Herb: Poems

May 2019 · 95

ode to my nightinGale

Herb May 2019

ode to my nightinGale

once i passed
once i stopped
once i wrote this too
and once i placed this on your car
'cause once i thought of you

May 2019 · 89

On Mother's Day (and every day)

Herb May 2019

On Mother's Day (and every day)

Young woman
What will you be?
As you look down the years
What do you see?
So many options
What will you have?
Can you see now
A likely path?

Perhaps, be a doctor
And help the people
Perhaps, play the *****
In a house with a steeple
Perhaps, be an actor
And perform on stage
Or design clothing
That becomes all the rage

It's all up to you
Your choice to make
Please choose wisely
For your own sake
Because it's your life
You owe no one else
You're free to make plans
That include just yourself
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Yes, you are right
I must choose
Between what's important
And what I can lose
But, all I know
Of this life I am building
The utmost will be
Loving my children"

May 2019 · 81

Waterfall of Love

Herb May 2019

Waterfall of Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
my wife loves me ~~~~~~~~
  she loves another guy too ~~
    she loves me as a friend   ~~~~~~
      but to the other guy she's true ~~
        i guess it's just physical            ~~~
          should i complain?                  ~~~~
            relationships are strange      ~~~~~
               hard to explain                    ~~~~~~
                 should i call him out?       ~~~~~~~~~~~~
                    HEY MAN, I'LL KICK YOUR ***!!! ~~
                      or just sit and wait                              ~~~
                        and let the whole thing pass           ~~~~
                        but pass into what?                          ~~~~~
                       a pool of cool, blue bliss                   ~~~~~~
                      and i become a man                           ~~~~~~~
                     she no longer cares to kiss                 ~~~~~~~~
                    i simply must do something              ~~~~~~~~~
                   swim against this stream                    ~~~~~~~~~~
                  i'll do whatever it takes                        ~~~~~~~~~~~
                 no matter how extreme                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~
                i need that girl to love me                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
               without her i'll go under                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
              be swept over the edge                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             into the roaring thunder                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2019 · 171

Who's Pulling the Strings?

Herb May 2019

Who's Pulling the Strings?

Living a life
Of quiet desperation
Roused from sleep
In a cold perspiration
Laying back down
Hoping to dream
Awoken by nightmares
And your own scream

Turn on the light
Check under the bed
Search for the monster
That fills you with dread
Where is it hiding?
Will it attack?
Will you see it coming?
Will it come at your back?

Forget about sleep
Just wait for the Sun
Things will look different
When the new day's begun
You'll see out ahead
You'll know up from down
Safe in the light
With your feet on the ground

Then, once again
Patiently wait
For signs to develop
That show your fate
_ _ _ _ _ _

Silly Marionette!
Your life is too full
Of moments awaiting
The PuppetMaster's pull

May 2019 · 97

War Between the Sexes

Herb May 2019

War Between the Sexes

Men and Women are different
As different as they are the same
They each have disparate methods
Of waging their violent game
Like all wars through the ages
When your opponent gives up, you win
But the War of the Sexes is different
It's a war that will never end

We meet on the field of battle
We face off, eye to eye
Our bodies grow tense and rigid
We're willing to give all, or die
In a passion we rush at each other
We become a tangle of flesh
We roll round and round in a frenzy
One on one, in our fury, we mesh

The ebb and flow of our struggle
First goes this way, and then that
The push, the pull, the exertion
Of the ultimate human combat

I stab you with my weapon
But you grab it, and hold it tight
I stab you again, and again, and again
But I can't overcome your might
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

At last we finally fight to a draw
We fall on our backs in a sweat
We may not remember this battle
But the war we will never forget

Now I want to disarm and retreat
You want to discuss terms of peace
The ins, the outs, the everything
Your quest for detail doesn't cease
You want to talk heart to heart
But my attention is wearing thin
And when I roll over and start to snore
A new phase of war will begin

Apr 2019 · 593

The Postal Worker Cometh

Herb Apr 2019

The Postal Worker Cometh

TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          my fuse, it slowly sizzles
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          i can only hope, it fizzles
TICK,   TICK,   TICK           but the moments, pass away
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          just like, yesterday
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          my mainspring is wound too tight
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          relief is not in sight
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          i feel my emotions, grating
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          my senses, not operating
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          is this any way to live?
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          i've nothing left to give
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          i tip-toe along on a tightrope
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          hanging on with a grim hope
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          there's no one to catch my fall
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          and no one to hear my call
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          a voice in my head is speaking
TICK,   TICK,   TICK,          i pray i don't do what i'm thinking

Kids... Don't try this at home... Also, don't call Homeland Security... This is a poem, I repeat, This Is Only A Poem.

