Memorial

the scent of roses lifts the spirits

as it wafts across the field

so very happy to know it’s there

but what is the scent’s origin

for there are no flowers to be seen

yet the scent is so distinct

could it be the reminder of someone

whose soul was so special and lovely

who found the rose to be delicate

and raised to perfection

that it would clear the mind

and encourage the heart with each fold

and as it unfolds, reveals more beauty

so this is what this reminder is for

to grace the scent’s memorial

In Faith

in so much as we are perfect

in the eyes of the Creator

we still have free will

to make something of ourselves

whether for good or for worse

we cannot foresee what comes upon us

so we do well to encourage the divine

to bring us all we need each day

a lark, to make our will stronger

once the mind is fortified

we are left to preserve the body

through the exercise of good will

and holding out the hand of friendship

but what we desire brings us completion

not to remove goals from our lives

but to shore up ourselves in faith

Forward and Back

Holding my breath, so hard

The air is heavy and elastic

Needing the perfect quarter

Of life and living and love

We are capable of so much more

Than sitting and vegetating

Through the summer nights

Little do we know or see

Hoping for the best, harmony

So that everyone can be happy

We ride the porch swing, alas

And all of our thoughts mirror it

Forward and back, fore and back

Thoughts

 it hides in the corners calling names

as it rides on the high wire of fame

looking for vagabonds who are strained

and waiting for that moment, the same

nowhere in our day does joy occur

the defiant heathen whose sight is blurred

never, never will it be retained

and nicknames only serve to resist her

commonplace exchanges are not devoid

of thought and feeling, yet are annoyed

yet truth is only caught and defamed

and this is why we are chosen in a ploy

confusion rests within when matters most

not to help or wonder, never to boast

Chocolate

chocolate is creamy, done right

it lifts the mood and calms the soul

it is special in its relief of anxiety

allowing the partaker to drift

above and beyond the path of society

such that a Calgon moment floats

into your day and takes you away

but chocolate can be had anywhere

and it sweetly and uniquely allows

for the soothing of the soul

need I say that chocolate is sweet

and that I highly recommend it

for everyone, including Anna and Olaf

it can be used for all varieties

of cooking and baking, or just plain

for chocolate is creamy, done right

Makeup

hours of going through magazines

looking for what you like

colors, textures, enhancements

making the most of what you have

feeling good about yourself

and honoring your inner self

ready to highlight, shade, contour

your way into beauty, good looks

yet somewhere in the midst of it all

you feel you have let yourself down

that all of these trappings of makeup

are not so much meant for yourself

but for some undiscovered person

out there, instead of the within you

for your heart is beautiful

and that is truly where it resides

so what is on the outside

is surely a reflection of beauty within

https://sammjbogner.blogspot.com

Free Rein

hoofbeats thrumming across the hills

a gentle neigh, a toss of manes

watch the horses come for grain

they fly down the hill to drink

from the pond made only of rainwater

and then they come to search their buckets

for oats and corn and molasses

once they’ve done, they will be brushed

smooth with the grain of their coats

making them shiny and soft

and then it will be time to saddle up

time for us all to ride and run

just as they desire on free rein

https://sammjbogner.blogspot.com

Balance

the challenges of a lifetime

come in hurdles blocking our goals

we may not know what we’re looking for

yet we go forward along our path

it seems there is difficulty

when the answers do not come

yet we must push ourselves fully

bringing balance to our lives

the more we continue, the more we grow

what we deserve comes to us in kind

as we try to serve our loved ones

and giving ourselves purpose

we know where we are going

only when all things come to center

may you have balance in all your affairs

https://sammjbogner.blogspot.com

Blank Page

what shall I do with a blank page

but fill it with ink, with words

the wisdom I can depart is limited

but what I can share is my love

I hope for the best in everyone’s life

I want only good to reach out

to gift happiness and life’s harmony

inner peace and a hand to hold

I have no money that I can give

but my heart is open for joy

to wish everyone is delighted each day

and the sun to shine down as well

may the rain on your garden of life

bring growth in the fragrance sweet

