Hope

What a kind and yet cruel concept

You hope for the best and …
Hope is eternal and…
We can always hope and…

Thank goodness for hope and…
When all else fails there is always hope and…
Hope is elusive and…

Hope for the better and…
Give hope time and…
Hope you get…and…

Hope is blind and…
Hope things work out and…
Hope you get well soon and…

When no one else is around
You can always count on hope
It is like a companion who never leaves your side

Hope is a great gift and…
It is free to give to those in need
And remember when all else fails there is always hope

Andreas Simic

The Quest

Oft I ponder the quest that I have been delivered upon

Whilst laying in the midst of a field of straw

Mine eyes gazing in the sky with it’s hews of gold

Not far from here lies the battlefield

Forthwith there will be bloodshed and mayhem

But as I rest my weary bones upon the coolest of thine earth

Mind over matter is what I behest

Is it the goal to capture the king as in a game of chess

Am I the pawn sent out earliest to set the tone

For the rest of the game to follow

Or be the fortunate survivor having played a skilled match

My protector some unknown hand

Guiding my way whilst I traverse through an army ahead

Each step a calculated risk that could end in my demise

Somehow out of my control yet each of my moves

Dictating where this may all end

Devout to the King

But looking to create a new Queen

That will carry on the lineage I am here to shield

Thus I start my day

Andreas Simic©

Confessions of a Happy Person©

Standing at the kitchen sink
My wife quips “you are one happy person”

It is right there and then I realized
I have been found out

Time to confess

I am one of “those” “happy people”
And a morning person to boot

I admit I am an ice –cream-aholic
Hooked on chocolate Rocky road, 2 scoops

Left to my own devices I play hooky
My favorite vice mid day movies

Yes chick flicks
And I buy the ludicrously priced pop corn

Next up on the list a get away at the spa
Even if I fall asleep during the deep massage

Cruise ships are my Achilles heel
Where else do they make your bed

Feed you 24 hours a day
And you can hide from the world

My flexible job schedule allows for daytime bike rides
Who doesn’t want to be a kid again wind blowing through your hair

The bane of my existence, poetry writing
Anytime, anywhere at the drop of a hat or spur of the moment

To espouse words of wisdom or not
And connect with family, friends and complete strangers

Yes, there are up and down days but as the saying goes
“Be Happy”

Andreas Simic©

You Know You’re Getting Older When…©

The scroll bar for an online application
takes forever to get to your year of birth

The creaks you hear are your bones
not the floor boards

Younger people take the time to hold the door
open even without asking

Taking an escalator or elevator instead of stairs
is the only option

Switching the phone from ear to ear
doesn’t make hearing any easier

Can openers and jars become the enemy

You swear your arms are getting shorter
making tying your shoe laces a challenge

“Say again” are the most commonly used
words in your vocabulary

You save money on haircuts and shampoo
as there is less to work with

Grey becomes your new favorite color

Slow now feels fast

Cat naps are mandatory

The right lane on a highway becomes your domain

You need eye glasses to find your eye glasses

The remote is an extension of your hand

“Skip to the lou my darling” are
more than words to a song

And that’s just the short list

Don’t laugh, someday you’ll be there

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©

The Lone Wolf©

Exiting the cabin I instinctively look up
Maybe it is out of habit now
I spy you perched atop the distant ridge
How different are you and I

What do you see when you look down at my humble abode
Nestled amongst the trees the smoke wafting from the chimney
My home in the wilds of the woods; alone
How different are you and I

When you are not there I wonder where you are
Foraging for food, a drink by the fast flowing river,
Seeking solitude
How different are you and I

Do you see a man with a broken heart
One that has been cut so deeply it will never mend
Relegated to healing the wounds through nature
How different are you and I

Each day is a new day
One filled with wonderment
Of opportunity found or lost
How different are you and I

Time has inevitability
Someday one of us will not be there and I wonder
Will this be the last time I see your grace
How different are you and I