Apr 2019 · 101

Chicken or the Egg

Herb Apr 2019

Chicken or the Egg

In times long ago
When the Earth was still new
And the seas had not formed
And the sky was not blue
And the bird did not sing
And the worm did not slither
And there were no plants
To bloom, grow, and wither

Life was raw as rock
If there was life at all
For how could there be life
On that huge, hot, smoking ball
Yes, how could there be life?
Without a mind to think
To put things in perspective
And rise above the stink

Somehow life did evolve
It grew, and changed anew
Into a vast menagerie
That swam, and ran, and flew
Could this happen without some planning?
This haunts me like a plague
Was life created, or spontaneous?
Which came first...
The Chicken or the Egg?

Apr 2019 · 128

Eighty... and counting

Herb Apr 2019

Eighty... and counting

If I were eighty
I'd slit my throat
Or take a long voyage
In a leaky boat
I'd climb the highest mountain
And then jump off
I'd be so desperate
I'd take up golf

I'd go to the Galapagos
Those prehistoric isles
Where the past lives on
And the lizard smiles
Or to the Yucatan
With it's ancient race
The glory may be gone
But they left a trace

I'd take every chance
I'd drive at night
I'd speak my mind
And dare you to fight
For I've nothing to lose
How long can one live?
I've given what I can
Though I have more to give

I still have more left
Of what I was given
"Stand out of my way,
'Cause I'm not through living"

Written for my Dad on his eightieth birthday, eleven years before he died. He lived a life of which I am both proud and envious.

Apr 2019 · 202

Past, Present, Future

Herb Apr 2019

Past, Present, Future

i was my Past
i am my Present
i will be my Future

i can See what was
i can Feel what is
i can Imagine what will be

other than these things
i Know nothing...
and i Care not

so let the Days come
and the Nights go
bringing me closer
to what i will Find
in the moment of Tomorrow,
and Time to touch what is Now.

Apr 2019 · 99

Building a Better World

Herb Apr 2019

Building a Better World

I've got a trillion tons of clay
To mold and shape in my own way
I'm going to build a thing of worth
I'm going to build a better Earth
A world where troubles don't abide
Where human rights are not denied
Where all the races live as one
Where peace can never be undone

I did it before, and I'll do it again
Set things in place, and let it begin
Once in a while... a guiding touch
Creating change doesn't take that much
'Cause change is what that planet needs
I'll tend the soil and sow the seeds
I'll give that world a second chance
To rise above it's decadence

(7 days and 4.3 billion years later)

What went wrong? Earth is the same.
What it was once, it again became
I gave Man rivers, sparkling and pure
But now, they smell like an open sewer
My beautiful sky; so lovely and blue
Is now a smoky, acidic brew
I gave Man a mind to out-think his greed
But, he used it to win, not to succeed

A better world from a perfect plan...

Yet, I should have built a better Man

Apr 2019 · 569

Never Speak Ill of the Dead

Herb Apr 2019

Never Speak Ill of the Dead

Vampires are a cranky lot
Refuse to die when they are shot
Will drink blood... when it's hot
You reflect...  they do not

They give you reasons to despise
They are evil in your eyes
They will only tell you lies
They enjoy when someone dies

Oh, so human, but not quite
To the world they are a blight
You are frightened by their might
They are darkness...  you are light

But they are people just like you
Tho, with different points of view
Still, they have their rights too
Their own agendas to pursue

So you best be circumspect
Give a Vampire due respect
And in your case he may elect
To praise your soul and intellect

Treat a Vampire with some class
And good will you shall amass
Or things may turn around, alas
To come and bite you in the a...  neck

#prejudice

Apr 2019 · 143

To Live Perchance To Dream

Herb Apr 2019

To Live Perchance To Dream

Have you ever had a dream?
Of how your life will be
Where your path will lead
And all that you will see

You'll have the perfect job
And have the perfect spouse
You'll raise your perfect kids
In your "Homes and Gardens" house

But it's rare that dreams work out
Just as you had them planned
You'll find they have to change
For life is shifting sand

You have to adjust your dream
To make it fit the facts
Of all those unexpected
Twists, turns, and setbacks

Then further down the road
Your dream looks like a fake
But, if one is to dream
They eventually must wake
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Don't feel your dream is lost
And you life, you can't redeem
I think that you are lucky...

