a moment of silence, or, a poem for Lisa Noel

a moment of silence is more
than just a moment of peace
it's a moment of connection
between life and infinity
for as much and as long as we talk
silence will continue long after and long before
so it's moments of silence which
transport us into the past and the future
a present moment of connection running
amidst generations into
perpetuity

This Is Not A Suicide Note

I would much rather have been
a figment of some child's imagination
on a kindergarten playground
than a living, breathing person.

Life would have been so much
more worth living.

Or maybe I am,
In which case,
I prefer the other.

The Circle of Life

There's a moment
in the movie theatre
You're both sitting there
your hands slowly
creeping to each other
Your eyes shift down
looking and waiting
Until finally one hand
reaches up and grabs the other
You both let out a sigh
A smile on your face

There's a moment
before the question
You listen about their feelings
their knees slowly
giving into gravity
Your eyes shift down
looking and waiting
Until finally a question
reaches your ears
You let out a sigh
unable to speak
Your head nodding

There's a moment
under the altar
You stare into each other's eyes
smiling as you do
There is no notice of
anyone around
Until finally the statement is made
celebration erupts
You share a kiss
officially

There's a moment
before the document is signed
You sit in separate rooms
your hands holding fists
Your eyes shift down
looking at the litigation
Until finally the lawyer
reaches a settlement
You let out a sigh
jaws clenched
wondering what now

There's a moment
when you're alone
Illness has befallen you
There is no hand to hold
no eyes to gain reassurance
Instead you sit
remembering
Until finally you no longer
remain
You arrive at your only consolation
You let out a breath
no smile to be found

Special Time of Night

There’s a special time of night.
When the stars congregate.
They come together for the ritualistic
consecration of the night sky.
In that time, you can see everything.
You can see infinity.
You can see beyond.
Everything in those short few moments
is expressed by an entranced glance into the night sky.

Then, the stars disperse to their respective galaxies.
Their own universes and worlds.
But those of us lucky enough to see that moment are forever changed.
We realize that there is always something more
that we cannot see.
We find the greatness and vastness within ourselves.
Our own stars come together for a brief moment
and we search for all of them to return again.

Traveler's Lament

There’s nothing that I really want

As I sit on this bench, awaiting the dawn.

The cold air welcomes my heart

Into a place I’ve easily loved

Yet so longingly dreaded

I have traveled many lively paths

Each one creasing my forehead a little deeper.

I have jumped upon rocks for entertainment,

Each one making my knees a little knobbier.

The gyms I have jungled

Leave my hands a little more weathered,

And my eyes a bit glazed.

My mouth still hangs slightly open

From the plants that have wet my lips.

When he came, wearing that grave suit I had been looking for,

And found me on the doorstep.

He asked me, “If you could travel in time –

Where would you want to go?”

“I travel all the time.

And as far as anywhere to go,

There’s nothing that I really want.”

The Homebody Dreams of Home

She lumbers in the parking lot

Gazing at the space

Entranced by the stars

Engulfed by the vastness

Wondering if she’ll ever get the chance

To be with her beloved

Amidst the Milky Way

He blue skirt and floral blouse

Looking less disheveled than usual

As she staggers back to take in the emptiness

The black velvet wish she’s painted for herself

She remembers her first kiss

Among the heavens

It was thirty years ago,

Yet the vividity of the abduction

Still pulses her imagination

With excitement

Her first and only love

Not even human.

She became enrapt

With light

Being drawn toward the curiosity,

The prospect.

Like a puppy to a lake.

Not sure if they’ll drown,

Only knowing that exploration

Is mandatory.

She remembers, through a haze – a Ketamine-like blur

The view of herself

Above her.

The mysterious charts and graphs

Marking the major parts

Of the terrestrial, extra carefully.

The stars, perfectly dazzling

Formed sequences of once familiar shapes

Orion’s sword, she thought she saw

The Gemini twins, now wielded by her abductor,

Slices her clothes off.

Her eyes full of nothing but wonder

At her lucky circumstance.

The alien does not like this.

She see lights, once again, in the distance;

Though, the colors seem different.

She’s escorted to a car,

Where the men in suits

Tell her she’s diluted,

She’s fantasized this event.

All the while transfixed

On the empty space

Of her future home.

Shehecheyanu

We shuffled into the room,
Mimicking our guides in our head;
As if they couldn't read our faces;
Blindly echoing the disheartened cries
Of our predecessors
Until, at last, we saw the light
Emblazoned with wrath for no crime at all.

We instructed our children to hide
Like turtles forced to become hermits
But, they too were moths being escorted
Into the furnace - that pit of no return.
In this, the dawn and dusk of their time,
Always playing hide and seek,
Never to be found again.

We see the trench - that treacherous wasteland
To which we will unwillingly be united.
We squirm, we screech; a shriek, a screech of shrill voices
We have never since meant as we do now
"Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam
Shehecheyanu!"

