I am,

it is defined by a lackin the heart,that doesnt allow oneto treat all otherswith respect and dignity!

a car racing madlytowards the cliff.hungry for life,and groping the shadowsfor the forms of lightthat you cant quite touch.slow down, slow down,be still, and listen with your feelings….wait on the knock, the strong voiceof the stranger who lives….beyond that door!dont be afraid, and dont run!that stranger is you!

ghosts whisper, cannot touch!layers of angerdevouring from within,till nothing is left but dust.flesh cries out for flesh,old or young, doesnt matter.water seeks itself, stone is stone.a lover, a small firetoo far away to name….and God’s face is lostin the laughter!

the squirrel who dreams of wings,the mountain melting with need to wander.the child orphaned by war or poverty,the monk on fire for a world that’s blind…the beaten body in the prison cell,the door opened, no one there.the naked body weeping on an empty bed,the voice calling without echo.the tongue that walks the rainy night…the moon…

for every barrel of oil thatyou drill and spill,a child is dying.for every coal mine yourape the earth with,a child is dying.for all the nuclear wasteyou cannot dispose of,a child is dying.for every country you bomb,a child is dying.for every chemical you sprayon your vegetables,a child is dying.for every river you dam & drain,a child…

but the new man, who will not be owned,neither by man nor possession

and sing with a human voice…if rain was the medicinethat healed the wounds,the balm that freed the scars.and if fire be the soul,and wings be the spirit,would you come with me?if my body was the meat,and your heart was the knife,would we feed a lonely world?if my tongue was the brush,and your eyes were the…

listening, just listening, to every word.when we came to the placewhere the road forked,He smiled… and gave mea match, a candle, and a rusted nail.this road often empty,i have come to know…the voices of stillness,and the sound of the waterbreaking over the rocks.when the darkness swallows me,i stop, and light the candle,rolling the nail in…

hard working, dreaming… battling against the oppressionof the few, those who control, those who profit at the expenseof human life, without remorse! and now we can communicate!we see each other, we hear each other, as if side by side,in the battle for human dignity.should there be hunger? should there be families withoutshelter? should there be…

death and destruction,the bed we’ve made.the hollowed out chime,the last clock on earth…destiny beckons,with hands torn and bruised.the wave roars as if sudden,a long time ingrained!even the bodies whisper,as if friends or family.while the scavengers waitat the foot of the grave.the voice of God silent,disgusted, and cold…and the mother weepsfor the children unborn!

and hatred…sticks of greedand apathy.sticks of profitand loss….sticks of capitalism,and oil….sticks of guns,and patriotism.sticks of sexual abuseand addiction…sticks of oppression,and slavery….stoke the fire!build it up tillit’s all gone….maybe we’ll find…tomorrow..in the ashes!

hanging from the rafter,just another kid.abused for being different,for daring to be!the longing inside him,the i inside me!who are we to judge?with our shadows and lies!with every kid we lose,our redemption dies!the hate in the mirrorlooks familiar as fear.we dress false morality,call the disease the cure!

..the…wall….around……your heart,much tougher!hammer breaks stone,..it takes love….to break down fear,and compassion…to break down………..apathy!

i say the stink of the homeless body,to you who quote perfume.i say the baby being born,to you who shout invasion and conquer.i say silence,to you who preach success.i say equality,to you who strut religion.i say justice,to you who would win.i say suffering,to you who live indulgence.i say family,to thee who carry nations.i say then…

of your perfume for too long.my body aches from sleeping on rocks,and my feet no longer have a vision!the wind whips between these ancient trees,that smile with the silent ache of longing.and this small fire i’ve built is just that,i leave no trace or thought.and the stars that crumble to dustin my hands already know,only…

dogs and cats,trees, abandoned buildings,gardens plowed…old outhouses,worn out shoes,candles burned down,and wet matches!i follow spirits in the night,bathe naked in the moonlight.whisper to old tire swings,pray with tin roofs….listen to the agonies of slugs and snails,and rescue turtles from homicidal men.i write names in tire tracks,and sweep footsteps into dust.i burn old coverallsin sacrificial offering.i…

for your desires,but a home for your holiness!treat it as such.let your desires be controlledby your heart…warm your heartby the fire of your convictions!

