Don't Shoot the Cook

After some consideration of the menu

You order your selections one by one.

Your server writing down each little detail;

Hanging on each word until you're done.

Aiming just to please you with fine service;

Knowing fully their gratuity

Is dependent on your satisfaction,

They smile and act as pleasant as can be.

Your order quickly placed for preparation,

The cook assembles the ingredients.

Knowing full well your anticipation;

Working hard with swift expedience.

Your meal prepared by your precise direction;

Served promptly, friendly, strictly by the book.

So, if it's not exactly to your liking...

Who placed the order?

Don't shoot the cook.

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Cherry Blossom Smile

Show me just a little of

That cherry blossom smile.

Not too much,

Just enough to last me for a little while.

 

Wouldn’t want to overload

Else I be filled with wild desire and

Unable to concentrate on

Anything except your fire.

 

Must admit a lustful bit of

Anguish when I hear your name.

Cannot hide the awesome pride of

Knowing that you feel the same.

 

We are two and we are one,

And that is how it’s meant to be.

Yesterday until forever,

Lifetime is our destiny.

 

Every footstep hand in hand,

We face every trial,

And everything I need is in

Your cherry blossom smile.

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Wonderland

Follow into wonderland.

I know Alice wouldn’t mind

The company of one more fool

As she winds through her fantasy.

 

Riding on her magic mushroom

Hiding behind Cheshire grins,

High tea parties,

Birthday wishes,

Getting large, then small again.

 

Bashful dormouse taking cues from

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum Dum,

Bash heads with the Queen of Hearts

Until your tale is a conundrum.

 

Land of wonder

Isle of pleasure

Transport to another plain,

Transitory sanctuary,

Only fantasy remains.

 

Feeding souls the breath of freedom

From the humdrum daily plan.

Respite sought but for a moment,

Peace abides in Wonderland.

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Humpback

Oh, great lumbering peaceful giant

Hovering high over oceans floors,

Cooing the resonance of fond contentment,

Ne’er a complaint or tone of resentment,

Knowing no boundaries or doors.

 

Fair neighbor to all of your seafaring mates

Who abide with good comfort in spite of your size.

No enemies threaten except Ahab’s kin

From otherworld trappings again and again,

Seeking to make you their trophy and prize.

 

Lord of the oceans, Titan giganticus,

Hope lives for all as long as you reign.

Give us your peace so we may know our fate.

Teach us to live without sorrow or pain.

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Old People

There’s something to be said for growing older.

When you think of the alternative

It’s not so bad at all.

In fact it would seem sad to miss

That time of quiet reflection,

Remembering the good, the bad,

The Cinderella ball.

 

The burdens of the world upon their shoulders,

Though labor seems to be a slave of youth.

Quiet desperation to find harmony,

Seeking the benevolence of unrelenting truth.

 

Every wrinkle, every line a story to be told,

Lessons learned more valuable than solid bricks of gold,

Treasures far too precious to be ever bought or sold,

Guiding young hearts through the trials

As pangs of youth unfold.

 

Never doubt the force old people harbor.

To waste the knowledge of their years

Would surely be a crime.

Though youth would seek the power and the glory,

Power comes from wisdom

And wisdom grows with time.

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Today

Never know about tomorrow.

         Can’t rely on yesterday

                 To catch the brass ring of forever

                          On this busman’s holiday.

Sweep the floor of dusty sorrows.

         Cannot use them anyway.

                 Damn the foil of stormy weather

                          If it dares get in the way.

Do not be afraid to borrow.

         You’ll repay the debt someday

                 Before the beast of leave-me-never

                          Comes to steal your soul away.

Even when the path is narrow

         And the sky turns steely gray

                 Hope will rise with feathered wings

                          On gentle breezes of today.

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Roll of the Dice

Life is a crapshoot…

Roll of the dice,

Waltz-around cakewalk

Sold by the slice,

Meat and potatoes

Seasoned with spice,

Waiting for sundown to fall.

