Mirror, Mirror……
The scent of rose wafts upwards as she kneels
The sweet scent slightly sickening
Her gossamer gown graces the floor
Her reflection is clouded
Dark circles belie her serenity
Her pained smile, enigmatic at best
Broken glass is a bitch to piece together
But she thinks she sees herself among the shards.
A. Wellington
“THE SEASONS”
by Charles L. East
AN AWAKENING COMES…
A FAINT MOVEMENT OF LIFE FROM WITHIN
AS THE EARTH TURNS IT’S FACE TOWARDS THE SUN.
A BIRTH OF ALL THINGS NEW AND WONDROUS
THAT RISE IN PROFUSION TO COLOR AND ADORN
AN OFFERING OF BEAUTY AND GLORY.
BLESSED BE THE SPRING…
FOR WITHIN IT’S GENTLE EMBRACE,
I AM TAUGHT…
TO LIVE.
THE MANACLES OF SUMMER SUBDUE AND BOW
THE MIGHTY TO WILTING SURRENDER.
AS THOUGH THE ANVIL OF THE SUN
HAD STRUCK AN OPPRESSIVE AND BREATHLESS BLOW
TO RENDER THE EARTH SUBMISSIVE TO IT’S WILL.
BLESSED BE THE SUMMER…
FOR WITHIN IT’S TENACIOUS GRASP,
I AM TAUGHT…
TO ENDURE.
AN INSIDIOUS CHANGE MARKS THE AIR
AND RISING WINDS FOSTER GENTLE PERSUASION
TO SHED WITHOUT RESTRAINT,
THE FULLNESS OF A BOUNTEOUS YESTERDAY.
TO BARE ITS SOUL WITHOUT QUESTION,
TO THE MIGHTY COMMANDS OF FALL.
BLESSED BE THE AUTUMN…
FOR WITHIN IT’S RELENTLESS POWER,
I AM TAUGHT…
TO PREPARE.
THE SUN AT MERIDIAN HEIGHT IN ALL IT’S STRENGTH,
CONCEDES DEFEAT TO THE ICY MANTEL OF THE NORTH,
WHOSE RAMPANT WINDS ENTICE ALL LIFE TO BLISSFUL SLEEP.
BLESSED BE THE WINTER…
FOR WITHIN IT’S HARSH MAGNIFICENCE,
I AM TAUGHT…
TO DIE.
Thin skin
Crumbled
Like a fall leaf
Under
A
Young
Child’s
Foot.
A fragment
Of what he use to be.
Helpless
and
Alone.
Tumbling
Under
The
Power
Of
The
Wind.
Head
Over
Feet.
Arms Flared to the side,
Tumbling,
A sudden stop.
A bush, a tree, a blade of grass,
Nothing is too big,
Nothing is too small.
A gentle breeze.
He’s floating on air.
To settle on the thin skin of a puddle.
A foot vibrates the floor,
And
He
Sinks.
By Tom McDonald
FORBIDDEN
My heart and my eyes were happy this week
You sat across from me and fed my soul
All this emotion inside of me
Almost came bubbling out and ruined everything
These feelings inside of me can never be shown
That’s half of the battle and all of the pain
I meet you, I feel you, I fall hard and fast
And all for naught, for you I have to pass
When told a favour would cost you
Anything, you did reply to me
You, one night, my heart sings out
But my lips just smile knowingly
Married, and so beautiful, but so untouchable
It’s almost sad, but, I feel so much better
Having met you and touching your mind
I so look forward to our friendship going on
I thank you in one way for now I am sure
It’s time to get back to life and meet someone new
Who knows, maybe I will be so lucky as to
Meet someone as special as you.
By Barbara Crouch
Heart and Soul
In the catacombs of ones's heart,
the musings of demise and annihilation ravage the
serene and delicate abode,
like the ichthyosaurus taking part.
The phenomenon of it all
is like the alienist taking proportions,
sizing up the next victim of this ferocious jungle.
Who will be ensuing to fall?
to the inferno below,
with lucifer as monarch,
mephistopheles merely a harlequin,
from here only graver and deader you will go.
An eerie sordid luster does glow
of the incandescence and loam flowing together
eloquently weaving and winding
like a poets vision may grow.
Outrageous flauntings and pride
taken in who is deisheartening,
with what immense darkness
tucked away safely and profoundly inside.
By Jezabel
Enemy Pointman
Each night another part of the outer base we take.
And watch for Charlie and simply wait.
Your mind can play tricks when you're in such a state.
You're alone, afraid, far from home and it's late.
Shadows seem like men and movement coming my way.
Does the next battle include me at Cam Ranh North Bay?
It's silly, it's nothing at all you see.
It's only my imagination, my fear, it's just me.
I've never seen a snorkle tube in the water..what's this?
How long should I watch, or just fire at will.
That tube is now blocked by a tree, now a hill.
Does he get away, are there many or just a few.
I wonder, what, just exactly what should I do?
A platoon now may be forming, out of the water and ready to fight.
Any moment now they all could be in my sight.
What to do..I know.I'll pop a flair in the direction.
I do and the man at(radio) control asks what is your location.
All secure I routinely say as many a time before,
But I'm wondering if soon fighting will be at the door.
Was it a shadow or really a sighting,
Was it the wire or only the lighting?
Maybe somewhere an old Vietnamese soldier reflects and is writing about me,
When he probed the American base in his country,
And a flare was sent up that changed his direction,
As he writes his war journal and shares his reflections.
By Steve 3/25/99
We cannot live in associations with the past alone..if we would be worthy of the past we must find new fields for action or thoughts, and make forourselves new careers. But, nevertheless, the generation that carried on the war hasbeen set apart by its experience..in our youth our hearts were touched by fire.
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, JR. MEMORIAL DAY, 1884
AN ANGEL IN DISGUISE
To know an Angel ,
Is a blessing from above .
A joy you can`t explain .
For it fills your heart with love .
I say this from experience .
For there`s an Angel I know ,
With a heart made of gold ,
And thoughts as pure as snow .
Her beauty is everlasting ,
For it starts from deep inside .
To see her smile is magical ,
For it fills your heart with pride .
One can`t help but notice ,
After looking in her eyes ,
That she was created in heaven ,
And sent to earth ,
As an Angel in disguise .
By Allen Hobbs 5/26/97
The Cliff
Some people would say that ADD is a disability,
And there was a time that I would probably agree.
Everyday life presents new challenges for me to battle,
And from where I stand I am still in the saddle.
I stand looking up at a cliff I want to climb,
And I convince myself that I can make it this time.
So with chalk on my hands and a prayer in my heart,
I find my first hand and footholds and my ascent starts.
Halfway up the cliff face I feel my body start to tire,
But the thought of failing only fuels my inner fire.
So I continue to persevere up this cliff refusing to stop.
Then I reach up one more time and, alas, I'm at the top!
So what does this climb prove? Can you not see?
The climb is only an allegory that represents my ADD.
The cliffs are the many obstacles in life that we all must face,
And my secret to overcoming them is a strong and steady faith.
Look below and you will see other challenges I've had to conquer.
Before me are still more that I will face sometime in the future.
Yet there's not a single obstacle that I can overcome on my own,
For it's God who shows me how each stumbling block is a stepping-stone.
So with Him on my side I will continue to live with ADD.
Know what? The next cliff doesn't look so difficult to me!
Copyright 1999, By S.L. Cory
