The Moon and the Sun

You are turning me
Into the kind of person
I had always hoped to be
But never believed possible
You erase barriers
Like pencil lines
Create a future
I was unable to see.
How do you know
The right things to say
When I don't have the courage
To admit my feelings?
You always know
Anticipate each thought
As though our thoughts
Are connected.
I feel unburdened
The sunrise
Suddenly becomes hopeful
You make me feel like
I too could dance across the sky
Shining brightly
My whole exposed
Unafraid what others see.

Introspection

How we see ourselves:

I am walking along

In the summer heat

Wondering how

To make all the ends meet

Hyper aware of passers-by

Afraid anyone

Will meet my eye

They are probably seeing

Some old bum

Who has tangled bed-head

And is dressed really poor

They probably scoff as they pass

Wondering why I would go out

Looking like that

They judge me right on the spot

As if clothes make up

What we are and we're not

How others see us:

Look at the beautiful girl walking by

She has it all

And she won't meet my eye

Because she knows what a loser I am

Look at that confidence

The way she holds herself

I wish for once I felt

Like I had it all

But now I am late for work

Because I wish it was my day off

Like her

That I could walk along in the sun

With a bottle of Coke and sunglasses on

But instead I am trying to make ends meet

Look at her having fun

Beating the heat

I bet she didn't even notice me

Not the Same

Soul Mates
Who could say
Any day
Whose a soulmate?
Our spirits shift intentions over time
We attract those we can learn from
At each moment
We find those we need,
Those who have our best qualities
And our worst
We choose people who mirror
As we appear
At any one time
That is why things fall apart
When we don't take care
When we don't learn acceptance
Of ourselves
When we can't face our own faults
We need to maintain
We need to love
We need to work through all the little things
Soul Mates
Could be anyone any day
Who touches us
We could have 1 or 100
Soul Mates
Aren't the same as those we love

Commitment

Can you see this line
I'm drawing in the sand?
The one that says
This is what
I decide
I have chosen
And now no one cross the line
What does commitment look like?
It looks like
Footprints in the Sand
One step ahead
Foot after footfall
Even gentle pace
These is no race
No finish line
We need to take our time
Let things happen
Naturally
Let Mother Earth decide
Rhythmically
If the world will
Revolve around I or we
We need to leave to sets
Of footsteps on the beach
The tide can wash them away
But it can't wash away
Our feet
So just keep an even pace
We don't need to race
If tomorrow
These footprints are still here
It's fate

