SPRUTAN

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SPRUTAN

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We can't re-do the past

Nor can we pre-do the future

We hold only this moment 

In the palm of our hands

A seed we can tenderly nurture

Until it grows and grows

Into a mighty tree whose branches

Reach to the stars

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NIGHT TRIP

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NIGHT TRIP

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Without a worry, without a care

I rose and floated in the air

I zoomed out into outer space

No helmet needed for my face

I whizzed by planets, I circled stars

I walked around on mysterious Mars

I spun and twirled utterly free

Until my alarm clock awakened me

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MY FELLOW AMERICANS

 

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MY FELLOW AMERICANS

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How does patriotism

That swelling affection for one's homeland

How does that become hatriotism?

That destructive rage towards those who have different ideas

This is a case of love turning sour, curdling, poisonous

We need to know when patriotism goes bad

Here are some signs:

Are you speaking to your fellow countrypersons

Or speaking to the enemy?

Are your words and actions aimed to increase understanding

So we can stand on common ground

Or do you merely want to shut the Other Side down

Silence them, drive them off with stones and curses?

We all acknowledge there are differences among people

These differences can not be irreconcilable

All our ideas are thrown into the melting pot

And can produce a great benefit to progress

If we can stop chucking rocks like enraged primates

We, who love liberty, free speech, equality under the law

Being the land of progress

Must make progress our goal

We are the shining city on the hill that all look up to

The hope of the future, the healing of the past

The motto "Love one another" goes double in times

Like these

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SYSTEMS

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SYSTEMS

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Systems are the worn paths

We use to navigate our days

We must invent new systems 

If we want to change our ways

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The tried and false solutions

We leave by the side of the road

Our new, better ideas

Will actually lighten our load

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Get rid of excess baggage

Like the regrettable parts of our past

Our eyes are on the future

And the solutions that will last

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THE HIGH ROAD

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THE HIGH ROAD

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It is one thing to be lost in the woods

To become disoriented in time and direction

Get turned around somehow and lose sight

Of the Path

Wandering around in circles as day slowly fades to dusk

There are tricks savvy travelers can use to find their way

The position of the sun or stars, marking trees

To avoid wandering around in circles

Being lost in the woods is scary but not as scary

As being lost in one's own mind

When all the familiar thought paths seem to shift or even blank out 

You can get confused about what you are doing next

Or recalling what you just did

Anyone can get lost, wander off the path

This moment is the nexus with your next destination

So stop, figure out a good orderly direction

You might need help, either cosmic or a fellow human

Move forward carefully, feeling your way

Until you see a light in the fog of confusion

That light is held by your higher self to guide you

Back to warmth and safety once again

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YOU KNOW

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YOU KNOW

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You know how to be you

Nobody else knows exactly how to be you

All the myriad details of your existence

Are known only to you

Your thoughts, reactions, associations

Of your day to day existence

Only you know what they are

Our secret lives have paralleled our public lives

Since we first formed a memory that we hung on to

You know how things should be handled

You are the world's leading authority

On you

Your private history could fill volumes

Your unique talents and knowledge can be shared

With the world puzzle and the you-shaped piece

You help complete the picture, you are needed, wanted

Just as you are

Only you does what you do, knows what you know

Brings what you bring to the potluck feast

That is life

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ETERNAL HOPE

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ETERNAL HOPE

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The statute of limitations never runs out on some crimes

They chase the wrongdoers down the corridors of time and power

Like a pack of savage shrieking hyenas, like a huge millstone

Rolling out the truth, crushing the wicked like grapes of wrath

Generation after generation hear the damned echoes from the past

The cries of the innocent can not be silenced by the evildoer

Forever

If we trace evil back to its very roots, it gets lost in the mists of time

We have had to develop a morality, create laws

To prevent the strong from crushing the weak

Under the heel of greed and corruption

Unhealed trauma is passed down like a curse

Healing is the only hope, individual healing

Healing as a society, healing as a planet

Denying the past happened the way it happened 

Will not fix anything, a pretty bandage of lies

Can never cover the stain of wickedness

Because the statute of limitations on exposing evil

Never runs out

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SHAPING THE INVISIBLE

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SHAPING THE INVISIBLE

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How we make decisions is a hidden process

