Living It

scampering squirrels catch my attention

gazing at the acre I just mowed in between

that deluge of rain that lasted for days,

and as I wonder to myself why the squirrel

was in such a hurry, there is a pause inside

my mental faculties as I reflect upon my

insistence at getting there... wherever there is;

we all seem to be in a hurry to get wherever

it is that we want to go or be...  but, once

we get there, we want it to last forever...

as we have no where else we'd rather be...

and, all of those in front of us, who do not

match our same degree of urgency...  must

get out of our way immediately...  and, let

us pass in some sort of undisturbed fashion;

a cardinal sits in a chair in rome while

another one sits in my back yard investigating

the ground for some reason just like the roman

one investigate the purpose of our existence,

which is not really a purpose at all...  but a gift;

we offer no apologies for our thoughts and beliefs

other than we are grateful to have them and

be aware that we have them as well...  since

the squirrel, unlike us, scampers quickly 

out of an instinct and survival and knows

nothing of the world around him or its purpose...

we see...  we think...  we feel...  and if

we are lucky, we can imagine what it might

be like when all of this is one day gone...

but mostly, we just live the life we were given

living it as best we can, just like our squirrel.

11 October 2021

Evolving Awareness

ordinary is the day today with its

commonalities to yesterday and

the day before...  months and years

going back to the very beginning

when there was nothing but a void;

in this nothingness were the seeds

of creation...  tiny sparks of life

filaments of energy...  vibrating

this way and that way...  having

no place to go in particular nor

any need or desire to get there...

pointless and without direction they

provided us with substance and life

and in return we multiplied and grew,

we became this and that and imagined

all that we could know at the time;

we were the victims of evolution

not thee cause of it as we mutated

into that which we are today...  and,

as we explore and categorize our early

beginnings, we find that all our labels

previously used for this or that, don't apply...

we are not enlightened...  we are the source

of and for the enlightenment as we

learn and retain the essence of our lives,

insulating ourselves from those who

were before and offering gratitude that

we are here and have finally received

the opportunity to experience it all.

11 October 2021

Dark Light

in the daylight we peer

into the night...  

we peer as hoping the 

darkness will not blind 

us to the light...

into life we stare

into death we stare as well

hoping its appearance is

avoided or delayed...

into our own souls we gaze

into our spirits as well

seeing only that which we

we want to see...  that is

relatively convenient...

into our minds we search

into our thoughts as well

seeking shelter from all the

knowledge that was put there

when our essence was given birth...

into something we exist

into noithingness we contemplate

as well but not all of us

are that fortunate to see

that which cannot be seen,

only imagined or perceived

as an opposite to life...

an opposing viewpoint that

yields nothing in return but

presists in the fragmented

darkness of the light in which

we battle for ourselves daily.

10 October 2021

Fleeting Permanence

how permanent has this

life become...  when my

day is spent reflecting

and writing the words that

only appear in my mind

and that are never shared

with others who have

endeavored similarly;

how desperate are we all,

creatures of life who

walk erectly on their fee

instead of crawling 

around on the ground,

searching for more food;

how incriminating are

our actions that we take it

upon others and ourselves

in happiness pursuits

oftentines yielding nothing

for which we can wager on

another few days of life;

how incriminating we 

have become as we tend to

slaughter all our previous

fond memories for new ones

hoping they will provide

us with that which we seek

but are unaware of its

ever changing valuation

on which we bet our souls.

10 October 2021

History of Slavery

The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions of slaves have differed vastly in different systems of slavery in different times and places.

Slavery was relatively rare in pre-civilisation hunter-gatherer populations, as it develops under conditions of social stratification. Slavery operated in the first civilizations (such as Sumer in Mesopotamia, which dates back as far as 3500 BC).

Slavery features in the Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi (c. 1860 BCE), which refers to it as an established institution. Slavery was widespread in the ancient world. It was found in almost every ancient civilization, including the Roman Empire. It became less common throughout Europe during the Early Middle Ages, although it continued to be practiced in some areas. 

Both Christians and Muslims captured each other as slaves during centuries of warfare in the Mediterranean. Islamic slavery encompassed mainly Western and Central Asia, Northern and Eastern Africa, India, and Europe from the 7th to the 20th century. 

The Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, British and a number of West African kingdoms played a prominent role in the Atlantic slave trade, especially after 1600.

Although slavery is no longer legal anywhere in the world, human trafficking remains an international problem. An estimated 25-40 million people were enslaved as of 2013, the majority of these in Asia.  