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©

Serenity

Each footstep heard as though it is the only human imprint
On a land left unmarked by our presence
The stillness in the air as if wind did not exist
I gaze upon a frozen lake far and wide with nothing but ice
A white dusting like that of icing sugar on a cake for a topping
Covering imperfections caused by occasional crags bursting forth
Mother Nature showing she has been here
Birds wisp before me, displaying her colorful art
A robin and its orange belly, a red cardinal, a blue jay
Birds chirping to a rhythmic tune interrupted by
The hoot of an owl or a woodpecker hard at work
Amidst this display footprints leave a puzzle to be solved
Deer and wild turkey presence is easily identified
But what of those others, may they be fox, wolf or coyote
Are they nearby watching or on a distant foray
Moving between trees eyes ahead the cracking of branches
A signal to all ahead of my progress
An invader to be respected
Each step forward deeper into an array of trees
Maples, oaks, cedar, poplar, elm, pine, spruce
A cornucopia of height, width and breadth
Deeper into the forest I move alone-ness envelopes me
Yet this is where I find serenity
Amongst those not of my species
Alone but not lonely

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©

Trump-ED©

There once was a man named Trump
Whose hair looked like a clump

A little bit plump
Never caught looking like a frump

He lived in a home that was no dump
It didn’t even need a sump pump

For some he was a pain in the ****
Yet you would never call him a schlump

Some thought he was a grump
Others said he was no chump

He did like to make people jump
Causing people’s throat to have a lump

Rules didn’t apply to him, no need for an ump
Even when his business was in a slump

Like most he did have the odd bump
For everyone runs into a slump

While there were those that did want him to flump
So along the way he could see a thump

Still others did relay you were a mump
I say so long old friend, Mr. T. Trump

Trump (Ted) 1925-2005

Andreas Simic©

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses,
places, events and incidents are either the products of
the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or
actual events is purely coincidental.

no one knows when it’s our time to go
none has a magnifying glass into tomorrow
do we live in joy or sorrow
or thrive on time that we borrow

yesterday we could have been at play
is our life fully on display
the present is a gift a not to delay
or are we clinging on to stay

what do you do with all your time
do we corporate ladder climb
search out every penny and dime
or write poetry that we make rhyme

have we found that tender squeeze
that turns out to be a tease
and makes our life a breeze
or try to everyone else please

is taking that child out of a cradle
the same as holding a ladle
will there be time to paddle
or do we sit on our hands idle

how else do we joy bring
striding out in nature is that our thing
watching the early morning sun rising
or are we part of a crime ring

where do we get our culture
draw a picture
think about the future
or are we hovering about like a vulture

are we divers
sitting at the side of rivers
roasting on skewers
or have too many shivers

on a long summer’s day will having a beer
bring on friendship and cheer
especially enjoyed with someone dear
or is it all about fear

Andreas Simic©

Kiss My…©

Morning people,
Those people up at the crack of dawn

With more energy than a ball of fire
All done up like they haven’t even slept

It is in those moments I want to say
Kiss my sass

Looking at them through my bleary eyes
Me feeling like something off a scrapheap

Their exuberance like a cup runneth over
Excitement exuding everywhere

It is in those moments I want to say
Kiss my sass

My rear glued to the bed
Unable to muster the motivation to get up

I listen to them espouse great plans for the day
Bubbling with sheer excitement

It is in those moments I want to say
Kiss my sass

We all have our place and so do they
I have to admit with some dismay

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©

A is the first letter of the alphabet does it mean that it is number 1
Andreas begins with an A does this mean I am the number one son

All I know is when Mom selected my name I became fair game
Although “attention deficit” would be more apt just the same

Another thought to ponder is why I like to wander so much
Amazingly enough it's not what you think as such

Achievement is my middle name some say keener should be it
After much thought I have to agree that’s a better fit

Acclaimed I am not with no fame to call my own
Against the headwinds of life the door has many times been shown

An athlete I aspired to become a star in track no less
Aptly I would come up the rear once more with little success

