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Poetry
Introduction
On Poetry When they see poetry coming, some people lock their hearts, their minds, and their wallets. They are confident they will not understand it, but if they do, they are just as sure it will…
Do not marry for love
Like the tide, love flows and ebbs. Like a selfish toddler, it’s never satisfied. Like a fire, fuel spent, it dies out…..
A Portrait Artist
Through the years he had painted people as he saw them. Patrons murmured, “Somber tones,” “Shadows, deep.” He wondered, but painted still. Musing in his …..
De Nada
You fed me when I was hungry, Clothed me when I was naked. When I was thirsty you gave me a drink. You brought medicine when I was ….
“I Corinthians
If I preached like Peter at Pentecost, but without love, It means about the same as the noise of tin cans Dragging behind the newlywed’s car. If I tell people about God,….
Searching for GWD
A man and two women Emerged from a rented car, Wandered through Caney Cemetery Under a boiling Kansas sun In search of some sign of George Washington Davis, Coming to an upright stone Caked with green and orange moss,…..
After I die
After my body is lowered into the grave, Burnt into ashes, Or fed to wild dogs, If I return, May it be as a bird……
Can a pig his sty make neat
Will he tidy up the floor? Must he wallow in the muck unheeding of the oozing stench?
David Was Only 19
(indent once)
The Drive Up Like a speeded-up movie, Swaying to a tune played on his nerves By rushing, wild winds, Dazzled by his own daring, Eyes a-twinkle,….
Gone
the roof over my head, a car in the driveway, Parents, spouse, children, grandchildren. No more evenings watching TV in the den, No vacation, pension, or trips….
On An Early Cloudless Morning
On an Early Cloudless Morning, Passing Bullard, nearing Shaw, In my windshield’s orange glare, High in heaven’s canvas blue,
Emmanuel
God With Us They met Him in places odd at unexpected times— in the morning coolness of a perfect garden, at an altar built by brothers, in the building ….
Every God Known to Man
Not every god has a golden head with fiery eyes, A raised fist gripping thunderbolts and lightning, Or a quiver full of never-failing arrows …..
Fresno, the Symphony
The Musical Musicians take their places, The oboe tunes the orchestra, Lights dim, and Mother Nature Strides to the podium, raises her …..
Give me a song
Gimme a song that tells a story and touches my heart, a song about Mama makin’ herself a dress outta flower sacks, and one for Rose t’wear to school.
An Old Man
Man rises from sweet sleep, Eggs over easy, buttered toast, marmalade, Orange juice…..
Just Like Me
Maybe God doesn’t have arms or legs, A belly button or a big toe, But you can bet He’s got personality. He likes good things and doesn’t like bad things— Just like me….
King of the Hill
When I was a boy, we played a game called “King of the Hill.” Standing on any small rise, one boy declared himself “King,” and the rest of us fought to push him …
Love, Truth, and Justice
We make much of Love— A hospital visit, a shared ride, A neighborhood barbeque. But if you’re down on your luck, Tough Love takes control And decides what’s best for you….
No voice speaks
The Empty House “No voice speaks; no ear to hear:” “Come to breakfast.” “I love you a bushel and a peck.” “Dessert is for kids who eat their peas.” “Is your homework done?” “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”..
Ode to Silence
Hush! Elizabeth Taylor has died. Escorted by white, stretch limos that seat twenty, In an intimate, private ceremony, She was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery Alongside other stars
On a Warm Summer Day
Sorting darks from whites, Jane added brighteners, Making sure the load was full, Drying on GENTLE on a hot summer day, As I, holding back the tears, lay dying….
On the Hottest Day
In Oklahoma history, With no shade or air conditioning, In the grip of a cruel sun, Shoes cast off—it wasn’t Sunday— Shirt, unnecessary baggage, In cutoffs we called short pants, I lay on my ….
On the ISLE OF CERTITUDE
Citizens with Answers display an omnipresent scarlet “A” On class rings, tie-dyed T-shirts, and baseball caps, On amulets, billboards, and street signs….
