Knowledge

Wisdom knows no magic bullet,

Instant access or easy trail.

It grows along a thorny path

With walls and fences to encroach.

 

And knowledge breeds the building blocks

That rouse the march to clarity, and

Experience, the bitter pill, is

Sage savant beyond reproach.

 

With starts and stops and two treads back

On stairs and steps and stumbling blocks

To leap and learn through trial and fault

And make the puzzle pieces fit.

 

Growing exponentially to

Feed the need of will and want,

Knowledge is a paladin

Whose universe is infinite.

 

Knowledge waxes on through time

Where insight marries reason,

And we are mete more than fair share

To learn in our brief season.

 

Kindness

Kindness is a gentle friend

Whose silky voice floats soft to soothe

Disquiet ears, comforting

The troubled flesh, the hardened core.

Owning nothing, giving all to

Reach across the great abyss,

Heading every utterance,

The plaintive cry of those in need.

 

Kindness claims no bounty, asks

No ransom, wage or tariff fair,

But offers bounteous rewards

Immeasurable in currency.

A caring word, a hand to hold,

A cherished heartfelt memory.

The simple act of being close

For one whose ship has lost its sail.

 

Kindness keeps no score on grace,

It seeks no recompense,

But bathes itself in tolerance

And willful charity.

And if in giving time is lost,

It will be time served well

To reap the golden gain of its reward.

 

Justice

Right is right and

Truth is truth but

Justice knows no earthly bounds.

Like eagles high above the fray

With vision far beyond profound

It searches with integrity to

Find a common middle ground

And give a sense of order

To the plan.

 

Life holds no fairness guarantee,

Though karma forms a welcome friend

In evening the field of play

When broken lives are on the mend.

And kismet rides a golden steed

To slay the dragon and defend

The innocents who cannot

Take a stand.

 

But justice wields the final sword,

And all must feel his weight.

It will not falter in its faith.

It will not abdicate.

 

Joyfulness

With pure delight I dance with glee

In wishful geniality

Amidst jocund hilarity

Of mirthful merriment.

 

Beside the shores of stormy seas

The need for laughter beckons me

To find the heart of gaiety

So often Heaven-sent.

 

The jaunty joviality of

Simple fools like you and me

May seem a triviality,

But that would be a lie.

 

Disseminating cheerfulness

Becomes a never-ending quest

That any eye might manifest

And none may quick deny.

 

A giddy gladness buoys hope

That “Gloomy Gus” will learn to cope

And savor the kaleidoscope

That fills the soul with glee.

 

And joy will sing a merry song

Inviting all to sing along

So happiness can join the throng

And set the spirit free.

 

Innocence

What is it about a child

That touches the heart,

Evokes a smile,

Taking emotions that extra mile?

Innocence.

 

And we as nubile grown-ups lose

The sinlessness unless we choose

To turn deaf ear, refuse the muse of

Innocence.

 

Why must we be turned critical

With interests apolitical

And ire befit a raging bull?

No innocence.

 

A bitter taste, reality

Where dredges of acerbity

Lend yearning for the memory of

Innocence.

 

And when the maze of days is done,

The journey o’er, the battle won,

Be thankful that your web was spun with

Innocence.

 

Industry

Diligence should not go unrewarded,

And

Perseverance never stops to rest,

While

The power of commitment, angst and effort

Is

Never pacified to come in second-best.

So

I turn an active hand with zeal and gusto

To

Discover and uncover wealth of praise.

Through

No other trial than honest dedication,

Like

A manic mouse meandering a maze.

The

World keeps spinning round ad infinitum,

But

Life knows nothing of infinity,

So

We struggle just to keep the wheels revolving

And

Give fair hope to blessed progeny.

And

If our efforts prove to be successful

We

Can give the glory all to industry.

 

Impartiality

What’s fair is frank is fabulous when

The ace is downed and done.

So hard to hold neutrality

When held under the gun.

But equal even-handed trial

Is necessary meat 

To feed the beast of justice fair

Who seldom knows defeat.

