To Share a Smile

How do you put into words,

That which cannot be spoken?

How do you paint a clear picture,

With sounds that flow from the mind?

Thought unto thought,

Feeling unto feeling,

Two souls with experience,

Know all through the eyes.

Strangers become friends,

Through the strength of a smile,

I smile becomes a river,

Flowing out among souls,

One conveys to ten,

And ten reach out to hundreds,

Restoring joy to the hopeless,

Replacing hopelessness with peace.

Energy is never destroyed,

Energy is never created,

Yet the energy of love,

Knows no such rules,

For this is why the stars,

And the Earth was created,

Because it was that important,

To choose to show love.

The Dream

A face appearing,

A gentle touch,

Not to the fingers,

And upon the heart,

Here within the timeless,

A second is forever,

Here with your heart,

Beating within mine,

A reflection of Heaven,

Resting beyond change,

Where time is absurdity,

And love binds all to one,

For in the waking world,

Of fears and illusions,

Chasing ghosts of promise,

Our tears will come forth,

Yet a tear becomes a lens,

Bending the light of darkness,

Breaking the light of illusion,

Bringing truth unto the heart,

For God made these lenses,

Water to join with others,

A binding between our hearts,

Fused by fire of His love,

The dream then becomes real,

As the world becomes illusion,

With our souls held safe eternal,

By His hand above.

The Scent of a Woman

The scent of a woman,

Never leaves a man's heart,

The perfume of her spirit,

Filling his soul,

As her breath of life,

Flows from him as love,

As her laughter forms,

The light of his eyes,

Which the blind can see,

Of all he is to be,

For the love of God,

Gives him wisdom and strength,

While the love of her,

Gives him purpose.

Forever.

The Bible and The Banjo - for the people affected by the fire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee

I wrote this inspired by a situation that was experienced when my neighbors home in the mountains went up in flames. May people far and near come together in love, prayer, and action in helping the people affected by this tragic situation in the area of Gatlinburg.


I saw the flames from through the trees,
It was my neighbor's home,
Within the dark and near his loss,
His face looked so alone.

Bright orange fire light in his eyes,
In silence he just cried,
Surrounded by friends and fire crew,
Underneath the ashen sky.

His family safe and in and his arms,
Only two things more survived,
With banjo and Bible from the flames,
He kept his faith held high.

We came together in days to come,
Us neighbors far end is near,
To help a friend who was in need,
His family we held dear.

We each had skills to put to use,
To build that home again,
From our hearts we brought our skills,
Back home to help a friend.

For love from God flows through the heart,
As dark times sure will show,
We gathered in joy by the new front door,
With his Bible and banjo.

With over 700 homes and buildings destroyed, and a rising death toll, these folks need help.  Click below if you want to help them.

http://dollywoodfoundation.org

From the Ashes - For The people of Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Dolly Parton is giving $1000 a month to help people who have lost their homes in this tragedy affecting the place she has known as home. What will you do?  http://dollywoodfoundation.org

Where is God to allow such things?
The fear through the night,
Tempered by the pain of loss,
Hope replaced by hopelessness,
And then there is the Cross.

Do miracles light up the sky?
If God is all powerful,
Then miracles are merely acts,
But Christ's love with in our hearts,
Turns the impossible into facts.

What can rise from these ashes?
Bones of loved ones mixed with wood,
Permeate these blessed grounds,
Their love forever in our hearts,
New direction can be found.

Can darkness really show the light?
This truth Jesus taught to me,
On this dark stage together,
Actions from our hearts will weather,
Showing God's love as it should be.

The Tapestry - For Irene Sutera

Many lives,

Have walked the earth,

In the past and the future,

Crossing souls in the wind,

Lifting their voice to the sky,

Each with a story.

We live and we thrive,

On our own paths of duty,

Driving passion into the stone,

Carving out our markings,

Leaving a legacy to be known,

Not aware of the stories around us.

If all of the stories,

Can be shown in truth and glory,

The tapestry would stretch,

Beyond limits and imagination,

Beyond length and width,

And not contain all.

Each face and what was seen,

All the faces yet to come,

All the pains and all the joys,

All of the love in each embrace,

Let the wonder of it all,

Be seen within our eyes.

