Laying on of hands feeling small,
Starting to feel the warm life flow,
Indistinguishable, part of it all...
Blushing red the glow,
Almost asleep but not,
Eyes closed, hearing all,
Time forgot.
THE BEAST
The light is moving further Away
A now seemingly distant, good Memory
It is much harder than Yesterday
Containing the beast under the Canopy
It rages certain, refusing to Cease
My grip now a little Adrift
Under the breast beats the Beast
Mine forever, cursed God's Gift
THE CALL
A thousand reasons to view the half empty Glass
Too few opportunities to do otherwise it Seems
To many that justify sorrow looking into the Past
And fearfully to the future void of wanted Dreams
The power to change inside waiting for the Call
Being constantly denied, not trusting the will to Persevere
The new found freedom of true happiness for All
Seemingly always has been far, yet is so Near.
MEMORIES
When older the days are Shorter
Months and years quickly pass By
The experiences you Remember
Are the ones that never Die
The good that make you Smile
The bad that make you Weep
Together, hoping all the While
That you have a bountiful Reap.
HER
Warm nights spent comfortable with her Presence,
Doing and saying nothing, Belonging
Unnecessary words not spoken, loving the Essence
Of her movements and Savoring
Each moment of time too fast Gone
To chores of living Elsewhere
All things out of place and Wrong
Craving the next time, too Rare.
RED is WHITE
The people who gazed on the Great Plains of Grass
And ran with the deer in sturdy rough sewn Moccasins
Bow in hand, savoring the hunt, good days that slowly Pass
Women with little ones in tow, learning ways of old Kin
Preparing for the return of the men with Bounty
Unbridled excitement of the upcoming feast and Mirth
Little boys practicing with little weapons, in their Country
To be a warrior someday, the measurement of their Worth
The white pale men come with strange weapons, not Giving
Taking all within their cold grasp, all that lived, and the Land
Building structures and great villages, Manifest Destiny Expounding
On the change for the good, native peoples will someday Understand
To learn the language, and adopt white man's ways to live like Him
A better life surely, endless villages, endless people, life in the City
Reservations to live and call home, confined in a prison Freedom
Glittering casinos with glittering noisy people, green tables nothing Gritty
The American Dream, the moccasins for the polished shoes, the Tedium
Of money, red is white, white is red, we are one, Pity.
THE FIRE
The rubble makes perfect stones under feet to Throw
Running from the water guns, gas and rubber Bullets
The fire burns, the hate strong for those I don't Know
They say I'm the evil one, like those who blow up Jets
The foreign soldiers who tease and taunt, and Watch
Carrying their weapons, scowling, nervous, Pushing
Neighbours and family along the streets, we Latch
Our doors, to no avail, they crash in using Ramming
Logs in the night, screaming orders at frightened Mothers
And fathers with no weapons, pointing their guns at Children
I play with my friends, boys who soon will be men, Brothers
Now just children, like me, who remember, I'm only ten.
GREATEST GENERATION (100 days)
The bombs were close, explosions splitting to the ear
Laying hugging the ground closer than your love
Warm memories invade my mind, everything dear
In those darkest moments your mind lifts you above
My hand clasped in a handshake, fixed smile and great promise
Each of us individual, unlimited potential, no mountain too high
One hundred days ago seems an eternity, the Dean's list
Enthusiasm, anticipation of whatever may come, the sky
That boy back then seems a happy stranger to me
In a hundred days the world can change, starting with one
Thousands of carefree, brave boys shipped across the sea
A hundred more days, whatever, till the job is done
Mother and Father pray for me that I stand tall in this hell
An overpowering urge to run, I pray hard that I don't ever
If the time comes that in town they're ringing the bell
I'm just one among so many, that never gave up, never.
