As We Must

the land of dreams is lost in streams

flowing amongst a forest of trees

a perfect place to hide and retire

amongst nature’s creatures fine and divine

and here we have our tales of joy

finding the fine-feathered friends above

and watching their ground-covered homes

of burrows and dens and roots restored

but this is more than a tale of a forest

and dreams make us heroes and victims sometimes

let our battle cries carry us to new heights

rejoice that our inner foes are part of us

we are victim and victor, we do as we must

Listen

what becomes of Mother if the snow don’t fly

when warm and callous breezes fill the sky

what say you when the heat kills the flowers

is it all some mad scientist’s lie?

the whip of wild sand covers the trees

an ocean, if there is one, the blind man sees

a leader standing watching from steel towers

and the common man believes, if you please

do you have a name for this new world’s time?

is it the land, the people, who suffers sublime

do even aliens come along with their powers?

who has the words to fill hands of a mime

if we cannot hear and will not listen

our grandchildren’s hearts and eyes will glisten

Read

I’m always chasing word puns

up, down, all ‘round the town

I’m always falling on my buns

like a sad and frowning clown

to find the words that rhyme so

making my sonnet sound smart

it more than makes the time go

to make the horse before the cart

will I ever reach a conclusion

that brings sense and sensibility

without tripping and suffering confusion

that brings with it responsibility

these words jam up inside my head

grace be with me that I’m read

To Be

a petal falls from the folds of a rose

one at a time, gently, on the breeze

the air barely stirs but to lift it

in its descent:  a little flip, rocking

like a babe in a cradle, sleeping

so does the petal drift in the air

not aware that anyone is taking notice

and yet it does its tender dance steps

to the beat of nature’s heart

without the wish for applause

without explanation or excuse

just that it is and chooses to be

Friends

I see you coming for miles and miles

the sweet smell of clover fills my nostrils

the dust you leave behind you

and the rain is for but a moment

at once when our eyes meet

it is the instant recognition, my friend,

for we are kindred energies

and our story is not done

there has been an empty place within me

from so long ago I can’t recall

but the healing is within you if you let it

and our voices speak as one

so let us meet once more

come face to face within our minds

reach out with gentle hands

and break the silence beyond today

Thanksgiving

we drive and we drive through inclement weather

awaiting our loved ones to see

we cling to our birthrights to be at the table

and eat a fine dinner at three

for our mothers and grandmas have held in their hearts

such love for their whole family

so without them to celebrate the holidays

their purpose would no longer be

remember well, then, on Thanksgiving this year

that it’s love makes the world go around

a hug means much more

no one’s keeping score

so give them away, not just to a tree

Play

snow hangs in the air as it descends

from gray, pregnant clouds above

some will try to catch it on the tongue

it is wet, heavy, early in the year

but soon enough as the days become short

and the temperatures have fallen

the snow will be lighter, small flakes

for now, we wrap up in heavy clothes

to keep the chill, wet out of our way

and, perhaps, shiver a little

before we go out to play

The Game

my team is better than your team

our colors fly high, right up to the sky

our linemen hit harder

right through Granny’s larder

our running backs fly over, around and through

we cheer our team on in a flurry of pompons

the weather changes to snow, yet we go

further, harder, faster and over

it’s halftime and our band marches forward

they bob and they weave as our anthem they play

drums beating loudly, brass singing to the crowd

the scoreboard will prove our school prowess

no matter where you’re from, you will know

the game is the best when we’ve played

Sunflowers

field of golden petals around hearts of brown

wobble in the wind and lift their leaves

skyward as they silently call for water

the field stretches for miles like a crown

atop the mounds, atop the hill, nary a tree

just the smiling faces of sunflowers

raising up to worship the golden orb

and fascinate the passersby who wave

at the endless gardens so fair

just an ever-flowing painting by Van Gogh

frozen in the infinity of the horizon

The Quill

the quill tells all on any given day

remarkable magic, you might say

it squiggles and wiggles, showing the way

perfection in humility for which we pay