For the energy of lives,

Never fade from the light of day,

For all matter is made of energy,

Everything seen and heard is energy,

So each life makes reality,

More beautiful than before.

It is time which makes the bond,

Where a face never leaves our hearts,

And a heartbeat never ceases,

When we invest our lives in another,

And the gift to us becomes eternal,

In what we carry forth.

Forsaken

 

In the fleeting moment,

We are born and we die,

The touch of the father’s hand,

Turns quickly toward the plow,

The belonging of family,

An illusion quickly shattered,

As friends come and go,

Some closer than others,

Some of which you marry,

Shatter illusions of compassion,

Without word or reason,

As if nothing ever happened.

Forsaken from the womb,

We taste the cold air,

Alone within our skin,

Yet you are always there,

The heart is but a window,

Through all vision taken,

Seeing you through the heart,

We are never forsaken.

Some hearts cross our paths,

With a true desire of bonding,

Alone within their skins,

Heart beating and yearning,

Reaching out to you,

And reaching out to me,

Not dreaming of separation,

Separated by circumstance,

Even two hearts bound in marriage,

Only touching at sunsets,

Contemplating life true meaning,

Most moments are bereft.

Forsaken from the womb,

We taste the cold air,

Alone within our skin,

Yet you are always there,

The heart is but a window,

Through all vision taken,

Seeing you through the heart,

We are never forsaken.

In space we fall through time,

At times we fall through space,

While bleeding and alone,

In the grip of hopeless gravity,

Knowing that strength was an illusion,

And what must be will occur,

For if the height was per chance higher,

The final page would turn,

As some of us have tragically learned,

Living out our days,

Those souls shining through our hearts,

The truest sun life rays.

Forsaken from the womb,

We taste the cold air,

Alone within our skin,

Yet you are always there,

The heart is but a window,

Through all vision taken,

Seeing you through the heart,

We are never forsaken.

In Memory of Gene Wilder

How lucky I am,

To be born at the right time.

To be a small child,

Adoring Willy Wonka’s smile.

To be a young boy,

Seeing Young Frankenstein.

A character and charm,

Prevailed with my heart.

It was with his heart,

Gene crafted characters.

It was with his soul,

He made fiction into magic.

For magic becomes passion,

And passion prevails pain.

Arming us with his smile,

Unleashing our potential.

Eccentricity was his gift,

To think outside of the box.

His gift within my life,

Has led me to many solutions.

Unconfined to grey conformity,

My imagination soared on his wings,

And on the wings of possibility,

I help others to take flight.

So do not believe,

The rumors of his passing.

For the essential things,

Are only seen by the heart.

Carry forth his great smile,

In all the things that you are,

May the kindness in his eyes,

Live forever through our hearts.

Impressions

At Sid Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood I felt a bit of the magic of past lives which graced this spot from the silver screen, practicing their craft to the extent of becoming legends, making impressions upon our lives along the way.  To that extent I did stand in the shoe prints of Dick Van Dyke with the prayer that some of the magic may help the ineptitude of my feet, as his charm has enhanced my ability to smile.

The greatest gift unto life,

Is how life begets life,

How hearts beat to each other,

Bringing souls together,

So that eyes meet for a moment,

Creating the real change of love,

Just a smile on the street,

A warm hand where we meet,

Words flee through the air,

Planting seeds of eternal trees.

The mind records impressions,

Which are never forgotten in life,

How much more then the soul,

Brings them unto heaven?

For seeds are always cast,

Yet the fruit seldom witnessed,

Though the planter always knows,

Whether the seeds are good,

Have faith that seeds of love,

Make beautiful impressions.

Whispering Thunder

Alone I entered into this world,

All alone I will leave.

Alone I entered into this world,

And all alone I will leave.

But the things I have seen and done here,

You would not believe.

No one ever gave me a chance,

Except for you standing by my side.

No one ever thought I could make it,

And then you made it your ride.

You know that all the things I do for love,

Are things I do with pride.

There is pain awaiting the sunrise,

And sorrow when it goes down.

There is pain for you in the sunrise,

Until the sun sinks below the ground.

