 11 on your way to heaven
Express gratitude at every interlude

Number 12 will help you delve into the unknown
It is remembering that you are not alone

Number 13 is a must and goes beyond lust
It is to love till dust to dust

Andreas Simic©

Ponderings©

As life moves along its continuum
As reflection of the past becomes an increasing occurrence
As the sun rises and sets each day as before

When the hours pass just like they always have
When one day leads into the next
When time seems to be fleeting

What do we think about
What do we do to pre-occupy our minds with
What can we do to prepare for life’s eventualities

How do we justify our being
How do we look at how our life unfolded
How do we move on from here

Why, why now
Why the process and the journey
Why me

Into the abyss we move
Deeper and deeper into our own sole journey
To be remembered or forgotten

That is the question to be pondered this day

Andreas Simic©

In light of the Las Vegas attack and as a poet wrote
This to honor the victims, those injured, their friends
And relatives who need support

Dare to Compare Pen and Sword©

In days of lore a sword was held in hand
Not a vest strapped to a chest

Terror a very strong feeling of fear
How far this is to what Poets hold dear

In younger days terror was contained in a nightmare
Not a bomb or a threat carelessly sent everywhere

How different are they from you and I
Both looking upward into the sky

They have a mother and father too
Often than naught they don’t have a clue what
Their offspring is up to

We may write for many a reason
Though their cause is more likely to end in treason

All have feelings galore to share
Even if theirs seem like they don’t care

Here I sit and lament how another explosion to prevent
Looking for an answer that may be from higher up sent

So what is our role at times like this, is it to write about
Happiness and bliss or those that we will miss

Is it my task to ask you to ponder and pause
Or coach you into looking for another cause

Know that there is good in everyone whether you
Be a daughter or a son

So my request might be to pick up a pen to deliver your message
A passage or two to get you through to removing the vest from your chest

Andreas Simic©

Young Love©

She has been the twinkle in my eye
Since we were knee high

The girl next door
Who I love galore

With hair the color of straw
I have loved her since the first time I saw

The one for me
Can’t my parents see

You’re too young to engage
Is the advice so sage

But we’ve held hands for far too long
Our connection oh so strong

Playing house is no longer a game
I want her to take my name

We’ve talked a lot
About taking this shot

Since holding hands
In the stands

This is our last chance
For romance we said at the dance

We have a plan and some saving
Hoping there will be less raving

So we here are full of hope
As we head off to elope

Andreas Simic©

Missing You!©

When I am here, I miss being there
When I am there, I miss being here

When I am in solitude, I miss companionship
When I have companionship, I miss solitude

When I am single, I miss being in relationship
When I am in relationship, I miss being single

When I am working, I miss not working
When I am not working, I miss working

When I am in the city, I miss the countryside
When I am in the countryside, I miss the city

When it is winter and it is cold, I miss the summer
When it is summer and too hot, I miss the winter

When I am on the prairies, I miss the mountains
When I am in the mountains, I miss the prairies

When I am on the rim of the Grand Canyon,
I miss being at the bottom
When I am at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,
I miss the rim,

When I am on the ocean, I miss dry land
When I am on dry land, I miss the ocean

When I am flying, I miss the ground
When I am on the ground, I miss flying

When I am on the east coast, I miss the west coast
When I am on the west coast, I miss the east coast

Maybe what I am missing is the point of it all

Andreas Simic©

The Lonely Loon©

Long before my daily ritual begins
Your call as distinctive as any sound on the lake
Beckons me with your unique overture

Each day like clockwork I see you there
Bobbing like a cork on the shimmering lake
On guard like a sentry at Buckingham palace

As I meander down the long rocky spit
We eye each other like boxers in a ring
One step past the mythical line you have created

And you will take flight to your safe haven
We are so much alike seeking our solitude
Drawing lines in the sand that shall not be crossed

For now we cautiously examine each other’s presence
Respectful of the boundaries we have set
One wrong move on my part and…

There will be a flapping of wings
Like a plane making its initial ascent
Soon you will be out of sight

Until tomorrow,
See you then my friend

Andreas Simic©

Way Back Then©

I remember way back then,
You could see for miles and the stars were so brightly lit,
Before the smog and other pollutants hit

There were trees and bees, and other such things
Where now pavement rules for miles on end
And eight lane highways do extend

But progress must come, as we all know
So stand back the bear and the doe
And make room for another condo

We all know profits must be met
And there's no time for a study
For there isn't total global warming just yet?

