Deep in Sleep - with audio

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Deep in sleep, the dog's barking sound
Came down, down down
'Til I swam through the billowy pillows
And comforting blankets up and up

When I reached the surface and opened my eyes
The lightless room unfolded before me
On with my cap and armed with my shoes
I leaned down the hallway like a rubber balloon

Out through the crashing wood and metal doors
I plunged into the cold light of the starsiand
Drank in the refreshing clean pool of ether
Who or what had disturbed the frightened beast

He came to my leg and I looked down, scratching his head
Together we went to investigate our domain
Two silent shadows glowering and hovering by the
Long wrought Iron gate, one looking over, one under

Stillness calling, silence more, and then,
Like some castle drawbridge, the opening gate screeched
And we specters floated into the alley just beyond
Blue corridor and walls, black garbage bins, left and right

Nothing there in the night, nothing wrong, or right
So we retreated into our fortress with God's blessing
Clanging shut the rolling door, I reached down again and
Scratched once more the ever grateful asking canine 

The four legged teddy bear seemed to say
Won't you stay a little longer and keep me company?
I strolled away straight and tall, having just saved us all
From dew, flora and crickets strong, happy for the moment's calm

Glad for the night's celestial heights
Warmed by the thought of sleeping family inside
Grateful for the gift of life
Swept up in the Creator's swirling dream

All Laid Out - with audio

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I closed my eyes
And was all laid out
On the seaside picnic table
The warm sun shone down
On my face
Like a giant floodlight
The weight of the sky
Pressed down on my chest,
Pinned my shoulders,
And flattened me
Against the bench

Wind rushed over my body
Like ocean waves
Running to and from the shore 

Pushing my soul
Further and further
Out to sea.

Seagulls slashed out 
With shrieks 
To rebuff all invisible threats  

So I stretched out still further
To beyond the event horizon

There I wept
As I embraced those
Whom I had mostly forgotten

Faces so pure
That I wondered at
Their bright eyes
And soft complexions

Emotions flooded my soul
As I grieved
For not having seen
Their goodness
In too long a time,
While joy turned me
In riptide the other way

There we were, glimmering
Above the farthest stars
Dancing in a silent symphony

No want, no desire,
No wondering of anything
Other than the celebration shared
Raised up
Like a spray
Upon the spiral universe
In peace and stillness
Against a tidal crown of love
Then, an unseen hand
Waved a wind upon all,
'Til like sand in the Sun's warmth

We flew away
In currents and eddies
Sparkling in the light,
Each settling back
To the place
Of his or her belonging

Some to the heavenly
Waters above
And I to breathe
At the ocean's door

On the bench
By the shore,
My cheeks streamed
With salt water

My heart not knowing
How to stop

Though it be
Not right to say,
All that I am
Would rather stay
Raised above
With those I've loved,
Than here,
Laid out
In breezes,
On this day.

In memory of my Parents, David Horton and many others.

Cloudy Waves - with audio

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Little soldiers pass me by
Sometimes near then far away  

Colored cotton balls parade
Then fade in shades from memory

Melting nights becoming days,
Blessed sands of cloudy waves

Coursing life, caressing stances
Long romantic loving glances

Humming home of warm exchanges
Execute perfected chances

A hello and then goodbye advances
Nested within these ancestral branches

Drumbeat strikes the pond in phases
Rippling on to other places

Rock to rainbow in mortal faces,
Shown in pages' ancient phrases

Falling through canopied heavenly plains
Raining down in cloudy waves

Beautiful hands create, purposefully alive
Drawn out, set about, thus to tame the tide

Onward launch, upon the harrowed ride,
From birth to death, on to other side

Drink up babes, of mother’s love and life,
With sunshine, groom and gentle bride

Slowly, softly goes the way of life,
Creature, toil, honey, strife

Curious angels gaze upon the spell
As we go along our dance so well,
Busy children wife and knave

Dreams wrapped up in cloudy waves

Breezes blanket the colored meadows
One by one each little poppy bellows
Blossoming bee and butterfly nectar

Exuberant kisses of blissful ardor

Laboring month of Maying lovers
Embracing happiness in one another,

Oh song of joy and sadness
To thee we are as slaves

Each cup that passes from vine to lips
Drinks up this crowd of days,

And Washes the sun and moon away,
Weeping tears of splendid lights arrayed,

Far above the cloudy waves

The Window - with audio

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Looking back through
The dark window of memory
Through another window
At my childhood home
Long ago in another place,
As a young man I felt it slipping away
Becoming intangible, the ground
Giving way beneath my feet

On the other side of the glass
Happy faces, silent as the snow outside
Held there in the golden light
Like an animated spell
The ice glistening at the heavens,
Cold moon and stars
The air pure like Mountain water
The sentiment warm within my heart,

So I sang a song of angels
Those inside at first startled
Then came laughing and crying out
Till I was met at the door with
Familial embraces, greetings and kisses
I had once again managed
The seemingly impossible
To escape back to my place
Of acceptance, and caring
The place of love and kindness,
Where others assumed my wellbeing
Where food, good times
And spirits flew to my side
How I longed to stay
But felt that I could not
That my lease was up,
 My story was beginning elsewhere

I understand now about
What Longfellow wrote:
"And the thoughts of youth
Are long, long thoughts."
Every far off place visited,
Leaves many a fond ones behind
But visions and forces
Beyond our control drive us out
Into the winter night of life
Away from the spring time,
From the summer of home
 Although the road may
Take us back again,
We can never really stay

Oh yes, I knew it then,
Again as I know it now
Even as a boy, I knew
There'd be an end to it all
To those good times,
To that good place and
To those good folks
It was fearful to me then,
Even as it is tearful to me now
A weaving now unwoven
Allows the wind to blow
Through life's threads
And I must let go of
That which I cannot catch
Till I am caught up
In it once again,
With them, in another time
With the wind, rain and sun
In another place,
Through another window.

Little Boat - with audio

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Little boat
Upon the sea
Drifting past
Where eyes can see
Horizon's splash and
Then beyond
To another
Relative home
Water continent
Blue and deep
Sunlight lockets
Dancing keep
Call of seagulls overhead
Heat rains down,
Skin turns red
Salty seaweed
Aqua spray
Swimming creatures
Salute the day
Ocean swells
Caress the hull
Sails like dresses
Walking tall
Water on lips,
Tongue, and throat,
Kindly breezes fill
Soul with hope
Beggar seals and
Friendly dolphins visit
Gliding Pelicans pivot
After fish they plummet
Waves and dreams carry us
Onto high and plunging summits.