***

Waking up in the morning

and the day takes my hand

No rushing

Just calm

A friend with things planned

Put on stay-at-home clothes

some casual sandals

Follow steep stairs holding

the railing’s smooth handles

Everyday routine

pulls me into the yard

The sun still seems shy

and Clouds stay on guard

*

Beyond dewy branches

Her vision loyally glows

Looking through me and to me

with everything that she knows

I did not once forget her sight

As I entered the night

And if clouds should stay

She will be bright anyway

She is not shy of me

She just always is free

and That’s the way it should be

Happily

*

Ferocious like an alarm clock

Yet friendly as hot coffee

The day takes firm hold of me

Dark hues of fine brews wafting

I pour two full cups

put creamer in one

Open curtains and blinds

Then soothed by the sun

The kind day reels me in

A fine way to begin

Now find a way to win

So I share a grin

*

Breakfast is essential

Most important meal of the day

and This day has potential

In more words than I can say

With good mood and food

We graciously fill

There’s flowers on the table

By the window sill

I see them still

When I do the dishes

(As in daily wishes)

and Stand on guard

With no holds barred

This day I bet

will surely get

far more delicious still

*

Huge challenge or small chore

Before we can enjoy these days

Find the right frame of mind

To get through

Absolutely any phase

The bitter fight we face

Can fade if we attain our needs

These times we’re given Hope

In care and strength

A good day exceeds

With her voice

Our patience leads

*

The kitchen is clean

As it has ever been

Lint off kid’s jeans I preen

Fill the washing machine

Now the laundry is on

and recycling gone

I work on my chores

As the vacuum roars

(Now cats scramble hard core

across a newly swept floor)

Home I pick up and tidy

My time more than biding

*

Though for hours

Our faces hiding

Accomplishments are

Now presiding

What we completed

in the morning

Arrives with kindness and fair warning

Now we approach a fine midday

Major projects underway

Look for new work

Paint a room

Build our future

Nearly noon

Hope is for sure

Like a favourite tune!

*

Electric lunchtime

with my stereo blaring

On inspiration

Music never sparing

In a mood for

Rhythmic heights I crave

and Tasty leftovers

Nuked in the microwave

Elevated by sounds

Can’t get any hotter

Sun pounds the table

I drink ice water

Day’s warm shiny melody

Fell on me and I caught her

*

Stress release

Savouring

Heated words of a song

Now a tasty guitar break

How can that be wrong?

Strum along

Play the lead

Acoustic

all I need

My world listens to me

And her motions I read

Now she tells me

“Time to get back to work”

I bow to her

Logic pure

The groovy lunch was a perk

And I am no jerk

*

More than song choice to be made

in this early afternoon

Do I polish off nuisance chores

As our morning-coat is strewn?

Or challenge the stars

To impact the Earth?

Day still guides my hand

Her world and sky

All it’s worth

Together we make accurate estimations

and Set our sights on immaculate destinations

*

That very moment

We went to go for a walk

The skies opened up

Hard rain started to rock

Our guessed destiny

turned out stationary

Crank the tunes back up

In a sophisticated library

Work on Art and Science

Effort never stops

When the music’s over

Listen to rapid rain drops

A sound nothing tops

*

Yesterday’s season

Similar to today

but still keeps changing

as we make our way

While sun lights up life

Trees show us the path

Like buildings to sidewalks

These guides do our math

Natural structures frame our choice

To get through we need

Vision and Voice to share our world

and we need to agree

and with

New

Moments

Rejoice

*

Enduring pain

More than before

The day at work

We can’t ignore

These days are here now

NOT evermore

Make a stand

With a faithful plan

*

So we reach for the dollar

No matter what we do

We always have a wall here

That we have to break through

The anguish and injury

Seems so unfair

Is anyone aware?

*

Society that holds others back

Must be kept in check

While we get life on track

with the world that we elect

Help the Days to care

So life can be repaired

As we all learn to share

And to be more aware

Disparity is a fact

Let opposites attract!

*

Hold on to what we love

Push forward with our grace

And for what we need and lack

Work hard to make a case

and Everyone should save face

Make a pact for this place

Like

Make sure we can ALL keep pace…

*

Returning from our walk

We meander back home

We talk cheerfully

I recite music in a poem

Invigorated now

We let go of hands

As the door opens

We hold on to romance

Anticipating

Children waiting

We all care for constant needs

with no debating

Or overrating

We make a meal that feeds

and So the day proceeds

We take each other’s leads

Everyone Does Good Deeds!

*

A parade to the food dish

Children and chickens first in line

Hamsters and guinea pigs

From the kitchen they fine dine

A dash to the bowl

For the cats and dogs

Drop more food off for

Goldfish and dwarf frogs

Then the tough teens are hungry again

Nothing can stop the daily feed train

For life we sustain

I can’t complain!