There are schedules to heed and deadlines to meet
So we need more concrete to get us there
Who cares about the quality of the air?

For in this day and age where everyone has a cell phone
It is easier to clone than to let nature on her own
And if that doesn't work we can use something genetically grown

Then there's always the lotto or casino to make our day
We no longer need Mother Nature to have her say
For we as humans have figured out a better way

So let us raise our beer in cheer
Dawn our hats, for skin cancer is always a fear
And off we go for another great year

Maybe by now we've figured out there are too many
Of us to fit on a shuttle to that unknown place far away
And for all of us to survive a nuclear explosion on any given day
So in its stead we'll settle for our own implosion

Have a great day

Andreas Simic©

Word Association 101©

Today’s word is G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E

Select the option you like best as there is no real solution,
and this isn't a real test

So take a position, if it is not an imposition
after all this is nothing but fiction, not a prediction

Leave your hesitation and caution at the door
and put the pedal to the floor

So without procrastination or introduction move trepidation
to elation

Take the plunge it’s not a leap,
for someone here will say throw this on a heap

It may be taken with affection or rejection and
probably needs correction

But onward we go for somehow I must make this flow
Tick the right box if there is such a thing or give it your best fling
If you can’t think of anything

Gratitude is...
Satisfaction
Appreciation
Creation

Gratitude isn’t...
Crude
Lewd
Or attitude

Gratitude leads to...
Fascination
Imagination
Intimate relations

Gratitude may bring...
Evolution
Re-action
Hug action

Gratitude is for...
A job well done
A rising sun
That special someone_

Gratitude, let’s start a revolution that leads to emotion
and maybe to a promotion

Gratitude, life’s gift that keeps on giving
and a premonition in addition

Gratitude, for brothers and sisters and others too, pass it along for all to share because we really do care

Andreas Simic©

The Prisoner©

It feels like I am encased by these four walls

Any direction I look I see darkness

There is that constant chatter of voices

Within the solitude of that small space is a growing fear

My eyes scan from left to right as if I were
a canary in a cage

Senses are heightened as I seek out anything or anybody
that may wish harm to me

It is as if I can smell trouble

Yet every once in a while I allow myself to venture out

During those rare moments I sense what it is like
to be free again

To feel calmness, completeness, wholeness

That is until I close the doors to my mind yet again

Andreas Simic©

That Feeling ©

Maybe it's the snow-capped mountains piercing the clouds with their magnificence

Maybe it's the tall green pines that have been here since before
Columbus's birth and are over thirty stories high

Maybe it's the roaring river cascading down the mountainside
To the valley below with its salmon defying logic and odds

Maybe it's the rocky ledge so subtly shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago

Maybe it's the smell of the ocean air that greets you in the morning

Maybe it's the pod of killer whales playing alongside the island ferry

Maybe it's the ocean going vessel like a ghost ship on its way to parts unknown

Maybe it's the sight of a soaring eagle gliding oh so effortlessly through the blue skies

Maybe it's the sound of a baby deer born within earshot of a friend

Maybe it’s the fragrance exuded by the myriad of flowers of varying shapes and colors

Maybe it's the sunrise and sunset that makes you gaze in awe

Maybe it's the open arms that greet you when you return home.

And that feeling, it is the knowing that you are exactly
Where you are meant to be

Andreas Simic©

The Patient©

As I sit here in my room, watching
The people in white suits rush back and forth
It makes me wonder what separates us from them.

I was one of them wasn’t I
Did I not have what they all have:
a family, a job, a home, and a hectic schedule
What has delivered me to the other side?
What separates me from them

Those of us on this side are tucked away until
One of them has time to tend to us
We wait hoping that one day we will return to our
Former selves: to be able to dress or to eat,
To function without one of those white coats
What separates them from us

Time keeps passing, yet I am still here.
The white coats are looking more and more familiar
The days are becoming more and more routine.
They say that they are helping me and that I am getting
Better. Yet here I wait still
What separates me from them

Days pass into weeks, weeks into years and the white
Coats become a blur.
There is no calendar with which to measure time yet
The minutes and hours tick by, I know. I hear their stories
Of family and friends; of colleagues and all
Those they meet, the weddings, funerals and vacations
What separates them from me