may the wind carry you forward

toward all of your goals

and may all your tears be of joy

A/C

sitting in the A/C soaking up the air

breathing kinda easy, blowing back my hair

seems kinda silly when you stop and think a bit

how the heat can melt you down into a little twit

but I know about the day when I cool off in the pond

I get nice and tan while my hair bleaches blond

it’s all the way of summer, heat and bugs and all

blue skies with some clouds, and some rainfall

but when there’s too much rain and too much wind

and the power’s out you can affirm and find

that you don’t like summer near as much

no A/C, no fans, no microwave and such

so lay back, drink some lemonade, watch the stars at night

and if you see a hunting fox, don’t you have a fright

We Get

power’s out, what’s to do

enjoy the heat for me and you

it doesn’t stink, it doesn’t flow

it rains so fast it came and go

why does the weather give us fits

it keeps us on our toes, our wits

and should we recognize a pattern

some days on and off we turn

and it’s gone again, will it be back

some homes are falling off by lack

of sand beneath their foundations

they can move them, if so, congratulations

what will be our next move as we sweat

but hard as it’s been, more will we get

https://sammjbogner.blogspot.com

Washing Dishes

if I sneak up slowly to the sink

perhaps I will not wake the dirty dishes

though the immediate response

is not one of dishes hopping toward me

I must just accept the overwhelming fix

of opening the dishwasher, cautiously,

to begin with slow deposits

one item at a time:  a cup, a plate, a bowl

and then there are the pots and pans

deep-voiced, double-boiler

and the scratchy frying pan

all with a resolute, “I will not get clean”

so once the machine is full

I close and lock it, selecting the cycle

and proving those pans lied

https://sammjbogner.blogspot.com

Light Escapes

when the light escapes us

we must close our eyes to imagine

that all things are in perfect harmony

each breath we take, each step forward

a perfect expression of what we know

is the infinite wisdom of the Universe

the brightest light that exists today

and if we accept this premise

we will learn how perfect our lives are

that everything is planned, if we are open

to the Light, where love is expressed

in every action, every moment

let us put all things in the Light

all people we know, for healing hearts

and minds and bodies, to grow and heal

when we open our eyes again

we will see the action of the Universe

working perfectly, in harmony and hope

mosquito

little, buzzing around my ear

annoying bug that sucks my blood

why do you exist in the food chain

when there are bats and possums

you carry disease and come with the heat

managing to keep us swatting at you

such a burden for all God’s creatures

as you settle in upon my skin

and while I can feel your feet so light

when I slap at you, you’re already gone

ready to attack some other body part

but I will keep slapping away in hopes

that I will be able to put an end to you

Healing

all the day our hearts reach out

to those who suffer from pain and ills

that the Creator sends them light about

and holds them tightly in our wills

so that they all come into wellness

we think their names and see them whole

their lives enriched, we hope to finesse

the disease squeezed away, the mole

gone from body and mind, in perfect health

they become in our hearts, our hands

we clasp to bring in wealth

and happiness in all our lands

for we have the power to set them free

from all lack in our lives, we see

Every Day

it’s not the feeling of loneliness

that cuts one off from laughter

it’s not the solitary station

that makes one sing to oneself

there’s not a lot of time to choose

what to do with empty moments

keeping it simple with nothing to lose

but when we’re alone, we focus on self

we don’t realize that time alone is special

it’s a matter of learning to value our gifts

to reach deep inside and be determined

that who we want to be, becomes our truth

that we are meant to reach out to others

to love, to serve, to give, to create

intending to be there for others

to help, to guide, to uplift,

bringing joy and light to every day

The Restaurant

In the restaurant they greet you

“How many tonight?” they ask

We tell them, “Just two,”

“Follow me...” go about their task

We sit at a table for two

and the highlights of sunset

flood through the window view

we peruse the menu at last

soup du jour and a salad me oui

fine dining as it’s been in the past

and now the waiter slips, you see

a clatter and shatter of dishes

everyone stops and gasps in breath

embarrassed, the waiter wishes

to have it all swept up, what’s left

back to our meal, it’s tasty, dessert?