Sometimes we don't even know ourselves

Why we decided this and not that

Out of the formless universe of infinite possibilities

We choose one - giving the invisble shapeless ether of existence

Shape and form, sequence and results

We are the sculptors of our realities

Our minds the wands, energy and cauldrons

We use to make something of substance and value

From raw unhewn time and infinite space

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SOME OF MY FRIENDS

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SOME OF MY FRIENDS

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Some of my friends are rectangular

Thick with pages covered in lively ideas

Always ready for an interesting chat

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Some of my friends are green, orange and yellow

They grow in fertile soil

Bringing me all the nutrients I need

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Some of my friends are invisible

They once lived here on earth

Now they watch me and cheer me on from the Mystery Beyond

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TALK TALK

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TALK TALK

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There are romance languages

And there is hate speech

Hate speech is a language used to prevent communication

Where no progress or understanding is possible 

Contemptuous, enraged, bigoted and judgmental

The Hate Speaker is coming from a land of zero self-awareness

Words are used as a weapon or electric barbed wire

Specifically to prevent any new, fresh, expanding ideas

From entering their closed mind

Which is like a boarded-up room that gets no air circulation

Everything stale and dank for years at a time

I don't understand hate speech, it sounds like squawking gibberish to me

So there is no point in trying to engage with the vituperative self-righteous

They are sleepwalkers dreaming that they are always right

Don't try to awaken them from their fantasy of moral superiority

It might be all they have going for them, poor empty bitter beings

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THE WELL OF INNER PEACE

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A WELL OF INNER PEACE

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One part of us experiences glee

When we handle something victoriously

The glee could be sports or our personal life

Something we master after much strife

The dark side of glee is getting clean away

With something shady in dark hues of grey

The glee of wrongdoing is hellish glee

But I don't wish that for you or me

Hellish glee is the path to ruin

Cause eventually we forget what we're even doing

Just acting out fears and rage

Hellish glee is a red hot cage

But the glee we feel when we succeed

Is a validation we all need

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Joy comes from a deeper place

The world can neither give nor erace

It comes from a garden of inner peace

Among flowers of gratitude this flow will not cease

When the world is indifferent or unkind

Your inner joy can calm your mind

Appreciative joy has no beginning and no end

To walk the path with joy as with a friend

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TALE OF A TAIL

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TALE OF A TAIL

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If I had a tail it would wag when I see you

Droop when you have to leave

Point straight back when I am focused

Curl up over my back when I feel cute

My tail would tuck between my legs when I am nervous

I could chase my tail for fun and philosophical insight

My tail would need colorful crocheted tail sleeves

And every morning I would put on tail bracelets

Tinkling with magical charms

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PRESTO CHANGO

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PRESTO CHANGO

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When I was a child, I desperately wanted to find

A real magical object - a leaf, a stone, a talking tree

That I could use to magically change my life

That would change me, too

Into the poised, popular child that fit in

I also secretly wanted God or somebody to smite those I resented

To manure the neighborhood with their blood and guts

Or smite them individually with lightning bolts from on high

I lacked spiritual guidance, but I found teachers to show me

That the magic, the power, is within me

In my clarity, my will, my mindful focus

And a desire to harm none

These days I spin my spells into a safety net for us

I sparkle my blessings and good will all over the place

Where I tra-la-la each day amid my impressive array of magical objects

While I know, sure as sunrise, that the power behind the magic

Is when we join together to will a better world for everyone

A magical transformation into the garden where all might find a place

At the table

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HALT! WHO GOES THERE?

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HALT, WHO GOES THERE?

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There is a gate

Where we meet Eternity

Where hope, strength, peace and clarity can enter

The mighty city, teeming with life

That is you

We are all mighty cities, complex, active

Running day and night - the city that never stops

The city gate lets in the things we need to thrive

Unwanted visitors like compulsions and obsessions

Are escorted to the gate, sometimes kicking and screaming

The negative and unhealthy are trespassers in a kingdom 

That is a gleaming city on a hill

Dynamic, efficient, vibrant - our bodily functions

Are monitored and watched for any troublemakers

We each have this Gate where Eternity meets 

The Golden moment of Now

Feel where the breath enters and leaves your body

That place is the vital check point

Where goodness and mercy can be inhaled

Where frustration and sadness can be exhaled with a sigh

You are the gatekeeper; you decide what will pass through

Your inner guards escorting the unruly out  

A City of Peace with Watchmen on the towers

And an Angel guarding the gates with the sword of justice.

