Spring Cleaning in the Fall

from one room to the next we go
with our mops, dust rags, and water
moving tables away from the wall
chests and stands as well must go,
accumulation is what we see
more so with our three felines who
seem to shed hairs constantly...
back and forth, the mop moves
from one hand to the other it glides
soapy water turns dirty the more
we swish and sway - along the walls
and down the halls and into the
corners that seem the worst of all.
books on shelves individually cleaned
then place in plastic bags on a whim,
power cords once black is grey
and must be restored to originality,
picture frames are the worst and
should be called dust collectors instead,
put are put back in their places as
they have nowhere else to go...
two years it took to get us to return here
and now that we have, we wonder
what we might find in the next room.

October 18, 2025

Falling Water

dark outside - light inside
sometimes reversed...  depending
wailing walls and local jails
month over month
a candle burns on windowsills
farmers gamble with crops
death to the future of mankind,
internally we fight for the
rights of the unfortunate who
lost their dignity while
fishing for hope...
faith stands on the corner
under a streetlight
like a nigh walking prostitute
selling tickets for the show,
brownstones stand like sentinels
on both sides like a tunnel
warning of future growth...
tears of fears on faces of children
falling water with grace
sealing our overdue fantasies.

October 17, 2025

Too Little Too Late

castles in the sky built by children
never die slowly,
they cease to exist instantly
just like the dragon...
creativity is wasted on the youth
who do not know how to use it,
building and tearing down
fortresses of which only their
imaginations can build successfully,
sons and daughters trade toys
soldiers for dolls and all apparel,
just like the teachers predicted...
bras and tiny silk underwear
cover the young's particulars as
dresses fit awkwardly until the
lack of hormones kick in...
competition accelerates femininity
girls don't stand a chance against
the mighty warriors excelling in all
sports with which they are confronted,
Trophies hang on frilly dressers
along with their jock straps and bras,
men competing in women's sports
is what gains them notoriety until
the desire grows cold and they turn
to the freezer where their frozen
penis lives for re-installation, hanging
up any leftover remorse on hooks
they managed to save in childhood.

October 16, 2025

Another Future

beyond the beauty of the morning
are the vibrances of life,
hopes and fears
truth and lies,
the anxieties of death
the miracles of birth,
up into the skies we look
search for that which is real,
wondering and imagining
if and when our fate is sealed,
morning comes often
as does the night
a black veil of sleep
temporarily inducing us into
dreams and fantasies
where life is rich and fanciful
and precious memories restore our
longing for the past, forge the future
into what could be again...
daunting is the task ahead
boulders of opposition roll into
our uncertain path, delaying us, our
journey and subsequent arrival,
habitual creatures we are and have
evolved not knowing when to stand 

or when to flee into another future.

October 15, 2025

Wealth's Arrogance

peace is a natural byproduct of war
death is a natural byproduct of life
forgiveness is a natural byproduct of faith
salvation is a natural byproduct of hope,
minds swirl at the thoughts of infinity
dazzle in the brightness of creation
misunderstand the reality of duality
and faint of the love of resistance,
we posture our feelings for the misunderstood
scrambled our needs for mistreated animals
assemble our courage for the elderly and
fantasize about children abandoned globally,
pure of spirt and void of hate, our eyes
see with vivid details the world's
pleas for selfish help for all those creatures
who had no choice about their birth,
blue skies live in the valleys of despair
the virtue of prayer descends upon them
answers remain unspoken as those born
to hear stand silent on the mountain tops,
silent gratitude flows from the hearts of those
who bow to the power of politics and the
pressures of the wealthy who control the
unfolding of all aspects of our existence.

October 14, 2025

On Full Display

Throughout the years hate grows
love ceases to exist
parameters of it change
words betray the feelings as we
lie to each other constantly.
not allowing truth to surface,
time passes uncontrollably
we nurture the hate between us,
lighting candles of faith
forgiving nothing in return
least of all what was said...
guided by our instinct and the
blame cast out upon others,
we seem self-righteous in the
glory we bestow upon ourselves
for making do with our plight,
of future destiny of disassociation
as neighbor marvel at our feeling
and how they are conveyed
in their honorable presence...
we are children of deceit,
formulating plans with precision
accurate down to the moment
living the lie with grace and dignity.

October 13, 2025

 

A Voice of Reason

in the midst of harmony
there is discord,
in the midst of solitude
there is abundance,
in the midst of lives lost
there is wonder,
the world heals its own
a universal theme
permeates the waves,
illusion replaces reality
hidden inside seashells
from the other side...
serpents rule in the valley
Eden is no longer a
viable concept to admire,
reincarnated souls dance
in the halls of Valhalla,
singing tributes to all
the vanished gods whose
memories still exist in
minds of young warriors,
sitting in the hulls of ships
waiting to touch foreign
soil for the first time...
we visit their thoughts 
pronouncing them whole,
valid for the time, sinking
in our quicksand lies
validating all their visions.