 

So, how might I stay steadfast

To impartiality and

Hold my head above the fray

In silent probity?

 

I do not choose.

I will not choose.

I’ll pose upon the fence

And listen to the lot of you

Decry the where and whence.

 

And when pretense and posturing

Are faded to demise

A soft rebuttal trills the air

On wings of gentle butterflies.

 

Integrity

Life is filled with challenges

To test the moral boundaries of

Honor and morality that

Stretch from here to there to where

 

The breakers of stability are

Cordoned from civility

And simple serendipity

Gives battle to despair.

 

And we are want to rise above

Temptation’s trap, to tug and shove

And distance us from those we love

Through avarice extreme.

 

While righteous indignation lopes

To muddle every dream and hope,

We learn that life’s kaleidoscope is

Seldom what it seems.

 

The rebel in me wants to fight

For every cause I know is right

Resisting evil with the might of

Even-handed truth.

 

With candor and sincerity

To reach beyond what needs to be and

Muster the integrity of

Tender unspoiled youth.

 

Idealism

Oh, to be young again,

On the first rung again

Climbing the ladder of life, 

Filled with a wonderment,

Honest and innocent,

No stress, no struggle or strife.

 

Hope is a fleeting thing,

Hummingbird on the wing

Flittering flower to flower,

Knowing with certainty

Nectar flows wild and free

Waiting for him to devour.

 

Trust is a grand event,

Gentle and Heaven-sent,

Welcome and giving in form.

Open for all to see,

Fraught with fragility,

Vulnerable to hurtful harm.

 

And when in the end

We’re back where it begins,

Where dreams brush horizons of dawn,

The way becomes clear and

We walk without fear knowing

This is the place we belong.

 

Humor

Whimsy, wit and gaiety, 

Playful jocularity,

Banter-born buffoonery and

Joyful, joking jest.

 

Comedy with clowning laughter, 

Sad before but happy after,

Teasing mirth to rise to rapture,

Feeling wholly blessed.

 

Revelry in crystal giggles

Dancing naked wrapped in wiggles,

Bouncing flesh that jumps and jiggles

Falling on their asses.

 

Silly clown so sweet and sappy

Laughing, crying, sad and happy, 

Fat suspenders swank and snappy

Cheering up the masses.

 

Goofy slapstick, never subtle,

Falling flat-faced in a puddle,

Leaping up in full rebuttal

Ready to reply.

 

Humor is the great redeemer,

Manna for the hopeful schemer,

Mindful muse for restive dreamers

Finished with a sigh.

 

Humility

Behind passive docility 

Is a layer of inner tranquility

Where the strength of resolve

Is the linchpin to solve

All the problems of modern civility.

 

The façade may be humble and shy

And the wherefore may exceed the why,

But the answers you seek, 

The timid and meek,

May be hard for the hordes to decry.

 

No one wants a braggart for friend,

But you don’t want to hurt or offend.

You hear with disjoint

Only up to a point,

But then turn a deaf ear in the end.

 

There is only so much one can take

When mucking the mire with a rake.

You try to hold back

When you’re under attack and

Stay calm for humility’s sake.

 

Humbleness

Please, don’t mistake timidity

For weakness or fragility

When tempered by humility and

Modest reservation.

This sheepish unpretentiousness may

Seem to leave me powerless,

But don’t expect me to regress to

Grievous subjugation.

 

I love this unassuming screen

That shields me from harsh sunlight’s gleam  

Where pathos dwells behind the scene

And I can look demure.

But I have loads of confidence

Kept hidden deep behind a fence

Without contention or pretense

Or faceless overture.

 

I’ll be not prone or hesitate

To silence or self-deprecate.

I have no grand ego to sate,

Or yen for spotlight’s glow.

But buried deep beneath the shroud

A fierceness lingers loud and proud,

Waiting like a thundercloud

To ravage all below.

 

Hope

Hope is a wish whispered into the wind

With the prospect of promise on

Pale primrose petals,

Wafting the waltz of warm

Dawn’s distant dream,

Immune and protected from

Life’s nudging nettles.

