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Write philosophers, poets, and sages

Mothers and Fathers

Sisters and Brothers for free

Since we do not pay wages

email submissions to d.w.gatlin@comcast.net

-all decisions for what is posted are mine and postings live or die at my discretion-

If I'm going to post yours--

-----you need to visit mine! Poética

Serving

Serving in sports
wins the points

Serving in work
earns the tips

Serving in life
reaps the rewards

Serving in faith
creates happiness

jgs

Our Hypocrisy

Our hypocrisy
speaks for itself
Our democracy
sits on a shelf

Our leniency
can be denied
Our hypocrisy
has surely died

Our souls now free
to be you and me
Our minds here to see
Our hearts wounded knee

jgs

What For

The President said
"We are at War"
I shaved my head
You ask "What for?"

I think, in a way
while you are waiting
All I can say
"It was liberating!"

jgs

Friends

I howl at the moon
and crow with the sun
I'll walk by your side
sometimes we run

we've flown together
sometimes we swam
friends are forever
just you and I am

jgs

Some Monkeys

Some monkeys escaped captivity
swam a moat, climbed a fence
apparently, easily

Now they roam and play
no one has seen them since
Monkeys' livin' the monkey way

Escaping a captor without a scar
I wish for you, all captors hence
have no clue, how monkeys' are

jgs

Dog and Squirrel

Tuesdays' hole in a window screen
caught me off guard
by Friday, two more were seen
"Gateways" to the yard

Monday is an early day
little siesta is just the trick
troubles all at bay
slumber coming quick

A sound awakens me
eyes open, just a smidge
It's a squirrel I see
stealing chips, atop the fridge

He leaps without remorse
through the hole in the screen
I sit without recourse
we all know, squirrels are mean

My dog sat quiet the entire time
that innocent face he wore
suspicious yes, then I saw a sign
empty milk bone box, lying on the floor

jgs

One Day

One day walking
I saw an eagle soar
freedom and majesty
origins of lore

One day talking
stories seldom told
wisdom and courage
and souls never sold

One day laughing
this moment, this now
happy to be here
grateful to know how

One day living
this gift so rare
it stopped abruptly
and didn't seem fair

One day soaring
time without space
thankful for freedom
and gifts of grace

One day the talking
of the ones before
will teach children
they too will soar

jgs

I am

What I am
Who I am
When I am
How I am
Whom I am
This I am
But I am

"I am that I am"

jgs

Confidence

Storms overhead
My Prayer was heard
"Save Me" I said
Those were my words

Shelter in harm's way
As I discerned
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
simple lesson learned

What a comfort it is
confidence in rescue
from that voice of his
"You can save You"

jgs

Outstanding

A tree does not stand
by itself
there is always
something else

The wind and the earth
the water and the roots
the sun and the moon
stand with the tree


No one is outstanding
by themselves
There is always
something else there

Heaven and Earth
Heart and Soul
Friends and Family
allow us to stand

jgs

 

With X & Y

Their thumbs control
a life of risks
they'd never take.
With intensity
the screen flashes
making them
heroes and villains,
able to bring peace
or violence
in a way
only read about in comics
last century.
But now they don't have to imagine.
They can play out any life,
and mistakes don't hinder
as lives are resurrected
in moments,
and risks are repeated
while they control life...
for a while
with X & Y.

jen

Vessels

I built a house
on quicksand
temporary shelter
from a storm

I've led
some caravans
to more than one
distant shore

Rain has fallen
from my eyes
many winds
from my mouth

Having the time
of my life
Learning what
life is all about

jgs

Favorites Lines in Poetry:

"Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird."
-from "Hold Fast to Dreams" by Langston Hughes

Memorial Day

I remember the gun
in your hands
I remember the flag
in your hands

I remember the news
is not good
I remember the country
as it stood

I remember the ones
left alone
I remember the ones
that came home

I remember what
you've done for me
I remember what it
is to be free

I remember the
loss of war
I remember what
winning is for

I remember

jgs

He lives inside us

As we learn
He is teaching
As we talk
He is preaching
As I think
He is seeing
As you talk
He is hearing
While you speak
He is crying
As I listen
YOU are judging
Not HIM
But YOU
While you speak
I listen
to Him
"Forgive them
they know not
what they do"

jgs

Anthony

I know a little boy
who had a horrible sight
His father killing his stepdad
in the middle of the night

