My Country

o country, my country, such peril you face

you stand on the brink of disaster

your people fear abandonment

your blazing hearts feel faint

some give in to the bait of violence

some hide their faces, their tears,

others naively bow and applaud folly

in the cold of the winter, disgrace

walks proudly in the fleeting rain

beyond the people who cannot know

what sabre is thrust so swiftly

into their backs bent over in labor

For Standing Rock

they speak with forked tongues

who made promise after promise

for the safety, for the sanctity

of the People’s Sacred Lands

and now the Children of the Earth Mother

dance and pray and stand their ground

supported by the buffalo, the eagles,

people from foreign lands salute them

people from other endangered waters

come stand with them, hope with them

tears of many mothers fall for their grandchildren

wondering if the fate of the reptiles

will be visited upon posterity

those who have ears to hear are deaf

those who can afford fresh water are cold

it is time to believe and understand

that if one goes without pure water

it affects us all and we must all speak out

The Winds of Winter

howling, growling, swiftly swirling

pouring rains and vicious snows

drivers heed the need for speed

and wary corners end in ditches

ice bonds to the roads at least

as wicked winds lick slushy lanes

hurried traffic ends up buried

mysteries, the depths remain

inside our glass dome, we huddle

warm, watching through the windows

knowing the impending danger

to those who venture out and about

strange weather, harsh winter

longing for the summer days

slick roads, icy walks, bellowing gale,

beware the winds of winter

Dig

dig up the earth beneath your feet

like so much empty space in your mind

realize the vastness of your dreams

and like the New Year begin cautiously again

capture your creativity in endless spirals

while your worries hold it all at bay

dig, dig, and find your place of sorrows

flush the tears from your eyes

and pardon them so they can focus forward

let the last efforts fall from your memory

because they didn’t take you where you need to go

and picture only the perfect destination

the perfect result you can envision

then take the first step, a brilliant step,

and promise yourself that you can fly

Stepping Stones

crawling on all fours

staring into the moonlit sky

soon enough lifting ourselves up

standing on two legs

momentarily learning to walk

and reaching for the starry sky

will we fly and rise to follow

the endless ladder from this life

unto the worlds beyond worlds?

grace and faith meld into one

carrying us forward, upward

our goals are present before us

life moves along like a Ferris wheel

around we go, lifting and floating downward

and again we go up, then down

breathing deeply as we rise

exhaling as we drop slowly

each a step we take

to follow the path of stepping stones