Beyond the Blue

The Grove

2012-01-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

Ancient

kings

stand in

quiet

majesty

(listening)

sunlight

in golden

ladders

marks a

slanted

path

to heaven's

gate

The soft

ground below

a royal carpet

of ferns

and clover

and vines

In this kingdom

of old saints

there is

truth

you

listen

The Laughing Heart - Charles Bukowski - A Short Film

2011-09-03T15:01:00.002-05:00

My Country

2011-08-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

I saw America

on a postage stamp

she was young

promise-filled

naive and proud

before Korea

and Vietnam

and all the wars

before and after

she was a refuge

a champion

her eyes bright

with spirit and dreams

I saw America

on a postage stamp

she was faded

and worn

her glory, diminished

heart-broken

drowning in the shadows

of greed, apathy

and regret

Day's End

2011-07-05T16:23:00.002-05:00

the sun set quickly

in a rush

like a stolen kiss

it was there

then it was

just a glow

along the edge of the world.

her hair caught in the wind

danced and whipped

about her golden face

like the forgotten flags

of a lost country.

she sighed

and her heart felt full

but also empty.

World's End

2011-03-15T22:41:00.000-05:00

will you hold my hand

when it all comes

crashing down

when the world ends

when the mind bends

will you fall with me

sink like a stone

tell me you love me

take me to the quiet

take me to the night

will I feel you there

when the world ends

will you look in my eyes

will you smile

will we cry

when the world ends

will you hold my hand

tell me you love me

tell me goodbye

then nothing else matters

just hold my hand

when the world ends

Deep Space

2010-12-16T17:54:00.000-06:00

grief

was a bitter

planet

a cold,

endless dark.

a sky

that rained

broken

glass.

a self-conducted

symphony of

misery

and

loathing.

grief

was my

exile

my punishment

torture.

but that planet was

never my

home.

though in

the still of

night

in an empty

bed

i remember

the pull

of its

gravity.

long, long

before

love

sent

a rocket to

rescue

me.

Bittersweet

2010-12-13T22:07:00.001-06:00

far away

your voice

far away

your lips

are

far away

your heart

beats

i miss you

yet i've done such an excellent job

of pretending i didn't

silly me,

i fooled myself

so thoroughly

then

it comes rushing

rushing,

the delicious wave

whenever i hear

you whisper

my name
all

the frozen wishes

and i drown, and drown

(again)

sweet misery, brutal ecstasy,

fire

bliss

tears

ice

(bitter, sweet)

Reincarnate

2010-12-13T21:38:00.001-06:00

I walked across the ocean from Liberty’s island,
on top of the water.

The dolphins swam beside me, circling.

My head sleeping

while my body moved.

Sea foam tickled my bare feet.

Purple toenails like grapes, floating
above the deep blue.

I walked not knowing

only going, going.

Until I felt the pebbles of Ireland.

A fisherman dropped his catch, gasping.

He lifted his finger to point, mouth wide in wonder.

I had wings, wings of a gull. It did not seem odd.
It was not strange to me.
It gave me courage
to

ask him for food.

His wife made a fine stew with fish and carrots and

buttered potatoes. Her weathered hands working
like a cello virtuoso.

I told them of the dolphins, and they drank plenty whisky,

singing songs that made my bones remember
centuries past,

a life long ago, whispered in lyrics.

In a cottage of stone we ate by a crackling fire and
I felt the dead kings. The dead kings listened.

I fell asleep on a tattered rug. My mind traveled

high in the clouds over the ancient circles and ruins of

stone and green hills, sighing.

Time had no beginning and no end

I was not an angel on a tomb,

curly moss, covered.

I was molecules,
flesh and bone,
alive and

home, a promise kept,
a dream,
living.

Truth

2010-11-08T18:57:00.005-06:00

I wrote your name

a thousand times

next to mine like some

high school crush

until my pen ran

dry coloring the page

with the blood in my veins

Love, love is a winding road

bending around the

granite walls, curving

up and down the misty

valleys of the ragged soul

finding its way like the

icy water from a glacier

seeking the lake below

I dip my toe in, shivering

in the cynical rain, hopeful

diving headfirst
fear and breath
leave in a rush
I imagine you
swimming

I imagine you
mine

Words

2010-10-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

tormentor

torment me

i can never leave you

you are part of me

flesh of my flesh

wound around my heart

relentless vine

i carry part of you

here you live

and breathe my

thoughts expand

contract and fly

on wings

blue butterflies

take flight

i belong to a vision

walking through

a dismal membrane

illuminated by

the memory of your

mouth on mine

blur the lines of

now with yesterday

and tomorrow

(immortal visions)

hold the cup i drink

from gladly poison

me with more

i need the rush

of you my one

and only drug

give me the cup

and make my

suffering

sweet

and endless

fill me with the

agony of

all that longs

to be

true and real

(forever)

fill the hollow

spaces with words

the only rhyme

that can save me

Glow

2010-10-29T20:36:00.010-05:00

skin

warm

silk

beckons

stirs
night
dream
quiet
rain
sighs
lips
seek
bliss
melt
soft
you
wine
me
love
us

Dream Walker

2010-10-15T11:59:00.006-05:00

I do not scheme to walk in your dreams.

I fly to the edge of the universe. I run faraway.

I sink in the ocean.

But my eyes open and here I am, awake inside your sleeping mind.
You must have conjured me because I would never haunt you. I promised.

Inside your dreams, your heart betrays you while your ego rests,

secretly calling my spirit to come to you with its

magic unharnessed, set free by mysterious truth.

Here, you kiss me long and deep like a man who has crawled across

the desert and finds cool water. You gulp me down with a feverish thirst,

(insatiable)

(reckless)

drinking me in haste, lest your sentinels discover and end the dream.
I feel the intensity of your sadness and desire to hold me here forever,
hiding from the intelligence that gives you so many reasons not to hold me.

Inside your sleeping mind,

we are moonlit lovers.

