Our Curious Creation

falling through time and space

which way is up?

which way is down?

quantum strings form and reform

randomly as if creating new

dimensions is their cup of tea...

stars and planets create constellations

some near -  some far away,

the distance is measured in light years

no faster is possible yet but

there are those who think it is...

dark energy employs gravity while

dark matter spins around aimlessly

and the light that is curved from the sun

does not seem curved at all when it arrives;

there are neighbors living on planets

of which we know not and the moon

quivers from some unknown source,

we pack and repack our thoughts in nice

little bundles of truth that is no more reality

than is our future speculation as to when

will our universe stop expanding since

we are running out of whatever it is

that the universe is expanding into...

fate and chance are ill conceived when

it comes to time travel and the space

that forms our final dimension...

we are just as curious our creator as

aliens are curious about all of us.

September 21, 2023

Mentally Relaxing

I imagine myself sitting on a sandy beach

somewhere in the dark recesses of the mind

looking out over the endless water at the sun

setting just above the horizon as the day

finally comes to a crashing end...  a small

wooden fence off to my left offers little

protection but keeps the sand in place...

sea oats gather sand too but are mainly

for erosion and are legally protected...

I imagine myself sitting on the front porch

of this fictitious dream following dolphins

with my eyes as they swim up the coastline;

I imagine myself cooking salmon out in the

open on top of a pit that had been dug deep 

down to avoid the blowback of wind...

I can imagine whatever I want as it is my

my mind and my thoughts and this seems

to me to be the most idyllic place of all.

September 21, 2023

Judgement

there is no cause for desperation

no cause for remorse

just a call to take action

against those we know the best;

towers of gloom hang from the ceilings

of our fragile minds, letting us

see that which we want to see as if

we are to ignore all the rest;

mondays give birth to tuesdays

all other days follow as best they can

saving the best times for the weekend;

soldiers of politics march obliquely

there is no other way to walk,

they bend our wills to theirs in an

attempt to influence the future;

our past now live in treehouses

ignoring the rules of the day,

we are shepherds of the daylight

hiding from the darkness and those

who would betray our loyalties.

September 21, 2023

Darkness Betrays Light

dark is the color of my evening dreams

folded up in a cloak of darkness and

presented to me as a kinky fantasy...

daughters of the night united

sons of evil smiling boldly as they

rape and plunder my dreams...

swords and daggers fly through the air

without any friction float aimlessly,

pearl handle revolvers look for their

lost leather holsters and the cowboys

that misappropriated them - no likely

suspects come to mind...  curiously

wrapped up in burrito bread, my nightly

vision pales in comparison to the dark

foe with whom I must do battle...  it is

not so much a seize the day as it is 

tuck tail and run...  being a victim of

my circumstances I lay down my

excuses as if playing poker with a

royal flush...   the odds of flying

faster than the speed of light are

greater...  my bond with knowledge

fades realizing I'm playing spades.

September 20, 2023

Valley Life

a cold front marches through the valley

as if it had been expected...  we dip our

crackers in the hot tomato soup like we

know exactly what we are doing...  but,

it is not the same as dunking cake

doughnuts into hot coffee...   still, we

prepare ourselves for the inevitable

just as we would for the humidity of

summer even though it came in the

spring...  we have never been much

for rules abiding, sharing similarities

with all the illegal immigrants in that

regard - we were born here - is that

our excuse?  Oftentimes, we dip our

toes down in a mess of problems that

later we wished we had not done - it is

too late by the time that foolishness passes;

we are just as abrupt as we are lazy and

most of us realize that flaw even when

we do not care to correct it...  it becomes

the torch that defines our last legacies.

September 20, 2023

Making Allowances

seconds into minutes

weeks into months

decades pass before we realize,

is age just a number,

like they say?   although,

they is never revealed to

those who search for its likeness;

we surrender our life at birth

as was the case for all of us,

we chose not to be here,

yet here we are...

months into quarters

quarters into years

we find ourselves retired before

we've had a chance to live,

is wisdom is for the ancient,

like they say?  whoever they are

as their names go unnoticed,

we are blind to time and when

our eyes are finally opened

and the truth revealed...

it is always just a tad too late.

