A Christmas Wish

A promise made
To save the world
More than two millennia past.
To give us peace,
To give us hope
For everlasting life.

Spreading joy
And shedding light
Where shadows once were cast,
Offering relief to
All the suffering and strife.

Let us light the watchman’s torch.
Let it start with me.
Hold it high and lead the way
So all the world can see.
 
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Welcome, Sunshine

Shadows of the night, be gone.
Your time well-spent in nourishment,
Nurturing the dreams of light
As dawn brings hope of new beginnings.

Welcome, Sunshine,
Welcome friend
Smiling down upon my face.
Spread your joy across my brow,
Raise your manna to my lips.

Sadness cannot breach your fortress,
Tragic cause must pass you by as
Every creature great and small
Upward turns to meet your stare.

Faithful watcher,
Silent giver,
Asking nothing in return.
Not in worship, but our kinship
Bids me pause to offer praise.

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The Dark Side of a Dream

Scarce to know where hope dwells
On the dark side of a dream,
Where omens slip inside my mind
With piercing clarity.

Creeping through the veil of night
On black cat paws, they find me
To scream inside my head
With undenied reality.

And I am helpless to resist,
But slow to heed the warning,
Confused and hobbled by deceit
As conscious thoughts awaken.

Can such a nightscare serve as warning?
Should future plans abandon?
Could I be seer to what portends
Or might I simply be mistaken?

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This Is Important!

Rescued fair from sleepless nights
Conscience calm and fears abated,
Knowing well the guilt of falsehood
Does not camp about my door.

No one stands as my accuser.
None may speak of ill-repute
Or dare defame my unsullied name
And paint the blame upon my floor.

Having carved a reputation
Years on years of speaking true,
Never thinking consequences,
Treating all as equal brothers,
One thing rests above all else,
The most important point of all;
I keep my vigil
To be honest
Both to myself
And others.

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Hope

Lighter than freedom on feathery ferns
Dancing on tiptoes in bright balmy breezes,
Higher than hilltops on heavenly highways,
Her mountains, her valleys
Both filled with delight.

Bid me go forward,
Offer me comfort,
Fill me with confidence
Else I should stumble.
Lift up the veil,
Place a kiss on my forehead
Making me blush…
Keeping me humble.

Younger than springtime,
Older than winter,
Longer than always and
Sweeter than wine,
Hope floods my heart with
The laughter of sunshine
Leaving all doubt,
Every sorrow behind.

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Music, Food, Wine and Sunshine

Don’t need much to make me happy,
Just music, food, wine and sunshine.

Music from within, without,
In my ear or in my mind,
Floods my thoughts,
Feeds my soul,
Fills my day with warm delights.

Food to fill my basic needs,
To tempt the pallet,
Curb the craving.
Feasting follies filled with flavor
In my nose and
On my tongue.

Wine to stimulate my senses
Breaking soft upon my lips,
Help me gently to remember,
Bid me fondly to forget.

Sunshine chase away my demons,
Spread your light upon my brow.
Show me all my wondrous blessings,
Give me hope so I may dream.

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Memory

I’ve been stuffing my cranium
Six decades plus with
The knowledge and wisdom
Of memory’s keep.
So often my mind wants
To burst at the seams,
Yet always finds room
For the new and unique.

Dreams of my youth
May have vanished in vapors
Or merely transitioned
To fit circumstance,
As whispers of time
Cried out new direction
And chance took my hand
And bade me to dance.

Whatever the course, I pray
Let it continue to
Grow and spread light
So that others might see.
And when Fate finally calls
I’ll leave something behind,
If only a wrinkle
In their memory. 

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Autumn

Autumn and I are fast frequent friends
With memories mixed with the colors of rainbows.
We’ve weathered the storms,
Survived the transitions,
Sharing the anguish and bliss on the way.
 
Many a time have I witnessed her change,
The spinning of lush fervent green into gold,
The transfer from swelter to fresh fragrant foliage,
The crisp, clear allure her aura endows.
 
Who holds her miracle?
Who might explain
How the muse of the seasons so often inspire?
I stand in awe clinging fast to her bosom
Praying this slow dance might go on forever.
 
Heaven but knows how many more seasons
Await down the road before fate seals my end,
But Autumn and I will go on forever,
Here and hereafter,
My steadfast friend.

