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.

Turn Again Toward Friday

I turn again toward Friday in lesson-ing turns

Turn again toward Friday of diminishing returns

To plow hard in the morning and then in-joy staying up late

And doing things again because again I forget

Then slumbering deeply with no, or little regrets

Yes I lean in toward Friday as the night draws near

Look into the blackness of the future almost here

Nursing and praying over hopes, plans and fears

Will Friday come again with laughter and tears

And my soul ’tis drawn along irresistibly thus

Along the pathway of banquets or dry stones and such

It is then I think on the mighty men of old

Who’s hearts dried up and like the rocks grew cold

But me fair mother n burly loving dad gave me aught to hold

That which gives flesh life and eyes a kind of blindness

To see past the world and all of its unkindness

Toward the glory of that which is yet to come

As I roll the road to Friday in the crowd of mother’s sons

Here comes Friday with love and successes

Long loving kisses and gentle caresses

But gone she goes again with the wind in her tresses

And where the sun shown the moments are gone

Weekend days of rest, family, chores, do best

Monday’s test to peck like birds and build the nest

Sailors in the seas, churning at the mirage of Friday’s behest 

Friday's Early Blather

Twas
Sometime
Early

The soul
Was
Yet surly

She said
more?

And he said
sure

Then
More words
Came out

A pause
Next a  t h o u g h t - f u l
Pout

In the
conference room

Sitting in
Leafy verbiage

Like
So many loons

And then
They talked about
Nothing

Like a
Walkabout
Clothing

Ideas flashing
Empty bottles
Clashing

With all
The
Blather

Worked them
Up into
A lather

Time flew by
Like a
Stagnant pond

And still
They prattled
On and on

How it was
Peculiar

About nothing
In particular.

The Heavens Looked Down and Remembered - with audio

audio link

THE HEAVENS LOOKED DOWN AND REMEMBERED

The heavens looked down remembered when the creature was once young and beautiful, free and fresh like the early spring. Unique in all creation and the last of

It’s kind.

They remembered how something deep within the creature had reached out its hand to grasp the universe with a hunger that warped the senses.

That primitive thing that had flooded the beast with laughter, and then had cast it off again in a tempest of emotion, or by contrast, when the creature was hurt, how he had shrieked in pain. The birds wondered: “What was the cause of the beast’s moodiness?” “ Was it perhaps a lack of wings?” “Or was it trouble finding enough  to eat?”  And again they chirped, maybe he lacks a song to sing?

Nor could the poor beast comprehend why, but fun rompings, anger and roarings were becoming his protectors and the woodland spirits his guide. Alternately joy and sunshine were his friends, with wonderment and confusion his constant companions.

Dreamlike, he ran over the mountaintops, and rolled down hillsides, then once exhausted the beast often laid himself down in the wild meadows only to rise again and then go further down crashing into the mountain’s valley streams of raging icy torrents.

These became the creature’s power, ecstasy, and pleasure. However, in time, as he began to grow older and great of stature, he came to realize, under his hairy hide, that they had also become his pain and a prison of loneliness.

All alone in the wilderness, peace seemed as far off to the creature as the horizon at the end of day and stars above at night.

Troubled by nights of fear and stupor by day, the creature had grown to become a brutish fearful thing.

For one night by the dark of an unforgiving moonless sky, there in the middle of the forest, he had seen something, a horrific thing, and it had become etched upon his psyche.  There in the center of a small clearing the beast had come upon a buck,  that had been hamstrung, trapped, and butchered by a hunter standing nearby.  Enraged, and tearful the thing let out a terrible roar.

The hunter ran away screaming leaving what was left of the buck behind. But, there was nothing to be done for the poor, crushed, once beautiful forest runner.

Now, the beast had seen the end of things. For the first time in his relatively brief life, his great strength and terrifying appearance could not help the situation. He was powerless, his idyllic vision of life and the world he had once known, lay bloodied and broken before him. 

Something inside the great terrible creature shuddered and died that day and there was no one in all the wilderness to comfort or to help the beast comprehend what he had encountered.

Not knowing what to do, the creature fled and hid away climbing ever higher until he reached the mountain range’s highest peak. There he remained for a time, numb and frozen in the misery of despair and grief. 

One night upon venturing back into the forest and valley, the monstrous beast , in his terror and rage cried out against all creation with these words: 

“ If anything or anyone can hear me, I spit in your eye for all the injustice, the pain and the suffering.”

And once again he roared out: “ If you are there listening somewhere, show yourself, if you are not a coward – tell me why it should be so and perhaps I will not rip you to shreds!”

Then great beast went around throughout the wilderness terrorizing all the creatures with his midnight ranting, roaring, railing and shrill screaming against the moon and the universe.

He went on this way night after night destroying all that was in his path until one night in particular. That night the beast had begun his usual frightening activities but, as he did so there was a rumbling deep within the earth. 

