I had a memory come to mind yesterday.
Waiting for the food to arrive,
I saw a picture on the wall.
It was of an old man,
Arms crossed, clothes stained.
I instantly thought of my great-grandfather.

The memory that came to mind was not sad,
But playful,
Funny,
Something that would put a smile on your face.

Let me paint the picture for you.
Imagine someone's 7th birthday party.
Now imagine someone's 90th birthday party.
Now, imagine them together.
That’s right, the bouncy house, the old people, the cake.
It was all there.

She  feels like an empty, broken shell.
People look at  her  and make assumptions.
All these snap judgements always try to kill.
Going through life not letting go of  her  abreactions.

People and things just come to  us, then go.
They always fill  us , then leave  us  empty,
Making  us  feel like  we  need to stay below.

Stepping through the doorway of my old house, I remembered something.
There was really nothing to it.
I was sitting on the floor,
Drawing.
I was seven years old,
it was the weekend.
My mom was out of town,
My sister was asleep upstairs,
My dad was sitting in his chair.
He had his morning cup of coffee, And a twisty doughnut,
From across the street.
The news was on,
They we're talking about a tsunami,
A tsunami in Japan.
This is the part of the day I remember.

No one would guess,
5 minutes later an earthquake would hit Oahu,

I still remember your voice Like a wet lily On a dewey winter morning, As the wind blows past, It sways and whistles Under the shadow of a tree Where cuckoo sings While the sun rises over the horizon. I still remember your eyes, Cajoling me to laugh, Glistening as if A slow flowing brook, Studded with pearls priceless, unknown. In which I could dive But not drown. Its your gaze That'll kill me; and nothing else.

Your taste, consummated
With impunity
This is want, you want.
I serve you what you want
Pacified unrest seethes further
Seeping into settled speech
Cannot look me in the eye
Cannot look in eye
Your destruction,
If only it were true
I could give you satisfaction
Yet I live
As do you.

She blooms,
with virtue & vibrance,
only growing brighter.
Living in passion,
she is a fierce yet fair fighter.
She is ruled by the moon,
& fed by the sun.
Trees gloat & swoon,
when they grow beside one.
When weather comes to soon,
shell welcome the season,
staying in full bloom,
to stand for what she believes in.
She may weep with the wind,
just to dance in the rain,
letting the breeze take her sins,
& ease her last pain.
Catching her reflection,
in the pool of her roots,
she sees her pedals are softer,

While the pale unicorn
hides in the faerie wood,
you fly for the sun
in gold and crimson raiment
to solo the empty sky.

While the fearsome griffin
devours the thief,
while the winged dragon
swallows its tail,
you dine on valerian
and cinnamon.

While the fetid breath
of the scaly basilisk
withers shrubs
and splits rocks asunder,
you fashion a nest
for your own cremation.

Of all the magical beasts,
only you, sly phoenix,
can glide the shadow
lands of death
and fish the River Styx.

Only you, mad bird,

Elegy


Dig the small grave
and place the smaller body so,
just so. The chill May rain
and the warm human tears
falling on her head
will serve for the ritual
washing of this pup,
barely two days old.

Some future digger after truth,
alien or human, kneeling with
trowel and brush at this grave,
will note in clear, careful script
the wonder that a people would
be so deliberate with the smallest
of their gods' creatures,
and so careless of themselves.

There was a trusting look in his eyes, I see
And a wag of his tail that was just for me.
I hear him bark and some how I knew,
He was trying to tell me he loves me too.
Not just a dog, but a special friend
With a special joy only he could lend.
Faithful and worthy, more real then I,
Never a dought, or a question why.
He waited to see me, and hear my call,
He's precious my Ryder, my world and all.

He'd leap in delight when at last I was home,
And gave me a bark when I gave him a bone.
So greatful for all I chance to do