betrayed by our own greed,by the sins of ‘I, Me, Mine’…carrying the weight of the wars,the patriotic lies,the lives taken,the peoples abused.the karmic curseof Native American blood,the bodies of the slaves,buried beneath the hanging tree.the muffled cries of the immigrantswho did our farm work,and were herded like cattle.the ghosts of the common workerspounding the unemployed…

small thoughts, small answers,to questions not small!playing the race game,the salvation game,the mine and yours game,the right and wrong game.like cattle herdedunknowingly to slaughter.every body a ticket,to pay the fare.bigger picture, bigger concepts,bigger than i and me!bigger risk, bigger world,bigger choices, small victories.

memories erased!

or just the soundof the screen door banging,when you walked out of my heart?my finger feels nakedwhen i wake up inthe middle of the night….and the wind blowing the curtainstells me it’s true!

common men and women,who by their hands built this dream,who plowed the fields,paved the roadways…who picked your fruit,who built your small businesses.who worked your factories and mills.who built your homes and churches.who drove your trucks, who fixed your cars,who made your clothes and your furniture.who worked for too littleto make you too rich….who hauled your…

your identity,what you have given!

the language of trees,cannot read the scriptureswritten in grasses,dont even know what thesky tastes like!terrified by the silence of mountains,we run barking and brayingto priests hidden behind walls!never hearing the words whisperedin the eyes of the dog,never feeling the passioninside the turtle’s shell…what fools we are,running from a few drops of rain,building great fires to…

and closed your eyesas you stared at the walls.i walked with you to the mailbox,day after day….i am the letteryour daughter never wrote.i helped you dig the holeto bury that old dog,and mouthed the words of the prayerthat no one heard.i walked with you down the aisle,the best day of your life.i helped your shaking…

killed in Afghanistan…he went out in the yardand draped an American flagacross the windshield ofhis ’57 chevy…and drenching it in gasoline,he set it ablaze…and he sat on the porchwith his Vietnam Vet hatpulled down low over his eyes…sipping good Kentucky bourbon…when it had burnt downand he could hear the sirens,he took the 38 caliber smith…

am i too poor, too radical, too passionate?do i live too hard, love too hard?do my thoughts and feelings scare you?too raw, too honest, too prone to make mistakes?guess what! i’m just a man!a human being, just like you!sometimes a train wreck, always a believer,always ready to get up and try again!no apologies, no regrets,…

of streets gone empty,of factories deserted,of shops closed down.i am the abortion clinic bombedby the right wing fanatic,and the baby left with a babythat she cannot raise.i am the food pantry,the mission, the soup line…my faces used to be your neighbors.i am the tractor rusted in the snow,the well gone dry…i am the young gay…

and the bar on the corner is gone.the sidewalks swept and empty,windows covered with dust.would be lovers ride by radios blaring,cell phones grafted to their ears.no one makes love anymore,masturbation detoxification.crows hanging on the brick walls,apartment doors bolted and locked.caught a meth lab in the church basement,and they’ve cut down all the trees.no one jumps…

the hand that takes yours,the feet walking by your side.the breath shared,and the sweat mingled.respect the scars thatremind you of yourself….respect the lovethat gives all without regret!

that opens doors in the heart,that the heart never knew were there!and, if but for a holy moment,i’d build a shelter from fallen branches.i’d invite the darkness to be my guest,and so sleep intertwined.

we wake up to the factthat all life is sacred?how many dead bodieswearing God’s face?how many hands holding the gun,how many hands on the shovel…all God’s hands!

facing the distant hueof the Statue Of Liberty.and touch the hallowed ground,that Jefferson and Adams dreamed,would give birth to a freedom….never before seen.and now even the shadows shiverwith the indignity of the lie.the ghosts of the freedom fighters,howl in mourning.the truth suppressedby the hands of greed,the eyes plucked from their sockets,tongues stapled to the pavement.they’re…

went stomping with elephantsthrough you darkest jungles.stood between you and the gun!walked barefoot in your snows,sat imprisoned in your cell.made the leap, and dared to fly,wiped the tears from your face.built a home for your heart,with human hands and sweat….bandaged your wounds,took your curse…how is it then…that love conquered me?

