Ode to the Journeyman

Long before dawn has broken the night,

And the sun has chased off the chills,

The Journeyman readies himself for his flight,

Over rivers and valleys and hills. 

The Ford is his stallion, the map is his guide, 

He's not short on places to be. 

A foreman's no better than the men at his side, 

"Go hard or go home!" is his decree. 

Harness and lanyard, wire and reel, 

His gear and devices are plenty. 

Spud bar and klines, iron and steel, 

With tools on, he always is ready. 

Up walls, on columns, along a bridge deck,

He ties all the pieces together. 

In frigid cold, humid heat, whatever the heck, 

He works hard, no matter the weather. 

It takes a strong man to hold down this job, 

His paycheck is honestly earned. 

Blood, sweat, and grit are the way of the rod;

He embodies the skills he has learned. 

Ode to My Daughter

Her eyes well with wonder;

She looks up to the stars.

Her voice is like thunder.

She is beautiful, bizarre.

Her hair is like corn silk.

She's wild and free. 

Her skin is like fresh milk. 

She stings like a bee. 

Her smile is magic. 

She's seldom seen sad. 

Her anger is tragic;

She's tough when she's mad. 

Her compassion astounds me.

She forgives and forgets. 

Her kindness is lasting;

She gives what she gets. 

Her love is a gift;

She laughs, it's a treasure.

Her life is a wish. 

She lives for this pleasure. 

Dear Daughter, always growing.

Today you are turning five!

To my heart, you are showing,

The joys of being alive. 

Ode to Romance

Kiss me, per chance to dream,
We follow primal callings.
He's held captive by her words;
She is scared, only of falling.

Charming, gentle fellows never
rush on to the end.
He'll journey slowly toward his heart,
Finding pieces in friends.

Fantasy and fancy are what
gets her through the day,
Actions speak much louder than any
words that she could say.

"It's the thought that counts" is something
that is often said by fools.
But when they fall in love,
they almost always forget the rules. 

If thoughts are just a choice
and what's willed, then, is the feeling,
All that we may be is this romance
with which we're dealing. 

12-30-13

Ode to Christmas

Early morning risers with eyes full of joy,
Wake from their restless slumber with a yawn.
Anticipating that long awaited toy;
They want their presents at the crack of dawn.

Again the family gathers, for it's that time of year,
From far away they return to their homes.
We feast and laugh, exchanging Christmas cheer,
Reminding each other we're not alone. 

Giving or getting, there's no time like the present.
Inside our hearts we find the greatest gift.
Tradition reminds us when memories lay dormant,
And bind us tightly, as through time we drift.

Ode to the Lost

Silenced before your mother could meet you;
Forever lost in her chest.
Taken before this cruel world could greet you;
Gruesomely snatched from her breast.

Eternally innocent, suspended in time;
An ending from the beginning. 
Your words are lost in reality's rhyme;
Your light is constantly dimming. 

Your spirit whispers into deaf ears;
You linger in mem'ries and thoughts.
The thread of your life still weaves through the years;
Continually hidden, perpetually sought. 

12/5/13

Ode to the Ride

To and fro, an in betweener,
The road is ever long.
Perfect, though, for the dreamer,
Writing down her song.

Far and winding, through the mist,
The bumpy path unfolds.
Turning sharply through every twist,
I gaze at suns of gold.

For, most seek the destination
More often than the journey,
But lose appreciation
For the ride while in a hurry.

Ode to Showers

Oh, liquid heat flowing over flesh,
Cleanse my soiled form.
Trickle down my bare breasts,
As steamed visions are born.

Warm my thoughts, uplift my Soul,
Burn kisses down my arms.
Reveal the Self beneath the Ache;
Exploring concealed charms.

Fingers down my back caress,
The length of my icy spine.
The pain inside my bones, compressed,
With scalding love, subsides.

- October 7, 2013

Ode to Friendship

Kith and kin, I've got you covered,
Always by your side.
Never one without the other,
Like God, I will abide.

Stretch the limit of our love,
Your tugs will never break it.
My hand, for you, remains ungloved,
To grab, or hold, or shake it.

Memories older than the dirt,
Are housed inside our heads.
Good or bad, sometimes they hurt,
And fill our hearts with dread.

Take comfort in my loving vibes,
And charge yourself on me.
Whenever ready, you decide;
Generator to battery.

Ode to My Steward

She mans the wheel of my heart,
And drives me to my destinations.
Playing a very vital part,
And sharing in stellar conversations.

Her mind expands in volume,
Wrapping around her abstract thought.
When winds of change start to blow,
She learns all that she has forgot.

Through the forest trail she takes me,
Filling up my starving soul.
Kinship fueled by purpose,
United, we shall reach our goal.

Ode to [My] Sense of Humor

What saved me in life?
It was you, it was you.
Just by doing,
What you do, what you do.
Pointing out ludicrous found comedy,
Teaching my eyes just what to see. 

