Misunderstood

For all those involved in misunderstandings today!

Hey
Why do you mistake my passion
for fanaticism?
I really am just living, loving.
Can't we just live and love together?
It's okay that our interests are different.
We can share a knowledge
That each of us is sometimes
Passionate
We can live passionately
Living, loving in our own way!

Hey
Why is it you aren't listening?
You just see
What you want to see.
What you hear was in your head
And you didn't hear
What I really said.
But sometimes it's just simpler
To pretend
We are not speaking the same language
Just relax
And walk the extra miles
With sweat dripping down glistening backs
Muttering "mai pben rai"
And humming about things we cannot change.

Hey
Why are you so angry?
You are blinded by this mask of fear
For your fellow man.
You seem so liberal
Until you start spouting the things
That you saw on the TV
And quite honestly
I have to say you are brainwashed.
I love you dearly
But you can be frustrating
I present an alternative view
And you spew
More fire than a dragon.
And here I had been lighthearted in our conversation.
Why is it so personal?
Just let it be.
It's okay that we don't share all the same views.
And yet this was an issue I was not speaking about directly
But somehow you made it the center of our conversation.
I am sorry
I awoke the volcano
Stepped into the minefield.
And I'm sorry that you misunderstood.

Zen

I am here
Learning the art of zen
Trying to create that calm within myself

I'm finding only chaos
Like piano keys
Plucked at in a rapid melody
It seems chaotic
Not mathematic
But it turns out the universe
Is more synchronous
Than it first appears

I am like a porcelian doll
With a shattered face
I am seeing things through glass eye lenses
Never really part of the party
Only looking in
Never fitting in
I am too broken
But it is the dogma engrained in me
That doesn't let me free

My spirit cannot soar
My essence simmers over
Churns like a stormy sea
There is no illusion of calm
But I'm still here
Trying to create that stillness within
Wishing to open like a lotus blossom
To embody the art of zen.

of Wefan

Woven Wyrd
Is it our fate
That we must live by wæpons not wefta?
It strikes fear in the hearts of the weras
The power of potential within the wifmenn,
For frithuwebbes and freondship.

The wæponmenn wish not to admit
That they too are not immune to Wyrd's weavings.
We all are the thread, carefully in the web, woven
And no wers can cut the threads of fate.
We are all always becoming
Sweordplega only a pattern within the cloth.

Paint Me as Alice

You saw me for what I was
That damaged flower
Sullied soul
You with that crooked ginger Chesire grin
Blowing smoke rings like a blue caterpillar
You walked with me through the fields of the fallen
Indulged my wonderland
You with hat and carrot curls
A sort of innocence
Where innocence is lost
A surreal fantasy
But then that smile faded
As I turned away
Stepped through the looking glass
To face my jabberwock alone.

An Empire Collapses

How can I sleep when my world keeps crumbling
I've watched it happening since I was 11
That fateful day when the twin towers went tumbling
I watched my freedoms get lost in the rubble
And it keeps on happening, worsening, sickening
Never gets better, it seems
We fight false wars to keep people slaves to a system
One that is funded by greed
And I keep getting force-fed these lies
I didn't believe them back then
If you try to brainwash me
You'll have to to better
I've seen from the start through clear eyes
And I sing to myself "We Didn't Start the Fire"
And yet watch the fire still burn
I wonder how there can be so much ignorance still
Even when people lose everything

We're afraid to stand up for our rights
But there's no time like now to stand up and fight
You can say I'm from an ungrateful generation
But maybe we see the world clearer than ever
We have the courage to stand up and say
Don't feed me false hope,
I know I deserve better
And though it keeps sickening me
I see newsflashes
Independent sources crying out for justice
Don't coddle me anymore
I don't need your comforting
Don't need you to say anything
Until your actions show louder than words
That things will get better not worse

Don't strip me of freedoms and say I'm a heretic
Don't paint me a tyrant
When you created the conflict
Don't give us false media
Stop getting greedier
Think for once for the greater good
Don't take away freedoms
To hide all your shortcomings
Don't make us have war when we're at peace
Don't discriminate, don't lie to our face,
Don't discredit us for gender, race, sexuality

It's all lies
And I despise
The direction
We are headed in
Let's stop
Re-examine the facts
I want peace
I want love
And a government I can trust
I want freedoms
To share ideas
For being human
That's no bluff!


How can I sleep when my world keeps crumbling
I've watched it happening since I was 11
That fateful day when the twin towers went tumbling
I watched my freedoms get lost in the rubble
Okay, you made a mistake (we all do)
But just admit it, because hiding it is so much trouble!

If I were a Tree

If I were a tree

My roots would remain strong,

Even as the harsh winter

Blew upon me,

Even as my branches shuttered

Under icy shards of wicked wind,

Still my roots are deep

And my branches reach up for the sky.

And when this cold wind is no more,

My buds will open

To share my beauty with the world,

Delicate first leaves,

Magnificent pastel blossoms,

And when at last the harvest comes,

The fruits of my labours

Hang heavy on my branches.

