Only Memory

So very often
Especially in Autumn
Mother Nature
Takes hold of all my senses
And puts them in Awe
And then my hand
Begins to ache
So much pure beauty
Around me
And I, minus the talent
To capture the color
On Canvas forever
So instead
I admire Mother Nature's work
for hours
Only to feel I've missed it all
When the season ends -
Because of my extreme
lack of proof

A Generation

The moon looks me in the eye
As I stare back,
Then I count his flaws -
Usually lose track.
Maybe this will change -
Most likely won't,
Could be a star -
But most of us don't.
We just drink the booze,
And smoke the pot,
And listen to each other's minds
Creatively rot . . .

Lisa's Here

I only wish for one love
One love's fine for me.
I'll never need another
One love's all I need.
But now this cherub is in my life
Charming me, it's true.
Now one love, isn't good enough,
But I'll settle for just two.

The Accident on I-5

The Wind and Company
Are conducting
A special performance tonight
A funeral
For whoever may and must
Have died
In that mess I saw on the highway tonight
It puzzles me so
When I hear Mother Nature mourn
Over a death
She most deliberately set a stage for
I can't really blame her though
For the death
She never supplies
The last and fatal element

For You Mom

These days I wonder Mother,
Do you really know
How much I love you?
I realize I've never stopped
To put it into words.
But then I haven't always looked
At life, the way I do now.
Perhaps I've been slow
Growing up.
Whenever I think of younger days,
I wish I could take away
All the pain I gave you
And replace it with love,
Love that doesn't hold you at arm's length.
But I guess I've still
Got time,
A lot of time, to show
How much I love you!

Round and round

Round and round
And round and round
Another day gone.
You might try to hold onto it,
But shyly it slips away,
Unnoticed.
When you least want it around,
It becomes an extrovert
And wears itself out on you.
Over and over and over,
It seems to last forever,
Or perhaps it's the weather . . .

Thoughts pace my mind

Thoughts pace my mind,
As a new father paces the
hospital floors,
And just as wearily.

All thoughts scattered, uneven,
As the night's stars, on a
clear night,
And just as inconsistent.

All problems solvable,
As the puzzles you once worked
as a child,
And just as time consuming.

For Mr. Sager

O, Great Spirit,
What a man you have killed!
"Such a good man,"
As his friends would say
A man who was loved,
By his family
And many friends.

Perhaps you had your reasons,
Of which we'll never know.

Perhaps you had a choice,
Between him and an unknown;
Who would've been forgotten,
As soon as his file
Was shoved in a drawer.

You knew that if you killed
The man you did,
That he would live forever,
In the hearts and minds
Of his family
And many friends.

How Far From Hell

It's would be an impossibility
For you to see inside of me
And know what's really there

Not even I can easily tell
Or calculate how far from hell
My lifestyle takes me

Teri

While growing up,
And in need of a guiding hand,
I never thought it to be so.
What a blind course I was on.

Never stopping to ask
For anyone's educated words.

Never stopping to think
Where my next step would take me.

Never stopping . . .

Until one day,

Someone TOLD me.

You & Me

Closer to the warmth
of love . . . each
Day am I, and
closer to each
Other are we . . .
although I don't
Know why . . . but
I know it's good!

Thoughts

Never hold back all thoughts
For things that age untold
Get stronger
As the vintage in the cellar

Never let loose all thoughts
For things that run wild
Grow wickeder
As the bush with thorns

Just sort them out to your pleasing
So that you may live
With peace of mind
Until your end

Parents

Join up they tell us,
but when we do-
They beg us not to.

Be you they say,
but when we try-
They put us down.

Keep trying we hear,
but when we begin-
They turn their backs
and ignore us.

A Seedling, No More

Not so long ago
When days were long
And nights were high
We didn't bother with ideals
But then one day
Situations changed
The flowing stopped
Panic entered the hearts of a few
But a known ambition
Pushed on the others
Then of course
(from heartache and ungratification)
We learned that a decision
Didn't mean evermore
We started to find out about life -
Instead of the disillusions
That were impressed upon so often

Garden Fence

Leaning on the garden fence,
I hear the windmill grind.
Wondering if this will be,
The day I'll lose my mind.

Clarissa

She's my cousin,
(one of my best)
Full head of hair,
Fairly dressed.
Rather smart
(In her ways)
And fun around
During stays.
She's very fond
Of many boys.
Of which I'm sure,
She enjoys.
That's about it -
(my description, that is!)
And if you don't like it,
It's none of your biz!!

Birds

I hear them flitting closer,
With each familiar call.
If it wasn't for the forests,
I wouldn't see them at all.
They keep their distance from me,
For it's my kind they've learned to fear.
How I wish they'd learn to love me,
For this I'd give my years.

Sleeping

Dreaming down a lonely road,
Releasing my mind of it's heavy load.
Waiting for blue sky's arms
To come down.
She's going to take me up and around.
Her arms carry me, to a cloud.
To a place away from the crowd.
I won't come down for a million years.
Or, at least, till morning nears.

I'll keep on going

I'll keep on going through this world
Till I find the end, and the gift
That awaits me.

What does the gift hold for me?
The treasures of life and things to come.
A keepsake forever.