(eternal)

Cat Nap

2010-09-27T15:36:00.001-05:00

there you are

asleep in the afternoon sun

streaming through windows and

painting your skin in ribbons of light

and shadow stripes

deeply breathing

far away in a

lucid dream, your face shifting

from boy to man and back again

and i wish you would wake

so that i could kiss you

instead, I'll drink the wine

and watch you sleep and

miss you

but sleep too long and the wine will be gone

then you'll wake to find me

(sleeping)

Moondrops

2010-09-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

i drove home in the night
that awful moon reflecting
drops on my cheeks
black rivers of truth
washing away my paper charade
a heart exposed, reborn, denied
still beating

(thump, thump, thump)

my bed welcomes me
"i knew you'd be back"
deep in blankets
deep in darkness
deep in silence
"come and hide"
i would die for you, i think
i would die
for
you
and yet i live, still
breathing on the same planet
we share, apart
we tear apart
we part
and
sleep comes softly
(sighs like the ocean against the shore)
your taste fades on my tongue
but my heart
is not free of your hands

(thump)

(thump)

(thump)

Haunted

2010-09-05T12:51:00.001-05:00

will you remember me in

the dark blanket of stars?

i cast my heart to the heavens

and whispered prayers

in a language i did not speak
but understood with
infinite measure

your ghost and my ghost

followed and led

leaving footprints in

the soft earth like a child

running

from a devil in a

dream

will you remember me in

the quiet moments of the night?

when you wake to the

pounding of your heart
(that dream of black birds on grey sky)

the universe divides us

and the stars pour through your

fingers like sand
there is grief in the darkness
a sentence unfinished
untested
undone
my ghost stands in the
corner of your bedroom
sadly watching
still longing as
the new moon bathes you in
blue light and shadows

From my journal: December 2006

Dark Road

2010-08-21T12:23:00.001-05:00

I created this movie on my iMac using iMovie. All images and video clips were purchased through iStock for noncommercial use. Music purchased through iTunes. Not for resale or profit.
I hope you enjoy.

Back to Life

2010-08-10T11:26:00.000-05:00

Standing at the

bottom

of the steps

so wide,

feeling the wind

blow around me.

I can sense there's

something

moving quickly now

towards me-

towards the sky.

Take my hand

and please don't let

me go.

You're the only

one I truly know.

You're the reason

that I made

it here alive and

whole.

We've only got

so much time left

to go, so let's go

together.

Your love released me from the stone

It's a journey

we have longed to

make.

We'll reach the summit

before the morning breaks.

Kiss me and tell

what I need to

know.

My eyes will

answer all your

questions

and fill

that hollow

in your soul.

Love Starved

2010-08-02T19:29:00.000-05:00

Inside,

she was sinister

her heart a black stone
motivated by
greed and power and fame

but the magazines and
movie screens

hailed her beauty

and her visible bones

as perfection in female form.

Show us your ribs

and every link of your spine

then you'll be the woman

every man will desire

but until we see bones

you will grow older,
forgotten, alone.

No one cares about the

depth of your soul

(or your heart)
We truly do not care
if you're kind, honest, and smart.

You need to be young

and we need to see

bones.
So the little girls
run in the cold of night
starving for love
so often denied because
the message they hear
so loud and so clear:
We Measure Your Worth
By The Bones We See, Dear.
The skeleton girls on the
runway sigh,
once you hit 30 you
might as well die.
(Nothing can tempt me, not even mom's apple pie.)

Summer Rain

2010-07-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

You pull me in to

your tender place,

shelter and warmth

(your heart is a blanket)

embracing me with

arms and words

that soothe my soul

my friend

my lover

my dreamer

my muse

soft in the light

you reveal me with
your truth

your hope

your trust

your grace

and selfless love.

Lost in the safety

of our bond,

passion fueled

you heal me

and I, you.

Like summer rain,

summer rain,

again.

The Fairytale

2010-07-19T19:02:00.000-05:00

It is the luscious

smoke

of incense that seduces

then disappears in

curls and wisps

as I draw near,

lingering scent

of bitter herbs.

It is the perfect

fruit,

crisp and fragrant,

sweetness imagined

until the first taste

turns bitter,

ruined on my

tongue,

hunger denied.

It is the beckoning

wind

that fills the sails

with thrilling rush

then dies when

my fragile ship

rocks treacherously

far from shore,

unanchored.

It is a symphony of

music

drawing me closer

and deeper in to

a sanctuary of

hope, only to

trap me in a

cold and

empty lair,

alone.

The knights have all perished

but the dragons,

live.

30,000 Feet

2010-07-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

Patchwork fields

beneath feather clouds stretch

and fade to the edge of

the earth.

She sits beside me

and drinks too much

too fast and talks of

love and loss and

the pain of life.

Her eyes blind to beauty,

Life is Cruel

branded on her soul

she swallows hard and

fills the hole in her

heart with bitter

regret and vodka

I listen and nod and

think about the families

far below.

Hold on to your love.

I look in her eyes

and wonder if she is a prophet

or a messenger

of truth and doom -

a lifetime of seeking but

never finding -

of giving, never to receive.

The horizon fades

in pink and blue ribbons

of light and the Cascades

appear through the

clouds in snow-covered

pyramids, glistening.

Hold on.

Unmarked Trail

2010-07-01T11:53:00.001-05:00

I sit beside you

on the stone,

feet hanging

off the edge

heart pounding

in my ears,

the forest behind in

stillness watching.

Mountains surround us

in lush, green, wetness.

The earth smells damp

and fresh and old.

Moss on the trees

and the rocks
in soft patchwork
tumble.

Far below the river

rushes like my heart

wanting to tell you

what I cannot say,

even in whisper.

You turn and smile

and I die a little.

so much beauty

so much pain

We watch the

eagle circle above,

writing a story

across the sky,

as it begins to rain

in the cave of my soul,
drenching the flames
of courage,
feeding the flames
of desire.

Are we lost?
I am.

girl vs. God: Part Four

2010-06-24T11:11:00.003-05:00

girl: There you are.
God: Here I am.
girl: I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?
God: Right here.
girl: Sometimes it doesn't feel that way.
God: But that doesn't make it so.
girl: I have questions.
God: I'm not surprised.
girl: I'm confused.
God: I would be too.
girl: Can you help me?
God: Listen...
girl: yes?
God: Be still.
girl: "Be still and know that I am God?"
God: No, be still because you're fidgeting.
girl: Ah. Sorry.
God: You are getting stronger every day, you know.
girl: Yes.
God: Are you ready for what is next?
girl: I am.
God: Yes, you are. Listen and you will hear the answers you seek.
girl: Ok but while you're here, I do have one question....
God: No. I will not give you the winning lottery numbers.

The River Child

2010-06-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

I swam in your river,

inhaled your waters,

followed your currents.

ebb and flow

flow and ebb

I dreamed of a day when

our rivers would

meet in a great rush of

rapture,

divine torrents,

belated

ecstasy.

warm and cold

cold and warm

Then, the snow

melted and I was caught

in a deluge of illusion

by your confusion,

drowning in a tide

of rejection,

gasping,

clinging,

until finally,

acceptance.

