Familiar

Tags

destiny, dreams, eternal, home, lifetimes, longing, romance, sighs, singing, travelling, whispers

 

 
Familiar words
echo through the woods.
I’ve committed them to memory,
of places far and deep —
places travelled
in my sleep.

Familiar dream,
fluttering poplar leaves,
yellow and green in noonday sun —
beautiful face behind a tree,
flirting, smiling
back at me.

Familiar voice
(a giggle sometimes)
startles me from reverie —
a sweet, fragrant, lakeside breeze,
and mournful singing
from the trees.

Familiar path,
in darkness I tread —
lifetimes (maybe more),
holding love within my heart,
whispering your name —
you lead me back
home again.

 
 
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hand in hand

Tags

destiny, dreams, emotion, eternal, forever, love, nature, personal, romance, sighs, universe

 

 

we walk
hand in hand
beside wandering streams
towards the ancient caves
where we have gone
before in dreams.

the touch
of your delicate fingers
against mine is electrifying.
gently
I raise your hand
to my mouth,
sense the essence
that I have come to know.
take each finger
deep within,
taste the ecstasy
that is
your skin.

I hear
splashing sounds
of water spilling over rock
“Come,” I say, “Lay with me –
in love beneath the stars,
let’s live the dream –
the story
that is ours.”

 
 
 

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Black Capped Chickadees

Tags

birds, curious, flight, forest, free, longing, loving, nature, observing, song, watching

 

 

chickadees
bounce as a pair
from branch to branch
they flit through the air

curious about us —
unable to fly
when their’s is the realm
of the endless sky

we hear them often
chick-a-dee-dee-dee —
so comforting
these little puff balls
so loving and free

 
 

 

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dandelions

Tags

compassion, destiny, Future, love, loving kindness, mystery, romance, unconditionsl love

 

 

dandelions, dragonflies
soft summer evenings
skies so delicious
i reach for a spoon

whispers in cedars
voices in willows
blanket of stars
beneath the tall pine

puff balls and rune stones
tell me our future
forever home —
the welcome mat out

loves me, loves me not
words hide the answer
longing remains
the key to my dreams

.

 
 

 

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Steps of Stone

Tags

compassion, destiny, eternal, First Nations, lifetimes, love, mystery, personal, spiritual, unconditional love

 

“We planted you, we nurtured you, we protected you
until you became a mighty tree that spread through our
hunting grounds. With its branches you now lash us.”
– Mississauga Chief

Steps used by the Rideau Lakes Mississauga
Band of the Ojibwe or Anishinaabe Nation , for
traditional Sun Dance and other ceremonies.

…

I sit on ancient steps of stone
by myself, but not alone.
The presence of ten thousand souls
imbues me with their joys and goals.

The steps lead to a sacred place;
for Mississauga prayers and grace.
They danced to celebrate the sun
before the white man and the gun.

I seek what they sought; love and peace ~
for wars around the world to cease.
To live a life of nature’s plan
in harmony with fellow man.

In harmony with living things
and everything that nature brings.
I sit on ancient steps of stone
with souls to guide me on my own.

 
 

 

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Squirrels in Winter

Tags

animals, Buddhism, Christianity, compassion, empathy, homeless, kindness, nature, psychology, Sociology, unconditional love

 

Occasionally,
Antonio
joins me for coffee.
He tells me
the most wondrous stories.
Sometimes,
I think he makes them up
for my benefit.
In any case
I am honored.

 

 

Have you ever worried
about squirrels in winter?
I see them climb over snowdrifts
with their bare paws —
they have no winter boots.

I see them stop
to tuck their tiny front paws
into their armpits
for warmth —
they have no mitts.

When it rains
I see them huddle
under trees,
they still get soaked —
they have no raincoats.

They have no pants,
no dresses, no hats,
no warm winter coats,
no shelter or fires
to warm their bodies.

Even the homeless men
whose beds are the sidewalk
have sleeping bags
to keep them warm.
Squirrels have nothing.

Still they remain cheery,
hopping about
gathering nuts,
Who knew
it was such a hard life
for squirrels in winter?