kneeling down, cupping,and gently blowing.i’ll set out a rose bushbeneath your bedroom window,and water it in the dead of night.the shadow that latches your door,pulls the cover up around you.sits and rocks in the peaceof perfect silence…watching you sleep!i am the wolf that curlsat the foot of your bed,the hands of the clock,stopping in reverence…the…

or maybe it’s with God-either way, i seem to be losing.when right + right + right = wrong…what the hell do you do?so i just keep digging,dirt walls falling in on me,water up to my knees!and i keep hearing laughter…or maybe it’s just the soundof my heart telling my soulto move on!or maybe it’s just…

for the society to survive,and to thrive,the working class must be allowedto work…and must be willing to do so!we are builders, makers, shapers…but we are not slaves, pawns,or profit margin…we must work!

that i was free…i told you the truthwhen i told youthat i was free!you never held the key!

explodes from within,your trembling lips.batlles fought and lost,bodies by the roadside.we’ve come too far,we have nothing to hide.flame on the waterthat never goes out.every mile, every minute,there can be no doubt.falling stars wrapped,lives in a thimble.no deeper beauty,than the pure and the simple.given, no regrets,and nothing left behind.the ears of the deaf,the eyes of the…

of the universe…creating waves,waves upon waves,that pound the shoresof indifferencetill change arises,and a new day begins!steps taken in naked honesty,peel back the layers of the wound.find the tiny speck of the human,beneath the rubble and the ruins.steps taken in shared compassionhave the rhythm of human hearts,beating out the sacred dancein honor of what we’re called…

still fighting wars, that children around the worldgo to bed hungry, that families are left homeless,that men and women cant find jobs, that peopleare denied justice and equality, that children cantafford to go to school, that old people cant getmedical care, enough to eat, or a place to live…that lonely people cant find love…. and…

raw and honest, you get whatyou see… i’m not hidingin a shell.you’ll know me by the partsof you that you see reflectedin me… by the understandingbridge between us….for we are family.i dont pretend to knowall the answers… but i amsearching, moving forward.i make mistakes everyday,and i know i own them!i’m just a man… but thatin…

and the laborer’s movement…led by such as Cesar Chavez,Martin Luther King, Malcolm X,James Baldwin, Maya Angelou,just to mention a few.imprisonment, beatings, marches,and many are dead now,sacrificed to the cause.JFK warned of secret societies,wanted to pull out of Vietnam…his brother Bobby stood upfor justice against the wheel…both killed by the machine.over 40,000 killed in Vietnam,riots in…

inequality, injustice,enslavement, loss…..and war leads to all of these.greed, power, abuse,apathy, fear, lies….all cause war!inability to communicate,prejudice, righteous fervor…allow wars to continue…war!mankind’s greatest failure!

every thought you think,in every sleepless night…there is a part of you in me,in every time i do the right thing,every gentle and good thought,in everything i believe…there is a part of us in God,and a part of God in us;that cannot be seperatedand still feed the flame of living.there is a part of love,…

into being…and that Jesuswas the word of God.that we are createdin the image of God…that we are the dreamsof God made flesh…yet we open our mouths,and nothing happens!bats hang from the raftersof our souls.we speak, windows rattle,and wars begat wars.we write with invisible ink!no cosmos, no stars,only hunger and despair.our words close the door,and choose…

wearing Wall Street suits!

in the street bum’s hands,the vacant buildingwhere he slept…the plow, the harness,and the old mule.the needle laid downfor the final time.the church left openboth day and night.the unknown personwho paid the rent.the old man who stoppedin the pouring rain,and changed your tirewithout a word.the old woman who ran the mission,the stray dog that never left.the…

will it touch my innermost longings,and leave me breathless?i mourned for closeness,and now i am drunk,staggering with the intimacyof each and every tiny breath!

and you read his last letter, again and again.when he talked about fear, and doubt…not knowing why anymore,not knowing if he was doing the right thing,not knowing if anything was right…and the faces of women and childrenthat left him sleepless…will it be only then,that you question the war?