Floating,
free

I saw the shore,

then my feet

touched the sand.

dripping

joy and sorrow

sorrow
and
joy
and
joy
and
joy.

A Riot in the Heart

2010-06-16T14:51:00.000-05:00

"I will have poetry in my life.

And adventure.

And love.

Love above all.

Not the artful postures of love,

not playful games of love

for the amusement of an evening,

but love that over-throws life.

Unbiddable, ungovernable - like a riot in the heart."

-From the movie "Shakespeare in Love."

TO SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS IS A CRIME AGAINST YOUR OWN HEART.

A Splinter in the Sand

2010-06-14T15:40:00.000-05:00

I left it on the beach
the tormented sorrow in
shadows hiding
a splinter buried deep
with toxins seeping.
I left it on the beach
the sea to take and
bleach with time its
cruel skeleton a
dead weapon of
intravenous grief.
I left it on the beach
and filled the hole
it left behind with
laughter and tears
and honest reckoning
with the hopeful innocence
of a brand new day.

I left it on the beach
and found myself, again.

The Dream

2010-06-08T09:46:00.002-05:00

You dance in the meadow
of my heart
where the Aspens shimmer in
a perfect breeze and
the mountains wake from
their long winter sleep
whispering
in the silence of
my deepest, secret dreams.

I meet you there
underneath the alpine sky
fingers like jasmine, intertwine
we dance together
lost in perfection
while the summer lightening
illuminates
truth and music
in the echo of
stillness that is
infinite as the universe.

Here, time finds no reason to
divide us
where the Columbine grows
in purple ribbons along
the folds of rock
immortal
and the wind carries
a melody only we can hear.

No longer lost
here, I am home.

Heart Song

2010-05-25T22:41:00.001-05:00

i wrote a song for you

(i wrote a song)

that only my heart

can sing

in secret lyrics

soft and low

in the quiet

of night

a lucid

dreaming

love melody

wrapped in silent

echoes of

whispers

in gentle moments

when you slept

next to me

an angel breathing

i watched you sleep

(i watched you)

and my heart

wrote a song

(for you).

I Ran

2010-05-17T16:18:00.000-05:00

I ran

in the dark rain

and cried

your love

a living thing

wrapped around my

heart breathing

tentacles buried

deep

give me

life with elixir

sweet and pain

with thorns of

fear

if this blessed

parasite should

ever die

I ran

in the dark rain

and cried

A Song for You

2010-05-10T18:41:00.001-05:00

I need to go away for a while. I'll be back, but until then, be happy.

Last Day on Earth Lyrics - GreenDay

I text a postcard, sent to you
Did it go through?
Sending all my love to you
You are the moonlight of my life every night
Giving all my love to you
My beating heart belongs to you
I walked for miles 'til I found you
I'm here to honor you
If I lose everything in the fire
I'm sending all my love to you

With every breath that I am worth
Here on Earth
I'm sending all my love to you
So if you dare to second guess
You can rest assure
That all my love's for you

My beating heart belongs to you
I walked for miles 'til I found you
I'm here to honor you
If I lose everything in the fire
I'm sending all my love to you

My beating heart belongs to you
I walked for miles 'til I found you
I'm here to honor you
If I lose everything in the fire
I'm sending all my love to you

Unanswered

2010-04-30T12:50:00.002-05:00

The granite inquisition

hangs

like a mammoth stalactite

over my head

dripping

cruel reminiscence and

complicity

in to the wounds

freshly spawned by my own

guilty dagger.

Dark interrogations reveal

an infinite chasm

breeding

subterranean limbs that reach

to drag me

in to the abyss

Fresh earth swallows

with unanswered malice

my own heart

ravaged by mystery's

toxic blade.

Listen. Listen.
Nothing but the wind.

Life on Earth

2010-04-21T18:55:00.001-05:00

sometimes

the world is maniacal

out of control

labyrinthine

on a wheel

off the tracks

divergent

(eruptions spew obstructions)

life's gray slime

settles

in your throat

turns to stone

stuffs your heart

black pitch drowning

sometimes

(it is beautiful)

Essentials

2010-04-16T16:19:00.000-05:00

Laconic fire

conciliate my soul

a charming dance

through amber glows

hypnotic

Cardinal brew

emancipate the high

a restless thirst

through crystal flows

exotic

Mystical note

exhilarate the core

a sanguine tune

through silence grows

chaotic

La Corporate Couture

2010-04-06T22:30:00.000-05:00

Monday's mask

stifles

with synthetic greetings

woven of wistful thoughts

like cocktail pajamas

and new book smell.

Tuesday's mask

blinds

with revelations of prison

stacked to the ceiling

like infinite pillars

dead trees coerce me.

Wednesday's mask

taunts

with half way illusions

murdered by deadlines

like ruthless villains

of the theater absurd.

Thursday's mask

maddens

with swarms of mosquitoes

draining the universe

like hungry dumpsters

caught in a brainstorm.

Friday's mask

frightens

with casual confusion

stalling the clock

like snails in the winter

crawl in tapioca.

The Gift

2010-04-01T14:00:00.002-05:00

You're the right to my wrong,

the resurrection of bliss

in my sometimes dark and

twisted reason.

I burn not a candle but a torch

illuminating the corners

and opening the chambers

of a once-dead hope.

I offer my dreams with

addictive rush,

the gift to the giver.

Tie me to you in love knots,

I want to drown in your ocean.

You've branded my soul

with your drug and I am

hallucinating heaven.

Eclipse

2010-04-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

You ate the moon

and licked your lips in

satisfaction

while morsels dangled

from your teeth like

rotting flesh

and your contemptuous

smile

eclipsed the truth

with callous progression

congratulations

you ate the moon

I hope you're happy.

No Escape

2010-03-31T21:33:00.000-05:00

The eye blinks

a life ends

a life begins

A tear falls

and a flower blooms

in the dust of the desert

then withers under the

relentless sun

A hawk circles high, hunting

and the clouds move across

the sky, whispering

time is fleeting

The clock ticks

a door opens

a door closes

and the footsteps

echo on the stone floor, fading

6th Floor

2010-03-13T18:45:00.001-06:00

The office mammals wrestle

over the copier

while the phone rings

endlessly in the

cavern of cubes.

How can an artist

live in this jungle?

The pigs and bears laugh

at such a silly

thought, amused.

Fig Eater

2010-03-13T17:54:00.004-06:00

Tormented by words that you said,

or words I imagined

while lost in thoughts

of a cosmic connection.