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GOLDILOCKS ZONE

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GOLDILOCKS ZONE

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Hell can be too hot

Hell can be too cold

But hell is never "just right"

So when you are trying to steer clear of hell

Type "Just Right" in your inner GPS

That is the goal, moderation, the middle

To avoid the hellish extremes our egos relish

But our spiritual guides want us to avoid

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LOOKEE THAR!

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LOOKEE THAR!

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Once in a while we stray from our path

That is when we can get lost

We see something shiny way over yonder

And go for it, not considering the cost

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It might be gold, it might be a mirage, 

It might be some kind of trap

Pay close attention when you step off the path

So you can find your way back

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SEASONED OBSERVER

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THE SEASONED OBSERVER

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Footprints in the snow

Who was it, where did they go?

They might have passed by here often, on their busy way

But only the pure snow surface

Shows they were here today

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Wind blowing across the snowy field

Making snow devils, wild and bold

Wind that is usually unobserved

Until the powdery snow and cold

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There are many invisible things around us

As we hurry on our way

Pause, stay open and watchful

To what might manifest today

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GRAND UNIFIED THEORY

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GRAND UNIFIED THEORY

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There is only one "now"

We are all together there

Everything we can think or do

Everyone and everywhere

Is now

Let us synchronize watches

We are together anyhow

Moving always and forever

On the undeniable path of now

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MY FIRST ROBOT

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MY FIRST ROBOT

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I am going to name my first robot

 Agamemnon

So, when it is hot weather, I can say

 "Agamemnon, put the fan on,"

The robot will have a face of gold

And do exactly what it's told

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HECKLE AND JACKAL

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HECKLE AND JACKAL

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Resentment and Self-Pity are jackals

That want to feast on your life

They lope along beside you

Howling of their blame and strife

Call your inner dragon of courage

To drive the Jackals of Self Pity away

Self Pity and Blame are diseases

That sap the valor from your day

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A CHILD SHALL TEACH THEM

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A CHILD SHALL TEACH THEM

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We can't have racial unity because we are all different races

Nor can we have religious, economic, political, cultural

Or national unity either

The question arises "What kind of unity can we have?"

We have one shining example

That any baby, born anywhere, to any race, nation or religion

Can be successfully raised and nurtured by good people

Anywhere, at any time

That child, newborn and helpless

Is the purest and best chance we have to see

We are all One Humanity, One Soul

Needing only kindness, care and love

To survive, thrive, and grow into a loving person

That contributes much to a needy world

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RELEASE THE HOUNDS OF FRETTING

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RELEASE THE HOUNDS OF FRETTING

I walk for exercise

As I walk I plot, scheme, plan and devise

Ways to control, manage and fine tune every detail

But this morning, as I was walking, I had a new thought

"What if I don't try to control anything right now?

What if I just enjoyed walking and let the titanic forces

Of life, nature and the universe do their thing unaided?

What if I controlled nothing right now except my breath and stride?"

My joy was no longer being drained, my stress hormones shut off

As I calmly let my energy flow into the present moment. 

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THAR SHE BLOWS

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THAR SHE BLOWS

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Moby Dick was a great white whale

That swam in Ahab's mind

He scoured the oceans and seven seas

The whale for to find

He lost his leg, he lost his peace

He lost his perspective skills

He could only think of killing the whale

He blamed for all his ills

He spent his whole life chasing the object of his blame

An imaginary enemy he could neither kill nor tame

His one thought was to get the whale while ignoring his whole life

He could have had so many things, a home and loving wife

Harpoons can not kill a myth seen in a fever dream

If only Ahab could have realized things are not always how they seem 

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WHEN THE VEIL PARTS

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WHEN THE VEIL PARTS

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The World has a memory of all that has passed before

Our own personal histories are dependent on the World memory

Like all memories, the World memory is incomplete

The narrative changes over time as new regimes come into power

And history is rewritten by the victors

Memories lost in the mists of time

Can be revealed by a new archeological find

Decoding a mystifying stone table

Even a drone flying over the remains of a great city

Reclaimed by the jungle

The World memory is in myths, customs, writings, drawings

But incomplete and skewed, huge chunks still waiting to be deciphered

What will the World memory say about these times?