friction inside the match.there are cloudsinside each raindrop,winter snows inside each bud.there is a joyhidden deep in sorrow,there is touchinside of the lonely.there is a needinside each prayer,there is a hungerinside those who take.there is forgivenessinside of anger.there is a freedominside each cell.there is a samenessinside of difference.there is a motherinside each man.there is a…

who have been imprisoned.who have been to the placewhere hunger lives…who have slept in cars,and underneath bridges.who have worn our failuresfor the world to see…who have tasted the fruit,who have worked the fields.who have died each dayfor a small portion of living.who have reached for the sky,and fallen from the limb.who have been the tears,the…

it is the act of evolving, becoming more human.it requires seeing the face, and knowing the heart.it has to be the way we live… the way we give….and the reason we breathe….a constant joining, listening, and caring.the responsibility of needs met, and shared.the shout of the question, and the embrace of faith…freedom must be who…

the detox center…the boy turned to him:‘pray for me…’‘son, i prayed for youwhen i took you in,when i sat and listened,when i fed you,and cleaned you up…now pray for me,and most of all for yourself,when you walk through that doorlike a man, and ask for help! ‘

not a vision,not delusion.not what comes after war!now an act of cowardicenot a spiritual emotionnot the gift of deathafter an angry lifepeaceisthelastbreathof airinthis darknessthe only roadthat leadsout of hell!peace is theheart of Godmanifestedin the actionsof compassionatemen with dirty hands!

your hand, my soul…my cold, your heat…inside, decide,naked cant hide!your words, my thoughts,this battle being fought….my hopes, your need,love’s chains set free.tomorrow, or today,hunger makes its own way!

racing wildly acrossthe plains,bodies painted,ponies nostrils flared,bow and arrow ready…to the victorthe spoils…a prayer of gratitudeto the spiritof the beast….meat for the long winter…maybe even a tasteof raw liver…there were great herdsof buffalo then…when the peopleof the earthwere free!

no more churches, temples, and mosques,the wind has no need for a home.no more battles or wars in my name,no more judgements bound by your fears.no more talk of heaven and hell,till you walk the path before you.for as long as you killto feed your greed.as long as you allowchildren to go hungry.as long as…

the old people.they dont draw enough to live on,cant pay for their medicines, therent, the lights, and still buy food.and their kids are scattered, or soclose to the edge trying to raise theirfamilies, to just survive, that theycant help…’‘yea, i was behind an old man in thegrocery store line the other night…just buying dog food,…

the only unforgivable sin is indifference.

demanding both faces and names!

and the fatal blow.the angered action gone astray,by the passionate soul.i am the mortal in immortal,and the man in human…i am the patriot who rebels,the soldier who puts down his gun.the man who burns down the housethe day before the bank forecloses.the worker whose pay they cut,the citizen whose rights they took,the husband and father,…

cause mercy’s just a prayer,and justice is blindgive what you gotmore than hope can allownothing more importantthan right here and nowhe’s a joker, he’s a clown,he’s a fighter, he’s a man.sell his soul to protect you,got his heart in his handswide open, and looking fora bullet to the head…when you stand, dont back downsomebody gonna…

who stood in silence,listening and watching.i distributed the foodthat fed the crowds,i helped the sickmake their way to Him…i stood defiant as Hecleaned out the temple.i helped move the stonefrom the grave of Lazarus…i shuddered among the lepers,put down my stoneas He let the whore go…bailed water in the boattill He calmed the seas…i heard…

on the third day, …grave clothes lying empty.human stink garbage sweat grime,hands reaching for hands…candles made of flesh,matches of dried bones.truth lightning gentle weeping sorrow,food bowls held by shaking hands.eyes that see, hearts that feel,simply living, by the fire!spiritual writings written with nails,compassion’s hammers, caring’s shovel…lifetimes building shelters,and planting gardens for the poor!