You played the game well,

I must say

I was completely deluded

and somewhat persuaded

that it could

be more than simply your need for

dinner and a date

(with figs for dessert).

Did I dream that you

wanted me near you?

Did you smile when I drove

all those miles in the rain?

Perhaps it was just

a bad movie with

an ending no one

could love or digest
when all you really wanted
was to eat figs dipped
in the finest regret.

Secrets

2010-03-12T15:04:00.000-06:00

Hesperos rises,
a beacon in the
blue velvet of
endless universe.

Your voice is a whisper.

She guards her
secrets well
among the stars
with infinite longing.

I dream of you, still.

Metamorphosis

2010-03-11T09:43:00.000-06:00

wrapped in a prison of silk

and irony

i melted

into the cosmos where the nothing goes.

there was no sound or reason

in the deepest darkness of

empty space

dissolving.

time had no meaning simply

twists and warps with unknowing

passage and

purpose.

and then the faintest light appeared

through milky lens

distorted

pulling the pieces of me towards

symmetry

and an eager rush to feel

the sunlight and fly,

just fly.

Magic City

2010-03-02T21:28:00.001-06:00

magic, is there magic here

in this neon jungle where

the eyes that watch you

know things you don't want

to know and buildings rise

in dirty towers like prison walls

magic, is there magic in

the peeling paint and papers

with faded words that

drip on the street in

rivers of blue blood

filling the sewer with more

politics and religion

magic, is there magic in

the lines that mark the spaces

where good and evil

divide and go their

separate ways leaving

the sidewalks for those

with empty stomachs

magic, there is no magic here

Daydreamer

2010-03-02T20:55:00.001-06:00

Standing where the ocean

reaches the sand before

pulling back in a gentle breath

the sea inhales lazily, drawing

the warm water around our toes

in a silky caress.

The sun hangs low on the

edge of the earth,

painting the sky with blood and fire.

I feel you reach for my hand

as we watch the light fade and

the evening star wink in

sleepy reception.
~
Meanwhile, the car behind me honks.
Green Light! Go!
Snow on the windshield,
grey buildings, grey street,
grey sky. Blue me.

Rumi in the Grass

2010-02-28T10:01:00.006-06:00

Underneath the oak I lay
on grandmother's patchwork
looking up through the limbs,
graceful architecture in silhouette
against the flawless blue
heaven above us.

You sit with your back
against the tree, reading softly
in a soothing cadence
that calms my soul
like only poetry can achieve

in elegant arrangement.

The sun warms my face
The wine drenches my heart

There is no past
nor future here to torment
my restless spirit's
imperfect reflections,
only this moment of
unconditional bliss,
lingers in conscious rapture.

Good Enough

2010-02-27T20:52:00.001-06:00

Sleepless

2010-02-26T10:12:00.007-06:00

The silver grass of
a moonlit field
sways in blue waves
from an unseen wind,
gleaming with ethereal light.

Out of the dark caves
the night birds fly
in black clouds,
circling the trees
before settling
in a shiver of dread.

The eyes of the beast
open slowly,
contemplating evil
with hungry amusement.
Clouds cover the moon
in nervous submission.
Fear erupts

and the night birds
take flight.

Love

2010-02-20T18:28:00.011-06:00

it grows

like the fledgling spout

shivers on the scorched floor of the forest

after the great and savage fire

it soars

like the bird escaped

from its gilded cage a prisoner

long held captive and forgotten

it dreams

like the child asleep

sweetly in her mother's arms a haven

from fate's melancholy injuries

it shines

like the first full moon

brightly on the winter snow unblemished

by destiny's misguided course

The Invisible Man

2010-02-16T09:46:00.005-06:00

The old man sits

with his back to the wall

collar pulled up and

cap pulled down

fighting for warmth

He holds a paper

cup in his trembling hand -

three quarters and a dime

as the people walk by

unaware of his predicament

they hurry to get out

of winter's way

He watches their feet

in shiny leather shoes

and high-heeled boots

always in a hurry to

get somewhere

Remembering that

distant life he swallows hard

against the sand in his throat

and the fear

in his heart

Breakfast in Bed

2010-02-14T18:47:00.003-06:00

Pull the covers over my head,

don't want to face this day.
I can smell the pancakes and
coffee downstairs
but the only sound I hear
is the melancholy tune
of my heart strings playing
please don't go.
Winter's cruel game sets
time on a crazy,
high-speed wheel only to
crawl when things get real.
Damn that clock.
Sip the sparkling slowly
and remember that I'm
here waiting for a wake
up call from this
lonely dream, singing
please don't go.

Winter Pane

2010-02-14T17:44:00.008-06:00

I touched the window yesterday

the pane was cold beneath my hand

for winter dwelt beyond its plane

and dipped in frost the very land.

I thought if Spring would ever come

my window would again be warm

and tell of climbing Summer sun

and mirror flash of midnight storm.

And then again the wind would blow

and glaze the earth with solemn white

my window would of Winter know

a paler sun, a deeper quiet.

Written in my journal from 1983.
As I've gotten older, I've learned that life rarely rhymes,
and so rarely does my poetry, anymore.

Carousel

2010-02-14T16:39:00.004-06:00

Out on the field where daisies live

and elements of men remain

there stands a haunted carousel

silent now, and just as well.

The ponies still in frozen prance,

the wind and rain made colors pale

yet once their brightly painted hooves

fell softly to their merry dance.

And children's laughter echoes 'round

among the ponies' gilded heads,

or is the wind designed to mock

and conjure up that mournful sound?

The mirrors, cracked along the wheel,

and blinking lights no longer shine

the moon reflects in still, black eyes

the daydreams of a child to fill.

Now paled by sun they fade away,

the carousel, a silent tomb

some say that on a summer's eve

one still can hear the ponies play.

Sweet Nothing to Do Time

2010-02-05T14:58:00.004-06:00

I'm on vacation until February 15th. I'll have my journal on my journey and hope to feel inspired to put pen to paper. I've been in a bit of a slump and believe a vacation just might be the thing I need to help me over the crevasse, a.k.a., get my groove back.

Thanks for reading.

-Itsa Mystery

Campfire

2010-02-04T11:54:00.004-06:00

Stars above us

Blanket around us
Fire before us

I hear your heartbeat

Earth beneath us
Past behind us
Hope inside us

I hear your heartbeat

Night surrounds us
World below us
Love between us

I hear your heartbeat

You smell like smoke

Kiss me

Counterfeit

2010-02-02T06:55:00.006-06:00

I painted a picture
that wasn't real,
glossed over the truth
with rosy strokes,
altering reality
with Love's false media.

