The Tail of Black and White

 

The wanderings of my wife and I took us far into the back country outside of Durango, where the biggest roads and county highways seemed to be all made of dirt.  In this mountain scene we did pass missing posters of some black and white puppies.  My daughter Jessica did worry for them for sometime.  I said when we get back home, we could write a story about them with a happy ending, seeing them safe though our faith in spite of dangers and things we could not control.  I do not know the fate of the puppies, but I have written this for my daughter Jessica.

Upon a mountain ranch,

They did play and roam,

The wild skies of Durango,

Is where they did call home,

They ran with the children,

Within the warmth of day,

They chased young horses,

When they came for hay.

Yet a sharp noise scared them,

And they did run from home,

White running with Black,

They lost scent of home,

Amidst the dark trees,

Before the bright moon light,

They kept each other warm,

Through the coldest night.

A low growl awoke them,

And sent them running scared,

So they would not be alone,

God did have them paired,

Behind a looming rock,

White did follow Black,

Crouched low amist the brush,

They did avoid attack,

In morning light did come,

Beneath the tall pine trees,

And showed them both this bush,

Was covered in sweet berries,

A breakfast they did have,

Then licked their purple lips,

Wagging both their tails,

Continued on their trip.

Passing plenty papers posted,

Where pictures of them stand,

The wind did change direction,

And fate did change its plan,

God blew scent unto them,

To where they both did roam,

Which then safely lead them,

To the sweet embrace of home.

Flight of the Heart

Have you ever made something and found joy in giving it?  It is the joy of creation and an act of love combined.  I think God gave this to us in the fact that all the things we combine to eat are found in such various locations.  I think God inspires this in us by giving a heart after him which creates a passion to overcome limitations, and go beyond.  This came inspired by the Grand Canyon, and all our hearts could touch.

Upon this ground we stand,

Looking up into the infinite,

Wishing we could soar,

Yet we are without wings,

As God made us wingless,

So we could soar higher,

For what is out of reach,

Instills a passionate fire,

God made us finless,

So we can explore depths,

Diving deeper than whales,

Exploring fully his wonder,

God blocked our vision,

With the wall of the horizon,

So that our hearts would inspire,

The exploration of creation,

Satisfied with the here,

We explore beyond the air,

Placing stars within grasp,

For our descendants to aspire,

All of this I see,

With arms outstretched,

Over the great canyon,

Where my spirit can soar.

To Leave Where You Love

Out of place,

A familiar place,

With faces I know,

To where I work,

To where I sleep,

No where else to go,

I hide my fear,

Deep in my heart,

Fear of not being free,

Into my words,

I do depart,

Where I can be me,

Out of the Rockies,

White capped in snow,

Where I came back from,

Out be the ocean,

Within my city,

I can hide from none,

The place of hiding,

Of which I speak,

With no one but me,

Is in the wild,

So full of eyes,

All creation can see,

Yet here I am,

Where people roam,

And passion does not rise,

For through the heart,

Vision flows true,

I am invisible to their eyes,

Yet the place I speak,

Of which I left,

Within me did impart,

The love of life,

And souls held dear,

Forever within my heart.

Connections

This was inspired by the people we have met and the wonderful conversations we have had at the Strater Hotel in Durango, Colorado.  This is truly a nexus where the east and west meet in our country, and people of different countries come together as one.  The true Victorian decor of this 125 year old hotel brings past and present together dispelling the illusion of time, leaving one with the essential truths of who we are together under God.

Amidst the hallways,

Clothed in the past,

As if from a film,

Wrought woodwork,

A splash of class,

From another time,

Comes another world,

Adorned of doorways,

Where many slept,

Through time flow,

How many wept,

Crisis comes and goes,

Living joys and woes,

Laughter follows tears,

As many have come here,

Erected on a head of land,

Holding a crown of mountains,

Both nobleman and cowboy,

Needed a place of rest,

Coming to the best,

Cultures which clash,

Find common ground,

In conversation,

Connection found,

Heart and spirit meet,

Producing living heat,

Spreads from soul to soul,

From wilderness undefiled,

A magic beautiful and wild,

For the souls that traveled past,

Left a joy to share and last,

Which is felt within the walls,

Colored Victorian glory,

Attracting travel of world,

From nations come to share,

And take the magic forth,

As a soul is touched by many,

The one returns to his land,

With magic making many whole,

For God gave the gift transference,

Found here shown at its best,

For my soul has been blessed,

With connections.

