An Endless Journey

For Jessica Ghawi Redfield

I had already written for the victims in Aurora, CO.  Then I kept seeing her picture in my wife's People magazine.  I kept hearing the words, "What am I going to do?"  I am going to make sure her spirit lives in the hearts of anyone who has heard of her.  An explorer's heart is a rare thing and it was in her heart to go forth, and share what she has found.  To support students getting ready to go forth into the world, you can support the scholarship fund in her name at http://www.mygenfcu.org/jessicas-fund

Journeys only have beginnings….

An explorer’s heart,

Is always awake,

Eyes of the heart,

See through clouds,

Finding the answers,

Seeking the truth,

Sharing the finding,

For the joy of all,

Traveling the miles,

Growing in heart,

The soul burns,

To find meaning,

The soul flies,

With like hearts,

We soar higher,

Flying together,

For the heart thrives,

With passion of life,

Energy of love,

Which is the reason,

Those who flew before,

Never leave the sky,

Flying further still,

In the scope of our hearts.

Let’s Get Real

I called my wife on break this morning and four minutes from the end, she called me back.  I started typing this when she picked up, and finished just before hanging up.  I was just letting this flow on the keyboard while talking with her.  It comes easy when its real.

A day I do not kiss you,

Is a day wasted,

A day I do not smile,

Is a smile lost forever,

To not say I love you,

Is to leave wine bottled,

Taste left unshared,

Your heart cannot feel,

To not hold your hand,

Is to leave a song unsung,

For much occurs in life,

Things beyond control,

But how I face your eyes,

Is a choice made every day,

No matter what circumstance,

Your beauty shines within me,

And to tell you how that feels,

Is my lifelong pride and joy.

A Wonderful Life

This is not my poem but an incredible song by Black which I want to draw your attention to.  I think the imagery and words accurately express what I write and why.  No one will ever know who I am, and I will never see a buck out of it.  Yet if I have helped one person out there, and I have heard back from more than one, then it is worth it and all joy.  I say that with truth, because life is that beautiful.

It is not within the perfect accuracies of life we find beauty, it is within the imperfections.  The tiny flaws and details of life that make each one of us unique,  the small idiosyncrasies that make us who we are, for that is where uncertainty lies, and uncertainty is inseparable from evolution.  Innovation flows from human habitual trial and error.  It is how we discover.   When something does not turn quite right, never give up.  Realize that you are in the magic of being human and continue on. By the way, check out Black for more music on Youtube...

The Most Beautiful Woman

There she is,

Not a celebrity,

Not on the stage,

Look at her hair,

It is not perfect,

See how it flows,

Feel her eyes,

Hear their voice,

Behold her skin,

It is not perfect,

But full of beauty,

She is not perfect,

She is human,

Just like you,

And just like me,

But when she smiles,

Just try to breathe,

Try to remember,

Your own name,

You can see her,

All around us,

Where there is light,

She is in the market,

Walking on the streets,

She is all around us,

Mine is beside me,

Why my heart beats,

She is my life,

Perfect for me,

She is my wife.

The Breath We Share

Ewa Markvoort (see: 65redroses.com) was a brave young woman who did everything she could to support people fighting Cystic Fibrosis, though she was terminal with the disease.  Back in 2011 I could not help but think in terms of what I could do to support her as she was supporting so many.  I wrote nearly one piece a day, emailed them to the hospital, and a patient message service sent them to her room each time until she passed away.  Due to privacy rules I never could communicate directly, but the patient service that was delivering my "messages" told me she would read each and every one.  You never know what you can do and who you can touch.  Support The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org as they search for a cure.  I have taken this older work to post on my blog today, because I simply will not allow the world to forget a true picture of courage.

