Tell me your secrets and
I’ll show you mine,
I keep them in a
Nondescript box
Hidden in the attic.
Hold me on your shoulders,
Maybe that way I’ll grow
Taller than I think I am.
Lift me higher than possible and
Let go as I take flight.
It’s shocking enough
That the legislation
Is as heartless and
Awful as it is,
Betraying a complete
Lack of compassion or
Even the most basic
Kindness toward others,
But even more terrifying
Is that this many of them
Support it and would
Gleefully do much worse.
The death of empathy,
Replaced with something
Dark, twisted, sinister.
The winter birds arrive
After their long journey,
Enjoying a well-deserved rest,
Having a snack,
Taking a tour of the garden to
Remember its contours.
Happy to see them,
We’re reminded of time.
After many lengthy,
Fruitless conversations,
Actually arguments,
They arrive at the same place
They’ve always been,
Neither understanding the other’s
Point of view or what’s
Really happening underneath
All the bluster,
No prospect of ever
Changing anything,
Two closed minds.
In this one corner
You’ll find works of
Great beauty and depth,
Evoking wonder,
Recounting tales of
Places visited,
Feelings felt,
Life lived.
Ask the artist a question,
There is a lot to be learned
About humanity here,
Knowledge earned through
Experience, vulnerability,
Courage, bliss.
They get up each day
And do whatever it takes
To maintain the status quo,
Keep everything as stable
As possible, avoid
Anything resembling courage,
Eschewing authenticity
In favor of familiarity,
Comfort, sameness,
Just trying to make it
Moment to moment,
An ordinary existence,
Devoid of passion.
Doing nothing at all
And still enjoying
Each other’s company.
Thoughtful conversations
Imbued with empathy,
Listening, depth.
Silly jokes
About anything
And everything.
It stares back at me
Daring me to do something,
To create anything
Of consequence, some idea
Not previously conceived,
A feeling revealed anew,
Some treasure that
Lends new life to an
Unsuspecting passerby.
An old tree stands
Alone on the edge
Of the pond,
The last one of
His family to enjoy
The gentle breeze
Blowing across the
Water, the birds
Visiting from faraway
Places, the people
Resting in its shade,
The magic of being.