Polliwog
My life began in a small, watery world, Mostly head, with a wriggling tail. I swam, but not by choice. I couldn’t help it. It’s my nature. Any bully or predator Could take me out in a single gulp….
Proverbs 31
In honor of my wife and my mother Can you spot a good woman, One you wouldn’t trade for “all the tea in China?” Her mate trusts her And is never disappointed. She’s a valued partner for ….
Puns with ESL Names
It’s a joy teaching ESL students Whose names reflect various cultures, But what Americans do to foreigners’ names Is normally done by vultures…
Seize the Moment
light fully banished, Thunderheads clash in heaven’s arena. The firmament splits and atoms explode Like a master magician lighting up the Earth….
The Daisy
She looks at me expressionless. If only she would smile or wink or nod— She does none of those. She sits straight. If she leans toward me, or shifts in her seat— She does neither….
Spring Juices
bid buds come out to play With comrades along the branches. Leaves play tug-of-war with March’s gusting winds, Bathe in sweet April showers, Block the onslaught of summer sun….
Teardrops
A single teardrop— For a peach-tree switch That stung my legs, And for the dear heart Who wielded it. A rivulet of regret— For time in academia, Completing the courses But not knowing….
The Birth of an Idea
Like a fetus in utero, IDEA runs a maze From synapse to synapse, In search of light and days, An amorphous figure In a darkened room Longing for release ….
The Cow
An Oreo Cow at the helm Hiked up her boots And advanced the throttle— Full speed toward the sunrise, Sun dancing on the water, Waves slapping against the prow, ….
23rd Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd; He takes good care of me. He helps me find food and shelter, He gives me peace within, He makes me feel alive again, He helps me to do the right thing….
The New Year
A ball descends, While a million bits Of white and colored confetti, Tossed from roofs of skyscrapers, Tumble helter-skelter, pell-mell, Prancing madly in mid-air Like comic clowns, …..
The Poet and the Musician
God will not sit for a painting, Nor spring from a sculptor’s hand, But the Poet makes God a King, a shepherd, A Lamb, a lion, light, darkness, garden and gardener….
The Weight of a Word
Eager and anxious are heavy, One with seeds of joy, the other, clouds of doubt. Hate is heavy, like its brutish brothers,…..
There is no darkness so dark
As the darkness of a mind that is closed. No window permits a sliver of …..
To Hell With You
Dedicated to my friend, Bob Jones. After Bob died, an autopsy determined he did not have a single prejudiced bone in his entire body….
Two Men and a Fish
A certain man rose early, took his son to holy worship where anthems filled a vaulted dome. White-robed clerics pointed skyward, unraveling God and mysteries, while in the attic of his restless mind,….
What to Wear
Death Rises, Yawns, Opens his closet. What to wear today? Traditional black? Or colors more chic? In white-hooded robe, A scythe on his shoulders, Death knocks politely, ever so politely. No rush. No hurry…..
When I Was 19
Twenty looked like an endless party, Fun, with few responsibilities. I could vote, be legal in a bar, Afford a snazzy car. When I was 29, Thirty looked like a doomsday book: …
Who you sleeping with
Tonight? Hey, Buddy! How’s it going? Pretty good for a Monday. Do any business today? Yeah. Pretty good day at the mall. Their security people get dumber every year…..
Sweet William
In the middle of the Great Depression, William and his mom moved into the house on the corner to take care of Mr. French. William’s clear blue, pre-teen eyes smiled as he gave us rides in my …
A wall says
“You’re not welcome.” “You have no seat on the board.” “This land is posted: Keep Out.” Walls never say, “There’s plenty for all.” “Color doesn’t…..
Humpty-Dumpty
sat on a wall Of a refrigerator Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall Into the frying pan All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Who rushed into the royal kitchen…
Remembering Shakespeare
Forty-seven scholars took seven years To birth King James’ Version of the Bible– One thousand three hundred fifty pages. One living, breathing man, working alone Produced one thousand five hundred …..