the used bear the marks,on their backs, in their eyes.and the price of the present,the childrens’ lives.we bury our dreamswith guns and knives.the earth weeps for us,as the sky falls down.cant see beyond our mouths,cant hear the sound…and the tears of the fallen,stand like puddles of rain.you can wash your hands,cant wash off the stain.we…

beaten, terrorized,loaded like cattleand taken away.while on the stage,the puppets turn,voices piped in from afar….the homeless familybreaks in a vacant house….the children hushed andhuddling for warmth….lights from a passing car,on the sign, foreclosed!food scraps taken from the trash,a dog barking down the street.pepper spray, batons, a blanket….and a gas station closed….even the pumps have names!

ended abruptly withoutresolutionthe father or motheryou thought you’d never losethat you didnt spend enough time withthe son lost to a foreign conflict,draped in a flagthe abortion you opted forcause you couldnt seeany other way and now,years later, you have doubtsthe teenager who committed suicide,that you couldnt reach,somehow couldnt tell them orshow them they were not…

0 – 20,000 = 0 percent (poverty)20,000 – 30,000 2.5%30,000 – 40,000 5%40,000 – 50,000 7.5%50,000 up to – 10 %250,000 up – 12.5%take the load off of the poor,and put it where it belongs!no loopholes!make adjustments for single payers,and families of different sizes!

my feet, though tired and weary,have walked this path for years.my battles have left me strippedof the things i didnt need….of the things that had hold of me,the things that had no value…knowing that i know no morethan what i have felt and seen.knowing that i know no lessthan who i’ve touched, where i’ve been…eyes…

our living no more than simple arithmetic,collecting trinkets we name,that somehow define us…to be spread across our graves…as if, to testify… but to what?we’ve built moral cages that drain all color…have become black and white photographs,wearing suits, carrying bibles..and now it seems the world’s gone crazy,violence, sex, rampant poverty…war after war, hatred after hatred.we’ve defiled…

than the ones you’re dropping bombs on!than the homeless person walking the streets,than the addict stealing for a fix….than the hungry family without hope,than the revolutionary standing up….than the person next door who’s lonely….what if i told you?

that cannot be played!

we’ve accomplished, not even whatwe’ve dreamed…we are what we’ve lived in each other!the moment shared, the small kindness,the brush of affection, the hours worked for,the hand extended, the tears and the laughter…nothing more, and nothing less!

embrace the darkness!dance barefoot on the embers.cut your finger, and bleed!step from the nest,open the door and walk outside.leave your treasures behind.set sail without a destination.never pray with words,love without hesitation…breathe in the dust and the grime,be drunk with living!

silent too long, boils with rage.and with one final surge,of unrestrained passion,breaks free from the pedestal,with the fury of need!long wings covered with dust,unfurling with beauty.take to the air,almost gulping with flight.eyes too long dim,blaze with raw hunger.the falcon loosed,driven for the taste of flesh!

possesses. the only true judge-ment comes in what he does withhis time, to redeem his time…by the actions he becomes in thebattle to restore dignity andhumanity to the human race.we are then what we give…ourwords must follow the flesh aroundour hearts, must be defined bycompassion…true deliverence is deliverencefrom the apathetic, , , true freedom,freedom from…

on a belief in God.looking at it fromthe Native Americans’ side…it would bebelief in your Godat the expenseof their God…and so it has beenthroughout history!i really dont believeGod kills off his competition,nor do i thinkmorality and freedomwere ever won with a sword.a compassionate Godnever goes off to war,never invades,never conquers by force.God is not a…

and cant pay the rent…lost my benefits,lost my house,cant retire,now or ever…cotton mills, furniture factories,truck driving, house building…cant afford to fill up with gas.run down trailer,better grow your own food.dont get sick,cant go to the doctor.they’re bashing unions,cutting unemployment off.cant send your kid to school,cant afford to be buried…those people in Washington,and those on the…

now the choice,both silent and grieving.i cannot hold starlightin aging hands,i cannot turn the tidewith a glance or a wave.i cannot stop the warswith my body or my thoughts.i cannot feed the hungry,i can only share their hunger.the snow is falling,the winds almost cruel,as the fire i builtdies down to embers…who am i?and what have…

you’re alltongue andgroove!you salt my desirelike no one else can.hidden beneath layersof self-imposed hurt,and walls you built,hiding from yourself.you rage against the stormsof life, your hand quiversat the wheel!i wait; a small birdon your windowsill….for time to bring you backfrom the land of the dead!

