Essence

After a short hiatus the team at dversepoets.com has opened the pub today for more sharing of our poetry. We are asked to write no more than 12 lines re-introducing ourselves using six words - three which tell something about who we are or what is important to us and three words for things we are grateful for.  I am looking forward to reading what everyone has to contribute.

This is a re-written poem with a few slight changes. The words (plus 1) I chose are highlighted below:

I want to go beyond the unfair paradoxes of this world,

experience the fluid universe, 
swim through the salty brine of a cold cosmos - 
till I reach that serendipitous beach where I'll find 
yellow sunshine falling on driftwood, 
a cool place of unadulterated  peace of mind 

Where horses neigh, children are safe, all ills are cured;
There, the roads are paved with sincerity, no bigotry or political foe
Outside, exquisite flowers grow; 
inside, friends dancing and bountiful art abide 

I'll rest in a cathedral of trees, for I will be home, 
Sorrow and happiness in my journeys intertwined, 
chained together in an infinite, rapturous melody

Wild mushrooms ought to be strawberries...

Wild mushrooms break out in the green-
brown carpet of the forest floor 
Cool temps now, not ready to freeze

their smooth brown stained skins like diamonds
in the rough, as we trek along,
They sprout like small emotional outbursts 
calling for help or attention
Hunting for that delicate food,
be they Chantrelle, portobello, 
or morele, brings delight to the soul 
And upon a crash of thunder 
and split second lightning flashes
arrives quickened rain, teasing
out summer's end
Retreating flowers still decorate 
their heads
The beat goes on though, and fate
heralds autumn's decor
as testified to by Sonny and Cher
We hunker down, covering up our trails with
compost or wood chips
Odd souls find comfort in seasonal changes,  
ever longing for the distinction
between the times
A hopeful generation, we,
reaching the autumn of our lives
Prone to gaze at a rosy reflections, 
to succumb to the powers of 
wood smoke or bay leaves steaming
We knew it wasn't right 
and little has changed
Night is closer in now, fog rolling in - 
we devour steamed mushrooms, 
lush mussels with butter and bread, 
in turn raising a glass of wine
The best of us didn't leave;
 it was buried by the debris left,
still littering our clean forests
A childish government jealous 
of it's own leader I believe
Sad, for it could be too late 
to build anew, review,
- if by candlelight,  
Be an advocate or scold them
with pen and paper
Struck by the smallness of the world 
on a screen, we click to misfortunes 
on a large world scale
We would rather look to mankind's best self,
but privately we weep -
Choices were made and we were not heard 
for the din of disdain; 
but we are still not satisfied
Deer and chipmunks grow thicker coats 
as the woodpecker pounds his 
five hundredth hole
....sated by the fields' harvest,
spent amid the smoking leaves -
we still try to find our peace

Common Threads...Same Debate...

For Open Link night at dversepoets.com I am sharing what
 I wrote after the opening of the Democratic Convention last night, as past meets present meets future.  I hope all parties can agree on some things....

Convention hats, red white blue

Sea of hopeful tried true and new faces

remind me of Adlai, McGovern, and JFK, 

my last high school debate, bygone races

Poignant reminders of "Coming Home"

Hot summer day protests cooled by hoses
I wore my navy cardigan to the podium

to argue those whose view I opposed 

 Smart ladies have broken the mold
Last night they gave awesome addresses

Mindful was I of '64, fiercely debating 
the Vietnam war as senseless

Then history repeats itself 40 years later
 Minds struggled to grasp for reason
Warned the enemy was dressed to kill  
 murder via the drill or treason?

World sent in a tailspin

Resonate speech by Bobby's prodigy

On stage again, promises of one family

Young minority candidates dot the scene

To carry the torch of our destiny

Pungent odors of musky convention floors

bind with a sense of deja vu' 

This generation can turn the corner and succeed 
where we only broke through

No more needless wars that benefit few

rob us of our youth, consume all energy
Scenes at Kent State, a church in Alabama

perhaps instrumental in who delivered the key? 

For those who marched with Martin,
for names engraved on a wall sacrificed
we must heed the words of our First Lady  
Their worth measured, realized

The teacher paced in back of the classroom
rubbed his chin with his finger, nodding to agree
forced us to think, argue current events

I advocated transparency

 Since 2000 I grieve innocent millions lost 

I hung on for dear life to see the day

  we made history by electing a new Captain 
of our ship with a new communique'

Cities to rebuild, confidence to restore
 opportunities to make  
business doors to reopen
Laws and values to re-evaluate

 "Lessons learned, move forward"
There is truth to revive
new growth, better health care
  Encourage new dreams to thrive  

No doubt a gift for us to share

 with a united world
orchestrated by His hand so one day
 only Global flags may 
unfurl

by klr