They say that I am well now.
That I can leave and have a normal life, yet I know
I am not my former self
I have been separated from them

Andreas Simic©

HOME IS WHERE THE FAMILIAR IS©

I have never quite understood the saying "Home is where the heart is"

Does it mean where your physical heart is

Does it mean where your emotional heart is

Does it mean where your sweetheart is

Having just returned from a trip a thousand miles away and in length,

I can now describe home as the place where;

Your clothes are not lost (by the airlines) and do not appear to have been purposely wrinkled on arrival

Your life is not at risk in the hands of another, AKA the seemingly mad cabby

You don't take the subway going in the wrong direction despite the use of maps and clear written instructions

You know where the shifter is on the car

Finding which key fits, which lock, is not an exercise in futility

Locating which cupboard contains the right glass, cup or dish you are looking for is not a mad search mission

All your favorite foods are in the fridge.

The right knobs on the stove turn on the right burner.

The buttons on the remote are broken into for your favorite channels

You rarely run out of all your clean underwear and if you do, you know how to operate the washing machine

When your shoelaces break you know where the store is to buy new ones

The buttons on your shirt don't pop before an important meeting and there isn't a thread and needle to be found

The cake cutter you receive, as a gift is not treated as a weapon of mass destruction by a customs officer

The welcoming committee at the door no longer resemble miniature terrorists in waiting

The feel of your bed and the touching of toes are a giveaway

That you are home

Alas, though it may not sound as exotic or romantic as
"Home is where the heart is"

Home is indeed, that place where all is familiar

"Home is where the familiar is!"

Andreas Simic©

Now and Then in 2017©

There was a time when I was younger
That there was this constant hunger

Time has passed and the years have flown by
Sometimes joy and laughter, sometimes a good cry

Vows kept under the stars we met
A grandson that keeps me young without regret

Where once I had a great left hook
I now rely on Facebook

Used to compete at a track meet
What I do now is Tweet from my seat

In lieu of at the rink with my team
I’m Linked In to the latest dream

Before, at the diamond with a bat
After, share the world with Snap Chat

Amazon was a great river in Brazil
Now an eCommerce site with a bill

Past, hanging out at the mall looking for chicks
Present, watching Netflix pics

It used to be four on the floor
Instead my best friend is an I Phone more

Many hours once spent polishing chrome
Replaced by Google Chrome in your home

Parallel parking used to be a real pain
My car parks by itself again and again

At the pumps no more
The car is electric and less a chore

I find myself often saying
Is there an “app” for that, and then playing

In conclusion I have no dilution of days gone by
The days of yore are long gone and I’m on standby

To give it all a try

Andreas Simic©

She is the Flower Amongst the Flowers©

Like her fellow kind she is graceful as her petals reach for
the morning sunlight
Soft and gentle in the cool morning breeze she sways
In that moment there is calmness that belies her truth
For she sheds the morning dew drops like the tears of someone
you hold dear
Her long slender neck carries the heavy load which grows
with time and maturity
If she had lips one would need to be cautious for she is
laced with thorns
Thorns that can stab you whether wittingly or unwittingly
and make you bleed
The cuts sharp and piercing and not something to be taken lightly
They will leave you in pain like a heart that has been torn
Her beginning is like most from a small acorn of a seed,
she begins to sprout
Only a glimpse of what she will ultimately become shows
in those early days
But one day her long stem like the legs of a shapely woman
will be firm and supple
Time will pass and she will outgrow many of her family
She will be more popular and hold a special place
When selected for meaning in people’s lives
Like the moods of a woman her colors are varied
And carry with them the potential for an array of emotions
The deepness of meaning representing the well of life
Sometimes half full and sometimes half empty,
but always refreshing
Each color part of a spectrum and the bounty
of feelings it can bring
The folds of her blossom are complicated and intricate yet delicate
From a distance she stands out to your eye,
her beauty catching your breath
Her shapeliness recognizable on sight like a familiar friend,
relative or lover
She is the flower amongst flowers
She is the rose