Because I've never had a dream

This poem is dedicated to Me, Myself, and Herb... ...Okay, I plagiarized again... I stole a line from Mr. Shakespeare and changed one word... or, allow me to say... "Perchanged" one word.

Apr 2019 · 239

The Look of Love

Herb Apr 2019

The Look of Love

I recall when we first met
Lord, you were looking good
Your hair was fixed just right
You looked like a woman who could...
There was a spark between us
We started the dating game
But, that was years ago
Now you just don't look the same

Your belly was flat and firm
The curve of your waist sublime
I counted the hours and minutes
Until we could spend some time...
Spend some time together
In a lust that knew no shame
But, that was years ago
Now you just don't look the same

I remember those things we did
I remember that night in the park
No one could see you but me
And I took you in the dark...
We wrestled in the heat
Your breath fanned my flame
But, that was years ago
Now you just don't look the same
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So many things have happened
The children... our financial woes
Pain, and grief... the passing of years
It all adds up... and shows

Do I really want to go back?
To that time I can't reclaim
Because, when I look in your eyes
Honey, you look the same

It just occurred to me that I'm a plagiarist. I stole the title of this poem from Burt Bacharach, who wrote a song by the same title... a song I absorbed in my youth... ...The poem is basically from my experience, but the feeling is encapsulated in Mr. Bacharach's lyrics... ...But isn't every poem an act of plagiaism... the retelling of a story which has already been told... ...Allow me to refer you to Bacharach's "The Look of Love" performed by Dionne Warwick.

Apr 2019 · 402

Left/Right Black/White

Herb Apr 2019

Left/Right Black/White

Step to the right. You'll see the
                                                              light. Come join the people who
                                                              fight the good fight.
Step to the left. Don't be bereft, of
the power to put injustice to
death.
                                                               Follow our lead. It is agreed. If
                                                               you toe the line, you will
                                                               succeed.
Don't go along. Don't follow the
throng. The list of their failures
is varied and long.
                                                                An eye for an eye. If you ****
                                                                you should die. The rule of law
                                                                you must not defy.
Killing is killing. We must be
willing, to put a stop to the
blood we are spilling.
                                                                 Stay the course. That historical
                                                                 force. Ourselves from tradition
                                                                 we must not divorce.
Broaden your view. Try something
new. Become a part of the new world
that's due.
                                                                  Progress is good. It promotes
                                                                  brotherhood. If it can be done
                                                                  it's ordained that we should.
We must conserve. Our resources
preserve. Or ruin this world and
get what we deserve.
                                                                  God is with us. In him we
                                                                  trust. He in his wisdom has
                                                                  made our cause just.
We have the choice. We are one
voice. In our dedication the world
will rejoice.

                           _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _

                                     Is there no middle ground?
                                      A consensus to be found?
                      Or do we keep going around and around?
                                                 Up and down
                                                Back and forth
                          A continual state of south versus north?

This poem was written circa 1999. Sorry, I can't get that first line to move right.

Apr 2019 · 97

Ruler of the Empire

Herb Apr 2019

Ruler of the Empire

I am the ruler of the empire
A mighty, powerful entity
I take the measure of all things
And all the problems sent to me

Nothing's too large or too small
Nothing can I not comprehend
My logic is so clear and concise
My method I need not defend

I am the standard for one and all
Everyone must bow to me
The sensibility of my reign
Is plain for all to see

Try living without my certitude
And you'll find why I'm so strong
I govern the fabric of your life...