During the 1983–2005 Second Sudanese Civil War people were taken into slavery. Evidence emerged in the late 1990s of systematic child-slavery and trafficking on cacao plantations in West Africa.

Slavery in the 21st century continues and generates $150 billion in annual profits.  Populations in regions with armed conflict are especially vulnerable, and modern transportation has made human trafficking easier.  

In 2019 there were an estimated 40 million people worldwide subject to some form of slavery, 25% of them children.61% are used for forced labor, mostly in the private sector. 38% live in forced marriages.  

Other types of modern slavery are child soldiers, sex trafficking, and sexual slavery.  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

Sometimes

sometimes...

when I am feeling a

little frisky mentally,

my mind along with my

thoughts and attitudes

suspend my behavior

while I drift aimlessly

in a silverlake of

cosmic consciousness;

sometimes...

when my internal spirit

is restless from not

minding its own business,

do I journey away inside

the bubbles of my sorded

imagination and float

spectacularly in a 

golden pond of

cosmic consciousness;

sometimes...

when light has lost its way

to the approaching darkness

that silently lurks hidden away

in all of us like a latent virus,

do I allow myself the luxury

of letting my soul emerse

itself in the living waters of

cosmic consciousness;

sometimes...

10 October 2021

Word Life

my life is in these booklets

in which I write daily,

the good is there

so is the bad

as well as the indifferent...

my life has been broken down

into a series of words

thoughts and feelings,

written in prose

as a narrative

sometimes in poetry as

as attempting creativity;

my life in words

of my own chosing

or borrowed lines or

thoughts from another

song or poem I heard 

and possibly read 

along the way...

is it sad to think that

this what what my life

has really become...  or,

is it a way to say

thank you for all that you

have given me so I can

reflect upon with words?

my life is here...

in these booklets...  and,

all you have to do is take a

 little time to read a few.

10 October 2021

Forgiven

below the sureface of the counsciousness

lay the memories of forgotten times

never to be eliminated as the resurface

from time-to-time to remind us of

where we've been and who we are...

who we were...  or might have been

had we continued with that journey;

below the surface of the subconsciousness

lay the false claims of the false prophets

who guided our spirts into rhelms of

inidignation where we committed crimes

against ourselves and our own shadows

that were destined to betray as we aged;

below the surface of our self-awareness

lay the rewards of who we really are

or have become today in our pursuits

of how we live our lives with those who

desire to have communion with us or

live in the daily shadows of our behaviors;

below the surface of our retrospection

lay the crimes we have forgotten and

sit the people we have stepped on or

somehow bypassed along the way...  and,

stand those who failed to stop us from our

journey that they felt was wrong and who

were at one time referred to as our parents;

below our deaths that always arrive too soon

are the lives we have led during our lifetimes

for which we will be remembered and quite

possibly forgiven by those who still care.

10 October 2021

Walls

four walls make

the room

in which my

unseen mind

lives...  but,

awareness of it

being there or here

is not present...

four walls make

a prison cell

in which

it lives with me

in my daily

routines... we

forage around

for thoughts

feeling and the

inspiration from

this place in

our life in which

we live...  if...

living is what

it is or is it

merely an

existence until

it is gone and

dissolved within

the four walls

of this room.

10 October 2021

Justification

we live our lives as best as we can

taking away from one and giving

it to another who we believe just

might deserve it more...  we

torment ourselves with self-

righteous rants about what we

should or should not be doing

with the life we have been given;

we pray to the gods that they

will revisit us again with new

and improved knowledge so

that we may better understand...

we bury our dead in the same

holy ground in which our father's

buried their dead and their father's

before them did the same as well;

we send our children to the best

schools we can provide in the hopes

they will have a better life and will

give a better life to their children...

we thinm not about our future

nor do we grieve over our past

as we concentrate on here and now

making sure there are not rats;

we harbor no ill will towards anyone

nor do we expect the same towards us

yet it arrives on our doorsteps every

morning as we sweep away the 

memories of our forgotten lives.