 
 

 

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Danced with Angels

Tags

angels, chimera, ecstasy, emotion, fantasy, folk tales, love, mystery, nature, sirens

 

 

I’ve danced with angels —
the horizon and my heart
smouldering and blazing with fire

I’ve heard songs of sirens
crooning, moaning, lamenting
orgasmic cries of ecstasy

I’ve followed woodland nymphs
into secret, sacred circles
of overwhelming abandonment

I’ve flown with the chimera
beyond the astral plane
felt her fire on my loins

Like butterflies, they dance
to each erect, expectant flower
coming with their love

 

 

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it is your song…

Tags

destiny, dreams, emotion, eternal, forever, lifetimes, love, mystery, romance, sighs

 

 

unassailable circumstances
compel me to extend my reach
beyond the here and now
to the timeless eternity
of the cosmos

it is the fluttering of my heart
(the fluttering of your heart)
that leads me blindly
into the darkness
of the night

it is the sound of your sigh
(rustling spears of grass)
that urges my footsteps
along lonely lanes
to oblivion

it is your song — so haunting
(moan of the midnight breeze
sailing seas of wheat)
whispers my name
so melancholy

It is the dark thunderheads
of approaching storms
that bid me take you
to my heart, my soul,
forevermore…

 

 

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Prufrock

Tags

compassion, despair, empathy, fantasy, fear, imagination, longing, mystery, personal, philosophy, universe

 
 

While pondering Prufrock, and his unanswered, “overwhelming question”
I consider my world of insecurities,
the fourth dimension,
the meaning of life, of afterlife, how high the sky, how deep the sea.
A lot of questions; but, most of all, is that woman looking at me?
And if so, why? Is it admiration? Perhaps my fly is undone.
Is she smiling or snickering? Are my clothes too tight? I’ve just begun. I like to think I’m individualistic, independent;
not a slave to the crowd. My clothes suit me – rather vintage, resplendant.
Or, am I a joke?
Is my style inappropriate, my hair too long?
The words float in space and, in my head, I hear the music to a song.
I’ll admit some insecurity; a lot of insecurity —
more learning, more questions. I like to think of that as maturity. I openly seek, and appreciate, the approval of my peers.
I know that contradicts;
but that’s the way I’ve become throughout the years.
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
It is the sum of who I am, what I’ve done and where I’ve been.
I’ve had much more than my share of restless nights
in one-night cheap hotels.
Unlike Eliot, I consider myself more of a new age seeker. Yes, I have heard the mermaids singing
and no, they do not sing to me.
I have become the watcher, putting in my time, dreaming of the sea.
Infinite waves, at times lapping at the beach,
or crashing on the shore.
Sometimes, I think that life should have more meaning,
that I could be much more.
I have accomplished what I could – “cat will mew,
and dog will have his day.”(1)
As always, the beautiful women smile, and chatter, and walk away.
…

 
 
(1)[1600-1 Shakespeare Hamlet v. i. 286]

Phrases in italics are quoted from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S.Eliot, one of my favorite poems. What I like most are the daily observances, recollections, distractions, insecurities and the questions.

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Fire for the Mind

Tags

ancestors, bleak, cold, farmers, heritage, immigrants, nature, poverty, refugees, religion, starving

A House is not a home unless it contains food and fire
for the mind as well as the body. ~ Benjamin Franklin

…

Iceland’s earthquakes and volcanoes,
blackened skies, smothered crops, starved livestock
left already poor families
destitute, no means for survival
in a harsh unforgiving landscape
of glaciers, scarce arable land;
only rough terrain for the grazing
of sheep and tough Icelandic horses.

Canada invited immigrants
to settle its prairie provinces,
unite the country from sea to sea.
They needed farmers to break the land,
plant and harvest wheat, barley and rye.
They offered passage by sea and rail
and provided implements to farm,
tools and supplies to last the winter.

In 1900 they left their land
of fire and ice for Saskatchewan,
my Grampa, Magnus Ingimarsson,
and Gramma, Vilborg Gudmundsdottir.
In sea trunks their priceless possessions:
the Lutheran Bible, Prose Eddas,
writings of their distinguished authors
and poets. They had but little else:
household goods, language, culture, courage,
thirst for knowledge, fire in hearts and minds.