Always the optimist my attention turned to girls
Ablaze that theory went even for those with curls

Aging has now firmly set in
Actualization now being taken for a spin

Awareness as to who I am
Allows me to confess I’d rather be a “Sam”

Anchors away I say
Additional admissions left for another day

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©

I oft wonder about thee
the flame that once shone bright
into mine life

Have thou been extinguished
by all the lies
spread by deviance for all to behold

Or have thy flourished
using deceit and manipulation
to fuel forward

Nary a thought
as to the carnage you leave behind
in the hearts of others

This I ponder

Andreas Simic©

Stumbling to find the words
To ask her out that first time
Stomach like curds
Finding that right line

When yes was her reply
Joy and excitement on my face
My emotions sky high
The heart beginning to race

Oft to a dinner royale we do go
Conversation and wine ensues
Eyes meet and smiles exchange, she's it I know
Drawing to an end was getting the blues

The bill arrives and it was quite a lot
Then the realization my wallet I forgot

Andreas Simic©

What Would it Take

What would it take to have peace on earth

Sharing
Caring
Daring

What would it take to have peace on earth

Talking
Listening
Courage

What would it take to have peace on earth

Empathy
Open mindedness
Inner strength

What would it take to have peace on earth

Conviction
Dedication
Understanding

Why don’t we have peace on earth

Opinions
Attitudes
Beliefs

Why don’t we have peace on earth

Any or all of the above

Andreas Simic©

Deep down inside I knew I wasn’t good enough

Though we would share the same space
you hung out with a different crowd
the “in” crowd

The ones that were good looking
popular
everyone wanted to be with

I was on the outside looking in
shy, reserved
sitting at the back of the class

You had friends to hang around with
I had a job to take up my time
too poor to be fashionable

Waiting for the pain of high school
to be over
which couldn’t come fast enough

Knowing in our last class
our paths would never cross again
that was how things worked in my world

Then one day while  
working under hood of my old car
you came around the corner

All the right things happened
we wed and had a great life
until the words of doubt

Wormed their way back
into my subconscious mind
deep down inside I knew I was not good enough

And then it was over…

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 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©

Growing up country...A day in the life ©
I lay on my bed awake staring at the ceiling
No need for an alarm cause I have two
One is brooster the rooster and the is
A holler I call “father”

And then there it is the shout from below
“Get up you slugs we have things to do and places to go”
I leap out of bed toss on some clothes no need to be picky
For we ain’t likely to see nobody this way today

The race down the stairs is on, only three brothers to beat
Getting to the kitchen table to get a seat and grub to eat
The smell of bacon permeates the air
And mom is at the bottom stair to give a hug right there

As we chow down we all look around at each other
Knowing full well the list and which one we druthers
There’s tillin the garden with a ***, muckin the pens with its stench,
Fence mendin with barb wire or ridein that metal steed named Deere

And on this day through luck of the draw or Dad’s decision
I create furrow after furrow with precision and after awhile
And many circles complete the mind tends to wander into a haze
As you slide from side to side on that hard seat amidst a glaze

What will this fall harvest bring after the chores are complete
A trip to the fair and rodeo to compete and there I will be the winner
In that girl’s blue eyes as I lift up that grand prize
She’ll notice me then, that pretty little thing and proudly wear my ring

The old John Deere will transform from a metal steed to a pickup I will need
For those kids who will be taught to heed, respect their elders and lay seed
We’ll live on a farm just like this one built on strong backs from generation
To generation hoping to build a better nation

Andreas Simic©

Le Madam

She is most like her age

Time having eroded some of her natural beauty

A few warts have appeared here and there in spots

Yet there is this blend of young and old alike melded into one

She has transformed herself from bilingual to multi-lingual

Despite this her character has little changed over a long existence

The night life she relishes still as vibrant as ever

If she was a building one would say she had age and charm

Her busyness belies her serenity

Blessed with a deep history she exudes confidence

Allowing her to grow and prosper

Into whom she is today

Nothing can dampen her spirit it seems

Though sometimes turbulent periods have been had

Through it all a humorist slant developed and enjoyed by many

Her name Montreal

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©

It is like there are two parts, the watched and the watcher
The watcher seeing a struggle to find love
An essential ingredient to happiness and self fulfillment