October 12, 2025

Thought Breeze

thought breezes pass through the mind
the melodrama of silence ends
stray light pours in from the windows
on the other side of the sunroom...
distance lays down in front of me
giving up its persistent battle,
footsteps in the mind retraces the
steps of my youthful memories
discarding those incongruent with
previous narratives of loneliness,
boots on the ground summon gods
of war, averting a peaceful solution,
dramas trend on the videos streaming
into abandoned thoughts, inflating then
beyond comparison with the rules
by which we were influenced to live,
patterns form in the rawest of forms
bringing back trite fantasies that
were once on Akai tape reels, stored
in dry places for longevity purposes,
tributes turn into contributions
opening the doors for future alliances
undaunted by the night's vibrations
and loss of harmonic resonance 
due to the usage of smart phones.

October 11, 2025

Live Silence Lies

silence permeates the minds of the dead
the living bound and gagged sometimes,
sparks fly from the fingertips of thieves,
the Suez Canal does not allow submarines,
days of our lives become months and years,
wanton creatures stalk the suburbs again,
mystery invades the consciousness of 
Vietnam war survivors whose thoughts
have worn thin throughout the decades,
street vendors sell yesterday's falafels
while Palestinians remain hungry when
sleeping in yesterday's bomb craters...
we misuse honesty for truth conveying
lies to the general public every four
years when ballots are needed to
remove that trash that has collected...
familiarity breed contempt they say
but no one knows who they are...
still, we spend our inherited fortunes on
that which is short lived, avoiding taxes
and alimony payments in lieu of believing
life will ever be as good again as it was
before silence attracted so much attention.

October 10, 2025

Eternal Optimism

Sunday slides into Monday
as did Friday into Saturday
weekdays merge into each
other as if by divine routine,
mornings into afternoons
afternoons into evenings
and the entire process can
begin or end at any time...
spacetime haunts us every
time it is mentioned and
we continue to age into
nothingness when out time
comes to its completion,
providing us with rewards
only the dead understand.
we belong to the universe
as it belongs to itself, not
its creator, expanding into
reiterations of existence
contemplated in textbooks,
life seem pointless without
reincarnation, wondering
how many chances are given?
life is its own worst enemy
as prolonging becomes the
domain of the wealthy who
only outlive their own legends
or reoccurrences become boring.

October 6, 2025

A Mental Collapse

chambers of the mind open
and clothes like heart valves
old memories flow out
to allow new one in...
some are refurbished while
others are disregarded and
discarded in to recycle bin,
chambers of the mind sit on
shelves in bookcases lining
the hallways of forgetfulness,
beside the rives of doubt that
stream through valleys of
subconsciousness in a selective
chronology that ranks depression
ahead of non-clinical insanity,
chambers of the mind dwell in
tunnels that connect caves inside
mountains of enlightenment
when awareness sits like an
illusive cornerstone of growth
and intellectual mindfulness
of life's unnatural purposes.

October 5, 2025

The Radiant Sky

blue sky covers the sky dome
above our heads naturally
green leaves on blue highlighted
limbs hidden from our view,
little people lay on the grass
looking for four leaves of clover
not so easy seen or captured,
wonderous eyes look outward
towards the heavens for the
answers not underneath them,
rows of neurons fire simultaneously
propelling thought outward 
and into the world of imagination,
fanciful dreams, limited only
by the input of creativity...
between the ground and sky
lies the minds of children
whose ideas are like the
gravitational waves that tend
to stalk our universe once
set into eternal motion...
a cloudless sky finds its center
hanging over as if hung over
wishing and wondering why it 
had never been called earlier.

October 4, 2026

A Dead Marriage

everyday comments
sworn implications
unheard innuendos
years of marriage
lying commonalities
when retirement is
on the front doorstep,
insignificant thoughts
deceitful harm that
refuses to die...
disgust and contempt
lack of respect
lack of trust
pulling no punches
sharing the words,
hateful friendships
wrongly applied
no tears on the cheek
just animosity with
sprinkles of anger,
thirty years of more
we have betrayed
ourselves with out
promises and false
assumptions about
living together,
growing apart and
our forever love.

October 3, 2025

Fanciful Friends

cast down from the fan
air flows and reaches 
out to barriers in its way,
its goal - the couch
or beyond hopefully
to the dog resting
on the rug - on the floor
along with the cat
by its side - friends
to the end of their time,
following each other
around - day and night
misfits of the world that
had been around them,
saved and resaved from
the crisis looming,
before and afterwards,
a daunting task it was
consumed us all, 
better we all are now
then we were...
the screaming valley
caught the attention
reaction swift and oh so
thorough as we changed
history's course as well as
our own for the better.

September 30,2025

Sunroom Darkness

darkness fills the sunroom
once overflowing with activity,
nights replace days hiding
the room's purpose, concealing
the reason for refurbishing,
moments of sound vanish
cats and people return inside
to fans and air conditioners
beds and bowls of food,
not available outside...
sunroom doors lead to the 
world beyond the world of the
home where they were protected
around the clock, if need be,
it was a world of privacy and
security, not taken for granted
when venturing carefully outside.
the sunroom is the transition
where cats can experience outside
without being outside - panoramic
view - twelve windows - ledges,
cat trees to sit or lay upon while
observing the outside scenery,
birds, rabbits, squirrels, and other
felines chancing a walk through,
but now...  it is empty, filled with
the darkness of night and humidity
no one sits at the door wanting out.