Andreas Simic©

Poet Don’t Show It©

As I sit here and ponder what to write

I suffer every poet’s plight

What to put in it that may bypass a cynic

Will it pass the test of time or be it a rhyme

Is it about a crime or will someone even pay a dime

How will I tell it if I can’t even spell it

It won’t be shock if I get writer’s block

Once more it would lead to things being hocked

How will I blend smarts and wit in it

With critics abound ready to pounce a limerick

When I made this a career choice

I knew then that I wouldn’t be driving a Rolls Royce

My Father would often say

Are you getting a real job that will pay

But Mom would often defend me and herself relay

Let the boy play he will make it some day

So now I sit here with a dry piece of bread

Trying to forestall the dread, what if they’re right I plead

Just then and there it came to mine head

It’s time for bed, don’t let this spread

Enough said

Andreas Simic©

Love’s Fatality©

Love is a fickle partner

One moment it is deep like the color of a red rose
The next it is melancholy like a faded yellow lily

For the slightest interpretation of the mind
Can render it to be trivial almost useless

Inevitably time will find fissures in the walls of life
These become cracks that cannot be mended

Good intentions are mere bandages to a wound
That will not close

Slowly but surely like the wilting of a flower
The inevitable occurs

Best to remove any ill will afore it spreads
Like a cancer run amok

To call a ***** a *****
Before the pain becomes too great

Love lost is better than none found
This is the plague that follows us all

Andreas Simic©

The Dreamers©

I think oft  what it would be like to be one of them

To look at the world through rose colored glasses

Where the world is perfect according to my childhood dreams

In that dream I would be a pilot, handsome and tall
A world traveler to boot

I would be married to the girl next door
The vivacious blonde with that voluptuous figure

Somehow as if by magic I would be rich as well as famous

My model looks would have me featured in a magazine

This would be a follow up to my bestselling book which is
Now being turned into the greatest movie of all time

The movie is a documentary about my days as a rock star

It would highlight my younger years
As a pro athlete and renowned artist extraordinaire

The captivating television interview for my hit movie
Held at my countryside estate overlooking the ocean
It is prominently featured in Homes & Gardens magazine

Having won the lottery my days are filled with
Time to spend with family and friends at will
Or inventing the greatest next best thing

My ideal children seemingly raise themselves
To become childhood prodigies

When I come back to reality in my modest home
Readying myself to go to my everyday job
And writing poetry waiting to be discovered

I wonder “Is this as good as it gets”

Andreas Simic©

The Masquerade©

He thought it was just a game well played
Sitting here in the grass and shade

He never wanted to hurt anyone
Didn’t she know he was the kind who would run

They held hands and he saw her swoon
This was the maid normally holding a broom

He told tales of wealth and stature
As though it was rapture

In this tale of lore
He was the hero for sure

A man with oh so many talents
An estate no less on balance

He was the pride of the British side
A lie he well knew deep inside

A gentleman due for a great inheritance
Gathered here for her pretence

His tongue spoke of proper education
Not the poverty of his preoccupation

Of course he was a great success in business
For a man for a who was utterly clueless

Oh so many lies
Just so he could lie beside her looking into her eyes

It wasn’t as though they would be wed
This was just a ploy to see her to his bed

Andreas Simic©

Mind Games 1001©
Silhouettes here shadows there they could be anywhere
At home I check everywhere with a thorough sweep
On the road like this motel, I make sure that they can’t peep
Always look out the window before you leave they can deceive
When driving check mirrors often it might be a tail and
they could be on your trail
A disposable cell phone is a must or use a public one just
don’t let them hear you, they might be near you
Move often from city to city they can be witty
and they are not beyond sending someone pretty
She might say they are here to protect the nation
in a conversation, like she’s as good as her word
Never trust anyone including a neighbor
even if they say they are a savior
When submitting to WikiLeaks be anonymous
for it is your identity that they seeks
When the occasion arises you may need
to wear disguises, a wig, hair dye, no less
you may resort to wearing a dress
The car you drive you should never own
a rental is safer in a different time zone
CIA, FBI, NSA, Homeland security
anyone of those it could be
My name is paranoid but you
can call me delusional or
Bob which is not that unusual

Andreas Simic©

My Little Queen©

I’m not her father, but she is my daughter
I knew her when she was young,
A small girl with a twirl

Time went on we moved to the coast with the most,
My bride and I as we said goodbye

One day a bus arrived with this little princess fresh
From a three day journey by bus made with no fuss

Swollen feet and tired as could be she lay on the couch
And I realized then and there she was no slouch

During those early days she would amaze and
Watching her grow was quite a show

The more she grew the more beautiful she had become
Even if it felt like she was always on the run

Her vivid imagination would have her end up
Working at a gas station to my fascination