I Want to Belong to the Winds

When I no longer lie on this Earth

And must welcome death into my heart

I shall be taken to a hilltop,

My ashes spread into the four winds

I shall travel North,

North, to the Northiest part of the world

I will travel East

And West

Around the Earth and back again.

I shall travel South,

South beyond the Southern borders I was limited,

Beyond the fear of leaving I had in life.

I will travel as far as the winds can take me

Around and around,

The world my carousel

One man on a journey to find everything.

Careening, dipping, landing where the winds halt

Resuming when they have finished their business

One soul reminiscing on a life that never was

When my journey is over,

The four winds will return me to that hilltop

When that day comes,

I hope you will join me.

We can sit on that graveyard as long as you like.

Even forever.

The Stockholm Summer

Arms wrapped around me – captured my life.
My heart screamed, screeching through my soul.
We jingled off into the distance,
Clinking with every step.

Our room silent, dimly lit
A parade of torrents, our only music.
My life centered around
Our time together.

We danced with fire all around
As passion blazed, engulfing us.
A mere candle could not compare
To the torch of our encampment.

We succumbed, pressured by jungle forces,
Nothing but beasts prowled with us.
Armed with desire,
We braved our battle.

Our lives intermingled,
We counted our days, numbered until the end.
Forcer apart, bittersweet relief flaked
Across our time, our moments, our parting.

You, Only You

You stood

Creation before you.

You said,

"Let there be"

And there was.

You formed, and shaped.

You planned, and created.

You, only You, could do this.

I stand.

A lifetime before me.

I say,

"Let me be"

And I am.

I think, and grow.

I care, and imagine.

You, only You, can help me.

We bring

Worship before you.

We cry,

"Holy, holy, holy"

And you are.

We pray, and sing.

We teach, and learn.

You, only You, are worthy.

The Cold Within

I didn't write this - but, it's one of my favorite poems... One of the reasons I write poetry... It is such a great story and imagery... This poem is generally published as written by Anonymous (who writes a lot of stuff)... Anyway... Here's the poem...

The Cold Within

Six humans trapped in happenstance

In the dark and bitter cold

Each one possessed a stick of wood

Or so the story's told

Their dying fire in need of logs

The first woman held hers back

For of the faces around the fire

She noticed one was black

The second man, looking across the way

Saw not one of his church

And he just couldn't bring himself

To give the fire his stick of birch

The third man sat in tattered clothes

He gave his coat a hitch

Why should his log be put to use

To warm the idol rich

The rich man just sat back and thought

Of the wealth he had in store

And how to keep what he had earned

From the lazy, shiftless poor

The black man's face bespoke revenge

As the fire died out of sight

For all he saw in his stick of wood

Was a chance to spite the white

The last man in this forlorn group

Did naught except for gain

Giving only to those who gave

Was how he played the game

Six logs gripped tight by death's still hands

Was proof of human sin

They didn't die from the cold without

They died from the cold within

I Wrote A Letter

I wrote a letter.

This letter contains everything,
Everything you ever wanted,
Everything you ever dreamed of,
Everything you fantasized about.

This letter cures you of whatever,
Whatever is ailing you,
Whatever is troubling you,
Whatever is frightening you.

This letter offers guidance,
Guidance for your life,
Guidance for your future,
Guidance for everyday.

This letter gives you strength,
Strength to move on,
Strength to continue,
Strength to accept.

This letter exudes confidence,
Confidence in your choices,
Confidence in your ability,
Confidence in yourself.

This letter is meant for you,
For those of you who need help,
For those of you who need guidance,
For those of you who need confidence.

This letter is written is response,
To all of your troubles,
To all of your pain,
To all of your struggling.

This letter is special,
Special because it’s just for you.

I tore this letter up,
I burned it,
I threw into a restless wind.

This letter will be around you,
In the wind, in the air,
In the simple act of waking up,
In the mundane tasks of everyday.

This letter will be with you,
Thriving as your guide to life.

I wrote a letter.
Please, find it and read it.
Then, pass it on.

What Do You Do

What do you do

When heartbreak is certain?

What do you do

When the news you have is a burden?

What do you do

When you are what you can't be?

What do you do

How can you make them see?

What do you do

When the life you want isn't 'well'?

What do you do

When the life you have is hell?

What do you do

When the burden you have is too strong?

What do you do

How can you show this isn't wrong?

What do you do

At night when you toss and you turn?

What do you do

To teach, while trying to learn?

What do you do

To always, "To yourself be true?"

When all you else seem to fail

What do you do?

... And 9 Others

I recently saw a headline that said a celebrity had died "and 9 others." That is what prompted this poem.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Who are these 'others'?

What did they do?

When did they become less important?

Where did they come from?

Why are they left being 'others'?

What could the have accomplished?

A lifetime ahead, that they can't live.

No one deserves this,

But even fewer deserve to be

Labeled 'others'

A grandmother who loved her family.

