The River’s Heart Is Cold


River Seridó
River Seridó (Photo credit: grungepunk2010)

 

The River’s Heart Is Cold

 

The river whispers to me as I walk along her banks,

 

She welcomes me into her depths but I stop and say, “No, thanks.”

 

She tells me she loves me and I almost believe it’s true,

 

Yet I know she’ll be fickle always and someday we’ll be through.

 

She shares the latest gossip she heard in meadows upstream,

 

I say the rumors aren’t the truth and they’re not as they seem.

 

She runs along beside me and her excitement she can’t conceal,

 

And she makes me vow secrecy for reasons she doesn’t reveal.

 

Her playful moods change rapidly especially after a pouring rain,

 

Angrily she gouges out channels when her banks don’t contain.

 

I would claim her as my own but her spirit runs wild and free,

 

She murmurs she loves me too but she’ll never belong to me.

 

I’ll be there to clean up her debris when clearly she’s to blame,

 

The river‘s heart is too cold to trust but I love her just the same.

 

 

 

Nothing More


English: Wind Turbines located outside of Palm...
English: Wind Turbines located outside of Palm Springs, CA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Nothing More

 

Who is that walking past my door?

 

It is the wind and nothing more.

 

For a moment a shadow hesitates,

 

Then it goes on and through the gate.

 

Who is whispering outside this wall?

 

I’m sure if I looked I’d see nothing at all.

 

Is there a person playing a mean trick?

 

Doesn’t he know I could be really sick?

 

I’m holding my breath within this cell.

 

The shadow is back and I know him well.

 

Around this bed my friends gather and talk.

 

They remember how we used to walk.

 

All voices hush as someone passes the door.

 

I thought, It is the wind and nothing more.

 

My friends are leaving with tears in their eyes.

 

I’m puzzled and ask, “What’s the matter, guys?”

 

But they ignore me as they go out the door.

 

One said, “It is the wind and nothing more.”

 

I don’t understand this turn of events.

 

I’ve tried to comprehend but it doesn’t make sense.

 

I turn to my new friend as we go out the door.

 

I ask, “Is it really the wind and nothing more?”

 

“Your friends are mistakenly blaming the wind.

 

But their way of thinking will come to an end.

 

Some will greet me as I enter their room.

 

Others will panic at my voice of doom.

 

You heard me walking past your door.

 

I enter with the wind, but I’m much, much more.

 

 

 

Life’s Mirror


An illustration from page 30 of Mjallhvít (Sno...
An illustration from page 30 of Mjallhvít (Snow White) an 1852 icelandic translation of the Grimm-version fairytale (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Life’s Mirror Is a Friend or Two

 

“You’re incompetent!” he screamed as he sat in his chair,

 

But, oh, how he wished that mirror wasn’t there.

 

He wanted to look regal perched on a throne,

 

But that was impossible when his friends were gone.

 

Tears splashed down his cheeks

 

As he stared up into the sky,

 

“How can my friends show respect

 

To such a fool as I?

 

Throughout my life there was much,

 

I wanted to say and do,

 

I wanted to be a good Samaritan,

 

I’d help someone, it didn’t matter who.

 

I thought I’d take trips to exotic  places

 

But I chose to work instead,

 

By then I had a growing family,

 

and the children needed bread.

 

How can I prove I’m a cultured man?

 

I haven’t traveled very far,

 

All my knowledge is about small town folks,

 

I never claimed to be a star.

 

I thought I’d try to be an example

 

Of how a man should be,

 

But I’ve failed every time with even my best,

 

Because all you get is me.”

 

 

 

He had been confessing to a mirror,

 

That he’d failed every worldly task,

 

“What’s wrong?” I ventured through the open door,

 

Yet I had no need to ask,

 

The old man was surprised to see someone he knew,

 

I considered myself a friend,

 

“I’ve been listening for quite some time,

 

Your self pity needs to end.

 

You’ve raised five kids all alone,

 

You took that burden in stride,

 

I don’t know about the rest of your friends,

 

But I think of you with pride.