Then one day she would announce out of the blue
It’s time to live on her own and have a home

A new job and boyfriend would ensue as she blossomed
From princess to bride and I would profess my pride

My princess now a little queen was far from done
For she had a son that I could adore galore

But life presents many ups and downs and even frowns
Even for someone with a crown, as we all do, who knew

A move here, a move there,
yet she found her way to another day

When revelations would arrive at home, my bride
Would give me a glare and stare and say

“and who do you think she got that from”
I am not her father, but she is my daughter

Now settled in a city nor far away, a wife, a mother
But still my pretty little queen

Andreas Simic©

The Other Woman in My Life©

There are two women in my life now; I don’t know how it happened,

It was as though one day I awoke to notice her in my life
they are as different as night and day,

The first is mature with short brunette hair and
the second is sassy with long blonde locks

The first is not built like the second, more sturdy and rounder than
the second who is slim and slender with those shapely legs

Though I absolutely love the first
it is the second that makes my heart race

Each day the first makes sure that I eat my breakfast and fusses over me
the second seems to barely notice that I am alive

Each day the first woman tends to my every need from laundry to dinner
the second woman seems to take me for granted as though there were others like me.

The first greets and hugs me after a long hard day
the second simply walks away.

Some day when I am older than thirteen
I will have to tell Mom about that other teen

The one that takes my breath away and makes me want to stay after school
is the one that I seem to have in every vivid dream

So sorry mom for my big rush
I’m in a hurry to work on my crush.

The unknown teenager

Andreas Simic©

Being Okay ©

I wake up with a start, it is back and I know what it is!
Why else would I wake up at 3:00 a.m. in the morning?
Why else would my heart be racing?
Why else would my pulse be pacing?

It was not there when I went to bed.
It was not there last week or the week before.
It was not there last month or the month prior.
It was not there last year or many a year before that.

Suddenly it has ****** itself upon me.
Without warning it has slowly crept back into my life
and created stress and strife
Oh what a life

But I know the signs are there, that it is here
First my hair is not what it once was,
then I’m out of shape,
and next it’s the weight

From there the spiral continues,
the car I drive is now a wreck,
my home is no longer acceptable,
and my job no longer reputable

I don’t make enough money compared to the neighbors,
and the kids are doing me no favors with their behaviors
My dear is no longer a dear, and the grass on the other side
is looking so much greener

But there’s one thing for sure and I know
it well, that this is a life cycle that will oft repeat
So have a seat, as this too will pass to the other colored grass
and life will be once again okay

Andreas Simic©

The Path©

Many a fore me hath taken this path
What path thou dost ask
Be it a trail of litany or blessed asunder
Thou shalt not know till the end

Amidst the daily trials and tribulations
The path maybe misty or unclear
Yet it is there
When thou allow your feet to feel its way

Erstwhile as we live our day lives
We are oblivious to thyme path
The path traversed by the many
The fools as well as the Einstein’s of the World

We all at some point are in denial of
Where the path will lead us
Not wanting to know what awaits us at its end
Yet there is absolute certainty that it is there

Whilst we plod along
It besieges us to take many routes
Detours that may prolong the journey
But in the end so does the path

Andreas Simic©

Maturity©

What is maturity?

Is it knowing that tomorrow will be a better day?
Is it having made all the mistakes until there are no more to be made,
Is it sitting in front of a computer playing games with your inner child and it being okay?
Is it a sense of knowing that the world is unfolding as it is meant to be.

Maturity is defined as development,
Is this the development of the human body?
Is this the development of intellectual matter or
Is this the development of human potential?
Is this the development of a spiritual knowing or connection?

How is maturity obtained?
Do we grow up to be mature?
Are we taught and learn to become mature,
Do we obtain maturity through experience?
Or does age provide an automatic pass to maturity.

Is maturity that stage where all is lost?
Or is maturity when the world is our oyster,
Or when there is an inner knowing of ourselves,
Or is it when we achieve all of our goals and dreams,
Or is it when we have figured out the world around us.

Maturity, let me know what it looks when you find yours,

I seem to have misplaced mine.  