You have constructed a wall impenetrable by most everyone
Built for protection to keep others out, but why
Like a bird with an injured wing I observe you flapping about

Flailing at some unknown enemy or force in defiance or defense
A look of utter scorn scowling across such a delicate tender face
One that could be touched gently like a light breeze by a suitor

Oh they have tried, your outer beauty a draw like honey
I too know the inner beauty you harbor safely in the bay of hope
Away from the rough seas of life where hurt and pain lurk

Alas frustration mounts as the dueling enigmas duke it out
Like a ring with two combatants competing to best the other
A hard fought battle that may see neither a winner, a draw no less

Leaving pugilists exhausted and feeling no less loved or cared about
An outsider peeping into a window to the soul of a future lover
That can be seen but not touched like in a dream

Inspiration©

In moments of reflection
I ponder, what inspires us

What makes one human being
Happy, delighted, having fun

And another sad, less enthusiastic,
Dreary, down trodden, seemingly on the run

Why do those impelled to change the world
Live alongside those that seem to be along for a ride

How can we have an Einstein
In amongst the sublime

What pip or kernel separates
The inspired from the tired

Does it arrive through some gene
Or something else not foreseen

Can it be developed through age and wisdom
Allowing us to become sage

Is it a seed or
A need

I scratch my head
Time for bed

Another day I will revive this quest
For now I just need some rest

Andreas Simic©

Chuck

There once was a show named “Chuck”
It didn’t have much luck

After five seasons it was gone
Oh it felt so wrong

For Chuck was about a nerd
Who ran with the herd

A fun loving guy in a comedy no less
Always making life a mess

Each episode an adventure or a quest
Making it fun to watch as a guest

It had all the right things
Even a girl with “talent” it brings

More bumbling than a bee
He reminded me of me

Sometimes hero and sometimes goat
Made him feel real and not remote

With a side kick and a crew
Each week your addiction grew

More laughs than a barrel of monkeys
Was the trigger that turned the keys

To my heart
Right from the start

Adieu I say to cast and show
If there is a movie or spinoff let me know.

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©

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©

Tour of Duty©
I awaken from a fitful sleep
One where slumber was not very deep
The night before after counting many a sheep
My eyes closed and they did meet

A dream was had that made me sneep
You and I were there in a jeep
As I mentioned another tour you said nary a peep
But in your eyes I capture “what the bleep”
We both know the long stay at an outkeep
The enemy would be nearby and they are prone to creep

The sacrifice again would require a big leap
Is this a mistake or am I being wheep
Once again into our love my duty does seep
For a promise I knew I could not keep

Is the price for going to war really this cheap
The returns not guaranteed and the climb out steep

Or maybe we need to stop and make a clean sweep
And throw our relationship onto the scrapheap

Hearing those words make us both weep
For a promise I knew I could not keep

Andreas Simic©

Forbidden Foolishness
They were prisoners
not of walls but of words
words of threats and alienation
walls none the less

But destiny would intervene
a chance encounter at a shop
eyes meeting in a fateful dance
unspoken thoughts exchanged

Notes were passed
through clandestine means
hidden from watchful eyes
little by little trysts ensued

At first with conversation
then, that kiss
the one that opened the prison gates
to a world unknown

Of freedom of the heart
hands began to meander
exploring the inner reaches
of parts unknown

He climbing past mountains of doubt
she guiding his hands
to her Garden of Eden
both searching in the shadow of darkness

Like unleashed primal beasts
theirs was a passion in a fertile land
breath taking and breathless
the planting of seeds

Would soon bear fruit
the chains that once held them
now kept them close
the escape complete