His mom fought to stop it
all the neighbors came to help
But nothing will erase
what this little boy has felt

His sister was asleep
one less tragedy I guess
too young to remember
anything but the mess

When rage takes over
Not a thought about the kids
Jealousy, anger and greed
No memory of what he did

My prayer for a little boy
Not to be disturbed
by a memory not his to bear
I hope my prayer is heard

jgs

 

Today

Today
beautiful day
like yesterday
hopefully tomorrow

But today
a beautiful day
let's not
forget today

It is all we
have, for sure
today, let it
be beautiful.

jgs


How Bright?

Our lives are like candles
burning in the night,
illuminating all around us,
turning blindness into sight.
Consuming are the flames
limited their length,
so our goal becomes survival
guard them with all strength.
Occasionally a breeze sweeps in
extinguishing a flame.
We mourn respectful and proclaim
What a shame, what a shame.
But this has been revealed to me
something I hold near.
It's not how long the flame burns bright
But how bright it burns while it's here.

David G

Storms

Storms
are
circles
too

energy
unknown
amazing
force

It's all
the same
time, space
circles

jgs

Canvas

A painter or surgeon
no difference in stride
I change burden
into pride

beauty not seen
by artist and others
forever only known
by the canvas

jgs

The Daydream Cycle

In these Days of grace
Times fly fast
While searching of space
Remembrance of past
Good days spent long
Worries were slim
Natures sweet ol' song
Running through wind
Now scheduled days pass
Nine to five, coffee, cream
The ol' days I grasp
Caught in a Daydream
Those days were great
Some only know why
I thank God and appreciate
Everything water, earth, and sky

kever

A fresh coat

The roller
dipped and loaded
transforms
swath by swath,
and multiplied
alters a space...
so clean now
and different
though not much
has changed

Jen

Lilies

Fear not as lilies grow so fair
yet ne’er a worry claim
For God will bring them to full bloom
each time and time again

Yet how  much more He loves you
with showers full of grace...
as the Lord that paints the lilies
shines His image on your face.

So cast your cares upon Him
rooted deep in all He’s given.
Then open up in love
as you blossom in your living.

Share His gift with others
for what good would lilies be
if He hid them from the world
their beauty ne’er to see?

jen

 

One Mule to Go

Today I pushed
my scooter
about a mile
or so

fury
driving me
one mile
left to go

like dragging
a mule
through a
steep incline

we rely
on eachother
two hands
tow the line

jgs

 

Banjo

Today I got a banjo
soon you'll hear us play
we'll sing, you'll dance
as night turns into day

No dreams of fame or fortune
Simply a way to start
matching words from my lips
with the songs in my heart

jgs

The Chicken or the Egg

as my pen scrawls
across the lined paper
syllables join and morph
as does my intended point
and by the end of my words
the theme has mutated
to form a new idea
I hadn't conjured up before
and so with each poem
the words and the theme,
they beg the question of
which came first

Jen

Turquoise Waves.....

..... crash
where sand meets sea
churning shells and stone,
debris
then crawling up the shore
remnants of the fierce wave
foam and retreat
leaving only traces in the sand
likewise memories stirred in a rush
but erased in a moment
leave only a glimpse
of where I've been
a shell and some corral
treasured memorials from
a tide of grace

jen

The Weight of Anticipation

Anticipation
seems so hard to bear
as the road stretches out to where
you long to go.
With an apathetic eye on now
and one foot out the door
you play the morrow
in synapses missing the
mundane of today
bypassing moments
where God might have whispered
and showed the way.
And when the weight is over
you've arrived only to ponder
the brevity of the pleasure
as you anticipate what's next.

jen

 

If I Were Me


If I were me
I would have done
things differently

If I were Me
I would talk more
and listen less

If I were Me
I would take
more chances

If I were Me
I would spend
more time

Being Me
if I
were Me.

jgs

 

 

Friends Back

Rememberance over time
in the back of our mind
The delegates we chose
are they yours
Are they mine?

