The Past Will Have the Last Word

_____________________________________

History repeats itself.
– unknown


And this is how it ends,
How it began last winter.

The sun sang his final
Song before dipping down

Out of sight. Will we
See him again? Will

Our brows again be
Kissed with his holy

Blood? Fall has been
Here before, has tip-

Toed away from Summer
on ruffled leaves, has

signaled Winter to start
her annual dirge. Fall

has fooled us all again
into crowning Compromise

king for another term,
into meeting in the middle

and giving none of our
possessions to the poor.


--100810--

Something New

_______________

Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here.

-Jon Foreman


This is where I stood
This time
Last year.

This is where the rain
Fell.
Where the vultures
Gathered death
Like food.

Where Darkness gripped
My hand
Like a fond lover,

Only to whore itself
Out to a hopeless
Humanity.

I was not fooled.
Only lost.
Only wandering.
Only on a vacation

From Joy.
From Purpose.
From Life.

Would these three
Ever find me?
I could not tell.

But today,
As I look back
Over the glaring precipice

Us four dance
On the grave of whores,
Those who promised
life
But only delivered
Disease.

Only longing.

I dare you
To
Move,

Sang the Light.

I dare you to
Become
Who
You
Are.


--100710--

Unless it Falls

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

-Jesus

Today

Hope wears black

and carries a casket

of thorns.

I did not wish it to be this way.

How things change

so soon.

How Winter swallows up

Autumn

on the last night

of Summer.

I hold a plane ticket

in my hands.

Eighteen million are homeless

at my former destination.

Now 18,000 of my

cousin’s days are dead.

It all happened overnight.

I can still hear

my uncle’s voice

on the phone those

ten years ago.

I was just a kid

trying to find my way

in this world,

just a man

trying to make sense

of silence.

I see him standing

in the corner

of next week.

He too wears black,

like Hope.

--082910--

The Returning

__________________

I spoke too soon.

Tonight,

The sunken moon

Kissed me

With starlight

Before I could

Cry into the

Lonely

Pillow.

Tonight,

Darkness knows

Bounds,

Like the ocean’s

Mighty waves.

“Come no further!”

Crashing into the

Light

In my brother’s

Heavy eyes,

It broke its

Bloody knuckles

On tomorrow’s

Steadfast gaze.

“I would have

Despaired

Unless

I had believed

I would see

The goodness of the LORD

In the land of the

Living.”

Take heart;

I am

Returning.

--051810--

The Lifesaver

The life in winter

Which froze fragile bones

Is now hot like ash.

The flames caught wind

Of you pouring gasoline

On your past,

So they kissed your

Black boots

With hot hell.

Now you dance

In the garden’s

Man-made purgatory,

Shaking the dust

Of this world

Off your feet

As you learn to

Live and love

Again.

--051210--

I’m an alien in the garden

Walking tall, thin and proud.

Not all are lost who wander;

Not all the lost are found.

I make my home in Evergreen,

Colors from long ago,

This pale afternoon sending water

Upon an ever thirsty soul.

When I arrive I’ll write you

From wherever it is I go.

Until then,

I wear the sky as my robing

And the earth as my home.

--051110 and 051210--

Snow Fountain (Weeping Higan Cherry)

I've recently started intentionally drawing in natural settings (mainly in a botanical garden) and writing poems to go along with the drawings about once a week. Enjoy the journey!

Snow Fountain,

Green winter

Has come and bowed

You down like ash.

Why are you weeping?

Or are you simply resting

In the arms of the older

Tree, playing dress-up

With his hand-me-down

Clothes? You who are

Cradled in wind and waves,

Do you still feel alone

In the shade, not knowing

Ancient light crouches

Behind you?

--050810--