Wheels

What is this magical creation

We celebrate with zeal?

This modern man-made miracle

Referred to as the wheel.

So unique in it's concept...

So basic in design...

So quick to make life simpler

And ease the daily grind.

It brought man out of cave and stone

Into the modern age.

In history's great chronicle

It has the opening page.

It's made us mobile, spreading man

Across the great expanse.

It taught us to be unafraid;

To dare to take a chance.

Whether made of plastic, wood, or

Rubber, stone or steel,

Our lives would not be what they are

Today without the wheel.

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Clouds

I love to watch the clouds roll by.

They paint a picture in my mind.

The ever changing images unfold,

Untangle and unwind

Into a vast collage of treasures

Meant for just my eyes.

Reflections of familiar feelings

Scattered 'cross the skies.

 

Taking in their tattered edges...

Tucking in their ends...

Forming shapes for fleeting moments...

Driven by the winds.

Roving, rolling, climbing, falling

Singly or in crowds,

Images abound aplenty

Riding on the clouds.

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Silliness

Acting silly,

Willie nillie,

Donning lace

Or something frilly.

Being silly

Can be fun...

Skipping, hopping

One by one.

Don't take life

Too seriously.

It pays to

View it curiously.

Take the time

To smell the lily.

Take some time for

Acting silly.

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Worlds

There are a million billion zillion worlds

Much smaller than the one we know.

To them we humans must be gods on high

Or devils from below.

Each step we make, each breath we take

Invades a world we cannot see;

The mini microbe building blocks

Of what we humans come to be.

 

Is it such folly to believe

That our world is so very small,

That man is merely microcosmic dust

When we consider all

The many possibilities

Of what our place should be.

The universe expands beyond

A point we humans cannot see.

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Ode to Coffee

Marvelous liquid

From marvelous bean...

Heavenly flavor and taste...

Luscious aroma...

A pallet's delight...

A sin to consume it in haste.

 

Amenable to

An enhancement in kind;

A sweetener or

Maybe some cream.

Sipping the nectar

Of nature's creation;

Inhaling the scent

Of the slow rising steam.

 

Starting the day

With an eye-opening burst,

Or topping an evening's repast,

There's nothing like coffee

To satisfy

From the first drop to the last.

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The News

Sometimes I believe that

The whole world's gone mad.

Sometimes I think it's just me.

I look at what's happening

All over the globe

And I just can't believe what I see.

 

It's not just those things

That occur far away in a land

I can't even pronounce.

More frightful by far

Is the neighborhood news;

The scandal the newsmen announce.

 

A child caught in cross fire;

An innocent victim;

Life ended before it begins.

Old folks cheated

And robbed of their savings

By people they thought were their friends.

 

The list is the same

From Maine to Montana,

From Moscow to Kalamazoo.

No wonder at all why we get so depressed

From simply watching the news.

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Music

Music feeds the human soul

In oh! So many ways.

There's nothing quite as soothing

As sweet music as it plays

It's gentle melody. It's happy rhythm

Seems to say

That everything will brighten up.

Your skies will lose their gray.

 

We all have our own idea

Of what music should be.

What may be soothing to your ears

Is merely noise to me.

What stirs the spirit deep inside

Is something hard to see.

But music doesn't care who hears

As long as it's set free.

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The Horse

The smooth sleek contours. The sinewy lines.

Cantering, trotting, running full force.

Is there a more glorious sight to behold

Than god's perfect creature... The horse.

 

His lineage is long, his heritage proud...

His empire the envy of sultan and king.

His prowess immortal in fable and song,

Who's figure we stride as we grab for the ring.

 

He was there when the wagons pulled out east to west.

He was there when Geronimo fought for his land.

He was there when the settlers broke the new earth

From the high plains and mountains to the Rio Grande.

 

Wherever there are monuments to mankind's victory

We never seem to stray too far off course.

The building blocks of history recording man's ascent

Have ridden on the shoulders of the horse.

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Television

I love t.v.

I hate t.v.

I can't make up my mind.

It can inform

And entertain,

Or just help you to unwind.

It can divert,

It can transport

To wherever you want to be.

So, any time

You don't want to think,

Just switch on the t.v.

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Symbiosis

Nature feeding nature in a mutual fulfillment...

Slaving one another's tasks to a point of near psychosis.

Learning how to nurture one another in the process...

Finding how to live and love and cope through symbiosis.

 

The river cuts an ugly swath in running to the ocean.

It scars the land with barriers, creating territory.

And yet it feeds and nurtures with it's ever giving waters,

Creating life so varied and too vast for inventory.

 

The hollowed tree is dying; little left in it's hurrah.

Once mighty, tall and sheltering, it stands a lonely shell.

But to Mr. Owl it's home and hearth; a place to raise a family.

His high-rise condo in the wood; it seems to suit him well.

 

And what of man and earth? Are we so bold as to assume

That all is well in our relations?

Can it be we're so neurotic?

Man's relationship to everything needs take a different turn.

To save him from himself, man / earth must be symbiotic.

