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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

 

Memory

I’ve been stuffing my cranium

Seven 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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

I Dreamed an Angel

Some believe,

          Some deny,

                    Some have reservations

Having never touched or even seen

And wouldn’t even recognize

The flow,

          The glow,

The haunting brilliance

Dancing in her eyes.

But I believe,

          Can conceive

                    The sweet soft features in her face

As she appears,

          Consoles my fears

                    And disappears without a trace.

 

Sleep Without Dreams

Keeping up appearance,

Dancing the dance of the socialite,

Hanging on shallow words

Meant to impress,

Breathing the corporate mantra,

Hmmm… ya ya hmmm… ya ya hmmm.

Day in

Day out,

Days flow by unyielding.

Not my own…

Someone else’s vision,

Someone else’s profit.

Someday soon I’ll spread my wings,

Plot my course,

Find my way.

This nine to five existence

Is like sleep without dreams;

Restores the body

But does nothing for the soul.

But I want to dream…

I have a dream,

And someday soon…

Someday…

Soon.

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.

          

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.

 

Wishes and Dreams

I had a dream

That spurred a wish

That led to a thought

That inspired a plan

That created an outline

That became a blueprint

For a brand new project

Fraught with obstacles

Resolved through tenacity

Then brought to fruition

With a sense of accomplishment,

A shining example

Presented to others

Who also

Have a dream.

 

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.

 

…Perhaps To Dream

Do I want?

Will I go?

Could it be?

Might I know?

In my sleep,

In my mind

Thoughts abandon

Fleeting time.

Rounding corners

To arrive in

Places where

Sweet hope survives.

Softly sliding

Into slumber

Where no fearful

Giants lumber.

Lying by her

Gentle stream

In solitude…

Perhaps to dream.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.