Without the faith to make it right in the day,

Pain was all that I found.

I had,

Nothing!

No one!

No guide!

No fun!

No peace!

No pride!

And no where to hide!

You gave me,

A reason!

Believing!

A feeling!

I’m reeling!

Fear stealing!

Appealing!

Cause its HEAVEN I’m feeling!

There is a whispering thunder inside me,

From the beating heart of love.

There is a quiet thunder inside me,

Defeating the storm clouds up above.

I am the heart of the strength of the storm undefeated,

And its all because of your love.

From The Heart - for Christina Grimmie

For her family, friends, and all who know they

can make a positive difference, no matter what.

Born of love's light,

She shared her passion,

In finding her voice,

She shared her heart,

Life is the language,

Where the heart speaks,

Yet the soul understands,

What is beyond words,

Tears beyond expression,

Smiles beyond joy,

Love beyond expression.

The heart pours forth,

What cannot be contained,

No man made force,

Could contain her life,

For in face to face,

She was unforgettable,

Yet she touched the souls,

Who she could not see,

For love never fades,

And light never dies,

May her light shine full,

Through our hearts forever.

Christina (March 12, 1994 - June 11, 2016)

For her brother Marcus, her family, and fans

Born of love's light,

She shared her passion,

In finding her voice,

She shared her heart,

Music is the language,

Where the heart speaks,

Yet the soul understands,

What is beyond words,

Tears beyond expression,

Smiles beyond joy,

Love beyond expression.

The heart pours forth,

What cannot be contained,

No man made force,

Could contain her life,

For in face to face,

She was unforgettable,

Yet she touched the souls,

Who she could not see,

For love never fades,

And light never dies,

May her light shine full,

Through our hearts forever.

Stricken

From where does comfort come,

When hardship hits the weary,

Circumstance knows no bounds,

As tragedy strikes the young,

As weakness strikes the strong,

Without regards to age,

Without seeing beauty,

Without making sense.

There is no rhyme or reason,

As the sensible grow foolish,

In trying to make sense,

Of all that comes to pass,

When the reality of weakness,

Is knowing we can't choose,

In when we win or lose,

Just how we play the game.

For the one enduring truth,

Is souls do not pass,

As tethers tied of love,

Bind our souls together,

Making miracles of madness,

As we invest ourselves in others,

With clear vision of the heart,

Through the gift of time.

As time passes enduring,

Endure within the faith,

Knowing when you seem alone,

We are all close at hand,

Through the dark of night,

May the stars reminds your soul,

We watch over you with love,

As the light pours from our hearts.

The Shepherd

 For the children of Pedda Suraram

The Shepherd laughs,
As his little ones laugh,
Following his heart,
Showing them love,
Upon fields of joy.

The little ones see,
As the Shepherd sees,
Musicians playing sweet songs,
Causing heads to turn,
Casting eyes upon them.

The Shepherd sees,
As the flock walks away,
Dancing to new songs,
Leaving fields of joy,
As they go behind the rocks.

And then the music stops,
The musicians have gone,
While the little ones luck,
Not knowing where they are,
Breaking the Shepherd's heart.

Then they hear the growls,
The hunger in the rocks,
The shadows showing eyes,
Fixed upon their prey,
The little ones cry in fear.

The Shepherd springs before them,
Standing in the gap,
Defending the little ones lives,
He gives his life for them,
That they may all be free.

Running back to safety,
Back to the fields of joy,
They find their Shepherd standing,
In triumph living again,
With outstretched arms of love.

A Night to Remember

Recently many people came together to bless special needs students in a wonderful way.

This is for them.

A Night to Remember

For a special night,

They came together.

People of all ages,

Preparing in advance,

Armed with joy and faith,

Knowing God would provide,

All in its place.

The families did come,

Each with their child,

Each one with a burden,

As life finds its meaning,

In carrying weight,

Each weight bringing weakness,

Yet difficulty brings truth,

For where we are weak,

He is made strong.

Other youth came forth,

With the light of their hearts,

Filled with the God’s fire,

Drawing souls like a magnet,

Reaching to those in need,

For when we minister to the least,

We are ministering to God,

While in his warm embrace.

