The Defiance of Despair

The tears of Heaven fall,

Where headstones cover hearts,

Hearts that are still beating,

Placed within the darkness,

Without the sound of souls.

The soulless sing victory,

Drinking lifeblood of the weak,

While laughing at the meek,

Inhaling the last breath,

Believing they are strong.

Illusion is their world,

Where stars obey their whims,

They cannot control their limbs,

Believing that they do rule,

They become the weakest slaves.

Not seeing the clear truth,

Strength is of the heart,

Which Heaven will impart,

For all of those who willing,

Will speak the song of love.

For to smile is in truth,

Of living joy defiant,

In Heaven’s strength reliant,

With patience as the mortar,

In building walls of stone.

For such is the fortress,

Of those who live for life,

Be they husband or a wife,

Passing strength on in wisdom,

To the young who wish to learn.

We only own ourselves,

Our one true possession,

To give it up is in regression,

Deciding to believe in nothing,

When God’s breath does give us air.

And so I will sing joyous,

With the Christmas time renewing,

Love’s gift of life renewing,

To touch hearts once turned cold,

For to show strength is to care.

The Night of Day

There are many among us,

Walking without hearts,

Whom breathe the air we share,

Looking but not seeing,

Speaking but not hearing,

They are shadows among living,

And without heart truly dead.

Those on the path of feeling,

Seeking pain along with pleasure,

On a journey of the heart,

Finding peace in God aflame,

As the air within our lungs,

Has a weight of nothing,

Yet weighs down our souls,

Upon the living Earth,

To share glory from above.

For in seeing physical life,

We are seeking past the seen,

Seeing souls within the colors,

Eyes portraying spirits,

Shaping song upon the silence,

With words beyond the spoken,

Where hearts sing past the sound,

And colors fill the voidless,

What was barren takes on form,

As beauty fills in meaning,

From the hand of God.

Take heart all ye living,

Awake within the darkness,

Seen from stars observing,

Our shadows under the clouds,

Eyes watching beyond time,

As stars spell out the timeless,

And the truth is sung eternal,

To rhythms of the beating heart,

Causing cold hearts to start beating,

Dead eyes begin to open,

As tears bring warmth to cheeks,

And the soul draws in new breath,

Life’s rebirth on wings of love.

The Blood of Tears - For the People of France

May the people of France know we stand beside them in love,

In prayer,

In perseverance.

The sun chases west of us,

Following the clouds,

Leaving star dust behind,

Tracing constellations,

As we speed the sun to you,

With the force of our hearts,

To warm your souls,

With the coming of dawn.

Our souls ride the sunshine,

While our bodies do sleep,

So that our spirits are with you,

At the break of dawn,

To stand right beside you,

As you walk broken glass,

On your shattered streets,

Our hearts beating with you.

For throughout your night,

I could feel silent tears,

I could hear whispered cries,

As I walked through my day,

With my hand outstretched,

Too far from your fingers,

With my soul outstretched,

To dry the tears of your heart.

For they just walked amongst you,

They were brothers and sisters,

They were mothers and fathers,

To hear Sunday’s bird songs,

Anticipating your smiles,

And yet the sun rises,

Not seeing their shadows,

As we face a different world.

Let our tears trace their lineage,

And our hearts sing their honor,

While our hands protect life,

Defying those who take it,

While the loved ones silenced,

Live forever in our hearts,

Holding fast to God’s promise,

Through the blood of tears.

Grains of Light

When darkness falls,

The stars shine through,

Illuminating the night,

With diamond beauty.

Where rain storms come,

Rearranging the land,

Every blade of grass,

Bears jewels of light.

Dark clouds bring shadows,

Painting somber shading,

Before shards of light,

Shine Heaven’s joy.

As tears of pain,

Cleanse the eyes of illusion,

Restoring heart’s vision,

Unto the traveling soul.

While cold winds come,

Bringing chill to the body,

Causing arms to seek,

A warm heart’s glow.

Life brings us trials,

Taking health and peace,

Causing us to seek,

The Most Healing Hand.

Love’s meaning brings,

Life’s limitless power,

From faith as small,

As a grain of sand.

The Song of Wine

Seek a slender vessel,

Behold one among many,

Filled to the brim,

Each one is a story,

The fruit of life’s labor,

Each one in glory.

As a vessel pours forth,

The wine is not wasted,

For the fruit is in spirit,

The love of God tasted,

We are all of the vine,

Within the song of wine.