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Trains

Clackity clack... Clackity clack...

Beats the rhythm of the track.

Trekking deep into the night,

Straight on through to morning light.

Whether freight or passenger,

The message is the same to her.

"Just keep rolling, moving on.

Dawn to dust... Dusk 'til dawn."

The fate of nations on her back.

Clackity clack... Clackity clack.

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Inventions

There are many things that separate

Mankind from lower creatures;

The way we walk... The way we talk...

The way we flaunt our features.

But of all the many differences,

In spite of all intentions,

The things that makes mankind unique

Are his marvelous inventions.

 

This penchant man has to create

Has led him to believe

That he must rule; must dominate.

Behind him he must leave

Some miracle; a legacy

To those left to survive;

To make things better, easier;

A joy to be alive.

 

So, here's to all inventors

And the frustrations they vent

As they strive to improve our lot in life.

Long may they invent.

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Growing Older

No one likes to do it.

Some will fight in bitter rage.

Most deny its' onset.

But none escape the wrath of age.

 

A pathway that leads forward;

No backward trails to trek.

He moves in one direction,

Demanding our respect.

 

No dawdling, no lingering

Or laughing in his face.

No stopping by the wayside.

He demands a steady pace.

 

He brings on many changes

In us as well as others.

He makes our souls seek common goals.

In time, he makes us brothers.

 

And if we take it gracefully,

Embrace him to the end,

We can make him our companion.

He can become our friend.

 

No one likes to do it.

But all must acquiesce.

The creature, age,

The teacher, age,

We all must pass his test.

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Bubbles

Pretty bubbles in the air;

Floating, falling. Do you care

Where you came from?

Where you go?

Do you really want to know?

 

How I wonder what you see;

What it's like to be so free.

Riding swiftly on the wind,

Making all the world your friend.

 

Pretty bubbles in the air,

Do you wonder?

Do you care?

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Welcome To Life

Greetings come with open arms.

A sheltering sign of welcome

Is placed above the door.

Offering comfort, free from harm,

The innkeeper doesn't notice

If you are rich or poor.

 

Every amenity for every guest;

The sheets and towels in every room

Have all been freshly changed.

The host puts forth his best.

The whole routine has been rehearsed.

The dialogue is prearranged.

 

Who is to serve and who is served;

There is little doubt for either

Which role they are meant to play.

But still each guest is quite unnerved

When it's check out time

And they learn who is to pay.

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The Computer Age

Whatever happened to manual labor?

It's now all computerized.

A labor-saving device is developed for

Everything money buys.

 

Don't get me wrong.

It's not a complaint.

It's not that it fills me with rage.

I'm merely concerned that

We've all become lazy in this,

The computer age.

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Midnight

The earth is stilled,

And all lie peacefully in their beds

Except for the night owl who stalks its prey,

And those too afraid to forage by day,

Or souls gone so far that they've lost their way.

It's midnight.

 

The sky is darkened;

Daylight departed hours before.

Only the stars to fill the sky

As the twinkle of moonlight catches the eye.

The earth seems to moan with a heavy sigh

At midnight.

 

We are reborn...

Rekindling the body with wondrous rest...

Reflecting on folly with family and friends...

Putting the wounds of the day on the mend...

Peace... Meditation... A new day begins

At midnight.

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Suddenly

Teeth flashing,  jaws gnashing,

Ripping flesh by width and length

The beast bursts out upon its' prey

With leopard speed and lion strength.

 

Leaving no time for anger to rise;

No time to react; no time to defend;

No time for tears to well up in the eyes;

No time to cry out for the aid of a friend.

 

Life starts so slowly...

Peacefully...

But it all can be over...

Suddenly.

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Impatience

Don't take life too seriously...

There's no need to moan and complain.

No one from the dawn of time

Has been able to explain

What it really truly is about,

Though millions vainly try.

But life will not apologize

Or give an alibi.

 

Slow down and take a moment

To reflect... To contemplate.

There's nothing so important...

Let it simmer...

Let it wait.

Patience is a friend to all;

A process primed to heal,

But when impatience blocks the way

It becomes a wall of steel.

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Temptation

From childhood on we are tempted;

Be it candy, sex or money,

Be it lurid lust,

A lust for wealth

Or the taste of milk and honey.

 

Temptation waits at every corner

Spinning webs from post to portal;

Dangling treats before our waiting eyes;

Knowing we are merely mortal.

 

Waiting, watching, patiently biding

It's time; it holds out its treasures.

Quietly hawking and dangling its prize

Filled with dozens of life's little pleasures.

 

The wise know his tricks.

They've seen him before.

They pass by without hesitation.

Still business is brisk as the unwary pause

And yield to the lure of temptation.

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Bad News

There's never a convenient time

For bad news to arrive.

And when it comes our utmost thought

Is merely to survive.

 

Emotions rage. A hundred waves

Of ocean drown all feeling.

Depression, fear, dejection

Washing over; senses reeling.

 

Who is this who brings the news?

Who's the scapegoat to accuse?

A messenger come straight from hell.