Look out into open spaces,
Turn your face unto the sky,
Behold the setting sun,
Burning red hues in the clouds,
Bringing on the waiting stars,
And the moon to guide our way,
Our cares cast upon the heart,
Bearing burdens shared,
Lightening the whole,
Within labors of life and trial,
Sweat of toil upon the brow,
Breathing full sustaining air,
Fragranced with mountain laurel,
Or spiced by waves of the sea,
Breathing heavy in our work,
Breathing full and slow in rest,
Some breathing free,
Others fighting for every breath,
Together we move upon the earth,
Where laughter spreads like fire,
And a tear shared is like water,
Nurtures the rose of love,
Seed fallen from heaven,
Growing with each tear,
From the clouds of our eyes,
Shed in pain or in joy,
Falling like rain from above,
For we are all bound by life,
We are all underneath the air,
Yet hand in hand our hearts soar,
Like the seagulls in the sky,
Seemingly soaring without effort,
Gliding on the ocean breezes,
As our hearts soar upon life,
For each breath we take,
Returns unto the whole,
Bearing burdens for the other,
Strengthens hearts and binds souls,
For it is from the same sky we receive,
The breath we share.

Headline News - Special Report: The World is Still Beautiful!

After you see the news headlines for today, I want you to come back to my headline and know what remains the same in spite of all of the daily concerns.  If there is not something you are personally doing to make life a little better, go support someone who is.  We will make the difference together.  Faith is not religious jargon, in simplest form it is imagining good and making it real.

Now tell me you don't think you can and that you are not talented.  I am nobody, barely making a living 8-5 and yet I have impacted lives around the world.  Just do what it is you can do, and it will happen.  Trust me.

(This poem was inspired by the amazing video above.)

The earth turns,

Within the endless sky,

The heavens sparkle,

As in a woman’s eyes,

Love showers me with care,

As the wind blows through my hair,

And we dance.

Clouds caress mountains,

Rolling below my feet,

Spring bloom perfumes,

Embrace my heart sweet,

Woodland creatures behold me,

As I trace life in the stars,

And we dance.

Birds surround in flight,

Contemplating where I may go,

They surround like souls,

Of so many people I know,

As I take what I feel here,

To the people who are so dear,

And we dance.

Our world hangs upon nothing,

And yet we are all safe,

Within the hand of God,

flying together through space,

As we whirl upon the dance floor,

In the circle of life ever more,

We will dance.

Ship of Bones

How could I awake,
If I am never asleep?
Can the nightmare end,
When it never began?
Underneath a sullen sky,
The sun is never setting,
A glowing red eye,
The sun is never blinking,
Always staring,
Staring at me,
Alone on the sea,
Upon a dead ship,
Trapped in still waters,
Trapped and not sinking,
The sun is not blinking,
The glowing red eye,
Is always staring,
Staring at me,
Yet I am in company,
They are with me,
But they do not move,
They always look at me,
With eyes long gone,
Always smiling,
No flesh to hide teeth,
Skeletons bleached white,
Populate this ship,
While the sun keeps staring,
Never blinking,
And I can not hear sound,
As if in a dream,
I can not hear sound,
Though I try to scream,
Nothing happens,
As into reflections,
Of broken glass,
I look to see,
What could be wrong,
I look and see,
My eyes long gone,
My mouth is open,
But far too wide,
And hanging low,
On thinning hide,
With bones protruding,
From tattered skin,
Up from behind me,
I see a grin,
Hand on my shoulder,
And hollowed face,
He comes to show me,
Unto my place,
With words of comfort,
Spoken so near,
"Come float forever,
We all float here."
Then from the horror,
Within this dream,
I awake in darkness,
From my own scream,
Then thinking well,
Into the night,
I saw that ship,
Alive in life,
With people whom,
Forgot to live,
And share the gifts,
Which they could give,
God gave us skills,
Wisdom and tact,
For in our lives,
We all must act,
To bring forth beauty,
Alive and true,
We all must do,
What we can do.

Eyes of the Soul

This time you have to read it before I describe why I wrote it!  After you do, please consider visiting and supporting the American Foundation for the Blind online.

