Olympians 2010

Cheer the national heroes
With their hands raised in triumph
They have reached the stars above
And now they dance, and dance again,
Whether gold or silver, bronze or applause
Their reward is to stand on the admiration
Of a nation—yours, mine, theirs—with pride
For a moment to hold our attention
For a breath to be the best of the best
For a time to have their names written
On the walls of eternity while the world
Forgets there is hatred and war
Hunger and heartache take a brief vacation
And the whole world cheers and revels
In the camaraderie and peace.

Desert

Blistered, bedraggled, forlorn,
The spirit of exhaustion
Like walking through the desert
And not seeing a single buzzard
Not even a coyote for company
Lifting one foot from the sand
And then the other as if cement
Heat, thirst, locusts, sandstorms
When does the quiet come?
When will the cool oasis appear
That we might bathe and drink?

Valentine

It’s not a Valentine that says, “You’re mine,”
Nor a promise of everlasting love and joy
It’s just a hand to hold, a touch upon the cheek
To keep you warm and let you know you’re not alone
But you might think it’s not a lot
No sentimental reason for a celebration
But my heart is always open, my gift to you
A cherished friendship like strawberries in chocolate
That might make the night less lonely
A mother-love, a sister-hug, a friendship-smile,
To walk beside you star-kissed nights
And travel through your dreams on tiptoes
Sharing, caring, listening, laughing, love.

Sleep

The dark of night has swallowed me
In favor, dreams beyond compare portrayed
By shadows of the night, the night,
Wherein melancholy fades and pyromancy
Becomes the essence of my soul and heart
When I see the face of God in the night
Beckoning me forward, over logs, hurdles high
And in my dreams I flow upward on the flames
Of heaven-essence to ring true such strength
To bring brightness to bear on the wings of night
And I am filled with the blessings of creation
More than my imagination serves to tell
In a smile, a laugh, a hug of happiness
All borne on thought and passion and sleep.

Serenity

The elevated world spins round
More in the recesses of light, so light
We marvel in the excesses
Though we cannot feel the wind
As it bludgeons the true and painful past
The memories of where the world has been
And brings comfort to the place that comes
Full of amazing love and pristine pictures
And all that passes before is free, so free
Begotten in the hearts of the elegant
And lifted on golden wings of serenity.

Commitment

Having the right words to say
When you meet that special someone
Listening with all your heart
To the beating of the other’s
Taking each other’s hand tightly
Letting her know you will never let go
A smile of reassurance when anxiety strikes
And promising to always be there
To dry tears when they fall
To create warmth when you get cold
To pick up the slack when you’re tired
Commitment, honor, pride, cherishing
The moments that you have together
Now and always, and beyond.
This is how to make it last.

Leaves of Ash

Leaves of Ash groves clustered
Like some bushels of fallen fruit
An amalgam of autumn stirrings and sparks
As the birds of the season cackle with reason
Echoes of the past when the Druids spoke
Walking through the forest in rhyme in Time
Amazing clichés forgiven and driven
To know the languages of each creature
Each vine blessing the culinary wine
And making a sacrifice of the moment
Music to the ears of those who can hear
Blessings, undressings, the vessels quite queer
How they jangled and tangled and disappeared so
And at last all that remained were the leaves.