Happiness is a state of mind and
love a condition of the heart
Without which man is an empty shell
awaiting life’s meaning to start.
Happiness is a state of mind and
love a condition of the heart
Without which man is an empty shell
awaiting life’s meaning to start.
There are no words to help explain
My God, how I do love the rain.
These feelings that surge deep within
Which from the depths inside begin
Are tonic to my ailing verve
And power grant these gods I serve.
The thought occurs often tragic
That life slips by without magic.
Grubbing bird, hungry chick rejoice
While mist and I till dawn converse.
I could not live in climate dry
With nought to hide the fears I spy,
Impatient thoughts laced with chagrin
That weigh the scope of origin.
This rain that falls in rhythmic beat
Upon each valley, hill and street
And every other breathing thing
Elate that sweet refreshment bring.
Gone the fit of winter rigor
Greet the sudden rainfall’s vigor
Pause while earth accepts the blessing
Needing drink with grace caressing.
To each and every dying thought
Since man to life has hoping brought,
Neglected aims, now wilted grown
Feel with the rain, excitement known
Shall store away resentment’s girth
Believe that time may force rebirth
Therese of the Flowers will you help share my load,
May we walk hand in hand by the side of the road?
Can you tarry with me along time’s weary way,
Will you grant me some peace in each troublesome day?
As I bid you good morn, please smile kindly at me
Till my worrisome life in the end is set free.
In the hush of night’s dark when we two softly speak
I sense tears in your eyes and a flush on your cheek.
Oh little Therese as you wait silent and still
I can guess that you’ve tasted life’s cold and death’s chill.
Have pity on me, ease the dull hours of my days
With your sweetest of prayers in the smallest of ways.
Therese of the Flowers help me carry my load
As we walk hand in hand by the side of the road,
You may tarry with me along time’s weary way
Till we rest in God’s arms at the end of His day.
This loud vituperous generation
Bred of wealth and moral degradation,
Abusive seedlings of decadence sown,
Wanton youth, in lack of awareness grown,
Floundering, for want of clear fortitude
Drowning in the flow of visciditude,
Expressing blame in terms most coarse and vile,
Censure holding, and decency defiled.
Poor wasted youth in sad afflicted plight
That knows no pledge nor holds a promise bright
They having days with but little merit
Some future, this lunacy inherit.
What shrinking cloud or blinking star
That careless flung on fateful night
Shines both on two, that dwell afar,
Apart from each with shared insight?
Love’s concert flown on broken wings,
Within the cresting of fanfare,
Where wishful thought forgotten sings
To utter this unflinching prayer:
“ Vigil keep with torch of duty,
Remain steadfast to idylls old,
Bind true faith to inward beauty
And treasure that one romance gold.”
The smell of pine so heady on the evening breeze
Reminding me of night’s communing with the trees,
The cushion of dry needles covering the ground
I walk upon with lagging step makes lively sound
It matters not what wistful hours the heart has spent
Observing nature’s complex scheme and complement
Forevermore a wonderment this world must be
All sight and sound to witness night’s infinity.
When all those eyes that stare from dark and distant space
Constant staid from beginning time within their place,
Deep mystery when I myself cannot recall
Oh what flat spot my fleeing footsteps did last fall.
Of all the thoughts that race within the agile mind,
Search and never such accomplishment to find,
As needle, cone or sturdy tree, this fancy strike,
Numberless will bloom and grow with no two alike.
Great blessing that deep wisdom ruled since life began
Including this unspoken pact twixt God and man.
Oh little man possessed of smaller mind
Where have you left your rigid fears behind
Or do they walk with you, your waking hours
To assault you with their secret powers,
Or follow as you weave your careful way
Through the monotony of every day?
Oh grim despairing soul that has no hope
Within darkness you taught your heart to cope
Perhaps you’ll teach your mind in time to think
Thus live midst emotion raging succinct,
And dreaming dwell upon a flagrant kiss
And planning maintain devotion amiss.
Oh grieving heart, how can you bear the pain
And never know the why or cause explain,
But wander on the loss accept with ease
Hapless craft adrift in unwielding seas?
Too sad for lack of spirit need comply
And basic mortal code for life deny.
Oh fears that pursue, limits that tarry,
Escape leaden weights that practice carry,
One nourished on an indigenous pride
Engaging fate with a challenge inside,
Deep loss that suffers lackluster concept
Inadequate values, manner inept.
How now, to greet the coming of the years
In kind with normal passage of brief tears
And accepting thus that time may deal unkind?
For wit that hope is neither deaf nor blind
But dwells with faith and modest dignity,
Spurn false ideals and feint complexity.
Lady in the chapel, you are so strangely still
What lonely thoughts do occupy your vacant time?
There placid in the shadow waiting on God’s will,
Content and cool you wane away your ebbing prime.
How many empty years for sin, will you atone,
What courage brought you to this final precipice
To know that you may bide forever all alone,
In silence here, for mortals who have strayed amiss?
If your eyes could see, if your lips could move and speak,
What message would you bring to earthly fools as me?
Tell me mild sainted one, were we born inward weak,
Does your presence command, “ endure pain patiently”?
Is not this a matter of human complexion
We willing victims of unholy appetite?
For each seed that grows is there by some direction,
Both fed and nurtured by our nature erudite.
