Empty Nest

This house was once a teaming, screaming,

Rowdy loud menagerie.

Sometimes it seemed a thousand feet were

Pounding floor from dawn to dusk.

At times my own voice cracked as I related

My displeasure with

The maddening annoyance

Singing, ringing in my ear.

Praying for a moment, just one

Minutes peace to calm my nerves.

Wondering if it would have been

Wiser to be celibate.

Settling disputes with the diplomacy of

Solomon. Finding commonality to

Wash away all doubt and fear.

Now there's such a peaceful calm

Surrounding every moment that

I feel as though my life is truly blessed.

And yet at times I find myself reflecting

On the sweetness of the life we knew

Before our empty nest.

 

Love's Consequence

You would have me change, but

I don't want to change.

I like myself.

Just the way you see me

Is the way that I intend to stay.

You keep saying you've made

Your concessions just

To be with me,

But your confession isn't what I need

To make me change my way.

 

Haven't I expressed to you

I love you just the way you are?
Wouldn't have you change a thing

Or make you sing a different song.

 

…Except for just a few annoying habits.

Oh! Such little things like

Always being late.

You know I hate to have to wait too long.

And what about the way you jump on

Every little phase or fad?

 

…Hold on just a second.

Maybe change is not so bad.

 

A Lot Of Work To Do

Listen to the lovers as they

Bicker, tease and pine away

For what they haven't yet achieved

In their great quest for total joy.

 

Dreams laid often by the wayside

Waiting patiently their turn,

Battered, shattered, beaten, broken,

Like a child's forgotten toy.

 

Brave hearts will pick up the pieces,

Mend the break and carry on

With hope renewed and vision

Rising over that of lesser men.

 

Goals revised and redirected,

Spirits bolstered and renewed.

Never minding failure, finding

Favor to begin again.

 

If a dream is worth pursuing,

Always keep it within view.

If perfection is our goal,

We've got a lot of work to do.

 

"Goodnight. I'll See You In The Morning"

How many nights have I slipped in beside you

After the trials of the long day are done?

Nestling in for a well-deserved respite

From all of the cares that the world has laid on.

 

Cold winter nights where the nip of the air

Bites the covers as you snuggle close to my side,

Hearing the heartbeat, which lulls you to sleep,

Seeking the warmth that our bodies provide.

 

The cool of the spring when the windows are

Finally open and we hear the sweet serenade

Of the nocturnal creatures who lulled us to sleep

And then woke us at dawn with their vocal parade.

 

Summertime heat can be quite overbearing,

And drives you away to the bed's other side.

A quick goodnight kiss and you scurry away

Wishing the bed was again twice as wide.

 

Of all the seasons I think I love autumn

The most, when all of the world heaves a sigh,

And you start to snuggle back into my arms.

I never complain… never ask why.

 

We end each evening with a kiss and

A solemn promise; not a warning.

Touching your cheek I softly pledge,

"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

 

Butterfly

Flittering, fluttering all about

The garden on your silent wings,

Gathering the nectar of each

Flower's welcome bloom.

Pacing never, racing ever,

Bothering no single soul,

You dance your dance and

Weave a spell upon your magic loom.

 

And I become a witness as

You search the world in your brief time.

I watch as you emerge

Breaking free from your cocoon

In burst of brilliant colors which

Could rival Pharaoh's treasures,

And then disappear to darkness

All too soon.

Time escaping, passing by,

Watching with your painted eye,

Stopping not to question why.

Fly my little butterfly.

 

Starlight

The sun fades in a distant west as

Twilight caresses the evening sky

With its' gentle colors of passionate pink,

And tiny pinpoints of starlight ensue.

 

Time grows weary and all the concerns of

The daylight dim as the sun settles in

To the tree tops, resting but a moment,

Offering promises old and new.

 

…And you fill my evening well into the night,

Holding my hand as the starlight appears

To capture the Heavens, filling the darkness

With all its' abundance of elegant grace.

 

Treasures abound in the evident spectacle

Born in amazement, meant to be shared.

But diamonds and gold can never compare to

The wonder I find in your sweet loving face.

 

No matter how long I may walk on these beaches,

No matter how wondrous the luminous prize,

Nothing on Earth or on this side of Heaven can

Outshine the starlight in my lover's eyes.

 

Angels Weep

The raven stalks a sleepless night

As silent darkness blankets all

The landscape of a troubled world

And destiny prepares to call.

 

Truth comes hard to those who wait

And wonder far beyond the day.

The silence catches unaware

And leaves a bitter bill to pay.