Honest rain came

and washed away

my revisionist design,

revealing the genuine

in unvarnished clarity.

And though the

art beneath

is regretful and bittersweet,

I must accept

its authenticity.

Journal Entry: March 15, 2009

2010-02-01T15:06:00.005-06:00

Though years have passed,

I love you still.
The sun, the moon,
the universe, was ours.
Yet all that remains
is a blanket of stars
shaped like an arrow
through my soul.

Faith

2010-01-30T07:55:00.009-06:00

Forged in fire

her heart is stronger
than any weapon,
spell or poison
mortal men may
summon to harm
or deceive with
thoughtless
deeds and
words concealed
in nectar.

Through battles
raged in fields of
flowers gold and
forests deep the
blade has drawn
its grief across
her breast
in brutal ignorance.

On ocean's edge
she stands while
tempests rage
a solitary guardian
of her dreams.

The wind catches
her whispered
prayer and
she lifts her face
to the storm and
smiles.

Alien Abduction:::a Reconstructed Poem

2010-01-29T09:43:00.008-06:00

Driving down the
empty streets of town
in to the moon
hanging over the
blacktop wet with
midnight rain

under construction

Saw a flower bloom
on a dry river bed
in to the wind
bending over the
past with hope and
trembling fear

mindful seduction

Heard a new song play
in my restless heart
felt the road

stretch out

familiar curves

stars to guide me

lost obstruction

Fire Dance

2010-01-25T19:51:00.006-06:00

Bring me the fire
stir the elixir of dreams
dance to the drums
and conjure my injury
into the sky with magic
and the healing smoke
of sage
cleanse me
shaman, doctor, medicine man
priest, witch doctor, curandero
burn me cut me pierce me
chant the mantra
call the spirits

sing the ancient verses
remove my heart and
make it whole
or send my spirit to
the valley of peace
save me
from these demon coils

that bind me
or cast my ashes to the
winds of the desert

girl vs. God: Part Three

2010-01-25T16:42:00.002-06:00

girl: go away.
God: I cannot do that.
girl: you're God, you can do anything, right? Go Away.
God: You know how it feels to love someone, don't you?
girl: yes.
God: You also know how it feels to love someone who doesn't return your love, don't you?
girl: yes.
God: Then you know I cannot leave you. I love you.
girl: Fine. Then please don't talk to me right now. You tricked me.
God: It's called Free Will. I know how things will turn out, but you make your own choices. Every choice you make can change the outcome. It's up to you. If I didn't love you, it would not be so.
girl: Did I choose this? I never wanted this pain.
God: Maybe not, but you're not the only human with Free Will.
girl: Couldn't you intervene just once? Use your power to change things?
God: The human heart has an amazing capacity to heal. A miracle really, if I do say so myself.
girl: Could you speed up the process then? I'm not getting any younger.
God: That is TRUE.
girl: Great, thanks. [sighs]
God: Now, you better get your sunglasses.
girl: Why?
God: You'll see....soon. In the meantime, remember...I love you, even if no one else does. [smiles]
girl: My dog loves me.
God: He also loves to eat rocks and chase his own tail.
girl: So what's your point?

Tears for Haiti

2010-01-24T08:13:00.006-06:00

The Angel of Death
walks the streets with
heavy heart
blood on his feet and
his hands wet with
tears enough to fill
the ocean twice again
A deafening chorus
of misery pierces
his mind with the
sobbing of children
and the echoes of souls
so many collected
so many still to seek

while the sun sets

in apathy on the

sparkling blue sea.

Where is God?

The clock chimes

and the universe fills

with silence.

10,000+ Visitors

2010-01-22T14:59:00.002-06:00

Beyond the Blue has passed the 10,000 visitor mark! Thank you!

Empty Page

2010-01-22T12:38:00.003-06:00

Take my hand lift me up
lift me out of here
carry me far
to a new place
where no one knows
my face
or knows my
sorrow never
witnessed my scars
Never wounded me
Never gave me hope
when there was none
I need an empty page
to fill with something
real so take my hand

Fallen

2010-01-15T19:05:00.006-06:00

Keeper of my heart
thief of hope
I will not run
but fly on broken wings
born in the dark
caverns of grief
drifting out of
the corners a
thundering echo
shatters the
sanctuary of
my mind
vanishing flight
and faith
falling through clouds
onto the blood
in the grass

Changes

2010-01-06T10:15:00.004-06:00

the leaf

floats
on the water
rocking in the
current
it spins and
catches the
river's flow
then swiftly
disappears
in flash of
gold

Link to Evangeline

2009-12-29T16:33:00.002-06:00

I've had a request for an easy access link to my short story "Evangeline."
So, here it is, enjoy!

http://southernbreezes.blogspot.com/2006/05/evangeline-part-one.html

There are 28 blog posts to the entire story (over 10,000 words). If you click on the "Blog Archive" link on the left side of the home page, then click on May 2006 and scroll to the bottom you will find the beginning.

Dandelion

2009-12-29T12:12:00.003-06:00

Your answers are riddles
spoken through
a great chasm.
The bitter wind
traps your words
and scatters them across
the battlefield
of the heart,

like the seeds from

the dandelion.
Quietly,
a new ending, settles

and becomes.

Father Mine

2009-12-28T11:48:00.005-06:00

It was rare

to see him smile.

But who knows what

demons tormented

his soul?

Angry at the world,

misery was his constant.

He lived a solitary life

never knowing how

to open his heart

to anyone or thing.

Perhaps the king

of the world has

no need for such pursuits

as gratitude or

kindness.

His unremarkable life

has left its marks

on all of us.

The Cold Shoulder

2009-12-16T15:26:00.007-06:00

I climbed the mountain

cold and hard

there I found nothing but

empty wind

and the tattered treasures

of pilgrims

You were not there

waiting as the frozen air

filled my lungs with pain

Why did I make this journey?

The mountain knows my

only victory is this single moment

of life escaping in a misty cloud

of breath, and nothing more

There is no flag to plant with joy

in this barren wasteland

and there is no time to make it

out before the darkness falls

The Shrine

2009-10-14T00:53:00.002-05:00

Here the earth is old.
The ancient ones are silent now,
there are no ears to hear them.

Asleep in the rocks and canyon walls
they fade as the centuries stretch further
from the life that was.

The stone lions lay empty shells-
the gods inside left long ago with
those who kept their secrets.

Listen with your heart
and you will hear echoes
of the time before time

in the mournful
whisper of the wind

as it searches

for the Anasazi.