Their first shelter dug from prairie sod;
oiled paper, no glass for windows,
scarce logs supported sod for the roof.
The first winters were harsh with freezing
temperatures, driving snow, blizzards
so fierce they couldn’t see their hands
in front of their faces. Many died
walking from their farmhouses to their barns;
but, they persevered and made their home,
tilled the soil, planted, harvested crops
and, in time, became wealthy with food
and fire for mind as well as body.

 
 

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Heartache, Old Friend

Tags

Buddhism, Christianity, death, despair, destiny, dreams, imagination, loneliness, longing, lost love, mystery

 

Heartache, old friend,
pull up a memory,
let’s sit by the fire,
drink a toast to the past.
Remind me of dreams
unfulfilled, unforgotten,
soul without substance
denied ’till the last.

She’ll blow me a kiss
as the train leaves the station;
twin silver rails
lead straight to the stars.
We’ll do a few orbits
buzz constellations,
perhaps a layover
at Venus or Mars.

Bring out the map
of trails untraveled,
of paths not pursued,
and deeds left undone.
The time’s growing short —
tomorrow comes early —
left the last sunset,
I’ve not yet begun.

 

 
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Dear Silver

Tags

alcoholism, Buddhism, Christianity, compassion, homeless, illness, kindness, poverty, psychology, Sociology, unconditional love

 

 

Dear Silver,

I miss you
(your cap on the sidewalk)
panning in front of Starbucks.
Your regulars miss you too.
Out of respect,
nobody’s using your spot —
Joy sees to that.

Eventually,
someone from the family,
(someone you’d approve of,
maybe Little Jake)
will carry on
where you left off —
serving ‘good mornings’
with a side
of smiles.

I miss
our conversations,
seated on storage boxes —
you’d light a cigarette,
sip your beer.
We’d discuss friends,
adventures from your past,
the Chateau Lafayette.

Some of the guys
were too upset
to attend your funeral.
I know you were there
as the group congregated
at noon, with the snow falling.
Albert still cries
at the mention of your name.

Sometimes,
you’d sit alone on the curb
as Shaggy barked.
I’m not going up there,
you’d say,
that damn dog
is barking her head off.

At those times
we’d wonder what you were thinking —
just staring off into space.
That’s just Silver, zoning out,
somebody would say,
He does that,
sometimes.

 

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The Happiest Guy Alive

Tags

Buddhism, Christianity, compassion, generosity, homeless, kindness, mental illness, poverty, psychology, Sociology, unconditional love

 

So, I’m panning
in my usual spot.
This suit walks by —
in passing he says,
“Get a job!”
“Hire me!” I say.
“Take a shower,” he says.
“I may sleep outside,
that doesn’t mean
I don’t wash —
I wash all over.”

“Hey,” I say,
“if you’re so successful,
why do you look
so unhappy?

“I’ve made the price
of my bottle.
I’ve got some smokes,
a little pot.

“Me, I’m the happiest guy alive.”

 
 

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My Name Is Hippo

Tags

Buddhism, Christianity, compassion, homeless, illness, loving kindness, mental illness, poverty, psychology, Sociology, unconditional love

 

 

My name is Hippo,
I’m an alcoholic.
Joy was the first
to call me Hippo.
My face swells
when I drink beer.
I guess, I look
like a Hippo.

Before that
they called me Farmboy.
I never lived on a farm,
but, I come from
a farming community.
I guess I looked
like a Farmboy.

Why do I drink?
Welfare asks me that
all the time —
I’m also homeless —
I don’t know why I drink.
I have bleeding ulcers;
I shit and puke blood.

I drink because
that’s who I am.
If I didn’t drink
I wouldn’t be me.
If I didn’t drink
I’d die…

 
 

 

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Morning Star

Tags

Buddhism, Christianity, compassion, destiny, dreams, eternal, imagination, lifetimes, love, mystery, romance, unconditional love

 

Morning Star, Evening Star
North guides the sailors
count us our blessings
long into the night

weave me a blanket
made out of moments
dreams of discovery
adventures now past

will me, be still me
arms be my cradle
comfort and kindness
within your caress

sing me forever
that place far away
close as a heartbeat
our home where we’ll stay

 
 

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