Andreas Simic©

Whether it is cheek to cheek
A proper distance apart at the start
Or belly to belly just like jelly
Dancing can be fun for everyone

What does it mean to be seen dancing
Are you cool to be out there or just another square
Wanting to be included and not deluded
About your foot work skills creating chills

Is it taboo to dance with a neighbor too
Or by chance the girl next store that you adore
What a about at the school dance hoping to take a chance
We know it’s there for romance

At a wedding to celebrate or those on a date
Watching that dance show so you know
How it ought to be done can bring joy
At a bar or somewhere not that far

There is no right place to test your pace
Whether formal or out to impress in your favorite dress
You can’t really make a mess
Though lesson’s can lead to better success

Is there not a greater feeling when the girl is reeling
In your arms so close for you to get the most
Of her hand in yours eyes blazing and glazing
The heart a glow, you putting on quite the show

Or what of a child cradled in your arm away from harm
As you twirl with your young girl
For a starter you don’t need to be a martyr
You can dance even if it makes you want to prance

Dance can happen in any given season
In fact there doesn’t even need to be a reason
For you to strut your stuff
Until you have had enough

Andreas Simic©

I love you so
You don’t even know

Pretending to glance around
Until you are found

Hoping that you see me too
The captain of a ship with a crew

Sailing us to some place far away
So we could see each other every day

Only the horizons marking beginning and end
This is the message to you I send

If only you could look deep into my heart
There you would find it breaking apart

Those eyes so inviting even from where I sit
The glow a fire well lit

Your hair golden like a chaff of wheat
Making me boil in my seat

A smile that could melt ice
My commitment an easy price

If only I could touch your skin
Would it be such a deadly sin

Andreas Simic©

That Kind of Day

Woke up late
Too much wobbly pop
The night before a blur

Race to get ready is on
Make up applied
Toast burnt

Out the door
Car won’t start
A bus is no fuss

Miss it by that much
When it begins to rain
Mascara running in shame

Hail a cab
Hair dripping went
Am I there yet

Andreas Simic

Journey to Tranquility©

As I nestle into the seat of my
Far from new mode of transport
I steel myself for the journey ahead
In my mind I plan out the route for this day

I'm sure bumper to bumper was invented here
There will be that slow crawl up the parkway
This will turn into the raceway as we hit the expressway
Where I let her go

Road rage is the new adage
So one must be aware not to stare or glare
This gauntlet must be run to arrive alive
Success here brings relief as we turn,

Turn onto a highway of only two lanes
Gains can be made here though watch for deer
Home after home turns into farm land
As the lights of the city disappear

Another left, then one more with pavement
Becomes gravel for many a mile
Don’t go too far there it is on the right
A smile appears as it comes into sight

The scurry of a fox across the driveway
The chirp of birds as you exit the car
The smell of a lake and its shore
You are at the cottage and tranquility galore

It is worth the drive every time.

Andreas Simic©

My Modern Age Reality©

The daily commute a daily grind
Bumper to bumper you will find
Asking “are you out of your mind”
Hoping to spot someone that is kind

Road rage is now the new adage
To get where you’re going at this stage
Maybe this can be forestalled with courage
Though that is wishful thinking at this age

My child in the back seat
She’s my daily joy when I do pick her up and we meet
Her arms outstretched as if to greet
Though the morning drop off isn’t so neat

A woman in a job no less
That a man used to do my guess
Why does it feel so thankless
Although that paycheck is a bliss

At the end of a long day I just want to rest
But hubby dear has announced a guest
Shopping, cooking, cleaning is now my quest
After all we want to show our best

The closing of the door and a big sigh
Tells me that bedtime is nigh
But first tidy up both low and high
Maybe it’s worth a hug from my big guy

My head comes to rest on the pillow
A last glance out the window at the willow
And a snuggle with mine bedfellow
Leads to a day’s afterglow