I have waited for this,

All through my life,

I am here in Alaska,

The night is calling,

Nature surrounding,

Frosted with ice,

We venture forth,

Greeted by the stars,

Gazing upon us,

Bright points of life,

With our heads raised,

The concert begins,

In a roar of silence,

The aurora swims,

Gently through waters,

The black waters above,

Through which we sail,

The Earth is our ship,

I can hear the colors,

Surrounding in beauty,

Lifting my soul,

With invisible hands,

The beauty I see,

In the music before me,

Carries my voice,

For I have no choice,

In the song of life,

Under celestial band,

A tear befalls me,

As the voices around me,

Speak of awe and beauty,

In words unknown,

For born without sight,

I have escaped the night,

And see creation’s splendor,

On canvas in my soul.

This was written when I asked a co-worker from Alaska to describe the aurora borealis to me.  I said you had to describe it for me as if I were born blind.  The reply was it is not possible to do so, and that’s when this poem came into my heart.

Never Give Up

There are reasons I should have never made it to today, yet hear I am writing and blessed by my family.  I wrote this to inspire others, as Olivia Newton-John inspires from her experience, to never give up fighting for life no matter what they see or experience.  Some of our songs are longer, and some are shorter in ways we can not control.  Yet one life saved can translate into 16 grandchildren who would have never existed otherwise.  Though our individual songs are of different lengths and rhythms, our collective song is forever and continues to inspire through the heart.  Please support the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center at http://www.oliviaappeal.com/.    

They told me I was dead,

I think they were right,

With less time to live,

No hope they could give,

They did what they could,

Told me what they should,

And I should give up the fight.

I could not face the truth,

With family to live for,

And too many goodbyes,

I had to live as though alive,

All I could do was try,

Trading tears for fears,

Awaiting the next sunrise.

Prayer was not my routine,

I found myself talking,

Asking God to listen,

Reading all I could do,

Eating things anew,

Following the doctor,

I followed my will to live.

For my passion did thrive,

Fueled by loved ones near,

The times we shared dear,

Treating each day a gift,

And life as a true blessing,

I refused to loose my smile,

Through each day of testing.

For miracles do happen,

Yet we must choose to see,

At first with our hearts,

Until we do with our eyes,

For other eyes to see,

Gaining faith in our fight,

That they may never give up.

Humans "Being"

Who we are is what we all add up to together.  It is our actions and words that define us.  Especially what we do to help one another.  Support Witness.org with your words, with your actions, and with  your prayers.     

 

We are blood,

We are of bone,

We travel far,

We are at home,

We have our strength,

We often tire,

We are of heart,

We are of fire,

For it is fire,

Leading to rain,

For it is joy,

Leading to pain.

 How does water,

Come from the wind?

Why does without,

Lead to within?

Why do we fail,

Before we try?

When it’s our place,

To soar and fly?

And as we stand,

Within our place,

We dance the stars,

Through time and space,

For through our sweat,

We come and sing,

And from the heart,

Our freedom rings,

Amidst the trees,

Within our tribe,

Or concrete jungle,

Where we thrive,

This is our love,

This is our thing,

The magic lies,

In humans being.

 

The Witness

 

 It takes only one.  We are many.    

I wrote this for a reason.  Peter Gabriel learned about the tragic killing of a South African civil rights leader named Stephen Biko, and he made the world feel the loss in song.  In that way he made work of this man more powerful than anyone could have realized by bringing world attention to the dire situation.  The human rights organization known as Witness was later started by Peter Gabriel to continue and build on this work using media as the eyes and ears of of the world.  Through the power of song, Gabriel united cultures vastly different that we may know and feel we are one.  Through the power of love, Witness continues the work that is still needed so that many thousands more will have the chance to live.  The simple acts of being able to work, raise a family, and love are taken for granted when they come easily.  I ask those of us blessed in this way to give some time, gifts of skill, or money to help Witness in this cause.  When one does much, many can be touched.  When we all do even the smallest things towards a purpose, we move the world.  

(See Witness.org ) 

I am adding this recent news picture as it depicts child soldiers which the poem touches on, as Witness is an organization that is trying to stop this from happening.   These children training for al Queda are as young as 5 years old.

