Everest

With sunlight drenching his smile he begins to cry. Waves roll down his cheeks and prayer flags wave in harmony with his emotions – tragically grounded, gaudy signs of ownership, hopeful and symbolic of the heavenly, the holy and hurt. The wind bitterly whips his face reminding him time is precious, pain will build upon itself, and he is more exposed now than ever before. With numb fingers he pulls out a camera and tries to freeze the moment, but the coldness curtly stops him before he is satisfied with his efforts. He sighs as he replaces the camera in his pack. Breaking off his icicle tears he looks around once more – the zenith of his quest and there’s a long way yet. The deadly descent back to the reality he wished to escape still waits for him. With storms on the horizon, he places one foot on the ridge leading away from heaven while praying he will someday return.

Lonely World

Porcelain faced baby doll
Smile with ruby red lips
Artificial eyes blinking with life
A frozen face can’t uplift
And plastic arms can’t hug

Are you lonely little girl?
Are you spinning like a lonely world?
Can I be your satellite tonight?
Can I make anything alright?

Caged bird can you fly?
Hop behind bars and sing
Stare with lonely intensity
A trapped animal can’t be
The inspiration I need

I am lonely tonight, girl.
I’m spinning like a lonely world.
Can you be my satellite tonight?
Can you make anything alright?

A caged bird can lift you up
If your porcelain face can smile
When my song reaches beyond these bars
Will your plastic limbs soften in an embrace?
I can be the satellite for a lonely world
If that world will be a satellite for me

Dusty Desk

In the drawer of a dusty desk,
A letter sits.
Unopened.

In the drawer of a dusty desk,
a photograph fades
And I lose my face.

Will you remember beneath the dust
I’ll lay beyond time’s grasp?

When you do spring cleaning,
Will you release my words?

Let thoughts flower
And face the phantoms of memory.

In a Garden

I stood in a garden and saw things through cynical lens. Pathetic attempts to be independent! Food for a family? Too much labor and not enough produce to produce a meal! Six foot fences to keep the deer out are proof that we humans are pitiful as we cannot work with nature, we must work independently of nature. I walked in the straight lines carved out of jagged mountain. Pathetic! These non-native plants invading with aid of water pumped from hillside, a helping hand, a securely fenced off location and for what? I stood and marveled at the impulse which had flowered into the scene I stood before.

But as I mocked those foolish enough to not enjoy my misery, I heard the innocent laughter of an enthusiastic child. Explaining the difference between the types of peppers and cutting tomatoes for us to try. My taste buds told me I was wrong. Her joy made me envious of the appreciation I seem to have lost. And as I walked between sunflower stalks and corn husks I found myself dwarfed. Lost in luscious greens with glorious scents, sweet flavors still dancing in my mouth, I closed my eyes and inhaled the hint of pine over the pungent spices. Wind made the motion of leaves rustle in my ears as they danced to their own slow waltz. I waited for a long time savoring the garden. And when the sun left, I followed. Later that night I stood before a mirror and saw my cynical lens through freshly opened eyes, finally ripe enough to enjoy.

Diamond in the rough

Diamond in the rough,
You’ll get cut up before they see the beauty you can be.

Diamond in the rough,
Prepare
to be broken,
to be made into a token of affection,
to be his hope when he’s on bended knee.

And soon you will see,
Only you’re powerful enough to break yourself.

The dust of identity becomes a tool of technology.
You’re clear cut and costly

Pave over the hostilities
Leaving casualties in your wake
For a love he can’t forsake.

And in the evening shade
Memories will fade
Rough edges
Worn down to the norm
Packaged and sold
Wrapped in gold

Another broken token of affection

Champions of the little screen

Champions of the little screen and reality
Larger than life by the smallest of margins
Anthems and exhausted answers to an awed audience
Five rings and a crowd’s ringing cheers
Olympic sized achievement battles Olympic sized fear
Flags rise and dreams set
But the best has yet to come.

like a poem

He thought:

Life should be like a poem,
Short and sweet.

So he wore a tie of rope and his favorite suit,
Dressed it up with the innocence of youth,
And rested his feet on the clouds.