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The Despondent Disciple

Sitting in the wilderness by a meager fire,A few weeks after leaving his lifeTo follow the stranger named Jesus,The disciple exhales in exhaustion. He shakes his disbelieving head,Reflecting on his stupidity,And eats a small piece of fish and stale bread,As he shivers in the nighttime air. Inside his ragged and dirty clothes,His body is cakedContinue reading “The Despondent Disciple”

Mini-Me

Lying in the squishy centerof red melon meat,Sweet, cool, and juicy.My arms tucked comfortablybeneath my headresting on a soft white seed, like a pillow bed.I spit the black seeds outlike bullets – rat tat tat . . .to take rootin the grass; to propagatemore pillows on sweet meat beds.From the melon vineto the grapes intwinedinContinue reading “Mini-Me”

An Island Night

The island has known carefreenights of youthful moons,of storms when windsroll throughwith white tippedwaves of ocean blue. The island hears shared whispers,‘tween lovers in the corner boothunder the leaky thatched roofof amber-like strawas they sip coconut milkstaring through puppy eyes. The island has taught us to speakin the rhythm of Pahu drumswatching girls gently swaytoContinue reading “An Island Night”

Dream III

The house is painted blackout,Spirits wandering, room to room,My lamp of light is speechless,As horror holds fast the gloom. A crashing sound like mirror glassquickdraws my breath away,Gives chilling sight, defines my plight,Like love fell shattered lay. Anguish lunges past the door,With dubious intent foreseen,Starts a stutter crawl, then bloody jumpIn a screaming dash atContinue reading “Dream III”

Pangloss

Your soul feels black and blue,From evil’s daily beating,Your pain no one’s concern,Like a hare the wolf is chasing. Your road but trips and falls,Into depths of dark despair,Each seems to be life’s reckoning,Your wrongs to be declared. You must suffer this life of storms,With Panglossian view of hope,Accept with cheer what happens,For the liesContinue reading “Pangloss”

Dream IV

The rose sits alone,anchored to the bush of hopeagainst earthly windsthough its pink petalsshimmer to share itself withthe meowing sounds of the catwho sleepwalksto sit in front of the rose and gainpurchase of its beauty and courage,to face the scary depths ofunseen shapes and heart-shatteringscreams of dreams.Above, hangs a milky nighttime sky,cloud-smeared like a poorlyContinue reading “Dream IV”

Old Father

The father felt the warmth of his young daughterlying still, napping securely, snuglyagainst his side. He whispered quietlyto the child’s mother, neither wanting to wakeher. They were in awe of her beauty.Listening to her gentle breathing, they feltthe stillness like night owls over the nest.The father touched the child’s arm,and felt the newness of herContinue reading “Old Father”

The Only Road

Brake lights seen are often rare,Like red eyes in eidetic stare,All these corners never straight,Twisted by the open gate. Stop him!Hold him there!Pray upon life’s saving ride,A thousand tears I’ve cried. I’ve cried. A reading of my story tells,All other roads go straight to hell,Sibilate sounds lock wooden doors,But on this ride, will hear noContinue reading “The Only Road”

Images

Look close at reflections of candlelight,Watch them dance like bumblebees,Hear the fireworks of sparks and pops,Jumping ‘round in flames of glee. Look high upon their crowns,And low as nails drip red,Haunting metaphors in tiny fires,Crackling thorns on feet that bled. Reach in to touch these images,A charcuterie of meat and cheese,Smell the sunflowers of VanContinue reading “Images”

Stroke

Driving along, minding his ownbusiness, he fell through a dark holeand arrived in an unknown alley linedby wooden fences. The dark hole then pickedhim up only to dump him again; this timein a desert of hot, sandy hillswhere his arms were frozen to his sides.Finding his phone, he pushed the “God”button with his nose butContinue reading “Stroke”