My final night standing on the rooftop,
looking out over the city of Manila.
Clouds hanging heavy overhead,
streets wet from a late night rain.

Knowing this is my last night
with the beautiful people
I have met on my journey,
a sadness descends over me.

Reflections of my journey
fill my mind as I sleep.

Then as the dawn comes,
I awaken to sunrise for
the last time with
the Philippine Sea in the distance.

A new day for millions of people,
struggling to make a meager existence,
often from the trash around them,
hoping for just one meal for their family.

You give a few pesos hoping
to help a few, but knowing
the struggle will continue,
but with a happiness that escapes most of my world.

So as my final day has arrived,
heading to a jet plane,
I will never forget the
friends I have made.

The smiles I have seen,
happy people who have faith,
to take on another day,
with hope, that their day will come.

I will leave a little piece
of my heart, mind, and soul,
with the beautiful people,
that have touched me deeply.

So now I do not say goodbye, but until we meet again my friends.

Peering into the night
of Naval, Biliran.
I am reminded of time
gone past that wants
to draw me near.

Streets are dark
lacking substance,
along with any human touch.
Yet it draws me into thoughts
of yesteryear, places
frequented in my life

A simpler time,
with no cell phone.
A wave to the neighbor,
and good morning all.
Times do change
for better or worse.

So I savor my time
to be at peace with the world.
As I step back to reflect
on past time in life.
A simple life is where happiness is found.*

© 2016 Willard Wells

Drawn to you like a moth
to a flame by your beauty.
I must take leave before
the heat of the moment
overtakes the future,
clouding my judgment.

Your beauty can carry you far
but your mind is the solution
to change your future.
Bringing you to a brighter place,
with a future not found
within the confines of this place.

Sleep comes near
in the world where
I find myself at this time.

I feel pain with emptiness
for those that have
suffered needlessly in the world this day.

All that most ask,
is to love and be loved.
Rather than die a needless death.

We are all humans
on this spinning globe.
Please give peace a chance.

my bag sits waiting

ready to leave for a place

that has beaconed me

in nightly dreams of sun,sand,

water, with peacefulness

that's beyond my wildest thoughts

Time moves slowly,
within the realm of my universe.
The sun rises,
as the moon fades
along with the stars.

The night sky will change
as I venture to new worlds.
Constellations not familiar to me,
will fill me with awe.
That first step of the journey
grows near, as I resist my internal fears.

Dancing light of that sliver
of a silvery moon shines.
Since you've been gone,
I search for you
among the stars.
Searching out the brightest one,
Since I know that's you.

sunkissed silken skin
long dark hair of shoulder length
legs smooth long and lean
island beauty such a treat
dark eyes watch me watching her

It's expected that the level of
medication needed to maintain
the level of sanity found in writing.
Would be found to be cost prohibitive to sustain.

Going forward, the prescription that
will be prescribed first,
will be for pen and paper
or any source at hand.

Find you voice, speak out,
sharing what is fun for you.
What drives you, your passion.
Then move on to the next project.

Be your own force,
Even if just a voice of one,
you were meant to be heard.

Dancing in the moonlight,
riding moonbeams
in the search of my love,
in my night of dreams.

Vivid dreams before my
eyes, even when closed.
Sliding down a moonbeam,
hoping to awaken from my night of dreams.

Moonbeams fading
as the orb slips away,
along with the vision
of my love, in my dreams.

When my journey comes to the end,
let me find the strength
to know the truth.
Showing some kind of dignity
as I pass to the great beyond, near my God.

I leave little behind to know of me,
except the words I have penned,
with very little hue.
Just my heart and soul to view.

The words I write are my truth,
right or wrong, good or bad.
It is my truth of who I am
or at least as far as I can tell.

This time of year to express
love to the one held dear.
But why must it be just expressed
just this, once a year.

With the love that I feel
it should be every day.
Rather than to only express
it once this day, a single time of year.

So a card, flowers or something
sweet on this one day,
yet daily I will express my love,
every day of the year.

Sweetheart, I love you each and every day.

I was considering the perception
of my expectations of what I have perceived.

Then after consideration of my perceived,
perceptions of the expectations,

I changed my expectations perceived,
so my perceptions would not interfere.

With any of my perceived,
expectations that were a perception.

Waking as the sun starts, it's early morning rise
with shadows of darkness lingering
from clouds on high.

I see the morning light as it transitions today,
my thoughts are of you
which brings only light to my life.

Shadows and darkness no longer part of my life.
Holding you close,
Only sunshine in my days.

