Backwards Thinking

we think we are that which we want to be
not knowing how to act when we arrive
pawning our souls to achieve glory that
only last at best for the blink of an eye...
we think we are that which someone else
wants us to be, honed to a sharp edge
by our parents at he moment of birth,
only to discover their disappointments
lies in how much to talk about us...
we think we are that which was destined
by some thing or creature more mighty
than can be imagined and we echo the
thoughts of some grand plan when we
gaze back upon our unfulfilled life...
we think we are that which simply is
neither good nor bad as we patiently
experience our futures, accepting that
which is slung our way like descendants
of those who just wanted another chance.

June 25, 2024

Misplaced Permanence

from our ancestors we gained awareness
a keen sense of understanding exists,
we pawn knowledge for salvation, knowing
none will ever be offered...   we belittle
our thoughts with insidious desires, hoping
to find reconciliation...  none arrives...
we live in the tunnels and caves of our
mind's dreams, believing a secured place
in heaven will be provided...  we know 
not of such a place until death, too late
for us to change our positions...  and.
the awareness we gained short-lived
as it is becoming the legacy we sell to
children as their inheritance...  nature
asks us to leave politely - we refuse,
paying the price daily for our sins.

June 23, 2024

Grownups

hero worship ends, lies begin
life's wrong turns haunting,
beekeepers level the score
drowning in debt we are...
children on the stoop sit
counting their blessings
not knowing what they have
parents mull about inside
fresh pots of tea sit on stoves
angry workers store tools,
our lives are fashionable to
those who cast the votes
and we swim along the banks
of the Nile looking for clues
on ancient pyramid building,
children of the night sing songs
of compassion falling on the
deaf ears of seagulls flying
too close to the shoreline
noticing not who beckons.

July 23, 2024

The Seagull

out into the world I go, dragging
all my worries in a sack behind me,
over my shoulder, I look at all the
people fighting behind me,
I wonder about all those who came before
and what they did to survive,
I see my life flash by in front of me
just as the seagull begins its dive,
plums of water spout up from behind
the bird disappears underneath,
moments later it is in the sky flying
with a fish dangling from claws,
and all I can see around me are hunters
trying to shoot the seagull down.

June 19, 2024

Age

age marks my place in time

but not my spirit or determination,

age separates me from others

but it is they who are missing out,

age does not define who I am

nor does it define my legacy,

age is just a number some say

while others say it is a characteristic

that labels people like me,

age does not always reflect wisdom

nor does it reflect ignorance,

it reflects what we want it to

by our actions and our statements.

June 19, 2024

Alone Sittring

alone in the chair he sits
on the front porch of his home,
coffee in hand, eyes squinting
to block out morning sun...
alone in the chair he sits
without a spouse by his side,
four years ago to the day the
light of his life passed away...
alone in the chair he sits
not really seeing 
not really enjoying
just wondering what he is
going to do today...
alone in the chair he sits
without a name on his mind
without family or friends
wishing he could just die...
alone in the chair he sits
bending over to look closer
he sees a stray feline sitting
beside him waiting...
patting his leg, she jumps
curls in his lap purring...
no longer alone in his chair
the old man has a new friend.

June 19, 2024

Another Day

mornings expel night demons away
mornings purge the dark atmosphere
morning provide a second chance
mornings seem to always arrive....
morning are the beginning of the day
giving us light instead of blackness,
morning bring with it the sun and th
heat or the cold and rain along with
snow and ice or something in between,
mornings bring us together as a family
earnestly preparing for the day,
not knowing what to expect yet always
prepared for whatever happens....
mornings mean showers and fresh clothes
mornings mean trimming and shaving,
morning means cosmetics and makeup
morning gets us ready for the day...
mornings are quiet and joyful
mornings always open our eyes
morning seem to tell some of us that
we are above ground another day.

June 18, 2024

Consciously Aging

light glistens on the cat tree
in the corner of the room,
windows opened to allow in
the morning coolness...
wicker furniture silently sit
waiting for visitors and a
ceiling fan circulates air
in the sunroom....
summer highlights observed
summer heat and humidity felt
sights and sounds outside enter
enter the cottage home...
no children live inside nor
outside nearby - only the older
with the right to survive,
their siblings left long ago
leaving only photos behind,
on the porch now and again
you can see them sitting,
drinking morning coffee
or afternoon iced tea...
longing to be gone elsewhere
as their lives seem finally over.

June 18,

Innocence So

it was what it was
nothing more - nothing less
it was what it was meant to be
starved by its realities,
foremost it was that which
it needed to be,
free and clear of all
encumbrances...
a meaning - a purpose
a clear definition,
all of us knew its meaning
its direction and all its
manifestations...
we were not that simply
nor were we that bold,
we were in between it all
 like a room in a house
or the root of a tree
or a cell's atoms divided
equally into sixteenths...
it was that time, it was and
we were all young and oh
so very much innocent.

June 16, 2024

Full of Life

beyond the simple pale of existence
lies the souls of good hearts with
not so good intentions as they make
their way through life's journey...
one by one they rise to fame and
one by one they fall into darkness
never to be seen again on this side
of life and banned from the other...
beyond the simple pale of existence
lies the entrails of those who have
gone before with big plans and big
lessons taught to their young, yet no
one was the wiser as none listened...
beyond the simple pale of existence
lies our photographs and memories
soon to be buried with our hollow
whose legacies are more than just
death but that we were full of life.

June 16, 2024