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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A Child's Folly

Tuck me in and say goodnight,
Now the day, at last, is done.
A gentle kiss upon my cheek
Says everything will be alright,
Helps me sleep straight through the night,
Keeps the monsters from my closet
Once you’ve turned off all the lights.

Gentle dreams are sure to follow
In a new world far away
Where daffodils play on the hill
With Mother Goose, Jack and Jill,
And all the king’s horses find their gait
As they primp and prance about at will.

And I have thoughts of being big,
I do what I see grownups do.
In ever-so simplistic ways
I banter through their hectic day
To recreate the fantasy
Til morning’s light comes into play.
 
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Are You Happy?

Do you wake up every morning
Looking forward to the day?
Are you happy?
Does the smell of coffee brewing
Put a faint and hopeful grin upon your face?
Are the dreams that you dreamed yesterday
Still living in your heart
Like a sweet desire that cannot be replaced?

There are questions to be answered
And tasks to be completed in the offing.
Priorities to order
And people to be greeted on the way.
But this grownup world you’re living in
Shouldn’t kill the child who dwells within your body,
And you owe it to yourself to always
Set aside some time to simply play.

So I ask again, quite honestly.
It’s a simple question,
Really…
Are you happy?

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Crystal Ball

The crystal ball is broken,
Shattered in a thousand pieces,
Scattered on the basement floor
Just waiting to be swept away.

A thing of beauty in its day,

Filled with hope and aspiration,
Forward seeking, always searching
For that temple in the sky,

Looking for an alibi

To hide the fear of taking chances,
Falling victim to the winds of change
The fates are bound to bring.

Still the sirens softly sing

Their subtle songs of dreams fulfilled,
Beckoning to press their will,
Rekindling the fire within,

To pick up pieces and begin

With hope reborn to start anew,
New decisions, new directions,
New crystal ball to gaze into.

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Constant Eyes

A mother’s love is unrelenting,
Impervious to compromise,
Often silent, always open,
Vigilant, with constant eyes.

Nothing else holds more importance

Than the safety of her child,
Every hope, every dream,
Every trivial trick or trial
Are met and dealt with confidence,
Weighing all the evidence,
Dealing out the consequence,
Both prosecutor and defense.

I grew up in a home of love,

No pretention or disguise.
All that I am or hope to be I owe to
Mother’s constant eyes.

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Marvelous Angels

A quick kiss goodnight
Then off to Dreamland,
Punching my ticket to sweet solitude,
Lolling and resting in quiet seclusion,
Cares become vaporous vanishing ghosts.

Far from the mad-hatter quicksand reality,

Safe from the fires that raged at my feet.
Seeking the freedom the spirit requires while
Sowing the seeds of replenishing fruit.

Flashes come quickly and stay but an instant,

Not long enough to scar memory’s core,
But something remains
As I know upon waking that
Burdens are lifted to start the new day.

Where do they come from? 

Marvelous angels

Born of a whisper
Lighter than air.
Resting with miracles
Waiting and ready
Til slumber awakens and calls them to play.
 
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New Day

A new day     
     New time
          New era dawning,
New plans and challenges
     Seem to abound.

Old friends estrange

     As priorities change
While lives rearrange and
     New friendships are found.

New blazed directions

     Discover affections
          So many selections
To batter about.

And I in my wisdom

     Will brave criticism
To choose from among them
          And count them all down.

Forward projecting,

     Backward protecting,
          Ever correcting to
               Sight and to sound.

Laughing and weeping,

     Time crawling or creeping,
          Constantly keeping
               My feet on the ground.

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Are You Here?

Where are you right now
While I’m trying to talk to you?
Are you here in this brief moment
Or a thousand miles away
On some sandy beach at sunset
By a bonfire sipping wine?
Do you hear the words I’m saying
And the meaning they convey?

In a world of daydream stalkers
Does your expertise surpass?
Can you cling for just an instant,
Hear what others need to say?