Families are torn
as we fight all night
Wars are worn
as we struggle to fight

Our soldiers they struggle
in this day in poem
at night when we snuggle
And dream of friends home

Sometimes we think
Of peace--instead
So bring our friends back
to our homestead

One good leader
The best antidote
So have no fear
And please vote

kvr

Sympathy and Apathy

You have half your life
to make mistakes,
and the other half
is making up for them.

A task best worked
in increments,
don't save it all
until the end.

jgs

I am Flesh

I am flesh

I hurt, but I heal
I can weep, yet I smile
Ignorance an option
Blissful with passion

Spirit is not mine, by name
Destiny of it's own
Flesh a gift to cherish
with a mind, all it's own

Animal and Spirit
two paths
walked
simultaneously

We walk as friends
I alone, leave the tracks
The Spirit
was born to miss

I am Flesh

jgs

Quilting Patches of life

 

Patches of florals

Checkers and stripes

Ginghams and plaids

Cheery and bright

 

Fashioned in trapezoids

Circles and squares

Cut with precision

Assembled with care

 

Gray, beige and black

Strips dull and bland

Placed in a pattern

By God’s sovereign hand

 

Seasons of sunshine

Blushing bouquets

The laughter of children

Warm holidays

 

Contrasted by storm clouds

Trials and need

The mundane, everyday

Lives that we lead

 

Bits of bright joy

Dark segments of strife

The routine of existence

Patches of life

 

The poke of a needle

With each rise and dip

Sharp blades of scissors

With each snip and clip

 

Stitched with a purpose

Formations and groups

Create counterpane

Then rest in a hoop

 

On the lap of the Master

Batted and backed

At last bound together

Then placed on His rack

 

Unique in appearance

A keepsake and treasure

With function and beauty

Made for His pleasure

 

Whether mountains or valleys

Or treadmills unending

A pattern of days

God’s crafting or mending

 

His purpose in focus

Our hearts safely rest

Believing, trusting

The Quilter knows best

-Lori Wagner

 

Waiting

I am waiting.
I am waiting to die.
I have worn out my usefulness.
I can no longer do things on my own.
I sit in a chair in the dark.
I cannot open the drapes to let in the sun.
I am hungry but cannot feed myself.
I need to use the bathroom but I cannot get up.
I feel like my body is a prison.
I have no one left to visit me.
I hate this place but I cannot leave.
I do not want to live anymore.
I wonder if anyone cares.
I am thirsty, when will someone give me a drink.
I am dying.
I am waiting.
I am waiting to die.

Bill H.

I Pray for You


I pray for you

without a reason why

I pray for you

because of how hard you try


I pray for you

because I love you

I pray for you

because you love me too

jgs

Antiguan Breeze

The Spirit blows in with the Antiguan breeze
through a would-be window on the second floor.
The view through rickety scaffolding
captures goats grazing on the hillside
and children, tidy in uniform
dodging muddy puddles on the way to school.
Cinder blocks surround, two stories high
with rebar reaching like praising hands
toward the sky.
This floor won't sag when the Spirit invades
and stucco walls will house the praise
of those big brown eyes
which dance like their feet
a rhythm to replace hammers and saws...
all joyful noises confirmed
when God smiles down with rays
through rains
on His growing kingdom.
There's much work left to be done
bur for now...
when the Spirit blows in with the Antiguan breeze
you can't miss the whisper
that a harvest is coming.

Jen

Emptying, Filling

Looking through books
bearing your name
thoughts, wonders, feelings
almost the same

You say what I feel
just a little differently
or do I feel what you say
almost simultaneously

I know what I said
you were already thinking
and what you just said
I read without blinking

Your wisdom amazes me
even more than mine
improving as it ages
much like a fine wine

Enjoy it while it lasts
small sips from that cup
the bottle empties too fast
but, while filling others up

jgs

 

