Salutation

A couple couplets more, until then,
May the wind fare thee well again and again ..
- and to all, fly ye like the wren,
Far above the company of common men,
Nay, beyond mear words,
In the peaceful presence of the great - I Am.

In the Green of Eden's Shade

We the ones that He hath made

In the green of Eden’s shade

Shall we not in this new day

Unto Him render praise

Glorious in power

Wonderful in might

Follow we His holy light

In His Prince do we find peace 

Gracious mercy our hearts to keep

High upon the mountain shelf

Kiss the one who is our help

Upon Him cast our entreaty

Who holds creation in entirety

Great, the Lord strong and mighty

Come to Him for every good

Away with evil stone and wood

Cry out in the darkest night

To Thee o star of morning bright

Calms He the lion and ocean’s roar

Standing by the fire, on the seashore

Knocking at one and every heart's door

Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord
Holy is His Name now and forevermore

A False Prophet's Bed

It’s not right, just not fair
The purity, justice, honesty
So hide the sunshine, sow despair

Too many varieties of  flavor
Rather, show an empty chair
Not Vanilla, nor Chocolate spice to savor
No, offer but water scented air

Slap the tender cheek
Report the action kind
Mislead and maim the meek
Bring roses and lavender to mind
While serving the rotting rind

A curse upon your tongue
A blight upon you hand
Within you flames have begun
Beneath your feet sulfurous sand

If this pen of grief and anger
Could but become an ax
‘Twould gut this play asunder

Nobody to listen
No one to care
Looking out the window
Nary a one there

A bus load of empty seats
A trick without treats
The stupidity continues
None questions or seeks
No original syllable speaks

Social thought control
In each plebeian soul
Flatten every forehead
In a fight for old bread

Yes dumb it all down
Lend a thoughtless frown
Repeat and regurgitate
Think hard and meditate
Imprison minds and then restate

Tell the sheep what is fair
Then all may march
Single file without care
But for the grace of Truth
Go we all there

Does the voice make your head
A false prophet's bed?
Do the words in your heart
Tell you where to start?

Television grows the mold
Allows dark fear to take hold
Hide the shepherd, do what is told
Clever black contemplation
A corrupting manipulation

No content to the schools
From empty headed fools
Teaching politically correct shoulds
And silly faux science falsehoods


Sober shouting common-ism
Parading with fanatic fatalism
But we say nay to faceless oligarchs
In the headless speak of media arts
And scribbling lines in legal courts

We’ll not trade in our parents
To buy pawns with magic talents
Nor purchase pairs of Nike shoes
With our souls for your empty blues

We’re not changing our religion
So unwinds the mechanism
With the help of love from God above
Eyes and self, averted from the perverted,
From the cold edifices of heartless love

Unseeing, unknowing in demise
Yet, self proclaimed as wise
Despicable and broken in disease

Rejected and ejected
Now unprotected
Not one suspected
Un-whole and dejected
The unholy thing reflected
Thoroughly disrespected
Evil unelected
Deceptions inspected
Propaganda dissected
Destroyed and disconnected

Grieving tears cleanse all the earth
Washing away ideas without worth
And the bloody corpus lay slain
As many spirits arise in rebirth
Lifted far above the dull and vain

As the weathervane
Points toward heaven’s plane
The tides of consequence fall
Blanketing death lies in a burial pall

Covering the green ivy’s stain
Of the utopian power in shame 
Each owner to frighten and appall
Red faces turned ashen in pain
In the Light cast down upon all.

Red Wine Divine

The red wine
Is divine
Softens I suppose
The Lachrymose
Symbol and sign
That rising overflows
This heart of mine.

