Honesty

“Everyday Deception” by Agnieszka Bloch

 

unguarded moments
shibboleth fears of
vestpocketed minds
concealed from the
stars self-embarrassed
self-loathed and preferring
to please under pretense
what waste what ordeal
in denying the world
edge and contour of truth
as if judgment lacks eyes
to see through the disguise
be yourself save the
time and the pain
erecting false fronts
maintaining deception
you are worth so much more
than your fantasies

 

 

From my book Bohemian Scents

Survival

“Survival” by Abe Weiner

 

the fight keeps the pain alive

hurting and living synonymous

suffering gives proof of life

wars of body and spirit waged

balls-to-the-wall without mercy

determined unwavering fearless

clenched fists steel-set jaw

gnashing teeth fury red in the eyes

ruthless weapons of weaponless

combat the courage entailing the

fight is what gives life its worth

at least that’s what I’ve come to

discover about my own truth

 

 

From my book Ephemera

Chalkboard

 

Image from pinterest.com

 

chalk the slate

angry strokes

brutal honesty

marking out

actual moments

real pieces of days

this last ledger

a reckoning done

by the numbers

inscribed upon

hard matte black

skin of forever

with dusty white

graceless graffiti

the sums of a

traceable life

starkly rendered

unvarnished by

memory’s lies

and mistakes

all those choices

those exercised

free will events

now come to their

sharp tabulation

a final appraisal

establishing

worth of a soul

Character Analysis

“Abstract Character Shattered” by Cornelius 20

add and subtract
changes made to convictions
from youth to old age
intrinsic value computes
by simple dead reckoning

Honesty

“Everyday Deception” by Agnieszka Bloch

 

unguarded moments
shibboleth fears of
vestpocketed minds
concealed from the
stars self-embarrassed
self-loathed and preferring
to please under pretense
what waste what ordeal
in denying the world
edge and contour of truth
as if judgment lacks eyes
to see through the disguise
be yourself save the
time and the pain
erecting false fronts
maintaining deception
you are worth so much more
than your fantasies

Fame

“Pebbles” by MV Ellison

plain pebble that never stands out

content to be left in the background

unnoticed imperfect yet pleased

to accept the warm love of the sun

unwilling to waste useless energy

trying to shine when a dull gray

humility serves to support the

conviction to stand in place

shoulder to shoulder among

fellow stones holding ground against

weathering wind and the walkabouts

escorting ruinous passage of time

a noble existence of steadfastness

more to the purpose of igneous life

than to haughtily sit celebration as

prizes in pockets of rockhounds

en route to a fated display on soft beds

of sateen in antique glazed vitrines

fame is fickle and fleeting a thing to be

chased by those lacking of confidence

scrabbling for worth in untrustworthy

whims of a changeable external world

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

“Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character.” – Horace Greeley

Gold’s Fool

 

“Fool’s Gold” by Julianne Richards

 

 

pan the rivers
that run to false seas
glean the glitter bits
wasted and washed
from a forgeried
ethics unable to
weather the wind

market value of
counterfeit virtue
on par with nil worth
of your cached
tiny treasures
the fungible specie
of errant morality

wealth is no fiscally
tangible thing it’s the
heave of the heart
in its gift and receipt
of real love in its joy
of contentment from
comfortable conscience

 

 

From my book Onionskin

Tithe

“The Payment of the Tithes 2”
Painting by Pieter the Younger Brueghel
From wikigallery.org

ten percent
of something
or everything
pressed as a
tax upon faith

even God
it would seem
must need
means to
take measure
of how well
hearts meet
obligation

more eloquent
scheme ought
be simple
unstructured
commitment
to give
if one can
what one can
when one can

one’s devotion
should never
be monetized
prayer bears
no price beyond
yearning for
one-on-one
dialogue
with deep
authenticity

burn all
church ledgers
of charity
leaving the
smoke and
the scent
to express
in its rise
up to heaven
the value
attached
to each man

Median

“Median”
Painting by Marina Tomas
From bodyofart.com

neither here nor there
stranded between
concrete quantities
struck with abstract
middling identity
units ahead
mirror count of the
units behind
on the arc of a life
lies this once
and forever
meridian moment
yet no man
can know
when he’s crossed it
his half
as unknown
as his whole

whatsoever remains
of his time
of his distance
to destiny
hangs on so much
still to come
yet undone
miles traveled
time spent
are but
fait accompli
with no relevance to
where he ends

it is now
only now
here and now
that will matter
the next step
or any of those
that in progress
may follow
will prove
more decisive
determinance
always and ever
belongs
to the present

no past
is so strong
as to prefigure future
no midpoint
holds more than a
notional value
and that lacks
dispositive measure
of anything real
nothing worth
a significant damn

Survival

“Survival Sickness”
Painting by Stuart Bracewell
From fineartamerica.com

the fight keeps the pain alive
hurting and living synonymous
suffering gives proof of life
wars of body and spirit waged
balls-to-the-wall without mercy
determined unwavering fearless
clenched fists steel-set jaw
gnashing teeth fury red in the eyes
ruthless weapons of weaponless
combat the courage entailing the
fight is what gives life its worth
at least that’s what I’ve come to
discover about my own truth