Monday, June 27, 2011

lonely(for the record)

the fire was started
with a page from this book
under clear night sky
fire now roars

for the record
I could and do
stare into the flames for hours
thinking and hoping for a better day
somehow reaping what I was sowing
lonely when I shouldn’t be
been taking a lot of pictures
documenting moments
in this here life
for some reason or for the sake
of doing it ideas changing
as the fire burns the wood
to nothing

for the record
the silence too
golden alone under
cloudless air
above only thoughts
keep the vigil out
behind the house…

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

burning again (for the record)

burning again
first day of summer
longest day of the year
been awake most of it

the breeze feels cool
that fire burns
hot on top of sheets
layered will be under them
resting soon

4 the record

best part of the day
where I have always belonged
resting soundly
loving madly
waking lucky each morning

all the sounds of tonight
surround friend and companion passed
somehow always here
by my right arm
or beneath my feet
when I burn

longest day of the year
still under sensei cloud
still under clear night sky
4 the record...

Sunday, May 15, 2011

fire blog #5

get a better look

fire burns slow
all the rain makes
it sizzle as if something
comes to a boil
crossed eyes
are heavy ones
some pollen
some herb related
fire burns slow
as the days
continue to extend
wind blows
fire becomes active
heating up
the entire area
wooden spokes
around the wheel of flames
takes on another form
spreading out
to get a better look
at all that sits behind
to enjoy the warm
stones only minutes
hours later
hot too touch face
before eyes close
each night
beginning of so many
more with a fire
burning slow and even the morning
rain couldn’t soak the wood
enough although
the fire burns slow…

Monday, May 9, 2011

fire blog #3

this is an old dog house that was just taking up space so...





...it is no more







Monday, April 18, 2011

new fire place


this took me 5 hours to build...  I moved my old fire place and constructed a new one.  I am going to document my fires so stay tuned to the fire blog.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

it will burn

never looked into eyes
if you did you’d see no disguise
rise from the ashes of everything done
rise like the ocean rise like the sun
so many choices and thoughts won’t quit
so much light no matter how you measure it
contemplating each move like in a chess game
got to think three moves ahead you know the name
behind a dark screen sitting with wonder
stare into the light all night you might ponder
the thoughts that won’t let you be
one with yourself high over the tree
never looked into eyes
flat on your back you look at the skies
clear for now until clouds come
closed eyes tight you still hear the hum
from far away and anticipate a return
fire so hot without touch it will burn
walk with these thoughts there and back
walk with new thoughts as they come to attack
the regularity of reality makes you crazy to think
in your own thoughts you stand then you sink…

Friday, March 18, 2011

to closed eyes it's a train

what’s that date really mean
how could anyone really know
for sure and now too much
focus if reality distracted
until naturally disaster strikes
with power that cannot be stopped
and seen by cameras worldwide
inside drops helplessness seen worldwide
questions about how much everyone
will be radiated it’s in the good book
or written on some wall somewhere
and man may in fact destroy himself
what does any of it really mean
to closed eyes it’s a train thundering by
but it’s only the wind on one of those days
before spring moves in for a stay
focused on thoughts distracted
and fighting the reality presented
until that last day silently
as the flower turns to the sun
just like it heard every word
and believed every prediction
presented reality isn’t as it presented
we are all in the dark
honestly though can we imagine
being helpless in the dark…

break through like sun again

whatever time it really is
hidden by the clouds
then burned by the sun
warming us again
a year ago season began the same
one day of sun and wind
taking cold away
hard to keep up
still putting it down
in pen first always
outside waiting
eventually finding
that balance in between
now and what time it really is
hidden behind the method
to this madness trying to find
the right way to break through
like sun again…

Monday, February 7, 2011

what is on the mind

clinging to the last threads
of life almost ninety years
and every breath seems to be
approaching the last
nothing we can do
watching as death comes slow
wanting to be with her
when she goes
my dad’s mom
so painful to see
wondering what the mind does
at that point
in the hallway between
life and death…

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

figure of thought

face the wall under low light
and the shadow cast on the page
of my own hand moving one side
to the other as if it operates
on it’s own without direction
thoughts fill the mind
no talent here just words
to describe thoughts
because I can’t paint pictures
don’t ever ask what I am thinking
read it here and know
it’s always been you I think of
when you fill my heart
as it pounds faster when you
hold me close and close isn’t
close enough for me
insatiable in that way
a fatal flaw never want
to be the pillow that keeps
the breath away just
a figure of thought
face the wall and understand
it’s always going to be
where I want to be…

