OLDER AND WISER

Growing older is not so difficult...

Not so different from youthful exuberance.

Steps may be slower...

Stairs may be higher...

Nights may be shorter...

Muscles may ache where

You never knew you had muscles before.

Physical tasks may be more of a chore.

 

But one learns to compensate,

Brain over brawn.

Pain is a teacher you both

Love and hate,

And patience becomes a constant companion

Who compensates freely

Those willing to wait.

 

Like the willow who bends,

Growing tall by the waters,

Biding the years, taking all in it's stride;

Older and wiser,

Weathering winter,

Seeking tomorrow

With arms open wide.

 

SUFFER THE CHILDREN

I stood in line at the grocery counter

Where mother and child were just ahead.

This small supple mass of flesh and lung

Which moments before was announcing his ire

For the whole world to notice that

Something was wrong,

Some great injustice was being done

To his discontent, so he pierced the air

With nerve wrenching wails,

Which his mother apparently could not hear,

Or did she ignore?

Could she be the only one in the store who...

Of course not. How silly.

She's just on to his game.

Patience has conquered, at least for the moment.

 

And now he sits... Suddenly shy...

Tilting his brow... Avoiding my eye.

What is he thinking? If thought is a pattern.

What is he learning from this days event?

 

I wink as his view shyly shifts my direction.

He lowers his eyelids, confused for a while.

He glances at mother, and then back to me...

One more wink, and I capture a smile.

GRAND OBSESSION

North star... Polaris... Guiding light;

Rudder and wheel... The wind in my sail;

Holding my ship on a steady course...

Never to deviate...

Never failing to be there

Beside me when others forsake;

Always giving much more than you take

In this dream we term life;

This magnificent dream,

Gliding serene

Leaving joy in its wake.

Is there any wonder I need you so?

Is it any surprise that we've lasted this long?

Is it grand obsession that holds us together,

Or simply the comfort in love grown strong.

 

Passions

Rising, as mist from a white frozen lake,

As a scorching Sun sears its soft supple flesh.

New Spring morning awakening senses,

Calling, beckoning, pleading its' case.

Crisp and clearing by mid day and yet

Lingering quietly, memory pacing,

Recalling the freshness, the dewdrops on daffodils

Dancing as daylight escapes from its' hold.

 

Fingers tap softly on silky smooth shoulders,

Patiently waiting for hopeful reaction.

Pictures encapsuled in memory mindful of

Each minute detail I find in your face;

Tasking this creature who dwells here inside of me.

Dare to confront what I know cannot be.

Lord, give me strength to be perfect in battle.

Passions run hot until flesh is stone cold.

 

Last Love

You were not my first love

But, if fate is kind,

You will be my last.

Let us then grow old together

Counting seasons wrapped

Inside each other's arms

Listening to the music that

We know so well.

Hold hands and strolling

Along beaches in our autumn sun,

Watching as the seagulls work

Their magic with the wind

And wondering what secrets

Lie beneath the sands along the shore.

We are two,

Yet we are one.

Bound in spirit, heart and soul.

Heaven smiles on earth below

To bring together our last love.

 

Wishing on the Stars

I stand in the splendid darkness,

Head tilted back until vertigo threatens

My balance,

Counting the stars in an endless sky

Till I finally realize I can't

Count that high.

Standing in awe under heavens great canopy,

Gazing in wonder at pin points of light

That visit my eyes after eons of travel

Offering universal delight.

Stars give up wishes much like Aladdin's

Genie, grateful at last to be free.

I have but one wish to make of the heavens,

A wish that will bring your sweet love

Home to me.

 

The Fires of Beltane

The flames reach out in spite of the

Torrents of rain falling down from

The evening skies,

And you welcome me to your endless night

Filled with passionate pleasure

Beyond the moonrise.

Nothing can stop the fate that befalls

The lovers embracing

In ritual rites,

Gasping and grasping the smoke from

Her fires, engulfed in the flood of

Her pagan delights.

