And behold, a light and lightness began to show itself again;

not because it was hiding, but rather, because it was buried:

buried beneath the fears of childhood and the angers of adolescence.

And the light peeked out and recognized that everything was ok;

that everything had ALWAYS been ok.

And what a wondrous moment that was!

It was like waking from a deep dream, a hibernation of sorts.

And the light experienced the greatest expansion it had ever known.

And the awareness of its physical being filled the light with awe!

How had it not noticed this beautiful physical beingness before;

a physicalness that surrounded it, gave it life in a way it had never known,

would never have known, without the interweaving of its own light

and this wondrous body?

What had made this possible? What nature of our existence,

what driving force of our beingness, must there be for this to have occurred?

The light searched and searched for a word to describe this nature,

this driving force that could and would create such a beautiful beingness,

human beingness.

And after searching, the light could come up with only one word,

one very small word, that implied SO much,

one word that seemed to be able to embrace all that is, all that was

and all that will be:

and it is LOVE!

stop it. Stop It. STOP IT!

Don't touch me.

Back off. You hear me?

I know what you're thinking; not a chance in Hell.

Don't touch me.

You're not getting in. You're not even getting close.

I'm setting you on fire, and throwing you through the wall.

Smash! Take that.

No, stop it!

Don't touch me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't look at me.

Get away from me. You make my skin crawl.

The damp creeps in once Raven steals the Sun;

the weeds are battened down. The grey wind

roughs me up with jagged claws and shoulders like

granite peaks.

I retreat to my den and curl up in a corner listening

to the drip-drip-drip. If I don't move soon I'll mildew.

When my grandmother was a little girl her aunt died.

The ground was frozen too stiff to bury her, and

by spring her corpse was blanketed with a forest of mold.

It was a dark and stormy night

We ventured outside the ship

Couldn't see much out there

Seems we're all about to slip

It was the perfect storm

Warm waves crashed against our boat

Hold on for dear life mates

Or you'll fall into the moat

The ship it rocked and rolled

It moved from side to side

What happens to us now?

On this exciting ride

As we struggled for position

To be the first to see

Faint words slipped off my lips

"There's womb for us all to be"

Most of us stopped short

But some had lost control

I couldn't hold them back

They vanished like a mole

The ship it was a sinkin'

Nothin' would remain

Abandon ship I yelled

My voice revealed the strain

My men and I all gathered

Together on the deck

We jumped into the ocean

Submerged up to our neck

Where we go cap'n?

Keep your chin up men!

No tucked tails 'tween your legs!

Be proud to be seamen!

·      What has happened to us humans that we have forgotten the fact of our existence and that of other,

·      What has happened to us, that we seek meaningless goals, as the only reason for our existence

·      What happened to us, that we desire things for the sake of their possession and not for their use.

·      What happened to us, that we may even go to war to have one of those things

·      What happened to humanity that it believes that reality is what we watch on tv, more than family, friends and people around us, things around us.

·      What has happened to us humans, that we forget that meat is not a product but the muscle of a dead animal.

·      What has happened to us that we forget the body is meant to be use as a tool for our own expression, not as a prison.

·      What happened that we use our own technological advancement for our own demise, to kill, to be lazy

·      What happened, that we don’t walk, or use our muscle to shape reality, make a meal

·      What will it take for us to reach high, reach deep into our hearts, feel the love that we have of a baby, towards it all

·      To see the beauty and magnificence of our own existence and to experience the joyful expression of being alive.

I turn some corner, whistling to myself. And then-

It's there, before me: I collide with Beauty.

My breath catches and the tears well in my eyes.

I am over-flowing. My heart swims and love is

wrung from me like water from a sponge. I swoon.

Oh God! It's amaze-ing!

I feel dizzy.

(I should maybe pull over...)

The moment passes, and I surf the feeling out.

Crunch! Ow!...Mother ffff!

Stub, club, smash, crash, bash,

Jam, smack, thwack, gack choke burn.

Sting. Poke, prick, prod stab jab-

Skew-er.

Torque, twinge, twist, crank, wrench,

Wrack, crush, blush, flush,

Contuse, abuse, collide,

Knock, bonk, bounce...tense, strain, ache...

Breathe. Shake it off. Keep going.

Night comes by degrees

Morning is born through darkness

Awaken trem'bling

The Diner

Found this little ol diner

Tell ya friend aint none finer

Slip on down the road

Sit down take off a load

Waitress name is Red

Bun of hair high on her head

Can I get you some coffee?

Or a hot cup of Tea?

She says with a wink of her eye

How about it Sweetie Pie?