That’s all I have for today’s sideshow

Andreas Simic©

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree
How I love thee

Where’s thy pine cone I want to see
That fills me with so much glee

And has me plead
Where is thy seed

That will spring forth future generations
And hence bring great tribulations

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
How I love thee

For now and evermore
You bring happiness to my shore

They vibrant colors I behold
If the truth doth be told

Thy aroma in my nose
Brings me to a close

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree
How I love thee

Andreas Simic©

From the Back of the Bus©

The journey to school via that yellow tin can
They call it a bus at least where I come from, man

Long and narrow it transports it’s precious cargo
And delivers daily where we must show to grow

My favorite destination of that vehicle not of choice
Was the back of the bus so I could hide inside and rejoice

Many lessons were learned on the way to school
Observing life from that back of that melting *** pool

One learned about friendship between two friends
The shy kid whose ride was a means to an end

The bully that would run amok
Those were the ones that would have me duck

There were smiles and frowns alike
Most days I would rather ride my bike

Some days were up but most days were down
In the midst of the crowd and the class clown

Intersperse that beautiful girl
And the kids that made you want to hurl

Some were kind and some were tough
Seeing some of both was enough

Not realizing at that young age
This was preparing us for a different life stage

The ride was a daily grind
While I was looking for something else to find

From the back of the bus

Andreas Simic©

On that day
I will cast away
the chains of responsibility
like a cruise ship leaving port
to places unknown and far away

On that day
I will relinquish
the title of
good son
and share the load

One that day
I shall let go
of always being in control
allow my inner compass
to lead

On that day
I shall purge
the voices
those demons of my mind
and hear silence

On that day
I will be free
to explore the world
having released the burden
of adulthood

On that day
I will awaken
to find contentment
that place in my heart
where all is good

Someday this
will all be mine

Someday

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©

Who Am I 2©

I sit on the park bench
Watching the world pass by

It feels like I have been here a while
I do not know where home is

Nor what my name is
Somewhere out there someone loves me, I think

Be it a spouse, a sibling, a child or grandchild
Yet I am not sure

So I wait,
For what I am not fully aware

Could it possibly be to take some medication
That will clear the fog away

Or possibly needed to save my life
Maybe…or maybe not

Someplace deep inside the recesses of my mind
I hear these words

“Stay where you are, we will find you”
And so I wait

Andreas Simic©

First of all it’s free and it may be a sign of glee

It can light up a room clearing the gloom

From small beginnings it can turn into laughter thereafter

Apparently it takes a lot of muscle for it to win out that tussle

Some call it a frown upside down

When flashed upon approach it can help someone coach

Something a mile wide and possibly creating mirth inside

So take it out for a spin feel the joy it will bring

Flash those pearly whites and gain new insights

To what will make your heart sing and its stirring

Who knows where it can lead when planted like a seed

Perhaps kinship or friendship is on its way this day

All from that thing that’s free and others can clearly see

A smile in the aisle

Andreas Simic©

The Craving©
Until now I have never really FELT the meaning of craving
Yet here I am doing exactly that

I crave to write
For some unknown
Unexplained reason

The words
And ideas
Are pouring out of me

Like a faucet
That cannot
Be turned off

Why now
Why here
Why at all

It doesn’t make sense
Is it mere pretense
Or heaven sent

Do the words
Have meaning or
Is it me just screaming

My goal is inspiration
For others or
So I think

What if what I write
Readers see as
Something that stinks

So back to
Where it
All began

Why am I craving
This particular
Fall or at all

Andreas Simic©

How to describe the era we live in today
one filled with a constant diatribe
of those beliefs that were once treasured

Now it seems the more bellicose one appears
the more they are held in high regard
with those that are voluble taking center stage

Being peaceable is now a quality to endear
with the denunciation of the common good
replaced with boisterous chest beating

Antagonism is the order of the this time
using social media to be pugnacious
and argumentative the norm

One can only shake ones head
to the contriving that has infected our humanity
with machinations too wild to believe

We are besieged by the need to be superior
to the people that share our streets
is this because our voices have been drown out