Firebird's Flamenco

The curtain was black

The artists’ clothing black

Black was the night outside

In the darkened theater 

For what seemed an eternity
Then came the leviathan

Swimming steadily toward the surface

Through the ages of time and

Within the souls of each gathered there

As she broke through the waters

The sky fell in a red wall of pain

Wailing, the gypsy woman’s voice cried out

Again and again riding upon mighty waves

Outside the leaves in the trees trembled 

No word dared speak

No sound showed itself

So the spell began

A people had danced 

On the edge of sword and flame

Now one of those wanderers

Danced before the hungry eyes

Of all who huddled together 

For the comfort of something lost

There rising up from the ashes 

Then settling down again and again

Alighted the Firebird

Fierce and proud was her beauty

Noble was her every movement

Attacking and feigning

Sailing, swooping, striking

Stretching up to her sisters the stars

Moving to the rhythm of ancient melodies 

The guitars strummed and 

Picked out each note with excellence

The singers voices sang on 

Like a tempest of swirling emotion

Carrying all of our spirits with them  

Along the course of the starry heavens

Together with the moon 

They stirred the many waters

Given power from the sun 

They penetrated every beating heart

Restless the caravan again moved on

Like Bedouins heavy laden with memories

To a land peopled with bazaars and silk

Overflowing with Jasmine and saffron

Tea, rosewater, bright red poppies and poetry

Rising up in the smokers contemplations

Hopes and dreams climbed and fell 

With the waves of heat like a mirage

Hardships and persecution came

With riches, sweetness, children and tradition

But when oppression spilled over

Against her people

Like ink upon the parchment 

The Firebird fierce as she was 

Could shelter their souls 

Like chics within her wings,

For only a few dynamic moments

Great and powerful was her magic, 

Spreading out 

In graceful complexity 

In each step

Every challenge, 

Every regal pirouette

Commanding head cock

Noble bearing and generous gesture

Powerful and loving

But this handsome people

Flowed like a river 

Winding and cutting across the land, 

A majestic life force

As free and indomitable

As the Flamenco’s fire of red and black

A people that could not be counted 

A generation that could not be imagined 

Nor could their spark be contained

So the Firebird in her great wisdom

Summoned that most monstrous of sea creatures

The Behemoth , commanding that he 

Swallow up the vast stream of souls, and

Carry them far away to a place in the sun

Where they might live and prosper once more

The majestic and glorious Firebird 

Having accomplished her mission 

Bridled and harnessed the winds

Flying away with mighty strokes of her powerful wings

Radiant and triumphant

Over the curvature of the earth and sky

Through the suns rays and clouds above 

Until she reached the mountains of red clay

That place of old 

Where she and her children had once dwelled

But had long ago been cast out of 

There the Firebird touched down

The people dressed in black 

Pierced the silence 

Filling the earth once more

With their enchanted music 

The gypsies held each heart hostage 

A prisoner to the rich 

Undulating palpitations

Of their songs and words

Locking in our very being for a time

While the Firebird allowed her self

To unfold her magnificent wings

Dancing, strolling, strutting about 

Stepping, spinning, posturing

Freezing still, statuesque 

Gently moving, slowing time

Transforming herself into 

A beautiful rainbow plumed peacock

In order that she might now 

Express with exuberance 

The Joy and pleasure 

She had in the knowledge 

That her people were safe

The Firebird exalted 

In the pride of sharing 

The mosaic of their story

The artists in black played

Out of the black their voices sang

The curtain was black, and 

Black was the night outside

Inside the darkened theater

For what seemed an eternity
Then, the Lights came up

With them the audience also

At once on their feet

Overflowing in emotions 

Erupting with shouts and hands clapping 

The Midwives together with the Firebird 

Had labored feverishly and a child had been birthed

Arm in arm they danced and sang a little more

Once again the crowd stood up as one celebrating 

Bursting with happiness and wonder  

Swept up in the experience of the moment

While quietly hidden away

Intertwined with their effusive expression

Somewhere within themselves, 

In the inner chambers of being,

They also wept, having taken hold of

The scarlet ribbon of the Firebird’s Flamenco 

Leading back to the past

Remembering the rivers of Babylon 

Running deep

Beneath the myriad blessings and pleasantness

Of this present season. 

Brava, Bravo - Leilah Broukhim and fellow Flamenco artists

An Imperfect Trust

An Imperfect trust 

Like a broken window

Lay shattered by the stones of worry

Landing against the mind’s eye

The storms came and the rain fell

And Like a frightened child 

Stumbling and crying out for help

I saw the man fall 

Only to land in the hand of Love

A turning Autumn leaf , red and orange

Upon the calm of rippling water

Then a soothing voice called out - float

Float - you are accepted - be at peace 

Covered in this blanket of healing balm

Once again a soul is comforted

The Universe Unfolding

The past lay smoldering, moldering
A voice was then emboldened to speak

The Universe unfolding

Upon the event horizon

Threatening arrows flying

The Apostrophe standing silent

Waiting, watching, shimmering

On the surface of the moment

Then the HAND holding the rose

COMMANDED

Sending radiant buzzing Stars proclaiming…

VICTORY UNCEASING

and

Majestic spinning Planets singing…

PRAISES UNENDING

Blazing peals of fiery light

O oceans of fluorescing colors

Resplendent shades of time

On the still roar of all whispers

Creation, cataclysmic kaleidoscopic calligraphy

In Clouds above the waters Shouting…

THANKSGIVING

Resounding, heralding, expanding

Throughout the cresting arc of Heaven

Beauteous awe of lightening flashing

Among the pearly body of softly flowing rain
Riding upon the white horse of fury

Sapphire glow, round burning golden bronze

IS THE OMEGA OF PEACE APPEARING

The Blossom of eternal spring 

Dawning light of a new day without end
Death and Darkness melting away destroyed 

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS ONE HOLDING THE ROSE

On a flying scroll was written
Ascribe all Honor and Glory to the ONE
Who reveals the Tree of Life
Who makes Healing a river unto the nations
Who causes Faith and Hope to endure
Who's Wisdom dwells enflamed
In the all consuming fire of HIS LOVE

Good Enough

I jumped the hedges, but not high enough

I ran the miles, but never fast enough

My muscles grew but not large enough

I played the piano but never well enough

I won the scholarship but not important enough

I spun the tale but not grand enough

I got off the tread mill but not long enough

So I studied but not hard enough

I acted and performed but no one cared

And the masses trudged on 

I sang with the orchestra no one listened

I became a man of letters, it mattered not

I struck up a deal but it was concealed

I fought with evil and God prevailed

I bled away but the world looked on 

I gave my best, but it was not good enough

Never, never, was it good enough

But before there was nothing left

I found love and that was good enough.

