This poem is from 2014.  It’s out of the archives. I finally have a picture to match…

*****

I’m hoping and I’m confident for the

Future, hanging by a thread and still safe

My dream was on hold and subconsciously…

I left it like marigolds to be saved

For the spring, to dry in a newspaper,

Headlines reading: Drastic change is needed

And a waft of earth mixed in with pungent perfume,

A sharp joy familiar from another life,

Seeds in time need space – In some sense starving,

For rebirth, like a continental drift

Driving plates of earth into new mountains,

Necessity for action altering

The landscape, dangerously alone with

Unavoidably complicated results,

It is not that I’m crazy or even,

Secretly in love – it is that my world

Would flip with some unknown consequences,

Yes, for moments satisfying – Even

After a long while and at once broken

Off, pieces of another life hang like

Uncertain segments of sidewalk dripping,

Off the edge of an earthquake, Could it be

Consumed – an edible shoelace of cheese

On the pizza of life, real sustenance,

Or would it be wasted, and shrivel up,

Prepared to spend time covered in food wrap,

Forgotten in the far back of the fridge,

To spend its eternity alone once

Again, without the earth and teaming road,

That once made it whole? And delivered with

Maturity, its value could really

Be reclaimed, new roads paved, an emptiness

Filled, satiety of scenario

And the landscape once again level, Night

To follow, but awakening to a

Content system: Business- thoroughfare

At once resuming – It is a vision,

Or is it just simply the winds of change,

Enveloping a tired world, swiftly

To be swept right up, forcing the divine

Action of a society – Invoke:

Swarming feats of brilliant engineering,

And eventual, and still quick triumphs

For the ones previously thought to be

Left behind?  Now: Does she inspire me?