of course! you silly flirt

Lessons

with the temperatures less than they’ve been

breathing is much more easy

moving along is a blessing these days

and playtime creates joy for everyone

with the skies clearer now than they’ve been

you can see for miles and miles

the trees are the only thing blocking the view

though perhaps, in the city,  the skyscrapers

will block the line of sight and sound

with our days becoming lighter

and our hopes becoming brighter

we can just enjoy our lives today

avoiding politics, as you say

that living is the best thing

for the people in our friend ring

and love is not less than it’s been

Shopping

my fingers do the walking through the store

as I peruse the wares on the net

I can’t believe there is so much more

that means so much for my pet

but it is not as if I were steeped in joy

though that has its benefits as well

I can scroll through pages to find a toy

and anything else they wish to sell

it’s fun, indeed, to shop online

I wish it weren’t so addicting

I can find anything I wish, it’s fine

as I look through all they are depicting

the problem is, my limits I have

and my credit card is the perfect salve

Beneath the Surface

what do you suppose swims beneath the surface

of a body of water, a lake or a pond

of course there are fishes of one type or other

lying in wait on the lake floor

skimming the surface or jumping through the air

they might be pan-sized or smaller or larger

any number of varieties, but all with fins

as they swish their way one way, then turn about

sharply, distinctly, as if moving for their life

but what else can there be in the murky water

the muskrat makes his daily tour

swimming across the surface, searching for breakfast

then there are turtles that float across the deep

eating bugs and plants that grow out and about

there might be the odd snake that cools its scales

as it slices through the water

water bugs that seize the moment of fear

as they have their pinchers and antennae

ready to bite anything or anyone nearby

what do you suppose swims beneath the surface

Different

sitting in the air conditioning

wondering why the weather takes such odds

to get so cold in winter

that we never would expect

and then, so hot in summer

that our breath is taken away

and the midpoints are so brief

we can barely anticipate the spring

and, yet, by the time fall arrives

we collapse in relief, it seems

and so I wonder what the plan could be

that makes our seasons rock and roll

and need I point out the shaking of earth

the wind that blows our houses away

the rain that drowns our cars and pets

the fires that destroy our forestlands

all of these things are meant to change

but we can look to the heavens

to ask if, perhaps, it could be different

The News

the news is conflicted and confusing

the stories they tell are the worst

if we only knew what we don’t know

their reporting could make us burst

but how do we know it’s the truth

that they share what is in our best interest

a lot of it follows as common sense

but some seems like explaining a pest

who has so much to say but says nothing

the messages typed in our heads

we want to know what we need to know

all the actions and words of the feds

but even those who have something to say

talk in circles and fight in a catty way

Bullfrog

the thrumming, drumming, deep, base call

of the bullfrog in his habitat

a strong echo midst the crickets’ song

like a supernatural orchestra

playing spiritual octaves

and summoning the souls of the catfish

that swim nearby and slap their tails

to the beat of the bullfrog’s drum

and the animals that come to drink

the deer, the fox, the muskrat

listen to the rhapsody as the moon dips down

beneath the shadows of the pine trees

all a part of the grand symphony

of Mother Nature’s sublime creation

Heat

the sun shines mercilessly down

upon the parched and hungry ground

leaving cracks in the earth

until the clouds bleed moisture

and then the heat becomes a steam bath

of overdone, breathless air

no longer light and shiny

rather heavy, blurry and dark

all the same, there is no breeze

that can take away the heat

as it lays upon a sweaty shoulder

and begs for the senseless shower

even cold, relief is for but a minute

and so we sit in the air conditioning

and raise our electric bills

Fireworks

the dogs howl and cower ‘neath the sofa

the occasional bark or yip,

a sign that all is well enough

the faint sizzle in the air

and the hanging presence of smoke

lend a thought that there must also be fire

and so we look to the heavens to see

the grand flowers and rockets

that remind us of the war on our land

when we became free of the colonizers

no longer a part of the empire

and so the bright images in our skies

carry the message that we think of it

as a passing fancy, a simple matter of pride

our showcase of our sovereignty

with sharp bursts of gunpowder

and the many colors that ripple away into dust

as we sing the songs of our nation