Being You

You can’t Look up

While looking

Down.
Up is hope

Light, blue

Warming too.
Down is down

Deep, like glue

It holds and 

Folds

Until you don’t

Know who.
But in between

Whether day

Or night

Look up 

And down

And East

And West

Stand tall

And bend to test

Are you you?

Neither up or down

Is best. You can’t
Look up
While looking
Down.

Up is hope
Light, blue
Warming too.

Down is down
Deep, like glue
It holds and
Folds
Until you don’t
Know who.

But in between
Whether day
Or night
Look up
And down
And East
And West
Stand tall
And bend to test
Are you you?
Neither up or down
Is best.You can’t
Look up
While looking
Down.

Up is hope
Light, blue
Warming too.

Down is down
Deep, like glue
It holds and
Folds
Until you don’t
Know who.

But in between
Whether day
Or night
Look up
And down
And East
And West
Stand tall
And bend to test
Are you you?
Neither up or down
Is best.

Read Full Post »

Counting, a poem

Counting

1

Living, outliving

Statistical

Miracle

2

Preached by

Dr. Benjamin Mays

“It does not particular’ matter…”

It matters to me

Now

When that magnet

In the sky

Settles on me.

Or misses like the drone

Dropped near the skier

I follow the news

While making it

NYTimes

Have plenty of ink

Roll presses?

Not yet I think

Just get ready

I tell myself

I want to know

If we can go

14 light years away

To another world

On a new day

3

Not enough sand in an hourglass

Not enough sea glass on the beach

Not enough hands on the clock

Not enough joy

In the world

4

Under

What’s under

The sea?

Below the surface

Roots

And history

5

It’s all here

Going round and round

Spinning and mixing the people

Blending new

Some with, without shoes

Clay on a wheel

Build or collapse

Make new

Be bold

That is the goal

Read Full Post »

Teach Your Sons

“Teach”

When the sun goes down
And guns come out
Your sons are not alone
They have the right
They own the gun.
.
Did your grand father
Gift the gun
Were lessons learned
To hunt, to shoot
Down the prey with prayer?
Like father, like son?
.
Teach your sons
What a real man offers
A welcome hand
Extended, open in the sun
White to black
Man to Man
Without a gun.
…

Content

My writings on Narcissus, Hibiscus and Mandrake are meant to be shared. The first sixty poems are the unpublished book of the same name. The poems were written over a period of many months, beginning with the dark and ending with hope. Each section deals with parts of my history.  There may be enough in common with others to be interesting. The art works are either my own creativity or something I own unless noted differently. After a long period of only blogging on leartisteboots.wordpress.com/ my recent poems are the emotion related to the killing of Treyvon Martin and resulting verdict.  I paint when things are going well, and write when they are topsy-turvy.

Note:

The title of the book (and blog) was researched in a book of flowers, their origins and relationships. I started with Narcissus because as a child we forced the bulbs in a Sunday School project. I did this while putting the book together from scraps of silent screaming. Photos of the bulbs in stages accompany the writing. Other plants are related: okra, hibiscus among them. Mandrake was described as a tree found (at that time ) only in Florida. It has a hard, brown bark and is “one of a kind.”   These descriptions were perfect for the design of the material. Enjoy

Read Full Post »

No Conversation

Painting by B. W. Harwell

No Conversation
To those seeking a ‘conversation’

I don’t want to talk
I am all talked out
The questions you ask
Asked and answered
My throat is dry red

I cannot talk
I am all talked out
I told it all
When Kennedy died
When Martin died
And all the lynchings
I talked of murder
I spoke of fear.
My throat is dry red.

I am all talked out
I can talk no more
I answered the questions
So long ago
When little boys came
To curse my boy
With language from home
Too young to know the fear
Of guns, hanging and drowning
But the boy becomes the man
One more man with a gun
Why are you here?
I told you why
Because I have a right!
What’s your problem?

I cannot talk with tears
I cannot speak with cracked lips
I must lay it down
I have spoken to the wind
This time no talk
I long for peace

Now
You take the time to teach
You move that crushing stone
You search the dead heart
You hold the bullet
You want the ballot
You own the gun
You change the laws

I am weary
I will not speak
I can act though tired
I will give voice
But no longer speak.

 (Painting, From My Lips to God’s Ear, oil on canvas)

Read Full Post »

For All Who Suffer Loss

If I could

I would share your burden

I  would take your worries

as mine

I would remove your cares

and your tears.

.

If I could

I would understand

I would hear your fears

I would stand in your shoes

.

I would

if I could.

Read Full Post »

Pin-Striped Journal – Connections

we are all connected

we shine as individuals

we are sunburst

when one

.

three peas in a pod

and wild onions

.

life is sweet candy

enjoy slowly

.

the trees speak to me

the new colors

make me smile

.

storms clean the air

but tornadoes wreck

lives

.

Read Full Post »

Flags

Flags

Driving to work
My corner eye
Turned to my flag.

Early unfurling
At the top 
Of its pole.

Colors blurred
In a sea
Of tears,
Unexpected emotion
So early in my day
A sign to stop.

Slow down
Salute the beauty
Enjoy the flags
Then go your way.


Sent from my iPad

Read Full Post »

Pin-Striped Journal – Gardens

.

why is there a

black-eyed susan

in the Daisy Chain?

.

Gardens favor

flowers over

peas and corn

.

butterflies

and sunken

gardens glow

Related articles

• Meijer Gardens’ 17th Annual “Butterflies Are Blooming” Exhibition Highlights Colorful Species from Four Continents (prweb.com)
• Garden Journal: April 4 (barntalkblog.wordpress.com)

Read Full Post »

Night Fire

gel pens

the trunk bed’s

the perfect place

to watch the comet’s

trail.

.

they televised the

aurora borealis

and

it looked nothing like

I  had imagined.

Related articles

• Aurora Borealis Get Spectacular Boost From Solar Storm (Video) (inquisitr.com)

Read Full Post »

Welcome

Read Full Post »