Symbol of faith midst candles’ small flickering glow,
Still reminding us of our inadequacy
What gift of wisdom does your approval bestow
How can your painted tears improve our legacy?
If you were life and breath possessed of moving flesh,
Endowed with hopes and dreams, consumed with thoughts serene,
Will those raised arms to gesture once and mankind bless,
Seek birth and death with faith and justice in between
Speak gently words that can be understood by all,
There in some peaceful garden full of light and song,
With trees to cover you in leaves that quiet fall,
Then in our living world your sacrifice belong.
There was a man of love and prudence call his name
A little boy confined within a great man’s frame,
This thoughtful man with winsome smile shed childish tears
A fretful child, one hoped had grown through fruitful years.
To live brief days alone with him, beyond the call
To seal his fate, while sure one is that love wins all
The path of gain as we define success somehow,
And see with clearer mind the truth for then and now.
So ponder how and reason questing why he lost,
A bitter start and fragile mind so temper tossed,
And rise to know he’d treat both foe and friend the same,
No thought to jest nor strength to test or carry blame.
Yet move at times with tenderest and gentle ways,
Though sure I was his life would end in lonely days
With all the wasted fragments scattered on the floor
And wisdom’s caution heed the call, strong will implore.
Useless harm to those we trust, yet who can measure
Why force the heart to bury deep valued treasure
Yet still I dream that fate endowed my simple mind
With clever ways that might I not have dealt in kind.
I loved him more than life itself for but brief time
Love could not grow nor win, in such unhealthy clime
Along the path he’d traveled far and traveled wide,
And luckless found he never knew the man inside.
Ah, white knight, sally forth to challenge other’s fear,
Save the way of flesh, erstwhile knowing this is real,
Engage in moral fray within your scheming sphere,
And honor call their names, forgetting how to feel.
Ole! Brave matador, fast slay the charming beast
Lest you should learn too late that heart and mind can breathe
More than scales can weigh and wanton hearts choose the least,
Dishonor code and goals with which ambition seethe.
Someone I love has queried of me, “ Where are you going and why?”
And do you know I couldn’t give a satisfactory reply?
It made me pause midway and think deep thoughts too ponderous to ply.
I ceased at once, and began in earnest an “Inquisition” I,
An answer rang so simple, shrill and clear, in vacuous dismay
Oh, dear, I’ve done it once again and childlike, lost my adult way.
Now weep my love, for days that are no more,
Now sleep my love, to dream one last encore,
Then wake my love to face the world again,
And smile my love, it has not been in vain.
Arise my love, and teach your heart take heed,
Be strong my love and force yourself to need,
It’s over, love, there’s nothing left to keep
It’s over now, truth lost and love asleep.
Thus when each new tomorrow dawns today
To slowly slip into just yesterday
The pages of our story gently fold
And as pressed leaves twixt Job and Psalm, wax old.
Then, my love, reach forth to touch the morrow
Failing to remember shades of sorrow
Breathing thoughts as bold as all eternity
And idle dreams that swell with vanity.
Confess my love that life must be confined
To purpose real, mock goals for cause declined,
Justice meet dimension in manner chaste
Pursuing life in seeming sense, make haste.
Smoke curling from a dirty stack joins an already darkened sky
O’er junkyards laced with debris, cluttered with discard that’s piled eye high,
Mixed with the acrid smell of factories still grinding out their wares
As last years lights sag soot covered now from all Our Lady’s fairs.
A pidgeon’s roost has spread into a hovel on the roof with time
Midst makeshift lines where meager laundry’s hung to whiten in the grime.
Her aged structures seem to weep and groan with some unknown despair
Amid the bleak facades of each building’s ruff begging groom and care.
A city’s that place where the clamor of life parades in the streets
And the courtesy of her scoundrels leer at each corner she greets.
Here and there scaffolds rise in man’s weak attempt at human repair
While a furtive pack of stray dogs darts through shadows that loom and stare.
The sky above the city simmers with a glaze akin to glass
As she waits for the heat of a torrid summer’s day to slow pass.
Her neon lights glitter like garnets set into a bloodred moon,
Even her morning’s dew glistens and weeps and disappears too soon.
Imagine the day to day drama that her back alleys must hold
And the dreams of generations that here wearied and soon grew old.
Forgotten and lost dwells mankind’s dignity in the city’s rush
Like battered aspirations or prayers whispered in a chapel’s hush.
As a matter of need most cities are built like the hub of a wheel
The closer you are to its center the more of its impact you feel.
The white mist softly falls and fades
Dancing in a symphony
Each flake, a prima ballerina,
The world is an eclipse wondrous white,
Mysterious patterns make their way,
Disguising ordinary scenes,
Creating panoramic view
Where’er the eye may fall.
The world appears to wear a furry coat
Of ermine hue, fragile as the morning dew
Resting on the petal of a rose.
A solitary cadaver of spring
Slumbers beneath the blanket heaven sent,
God is in His glory and all the world
Reflects His purest image.
The air is fresh clinging to each bough,
There’s ne’er a garment which man
Could e’er allow to garb a mortal
In a cloak of such great majesty
Nor tell of such infinity as this world
Which is such a wondrous sight to see
When it’s fresh in snow.