*

Dinnertime and

We Live to Eat well

We have what we need here

and Stories to tell

The struggle is real

Splurge on nice meals

a Healthy choice today

Comfort food helps us heal

With a “Cheers” to be kind

Remind and Unwind us

The days grace and peace

Sometimes will find us

If not too demanding

Simply outstanding

*

Time to spare

Seems unlikely

Yet with care

We are mighty

Watch TV or do some writing

Still some chores may seem inviting

A brand new puzzle or best game

Raise our spirits if it’s just the same

I’ll say goodnight to the day’s last fame

And greet dark skies

The stars lay claim

Still in my heart always

Is the day’s

Eternal

Amazing

Flame

*

Meals are done

like the day

Setting sun

down to lay

Night won’t shun

Words I say

So for fun

On our way

Poem run

Last sun ray

and As one

Work and play

Peace is won

We all pray

Carry a tonne

and We pay

Now at last

Rest we may

Tomorrow

Will be

More than Okay

Another

Stunning

Day

*

All

The

Way

*

The day holds my hand

***

A heavy snow greets us

piling up on the ground

Streets are treacherous

So: at home we are found

The sidewalks are shovelled

and Salted lightly

Like savoury snacks we love to

Eat up nightly

For health reasoning

We are eating less junk

But we still eat good stuff

A Worthy cost well sunk

Fresh from the oven

My love’s Vegan shortbread

With icing sugar, glazed cherry and crushed candy cane!

More candy canes on the tree or a box of chocolates instead?

With nice fudge, sherry and a sweet brandy strain

And this is the season

To do all of that

It is always Christmas for Santa

That’s why he is phat

*

I too feel chunky

At this time of year

Not tubby like our cat

(He’s too chubby, it’s clear)

I wouldn’t say I’m like jelly

Not with this rock-hard beer belly

But I do see the mirror

And love Christmas-time cheer

*

Christmas songs play

As we both sing along

This time of year

We all know the song

And the more excited I get

As the day draws near

It seems so telling…

So closely we’re gelling

And having the finest of times right here…

*

Yes there have been set-backs

And draw-backs and strife

But this is existence

We work hard for a good life

So: a few nice presents

And much more presence

And we will get through

with so much sheer pleasance

to be here with just you

With love that is true

*

There is just a few gifts I want

To and from all of us

Our love, peace and health

And a future to trust

With patience, good sense, true faith and care

I am sure, my true love, that we will get there

So, Here’s to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Years

For all us together

And this time that we share!

Love Mike XOXOXO

*

The wind in our world

is built to carry kind wishes

It’s designed to do that well

according to Karma

*

Slowly as a breeze blows

leaves from the trees

Eternal butterflies of mind

Draw peace from a cool bellows

*

Calmly breathing wisps of air

as if to cradle

gentle flames in a winter hearth

*

The love of our lives

Like sweet scents of seasons

Delivered by a wild wind

Purely transcendental

Intense as cold rain

refreshing the skin

After travelling miles thru clouds

Drawing peace like cold cups of water

Condensation invites us to sip

As a saviour

On days we feel hotter

*

Words of kind magic

The wind wraps around us

All that U say

Are wishes of wisdom

*

When I awake

Your words whisk me away

Wash over me

& return me way better

*

Words of kind magic

The breeze helps me believe

All that U say

Are wishes of wisdom

*

The truth of today

Often whispered but not heard

Till tornado’s take us away

According to Karma

Fast as a hurricane

That turns on the quiet

Or those who ignore

the truth at hand

Draw peace from the eye of the storm

Understanding brings calm again

The way is paved

By your wishes of wisdom

Everything you do

Is too good to be true

But then suddenly you do

Something so brand new

Now I’ll always believe in you

*

Everything you do and say

Makes me feel so good today

and suddenly you do

Something so brand new

*

Feels so right

It’s happening fast

We feel so tight

True love will

Always

Last

2020

When you witness stuff of stories and legend

And are a part of them

Each day

What then?

*

When no one understands

So you can’t even make plans

Reach out

Pretend that they do

Extend till it’s true

*

If this world is changing fast

As it always has

When we finally get a grasp

What then?

