ICARUS UNBOUND
Within the greater urge
of man to soar and fly
It is not uncommon
that some may try and die
Salmon must return to spawn
birds must south and northward fly
The Buddha and the Christ
give focus to the martyr’s eye
The fault lies not
in these unalterable things
But in the material
with which he built the wings
JOHN HAWK
John Hawk came down
out of Kansas – moving fast
Black Hair and feather flying
Bare feet grip the floor
as
he breaks from the crowd
Seize the mic seize the hearts
seize the minds
Look out world
there’s a warrior out there
A warrior rearmed
with the weapon of words
THE MILLENNIUM
It is always a little exciting
to watch an odometer
reach the hundred thousand mark
The anticipation as it climbs
The thrill as the last zero snaps solidly into place
One frozen moment’s grace
And then as suddenly it is gone
quickly clicking ones and twos and threes
it carries on
Or more likely we miss it altogether
distracted by a large truck or a short skirt
DEEP CHICKEN 22/7
Did the chicken cross the road
to become the egg
Or to look for it’s lost lips
and the lips of it’s lost love
Or as a religious observance
having no hands to cross itself
Or merely because of all the
vegetarians that lived on the other side
FROGS
In my youth all the ponds and spring ditches
were alive with frogs in the millions
grasses waved with their leaping
night was loud with their song
Wise miners knew well to listen
when canaries stopped singing
We block out the silence of the frogs
like we blocked out their songs
and we sleep
TOMORROW
Somewhere
perhaps very near
The fairies are dancing tonight
If you put out a little food
they will mend your shoes
and tomorrow you can join them
DRAGONS
Beyond the maps of the ancient world
“There, be dragons”
Beyond the ways of parents and of peers
“There, be dragons”
Beyond the days of preachers and
of teachers
“There, be dragons”
Beyond where you know or
have dared to go
“There, be dragons”
A toe tip, a step, and a stride
Heart, arm and sword,
steeled by the fiery breath
How sweet the dragon’s meat,
and the maiden’s
Another mark on another map
“Here, be dead dragons”
BUTTERFLY
I had this urge to turn
and touch my lips to yours
ever so ever so lightly
My softness to your sweetness
like a butterfly’s
first taste
of
cotton candy
PICTURE TAKING
The simple people of the earth
do not like to have their pictures taken
They say it captures them
and takes away their souls
If you’ve been with those you love
who still can see you only as you were
And for their own good reasons
need to keep you there
While your every urge of
every breath says grow
Then you’ll know
what the simple people know
THE PANTHER
The panther is full of light
which can only be seen
when he moves, or looks into your eyes
Or by those who can see in the dark
If it were not so, the blind could see … and kill him