Charmed

I lie awake at night and think about my love, and a voice says my name

a face in a dream sings me to sleep, simple and plain  

and a little round charm hangs from a chain

a little round charm no bigger than a dime

shows a little heart no bigger than a teardrop, mine  

I wear my charm because it’s for you, my love, I pine

Fabric

You are part of me, I picked at the cotton thread on the piece of fabric and I knew this was from where I came; you are part of me, I, a little red thread hanging loose and waving in the breeze; I see you, fabric of sturdy threads, and I hanging loose and ready to fall, to leave the fold in your side, to take off and fly away on the breeze of an angel, never to look back; I tell myself, never look back, but I look back and see you, my fabric, and I, still a part of your fold.

Stand Still

the popsicles melted that day

it was a hot day, a blistering hot day

when the popsicles melted

I always wondered why we didn't sit in the shade of the tree

instead we stood on the street corner waving at strays

stray cats, stray dogs, and passersby, all the strays of the town

even a circus clown

the popsicles melted down our arms

down to our elbows, the juicy sticky goodness ran

it ran faster than the cats and the dogs, and faster than the cars

in that hottest day of that Month of that year

the hottest day I can remember

not July or August or September, it was May

the popsicles melted that day

I said, stand still

Impossible!

Time, stand still

Impossible!

Earth, stars, moon, stand still

We can’t, we can’t, even if we wanted to

we can't, not even for you!

She stood still, but as still as she would

on that day on that street corner, it was impossible

yes impossible

no matter how fast she stood licking her popsicle

yes as fast, as fast as she possibly could

she couldn't stop time from taking her popsicle away

on that hot day in May

In Love and War

What part of the earth cries for peace?

OVER HERE!  

OVER HERE!

OVER HERE!

What part of your spirit falls to war?

OVER HERE!
OVER HERE!
OVER HERE!

haters of mankind

why do you devalue life?

the sacred loving

Men, Women, Children

the precious bodies of life

hold these cries near you

Together ~ A Poem of Peace

Do not shun do not turn away, do not resist, we ask to stay

Our land, your land, a will to care, in strength we all must share

As we bury our dead, pray to acknowledge the fields we all tread

A million steps across this land, one day in hopes we walk hand in hand

Do not turn your back to us, sons and daughters, live in peace we must

Summer Night’s Dreamscape

Night looms and creeps, and slithers and slinks, the night’s cold fingers hold fast the arm of dreams, keeping at bay my wishes and longings, pleading to come into play - tortured and pushed and pulled, torn from the feathery night, my ballast of ancient seas’ triumphant pasts.   

My heart thumps and beats out rhythms, calling throughout the night, yes the music of the night - come here, come here, come here.  I close the window and draw the drape, stay hidden beneath the pillow and in cover of darkness’ fate.

She turns her face in my direction, and throws her hair towards the dark, go there, go there, go there. Tears, the oceans’ salt is bitter to my tongue, capturing  the old and the tired, but not the young - go away, go away, go away, I say.

She goes away and I dream of you.  I toss and turn, I weep where dreams are harsh, and you are there, I despair.  Night, black night, put away your armor to fight, leave me at peace, at peace, at peace tonight.

Sleep pulls, I fall, the piano plays a tune, a call, cars race across the tarmac, tires squeal and rumble, beating out the rhythm - the night, the night, into the night where rhythm sings of the night.