Tiny Tornadoes

Tiny tornadoes made of snow
Across the fields I watch them blow

Looking into the west I spy
The sun breaking through the clouded sky

The chill of the wind and bite of snow
Freeze my bones along as I go

Bright now the sun shines low
Orange-gray the horizon glows

As the cold of winter wears on
The time shortens between dusk and dawn

Thank you God for reminding me today
You are all around and spring is on the way

Bill H


The Word
Right under my nose
No, it's not my mustache
Like cash
It flows from my mouth
A discretionary account
Often revealing what I'm really about
Poorly managed
Accumulating debt
The legal tender of the condition of my Spirit
Every one of these that proceeds
Can build, Can teach, Can edify
Can break the reeds and destroy
Or meet some souls needs
I shall sow and I shall reep the same
This is no chance game
Every one...in His Name
Any other...a burning flame
Harshness stirs up
Timeliness is delightful
Am I a doer
And not hearer only
In the beginning was...
In the end...
every tongue confess
The Word

JF

Right Under My Nose

Just a faint memory of what was
before
Is now what I earnestly strive for
But I've lost the directions to that place...
or have I?
Is it there...on the shelf
I can probably reach it myself
or pray
Pray, what a nice way
to communicate
with One so far away...
or is He?
Like a mustard seed it grows
right under my nose
it was there all along
the place where I belong
Would you please come with me
to that place...
Where peace lives

JF

Always

I feel it
I've felt it
I know
It's there

At birth
It's there
At death
It's there

At sunrise
and sunset
I've seen
It there

In the moon
In the stars
In heaven
It's there

I won't
question It
or argue
with It

I just
love It
And know
It's there

Always
has been
Always
will be

jgs

Royal Blood

I may not be a royal king or a prince with royal blood. Praiseful words of high esteem seldom to me flood. I may not sleep in castles tall or dine with the elite. I may not be of privilege, "hand me downs"upon my feet. Yet there is but one thing I don't want you to miss. There is a great connection no one should dismiss. My father is of royal blood His kingdom vast and strong. His riches, they are endless, believe it, right or wrong. A greater secret rests within, if you ask me I will share. My family, see, it's incomplete My father wants you there. He'll save your spot in glory, he's as much as said it's true. He is willing to accept this, the question is, are you?

 

--DGtY'r

 

Cradeled

 

When the moon cradled Venus
ahead of the dawn--
a sliver of last night
before it was gone--
a crescendo of colors
gave way to the sun,
yet a stillness still masked
that today had begun.
We gazed at the view
so divinely spun,
and embraced in a prayer
for the race to be run.
A peace wrapped around
our souls joined as one,
as the pale crescent moon
now sat empty--job done.

 

jk 

 

Her Bordeaux Hair

Short and severe,
was instantly noticeable,
yet subtly camouflaged
by the velvet drapes
of the upscale lounge.
The sassy cut sang a false bravado
that drew attention to her pale visage
with strong features and bold lips,
but eyes that wouldn't catch my own.
She sauntered about the supple leather couches
with a hitch in her stride
that spoke of troubles unknown,
delivering $8 drinks and a dish of pretzels.
The smile rehearsed..
the manner efficient...
the eyes barren.
Surrounded by travelers in a bar,
by millions in a city,
but lonely in the midst of her life
and hiding behind Bordeaux.

jen

 

 

High Definition

The picture is better than before.
Life was so fuzzy, now there is clarity.
Once you find it, you'll never want to be without.
If your neighbor does not subscribe, invite him over.
Pick up the good book now.

Jess

 

Tin Prayer

Plated bronze
words are foreign
message dawns
so universal
he taught us pray
every language
every day
shepherd and lamb
in relief adorn
loving arms
with edges worn
propped 'gainst the wall
with friends to share
mother's, now mine
the little tin prayer.

 

Jen

 

Shared by David Powers

Cup/Coffee

 

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

 

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite

 

- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

 

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:  'If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

 

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

 

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups.  And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

 

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

 

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. 'God brews the coffee, not the cups.

 

Enjoy your coffee!

 

'The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have.'

 

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

 

Leave the rest to God.

--author unknown

Listen With Your Heart

Lord, I want to listen to what You have to say,
And still other sounds and thoughts seem to get in the way.
I'm trying to focus on what I read in Your Word this morn'.
I"m walking in your light, in your presence; yes, I'm blessed by You , Lord.
I want to follow wherever You lead;
Sometimes it just seems so long going from point A to point B,
But I guess that's where endurance comes in;
Trusting in You and fleeing from sin,
Not looking back to where I have been,
But looking forward to the goal and reaching for the prize that You have set before me.
So, I'll keep listening for You, reading Your Word,
Trusting You with all my heart and loving You, Lord.