Each taste from a source,

Of flowers, fire, and wind,

From the Earth it’s begotten,

Lands both near and far,

Love grown in life’s light,

And rest beneath the stars.

As a vessel pours forth,

The wine is not wasted,

For the fruit is in spirit,

The love of God tasted,

We are all of the vine,

Within the song of wine.

Some sweeter flowered wines,

Of ruby lips and charm,

Shine warmth of grace in soul,

Others standing tall and robust,

In protecting the growing vine,

Shine soul virtuous and just.

As a vessel pours forth,

The wine is not wasted,

For the fruit is in spirit,

The love of God tasted,

We are all of the vine,

Within the song of wine.

Once a vessel is aged and full,

It can never be truly emptied,

Poured forth into life,

Life is perfected prolonged,

Filling Heaven’s bountiful sea,

Each note a part of the song.

As a vessel pours forth,

The wine is not wasted,

For the fruit is in spirit,

The love of God tasted,

We are all of the vine,

Within the song of wine.

4D

The beauty of the world,

In three dimensions,

Is astounding to imagine,

Lakes and rivers,

Sky and mountains,

Spinning through sunshine.

That motion is doubled,

As the Earth circles the sun,

And grows in intensity,

With the sun on its journey,

Our galaxy in full flight.

These dimensions are but three,

The fourth vast in scope,

As time is traveled in distance,

Bringing a motion of change,

To all we know and see.

This can be pictured,

As waves upon the sea,

Mountains rise from below,

Building in stature,

Weathering with the weather,

And smoothing into shore.

Clouds portray time’s journey,

Building upon building,

Blossoming into beauty,

Or growing dark as storms,

As each of us chooses in heart,

Our shape through life’s path.

Yet the clouds are not temporary,

Nor are the ocean waves,

Once part of the ocean,

Above or below us,

They remain live in their moment,

Captured within time.

Souls are scattered in time,

The past and the future,

People walk upon this Earth,

Not seeing through Time’s barrier,

Yet real in quantum mystery,

They are the energy we feel.

Perfection may be realized,

As God reconciles all life,

Bringing time to an end,

Retaining beauty in forever,

Bringing all our souls reunion,

When the quantum veil will fall.

Piercing of The Veil

 Energy, which can neither be created or destroyed, is known to 

have the potential of piercing through our physical reality to others recognized

by physics or theoretical physics.  Likewise, love is an energy which may pierce

through the physical world to the spiritual.  This has been felt by people of 

faith throughout time since the greatest act of love not only pierced the veil,

but tore it in half.

This world is an illusion,

Just a veil before our eyes,

A persistent illusion for certain,

As Einstein himself once described,

For he told us all matter is energy,

Atoms being mostly empty space,

Confirming a truth about love,

Which Jesus once spoke in this place.

Jesus said what we do for others,

Are things being done unto Him,

For this convincing veil of reality,

With love becomes paper thin,

When this energy pours from the heart,

Actions of love will pierce through,

To God creating life from the start,

Confirming what is real and true.

When the piercing comes from His hand,

We see miracles occur in our lives,

For His magic flows through our weak hands,

What seemed impossible comes true in our eyes,

We may feel lost past the veil in the darkness,

Though the stars confirm truth in the night,

For fear is the illusion in darkness,

The clear truth is we are found in His light.

The great gift you can give in living,

Is the gift given without regard to your pain,

When you reach out in spite of your sufferings,

The life He pours upon you is gain,

For God’s own Son took joy in His suffering,

Saving our lives being the result of the plan,

Tearing the dark veil between God and us,

Through the piercing love placed in His hands.

The Test of Faith

I have often heard pastors and others look at someone going 

through a trial and say, "His faith is being tested."  It suddenly occurred 

to me that perhaps our faith is being tested in how we respond.

Her eyes have seen many miles,

Her lips have spoken wisdom,

With decades of marriage behind her,

 And children far away,

Alone she lives upon a hill,

While illness slowly claims her love,

Visiting him when she is taken,

As time slowly ticks away.

His eyes have seen bloodshed,

In defense of his nation’s pride,

He traveled overseas,

As there was conflict to be,

And over fallen friends he cried,

While at home the picture changing,

Financial patterns rearranging,

His own home no longer to see.

