NATURAL BRILLIANCE

Brilliance flows quite natural–
As the sun on water. . .

But that seeming easy beauty
Stands quite opposed
To the diamonds’ fiery torture.

LOVE’S WHAT HELPS YOU BEAT THE ODDS

Love’s what helps you beat the odds
When to beat the odds serves love.

THE DEEP-FEARED LEAP

Sometimes
it seems
that the most fearsome things
both feed my highest hopes
and haunt my darkest dreams. . .

And, it’s those things
that I must do. . .
regardless of the countless hoops
I must jump through,
despite the wobble in my knee,
to get exactly what I need
to be at deepest peace with me. . .

Such leaps of faith
forge a merge into the flow
where certain other human beings
travel long or short
in my life’s streams. . .

But those leaps
demand I face
my chilling fear,
perched at the dizzy precipice,
that hold my lonely, stalwart fortress,
from which I must spring
to a much more open place
where eyes and hearts and souls
can melt my fear
and usher in the love I’ve missed.

THE SUM OF WHAT YOU GIVE AND TAKE

Knit a little stitch. . .
pen a little word. . .
make a little plan. . .

find a little peace and calm
where the softest breath
come in or out of you
is easily heard. . .

soften up your eyes
to catch rays of clear light
wrap your arms around yourself
and know that all can be all right. . .

leave the woe and shaking fear
and also kicking anger there,
behind. .

Stand strong
say a little prayer. . .

and before long
the sum of what you give and take
have made a difference in your air. . .

and you can take
your heart’s desire up
to the next echelon–

perhaps, with luck, even beyond
the arching stratosphere,
way up from your firm base, the earth,
if you only dare.

CAPTAIN’S LOG

Though it’s Greek
to me
to think,
“Stardate,”

I think, by now I see
it’s not so early
in my life,
but luckily,
it’s also
not too late. . .

Fresh summer morning
light diffused
ignites my sparkle,
even while
I lag a bit,
and haven’t yet
the broader view,
to see
that picture puzzle,
my life,
as one
I can make whole,
not even with the coolest Reason
nor with the hottest call of Muse. . .

But its assembly gathers slowly,
every day. . .
actions in constant reformation,
even while I honor the pace
and needs and wants
of my own way. . .

I lean and reach far out,
across this wide world’s face
as far as my whole being can,
though my reach feels way too short. . .

I mitigate self-reprimands,
which might else
too strong spew,
let loose
with unchecked force,
and risk to dim
my eye’s soul twinkle,
and knock me too far
off my course. . .

It is my journey,
but it’s fueled by grace–
not force of will
nor will of force. . .

it’s not a tale of sheer perfection
nor precision,
but of freely growing,
blooming, forming,
ever-changing, gentle spreading
power of choice
in roads I’m treading. . .

I leave a little, dusty wake
where I have walked. . .

my wistful wish?
That that wake of mine bring forth
lush love and life,
though others may
disdain my work. . .

And there’s a purpose in my stride–
as long as I’m alive–
to cope, to navigate
this earthly trek,
with trusty help
of sixth-sense guide,
in such a way,
that I will have
shed at least a little light
the world can see,
if they will only look,

and that a few folks
will have warmed and opened up a bit
for the stint
they’ve shared
upon my ride.

TIT FOR TAT TURNS ACROBAT

Now here’s a thought–
What could in some mood
drive you
to go tit for tat,

might tend to switch
if he against you
morphed in view
to seem your brother. . .

In that case, maybe getting
becomes giving back. . .

and, on its ear,
the tit for tat turns acrobat,
and then, extends
one hand
to wash the other.

WHAT HAS THE UNIVERSE?

What has the Universe
in store,
in mind,
for me?

If I delve,
and my mind sound,
I sense
it’s something more
than penning verse,

or even every wonder-thing
that’s taken me to joyous heights

or any painful, horror swing
that’s had me swept
to untold depths
but taught me tomes
through its bitter ordeal tests

that I’ve yet survived or found. . .

But for now,
I think it’s best
I find my feet,
and try not to
teeter-totter-teet,
so I can stand
and plant my weight
quite firm and evenly down,

where I can, with patience,
calmly wait
for the Infinite
to speak to me
in gradual discovery
here in the light,
above and not below
this rich, dark solid ground.