10 October 2021

Lenses

I see throught the lenses with which I am most familiar

and whiule my thoughts are suspect, my vision

bercomes the foundation on which my thoughts are based

like education, politics, racism, and the economy;

and since these lenses are never cleaned, they are

interchanged quite often as dailly perspectives change

and I vbecome more neutral to my environment,

both real and imagined and my interpretations of same

are influence by what I see manifested in front of me

by all my real and imagined preconceived ideas;

we are all victimes of circumstance not chance and

we all see only that which we want to see as it

conforms to that whiuch we want it to be as we live

amongst the chaos of life and all its randomness,

swearing allegiance to science, not governments

and especially not religions as we have no verification

and truth is what the fact checkers say it is or will be

influenced by only those who won the previous war;

life is never cruel but always predetermined as

what will be has already been seen...  oiur future unfolds

as it was intended to unfold...  nothing more, mothing less,

idlle introspection is the disease of the cluttered mind

allowed to progress by early education and now we

see how wrong that will be...  I see throught the lenses

of my understanding and my convictions, right or wrong,

and they remain unmolested by current ideologies.

9 October 2021

Commonality

just like any other day they all start the same

awakening to pay hommage to the urinal

then take a glandular pill...

give the cats their morning treat that they

always make one feel it was delivered late,

and not internal guilt for over-sleepimg;

the large screen monitor is turned on

to view the progress of the news from a

specific station as the coffee prepares itself

after inserting a pod...  sitting in my

designated chair I disregard all personalities

and begin doddling on paper and for

whatever reason I know not why;

just like all other days, I spend most of my time

writing that which few will read and while I

question previous behaviors I no longer

care about the differences it makes...

retired, I will continue unti I am no longer...

not like any other day are my appointments

which to the medical profession all seem

to be except the quarterly visit to the stylist

who cuts my thining hair...  and, it is good

to see my friend and share treasures of what

we did since last we met...  although, nothing

really ever changes all that much...

just like every other day

there is little change and little change

is how I like it to be these days

since change at all is worrisome and

it is bad enough to deal with growing old

yet it is the commonality that we all share.

9 october 2021

Vision Obscura

carpets of fog cover the valley floor

as cold replaces warmth

or warmth cold...

a grey mist flows through the screens

of an outside porch like stem from hot coffee

although without the same taste or smell,

birds fly from tree branch to tree branch

unnoticed except for beating wings 

and the braches movement when

leaving or arriving...

swinging tails of close by felines are visible

as they see the prey they are after

but refuse to make their final kill...

becasue of old fashioned temperments,

bottoms of houses off in the distance

appear but not their tops leaving

them headless and vulnerable

to low flying aircraft this due to

the pandemic they say...

silhouetted trees tower above them

and well into the sky but

cannot escape the fog...

a pearching eagle sits atop one

or perhaps it is a condor

or some bird-of-prey...

a fog delayed sunrise and the light

shines on us at the beginning of each

new cycle by which we measure our time

and try to gather more from that which

has been wasted days previously,

we fumble inside our motor cars

headlights guide our pathways

moisture obscures our vision yet we

persevere like bears walking toward hybernation

or elephants trodding patiently towards their

predetermined graveyards...  we are

creatures who like the familiar as long as

the familiar can be easily seen and understood.

9 October 2021

A New Lie

cookie cutter memories are the ones given

to us by our parents who had thebest of 

intentions as they received the same,

no longer are they applicable and we are

better off having no memories at all since

after these memories are mostly rejected

all of them later in life are accepted and we

become that which we had not wanted to be;

right or wrong we embrace the values

endorse their morals and practice their 

integreties that they refused to master as

rebuilding a nation was paramount to them,

and they could not let their beliefs influence

their actions needed to earn paychecks and

pay bills...  and now, we are for all intents

and purposes like them...  disliking ourselves

in the process, wondering how to publicly

undress ourselves and purchase the clothes

no longer sold to those who have white skin...

or those who are different colors but want

the same trappings...  these cookie cutter

memories of our parents are no longer 

available not even in history books...  as

schools have awakened to that disgrace and

desire a new one to make but in their own

image even when those images have all

failed before...  religious indoctrination has

been replaced by scientific knowledge and

spontaneous creation negates the need for one's

belief because there are those out there who

have always been superior to us on eacrth.

9 October 2021

Troubling Times

we teach obsolescence in our schools and wonder 

whour products have no lasting qualities...   we

teach separation of groups in our schools and

wonder why we still have racial discrimination,

we have boring teachers teach boring subjects

and wonder why our graduates are ignorant,

we increase handouts to our citizens and wonder

why our citizens have become lazy...  we wonder

if our motives are laced with good intentions or

if our leaders have become more stupid...  we have

the richest and the poorest living here and our

middle class seems to be dwindling along with

our freedom of speech...  prices are increasing as

well as taxes and yet we have hordes of illegal

immigrants who want a piece of the action...

as if they have just arrived at a casino...  curiosity

no longer attreacts our instincts...   our nine lives

killed long ago...  greed manifests itself all around us,

we have allegiance to only more..  more...  more...

our freedoms have encouraged us to do away with

all of them unless we are already in positions of 

power to which we previously had aspired...  our

police no longer protect us as they cannot even

protect themselves...  we are a nation adrift in a 

large global ocean competing against those who

have decided not to value life as we know it at all.