Crystal Dance

The lights are starry bright

Like water droplets

Crystal chandeliers

Suspended by chains
Invisible like spiderweb

The colours reflect in your hair

Sparkle in your eyes

So deep like the ocean

Pools like foreign seas

Hold mysteries

A connection between you and me

We move in one motion

Perfect harmony

Become one body

Our footsteps echo

One voice

Music like fairy harps

Gentle bell or flute

Dreamy dancing

This is a fairytale come true

Silvermoon light shimmerin gown

Glowing air

Loose curls of hair

Cool atmosphere, not cold

But as if surreal

We glide above the floor

In perfect step

Other dancers

Are mere shadows

Of this perfect dance

There is only you and I tonight

Sharing one soul

Movements

Perfect flow

Willing this to be

More than just a dream

Don't let me wake up

On sheets of cotton

Pillows of down

To face an empty room

And images fading away

With the touch

Of sun's early morning kiss

Wild Woman

There was a wild woman

Lived under the moon

In a quaint little cottage

With only one room

Her hair was all tangled

Her art just as tame

She did what she wanted

Not looking for fame

She followed the cycles

On blood moon, painted red

And whenever it pleased her

She went back to bed

She cussed and she shouted

She danced and she sang

All through the valley

Her tender voice rang

She drank tea with dainties

And swam in the lake

She did just what she wanted

Never acting fake

There was a wild woman

Lived under the moon

In a quaint little cottage

With only one room

Dreamer

My dreams are like crystal

And life is like diamonds

And sometimes in transitioning

I can't tell them apart

I've been told that I'm a Dreamer

That this idealism

Can never last

But I wonder why so many people

Are too afraid

To hold onto their child-self

It's a dog-eat-dog world

And it's easy to lose your way

But don't worry

You'll find the road back someday

I am always

In a whole other place

Watching myself from above

My amusement is realizing

That I am not my body

None of us are

But so many people

Are caught up in illusion

Live true to your spirit

And you too can be

Like me

A Dreamer

Afraid

I was never very good at messing up

I'm afraid to take the blame

Because I don't mess up very often

And when I do I'm ashamed

I not too good at taking praise

Accepting it to be true

I was always expected to be great

Praise was something I barely knew

I was always expected to be good

It was silence that usually met my ears

I learned both criticism and praise

Were things I didn't want to hear

So be patient with me

I am afraid

To be good or bad at anything

When it comes to things I do well

I just want to do and be

And when they pass by silently

I smile from the shadows

And wish you'd set me free

Let me be me

Unafraid of criticism

Open to praise

But please be patient

Right now I'm afraid

One Two One

Why are you sad?

I'm not.

But you're crying.

Yes.

Why?

Because you and I

Have so much in common

Our relationship is complicated

It has been since the beginning

Just in the way we met

But we are like two magnets

Orbiting

In a gentle game

Of attraction

Positive and negative

And I want us to be like two droplets

Glistening

On a single leaf

We weave a delicate dance like flower petals

I want to let down my guard

Fall into your eyes

We become to moving parts of the same machine

Slowly

Revolving around one another

I want to slip into a place

Where we become one

Through fluid movements

We can step in perfect harmony

Flow through a flawless waltz

I want to become just an extension

Of a single will

Where you and I

Create such a chemistry of cohesion

That no one can tell us apart

I want to open my heart

Bare my soul

To you

 I want you to brush away

My insecurities

Wrap me in your strong embrace

Tell me that I'm loved

So that you and I

Become

Us.

Unreal

Living today

You know We are just people

We all are afraid of change

We all are afraid to shine Like the stars

Dance with the wind

Each of us loves

Yearns

Passions like swelling hearts

Luscious fruits

Then let them wither unpicked

You who cowers in the branches

Afraid to take the prize

We have this gift of life

So bright and full

Too afraid

To open our hearts

Bear our souls

Live now and always

Give and receive

I too know this dance of shame

This path of self-destruction

You will never find full fields

Plentiful harvests reaped

The seeds still sit in the shed

Unsewn

Beside the unborn child

Of creativity

Sat down beside crayons still in the box

Words never unravelled

Dreams never flown

In perfect bows

On the tails of kites

Jack

Jack
We never wanted to see the end
Of dreams the grew on trees
Carried in the windows
On the evening breeze
Community
And Unity
This was the serenity
That only passion and idealism
Turn into realism
You are the beginning and the end
Jack
You taught Canadians to dream
And though you were caught
In this never ending game
Of cat and mouse
Trying to get seats in the House
Of Commons
You knew how to touch individuals
How to open hearts and bring smiles
You were the light in an era
Of confusion
Jack
We'll miss you
Friends and foes
We all know
That you were special
We gather together
And remember your life
You taught us to look towards the future
And we hope
To continue on
As bold and bright
As the twinkle in your eyes
You always dared to dream
Big
And we'll remember you for that
We'll write your name in the history books
So our children learn of a great man
Named
Jack

Pleasant Dreams

It's the little moments
Things you say
Things left unsaid
Those are the moments when we live
The moments that follow me
Where ever I go
Each day
The moments that find me
As I sleep each night
Peacefully swaying on the ocean of dreams
The honey-sweet air
Warm, and soft
Caresses me
As I drift away

1,000 Words

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Two Minutes More

Two minutes is forever in this world.
Once upon a time
You would have taken days to write a rhyme
Trying to make it perfect.
But today,
There is not rhythm left for literature.
The reason why
Is very simple to define.
I don't need proper punctuation
My grammar lessons go forgotten
I keep pumping out these poems
No one will read
And if they do
They'll skim them once
Then throw them on the heap
Of trash
Never to look back at them again.
I could spend days
Finding the right syllables
Making sure to find the perfect beat,
But no one cares
They won't give it a second glance
It is the casual circumstance
My poems are not worth money anymore.
I could spend my life writing poetry
I could die of exposure on the streets
I cannot claim any job security
Just because I've found the perfect beat.
There is no need for art anymore
It is a lie
We all create
But it has become just another thing we do
A hobby shoved into the back of closets
Crumpled sheets that cannot make a bed.
There is no worth
We have forgotten who we are
We live as slaves in white-washed cells
We go back each day to work in hell
Feel unfulfilled
And can't figure out why.
And two minutes is a lifetime
If don't notice me in that
You never will.
Our attention spans are broken
We are bored by entertainment
We do not appreciate the things we have.
If you had just two minutes left
Before the earth grew still
Would you read this poem?
I don't think so
So I am just here wasting words
Writing things no one will ever read.