Gods and goddesses watch from their

Mountaintops neatly positioned between earth and sky.

Judging our worth from the weight 

Of our sacrifice.  Sealing our fate

In the blink of an eye.

We are the pawns.

We front the battle.

Never look back.

Never ask why.

 

Bested by the Best

Watch out girls!

He's on the prowl.

Looking for a little action,

A taste of carnal satisfaction

Somewhere in the endless night.

 

Searching without conscience

For his prey to take the bait.

He hasn't long to wait

To sate his animal delight.

 

Bad decisions are a fever

To which there often is no cure.

Desperation sometimes leads to pain

That one need not endure.

 

And you know all too well the kind of

Hell his lust can put you through.

You'll need to be strong to slip the wrong

That he has planned for you.

 

You can rise above, hold out for love

That truly stands the test.

You'll avoid the wreck of being

Bested by the best.

 

The Air That You Breathe

Sometimes I lie awake at night

Sensing no other presence than

The breathing in and breathing out

Of my true love lying next to me.

 

You have no idea that I'm waiting,

Listening to your life flow

In the gentle rise and fall

That touches my heart so tenderly.

 

The facts have a way of giving a little

Piece of themselves to every lost and

Wandering soul encountered as

Their patterns interweave.

 

And I am truly blessed to be

The one whose lips you kiss goodnight,

To hold you close, to touch your face

To share the air you breathe.

 

Pagan Lovers

Like the acts of pagan lovers,

Unabashed and unashamed,

Unable to stop our passion,

Unafraid to let it grow.

 

Delving into ancient custom

Where decorum has no name,

Naked to a prudish world,

Never caring who might know.

 

Dare I taste the fruit forbidden?

Shall I thirst to drink your wine?

Will you fill me up completely?

Beg my cup to overflow?

 

Without doubt and without reason

I accept your pagan love,

Giving up my mortal soul in tribute

For I love you so.

 

Cease to Smolder

When we met a spark ignited,

Passion bursting into flame,

A heat unleashed and running wild

To be a rival to the sun.

 

No emotion named by man

Could scant describe the

Overwhelming feeling of consumption

As our supple bodies merged as one.

 

Time is but a thief to passion,

Dousing water on its flame,

Reducing it to ashes left to

Smolder.  Still a spark revives

 

Just enough to light the way,

To be a comfort in the night.

We shall never cease to smolder.

Passion wins and love survives.

 

 

Baltimore - 3 A.M.

Something caused my eyes to flutter

From their deep and restful sleep.

I instinctively comply as nature

Causes me to rise and heed her call.

I glance to see the time is only 3 a.m.

The floor is cold against my heels

So quickly I complete my task and

Quietly return to cover. Barely wrinkling the sheets.

Hardly a creature stirs the night.

The stillness speaks in deafening tones

Of things nocturnal.  I can almost hear

Your heartbeat next to mine.

As I turn to face you, just before

I fade back into slumber,

Your peaceful face a silhouette of

Features I know so well,

I pause to count the blessings

And I count this time among the best.

Baltimore at 3 a.m., and love

That's truly stood the test.

 

Luna-Luna-lunatic

You lazy, hazy, crazy Luna

Edging slowing 'cross the sky.

Does your fullness carry beams

Of mania to blind my eye?

Can you stop, for just a moment

As I beg to question why?

Will you fill my heart with joy or

Leave me all alone to cry?

Luna, in your fullest cycle

Do not think to pass me by.

Bring to me your fondest favor.

Give me songs so I may fly

Among the stars of glory as

In wonderment, I pause to sigh.

Luna-Luna-lunatic,

How I hate to say goodbye.

 

The Four Seasons

In early spring when love is new

And hearts are light and troubles few,

We see the world in quick review

And dream of all we've yet to do.

 

The summertime is meant for play.

Sun and fun fill every day.

Worries can't get in the way

And rules are meant to disobey.

 

Autumn's harvest comes and goes.

Dawn to dusk the burden grows.

