That rekindled blaze

in her, once sallowed, spirit

speaks to quality of life.

~

Seeing the return

of vibrancy enlivens

 all who grieved its loss.

Single sentinel

Stiffly stands at attention

Guarding garden greenery

~

Weathered and worn, as

are so many that stand guard,

hoping to protect what’s green

If you knew you could

teach the world to sing, with what

song would you begin?

~

I would teach a song

with a part for everyone

free of integral discord.

Let us ask ourselves

what we can do to lighten

someone’s load today.

~

Burdens must be borne.

But, perhaps, with compassion,

they may seem less burdensome.

Since fear motivates,

those unscrupulous actors

motivate us to their ends.

~

Not if we follow

those who call us to act from

 the best within us.

Whether we attend 

mosque, synagogue, temple, or

church, we should be free from harm.

~

Just as free as those

who have sought and found freedom

from secular tyranny.

Fear of foul weather

can guide our preparation

or lock us behind the door

~

Foul weather doesn’t

evoke as much fear as foul

human beings do.

What lies ahead is

partially influenced by

what we leave behind.

~

From where we have come

influences our journey

but not our destination.

What’s a guy to do

when an old friend spews hatred

over social media?

~

That old story of

the contest between the wind

and the sun might apply here.

Each of us has some

pieces of the puzzle, but

no one has them all.

~

The puzzle of peace

has oh so many pieces,

no one soul can hold them all.

 Follow their voting;

 see where it goes. Does it help

 mainly wealthy Joes?

~

As a “wealthy Joe”,

voting hasn’t gone my way.

Maybe not “wealthy” enough?

A poem tossed but

uncaught remains a poem

in search of a receiver.

~

Received your message,

drifting upon the aether,

undamaged by its sojourn

Watching us go to

the jungle gyms of our minds

and have very little fun.

~

Mental gymnastics,

though they may keep our wits keen,

provide scant satisfaction.

Ahhh! Melodrama!

For some, it’s the “staff of life”,

for others it’s a cudgel.

~

The schtick of these sticks,

staff of life or cudgel, can

become a real show stopper.

Let’s pause and collect

these treasured moments in the

baskets of our minds.

~

Our minds, like baskets,

are most imperfect vessels

for such tiny precious things.

The boss’s day gift

was a large wooden mushroom.

Lurid office revelry.

~

For a high old time,

wood’s no good. Injest magic

mushrooms and watch your boss glow.

Unpleasant changes

don’t get any easier

even when they’re “for the best”.

~

What we think will be

an unpleasant “best” can be

a change we come to value.

Any wise words to

share with other members of

the sandwich generation?

~

Ketotic diets

are highly recommended

for those stuck in the middle!

Cleaning up debris;

the new national pastime

surviving this storm season

~

We do what we can

to prepare and afterwards

we do what we must.

Not so long ago

I carried you in my arms.

Now you chauffeur me.

~

The bearer is borne

in the process of aging.

So goes the cycle of life.

Global Climate Change.

Can we weather this cyclone

of our own manufacture?

~

All the himicanes

in charge twist in denial

 of multiple winds of change.

This morning I wished

there was a crow whisperer

who could get those guys to hush.

~

Huginn and Muninn

only listen to one voice!

The wise don’t ask Him favors.

Honor and respect

and accountability:

benchmarks of justice.

~

How can a judge hold

others to a standard he

himself does not meet?

Let’s bring all the light

we can to these dark times – each

of our lamps is needed now.

~

Evil flourishes

in all the ill-lit places;

let’s illuminate them all!

The die has been cast.

The Rubicon has been crossed.

History will reveal the cost.

~

We’ve paid in the past,

we’re paying now, we’ll keep on

paying ’til enough VOTE  NO!

When ambition flees

from a search for facts, avoids

 fairness, there are those who cheer.

~

“This is how freedom

dies; to thunderous applause’,

Padmé Amidala said.

His vainglorious

longing for recognition

blinds him to his impotence.

~

 Bound by self-interest,

hungry for praise, he attracts

lost, recognition-starved souls.

What will October

leave behind – a memory

of dark days or bright sunshine?

~

Both are possible,

but October’s one sure gift

is always a big surprise.