Cindy

My days of life are very simple with nothing too complicated to ruin my days. Traveling to destinations around the world. Just enjoying life with all the pleasures, there are to have. Reading great words and attempting my own. With my camera to document my beautiful world.

Yet as I go about my  life with joy, happiness and good health, my friend is sick, cancer came back. Raising its ugly head, after a long battle with remission for a time. Life getting back to normal, after words that she's cured.

Now life stops once again in a surreal world. Focus of a laser is her mind as she strikes back to win the battle again, once and for all. God by her side with family and friends standing together, holding hands, with a prayer to God to lend a little extra helping hand.

Maybe we all can add a little prayer for Cindy and all that fight this battle to win.

Prayers and good wishes to you my dear friend Cindy.

Sitting with my thoughts this night.
Not sure of my future
which seems to not exist.

Taking my time now to check the edge.
Shiny and smooth with the sharpness
of a surgeon's scalpel.

Leaving nothing to chance tonight,
I've locked all the doors and windows tight.
Disconnected the phone, even stopped the mail.

They say a hot bath will do the trick,
feeling no pain as the blade comes down.
Skillfully across my wrist, from the outside in.

Slowly now, but deep enough
I failed before, but not this time
Success is mine, I wait no more, the time is now.

Feeling better now, very relaxed,
drifting into a very dark sleep,
as I say goodnight, but really goodbye.

Sometimes in thoughtful
repose just riding a wave,
crus'in along in a surreal world,
appearing rather vacant you see.

I hang way out
on the edge of
never never land,
in the shadows close to the dark,

My return is generally,
in the blink of an eye.
So don't be deceived
by the view, you may see.

No matter words
or actions all
I never lose perspective
And really never go,

Completely out of control!

It was just a little town
in the boot-heel of Missouri
Cotton fields, sand, farming,
poverty all around.

My daddy was from this little town,
coming home with his wife,
pregnant with child to give
birth in his hometown.

All had gone smooth
as the time came to give birth.
Dad came in as mother screamed,
nurses pushing him out down three floors.

Bell ring ground floor
turning to go back up again.
Then met by the nurse
with doctor moving near.

Your wife we can save
but not your child,
now go back down
you'll just have to wait.

The adventure continued a few hours more
up to the top floor,
to be sent down again.
Smoking two packs of Camels,
as he paced the floor.

When all was said and done,
mom's welcoming dad,
holding me up in her proud arms.
That was the beginning of my journey.

Chasing Death Ever Since!

My Child

a poem by Catherine Z. Wells

How quickly you have grown my child.
All gone the days when you were small.

How Quickly time has flown my child.
Summer, Winter, spring and fall

If we could just return my child,
to days, you sat upon my knee.

Oh how my heart does yearn, my child,
Your dimpled smile again to see.

But you are now a family man,
no longer mine to hold your hand.

You have a different life, my child.
Love her, but keep me in your sight.

It may not always show, my child,
the love I hold so deep within.

But know that it is always there,
will always be, has always been.

Mother

Life is but as strong as the love which binds it.

My life has been filled
with words like high energy,
hyperactive and
uncontrollable at times.

Now from my view
from inside looking
out my whole life,
I was just expressing myself,
sharing my thoughts.

There is an old saying
about some things are
better in small doses,
that in my mind
has always been me.

Standing on the outside
looking in,
I look out at the world
that is often surreal.

I see faces, bodies start
to twist in the wind.
As confusion,
boredom set in,
I continue with
apparently no end.

Yet even as my mind
says stop,
I continue on at a
high rate of speed.

This type of mind
leads to other actions,
just as reactive
as my mind.

Seemingly out of control
to others standing,
watching to see
what I'll do next.

So as a young man,
say around 12,
my parents took me
to visit family friends.

While the parents visit
the children would play,
stay out of the way
as children did in the day.

We were sent to the
basement, out of the way.
The boy about my age
his younger sister
heading off to play.

As was my nature
having no control,
I started to take charge.
We looked at the toys,
playthings to share.

A bow and arrow
needed my attention.
After all, I was trained
as an archer when I was 8.
Time to show my
skills and marksmanship.

Taking the bow,
I strung it tight,
checking it's pull.
Grabbing an arrow behind the quill,
loading it carefully in the bow.

Then it happened as the
arrow took flight,
straight and true.

The squeal of a little girl
her brothers fast retreat.
Arrow finding it's mark,
now protruding half in
and out the basement window.

Only one thing left to do,
which I had done before.
Stand before parents
head hung low,
explaining the flight of the arrow
that was out of my control.