The flags languish
expecting to see
no light of day
until
once again
proud veterans
march down
a thousand main streets
their shiny shoes
striking pavements
their ears filled with
standing ovations
their faces
smiling with pride
as they pass by
in
perfect
parade
formation

Now we wait
for the whisper in the universe
the voice to transcend all other sounds

We hush to hear the message
Someone will speak to us
Someone's voice will embrace us
in our darkest night of despair

Time has ceased
All creatures of the earth are still
The birds are sleeping
The fish are at rest
All seas are calm, undisturbed
All warriors have replaced their weapons
with prayers and thoughts of peace
The glittering components
of all the celestial galaxies
are in perfect alignment
All of the people in the world
have gathered
hopeful, longing
lingering on the edge of possibility
anxious to find
the majesty of forgiveness
the mystery of our purpose
the meaning of our lives

Everything in place
Everyone waiting for
the whisper
in the universe

The friend I know
is not the friend I knew

His once open smile -
focused, pleasant -
has become a fast fade,
changing instantly
into a serious unforgiving expression,
a Dustin Hoffman smile,
fleeting, formidable,
a solemn face that closes gates,
builds walls,
seals fate,
the expression of an
enigmatic character
in a strange novel
speaking endlessly
with great authority
and then
just like that
vanishing
with a turn of the page...
never ever appearing again

theres something so final about a period
which is as it should be

commas always get in the way
coming and going like anxious insects
trying to make themselves important
as they scatter over a page
already overrun with too many words

question marks have a slightly
swooping profile curve just above
a period
theyre kind of elegant
they remind me of a swan
with a regal attitude
i saw once on a pretty pond

parentheses embrace words like **** curves

and brackets are like steel gray bookends
fencing words in

exclamation points are so abrupt
and rude and angry
like an outburst
in a classroom
like fireworks
in a funeral parlor
dont mess with them
they mean business

hyphens dashes colons semicolons
apostrophes
and quotation marks
that surround what we say
and dont forget the ellipses that
take the place of
words we omit

sometimes i like to write stories and poems
with no punctuation no capitalization
no grammatical rationale whatsoever

dare i ask

how did i do

Ghost
Goblin
Bandit
Spy
Trick
or
Treat
Do
or
Die
Pirate
Princess
King
Queen
Masked Invaders
on the scene

Zombies
Prisoners
Aliens from Mars
Godzilla
Lady Gaga
and
Rock & Roll Stars

Chefs
Doctors
Nurses
and
Ghouls
Mobsters
and Movie Stars
dripping with jewels

The Pope
a Priest
a Flying Nun
a Fireman
Policeman
and a
Ray of Sun

As witches fly by
on this frightening night
we know there is no end
to its devilish delights

Cloud Nine is average
A three out of ten
Kind of gray and *****
Not at all into Zen

Cloud Ten is all fluffy
And full of fun
If you want a good time
Ten's the One
It's so much nicer
Lots of pinks and blues
With angels like ballerinas
Twirling in tutus

But forget about Nine
It's Dullsville in space
Check out Cloud Ten
It's a happening place

Love showed up unannounced
Startled me in a dream
Did it come to take me away?
What was its noble scheme?

Love sort of mystified me then
Stopped short and sped away
What message was in its eyes?
What words did it fail to say?

Perhaps it came to taunt me
To challenge me once more
To share myself, my feelings
To allow my heart to soar

To watch me try once again
Before the hour got too late
To give me one more chance for love
To change my lonesome fate