Liz Hurd

Wisdom and Babies                                                                                                                                        

When I was a baby
You were almighty

When I was a child
I fed upon your wisdom

Then throughout my teens
I put distance between us

I had kids then I was the one
once again,I fed upon your wisdom

As I hold this little baby
My grandson, I remember the almighty

jgs

For Kira

You've always been
a kindred soul
full of life
full of love

Everyone we know
loves you so
easy to talk to
just being you

You've always had
a quiet wisdom
not quite sure
where it came from

My mothers' eleagance
my Fathers' wit
Your sense of sureness
you'll never quit

My first born
It's good to see
you were born
much smarter than me

jgs

IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

In the midst of the storm

There was light all around;

God's glory, from Heaven, was shining down;

And in the form of rainbows, you see,

His Holy presence was revealed to me.

It's not everyday that these rainbows appear,

But even so, God's presence is here.

He said, He'd be with me,

So I'll keep trusting in Him.

He's my Rock and my Fortress,

My Savior and my Friend.

liz hurd

Picking Fights

Tomorrow is nine seven

it rhymes with nine eleven
A day of infamy
like twelve seven

After an attack
patience can lack
And wisdom takes a seat
in the back

The masses call for revenge
troops sent on a binge
no one thinks
of lost lives on the fringe

If those in power had thought
through the years we've been taught
the wars we've won
have never been fought

jgs

Liz Hurd: I STOPPED THIS MORNING TO LISTEN

I stopped this morning to listen and what did I hear?

I heard God's music playing, from the birds in the air.

I heard the leaves rustle, in the morning's gentle breeze.

I heard a father's praying, while on bended knees.

I heard children's laughter, it brought joy to my heart.

Oh, Father, it's the way You want each morning to start.

I stopped this morning to listen;

Oh, help me everyday to see that You've created this world in a wonderful way.

You've given us ears to hear,

Help us be quiet and still, so that we can listen closely and do the Father's will.

 

Your Mission

As I sit and wait.
Your mission I anticipate.
What shall I say?
You brought me here.
I will obey.
I trust you. That's why I'm here.
Your spirit guarding my rear.
You whispered in my ear.
I want you near.
So I listened.

Tim Hurd

Strides

The air is wet.
My footsteps grow
heavier with passing miles.
Droplets of sweat
cling to each hair on my arms
like morning dew on my lawn
Today, no dry breeze
whisks them away
to cool me,
so they grow until
like rivers they cascade
down my aching limbs.
I ponder my burden
of a self-inflicted dream
and begin to count blessings
instead of strides.
For my trial
is chosen
and measurable
and limited.
My strides are not of fear
and the droplets flow
not from an IV bag.
I run not from despair
or starvation or death.
I only train for 26.2
because I've always wondered
if I could. . .
I grow thankful with the miles
that my burden is light
and prayerful for those
whose race is long.

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

jen

FRIENDS

A little smile, a helping hand,

A pleasant word, will make a friend.

A listening ear, someone to care,

That's what makes a friend so dear.

A true friend will never turn away

From what God's Word has to say.

Be a friend to have a friend

And be faithful to the end.

Liz Hurd

The Everyday Life Of A Mother And Wife

The everyday life of a mother and wife
Can make her tired and weary;
Some days it rains and the sun doesn't shine
And she may feel, oh, so dreary.
But reading God's Word gives a new attitude;
For there's hope, peace, abundance and joy.
With Christ there's new life
For this mother and wife
And the day turns from dreary to cheery!

