The Need for Change
Things aren't always what they seem
Nice things often turn mean
Gold is not supposed to tarnish
Wood looks wrong when heavily varnished
The difficulty lies not in the idea
The trouble is in seeing it through
Change for the sake of change gives life meaning
Change is necessary, because all else is fleeting
Challenge yourself to do different if not better
Just the effort makes it worth the stormy weather
If it doesn't kill you, then it is reversible
Challenging myself makes this topic "verse - able"
Try new people
Try new vocations
Try new habits
Try new locations
Always challenge your mind and body
Or one day die as just another commodity
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Introduction - Overview
These are a collection of some of my many poems that I have written over the years, most of them quite recently - as much of my earlier work has been misplaced.
A few of these are repeated in my main blog, but I wanted to have them all in one place.
I hope that you find them worth reading.
A few of these are repeated in my main blog, but I wanted to have them all in one place.
I hope that you find them worth reading.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
For Me on My Birthday - 2010
I Saw a Man On a Far Away Hill
I saw a man on a far away hill
One day around about seven
I found myself on this familiar path
Moving forward as if magically driven
To say I saw a man was true
Though his shape and form were ghostly
Somehow a man he was I knew
Even with no outline, mostly
The walk was pleasant, the air usually warm
The smells and feelings sweet
As I naively plodded on along
Occasional stones cutting my feet
I found that reading was difficult enough
And writing was most unpleasant
That changed a bit when my eyes were tested
And spectacles became my newest present
The path soon changed and became quite steep
And over run with weeds
It seemed that I was constantly torn
Between my own and other’s needs
The voice in my head mentioned fourteen
And I noticed the path was widening
I was mostly excited while also a bit scared
To see so many options inviting
As I focused my eyes to see that man
Still very far away
I wondered why he remained so far, so distant
And formless that day
My legs carried me on as if they had
No other choice in the matter
I must admit poor decisions were made
And socially I was in tatters
At one point, I think one June
I looked back down the path
And while I could see from where I came
All I could do was laugh
How silly I was for walking this far
Without a plan or a cause
To go see a man who I couldn’t imagine
Even less had he’d been Santa Claus
One other thing that I had noticed
With much pain and introspect
Was all of the Y’s in the road behind
Seemed to now be circumspect
Did I really choose or was the road
Always so obvious and true?
Or maybe it just always looks that way
When you stop, look and wonder “what else could I do?”
From here and there to across the world
The walk seemed to become about show
How could a person travel so far
And end up with so much farther to go?
The path behind so clear and crisp
The road ahead so wild
Had I really been walking all this time
Since when I was a child?
The Journey complicated by hate and love
And other types of feelings
The road often dank at other times lovely
Not to mention all those business dealings
The man, my God he must be old
For he’s been there all this time
His form and shape seem less to change
As they become more solid in my mind
Today is my birthday, I am 47
And I am rounding upon him still
He’s just right there and then he’s not
But always on that hill
How much longer before I shake his hand
And ask him “please tell me your name?”
Although I think that exercise
Will seem very awkwardly lame
I hope he is all I wished him to be
Confident, happy and secure
But most of all I hope that he is
Calm, peaceful and mature
From this distance I can just make out
A smile upon his face
His eyes seem wise, his skin is worn
Though his demeanor does show some grace
I think he’s nearly just that man
That I had glimpsed a few times before
I think he understands that life
Can be quite a bitter chore
In spite of life’s crooked path
Full of rocks and hills and weeds
He looks to me like the type of guy
Who now, has everything he needs
I hope that soon I will meet this man
And we can travel together
Because who knows how much more of this path
Will be fraught with stormy weather
But I have a feeling that when we join
Up together just over there
It will be like we’ve always known each other
And will travel as one without care
Live Life, Love Always and Laugh Often
I am sure that is his creed
And if he articulates his personal goals
I am sure they are the same as for me:
To Love and Be Loved
To Learn New Things
And
To Perform Meaningful Work
In hopes that those three things will lead
To Finding Inner Peace as the Perk
I saw myself on a far away hill
One day when I was seven
I knew that it would take some time
To get to my personal heaven
47 years may be a long time
But there is more time still left
To join with that vision upon that hill
And to become even happier yet
I saw a man on a far away hill
One day around about seven
I found myself on this familiar path
Moving forward as if magically driven
To say I saw a man was true
Though his shape and form were ghostly
Somehow a man he was I knew
Even with no outline, mostly
The walk was pleasant, the air usually warm
The smells and feelings sweet
As I naively plodded on along
Occasional stones cutting my feet
I found that reading was difficult enough
And writing was most unpleasant
That changed a bit when my eyes were tested
And spectacles became my newest present
The path soon changed and became quite steep
And over run with weeds
It seemed that I was constantly torn
Between my own and other’s needs
The voice in my head mentioned fourteen
And I noticed the path was widening
I was mostly excited while also a bit scared
To see so many options inviting
As I focused my eyes to see that man
Still very far away
I wondered why he remained so far, so distant
And formless that day
My legs carried me on as if they had
No other choice in the matter
I must admit poor decisions were made
And socially I was in tatters
At one point, I think one June
I looked back down the path
And while I could see from where I came
All I could do was laugh
How silly I was for walking this far
Without a plan or a cause
To go see a man who I couldn’t imagine
Even less had he’d been Santa Claus
One other thing that I had noticed
With much pain and introspect
Was all of the Y’s in the road behind
Seemed to now be circumspect
Did I really choose or was the road
Always so obvious and true?