coming in soft wavesthrough the open window.the urn of ashes saton the bedside table.a lone wedding bandlay in the ashtray….25 years, a long journey.there comes a timewhen bitterness rustsand crumbles…as the veil of silencethat time had wovenbetween them came apart…she wept!

that my heart cant hear…my heart bleedingby the grave…unmarked, and unclaimed.our tongues reaching through bars,our cells drowning in stone…only wings, and the soundof the river remain!

let me be the darkness itself,as cupped hands,holding the broth of lightfor you to lap!if i cannot bethe fire that warms;let me be the howling cold,and walk away.if i cannot bethe flesh that enters your flesh;let me be the absence,and the hollow,that only longing can fill.if i cannot bethe dreams that lullaby;let me be the…

lying on the floor,watching roach drawn carriagestake the prince and the princessto the ball!the bruises on her facethrobbing in the dim light;the dull ache of faithdevoured by demons tooreal to shake…her baby’s lips frozen,forever searching!

or working whatever job they can get,for half of what they’re worth.half-drunk, and pounding their fistsagainst the wall…(praying for a gun)i know how it feels to be trapped…dont tell me we’re not supposed to be angry!

where it goes, i go!where it ceases, i cease!when it speaks,it is with my voice.when it rattles the shutterson your windows closed…it is just me,wanting to come in!when it moans and howls,it is my bodyburning for yours!when it softly blows,i am caressing your face.when it brings the rain,i am coming for you…with a torch and…

i do not think racial slurs are humorous.i’m not interested in being convertedto your religion.i am not interested in your sexual preference,not interested in playing games.i dont care what you own.i will do anything i can to help you,but i wont be owned by you.i will respect your right to opinions,you will respect mine.i’m not…

be there more truthin a picture of fruit….or a picture of the eyesof a starving child?be there more lovein an ancient picture of Jesus,or the picture of an addict,shaking on a stoop?be there more realityin numbed words carefully written,or in the story of the evicted family,penned in raw blood?be there more beautyin a picture of…

maybe a tear, just waiting…waiting to be euthanized!a sign hung over the deskin front of the door,that said simply:‘Choices,2012! ‘

by wise men and cattle.every afternoon i stand and jeeras they nail his hands and feetto the cross…and every night i weepat the distance i have travelled,looking for the starthat i lost in the clouds!

the waves of feelingso strong, so dangerous…the hurt so deep itpenetrates and shakesyour very being…suffocates your thinking,till words are too painfulto be spoken…and the darkness is so coldthat you burn down the housetrying to get warm…leaving only the flappingof shadowy wingsin a ghost grey sky….may your spirit be at peace,may your heart be healed….may you…

buckets of water carriedup the hill…cutting wood to feed the stove.an old mattress on the floor,a coffee pot well stained.spiders on the outhouse wall,the garden, and the hoe.the cooking pot and the rocking chair,handmade quilts, green beans snapped.simple beginnings that wrote history,and history became a child!

marching onwards to Jericho,a trumpet by my side.living on manna,and the almost forgotten dreamof the promised land.knowing what a man doesis washed away by the rain,and what a man believesis lost in the night.but what a man givesstands like a mountain,season after season,till all becomes still!shaking the dustoff of my feet….tipping my hat,following the crow!

The blood of sacrifice,And repentance…Amid the broken bonesOf struggle,The cry for fire,On the coldest nights.The arch of denial,And the blind thrustOf angerThat divided the sea,We could have walked on!Joseph’s coat of many colors,Hangs on a peg by the door.Will we dare to put it on,And wear it like skin,As we walk into the longDark night?

consumes itself!revenge…suicide ofthe soul.bridge…my body,your body.edge…hard linewe walk!smoke…burning leaves,body time.need…i feelto touch!picture…i justcant taste!coming…body waves,lapping shore.poetry…fingers undoingforbidden buttons.anguish…words burning,your doorstep.shout…my heart,yours deaf!break…distance downby truth.lover…shells broken,eggs running.