9 October 2021

Morning Enlightenment

morning wraps her arms around my consciousness,

thoughts fall into a mental abyss  like dead leaves,

dropping onto the ground after a southern fall harvest,

mornings have always lived in the night's imagination

until they are released to the early risers who

cannot sleep or have had too much of it;

mornings open the door to new opportunities

fueled by the energies of breakfast and dissipate

throughout the day as reality blends and entertwines

with those forces that move counter-clockwise...

dreams become the chores of tasks that muct be

accomplished before the setting sun... and, for an

idealist who likes a jury of their peers, has no

reasonable doubts...  life can be narratively 

troublesome and formiddable...  mornings take root

in our mental basements moving upward as the light

progresses from one side of the imagination to the

other, never retreacing its own footprints in the life

that has been given to us although it may replay a few...

a deja vu for the soul...  mornings are always rather

approachable for me when it is only me and the

atmosphere of light that has not yet arrived...  yet,

there is a little hint of enlightenment that is shared

with me befofre it makes its first appearance.

9 October 2021

Light Infusion

the light curls up around

disapearing darkness,

modds lay around the empty

hallway destined for obscurity,

an outlaw presence is portrayed

on the clothes we wear...  off

into its fading colors...  the

rhelm of expectations filters

a creeping madness that rests

in between the facets of our

diamond fashioned behavior;

inward and outward the

express train frolics along and

mirrors the change within,

circumstances dictate otherwise

as it build up it curious appetite;

holes in the atmosphere open

themselves up for criticism 

and the rules of order,

abandoned chaotically, remain

with us forever in the tombs

of our own creations...  we

offer nothing in return nor do

we ask for anything in advance;

assumptions made independantly

disappoint frequently - the words

give us meaning and purpsoe

clinging to them desperatley

when all else fails for us and the

light never quite penetrates.

7 October 2021

Each Other's Pet

in the lap of my mind lays

the cat of my dreams...

one who is independant

but dependant...  one who

knows when to stay away

and one who knows when

attention should be given;

it is not a cat's nature

to be like this and it is not

that one wants a dog more

than a cat becasue a dog

pretty much needs direction

all the time whereas a

feline is more prone to

less of everything...  but,

has not yet mastered the

concept of come when needed;

in the lap of my mind lays

the animal of choice,

one with whom I will feel

the most comfortable and who

will be willing to satisfy our

mutual needs and desires...

one that will eat when required

will play when asked and 

will be discreet when it has

observed more than ut should;

this is the kind of relationship

we both provide to each other.

7 October 2021

Friendly Face

a cloudy sky offers a 

lower ceiling than before

when a blue sky presented

us with endless possibilities;

how different we are

today than from yesterday...

how peculiar are the sensations

that we feel...  from one

day to the next as it was

all just predetermined;

moments of reflection pour

over our souls like the rain

falling from the sky...  today,

yesterday and the two

previous days as well...

it fell down to the ground;

lower and lower

the ceiling becomes as its

precursor of fog descends...

our vision obscured

but not our thoughts

as we all but imagine that

this could be the end;

colorless liquid falls...

reflectimg it origins...

we brace for more while

wanting a little less...  and,

somewhere in the middle

we meet as if two long lost

friends were preparing to meet

each other in the face of a crisis.

6 October 2021

Previously Happened

the mind seeks shelter in the

imagination of its future,

seeing what might be as it

dwells in what is...  no time

for lessons from the past, but

historical memories float

precariously in the subconscious

remembering the teachings to

which no one listens...  each

image takes on a new appearance 

as it passes through these new

rhelms of time and space...

acquiring a few new equilibriums

as it searches...  but, for what?

empires of attitudes guard us

like children who have been

exposed to the wrong knowledge

at the wrong time...  souls

tear at the spirts, aware they

know more than they say and

we become puppets to the endless

passing of time...  and, its space;

our ages reflect our levels of

innocence and arrogance builds

as we acquire what was left 

behind...  the continuum of time

has no past but it does recall that

which has previously happened.