Everything comes down to me

This is the truth of the matter

I am happy to be and

Nothing comes free

Here at the bottom of the ladder

But if something goes wrong

It’s the same old song

The world crashes down on me

Climb up a rung

Heroics unsung

Fall guy

Chasing down dreams

*

Everything comes down to me

This is the truth of the matter

The more that I see

It’s my eyes and me

I can’t cry if it makes my world sadder

It may be my fault

I lock my needs in a vault

And so I push to be free

The faster I rise

The more the world shies

Away from me

is the way it seems

*

It’s hard to show

What everyone knows

We all have our own perspective

If you can see mine

It may seem fine

Cause that’s my main objective

*

I take the world on my shoulders

Everyone gets out of the way

Now I’m holding more than my share

It doesn’t seem fair

Everything comes down to me

**

Cackling in the back of my penthouse suite closet

What I thought was a skeleton is my potential future-ghost

Shaking for medicine that must be taken now

I would like to pause it

I want a cure most

Will the present mask come off,

Reveal beauty infinite

or will it carve the future

getting so close?

*

Heckled by attendees of a courthouse for my whole life

As the judge beckoned me, I made an offhand boast

Question of sanity must be taken now

I’d like the chance to answer

In the spirit of the host

Will this disaster end

As we adapt to it?

How do we chart the future?

I guess no one knows

**

Then I heard a voice from inside my skull

The others heard it too and then there was a lull

The family carries on

This guy’s hard to the core

“I am right here, who are you looking for?”

The crowd moves away, the calm man was outrageous

“They don’t hear me” and I began to count my pages

*

Sifting through years, memories, goals and plans

Night started early and the moon understands

I sat back in my seat and reflected on the day

The tides of life are changing, plans must get underway

I scrolled and scrolled, “There is nothing here”

I cleared my throat loudly and began to fear

*

In words coming next

too hard to debunk all

Thought it made sense

to call my old uncle

He listens to me

But won’t see the whole story

Who I may need to talk to

is a guy that ain’t sorry

Once a friend of mine

now just seems sinister

May need an exorcist or

Just a Xmas-time minister

*

They said I need faith

and good sanitizer

I keep my chin up

Don a mask and seek advisors

Most I find from my chair

With my hand-held office

And avoid anyone

Who asks what this cough is

I sat and felt stressed

But couldn’t get any bolder

Heard a whisper in the dark

Felt a tap on my shoulder…

*

It was all I could do

To not scream out loud

The past was awakening

Vehemently proud

First thing I thought is

Maybe it was our cat

But he was on the floor beside me

And not at my back

The whistling wind

Turned into a chorus

As I’d fallen asleep

Dreams wouldn’t ignore us

*

“You’re nothing!

A flake,

A washed-up electrician!”

A voice was seething

Up rose his apparition

“Remember those years

When we laughed together?”

“Yes” I said frankly,

“and all the bad weather”

Behind my back

He had laughed and stole love

His face faded in the window

As rain fell from above

**

The cat knocked a vase off our farm-house dining table

When he saw the dark reflection of the passing ghost

Pressure manipulating is forgotten now

I had to catch it

Oh… so close

Will common sense reach him

For safety specific?

We need it for the future

At this time the most

*

Tracking mud from the floor of her doghouse,

Lucy has free reign

Sweet canine has more luxury than she needs

almost

Not much for etiquette

It’s eats at me now

And so I blurt out

What I think we need most

Will we keep good distance

Reveal faith incarnate

Or charge to the future

Getting too close?

**

Then she starts barking and rattles my skull

Neighbours hear it too

It’s inescapable

She follows me inside with no clear boundaries

I go upstairs & hide

“Quiet! Calm down please”

Then we are fine

On the couch just her and me

A quick belly rub

Now she’s nice as can be

*

Sifting thru pages

and trying to share words

Lucy asleep, I hear pure tones, divine birds

Charming racket of a kind crow

for fall leaves we grieve

Cool mood in the room as I

Write and believe

I lay back for a second in my rotating chair

Of an unearthly presence I become aware!

*

Television crackles

My hands on the screen

A voice speaks clearly

Blasts out of a dream

It was the news host talking

directly to me,

“You must help save the world

It’s hurting… come see!”

I see people suffering across the earth

It drags me down

like I’ve lost social worth

*

“You must fight the battle for everyone you know

Save the entire planet and everywhere you go

Don’t sweat the small stuff but carry the whole world

Brace us against the sun and the creeping moon curled!”

I said “I’m trying, I’m doing the best I can!”

“Not good enough

Try harder again”

*

Like the sound of a coin into

wishing-well water

The TV turned off

Fizzled and felt a bit hotter

Blinding light burst

from the face of my phone

Barely pressed the screen

And souls entered my home

My inbox explodes while

Text messages chime

Notifications pile up

I have nothing but time

*

Late bills

Spam and useless subscriptions

Tried to close them fast amid too many encryptions

A sight became present that bolstered my spirit

A message from someone that had read my lyric

Their image appeared on my screen so ephemeral

A fleeting glimpse, like it had it been here at all

**

Clucking in back of our chicken-house bird-palace

What I thought was an odd project are pets we love the most

Waking-up schedule

Much better now

Get up

Let hens out

Fresh eggs for our toast

Will Earth’s cruelty stop?