 

Step to the table,

Your turn to roll,

Seven eleven

Set point to goal,

Game on and gamble,

         Watch it unfold,

Shoot for the top of the wall.

 

Paying the piper or

         Rolling in clover,

Magpie or mute

         Rounder or rover,

Pick up the pieces to

         Start it all over,

Banking on winning it all.

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Dreams

Silent tiptoes ushering

An angel chorus from on high,

A single note,

         A breathless sigh

Leaves a feathered cloud of dreams

Soft upon my waiting pillow.

 

Never seems to be too much,

Ever welcome to the touch,

Always cotton-candy sweet to taste,

If dreams were made of such.

 

Rapid eyes survey the scene,

Anxious to view everything and more

If more presents itself 

Beneath the glow of starlight beams.

 

Anything and everything is possible it seems.

Flights of fancy are forever,

Living on in dreams.

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A Picture is Worth

Press a button

         Snap a shutter

                 Instant memory

                          Captured in time.

 

Keeper historical

         All categorical

                 Storybook treasures

                          Of reason and rhyme.

 

Telling a tale of

         Fantastical youth.

                 Shining bright fortune of

                          Beckoning truth.

 

Brazenly bold

         Through the heat, in the cold,

                 More revealing than sunlight,

                          More precious than gold.

 

Devine distinction

         In frolic and mirth,

                 Measures untold

                          What a picture is worth.

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Walking in the Rain

I love walking in the rain.

Something in the freshness falling

Freely, gently on my skin

Offers hope to start again,

To handle all the joy and pain.

 

Stepping over/into puddles,

Watch the thirsty storm-drain gobble up

The anxious overflow,

Vanishing with bobs and bubbles.

 

Break the chain of winless, friendless

Sunshine-soaking cloudless days.

Douse malaise with cooling, calming

Balming moisture from above.

End the streak that once seemed endless.

 

Soothing, cooing, gentle rain,

Smiling,

Make me whole again.

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Unexpected gift

Life can be hard and

Often fate lands a cruel blow

At the worst of times,

Driving hard toward the precipice

Of despair

With lemming mentality

Begging to end.

 

Praying for miracles

Real or imagined

Reaching for fragments

Of hope to hold onto.

Making a wish on

The first star of evening,

Patiently waiting for

Grace to step in.

 

Who would have guessed

Or even imagined

The answer of answers

Was there all along

Wrapped with a ribbon and

Ready to open.

You…

My unexpected gift…

My friend.

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Do the Right Thing

No hiding allowed in this sacred shrine,

No holiday from fractured facts,

No merciful dispensation from

Magnanimous benefactors.

 

Time to step into the light,

To say the say

         Do the do

Be the one who is the one

Regardless of distracters.

 

Praise the opportunity

The glory of enlightened grace

When all the nay-say’s folly foils and

Worship comes to heroes.

 

You and you alone will reap

The harvest from her fertile field

Sewn in truth and vigilance

Where silent conquest grows.

 

No one knows the outcome

When you opt to fight the fight;

Simply that the only course…

To choose to do things right.

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The Best There Is

Really

         Truly

                 Honestly  

To hope

         To give

                 To try and be

The best

         The very best there is

A model

For the world to see.

 

Purpose for

         The purposeless

Primed and ready

         To confess to

Faults perceived

         And unperceived

Through controversy

         And distress.

 

Holding tight

         To purity

Reaching out
         with surety

Striving without

         Food or rest

Intent to be

         The very best.

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Hearts Aflutter

Young love tends to make me smile;

Hearts aflutter

Giddy laughter

Sweet surprises of amazement,

First time blushing flushing cheeks.

 

Optimism running rampant

Common sense a distant glen where

Foggish mist obscures all vision

Save the light in lover’s eyes.

 

And who’s to say where love may lead?

Who is seer of mystic power

Adept with craft of bold prediction?

Can one know what is unknown?

 

Time reveals the hidden treasures

Buried deep beneath the stone.

Lovers with their hearts aflutter

Need not face the search alone.

