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

They run from the bombs,
avoiding invading soldiers,
as they run through fields.

Taking with them
all they can carry in the escape,
to find a home and safe place.

Stopped at borders
begging for help
yet often rejected.

We hear the reasons
and are given excuses
of why there is no help.

Have they not looked into the eyes of the child.

Lightning strikes earth
                     Exploding timber and grass
Flames licking tree tops

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.

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

she's easy to spot,
long dark hair,
eyes like dark
pools of chocolate.

skin with the
softness of silk,
with ruby red lips,
that beg to be touched.

she walks the shore
beside the sea.
stealing all the
beauty there is to see.

Time moving faster
Yesterday I was a boy
       Today almost dust

Taking an excursion in my mind
can get boring given time.
You see I have been there before,
oh so many times.

Seeing the same old thoughts,
memories I thought I had forgot.
Remembering now that time
back when.

But as I age and view again
the memories of past,
they seem to take on
a different hue.

Then one more time
I view that thought
with a joyous heart,
of that moment in my past.

In the dark of night
my mind turned on bright,
with thoughts of you
my forest nymph.

Slender and small ,
with wings transparent
and light.
Lifting you up to explore the night.

Flitting here and flitting there,
you fly so fast
so no one sees,
for my eyes only.

Coming to rest after long night,
reposed on my bed
me holding your head.
As I give gentle kisses to my forest nymph.

I was only 9 years old and I lived in North Vietnam where I was born. My family is Chinese, but work was in Vietnam so my father had moved us there long before I was born. I had 5 brothers and I was next to the youngest, but my younger brother got sick while we were hiding in the mountains to avoid the bombings. He did not go home with us and mother was very sad for a long time.

There was really nothing to do for entertainment. My day was made up of sleeping late in the morning and school in the afternoon. We only had about three classes, which was giving us a very basic education. I had many friends in school and good number of relatives.

My older cousin and I played together often, just spending time together. Over loudspeakers songs of the people were played to encourage hard work and loyalty to the Communist Party. Everything in the country still ran as it had under Uncle **. You never speak bad of Uncle ** or you might not make it until tomorrow.

Since we had so little entertainment we found our own. She and I would go up during the day and sometimes at night to listen to the workers in the factory sing praise of life, progress and Uncle **. Now I was very small, but crime was not a factor and so even with me being so young, my cousin and I were always off on an adventure.

A big event where I lived was a marriage. It was a beautiful event with the bride and groom dressed in wedding clothes. A long high necked dress for the women and the man in his best white dress shirt. I know this because when my cousin and I were out one night we saw a wedding party walking down the street. It was so beautiful and exciting that she and I joined at the end of the procession.

I expect our age helped as we were welcomed to the celebration. Eating candy, cookies and sticky rice, special treats for the wedding party, but a special treat for a poor little girl and her cousin. Both welcomed by the bride and groom.

My cousin and I did this twice that I recall and the songs still resonate within my head of a beautiful moment in time and a break from the bombs dropped almost daily from the sky.

Now awake
on the other side
as the pain did subside,
giving me a lightly clouded day.

Shadows first,
that come before the pain,
then when all is done,
the shadow goes as clouds descend.

Happier times today
the veil of dark
had gone away.
Laying in wait looking for a place.

Night descends
with parting clouds.
Shadows moving back
into their comfortable place.

Pressure building
around my face.
Not to fear I say,
remembering my mistake yesterday.

I waste not any time
to attack the pain
while the control
is mine.

I have nothing to wish
for Christmas cheer
as the world is in tears.

The only thing I will ask
and wish for you and for me
is peace around the world.

For all humanity.


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Winter Solstice, ***-hi Day ,Hanukkah , d al-Adha , Kwanzaa.

I am sure I have missed some cultural, ethnic and religious celebrations at this time of year. But the idea I want to express and project is we are all humans no matter what and I wish you all the best and peace and happiness in your present and or future life.

God Bless and Peace Out.

I've grown tired of labels in life
Are you White
Are you Black
Are you Asian
Are you Green

There are so many labels in life
Are you Muslim
Are you Jewish
Are you Catholic
Are you Agnostic

They continue to put labels in life
Are you a homeowner
Are you a renter
Are you in an apartment
Are you in a house

They're driving me insane labels in life
Are you Democrat
Are you Republican
Are you Green
Are you Independent

What does it mean in the big scheme of things????????????????

Nothing at all as the only label that matters is

HUMAN

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.

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.

We have war
and much death.
What is being
taken in a battle.
Means little.

How did we
get to this point.
Or maybe why
have we not grown
beyond this level.

More people
yearly come
out of poverty.
But why is anyone
really in poverty.

I cannot believe
with all that the have, have,
that the have nots
cannot be brought,
to the point of having??

Food would be nice,
and some water too.
And to not be killed
over a piece
of dirt.

But there we have
the root of it all
when you have
you want more,
at the cost of human life!

GREED!!

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.