Focus.
Simple focus is a bane to your existence,
And I don’t have the patience
To bring you into the fray,
So pucker up and hustle up and
Learn to pay attention
                         Just for once.
It would truly make my day.

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The Cost

Good morning, my good and trusted friend;

So lovely, as always, to visit again.

Can’t seem to remember how long it has been
Since the last time our two paths have crossed.

Was it late September

                         As seasons were changing?
Time loses meaning
                         With lives rearranging,
And memory fails in the process of aging
And old friendships fade until lost.

But we are forever, and never forget.
We’ll last past the sunset,
                         No fear of regret.
A boy and his dream ever present, as yet
Unfulfilled, still weighing the cost.

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Long Time Ago

Had a lot of druthers
In those early days of youth,
Back before reality revealed
The ugly truth.
Could have done a lot of things,
Most anything I wanted.
No one there to dash my dreams,
No memories that haunted.
Could have been a singer,
Then my voice began to change.
Could have been a cowboy
Riding on the open range.
Could have been a lawyer
Out there fighting for a cause.
Could have been an actor
Only fighting for applause.
But over time fate has a way
Of calmly stepping in,
And though sometimes it knocks you down
You get back up again.
Looking back without regret
It now seems clear to me,
What happened then to bring me here
Was surely meant to be.

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Sometimes Wonder

Sometimes wonder

     As I wander aimlessly

          From think to thought,
Picking pieces
     Of the puzzle
          Looking for the perfect fit.
Does it matter
     If the meter runs completely
          Down to naught?
Consequences
     Consequently run the
          Entire alphabet.
Tiresome to be contemplating,
     Worried what
          The world might see.
Wholesome to be
     Born in wisdom,
          Knowing what will be will be.

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Some Days

Distant rumbles from a sky of
Misty gray, hanging low,
Moving steady, marking time,
Marching soldier in your prime.
Crispness chilling morning air,
Sitting on my front porch chair
I ponder what the day will bring.
Daintily the wind chimes sing
As robins chirp
And folks walk by,
Gentle breezes seem to sigh
And slide across the pine tree’s boughs,
Who protests slightly, but allows.
Plans were made
But will they serve?
Will protests yield what they deserve?
Or should I simply roll along
To see what fate holds in her song?
Some days are like this one,
No doubt.
I’ll wait to see what it’s about.
 
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Positives

Mama always taught me that

There’s good in everyone,

That I should seek the positive
And overlook the rest.

Must admit, sometimes you have to

Look real deep to find it.
Some people give the microscope
A grueling, daunting test.

But if you seek, and seek you must,

And dwell on positives,
You just might find that
Life’s more kind
As you ponder your quest.

Is it worth the effort

To seek people at their best?
I believe that it’s the key
To life’s true happiness.
 

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Bigger Picture

Searching through the scrambled pieces,
Hundreds, thousands, maybe more
Scattered loosely, helter skelter
Laid out on the puzzle board.
Trying hard to find an interlocking place
To fit, to be,
To integrate with all the rest
And form a perfect symmetry.

No one piece can be forgotten,

Not a single one misplaced,
Else the picture be misshapened
Vision hopelessly erased.
But when the whole has come together
And each piece knows where it should be,
Witness all the bigger picture
Formed with perfect clarity.
 
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Escape

Tortured by the husking fruitless
Daily crush of energy marauders
Vexing, ever vexing and
Flexing brawny sinuous flesh,
Flaunting faux powers in feckless faces.
Pity the fools.

I close my eyes,

Lower my expectations and
Wait for sweet dreams
To invade my property.
Oft times comes easy,
Approaching angelic.
The bully backs down
Looking elsewhere for folly.
Prison bars soften and the gates open wide
As velveteen breezes offer their wings
Leaving me free to escape to Nirvana
Where honey flows free
And roses e’er bloom,
And thoughts are but whispers
Born on the wind.
 
I will linger here a while to
Follow the dream,
Seize the ring.
No misgivings for time well spent.