I smile and play our game

Every day it goes just the same

Today is like all the rest

I say a "sheepherders breakfast"

Don't bother me with a menu

Just a coffee and a piece of ewe

Her eyes twinkle, smile really big

Her cheeks blush red like her wig

She brings my regular plate

And not a second too late

Open up, slide down the hatch

Home cookin, there aint no match

Bacons a bit greasy

2 brown eggs over easy

Sourdough toast with melted butter

My heart slows to a sputter

But I feel real content

My pants big and baggy as a tent

One more cup of Joe

To gulp as I go

A wink to Big Red

And a tip of my head

She knows I'll be back

Cause she has that knack

Of a smile when it's right

And keepin it light

A warm friendly face

In this cute little place

No son there ain't no finer

Than my favorite diner

Starting to look over this way

The other way interests no more

I don’t even want to look at it

There is darkness and danger everywhere

This new path is shiny and enticing

Pretense of grand things ahead

I know this will lead where I’m going

Away from a past that is dead

Haunting things over my shoulder

Footsteps echo and resound

Things are beginning to approach

My body begins to pound

There’s light at the end of the tunnel

Where it’s from I can’t tell

I only know to keep on running

Away from my own private hell

My rainbow touches out there

Out in a distance unknown

Oh, where is my pot gold?

What happens if I can’t go home?

A breeze sweeps over the meadow

Mist strikes out cool and loud

Noise from a brook running by

Sun streaks slip out of a cloud

An awareness makes its way in

It’s not somewhere else I’m wise

Standing here, absorbing it all

Is my entire life before my eyes

Things appear as I look around

Beholding what I can see

It all is, but I haven’t cared

To see how these things can be

Walk on and take some time

To experience whatever is me

What lies ahead and falls behind

Can’t replace what now can be

It is a dark place that hides here

Lurking in dense bushes, behind trees

Peeking out through narrowed eyes

Slits of yellow green scanning opportunity

An insatiable blood thirst compels

Well fed hunger ever empty

Driven by forces deep within

Never to be satisfied

Silent padded feet move swift

Covering lethal ground with ease

Hidden are talons of death

Waiting to find unsuspecting prey

Predator weaves in and around unseen

Silently, dangerously, darting amidst

Always on alert, ever ready

For a chance to feast on weakness

Conscious to avoid strong and wary

Sinister blend feint normalcy

Strike at victims unrelenting

Another kill atop gluttonous belly

Quickly back to calm tenseness

Lest true intention be revealed

Slit yellow green eyes searching

To fill relentless unquenched hunger

Twinkling lights shine beautiful

It is your smile beaming radiant

Sun sparkles across a calm lake

It is your eyes looking at me

A thousand church bells ring in harmony

It is your laughter sweet to my ears

There is warm blanket and hot cocoa

When your arms wrap around me

Awesome seashores with crashing waves

When you make love to me

Admiration and intrigue of fine art

As I gaze across the room at you

Alabaster and rose color sensuous curves

My eyes caress you sleeping in early light

Walk with me to the sunset

Lovely lady of my heart

Struggle 

Footsteps pound the street

Splashing droplets fly

Can this really be

A way to stay dry?

 Run as fast as you can

Outpace the chasing wet

Or is this all delusion

Have you ever controlled it yet? 

An argument begins

I really don’t know why

Down below the shins

The feet begin to defy 

The shoes look toward the future

The feet won’t even move

The first looks to mature

The second wants to groove 

Fly as quicksilver, FLY!

The shoes scream at the feet

If I don’t stay dry

I won’t look very neat 

Oh just feel the wet

The toes are heard to say

More fun we cannot get

We really want to play! 

Feet, I have things to do

Places to go, people to see

I want to move the world

So sloshed I cannot be 

Shoes, we’ll move you as we feel

And take our own sweet time

Don’t be such a heel

Doesn’t this feel sublime? 

Will this ever end?

This funny little spat

An agreement ‘round the bend

Or will it be that…. 

Forever they will juggle

Much effort down the hole

In this wondrous struggle

Between the flesh and soleJ 

Riding my bicycle ¼ mile back from a class at the gym to the “crustic” Lake George cabin we were in.  It was some of the hardest rain I’ve ever been in and I was instantly soaked to the bone.  Laughing all the way back, I was roaring over my urge to ride fast versus my humor of the moment riding soaking in warm rain and just enjoying it. Lake George 8/07 

Approach

They gather to see “what can I do”

Readying for an exploration of ability

Shapes, sizes, reasons all may differ

For each on brings forth different colors

Bolting out quickly, some jump ahead

Others follow in an attempt to keep up

Some are looking for where to start

And some seem unable to begin

Eventually they all make their way

Across wide expanses of windswept life

All holding true to their reasons whey they do

And struggling to see where they are

Virtually seamless skills executed swiftly

A few galloping, running just behind

Some as if they are beginning to walk

Others avoiding drowning as in slow crawl

What they have learned will go on forever

Because they fully participate in life

And each has learned anew

What they can and cannot do

Oh my god

I have to fart

But if I do

I won’t look smart

There are things

You just don’t do

Like take a breath

By my tennis shoe

Some things stink

That’s just the case

Keep my pits far from your face

Garlic for dinner?

My exercise clothes!

Oh please help

Your poor nose

So I hold

My butt cheeks tight

Just clamp them down

With all my might

I do all this

Don’t you see

So you won’t have

To experience me!