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The End of the Day

It all comes down to this.
Here I sit
     Cross-legged
          Pondering the questions
               Questioning decisions
                    Deciding on directions
                         Directing my own fate.
Did I choose the right things?
Opt to pull the right strings?
Help the angels earn their wings?
Did I pull my weight?

Reflection serves to move the pile,
A laundry list
     Of dos and don’ts
          Wills and won’ts
               Frills and flaunts
                    From every side.
But all that’s left to lead the way
When silence stalks the end of day
Is peaceful bliss that comes to stay
And will not be denied.

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Shifting Sands of Time

Time has a habit of slipping away
As she constantly moves in a finite direction,
No stepping back,
No childhood do-overs,
Only now and tomorrow,
Only here and hereafter.

But that doesn’t cede that
The past holds no meaning,
Or should be diminished in memory’s vault.
Her treasures are deep
And her lessons are many.
Her halls and her chambers
Lined with love, dreams and laughter.

And though the sands may shift underfoot
As the tides roll out,
As the tides roll in,
We stand at her shore
And search her horizon,
Amazed at the bounty she holds deep within.

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Oxygen

Can’t see it,
But I know when it’s there,
Know when it’s being denied to my lungs.
Can’t taste it,
Though some may insist that they
Know it exists at the tip of their tongue.
Can’t feel it
Except for the breeze as it
Brushes my cheek with a warmth or a chill.
Can’t keep it.
Must give it back once its sustenance ends
And its mission fulfills.

Blessed giver…
     Warden of life…
          Imperceptible stream,
Though I’ve never seen you,
     I know you are there
          Upholding my dream.

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Another Day

Gentle wishes…
Sweet air kisses…
Schemes and dreams and
Pony-tail swishes…
Air-brushed memories,
So delicious,
Dare to take my breath away.

Table scapes of
Comfort dishes
Flood the senses
With delicious
Sweet sensations,
Bold temptations,
Begging me come out to play.

Out of scope…
Filled with hope…
Dangling carrot from a rope,
Trying desperately to cope with
Trials that try to block my way.
Knowing that the prize awaits,
Even when I tempt the fates,
I see beyond the garden gates
There lies another day.

Not In My Control

Sorry, nothing I can do.
Not for me to worry over.
Far from any path I travel
In this maze of circumstance.
Even though my interest peaks,
Even if the issue speak,
It is not in my control,
Not my problem,
Not my dance.

If I can help,
If I can change,
If I can make a difference,
Then I will stand
And I will speak,
I will find significance.
But if it’s not in my control
I will not let it rattle me.
Too much else in my concern
To give away my sanity.

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It's Time

No more watching
No more wondering
No more sad mistakes and blundering.
It’s time.
The work may never be complete
Wrapped in ribbon nice and neat
All laid out at Fortune’s feet but
It’s time.
Time to end procrastination
Time to forego reservation
No more thought or hesitation.
Let it go
It’s time.

Dreams are whispers in the wind
Somewhere up around the bend
Waiting like a trusted friend
It’s time.
Time to question
Time to be
Time to let the whole world see
It’s time.

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Filled To Overflowing

People always talk about
A cup half full
A cup half empty
 I’m too busy dealing with
A cup that’s filled to overflowing.
Hefty measures
Great and small
That weigh into the overall
Decisions to be battered round,
Which direction to be going.
Tossed into the everyday,
The mix and mesh is simple play
And I can deal and get away
Without the devil even knowing.
Too content with happiness,
So intent, a simple guest,
Always looking for the best
My soul just keeps on growing.

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New Beginnings

Fortune rises from the depths where
Darkness once caressed my soul,
Lifted out from marbled crypt to
Fly on wings of feathered light
With hope rekindled,
Faith renewed
I seek horizons in the distance.
Forests fall as roads unfold to
Wind their way in new directions.

No longer shall the demons haunt
Nor slackers taunt to block my view.
Blessed to know the up-ahead
Holds no resemblance to the past.
Striding bold into the sunset
Where tomorrow is today.
Every day a new beginning
Offered on a silver tray. 


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To The Children of Saint Jude’s

All you ever have to do is look into those eyes
And a million inspirations flood your soul.
All the hope and wide-eyed wisdom
Reflected in a smile
Of a child whose fate is destined to unfold.
And you see behind the curtain
All the pain that is denied
As they suffer to find hope and hold on tight.
Another day is another gift,
Another battle to be won
To take away the darkness from their light.