 

Striding with head held high

Into the onslaught

Cloaked in a confidence

None may deny.

Keeping the faith of

The millions of millions,

Seeking the answers to

What, when and why.

 

Hope is the angel who

Rides on my shoulder with

Brow raised, unfazed by peril and woe,

Keeping my eyes focused

Bright on the future

With clear optimism

Wherever I go.

 

Honor

He is a soldier in

The crusade of life

Marching to drums of

Society’s favor.

Sensing the scent of affinity’s flavor,

Ne’er seeking respect or esteem

For his service.

 

Never a blemish or cause for disgrace.

Head high, eyes forward,

A smile on his face.

A pillar of dignity and veneration,

A sign of prestige to a whole generation.

Seeking no praise or unsightly sensation

He fades in the background

Without a trace.

 

Always inclined to do what is right

To brighten dark corners with shards of daylight

And comfort a friend through

A long sleepless night with

A deftness beyond commonplace.

 

Honor bears witness,

Honor stands tall,

Makes no apology

In fairness to all.

 

Honesty

Information saturation,

Overload… Overload.

What to think… who to believe.

Which can to kick down a dusty road.

 

When did sincerity morph into whimsy?

Where was integrity banished to hide?

How can I sort through the flotsam encountered

While taming the beast in life’s carnival ride?

 

Truth is the pillar, the mainstay, the

Linchpin of human morality and intervention.

When honesty waivers it dies of corruption

Til trust is destroyed beyond all recognition.

 

And we are the weavers,

The guardians of truth,

The prim and the pious who spearhead the way.

We cannot cede or renounce our position

Lest devastation conquers the day.

 

And when in the end we come back to the fold

Where laughter and logic abound,

It’s honesty’s voice that gives us the choice

To speak out without making a sound.

 

Helpfulness

“Could I get a little help here?”

            “Sorry. Much too busy, Man.”

“Maybe you can spare a minute?”

            “No. Got some place I need to be.”

 

“How ‘bout you? Can you assist me?”

            “Mister, I don’t even know you.”

“I’m just someone in a bind.”

            “Sorry. No concern to me.”

 

“Pardon Ma’am, might I beseech you?”

            “What? Is that some kind of line?”

“No, I only need some aid.”

            “Oh, stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

 

“Is there anyone who cares enough to

Grant a little favor?”

The silence makes a lonely mistress

In a bed of misery.

 

“Is there no one in my life who

I can count on not to waiver?”

            “Hold on friend. I’ll lend a hand, but

            Tell me, what’s in it for me?”

 

Perhaps I should not hesitate when

Some poor soul cries out in need.

The way life goes, one never knows, 

That poor soul could one day be me.

 

Gratitude

I want to thank you very kindly.

Much obliged… Much obliged.

This overwhelming gratitude is

Like a cleansing breath of Spring.

 

Though I hate to feel indebted

I will take your gift in stride

With all the foils and burdens

Magnanimity can bring.

 

Can’t forget to give a shout out.

That would be rude… Very rude.

Kindness needs to be rewarded

Else we fail all sense of grace.

 

Never want to lose perspective,

Everything is attitude to

Quid pro quo and clearly know

You’ve put a smile on someone’s face.

 

Kindness never should be slighted or

Treated with trite platitude,

When it takes but a moment

To express our sincere gratitude.

 

Grace

Grace is a sunrise glowing with soft shades of

Crimson and cream, magenta and gold,

A treasure more precious than

Diamonds and rubies with

More tranquil bliss

Than the seven seas hold.

 

And mercy embellishes sweet symmetry

Between bashful benevolence and

Baleful bluster

With all the allure and elegant import

The sun and stars and moon might muster.

 

Awash with propriety

Drenched in decorum

Lustered by dignity’s first blush of day,

The classes adore you,

The masses adorn you with

Laurels and accolades in disarray.

 

On point and demure

In both taste and gentility,

Grace is the difference that brightens the way.

 

Gentleness

No one should ever need to avert

That tenderness, that sweetness

Of nature, that curry of favor…

That gentleness.