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Morning Awakens

Not quite dawn,

Not quite ready for

Long shadows from the morning light

Visiting in silent stillness

Just before the dawn awakens.

 

Gentle breeze outside an open

Window seems to call a name

In fervent whispers long ago

Nudging close to consciousness.

 

First beam breaks horizon,

Goes unnoticed to the naked eye

Til multitudes of searchlights

Bleach her crimson pallor into gold.

 

And creatures rise in worship

As the mighty dawn awakens,

Reverent in her majesty,

Blessed to greet the day.

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Cavalry Charge

Heed the cry of innocence lost to

Hapless heathen reckless wrath.

No amount of weepy wailing

Halts the imminent attack.

 

Not for lack of warning

Nor a need for preparation,

Just grasshopper mentality,

Never forward,

Never back.

 

Now raise the call to summon forces.

Now sound your bugle loud and strong.

Call your horses from their stables

Swift and ready for the fray.

 

Now draw your sabers, feed your cannons,

Let the battle lines be drawn.

Let your lightning and your swiftness

Be the savior of the day.

 

In the aftermath of battle,

The reset of memory,

Praise the bravery and the daring

Of her wondrous cavalry.

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Marching Marching All Fall Down

Here we go a marching, marching, marching,

Every step a straight line, heel and toe,

Pressing with precision ever forward

To a destination no one knows.

 

Pacing the parade grounds, hut – two – three – four,

Passing the review stand,

All eyes right.

Tiny beads of sweat on eyebrows forming,

Keeping the formation ever-tight.

 

Bugles blare and drums drum,

Trombone, cymbals,

Clarinet and tuba keeping pace.

Every note a sweet song stringing memories,

Sugaring a smile on every face.

 

Now the march is over,

Silence steps in,

No one in the anywhere makes a sound.

Out of breath and spent with satisfaction,

Marching, marching,

All fall down.

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Air – Earth – Fire – Water

Earth revolves, evolves, resolves

Her issues with the universe,

Spawning her own children by

The million billion trillions.

Unafraid and unashamed,

Unabashed by circumstances,

She creates and recreates then

Reinvents herself.

 

Air to breathe the gift of life,

Air to bathe in sunlight’s glow,

Feeding, breeding, never needing,

Always yielding with the flow.

 

Fire raging unafraid,

Bold and brave its hunger feeds

Until its taming offers warmth

To satisfy the basic needs.

 

Water, water everywhere,

Giver, taker, miracle-maker,

Mystery of mysteries

Riding high upon her seas.

 

And all are tied and intertwined,

All dependant one on one,

Ever-vigil,

All inclusive,

Always reaching for the sun.

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Lovingly

He touches her hand and

She gently responds by

Opening her velvet fingers

Extending her heart to

His all-familiar palm.

She reads his thoughts.

 

Not a word need pass between

As their pulse becomes one,

Their eyes intertwine,

Two souls lost in time and

For one fleeting moment

Each one is the other.

No questions.

 

Walking together hand in hand

         Down pathways familiar

                 Recalling the past

Greeting old friends as

         They stroll through the park

                 Passing a bit of their time.

 

Quiet and still at

         The end of the game

                 Sitting together, alone in the dark.

Leisurely, lovingly

         Lost in contentment.

No need for words.

They’d just get in the way.

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Going Down Slow

Took a long time getting here,

A point where satisfaction dwells,

A place where calm reaction sells

For half the price and

Without fear of

Contradiction or repression,

Vacant of all consternation,

Open to interpretation,

Balanced to aggression.

 

Here the ground is always level

Never teetering the bevel

Notwithstanding the dishevelment

That tries to shoulder in.

Up the game to keep it going,

Keep the waters calm but flowing,

Satisfaction in the knowing

Where it all will end.

 

Meet the incline at a pace

Where confidence can grow.

It’s a journey, not a race,

Meant to go down slow.