Where I Lay Sleeping

2009-08-24T11:50:00.004-05:00

Curled like a baby sleeping

in the womb I dream of

deep valleys and flower fields

and snow-capped peaks

casting long shadows on the tall

grass where I lay sleeping

and dreaming of raindrops

on green leaves and blue skies

over ancient forests of tall

cedars and beams of sunlight

warming the shadows in the

field where I lay sleeping and

dreaming of a faraway meadow

with a sliver of moon hanging

high overhead and first stars

blinking against the fading day

while the wind settles around me

like a blanket, where I lay sleeping

and dreaming of your hands

on my face and the light

in your eyes as you wake me from

where I lay sleeping.

Let It Go~A Song to Myself

2009-08-03T15:44:00.005-05:00

You can sit here and listen
to your own heart beating
alone in the prison you've
made of your past
and nurture the pain so it will last

You can play "what if" scenarios
and beat yourself up in stereo
turn up the songs that cut you deep
until you're bleeding in your sleep
But no matter how long you cling
it won't change a thing, no it won't change a thing
the sun and moon will rise
Wake up and open your eyes

The rest of your life is a beautiful mystery
You sacrifice your future for your history
If you want to see the full moon
shining on the new mountain snow
I have the solution
give yourself absolution
from this pollution
and let it go
just let it go

You can drink the same poison
that you have been drinking
drunk on regret,
with your trophy of pain
and number the questions 'til you go insane

You can play "what if" scenarios
and beat yourself up in stereo
turn up the songs that cut you deep
until you're bleeding in your sleep
But no matter how long you cling
it won't change a thing, no it won't change a thing
the sun and moon will rise
Wake up and open your eyes

The rest of your life is a beautiful mystery
You sacrifice your future for your history
If you want to see the full moon
shining on the new mountain snow
I have the solution
give yourself absolution
from this pollution
and let it go
just let it go
let it go

What a Great Song

2009-07-08T06:55:00.003-05:00

girl vs. God: part two

2009-06-26T15:08:00.002-05:00

girl: ah, I see you're here again. Don't you have more critical things to concern yourself with than an ordinary girl like me? What about Iran and North Korea? See what happens when you get distracted?

God: (chuckles) One of the many great things about being God, is being able to multi-task very well. Although I prefer the term "omnipresence" over "multi-tasking." I do not consider anything I do a "task."

girl: That's a relief. What can I do for you today God?

God: Believe.

girl: Believe? In...you? The future of Apple computers? UFOs? What?

God: Just believe.

girl: Actually, that June 8th incident has made me believe in magic.

God: Call it what you want.

girl: You know, it might be easier to have a serious discussion with you, if you didn't look like George Clooney. It's kinda distracting.

God: How's this?

girl: Al Pacino, the Godfather. You're pretty funny God. I never knew you had a sense of humor.

God: Seriously? Have you looked at a giraffe lately?

girl: Good point.

Blue Moon

2009-06-16T15:54:00.001-05:00

Moon in the sky
on the black slate of night
Round and full
the thin clouds
whisper in silver
Far below the shadows
of great mountains
in silhouette
anchor the earth
with jagged peaks
Wrapped in a blanket of stars
I lift my face and
feel the heavens
beckoning me to you

girl vs. God: part one

2009-06-04T22:40:00.004-05:00

girl: Where am I?

God: You're dreaming.

girl: Who are you?

God: I'm God.

girl: Then I MUST be dreaming, because I don't believe in You.

God: You believed in me last week.

girl: I changed my mind.

God: Why?

girl: If you're God, then you shouldn't have to ask me that question.

God: True. Maybe I just wanted you to think about the answer.

girl: Oh, I've thought about it.

God: And...?

girl: I'm on the fence.

God: The jury is still out?

girl: Yes, and may not come back.

God: What can I do to convince you? I answered a few of your requests lately.

girl: Those could easily have been coincidence. It would be nice if you would give the world a sign.

God: I give signs every day.

girl: Not subtle signs that could be questioned, I mean international news-making signs.

God: That's not my style.

girl: So your style is showing up in my dream, looking like George Clooney?

God: Morgan Freeman had already been done.

girl: I do like George.

God: I know.

Sand Planet

2009-05-21T12:48:00.007-05:00

Across the desert she roams

for a 1,000 days lost

like her mind that wanders

through the dreams of this

land before it died.

Treasures concealed

by the bitter sands of time

possess her waking thoughts

and drive her to madness,

deeper still

in the heart of this desert,

there is no stone

she has not felt

beneath her feet.

Welcome HP Customers

2009-04-13T22:34:00.003-05:00

If you're reaching this blog from a link I posted last year regarding HP's failure to cover the cost of replacing defective Nvidia chips in all of their laptop models, click here

http://southernbreezes.blogspot.com/2008/11/hewlett-packard-nvidia-partners-in.html

Good luck with your quest for justice.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T09:00:00.003-06:00

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."
~ Oren Arnold

Christmas Secrets

2008-12-15T08:58:00.001-06:00

The Ice Returns

2008-12-09T14:19:00.006-06:00

Winter's bare limbs

against a grey sky stand

in stillness waiting.

The rush of Autumn's wind

through firey leaves

silent now and sleeping.

Canada's geese part the

sky with victorious grace

while frost covered roses

shiver in diamonds.

Hewlett-Packard & Nvidia: Partners in Crime

2008-11-07T16:04:00.009-06:00

In October of 2007, I purchased a beautiful new HP Pavilion Laptop DV9535nr with Nvidia Geforce graphics card from my local Best Buy. After all was said and done, the purchase totaled over $2,400.

I began to notice that the laptop would get very, very hot (like cook an egg hot) whenever I used it for more than an hour or so. (bad sign #1) In early June of this year, the laptop began to shut itself off without warning and upon restart, would display strange colored lines on the screen. (bad sign #2) In July, it died. The laptop would turn on, but there was no video, at all, nothing, just a backlit black screen.

I returned the laptop to Best Buy, who sent it off to HP. Almost a month later, I received the laptop with the simple explanation that my "motherboard had been replaced." (bad sign #3)

A few weeks ago, and exactly one week after the one-year warranty had expired, the motherboard failed again, completely. This time, I got no warning first, it just died. So, I returned the laptop to Best Buy, who sent it back to HP.

Two weeks later, I received an email from Best Buy that my laptop was ready to be picked up (yippee!). Once I arrived, I was informed that HP "was not able to reach me by phone, so they shipped the laptop back unrepaired." When I inquired as to why HP was trying to reach me by phone (and P.S. I am registered as a customer on their website) I was told that the cost to replace the motherboard was going to be $1,003.00. (Let me repeat that) $1,003.00!!!!!

