What was lost has now

been found, and NO, I am not

speaking of my mind!

~

Perhaps you refer

to those jewels that tyrant fears;

our collective cojones?

“There’s a whole lot of

shaking going on” – could this

be Trump’s new theme song ?

~

Maybe “Fools Like Me”

is the Jerry Lee Lewis

tune he needs his fans to feel!

Another year passes.

Immortality whispers

enticing lies to mortal souls.

~

If only we were

 enticed to be completely

here in mortal dress.

The fortunate few

find real satisfaction in

doing what they have to do.

~

For the rest of us,

our vocational pursuits

fund our real satisfaction.

After traveling

miles in a driving rain,

after-images remain.

~

May fresh images

come to you in restful sleep

now that driving’s done.

Our own Neros are

fiddling while the world

burns. What can we do?

~

Fling open the gates

and embrace the Visigoths

as they rush in to plunder.

Bitter arctic winds

place an exclamation point

upon protracted autumn.

~

And yet we’re warmed by

the spontaneous kindness 

of strangers, family, and friends.

In your poetic

opinion, which nursery rhyme

best describes these times?

~

 “He stuck in his thumb”

seems like the modern model

of ill-gotten gains.

Where, oh where, has my

fellow poet gone? Where, oh

where  can he possibly be?

~

Gone to the city

to prevent the deranged from

committing atrocities…

Fetch Rocinante,

would you, Sancho, my good man?

This windmill needs much tilting!

~

Perhaps if it were

tilted, it wouldn’t go round

in circles and things might change.

Ever hopeful, we

wait and watch. Will folks turn out,

vote sanity in?

~

If we must rely

upon the electorate

we may be disappointed.

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.