the story transcends time to be sure

it cannot ignore reality, be it demure

what it parlays we must all endure

if our hopes and dreams fall in manure

and yet, the fine line we come to walk

imagine how ideal a future we talk

as if in our day we line it with chalk

and never do we fake it with a balk

indeed life sends us stories in dreams

and the truth is not always as it seems

Ball Of Light

so perfect a ball of light rises

over the lake on the edge of town

a visage of mystery and romance

a source of inspiration and healing

this light in the night sky

our moon, a source of power

for those who call her mother

watch closely as she makes her way

high into the sky, then back again

to slumber beneath the horizon

Who We Are

lily pads floating atop a quiet pond

the lotus reaches for the sun

how this is like the quiet life

we float along, not noticing the way

that we are comfortable on the water

yet our minds are longing for Light

and we embrace it in our own time

stretching, stretching as far as we can

perhaps being a little shy, awkward,

yet we know in our hearts

that we can be more than just floating

let it go and reach for others

for in their eyes we learn who we are

First Ray

at the top of the world is the mountain

surrounded by roiling, thick clouds

the sun rises in rebirth each day

a whoosh of the wind, all it sounds

you can see the far side of the ocean

grand depths and great heights all the way

Life takes place, everywhere it abounds,

such power, to stand tall with emotion

and watch, as the guardian, in play

each raindrop brings thunder as it pounds

the ground at the top of the mountain

where I dream of standing in clouds

like the sun as it bends its first ray

Starry Sky

starry sky across my palm

some lights bright and others dim

star shine calms my heart like balm

the night sky soothes my every whim

as I imagine the blue, blue sea

rocking like an infant in its cradle

no waves threatening my bedtime tea

as I sit and rock gently as I’m able

my thoughts run over the porch rail

as crickets sing their syncopated tune

no bubbles of conversation curtail

the rhapsody of summertime to the moon

soon enough sweet slumber comes

as the song of the whippoorwill strums

Sinners

tick tock how goes the clock

we vote, we cheer, we do not knock

against those defeated, unless replete

with lies against their fellow man

to be sure, they are all full of conceit

those who try to be civil never can

and still, we believe only our candidate

so full of truth and grand merit

the others don’t catch on ‘til too late

that they hide in their hole like a ferret

no matter who wins they take advantage

of the perks afforded to winners

this was true in the past, at any age

and they all are absolute sinners

Complete

whiskers tickle me awake

with a tap, tap of a fluffy tail

a soft meow in my ear

brings me to total wakefulness

little, fuzzy feet brush my cheek

until a blur of fur rolls over my face

a little ball of love ready for pampering

a bit of food, some water,

a gentle brushing and cuddles

so precious to make my day complete

You'll Win

twirling a coin on its edges

it spins quickly, but soon enough, falls

twirl it again, repeatedly send it

to keep time with the music you hear

for as time marches forward like this

we wonder why our actions don’t change

the results amble on as we stammer and then

we hope and pray for the best again

but here is the secret to remember

as you wander through your daily life

come heck or high water everyone matters

if you send love to your comrades you’ll win

Heritage

golden grains, tall and willowy

bless the plains of the grasslands

such a painstaking home of the buffalo

strong, powerful, numbers increasing

the herd gallops around the sand hills

the purveyor of tall grasses and berries

what they behold of the strangers in wagons

the firearms that deplete their numbers

how in their lifetime they come to slaughter

their hides for clothing, meat left to rot

sorrowful for all who honor their sacrifice

now as we look down from the mountain

a newer time when we hope to repay

the damages done over centuries

to restore the life of our heritage

Water

water slips through your fingers

quicker than mercury with little trace

it takes the shape of what surrounds it

chirping or rushing or babbling o’er the landscape

water abandons the heavens in droplets

cold, pelting the trees and the ground

and creating creeks and new rivers

as it joins with its rivals, together

water overcomes all its enemies

it keeps the world green and clean

it quenches the thirst of all beings

including fire, it tames the flames

water stands as the spirit of humankind

and at once is its greater foe