“Yes” should be implicit

With effort for the future

Kindness that we chose

*

Reeking from heaven to hell

the outhouse of this winter

Seems what we ate is attacking us

as time has quickly froze

Questions of appetite

Don’t feel quite right now

Please unpause

It’s what matters most

Will there be paper or light?

Any privacy?

For others in the future:

Consideration I propose

**

Then faith in my SUV

As I buckled for the store

Elastic scratched my skull

Safety is what it’s for

Driving down the road

Guy clearly saw the sign

Blew right thru it

And crossed the double line

We must be more safe

Follow worthy rules

Then when we look back

We won’t look like true fools

*

I was also rushing

When I was much younger

Time has shifted gears

To a responsible kind of hunger

We all need supplies and food

A reason to go out

No need to be rude

Kindness is all about

We can still be fast

But keep good sense to stay safe

Like wear a brand-new mask

(One that doesn’t chafe)

*

Closing my car door

Walked to get a buggy

For this time of year

It was feeling rather muggy

Clouds seemed to issue

From a parking-lot sewer-grate

Black shadows formed in front of me

And wouldn’t dissipate

In the next moment

Thought I was losing my mind

Soon to be sure of it

A specter was defined

*

The future’s public eyes

Red and burning through me

History of life

Like no one ever knew me

With hands like ravens’ claws

the phantom grabbed my wrist

Dragged me in to the cold wet sky

without my shopping list

Over streets and homes

Across river and valley

Fiend then dropped me off alone

in a cold and dirty alley

*

A puddle on the pavement

Showed my own reflection

Cars splashed by

I jumped back for my protection

The ghoul looked at me

I saw families torn apart

A young man looking old

pushing an empty shopping cart

Then a ghost blue van

hauled us off

no indecision

Threw us in the door

of a last-ditch forensic prison

*

There were hard cold floors, padded walls with windows barred

Dragged us to the morgue, down grim dark halls, my brain was scarred

Sobbing all our tears filled the reaper’s cup

The shroud of years established

hides parts of institutes corrupt

Fire in the shadow’s eyes

And blade of it’s sickle

Dying to get thru

Our fate is always fickle

**

Shackled for days in a big house of the future

Strap on a straight jacket in the fashion that I chose

Tying down pacifists, no one looks to me now

If there’s no cause for fear

Lets just bulldoze

Will present chains come off

If we’re complicit

Or will we weigh down our future

With a heavy dose?

*

Crackling chambers of a charnel house we all face

Where we find a skeleton we won’t always find a ghost

Our souls are independent

We may live forever

I’d like to prove it

Preparing for the post

Will we find complete calm

and consciousness infinite

Harness power for the future?

Excitement, no one knows

**

Smoke rises fast

Proud machines rumble

On shoppers’ gas fumes

Back to my vehicle I tumble

Turn the key to just get home

I have groceries for days

Made sure to put my heavy change

into the globe in the heavy haze

Vapours disappear into cold grey sky

And no Xmas shopping junk

if I don’t need to buy

*

As I’m driving home

with the stereo blasting

I thought of my daydreams

And impact everlasting

Then I heard a song

I’d known all along

And now that I was on

I wouldn’t get the lyrics wrong

It now made sense to me

Really set me free

I thought of friends and family

And visions that should be

*

Rolled into the driveway

Ready for the afternoon

In my truck I rocked out hard

to the rest of the classic tune

When my song was over

Spirit still in my head

Concentrate to remember

Exactly what was said

Walk up gravel and grass

Thought of phantom smoke

Anxious to tell my folks

“Really! It was no joke!”

*

All along the house

Garden still looks pleasant

Yes, it is off-season

Glad that it is present

Folks are not here yet

Only close family coming by

Exciting for our kids

Despite foreboding sky

Optimism can save the day

Turn grey skies to green plants

Helps people play nice

And still make sure to clean hands

*

Now we join around the table

Love has made it when it’s able

We are gathered here together

Mostly on screen or phone

But with the weather

Let’s be clever

And this way

We will never be alone

Those closest to us sitting down

Food we fixed is coming round

With our stories and our grace

We love our dreams and love this place

*

The future’s uncertain and

We influence the outcome

We share our insight for good health

No one should be without some

Follow guidelines and make our own plans

Use common sense and take our own stands

The things we wish for

will work out for the best

If we love ourselves

AND LOVE all the rest

**

Sparkling in the sun

The greenhouse of our fair world

Plants will face reckoning

In this place we should love most

Nurturing living things

Must be priority now

We need to check in

On this precious rose

We must know a champion

Of beautiful humanity

Let us find a future

Where love for life shows

****