Human Waters

“Waters Poetry #4” by Melody Cleary

we are but water

pure gift of the heavens

sweet essence enriched

by a few mortal molecules

moving in thrall to the call

of a soundless invisible gravity

washing the weight

of our liquidness

over the surfaces

under the skins

of terrestrial elements

pulled ever downward through

cracks and odd crevices

time has created

their edges relentlessly rubbed

to a smoothness

by force of our flow

yielding bits of themselves

to our fluid who

micron by micron

takes on altered character

making us something more slightly

at one with the parts of the world

that we pass through

the world we experience

each on our personal journey

of seeking that cistern

in which we can finally

arrive at our rest

leaving just enough time

to luxuriate learning the

pleasures of stillness

Architectonic

“Abstract Still Life” by Debra Hurd

from the ground up
from the inside out
from thin air bits of
stardust assembled
in reified form of a
cognizant mind with
unique sense of self
and personal ethics

a structure of blood
and bone spaces red
rooms to be used for
rehearsal of conduct
for aptly confronting
the every experience
promised or pushed
by the practice of life

*****************

“Life isn’t about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.”
             – George Bernard Shaw

Boomers

“Freedom Compromised”
Painting by Anne Theriault
From pinterest.com

the oldest of us
born while warsmoke
still hung in the air
smell of cordite
inhaled with our
very first breaths

we the children
of conflict grew into
our lives and prosperity
long under shadow
of missiles atomic
cold warriors

now the world chases
our septuagenarian
leisure and wealth
but wants nothing
to do with our
wisdom or values

we have lessons
to teach of how
evil abroad would
incinerate peace
but this new breed
of men has no ears

Stormlands

“Gathering Storm Near the San Juan Mountains”
Painting by Charles Partridge Adams
From pinterest.com

thunderbolts leaped
across nerves
rumbled canyons
inside our young bones
hiding out from the sun
beneath hesitant skin
so afraid of the sky
where did everything
go the green feet
of white mountains
we ran up the
youth of those slopes
in the storm
lightning scoring
thin air heartbeats
thumping regrets
of a meaningless
race all the clouds
right below us
adult sullen gray
moving skittish
unable to rise from
the weight of the
the salt yet unrinsed
from the rain
where did everything
go the blue aspens
turned red by the
blood of the dawn
we climbed high up
those trees in the
whiplashing winds
branches torn from
their trunks
tossed away into
mad crying streams
valleys eyeworn
too misty with panic
unable to rise from
the press of remorse
this is where we
were young
under withering
siege of the fear
of the future
it’s here where we
learned to face loss
stand the weather
that dashed our
unseasoned beliefs
this is where we
discovered the selves
who would
later emerge
from the storm

Do Yourself a Favor

“No Luck”
Painting by Tabitha Marshall
From fineartamerica.com

 

don’t do as I did
you won’t end up like me
I was lucky
and luck has no brains
to remember itself
unreliable bastard
a flash in the pan

best to do as I say
my advice at least
comes from a place
I can trust
a place where and when
I was even
more stupid than you

Of a Certain Age

“Face of Wisdom”
Photo by Richard Fahy and The World as I See It
From flickr.com

what to make of our
jaded quiescence
amid the cacophony
headlines and broadcasters
scream their mixed media
news of the day
in an all-points assault
that competes to elicit
our shock and dismay
while we passively
filter the noise
through dulled senses
absorbing and damping
its hypertense urgency
now that we’ve
reached that place
nesting indifference
like comfortable bedding
on basketweave strands
of experience drawn
from a hard life well lived
knowing nothing
this new world
could ever present
about nature of man
contains any surprise