September 26, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #14

Never Again

blankets on the sand deck lay

void of personal possessions

except inexpensive chairs 

under umbrellas - occupied two

or more - several chairs without

nary a one -  at water's edge

are they stationed - feet in the

water splashing - slowly sinking,

boats with blue sails bounce

up and down on the swells,

nausea inside just watching them,

traversing parallel to the shore

south to north and back again

towards parachute passengers

just launching from a skiff

a windy afternoon begins as

quickly as it begins - one week ago,

tan bodies once were all white

others are still quite pale looking

this coastline belongs to no one

although some think differently,

some spent hours getting here

others only a few minutes east

this coastline attracts them all

sharing vacations together we do

never meeting this way again.

September 20, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #13

Last Time

days pass by quickly

seven at a time

blew by unfairly

wind, sand, sun

all gone away now

until next time - next year

one year older then

hip replacement and all

learning to walk again

in the sand especially

backpacks and canes

teens holding doors

speaking elderly words

making faces as I pass

me remembering quickly

how quickly it all passes

walking through and

saying "thank you..."

with a grinning smile.

a last look at the ocean

wearing polarizing lenses

poses no problems for me

white caps and all...

memories of body surfing

drinking beer, chasing

female companionship

lay on the sand as I walk

away with wife - last time.

September 20, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #12

Right Way Viewing

off into the watery distance

I stare with futile expectations

like those before me and those before them

seeing the end but not the beginning

never knowing from whence it comes

contrasting waters coming at me

an unwavering horizon line

separating water from sky

a future distant goal to achieve

approaching but never reaching

an endless mental frustration like

not remember all lyrics of a song

or the quote from a popular book

shared in a conversation where

first impressions are the sole reason

for engaging in political small talk,

fishing poles sit in holders in carts

waiting to be pulled free or cast out

into the current less water that holds

the swimming prey for which they seek,

electric bicycles circumvent walking

large wheels enable sandy excursions,

partners exclaim:  "You showed me that before."

ponderings of a lesser kind die quickly here.

September 18, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #11

Vision Afternoon

forward facing afternoon

sunshade increasing

shadows permitting

water waves approaching

selective white caps stretching

potholed ocean appearing

in the noon of the day

rolling over on blankets

oiled and ready to go

caps of all shapes and sizes

wrap around glasses attire

preschoolers wandering around

with hand touching parents

dogs on leashes walking

their owners vigorously

straight and off course too

bald heads reflecting the sun

long hair in tails hanging

down back with the younger

letting it toss in the wind

surveyors hunting silver

oblivious to others around

search the sands unsuccessfully

a dusty blue sky covers

all perspectives of sight

even when turning heads in

parallel oblique directions.

September 18, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #10

Reality's Discourse

on the outskirts of reality

we live in townhouses

clustered in communities

with gates and keepers like

foreigners in the fifties...

controlled populations

retrained and modified,

reality blows through us

breezes at an eastern resort

chilling senses...  sobriety

dovetailed thoughts, feelings

one consciousness capabilities

rendering illusions needed

to influence actions...

truth steps in reality's shoes

only for convenience

politics and beliefs clash

junkies wear orange and red

for their colorblind intentions,

nature fools no one with its

seasonal changes, except

those who live on borders

extremities of snow and ice

preventing outlook changes

forcing us to accept the

discourse reality gives us.

September 18, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #9

 

Nevertheless Quantum

fantasies fulfilled

ill-conceived or otherwise

faltering obedience

day and night

in between and almost

seeps through curtain walls

like sounds from above

and below...  similar to

dreams of another kind

illusive and unkind

as life bestows blessings

on violations of our

mental outlooks, keeping

us safe and in line...

silos of happiness

thoughts of silence

impending universal curves

where holes are filled

with energy, both light

and dark seen in the minds

of those whose fantasies

play out in quantum 

parallel dimensions

September18, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #8

Moments of Time

time memories flirt with us

we tend to flirt back

photos taken and stored like

pigeons being fed on beaches,

dragonflies sitting on pools,

side walking crabs and

mono-wheels strolling

down sandy beaches...

aircraft ascending nearby

fading softly into silence...

time hangs on tourist heels

time looms in all minds...

too little or too much...

time flows through tunnels

nightly dreams, some days,

perceiving reality in five

one act plays without the

need to any curtain calls,

time is distorted, recreated,

intolerable at best but a

little disarming at worst,

yet time is always what it

is or what it is not and

always remembered for

what it means to us when

arriving at a complete stop.

September 17, 2025

Myrtle Beach 2025 Series #7

Line of Sight

from north to south

south to north and

from the shoreline

to the west and back

we see demarcation

lines forever from

our stationary location

rows of umbrellas

rows of motels

various condominiums

stretches of sand

asphalt roads and

too many stop lights,

restaurants, specialty

stores, pancake houses,

people milling around

like ants in a farm,

seagulls who wait  

until noon to fly by...

an all-inclusive voyeur

we have become

sending our interests

into areas we are now

forced to see daily.

September 17, 2025