Kiva Spirits

The canyon lies before me,

The familiar far behind,

Down the steep stone sides,

The colors beckon the heart,

As I travel into the depths,

To find a lair once lived,

A civilization long ago,

Indians of the canyons,

Thriving and residing,

Building their homes,

In the cliff side caves,

Square living spaces,

I climb inside exploring,

And can almost see faces,

Grinding corn feeding,

Sewing clothes weaving,

Seeing life’s meaning,

Found in focused spaces,

Within descending circles,

I climb down underground,

Into a room perfectly round,

Where they lit a fire center,

Gathering for ceremonies,

They sought full wisdom,

And as I close my eyes,

They begin to appear,

Faces etched in firelight,

Colors of life adorned,

As I listen to the drums,

Wordless songs allure,

As the stars begin to swirl,

Around the voice of our souls,

Pulling impure from within,

Allowing peace to begin,

For perhaps the love of God,

Is found in music beyond words,

And in opening watering eyes,

I ascend again to the sun,

To write of the Kiva room,

And the love there once sung,

By the spirits who were born,

And the souls which never die.

 A picture I took in a Kiva room.

The Eyes of a Lady

Your eyes can see through time,

Yet you cannot see your beauty,

Sculpted of alabaster curves,

With the warmth of eternity,

And yet forever young,

You cannot see your wisdom,

Yet you see things before all,

Knowing without evidence,

Things that will come,

Knowing through heart,

All what I can not see,

You do not see meaning,

Yet meaning surrounds you,

As I see life through new eyes,

For your eyes will never dim,

You are the brightness from God,

A living warmth of artistic grace,

Emotions not following rules,

Yet rules cannot frame you,

My life is more wonderful,

Seen through your eyes.

When Stars Fade

I wrote this after hearing the news that John Denver's Windstar Foundation is selling their land and closing their doors forever.  This was a great institution that not only made a difference in environmental conservation so people could have better lives, this led to the Hunger Project which literally saved thousands of lives.

Within an antique shop,

I see books with many names,

Names of those who lived and loved,

And whom I have never known,

Leaving their legacies,

They wrote from their hearts,

Making a difference,

In the ways they lived,

Yet today unknown,

Save for the lone explorer,

Seeking the wisdom,

From the forgotten years,

And seeing the musican,

Who changed the world,

Through words and guitar,

He became a voice,

Through loving without limit,

He became a force,

Not all within self,

But through other hearts,

Inspiring actions,

Which could make the change,

His foundation stood,

On the slopes of Aspen,

A paradise of nature,

For all the hearts yearning,

To find their way back,

To being a force of life,

The foundation passing,

Can not change,

All the passing changes,

Which have come in our lives,

For the singer told us,

To each do what we can,

For all good that we do,

Works for a better life,

Though changes must come,

My heart will not change,

And his word lives in my heart,

Though the stars fade away.

The Legend of Georgetown

"What Colorado was, Georgetown is."

This poem was inspired by a visit to Georgetown, Colorado  which was the setting for the John Denver film, A Christmas Gift.  This is a place which has to be seen to be felt.

Nothing is newer,

Than a century old,

Yet nothing is old,

Where life breathes new,

Within a pocket of time,

Nestled between mountains,

The legend awaits,

For the traveler to come,

As the warmth of the past,

Meets the heart of the future,

Time begins to slow,

The traveler begins to stroll,

Before old store fronts,

Only seen within cinemas,

And yet here they stand,

In the truth of the sunlight,

A treasure was foretold,

To be found upon these streets,

The mountains stand above,

Like guardians of the light,

For courage is required,

To make a quest come true,

And passion is the key,

For taking the next step,

While into a shop,

Curiosity beckons,

And the traveler comes,

To find what comes next,

Amidst things of the past,

The traveler beholds,

For they are signposts,

Of the road we have come,

While the townspeople tell,

Of all they can share,

A tapestry is woven,

From words of the heart,

And before each soul,

The magic is done,

For the legend foretold,

Is of finding great treasure,

For knowing one’s self,

Is the treasure that’s true,

And the traveler does bring,

The magic which sings,

And the legend foretells,

The traveler is you.

Without Love

You can find uncharted lands,

Discover lost cities,

But it is nothing,

Without love.

You can reach other worlds,

Bring humanity to the stars,

Yet it is nothing,

Without love.

Striving to heal others,

While remaining unhealed,

There is no power,

Without love.

Having faith is empty,

Rituals are meaningless,

For there is no God,

Without love.

Why are we here?

What are the answers?

If we are to find them,

We must find love.

Who Am I?

 

The Binding

 

For Brandon

I know you feel you could have stopped your brother's death, as those same thoughts haunted me when my brother died.  There is no explaining why these things must happen.  We keep them alive in our hearts while using God's wisdom to make their lives continue to count for something on Earth.

