When sun lights up trees

 at evening’s end, might we reflect

on light and endings?

~

In this life cycle,

the fading daylight opens

doors for glorious evenings.

Would you rather have

everything you want, or want

everything you have?

~

When younger I would

have chosen the former, but

now I would choose the latter.

Has gravity been

trumped by a politician

with very small hands?

~

Voting should be more

“the product of the masses”

not “the distance between them”.

Must one climb the hill

in order to more fully

appreciate the valley?

~

When one is truly

over the hill, it’s likely

appreciation will come.

What will be lost if

we follow blindly he who

 lacks both vision and compass?

~

One who dons the spurs,

and takes the cockpit blindly

likely’s fated for the pot.

Speaking of roosters

needing no ego boosters;

when’ll he learn he’s a cock?

~

According to him,

he has nothing left to learn.

What a crock for such a cock!

If some guys count their

chickens before they hatch, are

they political pollsters?

~

Not political;

but perhaps poult pollsters or, 

possibly, poultry pundits?

Do you still long for

all those endless youthful days

of lazy summers long past?

~

The longing is not

for lazy summers past but

for a lazy summer now.

Are there questions that

shouldn’t be asked and answers

that shouldn’t be given?

~

A question unasked

can not receive an answer;

but answers may be ignored.

As summer arrives,

will our flower gardens thrive,

or just fight to beat the heat?

~

We can give nature

a gentle assist and it

will make all the difference. 

After bluster, and

consequent devastation,

who polices the litter?

~

If those blusterers

policed themselves, there’d be no

consequent devastation.

Poetic partner

in crime, should we try to toe

a line more sublime?

~

Toeing lines sublime 

may lead us to take our mark

and thus pen fewer lemons.

When re-engaging

in long forbidden pass times,

how do we control the pace?

~

The matter’s clearly

about choice and knowing when

and what to control.

Is bending with each

passing wind nothing more than

a survival strategy?

~

Nothing says comfort

on a sultry Summer’s day

quite like swaying with the breeze.

Why is listening

with the heart so much harder

than simply hearing with ears?

~

When the heart listens

inner chatter stops, but that’s

not so when we hear with ears.

Why do so many

speak of the Golden Rule, but

fail to follow it?

~

Having been witness

to callous indifference, some

take the gold and break the rule.

If a selfless act

is its own reward, then why

do actors seek broad acclaim?

~

Sometimes acclaim comes

unsought. See those two young men

who intervened at Stanford. 

Couldn’t they think of

something better to do than

make hay while the sun still shines?

~

Thinking is often

replaced by a stormy rage

after the haymakers fly.

Or perhaps, for pain,

should we prepare the scalpel

and risk a dark excision?

~

Much light is needed

for any decision to

make an excision.

When our days are marred

by aches and pains how do we

go about cleaning the slate?

~

Bend our aching knees,

pour on throbbing elbow grease,

and prepare the slab?

To hold our heads high

or to hang them low in shame;

can we craft a middle way?

~

We can, but it will

require much vigilance

and lots of practice.

Who is brave enough

to do what’s right when those in

power say they’re wrong?

~

Is it bravery

to tie on the blindfold and

beg for one last cigarette?

When push comes to shove,

have we only false choices;

Oligarchs or Demagogues?

~

Pushing and shoving

are the false choice. The true choice

defies misuse of power.

When you need to take

a stand, who do you look to

for inspiration?

~

I would like to say

I look to Ghandi or King

for needed inspiration.

When you feel the pain

of life consuming time for

art, how can you find relief?

~

Making time for art

can consume the very pain

of which you achingly speak.

When your cat shows

vast displeasure how do you

begin to make amends?

~

Mend your vastly flawed

behavior fast to again,

regain lost feline pleasure.

When taking a stand

firmly against injustice,

why must we walk through fire?

~

If we feel the bern,

we must be willing to walk

the talk, go where others won’t.

Why does it, sometimes,

feel like there is zero time

to take a little time out?

~

When you subtract what’s

negative from zero, you’ll

find the positive you seek.