What it always says - Wars, disasters, tyrants, inventions

New legislation

We are just now creating these memories

So there is still time to make good ones, to make progress

We can create a safe space for all to live in peace

Eternity is the time it takes for everything to happen

Let's make good memories for ourselves 

May the World remember this time as the time

We figured it out

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TRACKING

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TRACKING

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A mighty ship with a name I do not know

Comes from a faraway exotic land

Crossing the vast dangerous ocean

To a shore thousands of miles away

Where heroic beings unload it and bring to my very door

The anti-fungal nail cream I hope works effectively

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WISDOM VACCINE

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WISDOM VACCINE

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When we come across an angry, volatile, unreasonable person

Know this:

They are infected with a terrible disease

Passed down from generation to generation

It was the very first disease of Mankind

The disease of wanting to be the Highest of the on High

The Determiner of All Things

The One and Only Source of Truth

These sick folks are enraged that all things don't bend to their will

This emotional immaturity is a stage toddlers pass through

As they evolve into full grown men and women

But at the crucial moment, when personal responsibility and accountability start

They swerve off into right field, blaming others they have identified 

For their diversion tactics

This Original Disease is contagious

One infected person can spread it to others

Their horrifying symptoms can spread to those who have not developed immunity

The immune have peace in their hearts and joy in their lives

Content with their rightful place in the world

Which is NOT Grand Ruler of It All

The immunes have a kingdom nonetheless

A kingdom of thoughts, intentions, actions and noble bearing

If the enraged bullies had a visible hideous pox

We would avoid them

Look for those who are nasty, critical, purple with rage

Aggressive, overloud, invasive

This is the Original Disease humanity must recover from

If we are to survive

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LIBERTY PUTS A FREEDOM RING ON IT

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LIBERTY PUTS A FREEDOM RING ON IT

When Liberty walks across our land

She stops and takes each person's hand

To each she bestows duties and rights

Always with freedom in her sights

Liberty is stern but fair

To see that each one gets a share

We obey the laws but we are not sheep

Liberty has a promise she must keep

That all tyrants are doomed to fall 

The law for one is the law for all

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THE WIND AT OUR BACKS

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THE WIND AT OUR BACKS

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There are upsetting thoughts I used to think

Ones that made my spirits sink

Right now my thoughts are useful and fun

Because I've culled and trained them one by one

I herd them like a border collie

To keep them away from ruinous folly

Any new thoughts I carefully choose

Only the helpful ones I can use

To navigate this brand new day

The thoughts push me forward

I'm on my way

The right thoughts can act like a mighty wind

To gently blow us towards our good fates

So think up fair winds and a smooth path forward

As we head towards tomorrow's gates

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THE PLAN

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THE PLAN

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We don't have to solve every problem in our lives

We just need to get through today

Only attitude makes the difference

Between what is work and what is play

So gird your loins, sharpen your wits

Our minds must be fully prepared

For what comes down our path today

Our journey will be fruitful and shared

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THE CURIOSITY DISEASE

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THE CURIOSITY DISEASE

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I am glad I am not fabulously wealthy

Because if I were fabulously wealthy

I would drive myself nuts

I would examine everything in my life with a powerful electron microscope

Then identify every parasite and pathogen on my nutritious body

I would run tox screens on every microplastic, pollution, virus riddled surface

Air quality would be meticulously analyzed, my body functions monitored and quantified

And a fleet of drones to patrol my secluded estate where emergency services

Could not get to me in time

I prevent my common sense from flying out the window

But great wealth would just give it a jet pack to the wild blue yonder

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PANDORA - PART 2

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PANDORA - PART 2

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While a person in a drought-stricken area prays for rain

Another person in a flood zone hopes it stops raining

One person lines up with a metal dish hoping for food

A different person steps off the scale determined to eat less

There are as many wishes as atoms in the universe

Hopes and dreams and prayers and schemes

Roil like altar smoke into the Great Unknown

Where we might have a pal in the Abyss

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