The Geek Squad employee asked me to authorized the charge and she would ship it back to HP for the repair. "Hang on!" I said, gritting my teeth. "I just had the motherboard replaced three months ago. Are you telling me that HP is going to charge me for a new motherboard that is only 90 days old??" I was then informed that "yes" HP was going to charge me if I wanted the laptop repaired.

I snatched up the dead computer and left in a mighty huff, certain that the I.T. guys in my office would save the day. (Wishful thinking on my part)

Now here's the really bad news: For months and months, Nvidia (the maker of the graphics card in my laptop) has been aware of a design defect in some of their chips attached to motherboards. These chips overheat and basically fry the motherboard (hence the scalding hot lap top issue). This defect has affected millions of Apple MacBook Pro, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell laptops.

Nvidia has delayed recalling this part, giving their business partners (Dell, HP, Apple) time to push these chips past the one-year warranty period, which prevents these companies from having to pay for the repair. Unfortunately, the problem has become so enormous that Dell and Apple have finally agreed to replace the faulty motherboards free of charge for up to two years from date of purchase. HP has offered this on a limited number of their models, but is refusing to cover every model that is affected with this issue.

There is a huge raping of consumers going on with HP. If you read the complaints on HP's forum pages, the number is astounding (I have made about 6 posts, three of which HP has promptly removed. They are censoring the forum, but not responding to the issue). The bigger shock is that HP is refusing to budge. I guess they'd rather piss of their customers than ask Nvidia to pay for the replacement parts.

If HP doesn't want to pay for the repairs, then they should sue Nvidia for providing them with faulty hardware, not pass the cost on to consumers. HP should also extend the warranty (like Dell and Apple have done) for ALL affected models, not just a select few.

In the meantime, Nvidia should do the right thing and issue a major recall of these defective chips, instead of allowing their business partners to take the heat for their own blunder. I won't be buying another laptop with Nvidia graphics. ATI, here I come.

Here are some interesting articles on the subject for all my techy friends:

Nvidia Sued by Shareholders for Faulty GPU Coverup

The Technical Reason the GPUs are Failing

More Bad News for Nvidia

How Dell is Handling It

How Apple is Handling It

How HP is Handling It (oh wait, they're not) DUH!

Remembering Your Life

2008-10-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

On this day, you would have been 43 years old.

So today, I will remember the joy and love that you brought to our lives,

and the years I was honored to be your wife.

No matter how our story ended,

I thank you for loving me.

Happy Birthday, sweet, gentle giant.

We miss you.

Destiny's End

2008-10-20T14:01:00.005-05:00

You raise your sword and

the sun glints off the razor-sharp edge,

reflecting upon the rivers of tears on my cheeks.

I will not struggle against the ties

that bind me to this time and place,

but lift my face to the sun

and wait for the fatal blow

to a heart that beats for the one

who will slay it.

I breathe and become the air,

the trees,

the ground below.

The dark birds circle, waiting

to pick the flesh of your soul's mate.

For a moment, time stops as you search

my face for forgiveness.

A final chance to change the world passes,

and you let loose your poison death

upon the only one who could ever

save

you.

The dark birds circle but find only

a garden of thornless blood roses

and glistening dew.

Where Have all the Poets Gone?

2008-10-19T15:26:00.002-05:00

I was happily surprised recently to meet someone who is familiar with the works of Pablo Neruda. In this prosaic world, it is rare to meet poetic spirits. During our discussion, I discovered that a documentary film is currently being produced on the life of Neruda. The film will be narrated by the Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega and directed by the Oscar-nominated Carlos Bolado. I'm looking forward to its release and would like to share one of my favorite Neruda poems. Enjoy.

Leaning in to the Evenings (translated from the original Spanish)

Leaning into the evenings I throw my sad nets

to your ocean eyes

There my lonliness stretches and burns in the tallest bonfire,

arms twisting like a drowning man's.

I cast red signals over your absent eyes

which lap like the sea at the lighthouse shore.

You guard only darkness, my distant female,

sometimes the coast of dread emerges from your stare.

Leaning into the evenings I toss my sad nets

to that sea which stirs your ocean eyes.

The night birds peck at the first stars

that twinkle like my soul as I love you.

Night gallops on her shadowy mare

scattering blue wheat stalks over the fiields.

The Guardian

2008-09-11T13:33:00.002-05:00

From beyond the

deep shadow-years

a slant of light reaches the

dusty corners of the dream

and stirs the sleeping guardian

of the future

who is so lost

in his task

that he has become

the very walls that

surround the treasure

he protects, though he can

barely remember why

until

the light reminds him.

The Best Job Ever

2008-08-28T15:22:00.006-05:00

My daughter graduates from college in December. She's been a little distraught about being uncertain about her chosen career (she's still undecided) and if/when she should go to law school/grad. school, etc. I can relate.

Knowing that I am unhappy at work, a good friend asked me recently what I "really wanted to do" if I could do anything for work. I found myself unable to give an answer. It has bothered me every since. I have never been in a position (financially) to do whatever I wanted to do and so I have never allowed myself to dream of such a thing. I've been the "breadwinner" of the family since 1986, and most recently of course, a single income family with a daughter in college and two mortgage payments.

So now, I spend time wondering...what would I do? If I could do anything? It seems like the only answer is nothing. And I wonder if I've killed any chance of ever really being able to answer that question. Maybe I'm just so burned out, that part of my brain is goulash. I hate to say that my "dream ability" has been completely killed off, but I'm thinking it has. The years of stress have finally beaten the hope out of me. Not even Calgon can take me away, anymore.

But forget about me, this is about my daughter. I want her to feel as though she has the time to figure this thing out, find her passion, and then find a way to make it her life's work.

In the end, that will make me happier than finding my own "perfect job" because being her mother truly is the joy that sustains me.

Summer's End

2008-08-20T12:19:00.003-05:00

Summer curls and yawns and stretches the days.

Nearing the end of her time she colors the landscape

with zinnias and roses

and paints the moon with golden light.

Waiting for Autumn to take her place,

she gives her best in butterfly wings

and the tall fields of grass, rolling gently to the sky.

Long Overdue

2008-08-05T15:08:00.003-05:00

I'm headed to Rosemary Beach for a long overdue vacation. I'll be back after the 18th, hopefully with a nice tan and well-rested.

http://www.rosemarybeach.com/

see you soon!