 

In the calm gentle soul

Rests the mover of mountains,

The prophet of reason,

The emblem of hope.

 

Bartering discord with steadfast demeanor,

Countering armor with soft eiderdown.

Whispers of wisdom that echo like thunder

Til storm clouds disperse and

The walls tumble down.

 

Bandits and beasts may

Run roughshod with ignorance

Brandishing bayonets meant to impress.

But souls without kindness are

Doomed to destruction,

For life has no honor

Without gentleness.

 

Generosity

Some say the givers lot in life is

Often one of sad submission;

Always give, never take can

Make a lonely wayward waif.

 

Whether friend or foe or stranger

Reaching out with optimism,

Giving time or toil or riches,

Anything to keep them safe.

 

But givers have a secret motive

Takers never realize,

One that leads to vast rewards

That can’t be cyphered by their size.

 

Every gift the giver makes

From bold benevolence and grace

Leaves beads of bounty in its wake

Enfolded in a warm embrace.

 

The truth of generosity is

Written in the wind.

The more we give

The more we live

To reap its golden dividend.

 

Frugality

The frugal individual may

Oft be viewed as miserly

Up to the brink of stinginess

When point and place are misconstrued.

 

Truth be known, frugality may be

A precious asset with the

Value of economy

Meticulously viewed.

 

This I want and that I need,

But these I can’t afford.

So, I must skimp and scrape and save

To claim my just reward.

 

Then, just when I have reached my goal

So resolutely gleaned,

Some unexpected crisis comes along

To smash my dream.

 

So, I shall strive to live in thrift

And stash my cache away

And let it grow

For no one knows

When comes that rainy day.

 

Friendliness

Everyone can use a friend

To be there at the end of day.

A hand to hold,

An ear to bend,

A warm safe-harbor hideaway,

 

A champion ready to defend

In situations, come what may

With ready-made advice to lend

That answers like a ricochet

 

To hit the mark,

Lift the darkness

Setting old wounds on the mend,

Making new roads,

Speaking lost codes,

Babble no one comprehends.

 

Every seeker needs a shoulder

When the weight of worlds descends.

Truth be told, in leaves of gold:

To have a friend

You must be a friend.

 

Fortitude

Coach says, “Gotta gut it out, Son.

Show me your grit and will to win.”

“Coach,” I say, “I give a hundred percent.”

Coach says, “I want a hundred and ten.”

Fortitude.

 

I’ve been knocked down a thousand times

In life’s pugilistic warfare,

But I always rise, although battered and bruised, 

So, assailants be warned and beware.

Attitude.

 

Fear is a bastard that kills dignity,

But I’ll never yield to his dare.

I’ll muster the mettle to overcome and

Give thanks through the power of prayer.

Gratitude.

 

Bracing against the impending storm,

Fully aware and adept.

Ready to rebuild again and again.

Promises made.

Promises kept.

Fortitude.

 

Forgiveness

I’ll not ask for your forgiveness

For transgressions on my part.

The edict of exoneration

Only counts if from the heart,

And must be given voluntarily

For motives to have weight,

Else the level of malevolence

Will only tend to escalate.

 

Can’t expect you to forget, as

Memory casts shadows long

Upon the road to resolution

In the realm of quietude,

And all reprieves need be recorded

In the strains of evensong,

But forgiveness lives in grace and

Offers peace in solitude.

 

All the pain,

All the bane,

All the strain required to live

And function in a maddening world

Evaporates when we forgive.

 

Forbearance

The mastermind of fortitude,

Restraint and self-control

Sees a world of possibilities

In choices to be made.

 

Committed to consideration

Where all sides get an equal eye

And patience is a sleepy sloth

Who treads the tangle of tolerance.

 

And all is a matter of attitude,

Of knowing when to halt and hold, 

Of reading the sighs and subtleties

And waiting for the flap to fade.

 

No need for angry altercation

When respect will edify to

Cut a clearer, broader swath and

Lead the way to deference.

 

Sweet forbearance, take my hand

When passions winnow high.

Give me pause to find the cause

And softly

     Simplify.