 

You coached several teams in summer leagues,

 

You taught some kids to drive,

 

You were there to greet strangers,

 

When they were anxious and newly arrived.

 

You helped families who lost their homes,

 

Or anyone out of luck,

 

Even when you were stretched real thin,

 

Somehow you found a few bucks.

 

You might think you did things wrong,

 

I think you did things right,

 

There’s a crowd gathering in the dark,

 

Could I welcome them in with the light?”

 

One single line came through the door

 

and seemed to stretch for miles.

 

Each person had something good to say,

 

and ended their comments with a smile.

 

“We wanted you to know we learned from you,

 

We always knew your love was wide.

 

All the love we have for you

 

We can no longer keep inside.”

 

The old man’s eyes grew large and dark,

 

He glanced around the hall,

 

“Thank you, my friends, for loving me,

 

For you know I love you all.”

 

He shook the hands of all and each,

 

It filled his heart with pride,

 

Then because he had been deeply touched,

 

He lowered his head and cried.

 

 

 

The Bounce House


Hot tub at Big White Ski Resort, Canada.
Hot tub at Big White Ski Resort, Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The Bounce House

 

You say I never have any fun,

 

But that is not exactly true.

 

I play chess with the computer,

 

And, of course, I think of you.

 

I mow my lawn, clean my house,

 

Who knows if a visitor might show?

 

I till my garden, feed the dogs,

 

And pretend it’s going to snow.

 

But when the sun goes down,

 

And the moon sits high in the sky,

 

I turn off the lights and lock the doors,

 

Because I don’t want neighbors to pry.

 

Behind my home a bounce house waits,

 

The compressor fills it quickly with air,

 

I leap and jump, bounce off the walls,

 

Trying things I normally wouldn’t dare.

 

When I grow tired of being young,

 

I slip my weary bones into a hot tub,

 

Soaking awhile and searching the stars,

 

And wishing for a gentle back rub.

 

While I relax I think of you,

 

And how much fun you’d have with me,

 

We’d leap and jump and bounce off walls,

 

And then we’d have to see,

 

If the stars would dance and twinkle,

 

While we sip our glasses of wine,

 

I’d give you a back rub in the hot tub,

 

And we’d let our lives entwine.

 

People say bounce houses are for kids,

 

And that is partially true,

 

We’re only as old as we think we are,

 

So I’m ready to bounce with you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Monster from Forest Drive


English: Raider's Road, Forest Drive Sunlight ...
English: Raider’s Road, Forest Drive Sunlight shines through the new growth on the pine trees on the Raider’s Road, Forest Drive. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The Monster From Forest Drive

 

 

 

A monster lived at forest edge,

 

Right at the end of Forest Drive,

 

His neighbors chose to lock their doors,

 

If they wished to stay alive.

 

 

 

Both his wings had been broken,

 

With a cane he could hardly walk,

 

He didn’t look mean or scary,

 

But he could talk real monster talk.

 

 

 

There were rumors he lived in the basement,

 

Others said the attic was his home,

 

He was often seen on cloudy days,

 

And at night he chose to roam.

 

 

 

He shuffles, he stumbles,

 

As he howls at the moon,

 

He is sure to catch one of you,

 

If he’s not caught real soon.

 

 

 

 

 

No one knew where he came from,

 

He suddenly appeared one day,

 

The neighborhood was upset he was there,

 

Because he took their place to play.

 

 

 

Their meeting place had been at forest edge,

 

Where their bonfires often lit the sky,

 

He built his house on their spot,

 

Without telling them his reason why.

 

 

 

He snorts, he chuckles,

 

He’s covered with blood and gore,

 

Waiting for the lights to go off,

 

He stands quietly by the door.

 

 

 

The witches of the cul-de-sac,

 

Stirred up a powerful brew,

 

They thought their potion lethal,

 

But he said, “Thank you.  I’ll have two.”