Storm

2008-07-22T22:24:00.004-05:00

The tall grass

bends

rolling in waves of green

as the sky

rumbles and covers the sun

in grey paint

swirled together

in an ominous show of

nature's humbling canvas

Dating 101 in 2008

2008-07-21T14:25:00.004-05:00

Ok, so after months of prodding and pushing and coaching, my therapist has convinced me to try online dating - seriously. So, I recently signed up for a Match.com and eHarmony account. I'm a little embarrassed admitting to this - but honestly - I've come to the conclusion that this is the way people meet each other in this day and age (gawd, I just sounded like a senior citizen).

For the past 23 years of my life, I've been someones wife and/or mother, so it has been a LONG time since I have found myself single and available for dating. (I find this thought terrifying). Back in college, in my dating hay day, you met people at discos and bars (I'm laughing at the absurdity of this - although it's true). I suppose I could meet someone by chance at an airport, or coffee shop, or hit him with my car, but in this new world of technology, romance is now found online. Everyone is doing it. I am a sceptic, but we'll see.

Anyway, part of my "assignment" before my next counseling session, is to come back with a list of qualities I would seek in the "perfect man" for me. I thought it would be fun to invite my blog readers to give me some help here, and make some suggestions. What do you think? Especially if you know me, let's hear it!

Note to pervy friends: keep it clean!

Perdido Key

2008-07-15T08:01:00.002-05:00

Summer's golden light
washes us in shimmery warmth
as the sun slowly sinks
below the ocean
and the earth sighs softly....
the day is done

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-03T12:25:00.000-05:00

Dragonfly

2008-06-28T13:54:00.005-05:00

I've seen several dragonflies lately. When I went out to the mailbox a few days ago, a dragonfly escorted me, landing briefly before zig-zagging away. Then yesterday, I went out in to the courtyard to water my flowers, and saw two dragonflies, one of which almost collided with my nose. Today I received a "thinking of you" card with, you guessed it, a dragonfly on the front.

So I Googled "symbolism of dragonfly" and was amazed at the information on the internet. Seems the dragonfly is a powerful totem in Native American, Celtic, and Japanese culture.

Inhabiting the two worlds of water and air, the dragonfly goes through quite a metamorphosis. Born in lakes, ponds, and swamps, it actually spends most of its life underwater, only to shed its old skin after several years and live a few short weeks, flying along the water on luminous wings.

Dragonflies represent the powers of light and transformation, and the ability to see through illusion. They bring prosperity and harmony. The dragonfly, as a totem, teaches skillful action while maintaining a free and joyful sense of being.

Dragonflies symbolize illusion, dreams, change, enlightenment, swiftness, dreams and seeing the truth. They are messengers of the elemental world. They are connected to Summer. Dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change. Dragonfly medicine always beckons you to seek out the parts of your habits which you need to change.

The Dragonfly by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Today I saw the dragon-fly

come from the wells where he did lie.

An inner impulse rent the veil

of his old husk:

from head to tail

came out clear plates of sapphire mail.

He dried his wings:

like gauze they grew;

thro' crofts and pastures wet with dew

a living flash of light he flew.

Yesterday

2008-06-18T09:26:00.004-05:00

I thought about you on the way home from work yesterday

I had something to tell you, something I needed to share with you

and for a split second, my mind forgot, that you were gone

for that fraction of time,

the world was right

two years vanished,

like a nightmare in the light of day

and I was happy,

truly,

for a moment.

When You Only Have 100 Years to Live

2008-06-18T09:13:00.004-05:00

I'm 15 for a moment

Caught in between 10 and 20

And I'm just dreaming

Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment

She feels better than ever

And we're on fire

Making our way back from Mars

15 there's still time for you

Time to buy and time to lose 15,

there's never a wish better than this

When you only got 100 years to live

I'm 33 for a moment

Still the man, but you see

I'm a they

A kid on the way

A family on my mind

I'm 45 for a moment

The sea is high

And I'm heading into a crisis

Chasing the years of my life

Within a morning star 15

I'm all right with you 15,

there's never a wish better than this

When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by

Suddenly you're wise

Another blink of an eye

67 is gone

The sun is getting high

We're moving on...

I'm 99 for a moment

Dying for just another moment

And I'm just dreaming

Counting the ways to where you are 15

there's still time for you

22 I feel her too

33 you're on your way

Every day's a new day... 15

there's still time for you

Time to buy and time to choose

Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this

When you only got 100 years to live

-Five for Fighting

Savannah

2008-06-12T16:52:00.008-05:00

I'm in Savannah, vacationing with my little sister. Savannah is beautiful, historic, gracious, inspiring and sultry. Our hotel is wonderful. We're having a blast :-)
http://www.mansiononforsythpark.com/

Denver Takeoff

2008-06-10T12:06:00.004-05:00

Purple ribbon clouds
ripple with fire as
the setting sun
hugs the horizon
painting the sky in
gold and pink
stretching out to
palest blue and
high above
a silver half moon
shines like a bright
light on a lonely road
calling me home...

Back to Beautiful Wyoming

2008-05-21T13:50:00.003-05:00

I'm getting ready to go back to Wyoming with a group for a few weeks. Hope to be back with new posts soon. Peace.

A Walk to Remember

2008-05-07T13:51:00.007-05:00

In the U.S., a person dies by suicide every 16 minutes, claiming more than 31,000 lives each year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in this country, third among teens and young adults.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those impacted by suicide - those of us known as "survivors." AFSP funds research aimed at improving our understanding of suicide and ways to prevent it, as well as educational activities to increase awareness about prevention, warning signs and the mental illnesses that can lead to suicide.

Every year, cities all across the country host "Out of the Darkness Community Walks" to benefit the AFSP. By walking in one of these walks, you will be walking with thousands of people nationwide to raise money for AFSP's vital research and education programs to prevent suicide and save lives, increase national awareness about depression and suicide, and assist survivors of suicide loss. Suicide is a tragedy that takes an enormous toll on family, friends, co-workers, and the community.

I urge you to go to http://www.outofthedarkness.org/ and find a walk in your area. My home town will host its third annual OOTD walk this September. I will be walking in memory of my loving husband and others lost to friends I have made through my association with the AFSP. If you can't walk, please consider making a donation to a walk near you.

For more information about the AFSP, visit:

http://www.afsp.org/

Close

2008-05-07T13:37:00.006-05:00

A rose in a book of poems
soft and flat from the pressure
“umm” said she as the pages
turn and stir
the air with

grapefruit-scented

black chantilly
and pomegranate-flavored
lips whisper secrets
through the sleepy light of
a make-believe sun that shines

on this make-believe world