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Thursday, July 26, 2018

Ashes to Ashes



Let’s trace our paths back near conception
more precisely, a moment before.
At the start we’re the clay of perfection
to be shaped as we transit life’s door.


God will shape us as homo erectus
but our minds are left blank as a stare.
Apparently, God must expect us
to learn from the world while we’re there,


We begin by distinguishing classes
gaining clues from the creatures most near.
Those who feed us and powder our asses
and the “others”, whose worth is unclear.


Soon, we’ll ponder our ultimate purpose
but, for now, we’re content with our role
until cousins or siblings usurp us,
we rule all our world, on the whole.


Life’s reality tends, then, to shock us
when the self-serving rivals appear
first to poke us, to prod and then mock us
with clandestine kicks to our rear.


If we live through the toddler phases
we, with school’s paradoxes, make war.
We conform, don façades of teen crazes
then we graduate, lost, as before.


Come careers and a marriage and babies,
a child to distort all our own.
Though our mind is of questions and maybes
our disguises are settled in stone.


It’s the clueless now leading the clueless
a parade that is endlessly long.
“Dear, don’t look at the homeless and shoe less,
learn to do as I do to get on.”


We all choose our refuge, our haven,
a bias, religion or chore.
and then, sure as Edgar Poe’s Raven,
we begin to hatch versions of yore.


“If only my parents had taught me
better habits and sticking to goals,
but they loved siblings more and forgot me
thus my life full of questions and holes.”


“More to blame are my teachers and bosses
my government, husband (or wife)
but for them I’d not be counting losses
I’d be warm and content with my life.”


Ah, at last, comes the moment for leaving
and we give up our life with a sigh,
as the relatives count the ones grieving
and your money while faking a cry.


Thus our universe spins to the minute,
once again the primordial ball,,
with a bang, spills the contents within it
and “She” starts reconstructing it all.


Yes, a capital “She”, I must tell you
that the news about God is quite large.
Just before your departure for hell you
should know that Pandora’s in charge.











































Thursday, January 18, 2018

In Early Dawn

I wrote this after going on a camping trip with my grandson's sixth grade class to a campground just outside of Yosemite National park. I started writing it at coffee, before breakfast and carried my notebook the rest of the day to jot down verses. The poem was in a drawer all these years (the grandson is now 25 years old). I forgot about it completely.

In Early Dawn


In early dawn my coffee cup,
before I wake young campers up...
enjoy the calm and silent camp...
the morning.

The morning senses, breakfast bells
with syrup tastes and sausage smells...
the clothes are clean the hair is damp
they're hungry.

they're hungry for the learning too
a meadow green and forest view...
a question and a sixth grade hunch
cathedrals.

Cathedrals in the puzzle pines
the students in their cabin lines..
a peanut butter brown-bag lunch
the Miwoc.

The Miwoc with their tribal tales
a child has died a marraige fails
eternal sadness, granite face.
Tanaya

Tanaya creek and mirror lake
or meadow? Is it some mistake
or mother nature's saving grace?
It's evening.

It's evening filled with campfire games
the skits with all the teacher's names
a snack and are they sleeping yet"?
and later.

And later with a refilled cup
I drink the friendly coffee up
they're still awake I'd safely bet
but peaceful.

But peaceful is a moonlight stroll
to comtemplate my latest role
at dawn I'll start another day...
tomorrow.

Tomorrow comes and children go
I was a help. How do I know?
the smiles show me my just reward...
In early dawn.