a perfected human being,letting go of selfand all grasping…one with the truenature of living…compassionate?yes…. you cannot be onewith all that’s around youwithout living compassion!allowing questions,shining the light,but the path isyour own!

a healing takes place!when you take the crippled heart,and put it with other wounded hearts,compassion begins!when you take the crippled spirit,and teach it the words of freedom,wings are loosed!when you take the crippled man,and restore his dignity…he changes the world!

does not sell stocks.does not wear suits and ties,does not barter, is not profitable,cannot be bought or sold.but poetry opens forbidden doors,builds bridges in the darkness…embraces the soul left alone.pours balm on open wounds,brings a mirror and the cost.poetry asks questions that the soul whispers,knows well the language of trees and rivers.dances naked in the…

white, black, Hispanic,Asian, and Arabic…chains an offenseto all that breathe…one cannot be freewithout the other!there are no illegal people,or invented people…the least worth as muchas the most powerful.put down your fat bellied guns,and your patriotic rhetoric…all are created in the imageof the eternal!

and a stolen car…a one way trip to hellon a dead end road…a mother weepsby an unmarked grave…no one came to the church.the guilty and the innocentboth suffer and die…sometimes its hard to saywhich is which…when the sun doesnt come upin the morning sky…. andit’s raining darkness all around…who casts the final judgement?and who grieves?…when…

then, and only then,can real change be created!unity in diversity!freedom is a prism,shine your light on it,and bask in allits different colors!

to tell you?God

understood in all languages;that would open the heartsof all mankind, one humanbeing to another…and make us all knowand realize that we are family?you dont even haveto put my name on it.just let it be…i’d pack my bags and go home,happy as hell!

young men killed,their lives soldto an unjust cause…you’ve wonderedwhere hope went…the price of abarrel of oil!

deafens the empty room.bare feet leave no tracks in gravel,yet the birds’ wings scar the skyas they begin their journey.the plow sits motionless weeping,the skillet whistles to the fire.a squirrel sits atop the woodpile,the mountains’ breathing become labored.and the wind packs its few belongings,tips a hat to my shadowed soul.as we begin the long journey,the…

the empty cup with spilled blood?do we sing of freedomat the funerals of the children?scratch ‘equality’ on their headstones?do we sacrifice murder on the altar,while praying to gods made of stone….do we write infinity with an oily brush?just what the hell have we become?

to combat world hunger…to bring about peace,to help the sick and dying,to listen to the lonely…to stand up for equality,and to stand against prejudice.to take in the homeless….to forgive, and ask for forgiveness.to understand without judging,to love without askingto be loved…if i was a better man….but because i amthe man that i am…i’ll keep trying…….to…

with bones,that used to wear faces!small children singing,songs of coming and going,leaving the eerie tasteof things forgotten.the field fresh plowed,drowned by morning rain,waits for the bodiesthat seed the future.while priests chantneath stained glass windows.the sun weary with bringing,finds its way on the path.the fresh dug gravesmourn with the ache,longing for the thrustof love’s denial.and dead…

the sound, and the fury.the small patches of fur,left in the ditch.the stained sheet,the crack in the window.i am the barking of dogs,the song of cicadas…i am the broken plow,the hammer laid aside.the bucket full of rainwater,the tree bent by the storm.i am the bodies of the innocents,the nightmares of the guilty…the stink of blooddried…

i am nothing,nothing but the breezewalking through the trees.nothing but the caw of the crow,the echo of the mountains’ silence.nothing but the empty bowlheld by the hungry child.nothing but the dark face,the white hands,spoken in different languages.nothing but the blood,of the family killed by the bombs.nothing but the lonely terrorof the suicide just before dawn.nothing…

sunlight in the rain,turning colors o’erthe prism mountains…hungry for life,to fill the emptythat you cannot name…naked, unashamed,you wipe the wrinkleswith childlike hands!

the laces of my boots tied.an old shotgun,a couple of books,my hat pulled down low.leaving a candle,a couple of prayers,and the memory of song….nothing left to say,nothing left to give,nothing left undone…..by the moonlightin the cold, downthis long winding road….going back to whereit all began….in the deep dark of nightby the river bank….listening to the…

what we see, smell, and taste…are but curtains on the window!break the glass!