Wish It Were So - with audio

audio link

When I was a boy so little and so young

Mama taught me many songs that I still hum

Lots of funny tunes that we had sung

Telling tales of many journeys begun

About Rip van Winkle and  ESOPs fables

Three cornered hats and schnitzel tables

Mother Goose fairies’ gold would spin

And stories from Brothers Grimm

Well I’d let out a sneeze and the birds in the trees

Would fly and float down on the breeze

Then they’d sit right here upon my knees

And we’d whistle out sweet melodies

About flying in the heavens over deep blue seas

Then they’d tell me ‘bout the beautiful things that they see

The secrets of  the flowers and the buzzing of the bees

And the mysterious whispering breeze

Don’t you know I wish it were so

Don’t you know I wish it were so

All the colorful pictures

The princesses and witches

Don’t you know I wish it were so

We would sail the oceans blue and true

We would climb the mountains me and you

Love would fill our young hearts with the sun

And we would have nothing but fun

Well the dwarves would scare the little snitches

Who got too big for their bright red britches

Then we'd go outside and make angels in the snow
Don’t you know I wish it were so

There'd be Houses made of cake and candy

Lots of Boys and girls dressed so dandy

Warm cookies in the kitchen

And Huck Fin is gone a fishin

Don’t you know I wish it were so

Dancing in the pouring rain

Floatin paper boats down the storm drain

Our days were played in song and dream 
Don’t you know I wish it were so!

Don’t you know I wish it were so

Don’t you know I wish it were so

All the colorful pictures

The princesses and witches

Don’t you know I wish it were so

We would sail the oceans blue and true

We would climb the mountains me and you

Love would fill our young hearts with the sun

And we would have nothing but fun

The Fires Came

The fires came in hours and days consuming all within their way

Bougainvilleas of burning flowers spread terror across the hilly tapestry

As moist eyes and beating hearts packed a knapsack getaway

The firemen flew high above and dropped the chemicals down

An orange wall of smoke descended and crept over the land with its dirty gown

Soot in snowflakes clothing mingled with the air as it floated to the ground

The wildlife and the once green life cried to the heavens for help

Flashing police vehicles called for safety and warned of danger’s stealth

Electronic voices called out alarm and alerts concerning air quality and health

In every direction conflagration, dark clouds, blackened earth, glowing preen

Communities and families connected in love, keeping an eye on the unseen

The stream blustered and blistered, ebbed and flowed, destroying the dream

Suddenly quietly the wind tired and calmed down and fled away to sleep a spell

All souls searched the expanse of the deep, a geyser of emotions rose and fell

What would be the outcome, would there be a way home, none could tell

Then news came that one fire was out, even as others scattered about and enraged the several distant horizons

5%, 10% contained the voice spoke, as on the mountains smoke loomed in ominous plumes teetering toward town and citizens

Like dinosaurs from a Japanese movie or escapees from magic lamps in the forms of rising genies and jins

Darkness came and came again the winds accusing of sins, the peoples whispered breathless prayers from their beds

O God if you will let the wind be still, the fires put out, but in the distance called out dancing wavy golds and reds

Light broke again upon the scene, some rose to joy, others to glean what could be salvaged from the ravaged homesteads

Tears fell and the old ones shook their heads, they said: I don’t know what I’m going to do

Hearts melted away with lives and memories, sympathy and destiny to pursue

The earth ached longing to be free of the hot angry passion that scourged it's back black and blue

The mind was driven away back to it's recesses, accessing places, foraging in the past

Away from school and work regressed, abscessed into various stages of the looking glass

Playing and escaping the charging glowering gas, turning away in fear, exhaustion and collapse

As the week progressed one did not watch or assess the news knowing of the sadness it would bring down

Those who died and of those who lived, of lands burned, raped and pillaged with only more to come

It was as crazy as a week could be, as scary as it could feel,  people were happy to be alive and at home

Grateful to all who save and rescue, Thank you, God bless you, while grieving all those who are gone.

Santa Ana, Santa Ana you wear a red bandana

Santa Ana, Santa Ana put away your sword and cannon

Give the land a rest from the violence of your caress

Santa Ana, Santa Ana you wear a red bandana

Santa Ana, Santa Ana with a burning horde behind you

Give the peoples respite from the pain that you inflict

Promise now to leave us

Take away your curse

Without death's violent cost
Without without his ruddy kiss

Promise now to leave us

Take away your curse

Santa Ana, Santa Ana your hair is full of ire
Santa Ana, Santa Ana calm your anger, let it tire
May God bring winter rains upon us, the land to cleanse and bless.