 

 

 

To their surprise he took a sip,

 

Without losing his feeble mind,

 

There seemed to be no aftereffects,

 

Except the foot he dragged behind.

 

 

 

He shuffles, he stumbles,

 

As he howls at the moon,

 

He is sure to catch one of you,

 

If he’s not caught real soon.

 

 

 

Blood-red wine was his favorite drink,

 

And bones he chewed for lunch,

 

All thought his manners were impeccable,

 

Royal blood would be their hunch.

 

 

 

One dark night they gathered,

 

To discuss his solitary ways,

 

He had made them all uncomfortable,

 

For five years, two months, and ten days.

 

 

 

He snorts, he chuckles,

 

He’s covered with blood and gore,

 

Waiting for the lights to go off,

 

He stands quietly by the door.

 

 

 

In a large casket they sealed him,

 

No more to see the light,

 

Security police accidently let him loose,

 

And he slipped quietly into the night.

 

 

 

Somewhere in this vast country,

 

He was last seen entering a town,

 

Hunters of all kinds searched the woods,

 

But no monster could be found.

 

 

 

He shuffles, he stumbles,

 

As he howls at the moon,

 

He is sure to catch one of you,

 

If he’s not caught real soon.

 

 

 

He snorts, he chuckles,

 

He’s covered with blood and gore,

 

Waiting for the lights to go off,

 

He stands quietly by the door.

 

 

 

I Loved From Afar


Album cover of From Afar by Ensiferum.
Album cover of From Afar by Ensiferum. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I Loved From Afar

 

I admired her from afar,

 

She had the eyes of an angel,

 

The smile of a devil,

 

She swore like a sailor,

 

And had a silver tongue like a lawyer,

 

The flair of an actress,

 

Told stories like a fisherman,

 

Lied like a trooper,

 

And wrote like a poet,

 

Studied like a scholar,

 

Worked like a carpenter,

 

If she had cared like a nurse,

 

Or showed one shred of remorse,

 

I would not have feared her,

 

I could have risked and loved,

 

Willing to learn from being vulnerable,

 

Squeezing success away from failure,

 

Telling her how much I cared,

 

But I feared making a mistake,

 

I was terrified I would be rejected,

 

So I left happiness lying in the street,

 

While I ran with my eyes and heart closed,

 

Keeping my emotions bottled up,

 

And I loved from afar,

 

Safe for another day,

 

Or maybe an eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But She Forgot


The People That Time Forgot (novel)
The People That Time Forgot (novel) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

But She Forgot

 

When her boyfriend broke up with her,

 

She:

 

Cried on my shoulder,

 

Walked with me by the lake,

 

Talked for hours about all the things they did,

 

Wanted me to be there just to hear her breathe,

 

But she forgot I was there.

 

 

 

When she met the man of her dreams,

 

She:

 

Told me how special he was,

 

Wanted me to meet him,

 

Insisted I go shopping with her to buy him gifts,

 

Asked me to help her write love poems (for him),

 

But she forgot I had feelings too.

 

 

 

When he became too busy to be with her,

 

She:

 

Wouldn’t talk to anyone for days,

 

Partied every weekend with her girl friends,

 

Claimed I would be her best friend forever,

 

Moved in with a roommate,

 

But she forgot I cared.

 

 

 

When she became pregnant,

 

She:

 

Needed me to take care of her,

 

Said I would be her son’s godfather,

 

Told me all the things we would do together,

 

Said she wanted to be independent,

 

But she forgot I had always been there for her.

 

 

 

When her boyfriend beat her up,

 

She:

 

Lost her baby,

 

Insisted she still loved him,

 

Asked me to mind my own business,

 

Said I should stay away,

 

But she forgot my heart was broken.

 

 

 

When she was buried,

 

She:

 

Looked very pretty,

 

Said she was sorry,

 

Wished that she loved me,

 

Left a note asking me to take care of her son,

 

But she forgot she didn’t even have to ask.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They’re in the Same Zoo


Hastkaar Yantra based on medieval Rajasthani p...
Hastkaar Yantra based on medieval Rajasthani painting. Hallway wall-painting at Charles Correa’s Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, designed in 1993. Each of it’s 9 enclosed sections is named after a planet and display a variety of textiles, crafts, weapons, etc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

They’re in the Same Zoo

 

Who owns the night?

