WHEN

 .

.

.

WHEN
.
.
When the summer trees sway to and fro

I feel the broken edges of my heart

When music swells inside my soul

I feel the broken edges of my heart

.

.

.

.

.

.

HOCUS FOCUS

 .

.

.

HOCUS FOCUS

.

.

When a powerful witch has your back

You needn't fear harm or attack

The protection acts like a shield

Consequences are the weapons they wield

Bad actors better think twice

They better back off or be nice

Witches prefer to heal and bless

But don't put their benevolence to the test

.

.

.

.

.

.

CONSEQUENCES

 .

.

.

CONSEQUENCES

.

.

When the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 a.m.

The slaves were freed

A war started to perpetuate and expand slavery was actually 

The death knell of that grotesque institution

Events in history are like dominoes in entangled rows

Stretching into the distant futures, over the horizon and beyond

But once the first domino topples, it hits the next one

A series of consequences set in action, beyond anyone's control

No one can say with certainty where this current chain reaction will end

What chains will be unlocked, who will be set free

But once a domino falls it can never rise again

.

.

.

.

.

.

LOST IN TIME

 .

.

.

LOST IN TIME

.

.

Dinosaurs used to roam where my dwelling now stands

The property is on the edge of an extinct lake

Which is why my soil is so sandy and my basement is dry

The dinosaurs did not know, could not know, about me

But I know about them -  tiny plant-eaters and giant meat-eaters

What unimaginable sequence of events gave me this place in time?

I wonder about the future, in 200 million years

Who or what will live here? 

There is no guarantee that humans will be here

Or anything recognizable to us

I will enjoy my moment in the sun, on the Earth

Rolling around in the mists of time like tumbling dice

Taking a chance, the only chance, to be here now.

.

.

.

.

.

.

TOWER OF TRUTH

 .

.

.

THE TOWER OF TRUTH

We were taught the Tower of Babel 

Was about all the many languages

But since we can translate any language

Now I don't think that's true

I think the Tower of Babel

Means what is true for me might be something false to you 

The Tower of Babel is a symbol for our unique perspective

Forcing anyone to see things our way

Is going to be, at best, ineffective

We must make bridges between the towers

Made of good will and respect

While we may never have a common vision of things

That we are each a unique tower with a different point of view

Is a fact that we must all accept

.

.

.

.

.

.

FLUTTER BY

 .

.

.

FLUTTER BY
.
.
What can a little poem do?

It can reach out to touch your heart

It can say "You're going to be all right"

It can hand you a flaming sword

It can say "Stand your ground and fight"

It can bring a flickering candle

And invite you into the light

A little poem can sit quietly by your side

Hold your shaking hand so tight

A little poem

Carried like a leaf on the wind

Can bring the message "Keep going

You can do it. We can do it.

You are not alone."

We travel together as friends

Caring and sharing our lives

You can fold the poem, carry it in your pocket

A talisman, a love letter

As we walk towards the unknown

You and me and a little poem

.

.

.

.

.

.

YEARNING

 .

.

.

YEARNING

.

.

There is a beautiful garden 

Fragrant and glowing with a heavenly light

Paths of peace and contentment

Wind through the whispering trees

Birdsong and butterflies fill the gentle air

Under radiant blue skies and dreaming clouds

We look at this garden 

Through iron bars, unable to enter

Instead we are given a small handful of seeds

To begin the work of making a garden

Of our own.

.

.

.

.

.

.