Sleepy

a leaf is such a simple thing

with veins arrayed so perfectly

it changes colors to pace time

its scalloped edges or toothy rim

alert us to their mission in life

and yet so benign the majority

the occasional poisonous ones still hide

and cause us a blister or two

and so the autumn reds, oranges and yellows

collect on the forest floor

protecting the ground from the coming cold

a patchwork quilt for a sleepy world

Will

secrets come, secrets go

who can tell them, we don’t know

all the players who can read

take advantage of the seed

wherein the country and the state

hide their truths at any rate

and if our neighbors try to win

we block them with a tiny sin

just let us come to finality

we have no special formality

for now the messages we send

make for an inglorious end

records are no longer hidden

when hackers will is bidden

Heart

here, too, ends the grand life

of those who think great thoughts

those whose art stems of genius

whose gifts astound all comers

and advance the mark of humankind

yes, we all, high born or low,

fathom the unbecoming

of whatever height we have attained

and track our way back

to the dust in which we were formed

think not, then, that you bear greater promise

than those who serve or support you

for the sacrifice of all bears witness

to the wonderful power of God

and the blessing of the human heart

The Stars Fall

why do we test each other’s limits?

why do we let anger flow?

it could be resolved with talking

and let me tell you what I know

the heart is not a fickle beast

it knows what’s right, what’s true

when we care for each other, at least,

it makes the best outcome for you

but we also must learn to listen

even before we learn to speak

truth for one, truth for the other

no games, no tit for tat, no leak

just coming together for the good of all

and we will be happy before the stars fall

Rest Easy

tap, tap, tapping on my windowsill

like a stranger, blind, looking for light

in the darkness, in the autumn chill

and I wonder what it is they seek

perhaps to put me in a fright

or is it just a wish for warmth, safety,

I am suspicious of this noise

and the fingers that tapped it out

soon enough it stops and I see the full moon

a limb stretches down by my window,

scratching and tapping, stretching, tapping

I can rest easy now

Forever More

footsteps down the hall

echo through my mind

a surreal ribbon of thought

wraps gently over my eyes

and, like a gift tied with a bow

I bring myself to center

where all the bright lights flash

as if they were neon rainbows

catapulting pots of gold

into my arms from high above

and all good things come to pass

wherein a peaceful dream ensues

and all is well forever more

Stars

stars encircling the moon’s crescent

flash and fade with gentle descent

colors of green and yellow and red

they streak the heavens as they are led

to the atmosphere of some vacant sphere

so far away we can’t imagine it here

for if the stars should fall one night

leaving none in the sky, out of sight,

we would have nothing left to wish on

perhaps the light of resulting fission

if we can avoid the mushroom cloud

but the sound would be ungodly loud

let us hope for peace and harmony

and bless each other in unity

Levity

the brevity of levity grows seamlessly

to bring a smile, a snicker, a laugh

with happy clowns and tricksters

a juggler, a mime, all variety

of entertainers, resisting the sound

of the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel

but the crowds that wound their way through

are silenced now as the cold breeze washes

through the tree limbs, shaking the leaves

that dance and prance on their way to the ground

but I remember the joy on children’s faces

covered in cotton candy and holding a balloon

while Mom and Dad try to win a teddy bear

tossing rings onto pop bottles while I

was ready to go to bed

Full Moon

the stairwell winds upward in a circle

a tight eye surrounded by railings

the blue steps creating an atmosphere

of breathability, segments like the Nautilus

if we could see the inner workings

up some go, down some go, others stop to look

through stained-glass windows that gather

the rain, the snow, the pigeons

that cluster on the windowsills

and in the very middle of the ceiling above

resides the full moon

Eagles and Owls

copper edges of the pyramid

seal the healing energy

as light of green and blue hues

rest and penetrate my body

raising the senses in fences

that create greater strength

while allowing the best and brightest

of my wandering, meandering thoughts

to flow in all that I know

and I can imagine the day

when happiness comes to rest

on my shoulders, unlike boulders

that keep me down, clown,

and I will soar with the eagles

and exhibit my heart with the owls

Trail

walking down the trail I see footsteps

one foot, the other, dog prints, horse hooves

a wiggly, wiggly snake slipping along

leaving a map to the wetlands ahead

the story of who goes there before me

playing out before my eyes

twigs snapping in the woods beside me

reveal a fawn, my companion on this hike

and then the water of the lowlands

hosting boasting bullfrogs and a single wood duck

flying up, out of the brush at water’s edge

the sun nears its exit point in the West

and I find my return route for home

ready to leave nature to tomorrow

Good Will

an all day rain that taps on the windowsill

it seems like the sky is being cleansed

such perfect meter sounds like a typewriter

a playful time for the ducks to enjoy

and yet, there is a parting of the clouds

as if someone in heaven is waving hello

so the sun sends a ray of light

to make a rainbow, or two, in fact

brightening the whole sky and uplifting

our senses and our good will

Near and Far

puddles, puddles everywhere

the sky drains onto the ground

with whipping winds it rips right through

and makes an awful sound

the clouds wring themselves dry

making the ocean boil with anger

if only we knew a “stop rain” dance

it might make life less filled with danger

the mighty men, their stories told

how briefly they stay in the news

once life and limb have been secured

and animals are gathered in twos

we can’t imagine unless we live it

how disheartening the storms truly are

we can only say our prayers

and hope for the best, both near and far

Release

all the dreams pushed back in your mind

from laboring over intense demands

the stories that have faded with time

stuck in remorse, emotional paralysis

you don’t know if the flow will take over

to enrich the words, the images

and you think by beating the wall

that perhaps more will come, will appear

but that would be yet another dream

a glorious, Technicolor spectacular

that comes, pulled out of the pit of your stomach

and washes the tears from your eyes

while the insight floods your body

with release

Waves

waves on the Big Lake wash ashore

deposit their treasures on the sand

little toddler chases them back as they ebb

and runs away as they flow

then a pause to squat down and explore

the shells and bits left behind

those little eyes all aglow

wondering what lived in the shells

what they can be made into

into a pocket they go for future games

and go back to chase the waves

Overhead

stepping stones along my path

through woods and waters

I see through the arch of ancient trees

a waterfall to cool my soul

as I swing on the vine

the water like glass beneath me

mossy rock walls line the pond

sunlight flows down in rays from above

and blue sky without a cloud

reigns overhead