September 20, 2023

Myrtle Beach Series 2023 #6 - End

Forever

out from under my umbrella

I peer...  lower than before

yesterday as I recall...

not sure why the change

other than it is more windy,

more flies too...

people walk by I can hardly see

old ones and young ones too

walking to nowhere usually

from nowhere I presume since

the beach is longer than a day,

colorful outfits they adorn

a rainbow of colors but not

because they are gay...

some with shirts and some without

some are tan while others are

trying to get that way...

waves to their east

sand to their west

caught in between the present

and the past...

holes dug with shovels soon

to fill up with water,

it is the way down here and

will remain that way forever.

15Sept23

Last Day Observations

angry waves from the northeast

menace the shoreline

in front of me...

molesting my tranquility,

waves form at their crest like

rabid dogs fighting each other,

the approaching wasters push

closer and closer...  as if wanting

us to pack up and leave...

cool winds force a shiver

clouds hide the sun's warmth

sunburns are still likely...

flies bite our unprotected feet,

preschoolers jump into holes

their guardians dug with glee

joyfully screaming our excitement,

no seagulls flying by today...

no pigeons either with their bobbing heads,

lifeguards sit on RTVs chatting

no one in the water to watch,

the end of the summer approaches

while under my umbrella I still sit

wishing I had brought my coffee

instead of bottled water...

remembering how hot it was the day before

when there was no hurricane off the coast

and we sweated like most tourists do.

15Sept23

Myrtle Beach Series 2023 #5

Tourists

morning arrives quickly

bringing the sun with it,

the sun brings the heat

and the humidity,

sometimes there is a breeze

under the umbrella is

tolerable but the heat does

not escape...  flag umbrellas

wiggle eastward towards 

the approaching waters,

clouds that were here yesterday

have all but disappeared...

a new day brings changes

never the same anymore...

tattered umbrella coverings

will be replaced this fall...

a sigh of relief escapes our lips

seeing the gentle waves,

their endless attacks on the

stalwart coastline never ceases

to amaze visiting tourists...

snacks and drinks in the cooler

have us prepared all day...

another morning and another

afternoon and an evening on 

the town after dinner...  we 

are the vacationing tourists

that keep this place alive.

14Sept23

Born With It

babies move like robots

strengthening their muscles,

dads pull carts loaded

with chairs and supplies

through the loose sand,

some sit in chairs under

umbrellas while others sit

on blankets without protection,

guards ride up and down the

shoreline in buggies in a vain

attempt to enforce the rules,

saving us from ourselves;

we are a curious group of

inhabitants to this area but

live our lives elsewhere...

calm is what it offers

not just solitude - our lives

temporarily suspended as if

we were floating in space,

we are disciples of life

children of the experience

seeking all that we can while

a world of anger surrounds us,

we are free to explore

free to ignite our minds

free to relax our bodies

free to rejuvenate our souls...

we travel because we can

we enjoy because we must.

14Sept23

Myrtle Beach Series 2023 #4

Awakened Abruptly

sleep is broken by the
sound of the waves
slamming themselves
against the sand in an
endless attempt at
defeating unyielding
defenses...  my reclining
chair protrudes out from
under the shade of the
umbrella - the bright
sun burns my face...
in an upright position
I can barely see out from
under the folds, watching
the walkers pass in front
of me with their unleashed
animals... others stand
boldly in the water, deciding
if they should venture out
farther or not...  today, we
are expecting rain but the
humidity is low and I think
they got it all wrong again.

13Sept23

Lonely Beach

as you walk by the protective dunes

with sea oats all around, the loose

sand becomes more compacted the

closer you get to the water's edge,

enabling walkers and runners to

freely pass by on their way south

or north to the next fishing pier,

where fishing is not allowed but

is now permitted after the season;

not as crowded as expected, this

part of the strand is comfortable...

listening to the beat of whipping

helicopter blades that pass by

now and again showing tourists

what it is like to look down...

perfect waves break closer to the

shoreline this time of year...  not

so good for body surfers standing

waist high in the water chatting

until the perfect wave arrives...

there are no sand castles on the

beach and no parents teaching

their children how to build them,

perhaps they have something better

to do...  or perhaps too expensive...

rain is forecasted for today at noon,

the lonely beach misses its attention.