sixth on the right

disaster strikes
and snow will
be dumped down
on top or so they say
don’t blink
be happy and ignore
the ugly facts
and lack of friends
don’t need them never did
just wanted to feel loved
and I do so I will stop
complaining
and wait for disaster to strike
once or twice
like a man without a country
done in a day
right before or during disaster
should be more secure
know the self and what I am doing
pen in hand the eleventh finger
sixth on the right
like a plastic bag over the face
told I am my own disaster and I found
all I want right here got worries still
it makes me human
or so I thought just don’t like
disastrous surprises that will do more
damage than the impending snow to come
sudden chill up one arm
and down the other
inside at last with pen and no smoke
listening to the sounds all around
used to be music I chose
now I listen as a teenager talks
to his video game has no idea
the disaster that may loom ahead
not so far off the point always
that there is no point to anything
and no matter how good
is done the worst I have been
is what is remembered
pen still in hand it won’t fall
even when I do…

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

all day it lasted

new thought
same lined page below
recording the thoughts
that pop into the head
trying to remember
what it felt like to grow up
just so I can identify
with the younger one
around the house
there were days when nothing
could erase the darkness
all day it lasted
one day realized
it can be no more
new thought of confidence
in decision to face it myself
determination not to let
it disturb another day in my life
remembering suddenly those years
it took to change and realize change
really never ends until
the bitter end of times
whenever it arrives to stop time
and it really doesn’t make much sense
all for what there has got to be a purpose
in this here new thought…

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

the broom

the broom is on the floor
but it won’t pick anything up
unless someone picks it up
the coffee is always hot
but drinkable just the same
sometime it gets lonely
at the kitchen table
no one needs me
or joins me for dinner
will leave my coat on
just in case I have to leave
or go hang with the cat
not because I have fleas
just because the smell in the air
is new shoe smell
that’s the only way to describe it
the broom is still on the floor
because everyone walks
right over it…

Monday, November 8, 2010

apparently enough

feel like twisting the mind
it’s the only way to get thought out
right around four o’clock
and nearly dark as these eyes
been open all day to everything
around and no one has been around
just a lot of rain getting lost
in the drips in the bowl until full
then overflowing doesn’t matter
everything is wet two days now
and the chill doesn’t help
out around the house
random strange thoughts
had one when the television
turned on seemingly by itself
not at all that odd
except no remote control involved
in a thought more about it
after it gets dark pen will still move
quick-like drinking too much
and not eating enough
always hungry without the smoke
everything is different
spot to put thought down
like words just for the sake
of taking thought out of the mind
twisted in the wind
and the storm never really got
too strong apparently enough…

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

cat trips me up

the cat trips me up as I
walk around the room looking for my place
within the head I carry
while I walk wherever I might
walk for days at a time when others
might sit or run the other way
when I think about it long enough
do I really have anything to say
and who is really listening
to the voice everyone else hears
not like the voice heard in the head
born into this world without choice
decision already made myself fall asleep
with pen in hand book open
for thought coffee is still hot
been there all day…

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

suddenly clear

feel accomplished
just about nothing
today made me wonder
what to do not under
estimate someday
someone day it’ll
be important
notes taken
unseasonable day
no wind no clouds
this is what needs
to be positive change
made it all possible
cleared the air
almost as fast
all of a sudden…

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

unhealthy

just listening to the sound
the fire crackles
as the afternoon starts to expire
eyes get lost
in the lines in the lawn
last cut a week now
may not need it again this year
more random observations
from the chair
in the middle of the yard
I just want to sleep
bored with pen in hand…

Sunday, October 10, 2010

note taker

nothing to say at all
the wind makes me nervous
that one of the pines will fall
and destroy all that has been built below
chance taken to be here
but where else and who else
would put up with all the thoughts
passing by like the parade
that doesn’t end
the cat is tired caught by the dog
but only for a second
will probably have nightmares for weeks
but he’s got nothing to say either
because he’s a cat and cats don’t speak
or I can’t hear them
or I just don’t have anything better to do
then to try to make something out of nothing
marking up blank spots in notebooks
am I the note taker
keeping track of something
for someone I haven’t even met
in a time I do not know
why I move the pen so much
all the time but not enough
to make it matter to those
who need to take notice
whoever they are and wherever they might be
not where I sit head to table
because I threw away
my addiction nearly one month ago…

down gets me down

no thought is perfect
situation gone bad
move resulting in a set back
far enough it still unfolds
correctly read the thought
notice it will run on
top of that it doesn’t stop
me from pushing forward
movement is positive
even on a cloudy day
today turned out
nothing but sun and blue above
the stars were bright before
the sun rose up this morning
it must mean something
hasn’t been said
so many times
how hard has it been
to put down smoke
for days at a time
like this would be easy
some would like to think
simple acts are the easiest to put down
with the quickness first to say
it’s the hardest things I have ever tried to do
something positive everyday
drama gets me down
and being down gets me down
as well as I can be
given the skills accumulated
after all these years
what would we do
if it wasn’t done here
where it all began
with limited time
why would we waste it
a part of the whole
dug myself down
as if I was expecting a battle
and got the entire war
all at once…