6 October 2021

Observations

a male figure walks slowly

down his driveway...

his figure is clearly seen

but not the details...

life wonders if his claim to it

is still worth keeping or

if it is time to call him hom...

we watch with trepidation 

aware that our names appear

on that list as well...

a male figure tosses metal shelving

onto a concrete driveway

not concerned with the noise it makes

or if anyone is listening...

we watch without understanding

as to his motives for this

impolite behavior but accept the fact

that he is paid by the hour...

a male figure sits on his back porch

and observes the activities taking

place within his community

and comments not to himself

nor to his friends...  we watch

and applaud his efforts as we know

that life has been kind to all of

them even though they are all

indeed very much different.

6 October 2021

Thems

downward...

falls the rain

the run off,

reaces down the hill

and those

who are on the slope

or at the bottom

receive more

than expected;

top-of-the-hill

stays dry

the bottom of it

flooded...

and,

we all knew this

would be the way

from the beginning;

thems that don't

have always bee

the way it is

while

thems that have

share very

little with thems

that don't.

6 October 2021

Valley Views

the sky rains down on the valley and

she welcomes it with open arms as

the moisture turns the leaves brighter

before they come tumbling down;

trees of regret stand close together since

they never experience the change and

mother has seemed to turn her back on them

as they weep away their shame in silence;

summer rabbits have gone to ground early

leaving the cats alone to torment themselves

after eating their body weight from our

summer gardens no longer present...

the ground tilled over and waiting;

stills of illegal beverages work overtime

their aromas ride the currents of the wind

leaving the locals all intoxicated as they

mend the backroads used for deliveries;

bradford pears, slim in their appearances

form walls of contentment around the homes

of their guardians hoping the favor will be

returned in the fall when their leaves disappear;

morning prayers are offered by the "born agains"

whose belief in something greater than themselves

has become fashionable only on sundays when

everyone else is sleeping off the night befofre;

the sky rains down her life giving treasures

the valley responds as if receiving the prodigal son,

cherishing the moment while expecting more

but shelves in the grocery stores are empty as

many residents here no longer want to work.

6 October 2021

Socialism

conditioned...  we all are...  or, so it seems

to live our lives a certain way that conforms,

that purports not to live as we may choose

but how others have chosen it to be for us;

decisions have been selected in how we eat,

or what we eat and how we cook it...

decisions have been reached in what we wear,

and in what we buy including that which we

sell and to whom it is sold...  we live in

houses or apartments, large or small, it matters not

butg not in caves or under water...  yet,

as the population grows where will it all go?

our dead are buried or cremated and if the later

is expected, we pour the ashes back into the soil

in the hopes a multitude of flowers will grow;

we sing only the songs that are acceptable

pray only the prayers that have been allowed

and worship only where we have been instructed

as failure to obey these rules will result in

repraisals that few could comprehend or imagine;

conditioned...  we all are...  it is a fact

and we all comply as if it is our sworn duty

to do so and we encourage others to do likewise

or at least convey that impression we are...

we formulate no opinions nor give advice

we reply in kind only when we are spoken to

we seek nothing in return for our compliance

except the right to live as they want us to live.

5 October 2021

Another Day's Gift

mornings betray the night as they awaken

sounds burst forth without provocatiomn

birds fly from three-to-tree in anticipation...

of what we cannot presume...

barking dogs afraid of their own noise

hide behind fences, lashing out at all that moves;

 our thoughts justapose themselves with

morning breakfast and the daily ritual with

which we were born years ago...  continuing;

sun wrinkled skin adorn our southern bodies

as we shelter inside to avoid exposure

but long for the taste of familiar warmth;

the greens of summer now disturbed by

by changing colors as we prepare fo fall

and in this area, an ever so mild winter;

motor cars move by in random isolation

on their way to anywhere...  but here...

as we presume not to know their destination;

quiet to some...  may sound disturbing

but is welcomed by those 'round these parts

as we join our various ages together,

discouraging visitors to apply within;

inside this space we see life as precious

and the colors of diversity are welcomed

even though rainbows are misunderstood;

we strive for clarity of thought and purpose

knowing not the final outcome or dispostion

as each day is seen as a gift that has been given.