Tho, I'm only twelve inches long

Apr 2019 · 102

Sad Clown

Herb Apr 2019

Sad Clown

See that clown
In the big baggy suit
He's holding up folks
And taking their loot

He doesn't need jewels
Credit cards or money
He just wants them to know
That life isn't funny

Should they resist him
(A recourse unwise)
He makes them look deep
Into his eyes

They see the pain
A clown must endure
Of greasepaint and work
From a lifetime on tour

And then they think
"At least I'm not he
With a permanent smile
For all to see"

To smile through the pain
Of broken-hearted grief
To smile even though
You'll find no relief
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

So accede to his demand
It will only hurt a while
Take solace in the fact
You can choose to cry, or smile

Apr 2019 · 249

i am you, you are me, and together we are we

Herb Apr 2019

i am you, you are me, and together we are we

my tears taste like yours
we try not to go mad
we laugh and smile
over good times we've had
your bone breaks
while my bone mends
sometimes we unravel
then tie up the ends
we breathe the same air
trod the same earth
trying so hard
to maintain our self-worth
the sun bakes our skin
ice makes us cold
we study the mountain
to find a foothold

how are you different?
how am i the same?
we may play different rules
but it's the same game

Apr 2019 · 180

A Sign of the Times?

Herb Apr 2019

A Sign of the Times?

Notre-Dame is burning

Oh, My God!

Apr 2019 · 91

Monochromatic Rainbow

Herb Apr 2019

Monochromatic Rainbow

Rain streams down my roof
Dripping from the eaves
Outside is raw and wet
I have no wish to leave
My house is comfortable
My blanket, dry and snug
The fire is bright and warm
Like a loved one's hug

Why would I venture out?
Into the dim unknown
The mud would **** me under
In fields where pain is sown
Dark clouds clog the sky
Wind chills me to the bone
Trees bend down and weep
Outside my pleasant home

I wandered on such a day
With errands to perform
Tasks to be completed
I was swallowed by the storm

My overcoat was soaked
My hands were numbed with cold
I went home sick and ailing
Feeling broken, weak, and old

Can I dare face that again?
The harsh possibility
Of a world so bleak and cruel
Such indifferent hostility
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

But, looking out my window
On the horizon, far away
An arch has spanned the heavens
In varying tones of gray

A Monochromatic Rainbow
No yellow, no red, no green
It has no normal colors
So how can it be seen?
There has to be a light source
To etch it's steely line
So, I know, above the clouds
The Sun does truly shine

Apr 2019 · 127

We're out in space some place

Herb Apr 2019

We're out in space some place

Another day, and here we are
Spinning 'round, our tiny star
We travel near, we travel far
Never knowing, where we are
Never knowing, what comes next
It's rarely what, someone expects
Life filled with cause, and effects
Try to avoid, having wrecks

Try to avoid, hurt and pain
Seeking shelter, from the rain
To wish we could, explain
The difference between, mad and sane
The difference between, right and wrong
What is noise, and what is song
How can we manage, to get along
To be ourselves, within the throng

To be ourselves, not just another
Not be the ship, but be the rudder
Believe the words, that we utter
To face our fear, and not shutter
To face the now... future and past
Make the most, of the lot we are cast
Keep what we love, and hold it fast
As if this moment, will never last

As if this moment, will never last

Apr 2019 · 149

Big planet / small World

Herb Apr 2019

Big planet / small World

I'm just a small man
On a seemingly large planet
Inside of an unimaginably
Huge universe

But, essentially
We are near only to ourselves
And so we appear to ourselves
As larger than reality would dictate

Apr 2019 · 398

dis ORIENTing EXPRESSions

Herb Apr 2019

dis ORIENTing EXPRESSions

The train rocks back and forth
Rolling down the track
Rolling toward the future
click-clack, click-clack, click-clack

People sit by windows
People walk the aisles
They pass the time by talking
With their social smiles

The conductor is checking tickets
With a supercilious air
Wishing his patrons "Good day"
Though he really doesn't care
He's seen them all before
Wearing different faces
He simply does his job
As they go different places

A man stares at his paper
His wife; her magazine cover
Searching for news of the world
Yet they don't even know each other
He looks at her for no reason
Flashing a quizzical grin
She studies his face for a moment
Then turns away again

A couple in the dining car
They've been in love for years
They've worked so hard together
Mastering their fears
She's just been diagnosed
She has not long to go
"I'll get better", she tells him
Bravely smiling, he says, "I know"

A man stands at the bar
Begging for attention
A woman takes the bait
To sample his intention
"I've waited my life for a girl like you,
To love until I die"
Another girl enters the club car
And he slyly winks his eye