13Sept23

Myrtle Beach Series 2023 #3

Quiet Thoughts

amid the noise and clammer

of the ocean waves hitting the

sandy beach, I gaze out at

the vast expanse of water,

imagining who might have

stood where I am sitting and

looked out thousands of years

ago and wondered where it

all came from and where it

might be going...  the water

creeps up the sand and vanished;

dull green water against a pale

blue sky that somehow seems

to wrap forever around this

small body of land...  stretching

for miles on either side and

without interruptions...  what

manner of god would have

created such a land where it

all is endless except for the

land on which we all live?

12 Sept23

Dawn of Dawns

we begin each day with a yawn

before we extract ourselves from

the mattress on which we have

slept for the last eight hours...

and walk to the sliding glass door

separating inside from outside to

see if there is anything out there,

if the water is still attacking shorelines

and to our astonishment it is...

a vast body of water and a  vast

amount of sand pressed flat but

with a slight slope that prevents

the water from getting where it can;

a reassuring feeling creeps inward

like a snake crawling up a tree...

I recall the first time here and the

first time these images seen...

a morning spectacle on this side

of the world...  the ocean right

in front of me...  not pausing

from my presence...  not running

away from it either...  relentless...

uncompromising and consistent

it all that it does...  currents that

move this way and that from other

parts of the world...  making love

to the shoreline as if it were her

first time...  its emotions felt...

its sensuousness experienced just

by being close...  feelings taken

away and I feel drained as if I

had just had sex with myself...

12Sept23

Myrtle Beach Series 2023 #2

First Day Morning

while we celebrate the 
anniversary of nine eleven
at a calm beach I sit,
the Atlantic like a lake 
flat and smooth
with a few ripples in front
of the waves turning them white,
the sun hides behind the
clouds of Lee that churns
the waters east of us...
we feel the moisture in the air
but there is not a drop of rain.

11Sept23

First Day Morning #2

in front of me, an expanse

of water I see...

far to the left and right,

a pale sky,

lighter than the water

divides the two

at the horizon...

on its edge

traverses a ship

to an unknown destination

it makes headway,

behind it,

a parachute glides

its colors muted by the fog

that covers all around,

like a transparent screen,

above it are

patches of blue

peeking out from behind,

a festival of watercolors

or so it seems...

the screaming roar of an engine

flies overhead but

remains unseen and I

cover up my legs

with a towel when

the sun again appears.

11Sept23

First Day Afternoon

out from behind the clouds the

sun has come to join us,

warming up the afternoon

a gentle breeze ruffles the flaps

of our umbrella...

lunch has been consumed

without prayers and water from

a bottle washes it all down....

a cookie or two or three is eaten

under the umbrella and the taste

of lemon remains in my mouth,

low tide shifts to high and the

waves increase in intensity,

body surfers are in the water

like schools of dolphins...

not a shark in sight,

lifeguards patrol their territories

as if guarding inmates during

their one hour a day outside,

chairs at the water's edge

are empty...   their occupants

opting for a walk...  seagulls fly

against the currents on their way

to displace a multitude of pigeons,

normalcy has returned to this

shoreline once the children have

been ordered back to campus.

11Sept23

Myrtle Beach Series 2023 #1

 ARRIVAL

from my balcony I can hear

and barely see the waves

crashing into the shoreline

nine floors beneath me...

pitch dark outside and yet

the lights from the surrounding

rooms allows us to see the

whitecaps as the waves crest

and break onto the sand...

silently creeping upwards

until percolating into the

ground only to be replaced

by another and then another;

on our balcony we stand on

this first night of ours, knowing

there will be five more and

wonder if we will have the

interest to stand here listening,

to what we spent the whole

day watching...   it is this

first night that draws us outside

bending over the rail to get a

closer look at the night beach

walkers and their flashlights

that illuminate their steps...