 

Yes! It might be the owls

 

When they take flight.

 

Gliding noiselessly looking for prey,

 

Tirelessly searching till the break of day.

 

They dance in the darkness

 

Above the sheltering trees,

 

Spinning and swooping

 

Where no one sees.

 

But there are others who boldly emerge,

 

Out of shelters and lairs,

 

Ready to party

 

In the cool night airs,

 

Carousing wolves primp and preen,

 

Expecting to greet foxes

 

Who want to be seen.

 

 

 

Who owns the day?

 

It might be the eagles

 

See! High above they soar,

 

Looking for a big moment,

 

With a chance to score.

 

No time to dance, sing or play,

 

They have to be ready

 

If opportunity comes their way.

 

When neons shut down

 

And sunlight caresses the trees,

 

Fortunes are made

 

By eagles who seize.

 

Golden moments are in hand

 

For a bull or a bear

 

Making split second decisions

 

Like they really don’t care.

 

 

 

Who rules the night?

 

Is it the night owls

 

When they take flight?

 

 

 

Who owns the day?

 

Is it the eagles

 

Who work the hours away?

 

 

 

Denizens of the night

 

And citizens of the day

 

Keep the world spinning

 

By the roles they play.

 

 

 

It continues to be true

 

If they walk or fly,

 

They’re in the same zoo

 

Beneath the same sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Beginning


 

Dancing around
Dancing around (Photo credit: a hundred visions and revisions)

 

My Life from the Beginning

 

I awoke from darkness and fell into light,

 

Cold was the day, not as warm as night,

 

Understanding the world was my very first task,

 

Answers surrounded me, all I needed was to ask,

 

Wet puppy kisses, purrs from a cat,

 

I found favorite things precious like that,

 

Storms in summer bringing driving rain,

 

Scratches and bruises, living with pain,

 

Dancing and laughing till dawn’s early light,

 

Learning to love was well worth the fight,

 

The world continuing to be comfortable and fun,

 

Until I struggled with challenges not easily won,

 

Relationships were fragile, few were deep,

 

Ripped from my grasp, not mine to keep,

 

Without knocking or asking, time opened a door,

 

Health and wealth were not mine any more,

 

Minutes passed swiftly and turned into years,

 

My memories were washed away by tears,

 

Nights were growing longer; cold was gaining ground,

 

I gave away all the treasures that I’d found,

 

I left behind the darkness and entered the light,

 

Laughing and dancing, Oh, what a sight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Me for Coffee


 

English: A photo of a cup of coffee. Esperanto...
English: A photo of a cup of coffee. Esperanto: Taso de kafo. Français : Photo d’une tasse de caffé Español: Taza de café (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Join Me for Coffee

 

“Good morning! Have a cup of coffee with me,

 

Relax and enjoy, what a great day it will be,

 

We’ll discuss the news and what went wrong,

 

Our place in the universe and where we belong,

 

We’ll talk about the drought and why we don’t have rain,

 

Aunt Lulu’s flowers and Sandi’s recent weight gain,

 

We’ll talk about most everything except you and me,

 

We’re afraid to confront our feelings and what we really see,

 

I know you belong to another who calls me his friend,

 

But without you in my arms the nights never end,

 

Let’s talk about the weather and time spent together,

 

If people have noticed, will storm clouds gather?

 

Our love is a relationship between you and me,

 

We need to decide how we want it to be,

 

Our families, our friends, not many will approve,

 

Should we stand and face them, or should we move?

 

Join me for coffee, or do you prefer tea?

 

I want to know how this will be,

 

Open for all to see, love in the sun,

 

Or living in darkness and love on the run?

 

Join me for coffee, please don’t hesitate,

 

I’m ready for love, and my love won’t wait.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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