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The Frog at 1174 Bald Eagle Lane – A Memoir

It was a cool, dark 9:00 evening as I rode to the hum of my golf cart next to two of my most precious jewels, granddaughters Charlie and Joee. The squeals of pleasure from ten-year-old Joee were met by her sixteen-year-old sister, both with equal excitement and sisterly admonishment to “calm down,” as Charlie vacillatedContinue reading “The Frog at 1174 Bald Eagle Lane – A Memoir”

Dream Sticks

How still the sticks on drum kit lie,Like spoons in a frozen cup,Until the drum beats need be played,Then a flash as drums erupt. Flashes shoot high in the sky,As from a lightning flame,They scatter the stars asunder,A corpus of music proclaim. In the end the sticks lie still,Quiet like a mountain stream,Without your handsContinue reading “Dream Sticks”

The Nonchalant

I am living a life of the nonchalant,Though times present exceptions,Like helter-skelter run arounds,To remind me of life’s distractions. I temper my days of avidity,And lean toward nonchalance,Like a journey to the never-never,Exploring soulful renaissance. I daily dream the nonchalant,But am here for God to use,As the bobber that floats in the lake,I’m but tackleContinue reading “The Nonchalant”

A Thoughtful Return

A soldier returns from the front,From serving in a faraway place,From a life singularly focused,On goals the country chase. In time a homecoming looms,Like a train into a station,Smoke, whistles, and screeching wheels,With thanks from a grateful nation. The wife and children, anxious,To know his mind and his feelings,The soldier now father, husband again,Conjoined inContinue reading “A Thoughtful Return”

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”