Soapboxes

There is something in the water,
I didn't want to scare you,
Shadows just below the surface.

I feel eyes.
They look upon us
Just when we thought we were safe
Locked behind closed doors
The curtains drawn.

Naked here we stand
Drenched and shivering.
Our bodies
Little droplets make us shine
Our hair is dripping.
Insecure.
With frightened eyes.

They've found us here
And now there's nowhere left to go.
We cannot hide.

Each glass we drink
Is life sustaining,
And slowing poisoning.
Our plague.

And sure we've heard it all before
Preached off of soapboxes
With no one there to hear.

But now it's real
And we're afraid,
There's something in the water.

This Drum

You sit 'round this drum
Hide drawn tight
Over fat belly
The beat extends from
Earth's heartbeat
And we the dancers
Snake-like spiral
To your chanting
There is no question
As mud and greenery
Seeps between bare toes
That we are all connected
This spiral
Like the Fibonacci sequence
Unfolds the universe within ourselves
We become a tightly woven circle
Outsiders cast their eyes away
Unwilling to join in
Pretend not to be equally moved
But I am still lost in the drumbeat
The scent of the earth
Each ray of sunlight
The sound of your chants
The taste of sweat
The colours of this vibrant circle
The feeling of grass beneath my feet
A heart filled with unity

Mad World

This is a mad mad world
And we are supposed to live in fear
Terrorists at every turn
Nighttime rapists in the park
Lock your doors after dark
Bolt windows tightly
There are acts of terrorism everywhere
Terrorism
There is no one we can trust
We should not hug our children anymore
We might feel tempted to abuse them
Why are our children so disturbed?
Why do they have ADHD?
Why are they emotionally distant?
Why do they cause trouble on the streets
Turn to drinking, drugs, and violence?
It must be terrorists
Terrorists!
They are living among us
Leeching away our happiness
We stay home within the cells
We locked ourselves
Bolted from the inside
We sit and watch TV
And there we see all the terrorism
Terrorism
And we are supposed to live in fear
This is a mad mad world

The Great Blue

Expanse of blue
A waning moon
Little white butterflies
And little white clouds
Glide
Serenely

Children
Just woken up
Sing songs of laughter
In the park
More joyous than church bells
More innocent than doves

I watch
The community come together
For this is the place
For summer vacation
The place to beat the heat

Sun tea and water fights
Tennis, volleyball, and frisbee
Chess and lawn bowling
Picnic lunch
Under shady oaks
And this great expanse of blue

Dragonfly

Little dragonfly
With delicate wings of glass
Hover above the grass
What do you see?
Do you see me?

Am I a mountain
For you to navigate?
Am I a giant
That you are meant to slay?
Are you crying
As you fly away?
Here comes the end

I have never seen
Anyone like that
Such a gigantic being
It would put Titans to shame.

Do you rule over
This grassy forest?
Where the ants live
Amongst the earth?
Have you witnessed
A spider's turf?
From your wingy vantage.

You have the advantage
You thought you were king
Upon your wing
Until you saw me
They you flew away.

Poverty Today

You think poverty
Is a choice
But I have seen the other side
I can tell you
Poverty is a dictatorship
Ruled over by the rich

You think poverty
Is something you can work way out of
But I can tell you
That poverty is a religion
Its doctrine sinks its teeth
Into the masses
It rules through humility
And humiliation

And you can say this nation
Is one of the best in the world
But down here at its base
I can see
That the nation is crumbling
And slowly backsliding
Tumbling,
Into poverty

Wishful Thinking

You are
There's no question
The most frustrating person
I have had the pleasure of working with
Today.