perhaps they are leaving

tomorrow or perhaps they

just arrived like us... wanting

to feel the wet sand on their

bare feet, sea spray in their

faces and a humid evening

that is drowned out by the

consistent thundering that

allows them to walk around

in serenity and unmolested

10Sept23

TOMORROW

with a warm vanilla cappuccino in

my hand, I sit in this uncomfortable

imagining what tomorrow will be

like here on the east coast...  there

is the threat of a hurricane to our

east and the threat of mosquitos

to our west providing the winds are

of the right attitude and direction,

we are at the mercy of nature and

right now nature is not too pleased

with us human beings...  and while

I ponder this reflection, my mouth

is treated to its favorite drink and

my mind is rewarded due to my

inability to sleep...  all the evil

spirits have been cast out and

were abandoned on the drive

down to this paradise, hoping

our mental emptiness will be

allowed rest and recuperation,

tomorrow is the day that never

arrives as today is the one to

which we pay attention...  and,

since there is a time and a place

for everything then our voyage

to the eastern shore is justified.

10Sept23

Colorful Illusion

close your eyes and imagine

a place out of time

a happy place in which to hide

from the insanity of life...

a place near the ocean perhaps,

or in the mountains where

one can get caught up in an

endless amount of hiking trails,

or in the desert with no trees

or water except that which

you brough with you...

close your eyes and be creative

with your thoughts and dreams

as you meander around in 

your mental fantasies...  a place

where no one can find you,

no one can tell you what to do

or what not to do...  a place

that belongs to you and no one

else even family or friends...

close your eyes and see the darkness

directly in front of you, and see

the bright colors that poke their

way through as if reaching out to

in an effort to warn you that what

you see is just a colorful illusion.

September 1, 2023

All Encompassing

an entire universe surrounds me currently

as if I were an asteroid floating aimlessly

in a sea of dark matter... a substance inside

and in between the dark energy floating

aimlessly in a sea of gravity that hugs the

dimension like a transparent blanket of sorts

bending and curving to fit the occasion as

it exists without substance in a dark void

in which heaven calls it home...  observation

strikes at the heart of knowledge and what

we see is so much less than expected...   we

limit our thoughts to the record of proven

science, feeling safely tucked in like a child

in bed dreaming before falling asleep...  a

microcosm of the universe is in our heads

waiting to be discovered and explored,

leaving a version of the truth on the counter

for the next visitor to find...  when the light

shifts and planets turn from blue to red, we

understand the phenomenon is as real as it

gets accepting the life we have been given.

August 31, 2023

Slow Learning

without consistent form or shape

my mind crawls around its space

like an ameba on the bottom of a

pond, oblivious to its surroundings

but conscious of its purpose in its

designated location...  far from the

crowds of the universe that gave

it life instead of the futility of 

disappearance...  an evolving form

that feeds off its own initiatives

while foraging for knowledge that

can only be absorbed by its outer

layers...  a form without substance

and without the wherewithal to

grow beyond its current intellect...

a prisoner of sorts that dwells inside

the empty space of awareness and

whose existence is juxtaposed with

the energy strings of a life force.

August 31, 2023

Our Resting Place

red, white, black carpet on the floor

three-foot-wide clock on the wall

brown and white laminate floors

Grecian vinyl in the water closets

electric fireplace in the corners...

large screens hanging from the ceiling

a rustic coffee table splits the difference

between two reclining couches...

fans circling twenty-four seven

sliding doors to the sunroom with

patio furniture around the perimeters

a cat door beside the recliner allows

for easy daily access in or out...

no stairs or steps to climb except two

a yard that always mows itself

since it is so small and complete,

we are retired and acquired many years

on these bodies of ours that are in

constant need of monthly repair,

a room to go would be perfect as long

as three meals a day were served.

August 30, 2023

Who

trickling down they say it will come

who is they?

it must start at the top of something

and like water flow downhill,

but that presupposes rainfall and

we have had none for a while...

trickling down they say it will come

all concern is on the negative

where orders and blame are

barked down the ranks...

we wonder why?

mud slides from the hills pour

down into the valley

we take shelter in trees like

the animals before us...

we have no tails nor instincts

just common sense prevails,

we conjecture who?

trickling down they say it will come

jobs and money they exclaim

but first it is always the wealthy

who much be convinced to do the same,

why bother?