It will help me, when help is needed,
And lead me down several rocky paths.
We will find success.

Will I use this treasure to my advantage?
Perhaps, if I am wise enough to see.
I will not be vain.

If I don't become a success in this world
I'll still make the most for me and others
Out of it's greatness.

Happy was

Happy was, but not it isn't,
It's gone for now,
If or when it will return
Hasn't been determined.

It had to leave, it had no choice,
I should see that,
But I don't and won't
Till I have good reason.

Maybe the happy will come back different
I hope it's better.
Or could it be better,
Than it was yesterday?

Today

Today
Was picked
Fresh off the vine.
Sweet of smell,
Looking fine.

The rest,
May not
Turn out this way.
But I'll live right now,
On this so far day.

Waking Up

The morning sun
Hits my face,
Is it morning,
Or just a trace?

I close my eyes
Once again,
And think how a good day
Should begin.

Life

When I sit back and think
Like this
I'm glad I signed up
Maybe the plans and preparations
Didn't all happen
But it's been great
And when great it wasn't
Educational it was
Nothing to really share
With a beginner
Much too much for them
To comprehend
And not anything to brag about
Only to say you did it
Made the most of it
Enjoyed and discovered
But would rather pass on seconds -
Only because you never cared
To be a perfectionist

Shiftless Time

Time,
It's a shiftless thing.
Some days not giving us enough
To glance at the sky,
Other days,
It gives us too much to think,
And gets us into a great amount
Of trouble-
That no amount could get us out of.

Sometimes

Sometimes,
I feel like such an empty soul.
Sometimes,
I can remember so clearly the terrible useless
Feelings I had as a youth.
They seem to hang on and on.
I've changed, I know!
And so much for the better.
So, why can't I shake off and be done with
These bad feelings
When they return, as they do so often,
They swallow me up like a terrifying nightmare,
The kind that are so difficult to escape,
Regain control after and forget.
Sometimes,
I'm frightened to think, that maybe I haven't
Changed, maybe I'm playing a game
and playing it badly

Grandmother

Explain to me
Grandmother
-why-
If you're living
You don't rejoice

Explain to me
Your fears
-how and why-
They came to be

Even then
I don't believe
I'll understand
Or even want to

-Why -
If you're living
You don't rejoice

Little League

I listen
To him talking
A voice
I love to hear
I listen
to him talking
To someone
On the phone
One phone call
Two
Three
I linger near
To hear
The voice
I love to hear
Ball season
Has begun
I linger near

Summertime (1966, 3rd Grade with Mrs. Davis)

Summertime is a time to swim,
And a long time till it gets dim.
Summertime is a time for play
And it's a time to be gay
For all you do is play.

Summertime is a lovely time
It's a nice time to drink lime.
The sun shines like it glows
The wind is soft when it blows.
Summertime, I love it so.

Catching Eyes

Opening doors
for gray haired women
Catching their eye
in check-out lines
in waiting rooms
Searching
Hoping
for a link
to start a conversation
Are they easier to
talk to
Or do I miss my
mother

Wally

Some friends had come over,
Just for a chat,
They were yet to encounter,
Wally the cat.
He first sized them up,
From a nice sightful spot.
Soon my friends became tense,
Their attention he'd got.
He'd creep closer awhile,
And then disappear for a bit.
Then out of nowhere,
He flew for his hit.
It was time, I realized,
To introduce my dear cat,
But his presence they received,
Like the Cat in the Hat.

My cat's name is, Wally,
And he can be jolly,
But insists on being nasty -
Instead!

Drops of rain

Drops of rain
upon the ground,
Another day I have found.

The rays of light
come down so free,
Is it you they shine on
or is it me?

Clouds may hide the
shy blue sky,
Does it just happen or
do they try?

Lisa

When you're crying,
You say, "mama",
Daddy says,
"It's plain as day!"
When you're smiling
You say, "dada"
It must be time to play!

Eyes

I see a pair
Of friendly eyes

And wonder if
They exercise

The feeling
They convey

Columbia

The river appears delicate,
As unknowing and as harmless
as a newborn child.
And yet it is as strong and penetrating,
As any force man has come up against.

volunteering in the classroom

Helping
Small
Big
Necessary tasks
Work?
Not sure why
But it brings me
JOY!
Creating
Doing
For others
Lifts my heart
Fills me with
Good
Warm
Feelings

To Be or Not To Be (or a confrontation)

So many poems
Once came to be,
They now scramble
In my brain.

It seems they've
Taken account of me.
Decision?
Majority disdain!

I just can't quite
Determine,
Why they've taken
Dislike to me.

Perhaps they've found
I haven't the guts,
To write prose
Publicly.

I'll have to admit,
My trust in their
Potential
Ability,

Isn't at all,
I'm embarrassed
To say,
What it ought to be.

Maybe the time
Has some for myself,
To assess
My unused talents.

I'm hoping then,
My countless
Fragments
Will tumble into balance.

Find a Reason

Find a reason-
Which is real-
Make it simple-
Something you can deal-
Don't try too hard.
You'll wear yourself thin-
Don't grab the wrong card-
Don't go wrong again.