Liz Hurd

Forbidden Fruit

Scraggly vine,
my neighbor's tomato
droopy from the weight
of abundance.
Red so ripe
begging me to taste.
I should abstain
for this vine's not mine.
Yet saliva fills my mouth
with desire.
Temptation.
Five fingers pluck
the forbidden.
Juices sharp and tangy
bring a moment of splendor
but don't satisfy.
My longing deepens
and after the first time
it is easy.
So now I wonder. . .
what will my neighbor
have on her salad?

jk

Awake

I was awake all night and

I don't know why
All I was thinking was my wife,

Looking at the lonely sky.
Long I wish to be there yet far apart
But I will make a point

Never again to depart.
This promise I long to keep

For the days that I live
Yet when time goes by

I hope this thought will stay still

sd

The Least

Faithful sheep
with their gentle souls of understanding
wandered into the desert place,
filling barren lonely moments
bleating offerings of grace.
The injured lamb
still struggling
lay quiet, faith now lean
was surrounded
by the Master's sheep
and led to pasture's green.
Some goats stood on the fringes
trying not to feel the pain
idly watching as the sheep
nursed the lamb to health again.
Now healed and growing stronger
someday a sheep I long to be
for this lamb will ne'er forget the time
when the least of these was me.

jk

Praying Hands and Feet

Lord help me with my journey
and care for what you've created
nurture the best in those we meet
and forgive those we've hated

I'll try to grant your wishes
in those I touch each day
I'm the only one that does dishes
and time just slips away

I reduce, reuse and recycle
to help save The Earth
I drive a scooter, and a bicycle
I save my share, for what it's worth

I'm sorry so many don't believe
or have simply given up
the notions easier to conceive
if you've always had enough

Some that search for answers
can never find their way
the poverty, famine and cancers
just takeover the whole day

If you have a moment
remind those that pray
to help those that can't
make it through the day

jgs

FRUIT

Peace that passes all understanding
Be kind to people, be sweet like candy
Have self control, to just say no.
Go against the flow of the worldly ways,
and the things it has to offer.
Except for an occasional Burger King Whopper,
Show others love without being prejudice.
Pursue a life abundant in goodness.
Be patient and let thing go at there own pace.
You aren't driving in the Daytona 500 Nascar race.
So slow down don't be in such a hurry.
Being impatient just makes you worry.
Producing good fruit is a full time occupation.
There is no time for procrastination.
So be faithful with your gifts from above,
and in all things show a brother love.



BY TJH

 

Coming and Going

Life comes and goes
of its own free will.
As the breeze of the prairie
no purpose to fill.
Make the most of each moment
for this has no doubt,
as one's coming in,
one's going out.

daveg

 

Dividing Line

The dividing line
a highway
where Mexicanos drive us
to and fro,
cutting a path between
our polar worlds.
The taxi stops briefly
as my gaze locks
on brown eyes below a sweaty brow,
his head resting on the open window
of the steamy public bus.
It's a long ride home, I presume
from a job at the resort. . .
past tin-roofed shacks,
street dogs meandering,
and shirtless buddies drinking cervezas.
"Turn toward the sea, por favor,"
where we enjoy the very best
of what your world has to offer.
Admittedly, I'm more comfortable there
where the money flows out like the tide,
the beach is lined with beauty
and five-star service.
Exiting the car
I nod, "Gracias" with sincerity
for a safe return to my paradise...
and here's a little tip
to take back to the other side.

jk

 

Mowing Q & A

I thought as I mowed lane by lane
Is there anything at all mundane
when viewed through our loving God's eyes?
With His infinite creativity
does he know only possibility
as he orchestrates 3 billion lives?
In our human perception
He surely must move us
through days on the assembly line. . .
but after some prayin'
I feel like He's sayin'
"You can't grasp the ways of my mind.
Every second I gift you
is special for me, too
not bound by earthly value and time.
I never get bored of watching creation
and mingling each soul with mine."
So I look at the lawn
all even now finished
and my task seems not such a pain. . .
when I think of God mowing
right there beside me
not finding it one bit mundane.

jen

 

The Novice

A novice at best
but it feels good
expressing yourself
and being understood

It comes out in stanzas
I can't tell you why
just grateful for the phrases
that are given me to write

Merely a pawn
power a stranger to me
Mine are fingers, paper and pen
the words just flow through me

Rivers of flowing water
the banks alive with trees
few see the other world
that is living underneath

The earth will quake
volcanoes erupt
nature has it's own way
of releasing built up stuff

It's not a career
or even choice you see
just freeing up space
to build up stuff in me

In a world so complex
but a mind can be free
So let minds of intellect do the work
for "The Novice" is you and me

jgs and KVr

A Day at Silver Lake

Wind grows stronger
through the Douglas pine,
My lover and I sipping on a fine red wine.