Truly and without isolation – One

Possibility with the infinite

Similarities to every other

Love, real and imprinted in time, surreal,

Once drawn into my creative current,

Unusually focussed, yet correct

And productive state of mind, for which I

Would change a world in hopes that I could find

The best way possible to carry on

And still perpetuate our existence,

Orange flowers blooming with centuries of

Genetic change curing previous flaws

In the stems of our garden, a hybrid

Strain, and pick up where we left off today

A full day planning for freedom in reach,

We unpack the truck and dash to the beach,

A refreshing dip, the rain was abrupt,

It’s lucky we had our tarps all set up,

Fun moments erupt, nature’s not boring,

Thunder rolled in and it began pouring,

Minor setback to reserving campsites,

When it rains this hard, all day and all night,

Now working for fun, just without the sun,

The day turns around, free time starts to run,

Hours get better without feeling rushed,

A foot in the sand, the days’ stress is crushed,

For moments I waste in some worried haste,

Now I feel cool waves and in the haze, baste,

In one sure moment we live all our lives,

As nature breathes, a miracle arrives,

**

Calm and enlightened, earth, sky and water,

In summer outside, the sun stays hotter,

Hitting heights heals life, dreams won’t fall through cracks,

Get up much stronger, find handles to facts,

I don’t think past now and then anymore,

Glacier edges through a rocky corridor,

Frozen yet fluid, how we make our way,

Know it, don’t lose it, just get through the day,

Life carved in senses, next day’s aftermath,

Joy, pain, today’s shock, ignites in one path,

The mountains stand high and scrape at the clouds,

The grey and the cold form shapes in the crowds,

When the sun breaks through, people will scurry,

For a hot dry spot, each one will hurry,

Creatures on top feel ahead of us all,

Nature never stops, we all heed its call,

**

Followed my path in the one way I can,

Through ice cold passes, for storms I have planned,

For days I’ve wondered and nights I’ve wished gone,

The skies split open, I’m spent like a pawn,

Each day I’m coping, sometimes like a bear,

At times I’m roped in, that do not seem fair,

Finding ways to tame the beast of my mind,

Can’t say what I want but I can be kind,

If I shut this down and lock every door,

I won’t be outside the box anymore,

“Breathe deep and relax”, what I tell myself,

The battles wage on, like books on a shelf,

Far out in the wild, I read of the world,

Our thoughts bold or mild, an advent unfurled,

In order to fight, I may stay silent,

Words hidden away, asleep in my tent,

**

Slept okay this time, foam mattress is great,

Better than gravel, I anticipate,

The storm was waging, peppered our world: numb,

Pounding and bouncing a rapid snare drum,

The tarps held up fine, water still snuck in,

Air-laden and moist, damp camp we’re stuck in,

It’s early morning, in drips bright bold light,

I unzip the tent and slip out of sight,

Perking the coffee, a priority,

Start fire quick, keep camp clean as can be,

The air’s so fresh, pitter-patter persists,

Nature hits the earth, rain droplets, her fists,

Wrapped around branches, the feet of small birds,

Divine voices chirp, the tree’s joyous words,

A quick note to self: “Enjoy simple things”,

Day’s peace can be found, when calm morning sings,

**

Once snug at the lake, gone from where we lay,

A splash, all arise and welcome the day,

We are not sullen, grey skies still share light,

Feeling energy here, alive and bright,

Catch frisbees and balls, then sprinting races,

Each day summer calls, run through the paces,

Bring on some music and later board games,

Tell stories of life and don’t change the names,

Free from the office, the work-shop and job,

Free to write verses, eat corn on the cob,

Hot dogs and marshmallows, baked on a stick,

Real time to digest, not rushing and sick,

Find hours to relax, without so much stress,

Turn it all into meditating success,

Prepare for our life, days of rain or shine,

Good rest and hard work meet up and combine

Hello sunshine

Where’d you leave the rain?

I can feel your good vibes

Coming down again

Building a future

I see the final stone

I lift it

and carry it all day

Giving me back some energy

When I put it down to stay

I recognize salvation in a song

I can feel it coming on

Heavy or light words

The music can’t be wrong

Hello sunshine

You chased away the rain,

I can feel your good vibes

And life is found again

I envision success

*

There is so much

Happening

between now and then

*

Though precision is best

There is so much

Challenging

The scene here again

+

No worries:

Optimism perfects

*

I just need focus

Balancing

A new confidence

*

Before I sink,

Life shines through

*

and I find the comfort of progress

As I see the logic engaging with the gears,

Falling into place,

Enhancing the new picture,

Presenting avenues of thought

and

Emotion in the days,

Advances in the moment launch

Once it’s structure’s stable,

The entire system functions isolated yet whole,

Changing all the while,

Engaging the core meaning,

Creating pathways that won’t stop,

with

Dynamics and sure style,

Challenges of the moment won

Through initiatives in perceiving,

Senses take us far,

Thought can take us farther,

Logic builds on what we know,

It’s how to support the meaning,

Beyond any question

and

Energy: a star’s worth,

Emotion is a true world,

On faith we all are leaning,

As I have the visions and listen to the echoes,

Dancing in my brain,

Expressing with a rhythm,

Compelling actions like small talk

Or

Feedback on high gain,

Your glances in the moment won

By being kind, not vain

I got raised by the sunshine,

What I complain about

ain’t the same to me anymore,

Got cloudy days that must suffice,

What they say is right

might not be the same to me tomorrow,

Live today and love the moment

Soak in sunshine as it cures you,

Live today and love the moment

Soak in sunshine as it guides you,

Then hit the lights as the tension mounts,

The desert days are high and dry,

It may be cold at night

but hot as hell for me tomorrow,

The winter rains are cold as ice,

But the fire inside

Will be the same to me forever more,

Live today and sense the changes

Feel the pain and then stop the pounding,

Live today and sense the changes

Taste the rain as it soaks and bounces,

Live today and work for progress

Then hit the heights as the tension mounts,

The sun rises,

One time to burn

One time to heal

One time to learn

One time to feel

Make your move when it counts

Embrace the moment while the tension mounts

Supernova Smile

With a smile be friendly

As if it’s the end

The mean is living

Out of breath

As long as you go

All you will know

Is the day to day

Work and pay

For all of it,

How much do I owe?

If it’s all for show

How far do I go?

Just keep up to the pace

A way to get ahead in this place

*

With a smile, be friendly

As if it’s the ending

Of fighting to live ~ Take a breath

As sure as you go

All you will know

Is the day to day

Good times and low

It’s where we go,

It should be goodwill that binds us

draws us together

A certain not hurting energy

*

Walk the mile, be friendly

As if it’s the ending

Of fighting to live ~ Take a breath

As sure as you go

All you will know

Is the only way

Our life is today

Just keep up to the pace

A way to get ahead in this place

*

A firm grin or blinding show

The gentle touch or blasting trail

Each one of us a star

A distant glimmer is fierce all the while

Live and die

Supernova smile, in a breath to take us far

A penetrating gaze

A defying glaze of eyes

Isolating days of no warning or surprise

Smile.