Or maybe it just always looks that way
When you stop, look and wonder “what else could I do?”
From here and there to across the world
The walk seemed to become about show
How could a person travel so far
And end up with so much farther to go?
The path behind so clear and crisp
The road ahead so wild
Had I really been walking all this time
Since when I was a child?
The Journey complicated by hate and love
And other types of feelings
The road often dank at other times lovely
Not to mention all those business dealings
The man, my God he must be old
For he’s been there all this time
His form and shape seem less to change
As they become more solid in my mind
Today is my birthday, I am 47
And I am rounding upon him still
He’s just right there and then he’s not
But always on that hill
How much longer before I shake his hand
And ask him “please tell me your name?”
Although I think that exercise
Will seem very awkwardly lame
I hope he is all I wished him to be
Confident, happy and secure
But most of all I hope that he is
Calm, peaceful and mature
From this distance I can just make out
A smile upon his face
His eyes seem wise, his skin is worn
Though his demeanor does show some grace
I think he’s nearly just that man
That I had glimpsed a few times before
I think he understands that life
Can be quite a bitter chore
In spite of life’s crooked path
Full of rocks and hills and weeds
He looks to me like the type of guy
Who now, has everything he needs
I hope that soon I will meet this man
And we can travel together
Because who knows how much more of this path
Will be fraught with stormy weather
But I have a feeling that when we join
Up together just over there
It will be like we’ve always known each other
And will travel as one without care
Live Life, Love Always and Laugh Often
I am sure that is his creed
And if he articulates his personal goals
I am sure they are the same as for me:
To Love and Be Loved
To Learn New Things
And
To Perform Meaningful Work
In hopes that those three things will lead
To Finding Inner Peace as the Perk
I saw myself on a far away hill
One day when I was seven
I knew that it would take some time
To get to my personal heaven
47 years may be a long time
But there is more time still left
To join with that vision upon that hill
And to become even happier yet
Our Eleventh Wedding Anniversary - 2010
Summing Up 11years with My True Love and Best Friend in 148 Words
A life well lived is full of action
A life well lived is full of surprise
A life well lived bares fruit of achievement
A life well lived bares memories galore
Partnerships can be much different
Beginning with hopes and dreams
Often ending in disappointment
Once in a while a magical match
Allows a partnership to further advance
A love well lived is full of forgiveness
A love well lived is full of respect
A love well lived bares scars of remorse
A love well lived bares witness to joy
Time not only heals, it binds
True joy comes from acceptance and peace
True love creates its own sustenance
Once in a while a magical love
Allows two to become more than they ever once were
To have lived well and loved well is a masterful achievement
Continuing to live well and love well is a joyous thought
A life well lived is full of action
A life well lived is full of surprise
A life well lived bares fruit of achievement
A life well lived bares memories galore
Partnerships can be much different
Beginning with hopes and dreams
Often ending in disappointment
Once in a while a magical match
Allows a partnership to further advance
A love well lived is full of forgiveness
A love well lived is full of respect
A love well lived bares scars of remorse
A love well lived bares witness to joy
Time not only heals, it binds
True joy comes from acceptance and peace
True love creates its own sustenance
Once in a while a magical love
Allows two to become more than they ever once were
To have lived well and loved well is a masterful achievement
Continuing to live well and love well is a joyous thought
My Son's First Deployment - 2011
I Hope He Comes Home
I hope he comes home
All safe, they say and they mean
But he’s always wanted
To be part of the machine
As a little boy
He fought all the battles
His plastic “Army Men”
On our floor, scattered and rattled
I hope he comes home
Safe is such a subjective word
Will his body have scars?
Or will they all be inward?
As a teen he got excited
When we went back to war
Even though I was afraid
That no one knew what for
I hope he comes home
In any old shape
And the love of his family
Will be enough of an escape
As a man he is committed
To serve and give all
To protect our freedom
No matter the call
I hope he comes home
And still has THAT smile
You know the one
To see it, I’d crawl on shards for a mile
There are things worse than death
There are things that cause strife
I hope he comes home
To a happy, settled life
I hope he comes home
All safe, they say and they mean
But he’s always wanted
To be part of the machine
As a little boy
He fought all the battles
His plastic “Army Men”
On our floor, scattered and rattled
I hope he comes home
Safe is such a subjective word
Will his body have scars?
Or will they all be inward?
As a teen he got excited
When we went back to war
Even though I was afraid
That no one knew what for
I hope he comes home
In any old shape
And the love of his family
Will be enough of an escape
As a man he is committed
To serve and give all
To protect our freedom
No matter the call
I hope he comes home
And still has THAT smile
You know the one
To see it, I’d crawl on shards for a mile
There are things worse than death
There are things that cause strife
I hope he comes home
To a happy, settled life
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