5 October 2021

The Way We Should

seeds of doubt are buried deep within

the souls of all of us...  our minds poluted

by these thoughts and concerns...  revolving

around the notion we are all sinners...

of some sort...  and yes, to that we agree

but predicated upon what my dear...

some out-dated notion of religious freedom?

but when we think of sin, we think

of the comparison between good and evil

but those constgructs are made made

and have very little to do with religion;

or, is sin...  simply a concept of non-belief?

a trite thought indeed...  but one with

which many of us grapple like a bird

after a rains storm, looking for food and

without worries expect it to be there...

we seize each day without thought

oblivious to the concerns of others as we

wind our way in and around the traffic

with only one thought in mind...   and, it is

this one thought that revolves not around sin

or those who have a predisposition fo it;

we cleanse ourselves of life by living it

and how we have been taught to do by

those elders to whom we owe no allegiances

just a simple "howdy do" on our way...

we are livimng proof our sin personified

in all aspects of our lives because we chose

to live this way rather than the way we should.

4 October 2021

Just Survival

a narrow-minded opinion resurfaces

after all these years of being supressed

revolving around the color of one's thoughts

rather than the quality of one's skin...

it is a matter of opinion as it always was

and it means no harm to anhyone but

here recently I have been reminded that

we are no longer simply Americans...

we are valued by the color of our skin

and while most of us are of white extraction

there are some who are brown, black, and yellow

as the color scale goes and we even see

some as red which has nothing to do with sunburn

and while that suits the nature and the

sensibilities of some, it makes no sense

in the great scope of conversation and the

nature of our life on the surface of this planet;

housed within all of us are the same organs

the same arteries and veins as well as

the same muscles and tendons even though

some are better developed than others...  and, 

even if we do not believe in evolution,

our sights set on creation...  we are still

the same species are we not?  and, as such

it would appear we are all related to some

degree or another...  and this relationship

has nothing to do with color or with out

latent desire and instinct just to survive.

4 October 2021

Until Now

at eighty...

we remember

not our birth nor our

lives for the last 

several decades...  

but, we know

in general terms 

wherewe think we 

have been...

we were schooled

fought wars

made love

and worked for those 

too arrogant to 

work for themselves;

we grew food from

out of the ground,

worshipped on Sundays

and drank our fill of

the devil's elixirs 

never letting intoxication

cloud our judgements;

we lived life as it was

meant to be lived,

without money

without means

without motive,

claiming most all of it

in good health

and with a sound 

mind and body

until now.

4 October 2021

Imagination

quietly...  my thoughts

rise to the top layer of

my consciousness like

the sun rising out of the

east so powerfully that

dark glasses are required;

quietly...  my mind bends

the truth to fit the narrative

that is to be told today to

those who want to listen;

regretfully...  my heart

soars to the uncharted skies

where only hawks and eagles

fly, leaving behind those

who fear the change in

themselves as some sort of

satanic possession of life;

regretfully...  I leave my

old self behind to protect

those thoughts too heavy to

carry into the future that

awaits all of us sooner or later;

boldly...  I venture out of

my soul's spirit and claim

my place in the universe,

floating aimlessly around

thee sky like a wizard who

can only appear in one's

innocent, childish imagination.

4 October 2021

Take Flight

morning skies fall short of blue

levels of grey have filtered through

all the stars have gone to bed

all their egos masked in red;

elements of life are still quiet

indoors remain to avoid the indictment,

lights inside have all gone dark

but the dogs outside continue to bark;

thrills of silence chill the ears

eliminating most of our fears,

garbage bags of leaves sit idle

against the wall that has no rattle;

large birds on branches sit a while

smaller ones fly coast-to-coast in

their relentless search for food

and protection from the seasons;

a mellowing grows out of misunderstandings

tempered by the changing climate

and those who have no thoughts of their own

save the ones held onto for survival;

deans of the sky fly curved around

like an edge of a funnel they navigate

looking down at all of creation

wondering who divided this nation;

obediance is the footstool of subjugation

and we are the last ones to be told

yet the first to arouse suspiciion

hearing fools say we are too old.

4 October 2021

Debts

obscured is my vision

although I can clearly see

that which is in front of me

as well as that which

is not far away...  but,

the fog prevents further 

sight even though I know

what is there as I have seen

it clearly thousands of times;

obscured are my memories

from the old and from 

the new...  there is no

reason to see more than

is due...  however, more

is what I know and more

is what I believe even

when my vision fades

with our without the fog...

and when my sight returns

I see not what I want to see

but graveyards of distant souls

buried years ago and the

dirt that covered them is

washed away by the rain

and now they float freely

in the air in front of me

reminding me of the debts

I owe each one of them.

3 October 2021