Just a little water,

And a little sun.

With these strong roots

All life's trials

Cannot be too much to bear.

I'll extend more twigs into the air

And carry on.

Confused

Oh feed me to the sharks
This bone-crunching mayhem
Seems to stop where more starts
These tiny unpolished teeth
Creeping up inside of me
Tearing
Merciless and cool
Falling back
In agony
Sinking to the bottom of this pool

There is no beginning
And no end
It's circular and cyclical
There's always some more fuel

Blink, dizzily
What exactly is happening?
No one can tell the truth
No one is even there at all
All of this is some strange fantasy
Where all alone,
Left to wander, without home
Everything surreal
And yet the pain is real
But that is all.

I start to fall
The stars fade away
Above me
Try to grasp the ledge
But just brush air.

Vacant stare.
But falling is just floating
And there's really no directions.
Cannot hit the bottom
There's no up or down.

There is no beginning
And no end
What exactly is happening?
All of this is some strange fantasy.

Sin Eater

I am clear, and free
A boundless spirit
Rising up to the stars
My soul is the brightest white,
Universal love-light.

I could go on, weightless, forever
If the walls didn't close in,
The gallows form
Not of my making.

My soul is pure
But right here
Others walk like shadows,
Unable to absolve their grief,
Hearts shrouded in blame,
Unready, unwilling
To look beyond their pain.

And though I shy away
I know,
There's only so far I can go.

I am a modern day sin eater,
Swallowing others' pain
So they can live again
With hearts light,
Touch the pulse of the Universe
Before they fall again.

Make this cycle end.
Anger, fear, and hate
Are slow, black poisons,
Clog veins like tar
Block out the light.

I choke on this vile waste,
Sewage of a soulless age,
Sit back to digest,
Slowly cleanse my spirit.
Find the light again.

Ageless

3, or 4, maybe 5
I don't remember how many years went by
here we are, just you and I
maybe 23, 24 or 25 tomorrow
I don't remember
but that's no trouble
because these days are just meant
for the two of us
lost in the folds of love
cast out on the wind
dreaming dreams together
thought loops
gentle nudges

this birthday cake
seems bland
when you can not be there
to ice it with elegant words
light the sparklers within my heart
another year
yet time seems
without even tempo
a confusing construct
to which we can't belong

dance this dance with me
into the forgetfulness
of how old I was yesterday
how old I'll be tomorrow

surrender

it is lonely here
i see silver shadows of moons

far away a balmy tropic breeze
washes out to sea
sweet perfume

there are times when dreams are sweet
succulent surrender

but most often
sand is turned to glass
rusty razors
slicing at my feet

waiting
watching
wondering

alone to contemplate

Yesteryear

Time here
Is suspended
Like airplanes
Circling slowly
The air-strip
I feel myself
Slipping back into familiarity
Aware that I can be
That someone I shed before
Taking up new roles
Feeling slight unease
That this is maybe not so beneficial
This fragile state
Between what was and is
Drifting back into this comfortable old form
Too many times I've lost myself
Acting just this way
Forgetting all the grandiose
That exists outside this slow-paced sanctuary
I'm not so strong
Embracing old patterns
Acting as though nothing ever changed
Lulled by the familiar
Left longing for old times
Nostalgic in each breath I take
But it can't go on
I am not this person
Who I'm confused to be
And I find
I have less and less in common
When meeting with old friends
I'm growing old
Growing up
Somewhere apart
Moving forward
Changing
Meeting Progress

Smoke Signals

It is late but I’m
Still sitting here
Dreaming
Smoke shapes,
Clouds that animate
These landscapes of wide skies.
Somewhere here my ancestors lay buried
Forgotten skeletons in some forlorn closet
Me without the skeleton key,
But I have never felt so whole
Treading light steps on this Earth
My hand in yours,
Two sets of footprints left behind us.
The wind has not spoken to me in days
And yet this state of stagnance lets me drift
Inbetween
Collective clutter,
Murmurings from other worlds
Whispers that the path ahead is safe
Yet it remains in shadows
Stepping forward
Footfall, follows footfall
Tentative on hidden terrain
I will go there and back again
Trusting
That these moments
Can span like lifetimes
Open doors
Let me soar on sprouted wings
The future is uncertain
But here and now
There are you and I
And to live that simply
Is as beautiful
As a sunset over the ocean.
We can lean back watching the cloud-shapes
Wish on dusk’s first star
Sift our hands through one million bits of sand
But right now
There is nothing but you and I
And expansive prairie
The sun slowly cycling
Towards summer,
Fresh green sprouting in the fields
And later will come the sunkist gold
But today
We will touch the moist Earth
Feel fully this moment,
Though time reaches out tendrils
Prying into pasts,
Feeling out the future
But for me
As I watch the spiraling smoke signals
I see that I am not dreaming as I thought
But here and now
This is real!
The Earth
The sky
You and I...
And I laugh out to the wind
“Look at me now!”
I came here looking for skeletons
But those old bones
Have long grown cold
And my heart is still beating
My flesh warm,
My body has a soul.
So why do I look for things long gone?
Their spirits linger on
Whisper secrets to me.
Tell me things
My heart already knew.
Beckoned me with formless hands,
Told me which spots to stand
So that I would find you.
Because life is still going on
And on
And they knew
I would love you.