In a young woman’s eyes lived laughter,

In this young woman’s eyes lived joy,

Until the day turned the page,

An old enemy of health reappeared,

Taking her rest away,

Taking away all of her peace,

Not able to put her battle to words,

Her eyes speaking volumes of fear.

I have been told such are trials,

With pastors speaking of the tests of faith,

I would wonder why they are being tested,

With conflicts and pain like I never knew,

Some with friends and family of support,

Others sitting alone in the darkness,

I realized those witnessing the trials are tested,

All of us who see and hear are being tried,

With those we do or do not know,

Be it a stranger leaving a store to go,

Alone with tears in the eyes,

Leaving us each a faith question I ask you,

If your faith is strong,

What will you do?

Turn the Page

The breeze comes on the evening sun,

Lifting birds to the sky,

While people travel to and fro,

Where they are going,

I do hope they know,

Sounds,

Calls,

Noise,

Data,

Streaming…

Time,

Stress,

Nerves,

Mind,

Reeling…

With my mouth closed,

My heart is listening,

The voices of old friends gone,

Introduce new friends to come,

Family is togetherness,

Whether blood or by choice,

Together giving voice,

Joy in simple things.

Jokes,

Laughter,

Cookies,

Clearing,

Resting,

Testing,

Together,

At our best.

Canolli recipe passed down,

From mother’s heart to heart,

Kitchen to kitchen family,

Magic from hand to hand,

As the story keeps unfolding,

Life and joy continues,

For the heart continues yearning,

And so the pages keep turning,

Turn the page.

Who Are You?

Feel,

Fly,

Reach,

Try,

Stretch,

Yearn,

Grow,

Learn,

Speak,

Share,

Give,

Dare,

Laugh,

Cry,

Feel,

Why,

Reach to the stars,

Learn who you are.

The Ocean Above

Within the blue ocean,

Stretching endless above,

The crystal waters of warmth,

With sailing ships of white,

Looking down upon our heads,

While we are scarcely looking up,

To raise our hands embrace,

As our hearts confound the infinite,

For the birds and wild sing truth,

While we do not stop to understand,

Stop to drink the still waters,

From the eternal well,

Closing our eyes to the physical,

Our hearts might see the truth,

How our souls swim in the infinite,

Waters of overlapping worlds,

Colors singing in wonder,

Two streams crossing in our hands,

An impossibility we glimpse,

When the blue seas lift away,

And the stars confront our illusions.

Unfolding Magic

Magic is unfolding,

In the wandering of ways,

Following the spirit wind,

From the breath of God.

Perhaps aimless in appearance,

Like the fluttering butterfly,

Yet a straight and narrow path,

Kissing every flower.

Chemistry in spirit,

Follows faithful motion,

As souls are lit in the touch,

Like stars burning from God’s flame.

And so you touch my hand,

As my words touch your heart,

And the wordless meaning of life,

Strikes us crystal clear.

And so the song continues,

Heard loudest in the silence,

With no beginning and no end,

Bringing angels tears of joy.

A Prayer - In Celebration of the Life of James Sutera

 For the time I knew him, it was like I had the time

back with my own Dad.  For my wife, he gave the finest complements

to her driving as we went to the Sutera family picnics together.  For you, 

something entirely different and special.  And if you are not part of this family,

and have lost someone special, may this prayer apply to that life continuing through

your heart.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Grant me daily strength as you did for him,

The strength to work hard at anything,

To provide for my family’s needs,

And give my children a good life.

Dear Lord God,

Grant me the wisdom of discernment,

As you did for him,

That I can face problems without fear,

And those close could trust me to help them,

As I walk in faith with you.

Dear Precious Lord,

I am far from perfect,

Learning and growing each day,

Dealing with mistakes as he did,

Give me patience that I might fix my errors,

And be a better person.

Dear Holy Father,

Love is the basis for all things,

Though I try to remain strong as he did,

May my actions convey love as he did,

So that  my family and friends have hope,

No matter the circumstance of life,

Dear God,

I am not making Jim to be a saint,

For when he accepted your Son it was done,

And in his errors and attributes he was human,

And the best of that shown though his life,

So may his light shine on through our hearts.

Edie

Doctors told her she would not make it.

She lived to tell me they were wrong.

Never doubt the scope of possibility in faith!

Passing by the elevator,

Greeting us,

In meeting us,

With bright eyes,

She relayed a happy tale.

