A homophone poem

 

I Hear You

I am doing my best 

to say beautiful things,

to inspire, to help, be kind.

When I do not hear

Spirit's voice, it's not because

the talking has stopped,

and at those times,

I am not afraid

to ask for assistance.

Maximum Effort

 

Most veterans of foreign wars,

reflective of my own small life,

spent every day after 

their most important war,

the one which happened to them,

trying to forget,

what they saw, 

what they did.

The spiritual truth, though,

is that it is healthier,

more transformative,

to remember,

to rise above,

to poke through the veil

of denial.

It can take great effort

to give thanks, 

to listen to the whispers 

of gratitude and appreciation,

to allow memories 

to be heard, shared,

if sharing might contribute 

to the Good.

This is the path to healing,

of appreciation for the chance

to be of service, to live gratefully

in the life one was given.

Heart of the Matter

 

When I allow my heart

to be touched by gratitude,

followed by generosity,

it’s the most selfish I can be,

as it improves my mood,

being a force for good.

When I give away

some of what I have today,

I find it calming,

soulfully balming,

knowing when enough is enough,

growing by not buying any more stuff.

When I turn to what others need,

it’s my own heart I feed,

realizing at the very start

it’s best to simply show up,

be present, open my heart.

If others have nothing for me,

no problem, no fret, can’t you see,

I have enough for all of us,

they, them, you, us, we.

Tell Everyone

 

It was natural and easy

to tell him how I felt

after he had lain ill before,

after my own infirmity 

made us partners again. 

It’ll be harder now,

but not impossible.

Still, it’s been but a short while 

and I am already losing that smile,

the truth of his gaze,

the wonder of his face.

So I will write of him when I can,

tell others about a good man,

in this way perhaps I’ll let

myself never forget.

Oingo Boingo

 

When I am in a rush,

it’s a good idea to slow down, 

maybe even stop.

Right pacing can change my life,

give me me a moment

to look within, to know.

Just a moment?

What the heck,

let’s take the whole day off,

mix in peaceful thoughts,

words, feelings, actions,

perfect for a needy world.

Everyday Living

 

When you see me cry,

it does not necessarily mean

I need help. 

Sometimes, pure beauty

has that result in me,

like the glory of the young

who do not think

they should stop trying

to improve the world.

For me, nearing another decade,

whatever future

I am trying to shape

shapes me in return,

sometimes tearfully.

I will continue to seek magic,

look for legerdemain,

change what saddens me

by changing my mind,

believing the solutions we need

lie only in those realms.

But I will look also

to my heart,

posit my soul’s purpose,

light another candle,

pen just one more plea.

Optimism

 

There is this book which has been

following me around for weeks now.

Actually, not following so much as

accompanying, fitting nicely in

my hand, or atop my desk,

in the room I sometimes share with a cat.

The book is important.

That’s why I bought it. 

It is about hope, 

and also about the mind, 

about laughing at, 

but not making an enemy 

of the latter.

I say that’s what it is about,

but I don’t know for sure,

only what the dust jacket blurb says.

I can’t seem to get by the introduction,

not in my room, nor outside,

heck, not even at the library,

even though it’s open again.

My core seems obdurate in

its resistance to change, or growth.

I will say that, pages unread,

that book seems still to be

having an impact. 

I think about hope all the time.

A good thing, since

I have forever friends who 

will not see year’s end.

In the greater scheme of things,

I’m a mighty small fish in 

a very big pond, or, at most,

like one of those salmon,

returning to their place of creation,

encountering resistance at every turn. 

I hope this hope thing is not overrated. 

The book is heavy,

the thoughts too, 

sometimes.