Surrounded by the ones they love
And ones who come to love them,
Given every hope there is to give.
No false expectations,
Knowing all the odds,
They only seek the opportunity to live.

And many here will overcome
The demons that have plagued them
And leave to grow and fill their hearts desire.
And those who fought the valiant fight
And lost their final battle
Are heroes in the hope that they inspire.

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An American Dream

I wake up every morning, rub my eyes and ponder
On the wonders that the day may hold in store.
Knowing that the truth is there to stare back in my mirror
And the challenges that wait for me just outside my door.
Robins watch me drive away to capture new adventures
Just before the sunrise trickles in
To chase the moonlight’s beams,
And America comes back to life
With banners raised and hope revived
And skies unfold as multitudes go looking for their dreams.

It’s an American dream
Where every wish can come true
And the weak can be strong,
You can right any wrong
And your faith can shine through.
An American song that is just as it seems.
It’s a song filled with hope,
A song filled with joy
And American Dreams.

Heaven loves an optimist,
And glory waits for those
Who build their hopes and dreams on faith and peace and love.
I believe with every breath that this great land is over-blessed
With those who get their guidance from
A power up above.

It’s an American dream….

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Dreams Falling Down

So many dreams came tumbling down
The day that the towers fell out of the Heavens;
A day when innocents, unsuspecting,
Stepped aboard missiles of grave misgivings.
 
Hopes aborted,
Lives cut short,
Millions affected in so many ways.
There’s not a soul with cognizant memory
Who cannot remember where they were that day.
 
Quickly awakened
The ire of a nation
Set forth a path of intense retribution,
Vowing remembrance while seeking the snake,
To cut off the head,
To find a solution.
 
And all of those dreams of all of those souls
Lost in the ash and the rubble of time
Still serve a purpose,
A vivid reminder,
As we pursue justice for this horrid crime.
 
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If Heaven’s Not Out There

I’m not really sure that Heaven exists
In the way that you hear it described,
Streets paved with gold,
Pearly gates open,
And a book where my name is inscribed.
Billions of angels in white robes and wings
Looking down at the people below
From their place in the clouds
Where life is forever
In a house where God cares for each soul.
 
But is Heaven’s not out there,
Then why am I here?
He gives me hope to live in His light
And to die without fear.
I’m taking my chances.
My faith will be strong.
‘Cause if Heaven’s not out there,
Then everything’s wrong.
 
When I was a child I studied His book
And believed everything that I read,
Listened on Sundays to teachers and preachers,
Soaked up the words that they said.
Tasted of life, lived through temptation,
Now that my race is near run,
I have to believe that the time’s getting closer
To capture the prize that I’ve won.
 
But if Heaven’s not out there….
 
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In the Wake of Irene

You didn’t surprise anyone.
We gazed with watchful trepidation
As you brewed and churned
In deep blue waters far from shores of island nations.
Growing stronger with each hour.
Moving slowly, building forces
Far beyond our petty powers to control,
We pay the toll
 As you begin your path of torture.
 
I cower in anticipation,
See the first drops pelt my windows,
Feel the building strength of winds
That drive the deluge to my doorstep,
Saps the power from my veins
With seemingly relentless power,
Wondering when it will end,
Filled with dread,
Drained of will,
Spent and left to feel so small.
 
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Early Morning Splendor

Thunder rumbles deep and low
As storm clouds loom in western skies.
Sol has yet to show his face
And I shrink down to half my size.

Creeping, crawling, reeling, rolling
Ponderous peaks of garish gray
Stumble til they reach my doorstep,
Almost takes my breath away.

Lightning flashes ever closer
As the deluge comes at last, and  
I, as witness, gaze in awe
Until the spectacle has passed.

Who creates such splendid splendor?
What great wisdom might inspire?
Such a rush of rapid rapture
Had to come from somewhere higher.

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Balance

Tiptoe lightly into wakeless
Shades of sweet oblivion,
Fighting sleep and desperate hunger
Til I cross the Rubicon.

Would you please repeat the question?
I’m afraid my memory
-Although my wits remain intact-
Is not quite what it used to be.

Listing wild from port to starboard,
Tilting hard in stormy seas,
Must hold tightly to the railing
Lest it brings me to my knees.

I just need to find some balance
Somewhere between yang and yen.
Looking forward to tomorrow,
Dreaming of what might have been.

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