YOU MADE ME
Reading with mom, happy meals, clean sheets, giving her all
Fishing with dad, and showing me how to play basketball
You made me
Noisy television, empty bottles, slurred speech, and lonely nights
Running in fear, screaming voices, staggered walking, endless fights
You made me
Father's hands to guide, eyes to warn and deep voice to assure
The right direction, mistakes made, it's ok, no one is pure
You made me
Eyes not seeing, foolish grin, and confused words spoken
Nothing else matters but the powder, and bottle unbroken
You made me
Hormones surging, unsure of self, angry rebellious thoughts
It will pass, tolerant understanding, it's your age, worry naught
You made me
Holes in the walls, revolving blue lights, loud knocking at the door
In handcuffs father's led away, a pleading, regretful voice, no more
You made me
Accolades, celebrations for achievements meaning little in the scheme
Enough to encourage, to excel, to go after it, pursue the dream
You made me
The steel door slams behind me for the last time, to quell the tide
Of anger that wells like waves of nausea deep from the well inside
You made me
The difference in a life by what little eyes see
Is enough to be sure, you made me
PEACE
You choose to live where you want, your choice by law
Or at least common decency, without intervention
From others taking your land and home, creating raw
Emotions so strong as to bide time and teach by convention
That the wrong has to be righted and if you do not live long
Enough to do so then your son will, or his son
Time passes andyour hurt has ebbed, not gone
Young faces have taken the cross and done
What old enemies did, not just taking homes
But taking lives, including their own
Bodies fill the deep common well of hatred
The more killed the deeper the hole, never to be filled
To watch the nightly news, to wait for and dread
Day after day our hearts ache for those killed
Peace is last on the lips of the leaders,
Nor the first on people who have lost their own
And not in the hearts of religious book readers
But in those that believe you reap what you've sown.
Theresa and Albert
Some people not only survive
But embrace their surroundings and thrive
No matter how dire or bleak
They rise above it all, a beacon people seek
The common thread of these amazing persons
Is devotion to others as conditions worsen
Theresa and Albert rejected material gain
And practiced their calling soothing pain
Together healing the body and soul
Repairing the damage from life's toll
Responsibilities that hold us so infinitely small
Material accumulation the bane of us all
Rise above the wants and care for the need
As now more than ever, too many people to feed
As we decide what colour our car
Small voices cry from afar
Life day to day tenuous, far from sure
Search for food and water such a chore
To be like Theresa or Albert now
Somehow a way, somehow.
911
Watching through the window
As sister twin bellows fire and smoke
Desperate faces at windows with pleading eyes
Clawing at glass starting to choke
I ache to reach out and pull them to me
All I can do is watch and witness
How evil can pervade all you see
I see coffee cups on desks that were in hand
Kids and dinner the subjects just before
The evil ones executed their plan
The devil's work this was one of his
Suddenly I see the reflection of angry wings too close
Flying right at me, I scream, I can't believe this
I'm transfixed as the jet slams into the levels below
A large red ball of fire erupts, the building shakes and
Throws me to my knees, and suddenly I know
That I will not leave this building today
Crawling and then running with the others
To the stairwell where there's no way down, no way
Suffocating smoke follows, some are helping others
My legs are heavy and it's hard to breathe
Terrified some are crying and hugging like lovers
Anger wells inside me at those who would do this
Taking me away from my family, my little ones at home
My stomach turns as I think of all that I'll miss
Tears of frustration, anger growing with the darkness
I sit on the stairs, legs refusing to work, through
the smothering smoke, I hear moans from the rest
No longer can I see
Holding an unknown woman
When the darkness overcame me
We died holding hands
What was done today was real
As you who work and love everyday
And have loving families, feel what we feel
Not removed like footage on the TV screen
I am you and you are me,
You must not forget what you've seen.
THE GAUNTLET
The Gauntlet is life's obstacle course
Turns and bumps, objects we can't see
Life, death, all the events of life's force
Are there, some say are meant to be
pre-ordained, what we've picked to endure
In the hinter world, out of sight
What cards will be dealt, we know for sure
A learning experience, to enhance the light
After each life it grows brighter, hopefully
Enlightenment the goal, the plateau in sight
Where each person will end, and will BE
Finally together, one, at peace
No death, no bloodshed, no tears
Killing in the name of Religion will cease
Where time is not measured in years
But in eternity.