Andreas Simic©

A Mid Summers Day©

It is the perfect summer’s day
The suns warmth on my face
The lake calm as glass on a table
I sit there bobbing like a piece of driftwood

The lapping of water a serenade to peacefulness
The call of a loon nearby
The thumbs up
The deafening roar and ever so more

Every muscle in my body now tense
The knees bent and arms extent
I am propelled forward like a missile
The defining moment arrived, shall I fail or survive

At first I waiver like a giraffe’s first steps into life
The wind sweeps back my hair
The summer heat flushes my face
Like a blow dryer working its pace

Now I glide effortlessly as if standing on water
The shoreline passing at ever increasing speed
Exhilaration is now my need
Round and round we go as if in slow mo

Then once again my legs do go quiver
Adrenalin has met its match as exhaustion arrives
One minute on water the next I’m in
To shore, a beer, a smile and maybe a grin

Life of a water skier

Andreas Simic©

Appreciation amidst Irma©

After watching Irma terrorize Florida and the Caribbean
This is what appreciation looks like

I appreciate that:

I have hydro with which to make my morning coffee
That the roof is still on my home
The car I drive is on four wheels and not on its side

There is a place to jog this morning free of debris
The roads to get to work are safe and passable
My job is waiting for me at its usual place and time

The basement is high and dry
The bus will arrive to take the kids to school
And it is not a wading pool

There is no search and rescue
Nor a curfew
No evidence of a storm

Well rested after a night in bed
No howling winds and banging instead
Hunkered down in the dark would not have been a lark

Thank goodness for the early warning system
The many helping hands
So many agencies to heed the call

Standing up against the wall of flood
Thank you to all the brave souls
Who were out on patrols

We appreciate that which we have
And a speedy recovery for those that have loss
Of any kind

Andreas Simic©

Depression you have Become My Obsession©

Depression you have become my obsession of every waking moment
and oft while I sleep which is never too deep

You threw my marriage under thy carriage
and the carnage dost continue to this day I dare say.

Cloudy days bring you hither to my door and with them
mayhem that underscore how I dread thee all the more

You have taken me to thy brink such that I can no longer think
clear thoughts to lead the way to that better day

Taking pills is no thrill and makes my head fill with shrill
to avoid those awful thoughts that may end up to mine own ****

At my own hands no less, what a royal mess
is there anyone can who can bless me of this abscess

So I cower in the dark and harken back to the good ole days
when then things were cheery with my dear near

Those times when a hug and a squeeze be the cure
and sweet Louise that was for sure

Now, I must be patient or my physicians will makest me a patient be
and sit idly by as they apply their best effort...

To make me whole again

Andreas Simic©

The Silhouette©

He awoke or so he thought
Parted the curtains of the room
The Caribbean sun rising
The warmth of the day enveloping him

In the distance a silhouette
Tall, shapely and slender
Even from here he could tell she was beautiful
As beautiful as the landscape that surrounded her

Was she all that he could imagine
Would she be kind and caring
Gentle with their children
Comforting arms within which to rest

He would envision them at the altar
Vows spoken in soft tones
As commitments were clearly stated
And friends and family present supported their union

Life would be filled with happy days
Some sad moments for sure
But they would tough these out together
No problem too large to solve for they stood as one

Their family would grow and blossom
One day their grandchildren they would cradle in their arms
They would age gracefully
Holding hands wherever they went

Celebrating a life full of love
Of respect for each other
That was the woman in the silhouette
The one of his dreams and the one he did wed

Andreas Simic©

This poem is dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Harvey
And the people who helped during and after the storm.

An Ode to the Harvey Heroes©

Once upon a time not so long ago
Nature did spur a Harvey in the Gulf of Mexico

As the storm grew into a hurricane
Winds howled and then came the rain

Poor Texas got in the way
And it rained day after day

High water turned into floods
Leaving everyone scurrying including the blue bloods

Onto their roofs they did climb to survive the storm
With so much rain well above the norm

Little did they know a rescue mission was on the go
An impromptu navy of people they didn’t even know

Night and day their saviors were on a mission to rescue
Not knowing the dangers they faced for they didn’t have a clue

But despite the risk and the unknown
How to respond they have us shown

With a great amount of caring and daring
Many a life has been saved though some succumbed to an early grave

So what do we call the brave men and women from far and wide
A hero is what I say and I am not being snide

For they have saved the day for so many of our kin
Not saying thank you and our appreciation would be a sin

So here it is in spades “Thank you” to all who lent a helping hand
And that’s from all of us from across the land

Though things are far from over and done
Many will see a rising sun

Andreas Simic