You should
At least try to smile
And pretend
That you enjoy
Making my life miserable.

Arrogance is unbecoming
And none of us deserve it
Not you
Nor I,

So I try
To reach out to you
But all I feel
Is cold black coals
Between my fingertips
If I hold onto them
And squeeze them in my hands
As though in prayer
Perhaps
Together
We will make diamonds.

I dream

I dream of a better world…
Where chickens can cross the road
without having their motives questioned

Where pigs fly despite broken wings
And I see you sitting on my front porch
With that smile
You keep in your pocket
The one that you save just for me
And I take out mine from my purse
As I reach for my keys
And unlock the front door
We bought them at a two for one sale
Matching pairs
Held in a glass pickle jar
A piece of masking tape
With the name
Eleanor Rigby
And containing a crumpled sermon
With a dirty handprint
Slightly used
Claimed the shopkeep
But guaranteed for every penny
And you and I
Like the Magi
Knew
They were worth more than a pocket watch
Or a head of shining locks
Because we dreamed of a better world
Where stars outshone city lights
Where stone hearts melted
Ice was warm like hot chocolate by the fireside

Experiencing Human

Human feelings
Dizzy feelings
Swirling round and round
Inside myself
Not contained
Within myself
Soul bursts
Like fireworks
Reach out to touch the Universe
Dancing to some Cosmic song
Humming
Because no one knows the words
Spirit sparkles
Filled with sunlight
Living for today
I have nothing
To give away
But my heart
I am here
I am
Content
In being human
Today.

Sunday

Sunday morning
The streets are bare
No one stirring anywhere
Except the churches
Lively, sing
The people praise
The bells will ring
And everyone else
Is still in bed
The day of rest
They'll rest their heads

Until near noon
When they'll come out
And go shopping
Hear them shout
For open doors
And open stores
To praise low prices
Purchase spices
Raise their voices

Make a shrine
To the divine
New products
That have just come out
False idols
Are these idle minds
Fill holes in hearts
With brand new blinds
And LCD screens
Blu-ray players
Jelly beans
Living room chairs

Worship corporate
Material might
Claim that they have found the light
Live the rat race
Covet, greed
Forget about people in need
Trample others underfoot
On Black Friday
And if they could
For the new I-Pad
Just came out
I don't know what
The fuss is about

Sunday morning
The streets are bare
No one stirring anywhere
I walk slowly through the town
Curtains closed, the blinds are down
The trees they whisper songs to me
I stop to watch a busy bee
In a pink flower hard at work
The birds are singing
Ants pile dirt

The city is alive to me
Each stretch of lawn, garden, and tree
These are my secret sanctuary
In my home upon the prairie
The streets are silent
No one stirs
As if I am alone in this world
Sunday morning
The streets are bare
No one stirring anywhere

In this Moment

This curtain opens
To sun rays straining to get in
The sunlight dances on me like diamonds
Soothes me like lotion
And yet I grow weary of the never ending
Transitioning from day to night
Night to day

My soul is a song
But my body wearies
Aches and pains of aging
I look in the mirror
To see a colorless figure
In a variegated world
And I think that is not me
The glass separates us as I reach out
Because I am not bound

I can soar near the stars
And dance in prismic psychedelic light,
each movement is a work of poetry
Each feeling is an orchestral harmony
Each footfall a drumbeat

I feel myself immersed in the cycles of the moon
The fast rotations of night to day
Day to night
I get caught up in this moment
The softness of light on my skin
The shimmering that meets my eyes
As the rays make their way in
As I tie the curtain

Patience

Forward in leaps and bounds
Heart aflame with passion
Backwards, now staggering
The world is full of daggers

We can soar to heaven
Fall to the pits of hell
We thought we were on track
Then suddenly we fell

We forgot to take an even pace
Along this journey's road
We became over-zealous
So this bitter fate was stowed

You don't want to be stagnant
But be steady on your way
And soon your journey will make sense
More and more each day.

Clarity

Shadow man of smoke and soot
Hang above my shoulder
Dangle desperate
Off the hook
If you create a doubter

Fear and blame
In circles chase
Become the anthem of a lover
Until the way is clear again
Lover becomes a fighter