Just a couple of travelers,

On the road in the night,

Just a couple of brothers,

Looking for some light,

For supplies we came inside,

Our souls we could not hide,

Kindred spirits of the truth,

To whom nothing is denied,

We both lost one close to us,

We both lost what’s part of us,

On a cycle he departed my heart,

Now residing within forever,

Yours a candle in the wind,

Blown out before your eyes,

The instant when you sighed,

Your hands did not snuff the light,

Though the darkness knew you cried,

And now your sleep escapes you,

As it once escaped me,

Both of us together,

What a sight to see,

Yet I carry your fire,

As you well carry mine,

That it will hold us in the night,

Wherever we both may go,

From this time we always know,

Knowledge and strength God gives,

That we may continue the fight.

The Sorrow of Laughter

I wrote this thinking of a friend going through great difficulty.  There is family, and counseling happening.  There are moments of joy, and great sadness.  I feel a grief in this person so insurmountable that self realization seems to be impossible.  Nothing is impossible with God.  I can never believe in impossibilities as my wife and I stand by this person's side.

I can see you,

But I cannot feel,

I can hear you,

Speak of what is real,

Life and love abound,

Pain and grief confounds,

I do not know where I’m going,

While the bell is tolling.

People smile around me,

I can see them laughing,

I can hear them speaking,

But I do not understand,

I smile as they laugh,

Their joy may be real,

Trapped behind this glass,

Their joy I cannot feel.

I cannot face what is,

It is growing inside me,

I cannot feel your love,

You have it right beside me,

I taste tears in your words,

And then I laugh again,

I just do not see why,

You can be my friend.

Sometimes I feel crazy,

Not knowing who I am,

You say God is holding me,

Safe within His hand,

Yet the symbol of you here,

Is the sign that He is near,

I pray for strength daily,

As I try to understand.

The Perfect Storm

Would you like to live here?
Many did,

Until Sandy came.

This is written for all of those affected by what will always be known as Superstorm Sandy, rather than a hurricane.  This Perfect Storm hybrid of multiple systems produced a storm over 1,000 miles wide, most likely the largest to hit land anywhere.

Please support the Red Cross in their efforts to help the multitudes affected through all the shattered communities.

Shattered,

Broken,

Shaken,

Stolen.

Silence fills the air,

Where our children played,

Rubble fills the view,

Where nature’s force displayed.

Battled,

Fought,

Destroyed,

Distraught,

Waters came to us,

Wind taking power to see,

The flood surrounded us,

And took our path to flee.

Afraid,

Afflicted,

Confounded,

Restricted.

A monster too great,

Everywhere at once,

In a terrified state,

Dark fear confronts.

Incalculable,

Cost,

Bewildered,

Lost.

The world comes to see,

There is nothing left,

With homes demolished,

And loved ones bereft,

Coming,

Feeling,

Holding,

Healing,

Hand by hand,

Brick by brick,

Bottle by bottle,

Stick by stick,

Warmth of heat,

Heat of hearts,

Darkness cleared,

Healing starts,

Life returning,

Communities reborn,

For compassion is stronger,

Than the Perfect Storm.

Identity Crisis

 

I wrote this piece partially inspired by Peter Gabriel's "Father and Son" song which his daughter Anna so lovingly captured in video form.  Here is Peter, mover and changer in the world, back on the farm with his Dad showing a smile you see nowhere else.  Please continue to support Peter's human rights work at Witness.org.  In conversing with a friend at Starbuck's the other day, we came to realize that many people are held back from becoming the person they can be because they do not yet know who they are.

Within the living,

Within the breathing,

You find the loving,

You find the needing,

To find their places,

And use their voices,

They lack the courage,

To make the choices.

There is a difference,

In change and growing,

In not forgetting,

Where you are going,

Always remember,

Though near or far,

And never forget,

Just who you are.

A new idea,

Can change tomorrow,

But needs the courage,

For it to follow,

First a decision,

Must come to pass,

For any change,

To come at last.

There is a price,

A cost for growing,

With full reward,

In where you’re going,

Always remember,

Though near or far,

And never forget,

Just who you are.

And when we’re idle,

Change comes upon us,

With unknown fury,

World crashes on us,

Forcing decisions,

Unto us giving,

Will we surrender,

Or go on living?

We know our worth,

In change and growing,

When we are pushed,

To where we’re going,

Always remember,

Though near or far,

And never forget,

Just who you are.

What’s that which hinders?

Fear growing within,

The hollow unknowing,

Makes hope grow dim,

Keeps us from trying,

And traveling far,

It comes from not knowing,

Just who we are.

There is a difference,

When life’s born anew,

We feel the changes,

Within all that we do,

Understanding growing,

Like Infinity’s star,

Knowing each day,

Just who you are.