Unexpected this was,

Going somewhere,

To find her there,

With a smile,

God lifted up a veil.

Her name is Edie,

Though very quick,

She was sick,

The doctors there,

Painted picture grim.

Her heart was stronger,

Then illness come,

Wherever from,

And with faith,

She faced chances slim.

Her prayers were answered,

And from her bed,

Though almost dead,

She rose with force,

Joy to share a new.

For she was talking,

Heart to heart,

A brand new start,

Though doctor said,

Her life was through.

We never know,

Day to day,

Here to stay,

For each day we have,

Is a gift to share.

Like Edie showed me,

Living true,

Means coming through,

With a smile,

Showing all you care.

FARKLED!!!

Six dice,

Anything goes,

How they land,

No one knows,

Three sixes,

Six hundred,

Three fours,

Four hundred,

Four sixes,

A thousand,

For fun,

Abounded!

Risk a little,

To gain more?

Two more dice,

An open door?

Roll and see,

A hundred points,

Or five hundred flee,

Yet a different game,

The risk forms pain,

Risking relations,

Just for an issue,

Letting a good soul,

Go and miss you.

Is it worth it?

Ask yourself!

You are hurting now,

AND HOW!!!

But pain does pass,

As wine from a glass,

But on the floor,

Or to the lips,

We have hands,

And are equipped,

For the heart makes choices,

To silence voices,

Or make all souls glad,

From what can be had.

Realize creation,

It is your station,

Make it happen!

Do not let it pass,

For the choice is yours,

The choice is ours,

To make the play,

Have the good things stay,

Or gain a little for a lot,

Just for a ripple,

Getting out of a pickle,

And leaving a relation,

FARKLED!!!

From The Edge of Time

“Dance me to the children who are asking to be born,

Dance me to the curtains that our kisses have outworn,

…Dance me to the end of love.” – Leonard Cohen

From sepia tone pictures,

To the rooms we enter now,

From windows through the past,

They reach and teach us how,

Their eyes and smiles see us,

While steadfast love frees us,

To life alive unfettered.

Relationships with aging,

All along the years,

Hearts forever youthful,

Through laughter and tears,

Just sit and lend an ear,

Be patient and do hear,

How life is made better.

Age can frail the bodies,

Once so strong and whole,

Yet wisdom runs forever,

On life within our roles,

Never doubting life’s meaning,

Truth from God’s mind gleaning,

In the following of love.

Youth will find true purpose,

In wisdom and in faith,

In sharing smiles with elders,

A joy nothing can replace,

See the hours pass like minutes,

Defying life illusion limits,

With God smiling from above.

Cookies - for Uncle Jack

In the scope of things,

One life may seem small,

Yet one life contains a heart,

And each heart is a universe.

He loved to have a cookie,

At the end of every meal,

Something to look forward to,

A piece of joy for the soul.

A cookie from the hand,

Of the wife that stood beside him,

Was love becoming physical,

Merging spirit with the world.

This was a piece of joy,

A token between friends,

Passing from other hands to his,

And lifting up his smile.

A variety of flavors,

Reflecting on the truth,

That each and every person,

Is variety in motion.

He has become so old,

And frail within the physical,

Yet deep within his heart,

He is forever young.

And so this is to him,

And also to us all,

Sharing each day our love,

In light of cookies yet to come.

Stories

 

These words came into my heart as I walked down a hill from Kaiser after visiting someone I love.

I went to see the old man,

He was sleeping in his room,

The nurse was busy outside,

I walked slow to his side,

Hand shaking under the sheets,

And stories inside his soul.

I wished I could touch his heart,

Lay my hand upon his soul,

For souls are made of stories,

As bodies are made of atoms,

And hearts are made of feeling,

And I wished I could feel his stories,

Life and memories to span the sky,

As I stand still upon the ground.

Stories compose each soul,

Tied together by free will,

As we create cosmic points of decision,

For the decision to follow a leaf,

Blowing through a park,

Can lead a man to kindred soul,

Together finding love,

They form a quantum timeline,

And reality changes around them,

Departed from separate paths,

As together they brighten the world.

And so the world exists,

A temporal mirror of forever,

Where we find meaning together,

In the complimentary grip of time,

For as light exists in waves and particles,

Time exists in positions and speed,

And within it we map out destiny,

Riding upon waves of space,

With sails full of love,

As the stars sing out our song,

Leading everywhere towards our hearts.