Hope Waits

hope

waits

in the wings

secretly wishing

for a big break

as the plot unfolds

desire

unchecked

is reckless

ignoring the cosmic order

constructing a plan

masquerading as serendipity

in a costume

ill-fitting and frayed

while patience and trust conspire

to tempt the hands of fate

true instinct

runs

naked

unabashedly

inviting the sun

and the rain

to dance

Restless Wizards

restless wizards

bored with the status quo

secretly

cast their spell

whispered incantations

drowned out

by the magnetic

push-pull

nature’s way

of manipulating

the elements

hypnotizing

her subjects

forms morph

from known to new

mysterious

delirious

like children

never tiring of the why

satisfied only by

the ongoing search

for basic truths

Driven

driven

to distraction

without a map

no crystal ball

to predict the outcome

or measure the risk

fueled by emotions

steered by wants

trapped in a tenuous dream

where fields

of four leaf clover

point the way

butterflies ride shotgun

and the vision of cloud nine

in the distance

keeps me behind the wheel

--both feet on the gas

Fly Away

if only

i could

trade my arms

for wings

if i could

shed

this heavy

human shell

i would fly

away

melting

into a cloudless sky

if i could

soar

with the red tails

in a graceful arc

along arbitrary boundaries

across cultural divides

casting shadows

upon hypocrisy

drawing circles

around inequity

praying

for peace

would that be purpose

enough?

Blast Off

how do they stay

so metered

the balance eludes me

i crave the crescendo

peaking and falling

wave after breaking wave

in rational moments

i long for grounding

envy their patience

their consistency

i even try it on for size

it feels sweet and smooth

but it won’t stick

before long the costume

drops to my feet

as i blast off

to the next great thing

You Promised

you promised

the impossible

and i believed

you were a magician

pulling rabbits

out of thin air

but once i could follow

your slight of hand

the intrigue was gone

and i crashed to earth

a marionette

with no strings

paralyzed

by the knowledge

that there is no return

from the chosen path

only more forks

in the road

Want

want

runs in circles

biting my ankles

undeterred

by my swift kick

becomes

need

no longer

for the thing

but merely

to quell

the incessant nagging

and reclaim peace

The Storm

think back -

surely there was calm

before the storm

wasn’t the brain neatly divided

into tidy little segments

of productivity

patiently waiting their turns

now this bastard child

growing like a weed

spreading like poison ivy

pushes to the front

demanding

focus

on the task at hand

in full concentration

search for the perfect phrase

nothing comes to mind

the child again

shoves through

a new approach

this time warm, soft, hot, sweet

melting

practice begets strength

but more likely

time distance

softens the edges of memory

starve the child

shrink it to a pea

weakening the cries of passion

to a dull moan

of blame

Like a Moth

i’d just learned

how to play

to have faith

in the hand

i’d been dealt

believing

an unhappy surprise

beat a boring life

then i met you

and like a moth

was consumed

by the flame

Fair is Fair

dog days

come and gone

and like lines

in the sand

erased

by the tide

summer

slips through my fingers

songs once sensuous

and sweet

turn urgent

and shrill

crickets

signal the beginning

of the end

and my heart

beats heavy

sinking

through a hollow spirit

pounding out

circadian rhythms

echoes

from the past

and the future

little consolation

for the present

a stubborn reminder

that fair is fair

and nothing

is forever