The train heads for a tunnel
To trap us in the black
A nervous smile is on your face
As you brace for a panic attack
"Will you be okay... can I help?
I know you find the dark frightening"
"I'll be fine. It's no worry"
But your grip on my hand is tightening
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We speak so many languages
Some verbal; some unheard
With such a wide range of meaning
From logical, to absurd
There is no railway timetable
To explain our destination
All we can do is get on the train
And hope to get off at the right station

Apr 2019 · 110

The Hardest Thing In Life

Herb Apr 2019

The Hardest Thing In Life

I will not change
I simply refuse
That goes for my diet
My vices, and views
It's taken me years
To become who I am
I'll not change now
No sir, by ****!
I like being me
I am accustomed
To beliefs I've developed
I prefer to trust them
You change if you like
If you've got problems
If you're being chased
By your demons and goblins
Don't expect me to change!
You've got no right!
I'll fuss and I'll fume
I'll put up a fight
You say I'll improve
If I make a change
But your ideas are stupid
To me they sound strange
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
You nagged and you nagged
You wouldn't give up
I finally gave in
Just so you'd shut-up
I hope that you're happy
I took your advise
I made a few changes
They've altered my life
My life is now better
From the ideas you brought
Change ain't so bad
Hmm...
Who would have thought?

Apr 2019 · 613

Toffeetown on Parade

Herb Apr 2019

Toffeetown on Parade

Chocolate covered trumpets
Played by Cotton Candy boys
And clarinets dipped in caramel
Make a sweet and sticky noise

There's a parade today in Toffeetown
Praline Street has been cleared
The Bubble Gum Band marches past
As the Root Beer Float draws near

Here is the Candy Apple Cadillac
The Grand Marshall in the back seat
He's waving and throwing out peppermints
Which land at the onlookers feet

The weather could not be more yummy
Warmed by a Creamsicle Sun
Praise God, the clouds are not raining
Or the Queen's Taffy Taffeta would run

And look! It's the Toffeetown Pep Squad
So funny as they dance, prance, and sing
Performing fantastic maneuvers
On a Cream Pie Trampoline

And now the festivities are ending
The street littered with gum drops and cake
The Jelly Jam Janitor starts sweeping
He'll throw the leftovers in Marzipan Lake

But a great time was had by all
Parades are a lovely invention
Now Toffeetown must prepare
For next week's Dental Convention

Apr 2019 · 359

but can it be done?

Herb Apr 2019

but can it be done?

so many WARS
so many dead
so many documents
so much unsaid

what can we say?
what WORDS are there?
to explain what has happened
do we really care?

or is it just us?
the HISTORY we bore
the lives that we lead
that take us to war

it's me against you
us against them
turned in on each other
what's there to WIN?

this scrap of land?
that badge of PRIDE?
the need of revenge
for what was denied?

whatever we've done
we have to do more
to learn from MISTAKES
and then close the door

but talk is cheap
and life, not so dear
as to keep us from acting
out of DISTRUST and FEAR

#human #frailty

Apr 2019 · 202

Jigsaw Puzzle Moon

Herb Apr 2019

Jigsaw Puzzle Moon

You said that you would love me
As long as the pale moon did shine
As long as the stars filled the heavens
You said you would always be mine
As long as now and forever
Your love would always be true
As the sun would rise each morning
Your love would always be new

Your love burned like a fire
It burned me to a cinder
Capturing my soul
I could do nothing but surrender

You said I would complete you
As the moments complete the day
As the seasons complete the year
You said you would always stay
As a river constantly moving
Our love would flow to the sea
As unchanging as the mountains
You would love me faithfully

But your love died like a flame
And you left me here to drown
Your "forever" is no more

And the Moon lies in pieces on the ground

Apr 2019 · 71

Who are we to we?

Herb Apr 2019

Who are we to we?

I looked into your face
It seemed like any other
There was nothing new to see
Nothing to discover

I looked into your hand
It seemed to pose no threat
No weapon did you hold
I felt safe... but, yet

I looked into your eyes
So sure, and yet so wary
I felt your confidence
Was only temporary

I looked into your heart
I saw your hopes and dreams
Your plans to carry out
Your wishes and your schemes

I looked into your soul
That swirling cosmic chasm
Where only you can see
Your personal phantasm

I looked into your past
And saw a life like mine
Days building into years
Of syncopated rhyme
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Who am I to you?
Who are you to me?
And why can we not cross
This human boundary?