August 23, 2023

Brief Encounter

rover over dover clover

nonsense breeds nonsense

roll me over in the clover

means more sense now...

expressions based interpretations

oftentimes interrupts meaning

as the people who teach

phonics would say...  but, 

I know nada about the subject

and have no plans or desire

to understand...  we have no

chance of understanding if

we don't know the language

or the people speaking...

even if we were to sign

it would make no sense to us,

around and around we go

and when we stop nobody

know...  making it a good place

to hide awhile and collect

our thought for the next time

we encounter this phenomenon.

August 30, 2023

The Shadow's House

the road inclines at the bottom of the street

a house on the hill silently sits alone

an unmarked driveway curves right and

there is no mailbox for delivery...

day shadows walk around freely gathering

the apples that have fallen to the ground,

sunlight bounces off the granite walls

with nadina standing tall at its base...

periwinkle grows along the ground as

would a blanket if laid down similarly,

hostas interspaced along the route

have yet to fully bloom...  there is no

close by source of water so all seems

like a photograph of stagnation...

porcelain doormen guard the entrance

like Roman guards on a Christian tomb,

serious complexions with no smiling,

gravel near the doorway rustles as the

wind blows back and forth but no leaves

are caught up in the breeze...  it is a hoax

of sorts that someone lives here when

there is no company at all for the shadows.

August 29, 2023

Night Stalker

angled shadows hide the source

conspicuous light invades

we lurk and linger inside it all

wondering what is next...

tears form in the hand's palm

as nervousness initiates

we are poised and ready but

not balanced...  fears cause us

to bend and pierce the night

with our eyes, hoping darkness

does not conceal too much...

we are in and out but move more

slowly than we are cautious,

black is the symbol we seek

camouflaged by the nightness

and the eeriness it conveys...

silently we peer inside windows

where the light hides our fragile

presence...  we see nothing and

decide to return to our quarters.

August 29, 2023

Mental Corners

the corners of the mind are

perpendicular to each other,

unused thoughts slide down

the slippery sloped walls

like those feeling that are

questionable but slip off the

tongue in crowds...  the

corners of the mind are more

than functional as they are

nonporous and rather like

enamel in their applications;

the corners of the mind are

cleaned each night when we

are sleeping since the dreams

are predisposed and sitting on

shelves to be collected when

and as needed...  the corners

of the mind are painted black to

enhance the hiding of shadows

that seem to lurk in and around

those thought yet to have fulfilled

their missions...  the corner of

the mind act as receptors when

bouncing ideas off the different

levels of consciousness in an

effort to prevent one's stagnation.

August 29, 2023

Walking the Walk

along the edge of reality you freely roam

with all your knowledge and experience,

daring the challengers to follow you if 

they will, knowing some will while others

will not...  sorting the odds in your favor;

along the edge of existential doubt you walk

carefully wondering what your next course

of action will be should you fall off...

romantic notions favor the wicked and those

who pretend to be oftentimes wind up in 

the corners of a bad experience...  still,

you dare yourself to be bold and clever

out-smarting even yourself with your

extensions of thought that extend well

beyond the parameters of being safe...

along the edge of like itself you glide

as if sliding on a wet floor and when you

reach the walls, they all disappear and

and you are left in the valley of wishful

thinking that never gets completely funded.

August 28, 2023

Dreaming

close your eyes and dream

about what?

when you were a baby

or a child...  a young adult,

then middle aged and finally

a senior citizen...

what is it like to be young?

what is it like to be old?

death comes to us all but

we know not what it is like,

live inside your dreams for

a moment and imagine what

it might be like to return to

those years when you were

so much different...  in your

attitude and behavior...

think back inside the dream

what it might be like to be

you again when life was ever

so simple and kind and all

you cared about was the various

ways that you could have fun.