The creature stopped dead in his tracks listening in the ensuing silence.

His cries had been heard rising up above the mountain range and the heavens looked down and remembered….

The beast thought he heard a quiet voice call out to him: “ beast why are you so troubled?” and the beast trembled. Again the voice spoke: “ have I not fed you and cared for you all these years?”

The beast was so frightened that he started running headlong downhill toward the river as he had done so many times before. Only this time the river was swollen and flooding from the spring snow melt and rain storms.

Once again he crashed into the torrent, but this time he was carried far down stream, swirling in the currents until he lost consciousness. In his sleep he heard the voice say, I who have kept you since you were a cub will never leave you.

When he awoke the creature found himself on the shore in a part of the mountain range that he was unfamiliar with, he wondered out loud to himself: “Did I drown in the river?”

Suddenly, his thoughts were broken as the quiet voice spoke again: Peace. You live. I have heard your cries in the night, saw you in your distress, and have lifted you out of the many troubled waters.

The sound of the voice and words echoed and vibrated within the creature’s soul creating a feeling of deep inner warmth and comfort. For the first time in a very long while, the once terrible beast was quiet and his demeanor gentle.

The woodland birds noticed and alighted nearby for a better look. Can this be the same horrible roaring thing that has terrorized the forest? They chirped.

The beast’s eyes had now been opened in such a way so that he no longer saw only the red of pain and the darkness of night. But, now the beast began seeing and noticing the sunlight of day in a new way, afresh, as when he had first roamed and played upon the mountains and in the woodland valleys.

A feeling of great peacefulness had come upon the creature and his coat shown beautifully in the sun. He had been cared for, loved, and rescued. He now knew that he was not alone in the world but that there was a Great Spirit who watched over all.

In his new wanderings upon the snowy mountaintops and darkened valleys the old feelings and questions sometimes returned, but the beast had somehow found the hand of the Great Spirit and was now changed and at ease.

The great beast dwelled and remained in the care of the Great Spirit all of his days until one day while standing at the edge of a great precipice, the ground gave way beneath his tremendous weight.

But, as he began to fall instead of terror, a calm came over the creature. Suddenly, great massive wings erupted forth, growing out of the beast’s broad shoulders until they completely covered his hairy back. To his happy surprise and before he had a moment to think, the mighty beast began to fly. He flew over all the mountains that he had known. He swooped down into the valleys and up over the treetops. On he went higher and higher, and further and further toward the sun and horizon, until he was at last out of sight.

It was rumored by the birds that he had gotten lost and had settled elsewhere. But this was not the case. 

In reality, the great, once terrible creature, his transformation having been made complete, had flown until he reached all the way to the kingdom of the Great Spirit! 

And there he stayed forever and a day.

Epilogue:

It is no morbid consideration that the sky is torn. Moreover, It is the beginning of wisdom to discover that one’s journey begins here as a stranger, but ends in another better place. It is the dawning of hope and peace.

A Flowering Bouquet - with audio

audio link - old version, audio needs updating

The world is turning, 
Tropical stream and arctic breath, 
Skies cajoling

Thoughts colliding, 
Melodies, vespers buffeting, 
Strings tangled, reminding

Of life's foibles, 
Frailties, fractures, failures, 
Lumps, lows, longings, limits

Straining, struggling, 
Sinking, seeking 
For fearfully forgiven moments

But a voice 
Awakening, reverberating, 
Calling from within

Speaks tenderly 
Quiet words, why so sad, 
For healing has come

Once more in love, 
Be calm, be still, rest, 
A pillar in the temple of praise

Made right, set aside to serve, 
Be satisfied with this, 
Lay down and rise

Radiate, illuminate, 
Cast a beacon 
In the cold and stony night

To the silent passing vessels 
Finding safe harbor 
By the saving light

Avoiding the rocky path 
In the crash 
Of uncertain blinding seas

Onward flow, churning riptides, 
Beneath the striking hand 
Of cape winds chilling cries

At once red flames appear 
Surrounding, springing up 
From the wet rocks and sandy ground

Climbing ever higher in the round, 
Cooling and refreshing, 
Light without sound

All cares fading, burning 
In the many tongued array, 
Regrets, sorrows, dark clouds give way

Burdens in the fiery ring rising, 
Calm descending, Peace 
Arriving here in this new day

Free, free once more to join 
The Pegasus flight, on a river 
Of heavens' cascading blues and whites

Together with Myriad Choruses 
Of creation's voices shining,dancing 
Warmed in the sun's pleasant heights

Speeding across the fabric 
Of pulsing, glowing mystery, 
Called by eternity, majesty and family

A flowering bouquet, 
Whispering fragrant blessings, 
Dropping thankful petals lovingly

With each falling star 
Brightly vanishing

And every spark 
Never ending.