The lake an emerald green,
my lover and I sit,
enchanted minds few and far between,
what a perfect fit.

Starring endless into the sky,
and the clouds above,
the skies are as white,
as the feathers on a dove.

My loves' dress,
all covered in lace,
no need to stress,
this is our perfect place.

The sun goes down,
and the day seems lost,
our hearts beat at sound,
you're my greatest cause.

I wish to stay,
after the romance that we make,
we'll just waste a day,
on our perfect lake.

KVr

Summer

Summer writers
Summer readers
Some are both

jgs

 

A Thank You to God

Thank you for the eyes
to see where I am going
Thank you for the feet
that can take me there

Thank you for the mouth
it helps with inquiries
Thank you for the ears
when I need instruction

Thank you for the hands
they gather water and food
Thank you for the brain
it helps plan and decide

Thank you for the heart
it keeps me safe and warm
Thank you for the soul
that makes me yearn for more

jgs

Young at Heart

You felt like family

right from the start

a statuesque woman

always young at heart

 

The kids called you "Mimi"

Grandma sounded too old

always generous and carefree

with many stories to be told

 

A pretty present on each holiday

filled with love, especially for you

You've touched us all in your special way

In all those "Mimi" things you do

 

This is just a note to thank you

for teaching us all, how special we can be

encouraging our talents we've left unused

and seeing things in us, we don't see

 

It's time to indulge yourself, in what you really love

write some poems or nursery rhymes

paint some pictures just because

now, finally you have the time

 

Take a lesson from an old friend of mine

an "Ole Pal" right from the start

Share your friendship, share your wine

and do your best to stay young at heart.

jgs

 

A Plea

Once I saw a pilgrim.

By the roadside he was lying.

From his coughing and his hacking,

All could see that he was dying.

I saw this poor man’s neighbors.

They amongst themselves were talking.

They saw their neighbor dying,

yet still they kept on walking.

Then I saw his brothers

and his sisters pass him by.

So saddened was I by this sight,

that I began to cry.

It’s not like this poor man’s disease

knew not a remedy.

Any one of them could have saved him,

but instead they chose to flee.

If you had seen this dying man,

would you have helped him up?

Would you have let his thirsty lips

Feel water from your cup?

For still I see a pilgrim

by the roadside he is lying.

From his coughing and his hacking,

we all see that he is dying.

He suffers from the same disease

as did the other man.

He does not know the only one

with a nail scar on each hand.

Yet we, just like the others,

pass this dying soul on by.

We hold the cure within us,

still we stand and watch him die.

We do not help this dying man

to find his missing link.

Instead we’re afraid of what he may do,

what he may say, or think.

Is it then this sin disease

that finally causes death?

Or is it we who hog the cure

that truly take their breath?

A plea to all the christians

from the mountains to the sands

Witness to the dying souls,

lest their blood by on your hands.

David G.

 

 

 

Summertime on Hill Road

Tent worms in the cherry tree
Dallas' grass stained feet
Cindy in the apple tree
Mama's pickled beets

Daddy stalking, hoe in hand
Radio plays the Tigers game
Bushels of tomatoes to be canned
Every summer tastes the same

Quench your thirst, from the garden hose
Eat your share of golden pears
Groceries planted, in even rows
Harvest a plenty for those that care

 

Ronnie speeding down the road
Sheron ironing wrinkled clothes
Darrell and Denny catch a toad
While Beangado finds a rose

 

Gary dropping speeding mice
With a daisy BB gun
Eight kids spurning good advice
To have a little summer fun

 

Four million rows of beans to pick
Sweet Corn to be shucked
Juicy melon seeds to spit
Someone to be hugged

Fertile dirt beneath my feet
The friendly sky above
The air smells summery, oh so sweet
The yard is full of love

 

The bases--each a fruit tree

And home plate just a stump

Dallas is on deck, I see

Man, I hope he drops a bunt

 

Players number from one to twenty

Counting off by twos

Neighbors, boys and girls a plenty

And none are wearing shoes

 

These will certainly someday be

some of the best years of our lives

And we can tell the story more

when the story is ripe to write

 

jgs and contributors

 

 

Country Summer

Now the rich cherry, whose sleek wood,

 

 

 

Læcopy;onie Adams, “Country Summer” from Poems: A Selection (New York: The Noonday Press, 1959). Used by permission of Judith Farr, Literary Executrix of the Estate of Læcopy;onie Adams.

