Vicenza

The woman cried out, in joy, in pain.
Feeling all alone in her work, but knowing the value.
Health, and spirit, her only desire.
The birth of a future, the making of a queen.
The woman did not know the value of this little girls future, only the little girl.
The lives she would touch, the love she would find, the hurt she would encounter.
The husband that would find her, the children she would bear.
The home of dreams, that she alone would create.
The woman did not know these things.
November 14th, 1974, in a chilly northern Italy.
My beloved was born, and waited for me.

-Aaron

The forgiving wall

It is a safe place

to lean against

when I need to cry.

It keeps winter out

when the snow flies

and gales whistle.

I run my fingers

across the grain

of the wooden wall.

With each bump and groove

I deposit

fears and memories.

The dusty boards give

absolution

I forgive myself.

-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 beach

Soft, white, warm.
Mother nature's power, a sailor's bane, a turquoise mirror.
My future in my grasp, my beloved past bearing witness,
The new forever is found, kept, and promised.

-Aaron

Gray skies

 

The sky is gray,

the forecast bleak.

The clouds parted,

for someone else.

The cool rain falls,

and stings my eyes.

Still I walk on,

in sloshy shoes.

Finding my way,

under gray skies.

-Scott

Quiet moments that sting

It is the moment of clarity

when you know where to go

but no path leads there.

It is the moment of realization

that you must cross the river

but you can not swim.

It is that moment of enlightenment

spoken of by the sages

but you can not grasp it.

It is that moment of foolhardyness

when you plod along anyway

but you know it is pointless.

-Scott

Honesty, Integrity, Character

Talking to my nephew,

he posed a quest for me

to find a way to share

the word integrity.

The type of life you lead

is character defined,

so let us value character

more than treasures mined.

For when you live like this

you're living honestly,

with openness surrounding you

like a shield of purity.

You always do what's right

when no one is around,

for there within your heart

integrity abounds.

-Rusty

Ask

Pick yourself up

by your own bootstraps

this in my books

is total claptrap.

You may struggle,

do all that you can,

and still may fail

no matter your plan.

Instead my friend

do all you can do,

then humbly ask

that someone help you.

There is no shame

in your needing others

no more than a baby

in needing its mother.

So pick yourself up?

Yes, if you can,

but if you can't

then ask for a hand.

-Rusty

No more superman

No more telephone booths

and no more superman.

So when trouble strikes

we better have a plan.

Clark Kent works the night shift

down at the paper mill.

He has no answer

for the chemical spill.

But he earns a paycheck

to catch up on the rent.

He would buy some food

but the money is spent.

No more telephone booths

to become superman.

 Heroes don't change clothes

inside a garbage can.

-Scott

Old bonnet

Cover your head

from the blowing dust.

Keep the livestock

from wandering off.

When sickness comes

it takes your loved ones.

O pioneers!

 Your life was so hard!

Your depth of strength

we will never know.

Your bonnets now

displayed behind glass.

Then we drive on

down the interstate.

-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 way

There is one way.
There are no others.
No matter how you fight.
No matter how you self determine.
The way, is THE WAY.
Our control is our deception.
Our hubris is our failure.
The way is unbreakable.
The way is ALWAYS right.
Its the way things are supposed to go.

-Aaron

Your tricks

How do you have

so many tricks

up your sleeve?

How do you keep

all of the balls

in the air?

How do the plates

stay spinning on

all those poles?

You call it luck

 but I call it

amazing!

-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

Where the heart is

Parched plants, sharing little sustenance;

Blue sky, spreading forever - holding up the clouds;

Single stalk, standing straight - proud - strong;

Unremarkable scene, striking through to my core;

home.

-Sara G.

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

Stuffed animal

When you're unsure

of where to go

or what to do

it is nice

to have a friend

who will always

be by your side.

-Scott

Grandma's lesson

Grandma teaches me

to be kind

to everyone.

 Grandma talks with me

when I am sad

and need a friend.

Grandma says to me

"Cheer up young one!"

and "I love you!"

Grandma holds my hand

and walks with me

toward better days.

-Scott

On Guard

Old boards and new kittens don't have much in common.

That must be what draws them together.

Arched backs and crouched shoulders say "I see you!"

So young to be so cautious.

~ Michelle

The old fence

The fence that I constructed

now hems me in.

Luckily I've the strength

to hop o'er it.

-Scott