Hardly noticed by the masses,

In the shadows of misfortunes,

Lifted up for this night,

They glittered in their gowns,

And in fine pressed suits,

They shone as like stars,

To be presented in glory,

Receiving the gift of joy.

The students receiving them,

Spoke their language of smile,

As the wordlessness of love,

Is understood by all creatures,

They became dressed like royals,

Becoming angels to the weak,

Lifting up silenced voices,

To sing joy before God’s throne.

Neighbor and Friend

When we left Virginia we lost touch with our friend and neighbor Dan.  With his common name we could never find him on the Internet,  but yesterday morning I learned he passed away two years ago.  Once a mark is left on you from another soul, it is forever.  Make it a good one.

His hand stretches forth,
Across the reach of time,
Beyond the breach of space,
Distance in its place,
A friend of friends,
With passion true,
His laughter sparks,
Each day anew,
So full of heart,
His heart has flame,
Once knowing him,
One is never the same.

Music was his gift,
Extending beyond the rift,
Deep within my soul,
And touching many hearts,
Blessed to be his neighbors,
So blessed to share a part,
Of smiles,
Of times,
Of joy,
Of life.

One for Many

 

Before many,
We each are many,
Before many,
You are one,
We speak differently,
To different faces,
We change roles,
In different places,
Yet you are our Father,
Both yesterday and tomorrow,
In sickness and in health,
For in death we never part,
As life springs eternal,
From the well within your heart,
And so here many come,
As here we become one,
Safe within your heart,
Sound within you.

Whispers of Forever - For Rory and Family in Memory of Joey

It is where time ends,
And forever begins,
Here in your arms,
Safe in your arms.

Fear has been banished,
Where love reigns unmatched,
Safe in your arms,
Here in your arms.

Nothing can ever equal,
What can not be destroyed,
Nothing can replace,
What we have deployed,
All trials must fail,
Forward together we sail,
With joy in our hearts,
Never to part,
As pain is just a sign,
Of a living loving heart,
Beyond true harm.

All hearts share a dream,
Such a delicate dream,
Of touch embrace,
Such sweet embrace.

Yet hearts fear being alone,
With touch unknown,
So far from home,
Lost and alone.

When the physical is gone,
Distance is too,
Hearts joined as one,
Never beat as two,
Where love is not lost,
True union is bound,
Withstanding oppression,
In loves true progression,
Is life's meaning found.

With the heart in full motion,
Time no longer exists,
Set firm within s smile,
Then sealed with a kiss,
Every moment shared,
Is a gift from Heaven above,
There are no hellos between hearts,
And there are no goodbyes in love.

Old Glory

 

Family sings by the piano,
After sharing times of the day,
When a dollar earned was a dollar,
With value made by strong hands,
And pride was seen in the appearance,
Without regard to what you have,
As fathers knew their sons,
And mothers knew their daughters,
With God shining upon his creation,
We once sought what we could create,
Building cars that would drive into legend,
These cars carry stories of Sunday drives,
A family singing songs down the road,
Roads leading to mountains or seas,
As we became all that we could be,
Behind the wheel of old glory.

 

The Gathering

Written today at Th San Diego Mission

Where they came centuries ago,

Many souls are drawn today,

Ford beating hearts never cease,

Drawing to each other be on time,

All drawn to the timeless heart above,

Speaking whispers beyond words,

Within music beyond sound,

As truth light comes through love,

All is bright in this place,

With my heart among the many,

Drawn to the heart of Christ,

The Paschel mystery of love,

Sacrifice becoming joyful praise,

All of our difference comes together,

Forward here we are all as one,

In love,

In life,

In Him.

Shadows of Light

In the light of longest shadows, 

The darkness gives victory to the light, 

The faithful return to the streets of work, 

Where the colors of light are intense, 

And the birds sing their loudest praises, 

Thankful for yet another day, 

As the path of the sun does not measure time, 

It is the heartbeats of those who are close, 

An enfolding rhythm without compare, 

A persistent praise of percussion, 

Celebrating the giver of life, 

Until all hearts beat without interval, 

In the day love's song never ends.