We vilify those who dare denounce
this way of being with venom
like that of a deadly snake

Hoping to silence those that oppose them
with a tyranny of fake news claims
neither verifiable nor accurate

Into this world our children are being born
what will they learn
that belligerence is the way to get ahead

Pity us all for we will all rue the day
that we collectively chose leaders
who embody these qualities

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©

Time Passes
I get a reminder email
Who from whom I regale
Some poetry website
Reminding me that I used to write

As I look at the date of that work
How is it possible it was so long ago
Where did the time go
Was I too busy to put words to pen

Or what else has taken my Zen
To share what talent I do have
In relating what I know of life
Even if it cuts like a knife
Where have those years gone
When my light so brightly shone

Having lost three friends to cancer
I wonder what is the answer

Should I not acknowledge their pain
For I am the one who does remain

Their lives were my beacon of hope
Each providing a different point of view
Of how a life well lived can affect so many
Never asking for nary a penny

And with a tear in my eye
I look upward to the sky
Hoping to catch a glimpse of
Ian, Warren and Sil
It is a tough pill
To swallow their loss

One that I cannot easily toss
And with that thought in mind
I do not want to be blind
To the blessing that they were

For me and those they knew
And for helping me as I grew

Andreas Simic

The Funny White Stuff©

It is hard to believe
That there is a part of the world

Where no funny white stuff exists at all
This thing that can create great pleasure

Or be seen as a plague or aggravation
Which some will never experience

How something so good can also be so bad
In one moment a plaything

And in another a quagmire to escape
A symbol for the chills and cold

Or that which can bring a warm glow to our hearts
Those that love to slide cherish it

While those that drive oft curse it
Yet it is made of the same thing

You can throw or fling it for fun
Build a fort or igloo too

If need be it’s a water source
And hence a precious resource

Floating from the sky above
It can create quite a scene

Leading people to dream
Especially those that have not seen

The magic and wonder
Of the season and the funny white stuff

Andreas Simic©

Life is indeed an incredible journey
when I was young I grew up in a different place
that place was the cause of many wars

When we left there, I was a mere child and
it was to allow us children the opportunity
for a better life and a chance for normalcy

Yet learning a new language, being ostracized
feeling the pain of being different and carrying
the stigma of being a foreigner was a heavy burden

And were all part of the process of assimilation
of fitting in, of being like everyone else
oft a painful journey both physically and mentally

Years of being different, melding to become the same
and so over time you blend in, the differences becoming
less stark, day by day, year by year

Then as if by magic you are one of them
you graduate high school and college and get a job
you have children, own a home and a standing in the community

You realize that there comes a time to forgive
forgive your parents for taking you from your old home
where you knew who you were and looked like everyone else

Forgive the other kids that bullied you and made you feel unwanted
for they were kids being kids and didn’t know any other way
to accept someone from someplace else

Forgive yourself for feeling the way you did towards them
for in the end we all learn, learn to adapt, learn about acceptance
and learn to forgive.

Andreas Simic©

I enjoyed your winning poem. Congrats.      R.L.

Advice on Women

A woman can be fragile thing
What you need to know is they’re like a bee that can sting

In your arms gentle and kind they may feel
What’s inside to be feared is also real

When you have that first kiss
Your mind goes instantly to future bliss

And that’s where the games begin
The moment that intellect kicks in

You think that you are on equal ground
Until those thoughts are proven unsound

For in a contest of wills
She'll give you more than just the chills

Long before the conversation is over you’re be worn out
Making you want to scream and shout

Every point made receives a counter punch
It is far better to end it now and have lunch

For women travel in a pack
Are you ready for a group attack

Though your ego will take a blow
It is your manhood that must now show

Once scorned it is better to go into retreat
Revenge is not something to repeat

For in the end you will lose it all
From their graces you shall fall

Better to live another day
Than to end it some other way

So there you have my advice at best
Realizing I say all this in jest

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©