Golden valley

Broad leaves in the golden valley

sway gently in the breeze.

Sunshine on my back

is like a crimson face smiling.

Warm smell of autumn

greets me like an old friend.

And each year I always wonder

how did winter sneak up on me?

-Scott

Driftwood

So you've found me!

I came from far away.

Pick me up!

With you I'd love to stay.

Oh the things I have seen!

Stuff you wouldn't believe.

The journey is over!

Quite a lot I've achieved.

You're so disinterested!

Please don't set me down.

Don't walk away!

My smile becomes a frown.

Once more adrift!

Turn my gaze out to sea.

But these stubborn waves!

Trap me against the scree.

-Scott

The ghost

Keep your hopes up

against all odds,

lest your wits dull

while in shadow.

Keep your eyes closed

after the dawn,

lest you go blind

in the daylight.

Keep your voice down

after sunset,

lest you be heard

by the living.

-Scott

The blight

Black, acrid, destructive.
Destroying the untended.
Fruits and flowers lost.
Maintenance, vigilance, is key.
Your soul, your being, is alive.

-Aaron

The end of the day

Don't be sad

just because today is over.

Tomorrow

will be much better than today.

For right now

enjoy the colors of the sky.

This sunset

will never be the same again.

-Scott

Castle of sand

                  K
             e
         r
      s                   The
   p                    castle
 l                    sits upon
a                  the hot sand
 s              enjoying the sun.
   h!  Goes the wave!  How rude!

-Scott

The useful

Twisted

and uneven.

Shifted

and high-treason.

 

Blistered

yet functional.

Whispered

yet touchable.

Missing

or misplaced.

Hissing

 or debased.

Useful

for you to lend.

Fruitful

for you my friend.

-Scott

The ant's monument

Noble wood ants

you build your skyscraper

so proudly.

Are you worried

about it falling down

around you?

If it crumbles

where do you find the strength

to rebuild?

-Scott

Hope at the end

Crusty and cracked

brittle and broken

yet proud.

Spires above

touting lost pinecones

in vain.

One last homage

to the blue above

still hopeful.

No one told them

there are no answers

in the sky.

-Scott

The empty chair

Who dares to sit

at the empty chair?

The loss and grief

too painful to bear.

Who can stand to

clean out the closet?

I've not the strength

for that I posit.

Who will put your

house key away?

Your soul to keep

for that I will pray.

Who dares to move

your lonely old chair?

Face the window

breathe in the fresh air.

-Scott

Legacy

The house is empty

no laughter

no one home.

Abandoned pool

dead leaves

blue algae.

The grass unmowed

unkept fence

strewn sticks.

Rosy glow of morn

sun shines down

on no one.

-Scott

Here today, gone tomorrow

Sometimes you are here today.

Then you are gone tomorrow.

Literally.
Goodbye, Gage Towers!

-Scott

Finding the past

Old talents

lie dormant

in the corners

of the garage.

Old memories

unopened

in the drawers of

coffee tables.

They seemed new

long ago

perchance they'll be

rediscovered.

-Scott

Wishing on a street light

Makin' a wish on a street light.

'Cause there's no stars to wish on tonight.

But can a lamp post make my wish come true?

I just want to be loved by you.

Wanderin' around on the city streets.

Been goin' for miles without movin' my feet.

Oh where can I find my one savin' grace?

If only to see love again in your face.

Another birthday goes by

make a wish

and blow out the candles.

Don't know why I try

its too much

for me to handle.

But you...

oh but you make it alright.

Makin' a wish on a night light.

Holdin' out hope for you and me tonight.

It's funny how every day I walk under the moon.

Please bring back the sunshine to me soon.

Please come home soon.

-Scott

Note: This poem is actually the lyrics to an original song that I wrote for the guitar.

Forgive and forget

We live our lives

in obscurity.

We try our best

yet still we falter.

We try to make

amends for our faults.

Our shortcomings

are like exposed roots.

Our days are short

our time limited.

To say sorry

for the harm we've caused.

With our last gasp

we hope forgiveness.

We pray for love

that may never come.

But the grass grows

around our headstone.

It does not care

to remember us.

-Scott

The islands in our own mind

There are places

within our own minds

where we dare not go.

There are pictures

on mental canvas

we dare not look at.

We remember

sorrow and despair

like a fresh bee sting.

Don't be afraid

of old memories

they've no power now.

-SGR

The river of regret

They say regrets

are like a stream.

Starting out small

and then growing.

What about yours
what's your stream like?

Can you put your

feet on each side?

Is it up to

your knees or waist?

Does it wash you

like a flash flood?

I hope your stream

is drought-stricken.

And only good

for skipping stones.

-SGR

The forest genocide

Old trees are felled.

Their end is sudden.

Yesterday they basked

in the afternoon sun.

Today they're chopped and shaved

misshapen and deformed.

Fashioned into chairs and desks

holding cups, plates and telephones.

They could not imagine this fate

as the wind blew through their leaves at dawn.

-SGR

The Antikythera Mechanism

Our technology is a marvel.

Our math and words are wonders.

Yet life is still full of struggles.

Humans are more complex than machines.

People are more perplexing than theorems.

Yet humankind is more important to understand.

The Great Colossus of Rhodes fell to the ground.

The Antikythera Mechanism rests at the bottom of the sea.

What is to become of our great society?

-SGR

Grandpa Lovell

I want to know

what you have known

my grandfather.

Your compass true.

I want to see

what you have seen

observant friend.

Your eyes open.

I want to build

what you have built

good handyman.

Your wrench in hand.

I want to talk

with you again

dear grandfather.

Your shoes are large.

-SGR