Where it may lead us, no one knows.

Still the labor is a rose.

 

A rose that stands the winter chill

To bloom defiantly until

The bitter winter winds are still

And peaks of snow dance on the hill.

 

Seasons come and seasons go

And who are we to think we know.

But love survives each bitter blow

From springtime bloom to winter snow.

 

Cry Yourself to Sleep

Will it ever be the same again?

Can your lonely heart return to when

The daylight brought you waking smiles

And you were set to play and win?

It was all so easy then.

You thought your love forever true,

Always coming back to you.

Lover's blindness blocked your view

To hide a multitude of sins.

 

Love lives on a two way street,

And true love never knows defeat.

It proudly holds its head up high

And lays the whole world at your feet.

 

Silently the heart may weep

With joy for all that it may reap,

But true love never leaves you all alone

To cry yourself to sleep.

 

The Road Back to You

Though I should trek a million miles,

Gathering a million smiles

From strangers met along the way,

Still I hunger for the day

 

When once again I touch your face

Clearing every fearful trace

Of doubt that I would soon be home

No matter how far I may roam.

 

You're the sunshine in my day

Chasing every cloud away and

Filling up my heart with glee,

Giving love so willingly.

 

Any wonder my heart sings

With joy for all the love you bring.

And so, with swiftness I pursue

The road that leads me back to you.

 

Spring Reborn

The morning sun is warmer now.

It burns the chill of evening

Far more quickly to a level

That human flesh may tolerate,

Causing man to celebrate

The rebirth of his humble world

Rekindling the spirit that

For months lay cold and desolate.

 

Robins greet the morning dew

As daffodils reach for the sun.

Lilacs speak a fragrance

Unlike any other on this earth.

And I am left to ponder

All the wonders as I wander

Bearing witness to the miracle

Of newness, of rebirth.

 

Levels of emotion peak,

And love is in the springtime air as

Hope revives its' flourish

And anticipation grows.

Spring reborn inside our hearts

Is more than just a season.

Just where it may lead us,

No one knows.

 

Diabolical

It must have been a demon who

Made up this game and named it love.

All the crafted twists and turns

As subtle innuendo burns

 

Life's incense slowing smoldering

And you're left standing, shouldering

The weight of the entire world,

Another lesson sadly learned.

 

The field is never level, without

Bevel or uncertainty,

And we are left to ponder

As we wander across open seas.

 

It's all so diabolical

Steeped in psychological

Mind games between physical

Opponents biological.

 

Crushing blows than weaken will,

Broken egos slow to heal,

As curtains open to reveal

Emotions we're not meant to feel.

 

Though obstacles block every mile

Still the journey is worthwhile.

And we make it willingly,

For that's the way it's meant to be.

 

Balancing Act

Life's great see-saw…

Love commands the ups, the downs,

The turn arounds,

The outstretching hands with offerings,

The thrill that every new day brings.

The joy that every young heart sings,

Filled with wild imaginings

Of bold exhilaration as they

Blindly reach to grab the ring.

 

Foolish hearts secomb to pain

When disappointment causes rain to

Fall with vigor and disdain

And living becomes muddled.

Love can be a painful thing

When hearts insist on clinging to

A hopeless situation as

The mind becomes befuddled.

 

Seesaws tilt with ups and downs,

Counter weights and balances.

Filled with promise,

Filled with thrills,

But also filled with challenges.

 

Scream Softly

He makes you want to scream sometimes,

Doesn't he, girls?

Makes you want to place diminutive hands

Around his scraggy neck and squeeze

And shake some common sense into

That yard-thick concrete head.

 

No one ever said that it would

Always be so peachy keen.

That's why they sneak the ominous phrase

"For better or worse" into your vows.

And then they make you promise,

With the foresight of the ages,

To put up with his foolishness

Until one of you is dead.

 

But you took the vow so willingly,

And you mean to keep your pledge.  So,

Scream softly from the mountain's peak

As you approach the edge.