They are out there,

Within the silence,

Walking among us,

In invisible clouds,

Living their lives,

In the ancient ways,

Whispers in the dust,

As dark clouds approach,

For the rains are coming,

In the brightness of day,

The rains are coming,

To wash them away.

Can you hear the voices?

Is there too much noise?

Can you hear the voices?

Of those girls and boys?

They want to live,

They are here with us,

For a chance at life.

They live in danger,

Out on their streets,

In a separate world,

Which we know not,

To say the wrong thing,

Within the wrong place,

Without a home,

And without a place,

We must first see,

To correct the wrong,

And open our eyes,

Before they are gone.

Can you hear the voices?

Is there too much noise?

Can you see the choices?

Of those girls and boys?

They want to live,

They are here with us,

We have the power,

They need a witness.

A man named Biko,

Died for freedom,

In the darkness,

He was covered,

The voice of Peter,

Lifted him up,

The voice of song,

Gave him new life,

For we are the song,

So the world could hear,

Making a stand for love,

To take away their fear.


Can you hear our voices?

Become an indomitable noise?

Can you our choices?

And the tools to employ?

They want to live,

Our family needs us,

We have the power,

We are The Witness.

Olivia - Written for Olivia Newton-John

Tonight was a night like no other.  Olivia Newton-John came to San Diego and my wife got tickets to see her.  As she has been part of my inspiration to write, I came with my book in hand with a dedication I wrote.  The security people were gracious enough to allow me to hand it to her.  After the concert I told her, "Inspiration changes form to give wings to new hearts while faith and love continue on with us being the song of life."   She agreed as my daughter was tremendously inspired by her music and meeting her.  Jessica lit up as soon as she saw Olivia, and I took a step back.  Olivia was just glowing as they conversed.  Jessica was overjoyed, and told Olivia that she wanted to be a star like her.  While Olivia was giving Jessica her autograph I told her that she was, "Giving wings to new hearts."  She looked up and simply said, "Absolutely!"  For her gift from the heart, I dedicate this poem once again to Olivia.

She came from down under,

With a voice like no other,

Singing love of life from her heart,

All those with ears,

Would hear beauty through the years,

That has blossomed more fully from the start.

From the country she came,

A southern style she sang,

Joining voice and heart with John,

With Denver she learned how to fly away,

Not knowing away he would fly,

In his leaving she joined those who cried,

Yet carried on his love in her song.

With Andy so young and so bright,

She sang her song in new light,

With the Brothers Gibb,

As close as family,

Singing with Maurice and Barry,

She would not let love be thrown away,

When away flew the life of Andy.

When the storm came for her,

She clung to the tree,

As cancer came like wind blown hail,

She would not give up her heart,

She would not silence her love,

And in singing her life did prevail.

Threw all of this and more,

She has sailed her ship to shore,

Wind filled with love’s power through song,

As we are each broken by pain,

We hear her voice again,

And know that no trials may last too long.

So for never giving up,

And never giving in,

And never losing sight,

For against love all hardship is trivia,

So that others may read,

Of how strength comes through love,

This poem is written for Olivia.

Ocean of Fire

by Ewa and Eric

My wife began to share what she saw in the sunset, as we returned from Arizona after meeting two new friends.  She spoke of what she saw in the sky, inspiring me to add my thoughts with her.  As we were touched by each others words, I told her I would write it for her.  In truth we wrote it together.

I am approaching the sunset,

Or perhaps I am standing still,

As the edge of the Earth approaches,

A springboard into the infinite,

Where what is takes no space,

In comparison to what can be,

For above us the clouds catch fire,

Struck aflame by the setting sun,

They form a parallel world above,

As we see the land curving,

Along the deep blue sea,

With islands a distance,

But floating in reach,

As the mountains and valleys change,

With the fire's fancy in colors,

And the mists rise to the Earth,
From cloud lands touched by fire,

Like moisture from a runner's face,

Embraced by the forest breeze,

With a cooling touch to his brow,

While the ocean above us darkens,

To the depths of the deepest blue,

Ship lights appear as stars,

As the sun disappears from view,
And we are forever touched by beauty,

As the sky sings us to sleep.