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Last Wish

I’ve made wishes on a star,

Thrown pennies in a fountain,

Looked deep into a wishing well

To make my longings known,

Rubbed lamps expecting swirly smoke

To conjure up a set of three,

Even lifted silent prayers

When I was all alone.

 

Children’s play, these expectations,

Careless folly edged with greed,

Birthday wishes blowing candles,

Secrets no one else may know.

Pull a wishbone with your sister

Hoping for the shorter stem,

Or was it the longer?

Can’t remember in truth.

It was so long ago.

 

Whatever divine sorcery

Can make a fervent wish come true,

My wish, my one last wish would be

Just one more day

         To spend with you.

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Billowy

Fluffy white

         The bright clouds billow

Landing softly

         On my pillow

Swaying gently

         Like the willow

Shadowing the stream.

 

Kisses soft

         Upon my cheek

Whispered words

Of velvet speak

Vistas from

A mountain peak

To fill my heart with dreams.

 

Soaring in

A wingless flight

Ever upward

         To the light

Reaching deep

         Into the night

Where starlight lends its beams.

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A Minor Inconvenience

No one wants to think about

The broad swath of the Reaper’s scythe,

The sure inevitability that

This is but a mortal shell,

 

Our time allotted a mere instant

In the span of Mother Earth,

Hardly time to blink an eye,

A story far too hard to tell.

 

There are those who pause and ponder

What and why and where and when,

Many who would beg and plead

A chance to do it all again.

 

There are those who seize the moment

Knowing well there is no end,

Just a minor inconvenience

Before a new life can begin.

 

Circles,

Cycles,

Wheels that turn,

A twisting pinwheel in the wind,

There are always new beginnings

If you know where to begin.

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Thankful

Can’t be wrong to offer up

A simple prayer of hopeful thanks

To God or Grace or Mother Earth

To anyone who has an ear.

 

Just to say a humble word,

To utter in subservience,

To know that there is something

In a somewhere out there far beyond

 

Makes me somehow something more,

Lends a purpose, holds a key

To open up the darkened door,

To shine a light on mystery.

 

Logic serves its own desire and

Reason drives us to disdain

While pundits offer soapbox theory

In an effort to explain.

 

Believers need no explanation

As faith becomes a seventh sense

Thankful for a guiding light,

Serene to know the difference.

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Breaking Bread

Come and sit down at my table,

Take a deep breath and relax.

Say a tiny prayer but keep it to yourself.

Can’t offend the non-believers,

Cannot thank our Benefactor,

Can’t let others think that

We’re the freaky zealots that they fear.

 

Seems a pity, keeping secrets,

Feels like lying in effect,

Breaking bread with those who loathe us and despise

Every nuance of our being,

Every breath our lungs may draw,

Every word our lips might whisper in their ear.

 

If we are to make a difference

We must penetrate their camp,

Must lay bare the fallen idols of despair.

We must be the best example,

Must rise above the rest,

Let our actions be the only thing they hear.

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First Star

You are the first star

In the heavens tonight

Piercing the dark northern sky,

Racing the moon to the

End of horizons,

Wiping a tear from my eye.

 

Nobody told me that

You were a teaser.

I was at ease with your light,

But you were so fleeting

I couldn’t catch you and

You disappeared in the night.

 

Caution was warned but

Quickly abandoned

As you put me under your spell.

Chasing a dream

Choosing at random

Listening to hear all the stories you tell.

 

Tell me you’ll stay.

Give me something to cling to

When dawn comes to steal you away.

Your precious light will not

Fade with the morning.

You will be with me…

Always.

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Let’s Dance

Such a gracious host,

A wonderful party,

Engaging guests sharing

Bright conversation,

This enormous house filled

With myriad treasures,

The talk of the neighborhood

In many ways.

 

All the gold and the glitter

That one can imagine,

The brazen temptation of

Gluttony’s walk,

The back-slapping promises,

Whispered suggestions,

Bold indiscretions

Flaunted out loud.

 

You and I came here but

We’re not the same here.

We won’t pay blame here,

Won’t take that chance.

Let’s just dance.

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