A New Leaf

Victims by our own choosing 

the prophet whispered in my ear 

and the same can be said 

for every aspiration and fear. 

But that’s too hard to comprehend! 

I shouted right back 

holding tight to my anger 

and all that I lack 

and calmly waving a hand 

over all the land 

he spoke loud and clear, 

poor Jerusalem my dear 

turn over a new leaf 

and the right journey will begin. 

The leaves will keep on falling 

and the turning will never end. 

Wondrous You

Children laugh and play 

and your babies cry.  

The earth straightens her dress 

and thousands die.

Birds flutter and take flight, 

dogs growl and bark.

The sun shines forth excited, 

great cities go dark.

The moon tugs affectionately 

with nothing to gain.

Man stumbles out of sync

and reaps the shame.

And into this I am born 

without a clue.

A small thing in the arms

of a wondrous you.


 The Nest

A tiny beak pops through,
then a wing cracks the shell
and a slimy, chirping thing
steps forth craving,
oh the craving

under shadows dark
prodding deep, so deep
into the depths
of a craving,
oh the craving.

Alien Blues 

Carrots dangle on strings 

before their eyes 

as whips snap and crack 

in the form of lies  

and the stress and strain  

is all they know 

while a cadence blares 

it’s rock and roll 

and the pay never seems 

to make the grade 

and then there’s the fear 

of another raid 

but the masters still smile 

for all they’ll save 

in the ancient tradition 

of owner and slave.

Old Timer 

When they talk about 

the good old days 

believe me, 

they really were 

the good old days 

till someone came along 

singing their song 

about freedom and change 

as if to rearrange 

and improve upon 

the perfect gods 

of our immaculate youth

Retired 

I can’t, won’t even begin to tell you 

who, what and where I’ve been 

but I feel like a bit of debris 

in the wall of a tornado 

spinning down and 

down  and  down

then  discarded

on the ground 

with nothing

 but  vague  

memories

of better

days

An Aerial View
by Dave Holloway

Notice how the aerial view

make cities look cool and new.

Yet on the streets below,

the same old thing where ever you go.

Whiffs of indifference, melting tar,

sirens screaming near and far.

Vain promises in shiny shoes.

Sidewalk beggars crying the blues.

Outstretched palms, anything will do.

All invisible from an aerial view.

My 55 word entry for http://bluebellbooks.blogspot.com

Life 

The days of our life’s 

are like the pages of a book.  

A good book.  

A book we could go on reading forever. 

Sitting on a table, 

dog-eared and beckoning 

to be picked up again 

but we know it’s almost finished 

so we put it off.

Save it for a time to be savored. 

But we’re conditioned
by due dates and routines  

to hurry through it as fast as we can.

Skimming over paragraphs 

and sometimes whole chapters 

just to get it done with, 

accomplished or whatever.