Source: Poems: A Selection (1959).

 

Your Book

I really like your book
Sometimes, I know what you mean
But the lines blur when I look
And, I don't like to read in between

I just wish it could be easier
more simple for me to understand
like "The Gospel for Dummies"
so we all know what you've planned

There's no doubt that you've tried
to give us some pretty good clues
Ten Commandments, and a man who died
just to teach us The Golden Rule

I don't know it all
it's not for me to know
but you'll be there when I call
and I'll be there when it's time to go

JGS

 

Brilliant Blue

Brilliant blue
the sky above, endless
there is no top of the world. . .
Treetops' leaves upturned in the breeze
mark the end of this place, today
a good day--
no need to feel heaven closer.

But some days
the blues turn grays
and the rotund clouds sit
supported by branches
like a makeshift tent. . .
The world is smaller
when heaven drops down
to hover closer through the storms.

jk

The Swan

Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?
Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air -
An armful of white blossoms,
A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned
into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,
Biting the air with its black beak?
Did you hear it, fluting and whistling
A shrill dark music - like the rain pelting the trees - like a waterfall
Knifing down the black ledges?
And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds -
A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet
Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?
And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?
And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?
And have you changed your life?

© Mary Oliver. From The Paris Review # 124, Fall, 1992.

 

Father

Today you would be ninety-seven
if you had lived, and we would all be
miserable, you and your children,
driving from clinic to clinic,
an ancient fearful hypochondriac
and his fretful son and daughter,
asking directions, trying to read
the complicated, fading map of cures.
But with your dignity intact
you have been gone for twenty years,
and I am glad for all of us, although
I miss you every day—the heartbeat
under your necktie, the hand cupped
on the back of my neck, Old Spice
in the air, your voice delighted with stories.
On this day each year you loved to relate
that the moment of your birth
your mother glanced out the window
and saw lilacs in bloom. Well, today
lilacs are blooming in side yards
all over Iowa, still welcoming you.

Ted Kooser

from Delights & Shadows, Copper Canyon Press, Port Townsend, WA 2004

Any Bush, Any Day

Any bush
that will burn
Any soul
that doth yearn
Any truth
that we learn
Any gift
we discern
Any life
that we turn
Any grief
shown concern
Any pardon
we can't earn
Any day
he'll return.

jk

 

Loving Mother

Loving Mother of two
Whose children - now grown
You've influenced our lives
More than you've known

Create the world you live in
Is the lesson you taught
You nurtured our minds
And encouraged thought

Since I can remember
Your passions are words
These lyrics form tunes
That long to be heard

We're given 70 matches and not
One will burn, unless you strike them
Your thoughts, poems, and songs
Won't be heard unless you write them

These notes compose your legacy
And line by line they'll ring
Mark up these pages
And let your soul sing.


Kira Lee Sholes 2007

Daddy's Garden

It takes more than seed and hoe

To make a garden grow....

...UNDERSTANDING produces distinctive fruit

...PRIDE draws strength from the roots

...INTEGRITY always the best defense

...HUMOR encourages adaptability

...PATIENCE promotes growth


A good crop does not grow by chance -

But a good gardener -

Gives all the credit to the plants.

jgs

Your Love Blows Me Away

It always breaks my heart,
Your love blows me away.
When I think about,
How I have wandered and strayed.

But like the vastness of space,
And the depths of the sea.
Your love endures forever,
And you have forgiven even me.

Your glory is seen all around me.
It's always there if I look.
I've given my life to you, Lord,
Your offer to me, I took.

Bill Hembruch

 

A Smile Today

I bought a smile today,

but I didn't pay cash. . .

I mixed and stirred

while they played

outside the window.

As the scent wafted

around the kitchen

I opened the oven door

in anticipation

of their love.

They bounded in

sweaty and tired,

breathing in the smell

of fresh-baked cookies.

Their grubby hands

reached up for

the warm treasures.

Chocolate chips

melted onto fingers.

A glass of milk and

two more cookies. . .

a thank you and

a smile.

jk