rain – Stumbling along the sidewalk

Walmart Pariah

A woman stands at the entrance

With a shopping cart full

Of her cherished belongings,

Waiting patiently on the generosity,

Or, rather, pity, or worse, guilt,

Of the passerby, to convict,

To shame, or maybe, on the rare instance,

To inspire, to give a gift.

Aren’t we all like her,

Dragging our materials

From house to house,

Packing them away

For that rainy or cold day,

That is sure to come?

Aren’t we petitioners

To passing angels or demons,

Or a god that plays favorites,

To have mercy or just indulge us,

One more time,

So we can get our fix,

Spoiled children of a wealthy parent,

Taken a few wrong turns on the streets,

The pariah or prodigal reduced to

Yearning after the feed of pigs,

Coming out of Walmart with

Their baskets full?

Up in Space, Down to Earth

Reaching up to the top

The staircase winds between the stars,

Up in the dark sky.

The planets revolve around

Information.

Our efforts cling,

With space station chatter.

We dream in cycles.

Rainbows spill across the horizon.

The trees drip with rain drops,

Too heavy, falling

From fragile leaves.

Howls in the distance

Proclaim Mother Nature

As the ruler of us all.

Splashing in the river,

Fish jump and swim,

Frogs ribbit through dusk.

Birds hide in their nests,

Comfy for a night’s rest.

All is eventually quiet.

Nature has gone to sleep.

Weatherman

Filled

To the rim

With anxiety,

Like a rising tide,

My feet don’t reach

The bottom.

I cannot get a sense

Of where I am.

Everything around me

Seems to happen

In slow motion,

While my emotions reel

Like tossing waves.

My mind tries to balance,

But is tossed about

Like a little boat.

Gravity plays with me

Like a child

With his toys,

Crashing them together,

And zooming them around.

I am natures plaything,

In the storm,

I am the storm,

I am a bystander,

I am a weather man,

Like an idiot,

Standing outside

In the wind and rain,

Talking to the camera

Until I can barely stand up.

Time to take my meds.

Waiting for a Miracle

Drooping flower hangs over.

The rain is so heavy.

No new blooms today.

Soil is contaminated,

Roots are exposed.

Reaching up for sunlight.

Climbing to the sky.

Once the weather was nice.

Once the ground was fertile.

Now it’s just rocks and used up dirt.

No nutrients to feed the plant.

But hope remains.

The rain will bathe

The thirsty leaves.

The sun will shine.

There is a miracle coming soon.

Mother Nature

Stillness rain the grass sways in the wind

Twisted language presses conscience

Blowing horns fill the air ventilate sky

Beneath the dirt the creatures crawling

Now lift your hands and grasp the truth

Renewed

Thunder crashes,
Lightning flashes,
Mother Nature
Says hello.

In my quiet home,
I sit absolutely still,
And watch
And listen to the rain.

Funny how,
Sometimes,
Life can be so peaceful,
And yet, so full of tension.

We fight against
The coming tide
Of life as usual, that is,
Pain and struggle

To overcome
The challenges
That come before us
On a daily basis,

All the time
We seek to draw
Strength
From deep inside,

From an endless
Flowing river
Of peace
And tranquility.

And yet,
Sometimes,
That river of power
Becomes blocked

By worries,
By doubts,
By discouragement.
It is in those times

Of difficulty,
If we are wise,
We stop and watch,
And listen

To the thunder
Of holiness,
The lightning
Of sacrifice,

And the merciful
Raindrops
Of ever flowing,
Beautiful Grace.

When we do this,
Our hearts,
Our minds,
And our bodies

Become renewed
With a wonderful
Power of light
And blessing.

We can look
Our pain and struggle
In the face again,
And smile.