Books Upon The Shelf

I wrote this yesterday at 3PM and did not know why.  Yesterday at 6PM I read a news report about the passing of Glen Frey that was exactly 3 hours hold.  This is for him, David, Alan, Natalie, Celine Dion's husband, and many that have passed recently.  Lives are like stories.  When the book is finished and placed upon the shelf, the story does not disappear.  Every moment is eternal and can be seen through our hearts again and again.  Life is real.  Death is an illusion.

The eyes distort the image,

Seen through open windows,

Of pathways souls would tread,

Upon the dusty Earth,

With action spoken words,

Words setting power in motion,

With the energy of lives,

Uniting every page,

Turning through the ages,

As chapters form the whole,

An ageless face of beauty,

With a smile to capture hearts,

Now weathered from the start,

But the smile still shines through,

For some things never change,

Through every turning page,

Till the story reaches end,

And the book is on the shelf.

Some stories outlast others,

Yet the quality is not in length,

For time is but an illusion,

As there is no such thing as size,

Meaning distance is perception,

Separating goals from wills,

Until passion sparks inception,

Loosing powers of the heart,

As some lives taste in days,

What others require in years,

Yet we all are meted power,

To narrate our own tales,

Writing pages in our hand,

Though a story may close early,

And the book goes on the shelf.

The shelves go on forever,

Extending in all directions,

For there is no top or bottom,

With endless lives and names,

For each life that breathes in time,

Exhales eternal vapors,

And the truth upon the shelves,

Is the stories are still there,

Captured in every detail,

Inscribed on every heart,

For beyond limits of paper,

The heart holds all words made,

And every breath that’s said,

Is written in Love’s pen,

From beginning to the end,

For the illusion presents itself,

As since there really is no size,

Then there cannot be a distance,

Without distance there is no beginning,

And in love there is no end.

Through These Eyes - For David Bowie

The title was inspired by his unusual eyes.

The words are about how he painted the pictures he saw in music.

The legacy is painting the magic into life as he did for us.

Upon the darkened mist I stroll,

Along side this old river,

Passing through the city streets,

Where I saw him kiss her,

A living canvas etched in stone,

Only viewed when I’m alone,

On the endless song I ride,

Through these eyes.

Ancient land of dragons lifts my feet,

Amidst the song of Asian sounds,

With scents unknown both hard and sweet,

Flows through these foreign grounds,

In the sea of faces by an old street sign,

Black hair a swirl and then her eyes meet mine,

But a second’s sight imprints two souls,

Through these eyes.

The pictures painted through words in song,

The image blows on wind to many ears,

The canvas woven onto hearts,

Conveying joys and fighting fears,

And many souls a vision share,

So many hearts to passion dare,

Life’s breath eternally revives,

Through these eyes.

Your shadow whispers thoughts to me,

Underneath and over sunlit stars,

The Heart of Love we seek to see,

A moment’s journey takes us far,

Through this world that’s made of light,

Song is where our hearts do take flight,

May you see your seeds of fire have grown,

Through my eyes.

Tomorrow Unto Yesterday

This is about death which should not be feared, as it is a part of life.  With cancer a person loses the desire to eat or drink, can often clearly recall people from long ago, and can have sudden bursts of energy with the desire to take care of things.  This is tomorrow combining with yesterday.

Many people have commented on news reports of the passing of David Bowie with touching personal accounts as they find reasons to keep fighting for each day, and keep fighting for each other, in the name of love.  Many cite David's efforts to record his final album in spite of his condition to give a parting gift to his fans around the world, while he kept doing the thing that defined him.  All of this is about love which is also timeless.  If love is timeless, and the defining truth of life, then death is truly an illusion.

 Hunger is but a passing thought,
Thirst visits me no more,
I hear life's song from the street,
Through my open door.

Memories flood my living soul,
Of what people once did say,
From faces long before these thoughts,
Who were from another day.

So much to do was never done,
And yet there is so much more,
Yet all I can foresee to do,
Has all been done before.

Then strength does fill me fresh anew,
As strength did fill me when,
There was so much more of life to do,
That I may rise again.

Yet love's sunrise will never set,
As God's heart shines on to me,
For Life's love song does never rest,
It is sung eternally.