Apr 2019 · 228

Words

Herb Apr 2019

Words

Some words are hidden
Some words are spoken
Some words are given
Some words are broken
Words can be golden
Words can speak hate
Words can be taken
And seal our fate
Words can be twisted
To fit the occasion
They are just tools
Of human persuasion

Some words live on
Some die at our feet
But once they are said
There is no retreat
They can't be recalled
After they're heard
They won't be forgotten
You may be assured

I said some words
And now they haunt me
Because they were lies
Which torture and taunt me
I wanted protection
To safeguard my pride
Now someone I love
Has been denied

Be careful with words
And use them well
Some words fly to Heaven
Some take us to Hell

Apr 2019 · 197

When... and how long?

Herb Apr 2019

When... and how long?

Verdant fields of lavender
An azure sky up above
Vistas that lead us to marvel
Human concepts, like truth and love

A planet so finely appointed
Everything we could ever need
Yet there seems to be something missing
We search, but can't find the key

We seem to continue to falter
Taking the same road time and again
Treating each other as rivals
As if there's something to win

How many lifetimes will it take us?
'Til we spot the path leading away
From the paths we always have followed
And seem to lead only one way

Apr 2019 · 391

It Won't Last Forever

Herb Apr 2019

It Won't Last Forever

Looking in a mirror
I saw the back of my head
I saw how things will end
Long after I am dead

I saw the mountains crumbling
Reduced to gritty sand
Transported to the oceans
Until there was no land

The Seven Seas were one
And covered all the Earth
Our past erased by water
A planet in rebirth

The atmosphere was heating
At an ever increasing pace
The ocean started boiling
And blew off in to space

A rocky ball in orbit
Spinning around the Sun
Like many worlds before it
Whose course had finally run

Then out of the cold black ether
Too random for understanding
A force came to bear in an instant
Unopposable, and demanding

Pushed from it's usual pathway
By an ancient asteroid
Earth was sent on a tangent
Into the mysterious void
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Looking in a mirror
Some answers came to me
But I don't know all the questions
And what will truly be

Everything we know now
Will see it's end of days
The meaning of life eludes us
It did... and will always

#inevitability

Apr 2019 · 545

Raging Full Moon

Herb Apr 2019

Raging Full Moon

For better or worse
It's the omen's curse
No use to rehearse
Fortunes in reverse

Bad tidings are loose
The world's neck in a noose
For those too obtuse
Explanation, no use

Ashes on your head
The enemy is Dread
By Ignorance it is fed
To Mystery it is wed

Pray if you must
Your dreams are a bust
They lay in the dust
Decaying to rust

There's only bad luck
In Limbo you're stuck
Feet mired in the muck
Reality has struck

Will misfortunes lift?
As the heavens shift
The Sands of Time sift
To seal the Dark Rift

Earth still revolves
The future evolves
And danger devolves
As lunacy resolves

Wait out the pain
Full moon will wane
Insanity turns sane
Peace you'll regain

#patience

Apr 2019 · 1.3k

Somewhere Man

Herb Apr 2019

Somewhere Man

There is another land
A land that no one knows
Where dwells a little man
Who toils, and reaps, and sows

He works from dawn to dusk
Though tired, he cannot stop
His hands grow rough and sore
From nurturing his crop

He gauges the sun and wind
He hoes, and waters, and weeds
He follows his intuition
And prays that he succeeds

It's all a delicate balance
Between too much rain... and none
Will his knowledge stand the test?
To complete what he's begun

There's no one to advise him
His decisions are his own
It's up to him to till the soil
Until his crops are grown

#existentialism

Apr 2019 · 197

Past the Hori-Zen

Herb Apr 2019

Past the Hori-Zen

What is hidden in an empty box?
What is the time in a world with no clocks?
What is the length of the universe?
Is infinity a distance that man can traverse?
How high is high? How wide is wide?
How do we get to the other side?

I once had a dog but I gave him no name
I'd clap my hands and he'd come just the same
He loved to chase after imaginary sticks
I taught him all kinds of meaningless tricks
Like rolling over and sitting up on command
But he wouldn't stop barking if I made that demand

If you can't see the forest because of the trees
Would you see flowers if there were no weeds?

I walked in a circle for one full day
And never once did I lose my way

How many stars are in the night sky?
I ponder this question... but I don't know why!

#zen

— The End —