August 28, 2023

The Colony

a window opens to the north

a door to the south closes

a western wall of brick stands tall

in the middle of an eastern sea,

seagulls fly in all directions

catching available currents but

none strong enough to take 

them home...  hunters fire their

rifles aimlessly thinking they

are Canadian ducks invading

our lakes and rivers...  we look

to each other for salvation, and

find nothing but excuses and an

empty house with open doors

and windows...  we are new to

this era of time, not understanding

its location or purpose other than

it is a convenient place to rest.

August 28, 2023

A Soul's Defense

reflected lights in the window indicate

the sun has fallen behind the earth

and all the demons that were on the

other side are now on this side...

we stand inside our fortresses with

weapons in hand to defend that which

is our that has not yet been taken...

we stand with renewed energy from 

the night before when we had been

able to successfully defend again our

inherited property - from those who

would use evil resources to take it...

we are the last in a long line of souls

whose lives had been wasted with life

so that it could be destroyed by others,

who did so out of sadistic pleasure...

we will live through this night and

countless others when the sun returns

to defend others on the other side.

August 27, 2023

Mental Vibrations

the corners of the mind are not squared      

they are curved and rounded,

ideas are enabled to move freely

within its confined spaces...  as they

merge and intertwine with others

on their same frequencies...   some

die before birth while others float

from level to level in the endless

cavern of time and imagination...

there are no voids or emptiness as

all space is filled with the essence

of thought that imamates from the

endless supply of free will that lives

inside the mind, brought to the surface

by those who want it to be so...  and,

the exchange willing or unwilling takes

place as the neurons fire and misfire

once the vibrations trigger a response.

August 27, 2023

A Stary Universe

rows of stars adorn the night's sky

a runway of sorts for vehicles

passing through on their way to

other galaxies...  planets act as

beacons for these travelers who

navigate so carelessly close by...

whisps of energy pass by unnoticed

through the dark matter of the same

name on their way to the unknown

so that others will take the proper

course of action...  souls die and

merge into a galactic cosmic

consciousness where time is used

as a cauldron for the unknown,

fueling the journeys for knowledge

from those who know so little...

dark strings of energy take random

flights into this unknown, creating

parallels that others will eventually

once they have seen their way here.

August 27, 2023

Time's Passing

time lives at the bottom of our thoughts

when we are young gradually moving

up and taking a more prominent position

as we age...  we learn as we get older

that time is our enemy not our friend...

time winds its way through the universe

as it has done for millennia and only

humans have a desire to measure its

passing...  knowing that we can neither

stop it or slow it down, leaving us no

choice but to embrace it and accept

the inevitability of its ending...  at

least with the end of our lives as they

are currently being measured...  we

offer little resistance to its passing

other than mental frustration and

trying to keep ourselves looking as

young as we can for as long as we

can, hoping the end comes sooner

than later in our sleep...   we attempt

to measure its passing through our

accomplishments knowing that as

it passes no one will remember us.

August 27, 2023

Time Sleds

the light bends around the planet

shades of red are visible,

blue dust falls through the cracks

of the dark matter giving us 

clear skies and sunshine,

particles float around meteor

and we give it the name of

an asteroid to be destroyed,

lamentations abound for the

solar system that is trapped

within the galaxy, force to spend

eternity in endless orbits that

accomplish nothing...  students

of dimensional anomalies break

through time barriers thought to

reserved only for worm holes...

we see mysteries and contradictions

but have no evidence to support either,

leaving us confused and paranoid

as we flash through the universe

on our time sleds made from the

endless strings of energy that float

aimlessly around creating gravities.

August 26, 2023

Sworn Allegiance

in the hollows of the night

we see light...  from the window

under the door and from the

streetlamp...  darkness hides

the truth and we hide inside

the truth...  keeping our little

secrets for as long as we can;

distant relatives or friends

may come a knockin' but no

one is home to answer the

door...  we are hiding in the

hollows of the night with 

the truth we were sworn to

protect...    darkness hides

our footsteps taken ever so

carefully...  from street to

street we go, carefully we

are concealed in black as we

blend in with the night and

shadows whose outstretched

arms protect us...  we are not

the demon in this night but

we do know their secrets and

have sworn allegiance to them.

August 26, 2023