The Dream

Image by: Josephine Wall


I saw a rainbow
Prismed in Victoria Falls
Saw black clasp hands with white
Neither flinching
I looked into the eyes of poverty
Became unable to turn away
Watched smiles unfold
Looked into the hearts of the many
Saw joy, not despair
Was overcome with love
I let my wishes be washed to sea
Let my prayers be answered
Let go of the things that chained my spirit
Held a newborn babe
Sat with the old and wise awhile
I danced at dawn
And again at dusk
Sang praises to the heavens
Whispered poetry to the wind
I shook hands with the elite as equals
Looked them square in the eye
And held my ground
I spoke for 1,000,000 unheard voices
Then woke up in my own bed
Too soon the dream faded away

Letting Go

Image from: http://www.designflavr.com/Stardust-Philipp-Schilling-i172/


We are as chained
As we choose to be
We are as lost
As we let ourselves be
I am a free spirit
I jump and laugh and yell
I turn heads
Receive stares
Sometimes swear
But I am happy
I want to be
More than these 2 feet
2 arms
1 head
My heart overflows with a world of love
My mind dreams
My spirit soars
I am an eagle
I am a tiger
I am a dolphin
I am sun and moon and stars
I am the wind
The earth
The water
I hold the Universe in my belly
I sing babes to sleep
I crow the morn's first light
I taste the rain
The ocean spray
The dust storms
I rush with hurricane force
Move mountains
Form islands with molten hands
Cloak myself in fog
Live on eternal
I am light
I am darkness
I am ALL
All is ONE

Sing for 7 Generations

Image from: http://www.asanet.org/introtosociology/TeacherResources/IMForUnitIII.html

Leap up and sing songs
Today we join together
Rise up against our oppressors
Leave behind the merciless night
Burst forth in radiant dawn
Today is the beginning of all days
All before washed clean
We bridge oceans
We circle lands
Chant in tongues of love
Dare to envision the future
Cherish the Elders
Pass this world to the Children
Teach Respect
Humility
Love
Honesty
Bravery
Truth
Wisdom
Clear the way for 7 Generations

Why?

File your initials in my skin

I am already dead

Hours lost in some sort of sickened daze

Lying to myself that I'm alright

Sucked dry

Dead but still walking

Did the institution

Finally steal my soul?

Locked me up in whitewashed walls

Shut out the light

March in a line

Speak when spoken to

You have no rights

Just burn the Charter now

It's a lie

Everyone's will be heard first

Tell the children

Sweet little lies

Cover their ears

Paint illusions of false hope

This is your job

Now take your place

Now wait in line

Make things easier

Create an illusion of success

Don't worry it will get easier

The Truth

Tried to close my eyes

Because my world was spinning

Trapped myself in empty towers of stone

But you cannot chain a soul

They always find their way back to the truth

Looking for change

Need to rearrange

A few things

But tomorrow brings

New life

And we should be so afraid to step up

It's really messed up

And it seems like there's too strife

Horrors happen before our eyes

Images procured

To cause a stir

There is a loss of innocence

Those days came and went

Showed us only pain

And it continues

It's insane

We become numb to it

Block it out

Try to forget about

The world

But we are only hiding from ourselves

In empty rooms, on dusty shelves

Try discarding are beliefs inside the door

Entering the world as empty shells

It's a slow hell

Open up the door

You think you can't take it anymore

But sit back as you're assailed by wave on wave

Be brave

There is a lot of pain

But truth's worth more.

Stagnant

Stagnance

Creativity has died

Falling into sharp reminders

Memos written in black ink

Compute screens glaring

Phones blaring

Trapped in institutional white

Papers, papers

Flying like gulls

Watch this empire fall

Slaves of economics

Living for our pockets

What's most important

Has been lost

Government Office

Enter Government Office.

Worker: [Standard Greeting] What can I help you with?
You: I have this [Government Document].

Document is given to Worker.

Worker: Is your address [Personal Information]?
You: Yes.
Worker: Is this [Private Information] correct?
You: Yes, it is my understanding that [Reference to Government Policy], therefore [Logical Conclusion.]
Worker: Very well, can I see your [Assumed Personal Identification Card Based on the Conversation so Far]?

Required Identification is presented for examination. Worker scrutinizes the image against your face.

Worker: Here is your copy of [Government Form]. You can expect your [Desired Service] by [Vague Date Which is Subject to Change].
You: [Insincere Expression of Appreciation].
Worker: [Insincere Salutation and Well-Wishing].
You: [Reciprocal Remark].

Exit Government Office.