Cracking a joke,
For a laugh, for a laugh.
Teasing was always,
Your craft, was your craft.
Punchlines and smiles, sublime divinations,
Joshing and giggles, more motivation.

Humor was what
Got me through, got me through.
Laughing was all
I could do, I could do.
It's better than viewing a pure tragedy.
It's better than sex....allegedly. 

Ode to Prozac

Got my blues from a bottle, but even when they're white,
They can grant me recuperative sleep through the night.
Keeps me from chewing off my kid's face,
Keeps me from throwing shit all over the place.

Stabilizing my mind, from spikes to flat lines.
Relieving my symptoms...most of the time.
In bed I can sleep without tossing and turning.
My brain doesn't boil and my nerves have stopped burning.

When properly taken it mellows me out.
If I forget it or lose it, anxiety seeps out. 
You fight off attacks made on my heart,
My dear Prozac, I fret the day we must part.

Ode to the Rose

Silken petals, like lusting lovers' lips,
Parting in slow motion beneath my fingertips.
Each layer, a story in the book of pulchritude.
Her fragrance illuminating the darkest attitude.

Her garden, a library, housing many a volume;
Her body, a bottle of organic perfume.
Each thorn in her side, a sharpened defense;
Guarding the beauty, preserving her essence.

Tasting my touch with each velvet tongue;
Exchanging the gift of appreciation.
Lusciously lost in flowers so fair,
Hypnotic infusions permeating the air.

Ode to Spirits

Crystalline view of your insides;
My fingers trace your curves.
Show me where my courage resides,
And give to ego what it deserves.

Craving my lips over your mouth,
Both bodies open wide.
An evil spectre, a poisoned Self.
I fight you off...most of the time.

My face pressed up against the glass;
Distorted cartoon features.
Outside, looking into traps.
Nectar for soul sick creatures.

Exit my body; I drain the well,
Purposefully pouring out potion. 
I hold on through a spasming hell;
Paying the price for my devotion.

Ode to Innocence

Georgia O'Keefe, Black Iris, 1906

Before he picked the flowers
from her secret garden,
was she softer on the outside,
or predestined to harden?
Beautiful and innocent in her personal hell.
Blooming in seasons through her broken shell. 

Before he plucked the petals,
from her ambrosia bouquet,
was she sure to soar,
or always meant to decay?
Degraded and innocent, a false world in her head.
Better than praying that she was already dead. 

Before he fed off of
the damage inside,
did her soul shine with pride
or did shame always reside?
Mending torn innocence, she stitches her seems,
Envisioning beauty and reclaiming her dreams. 

Ode To Body

Abundant substance, I behold;
matter over mind.
Obscuring truths sevenfold,
blind led by the blind.

Abusive fingers curl around,
the handle of a gun.
Liquid bullets to my lips;
death by consumption.

Barbara Kruger, "Untitled (your body is a battleground)"

Faithful subject, loyal friend;
true through darkest times.
Rights of passage, means to ends,
scenic view of crimes.

Restrictive habits starve my soul,
unconditionally unkind.
Sustenance---myself, I stole.
No fruit, only the rind.

I pledge my love, I make a vow:
nothing that I think,
Will from hereon ever weigh you down,
Or cause your heart to sink.


9.21.2013

Ode to Masks

This masquerade, a ball to most,
With drink in hand, proposing toasts.

Dark eyes obscured by masks grow moist,
Batting against the winds of choice.

Compelled by spirit, called by chance,
They step in time and do the dance.

Ode to Flame

It consumes the past, smoldering yesteryear.
Bordering death, it's transformation.
Its fiery breath will purify tears,
Bringing with it, devastation. 

It lights the night, like midday sky,
Illuminating circumstances.
It warms the room before we die,
Casting shadows on our moon dances.

Into the flesh, it sinks, it melts,
Liquid skin, evaporating.
Each licking tongue of fire felt.
The pain will kill you while you're waiting.



August 17, 2013

Ode to Rust

Among the briar, I could rest,
My eyes held tightly shut.
So close against your sinking breast,
My heart starts to erupt. 

High above my head, your crown,
With gnarled branching thorns,
Weaves itself into my brow,
To feast on dreams unborn. 

Inhale my breath, exhale your fire.
The cave of ice slowly defrosts.
We throw our bodies on the pyre,
And find ourselves before we're lost. 



8/16/13

Ode To My Little Hot Water Bottle

I can see how much I have used you,

By the markings on your face.

The duct tape on your shoulder,

The hole in your heart.

Your twin was your tag partner for years,

Though he lost his head with the pressure.

You have held up in his absence,

You have proven the strength of being open.

You have taught me to use my emptiness,

For something greater than myself. 

I thank you for over a decade of assistance. 

I appreciate everything you have done,

Especially during my menses,

And that time during the night,

When I had a bladder infection during my pregnancy.

I would have been scared and irrational without you.

I would never have been able to know,

That I was able to cope with the pain,

With your warmth. 

January 7, 2012