No one handles bad news well.

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Thunder and Lightning

Sky cannons in the distance roar.

The darkening sky begins to speak.

The winds, once silent, rushing now

As mountain clouds rise to a peak.

 

Flash! The distance.  Flash again!

Each one closer than before.

A silent prayer offered up,

"Please, let there be no more."

 

But still they come as angry gods

Do battle in the sky.

The fiery clash of tempered steel.

The flash that stabs the eye.

 

Fiercely locked in mortal combat,

Carried swiftly by the wind,

Until fading in the distance.

The earth is calm again.

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Evening

When it all settles down

And day winds to a close

The time to relax is at hand.

The shadows walk long,

And the lark sings its song

As the sunlight sinks into the sand.

 

The world is at peace.

The resting begins.

Oblivion washes our eyes.

And somewhere out there

A mournful refrain to the moon

As it climbs in the skies.

 

Peace settles over.

The night becomes stilled.

The hustle and bustle?  No more.

The massive hysteria born by the day

Washes softly upon evening's shore.

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Morning

Morning breaks...

   A new beginning.

The earth wakes up again.

Perhaps today

   I'll find a way

To make the world my friend.

 

Revived. Renewed.

   Refreshed. Reborn.

Rekindled for a new day;

With keen anticipation of

Whatever comes my way.

 

Don't lay there like a lump

And wish the dawn to go away.

There's nothing like the morning sun

To start a brand new day.

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Bullfrog Jamboree

The sun settles down to the top of the trees

'Til the sky turns magenta and pink.

The night bird awakes to the passing of day,

And the stars start to flutter and wink.

 

And deep in the meadow, where waters stand still,

A melody somewhat off key

Comes lilting it's way to a listening ear...

A bullfrog jamboree.

 

And the crickets accompany them as they sing;

Though harmony is not their aim.

Their symphony sung to a departed sun

Seems little more than a game.

 

There is something quite soothing in hearing their song;

A secret; a treasure to keep;

A peaceful reminder of simpler times

As we quietly drift off to sleep.

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Whisperings

Shhhhhhh!

 

We often speak in whispers

For many different reasons.

Like the undertow of ocean tides,

Or the passing of the seasons,

We seek to go unnoticed,

Though the subtlety we seek

Is a beacon drawing notice

Like the sun upon a peak.

 

Shhhhhhh!

 

There is a bit of gossip

Meant for only certain ears.

There are some thoughts when said out loud

Will amplify our fears.

There are some times when courtesy

Demands a lower voice,

And so we speak in whispers,

Not from pressure,

But by choice.

 

Shhhhhhh!

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Smoking

Puffing on those cigarettes

Can cause you nothing but regrets.

The air we breathe is bad enough

Without inhaling all that stuff.

 

The saddest part for those who smoke

Is they don't realize the joke.

The industry that hawks the dope,

The nicotine and tar, they hope

To pass off as a thing worthwhile.

They'd even have us walk a mile

For that special taste we only get

From puffing on their cigarette.

 

And while we cough and hack and wheeze

They feed on government subsidies

And laugh at us as we blow rings,

And pay a double price for things

As foolish as the killer weed

Instead of things we really need.

 

It's time we reevaluate

The things we love,

The things we hate,

The things we do, the things we don't,

The things we will, the things we won't.

The things we do with some regrets,

Like puffing on those cigarettes.

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Hot Summer Afternoon

Midday comes too quickly,

And the sweltering has started.

The streaming steaming rays,

The scorching blaze of afternoon.

Shadows creeping longer

Since the morning has departed,

And nowhere do you hear

The creaking squeaking joyous tune

Of crickets singing sweetly

To their lovers in the night.

Replaced by deafening silence;

Fed by scorching rays of light.

 

And humankind is hiding

Behind walls or under shade,

Except for those who worship sol.

They lie about the glade,

The beach, or mountainside.

They reach to touch his soul;

Their face upturned to the skies;

Their bodies bronzed and gold.

While others of us seek the shelter

Of a cooling shade

To reflect on quiet, simple times,

And sip our lemonade.

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Feeling Good

Got my feet back on the ground.

Feeling good.

Grown alert to sight and sound.

Feeling good.

Lungs a' pumping.,heart a' thumping,

Head is telling me that something

Good is taking place.

I'm feeling good.

 

Got me lifting. Got me shifting.

Got me running in the sun and

Rain and snow.

It's great to know

That everything's all right.

I'm feeling good.

 

Take the time to run a little.

Get out in the sun a little.

Eat good food and see the doc.

Be aware around the clock

That fitness is a full time job,

And many trends will tend to rob

Us of our health,

Our greatest wealth.

So, don't just sit there like a blob.

 

Get off your duff and do that stuff

You've meant to do so long.

Build up those leg., Build up those lungs.

And make that pumper strong.

Then you can say you've found the way

To live a fuller life,

To do the things you want to do

So you can go through life

Feeling good.

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'Tis.....

What I think of...

What I dream of...

What I pray

I'll find the way of... 

Love.

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