Going to the store to shop.

A big dinner planned for her soldier.

A reunion never realized.

A lady devout in faith.

All she wanted was supplies.

Making crafts for the local bazaar.

New, priceless items

Never to be created.

A man who had no one left.

The end of a family.

A double tragedy only survived by

One single word - 'others'

A father waiting to hear.

His ears open, his mind outstretched.

He'll never know what was said.

But, his family will never forget him.

Then, of course, the precious child.

Smart, wise beyond her years.

She wanted to learn.

All she was educated in

Was how evil this world can be.

These people are not 'others.'

These people have their own fame.

They had lives, wives, mothers, daughters.

Now, all they are is on immortal word

'Others'

The greatest tragedy of all.

Is not the one celebrity.

It's the 'others'

My Father's Eyes

I am not an accident.

I'm no feeble-minded

Accidental mistake.

I am special, individual

I carry a stamp of approval

From my Father.

I am a child.

I will always be a child

In my Father's eyes.

No matter what mistakes I make.

How many times I strike-out

At Tee Ball

He will put the ball back.

And tell me, "Try again."

I am a custom, one-of-a-kind,

Life-sized creation of my Father.

He knows me.

He loves me.

I know Him.

I love Him.

It's no matter how many times

I fall off trying to learn

To ride a bicycle

He will catch me,

And tell me, "Try again."

In His eyes

In His all-knowing eyes

I can see myself.

I can find my future.

Whatever that future might be.

My Father's eyes will be

Watching me.

If I strike-out

I know to put the ball back

And try again.

If I fall down

I know to catch myself

And try again.

I've learned so much

From my Father's eyes.

I've learned He loves me.

I've learned He cares.

And, yet, I have

So much more to learn from

My Father's Eyes.

2011 (My Moment)

I've heard it said,

"You're only promised

Today. So, live each

Day as though it's your

Last."
But, I don't believe that.

For, we're only promised this

Moment.

So, we need to live each

Moment

As though it was our

Last.

We don't know the next

Moment

Will offer more life.

We must live in the

Moment.

Moments

Which can take

You're breath away.

Because, one of those

Moments

Actually will.

That is why I must

Live this

Moment,

And every

Moment,

As myself

I must not be afraid.

I must emerge into this

New year, this new

Moment

As someone who's not

Cowering, not hiding

Someone who is

Proud

Regardless of what others think

This

Moment

Will be my

Moment

Because, the next

Moment

May be my

Last.

A Star Is Born

We traveled light years

Jumping from star to star.

The universe out highway.

We sang with Aries.

We danced with the Gemini.

We eloped under the Milky Way,

Orion as our witness.

Then, we took a dip in Ursa Major.

We swam in the Aurora.

Days, we spent, or was it merely hours?

Our childlike imaginations free

To explore whatever we dared.

A Crab, A Bull, A Goat

Were all pets to our fantasy.

But, now, you lie there.

I half-hope you'll appear

To play with me again.

The constellations ask about you.

That's what's so unbearable.

But, I know you're

Going to appear once again.

Though, the writing on this

Stone threatens otherwise.

I know you're only waiting.

After all,

Everyday,

A star is born.

Flicker

A star shoots across the sky,
Many lightyears away.
A wave trickles into shore,
On some remote island.
A stone falls from its perch,
Down a cliff, it rolls.
A fire burns its last ember,
In a childhood campsite.
A leaf falls from a tree,
In a distant meadow.
A lamplight flickers,
Somewhere down the street.
Snow melts from the rooftops of your neighbors houses,
Much like childhood dreams dissipate, into nothingness.
A bug is squashed under your shoe,
As you walk down the sidewalk.
The love in your heart,
It doesn’t die like these things.
It can only expand.
Expand into more love,
Or into hate.

Knowledge

I once heard a woman say,
“I would rather have thirty minutes of
Wonderful
Than a lifetime of
Nothing special.”

I once heard a man say,
“I would rather be all alone
As myself
Than around people
As someone else.”

The knowledge of who are is power.
The knowledge of who you want to be is wisdom.
The knowledge of how to get there is cleverness.

Knowledge, in any form, can be dangerous
If not used properly.

The Ashes of Mediocrity

The smell of the embers
On the drive from work.
The sight of the smoke
As you get closer.
The dim hope that
There has been a mistake.
The sound of the words
Ringing in your ears.
The vision of the horror
When you finally come to it.

Your past,
Engulfed,
Enflamed,
Engorged
In a sheer disaster.
It may take many years
To find the accouterments
That fill your life.
And one solid, blazing afternoon
To see them, hear them, smell them
Charred, remnants of the past
Floating as ashes in the wind
Destination unknown.

A great sizzling reminder
Of the life you used to have.
A bountiful barbecue
Of a past life.
Yet, as you stare at the
Treachery that has befallen on you.
You think to yourself,
‘Whether I have a past or not,
I know that,
I want a future.’