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Silly Giggles

Nostalgic for the good old days
Of life’s simplistic interludes,
When dreams were fresh as lavender
As sunlight burns the morning dew.

Silly giggles way back then

Were all the sport we ever sought,
No responsibilities could
Trump the task of levity.

And weren’t we happy with our lot?

Time and trial our last concerns.
Foresight was for other fools
To dole and dither fitfully.

Sad to lose the youthful verve

That spawned so many memories, but
Time can be a spiteful mistress
If allowed to have her way.

Now in twilight do I find
The subtle nuance of her gift.
The looking back rekindles joy that
Silly giggles gave us then.

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Heartshine

Mindful embraces form

Elegant sources
Gently caressing the
Lace-covered edges of memory 
Harboring every emotion,
As I feel your Heartshine
Soft on my face.

Brighter than sunlight,

Fresher than springtime,
Warmer than summer
I bask in your glow.
Supple as willow trees
Free-flowing branches
Dancing with breezes,
I hold your embrace.

Welcome sweet Heartshine,

Come stay a while.
Linger til long shadows
Fade into night.
Joy is your reverie,
Truth your companion,
Beckoning all
To join in your chase.

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Princess Bride

Sleepy nation wakes the dawning,
Spies the bunting on each ledge,
Something special stirs the scent of
Incense wafting in the breeze.

Quick to dress in finery

To suit such glorious occasion,
Chins held high and chests puffed full
In maximum anticipation.

Four white horses lead the carriage

Fully draped in ceremony
As the trumpets sound the herald
Echoing glad tidings all.

Out she steps to breathless watchers,
Daintily her footfall glides,
Steadfastly her regal father
Leads his angel down the aisle.

Now she stands before the altar,

Nations watching, filled with pride,
And her young prince stands beside her
Proud to wed his princess bride.

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Waking Up

I know I had a dream last night,
But can’t remember it at all.
No details. Not a single one.
Just a happy glow that left me warm.

Spectrums filled with glowing light.

Images both grand and small.

A first class flight into the sun
With hands that keep me safe from harm.

Something in it feels so right

Answering the siren’s call.
A million treasures to be won.
No resistance to her charm.
 
Landing safely from my flight,
Eyes wide open, standing tall.
Sweet dream lady, come and gone,
Leaving me to sense her charm.
                        
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You'll Never Know

Comes a time in every life
You’re standing at a crossroads
And you just can’t decide which way to go.
Do you turn right?
Should you go left or
Just go straight ahead?
Do you walk alone
Or just go with the flow?

I’ve heard it said the brave die young

To make their way to Heaven,
And I’d surely like to live beyond my prime.
But if I must make the sacrifice,
Then it’s just a given and
I’ll have to give it up before my time.

Are you afraid to take a stand

And be the only one?
Would you dare to spread your wings
And fly into the sun?

Happiness is standing close,
It’s just a smile away,
You can turn away or stand and watch it grow.
Do you turn right?
Do you turn left or
Just go straight ahead?
Unless you make a choice you’ll never know.

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I'll Get There Someday

Many pathways I have dreamed
Of traveling in my brief time,
Far too many distant places,
So much on a bucket list.
The distance between here and Heaven
Not so great as one might think.
Perhaps just a dream away,
A silent stroll into the mist.
Longings are but toothless phantoms,
Fearsome shadows void of flesh,
Victims of reality
That come to chase the dream away.
Persistence and tenacity,
Like Superman and Captain Marvel
Arriving in the nick of time.
… I’ll get there someday.

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Where Dreams Sleep

Rest in silence, Sweet Dream Maker.
There is much for you tomorrow.
Sleep until your name is called
And you can rise renewed, refreshed.

Visions visit in the darkness,
Become clear with light of day,
Seek fruition once your passion
Fills the mind with clarity.

It is you who holds the spark,
Quick the human breast inspires
With vapory wisdom, reaching deep
To grasp at fleeting fantasy.

If only I could find your lair,
Touch your secrets, dark and deep,
What untold wisdom could be found
To know the chamber where you sleep.

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