 

The only solace is a trusting

That the end brings yet a new

Beginning of a better making

Freshly born of morning dew.

 

Still the heart cries out in anguish,

Passions rising from the deep.

Prayers of longing and remembrance…

Lovers mourn as

Angels weep.

 

Restless Seas

What mammoth creature down below

Has been disturbed and stirred to movement,

Making her waters, once calm and serene,

An angry mass of a restless sea?

 

God help us all if she breaches the surface.

Heaven forbid we should look on her face,

Her Medusa curse turning flesh into stone

In the micro-instant before we can flee.

 

Youthful exuberance might have survived it,

But that was ages and eons ago.

No longer the Captain or even the mate,

Merely a passenger caught in the fray.

 

Seeking safe harbor at journey's end,

Wanting no part of the battle ensuing,

Turning from harm and seeking a Navy,

I close my eyes and humbly pray.

 

God, give me strength to weather the battle.

See me before you in bended knees.

Help me to yield to your unbridled wisdom

As I ride the crest of your restless seas.

 

Finding the One

Barren waters fill the ocean

And the waves forget to roll

As tides, abandoning their schedule,

Cease to offer ebb and flow.

 

Every dewdrop sent from Heaven

Yields a taste of salty tears,

And darkness offers cover as they fall,

So no one has to know.

 

Hopeful hearts seek out their treasure

Nestled deep beneath the sands on

Far off islands waiting for the

Magic of discovery.

 

Gold-filled chests and diamond lined tiaras

Sparkle in the sun

And hearts fill with the knowing that

This is how it's meant to be.

 

Finding the one, the single treasure,

Seeking to go the extra mile,

Capturing gold at the end of the rainbow

Makes the journey all worthwhile.

 

The Eyes of a Lover

Eyes can say so much about

The character of their possessor.

Every bare emotion, like a mirror,

Is reflected there in some way,

Be it great or small.

There is no hiding from the glare

Of truth behind the subtle hue

Of color in the great confessor.

 

The eyes of a leader oft reflect

The passions of their followers,

Giving birth to dreams of change,

Kindling the fires of hope.

 

The eyes of a liar shift in their

Chameleon impersonation,

Holding in futility the

Frayed ends of their dangling rope.

 

The eyes of a killer can sear the landscape

Scorching all who cross their path,

Practiced in deceptive cunning,

Bursting into sudden wrath.

 

But the eyes of a lover hold no secrets,

Show no quarter or deceit.

Open to a world of giving,

Laying Heaven at your feet.

 

Love Endures

And all the world shall slip away,

And time shall echo eons

Past the secular vernacular

To speed it to it’s higher ground. As

Level passes on to level,

Sweeping off old memories and

Stepping into worlds anew

Stripped of every sight and sound.

 

Nothing ever lasts forever.

Nothing ever really ends, just

Changes to a new dimension

Grounded in another realm.

The crossing over pathway shrouded

In a cloak of dusty gray

To break the dawning of tomorrow

Rising to control the helm.

 

Deep within the fight continues

Without treaty… without cures.

Only one thing offers solace

When it’s over…

Love endures.

A Sonnet for You

What world awakes as robins sing your song.         

There is no sun if I see not your face.                    

You are the difference between right and wrong.          

There is no substitute for your embrace.             

 

I can’t escape the sparkle in your eyes                    

A single look can take my breath away.              

Your countenance sings without compromise  

I need you here beside me every day.                   

 

And time stands still when you are at my side.      

There is no right or wrong, there’s only you.        

I wear my feelings with a sense of pride              

And knowing you will be forever true.                        

And when the day is over we are one.                         

We sing our song to a departing sun.                       

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Seasons

I would not want to live in a place

Where seasons do not habitate

To spread the wondrous magic of

Their ever-changing fickle face.

In jest one may make comment

When the climate is in perfect pitch,

“Oh, if only it could be like this

The whole year round, it would be bliss.”

 

But foolish words are often uttered

And selfish thoughts prevail until

The parts and sum are reconciled

And truth is finally revealed.

The bitter bite of winter’s teeth

Not so hard to endure when

The knowledge of rekindled birth

Lies waiting in the springtime rain.

 

A burst of blossoms greening earth

Reviving all the hope of youth,

Mellowing into the truth that

Ages into summer wine.

And summer passes into autumn

As her leaves begin to fall

In triple-glorious profusion,

Nature’s pallet filled with awe.

 

Let me live in hemispheres where

Angels tilt the fragile scale,

Where light is dark and dark is light

And seasons can prevail.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.