random note 1010

is there any significance
to the date and historic events
if so then something historic
should happen today
probably won’t but it should
ten ten ten
and the ink doesn’t dry so fast
probably shouldn’t have touched words
before they had a chance
to sit and sink into the page
stares back at me daring me to look away
and I do with blurry eyes
focused on something that isn’t present
at the moment the cat
is always with me
even if I made him sleep outside

ten ten / twenty-ten

the date says a lot
not exactly sure what it means
and from where i sit
it must not mean much
it's a boring day
the weather is nice
it is cool like fall should be...

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

16 days without

can’t explain why
it is so hard to understand why
it began almost twenty years ago
follow the leader and got hooked
like all the other fools
sucking on smoke can’t explain why
still not easy by now to feel
as though quitting has been a success
drinking coffee and trying to find something
to fill the void where once a cigar was held
now with a pen trying to write my way
out of the habit I don’t want to miss
but I do
it’s been sixteen days
shouldn’t be hard to make it one more…

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

eleven times three

hard to look into the glass
showing who I am to others
see it different eyes seeing Fall
in the air all around
each corner holds something
still is not quite right
now is the only time held
close so it will not disappear
too fast already a memory
only made to fade
like the color of this shirt
hard to look into the mind
left alone will flip out of control
what is seen and heard
by the smallest ears in the house
still knows the sound
of my voice heard as I try
to sleep anytime of day
fine for some rest of the day spent undoing
the rest gathered over the closed eyes hours
hard to look into the eyes
of the self my worst critic
analyzing every move made
every brick laid before feet
as I walk from there
to here and back to where
I started to see clear
like the skies until the clouds
push themselves between
these eyes and the sun 
working hard until the day is done...

Sunday, September 5, 2010

pointing out the obvious

afternoon sun reaching through trees
the cat joins me at the table
neighbors are starting to get loud
labor day weekend
summer's last dance
until the next time around
pointless thoughts
pointing out the obvious
to anyone paying attention
given to a random detail
burned out fire smell in the air cooler now
afternoon sun and the birds will sing all day long
and the cat falls asleep against my arm...

Thursday, September 2, 2010

wouldn't have known it then

I work in a different kind of market now
still selling the food
still stacking the fruit for the most part
all the workers are a little friendlier different from in the typical market
even the customers are less irritated almost glad to be there
some who come every day
just like the old market where I was nearly twenty years
the regulars who knew me by name
work passes faster in a different kind of market
still miss that sixth day of work
and the higher pay gone in a blink of an eye
an extremely unfortunate turn of events
somehow all for the best
wouldn't have known it then
when the entire life got changed
no one in the old market had my back
let me walk and burn the bridge
thoughts are different in a different kind of market
still selling the food
still stacking the fruit for the most part
it's all the same eventually
even in a different kind of market...

Friday, August 6, 2010

trapped otherwise

don't know what to say
or how to say it right
in the middle of another summer day
lone guitar heard
through the backyard trees
carried as the wind picks up
and brings it louder
to the untrained ear
it sounds out of tune
in here for an eye full
of words poor conveyors
of these thoughts
trapped otherwise
never fully realized
how important it is
to move the pen daily
meditations to better the self
blinded in the afternoon
sun rise this morning
was picture worthy
snap shot to begin
the day is right here...

Thursday, August 5, 2010

old thirty-three

sometimes haunted by
thoughts from the old house
words written forever trapped
the back of wood panel walls
never to be seen again
the piece never to be completed
sometimes haunted by the thoughts
from the basement
at old 33…

slight breeze

the kind of heat
when the slightest breeze
feels cooler than the last
might be the imagination
rumble in the distance
sounded as real as the sweat
running down forehead
onto the page below
the boy uses a sprinkler
under a trampoline
to cool down
flipping over and over
and then he will tire
lasts about fifteen minutes
the kind of heat they call oppressive
the humidity makes it hard to breathe
still it makes every breeze appreciated
and anticipated like tonight’s rain
as if the first in days
which it is how many hot ones
before the cooler air
comes back around…

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

nothing to do

sun is shining and the air is heavy
no one reads poetry
if they do I don’t know them
well enough to tell them I have
something or nothing to say
boring myself would be an understatement
at this point I need a GPS for life

sun is shining through a hazy sky
looking down to where I sit
daily trying to understand
why I put pen to page
and used to do it daily
as if I had something to say
or was it nothing to do…