Love, Michael

In the circle in the round
The voice of heaven can be found
If you listen, if you hear
Silent echoes loud and clear
In this circle, in this light
A newborn faith, a newborn sight
The serpent lingers down below
Beneath this wondrous Wisdom glow

It breathes within, it plucks the wings
It's fire burns, it's tongue, it stings
It rises up and takes ahold
It whispers neat, it makes the cold
Within the lair of darkened sea
It plunges down to set souls free
But not until we struggle hard
Or pull the Get Out of Jail Free card
The time has come to break these chains
Release the birds and peaceless pain
To battle now, with sharpened blade
The Word to wield, pretension staid
In this circle now and here
The hope to conquer all the fear
To slay the dragon and his breath
And leave resentment laid to rest.

Love,

Michael

Insight

Hope

Grief

for

Tyler Clementi, age 18

Billy Lucas, age 15

Asher Brown, age 13

Seth Walsh, age 13

Raymond Chase, age 19

Justin Aaberg, age 15

Jamey Rodemeyer, age 14

Michael

Magic Bean

I got this friend whose got some problems with some junk
Her life's a trial and weighs her down or so she's thunk
A magic bean is what she needs to change her luck
Or solitary understanding of the muck

The bean would grow into a vine into the sky
To empty out those piles of junk and say "bye bye"
But so the same is true for me and all I play
Is sort the piles and break them down from day to day

One day at a time.

Lunar Awareness

The new moon rises in the distant horizon

Unseen, unheard, and alone in the darkness

Unaware of the lighted world

Behind it's face.

The moon rises in the distant horizon
Realizing more each turn of the journey
Towards full illumination, leaving night
Behind it's face.

The full moon rises in the distant horizon
Fully seen, still unheard, still alone in the darkness
Unaware of the shadowed world
Behind it's face.

The Greatest Love of All

Sometimes when we look within ourselves
We find treasure beyond our wildest imagination
And before we know what we have found
Before we find our gratitude to allow it to endure
Before we find our humility to give it space to grow
Before we find our understanding is precious and true
Before we find our courage to have it forever
Before we find our discovery is a beauty of no compare
Before we find our realization of the greatest love of all

It is gone.

Sometimes when we look within ourselves
We find treasure beyond our wildest imagination
And before we know what we have found
Before we realize our gratitude is what brought it to us
Before we realize our humility is what cultivated it
Before we realize our understanding is precious and true
Before we realize our courage is forever fearless
Before we realize our discovery is a beauty among beauties
Before we know the greatest love of all

It is gone.

Sometimes when we look within ourselves
We find treasure beyond our wildest imagination
And before we know what we have found
Before we know our own gratitude we must seek it, realize it
Before we know our own humility we must seek it, realize it
Before we know our own understanding we must seek it, realize it
Before we know our own courage we must seek it, realize it
Before we know our own beauty we must seek it, realize it
Before we know the greatest love of all

We must seek it and realize it

Or it's gone.

Sometimes when I look outside myself
I find treasure beyond my wildest imagination
And I know what I have found
I know I have found gratitude in others
I know I have found humility in others
I know I have found understanding in others
I know I have found courage in others
I know I have discovered the wondrous beauty of others

I know the greatest love of all

Is the love I find within others
Is the love I realize within others
Is the love I know within others

I know the greatest love of all

Is the love I find within my own being
Is the love I realize within my own being
Is the love I know within my own being

I know the greatest love of all

Is the love that is never gone.

A Golden Apple

She's the fountain of youth
A bubbling beauty
Bathing the future
With love as her duty
Her laugh brings a sparkle
Her smile rings a chime
Here's hoping her year
Is a wonder-filled time!


- for Pamela, the patient teacher

Leaving the Nest

I.

Vitruvian man
Is missing two points
The star is but five
Where's the other two joints?

Those who roll down the mountain
Of inspiration and joy
Don't seem to realize
They've got things to deploy

I'm sure they don't mean to
It's part of their act
Or should I remind them
That part was redact

So while fear does confound them
Machinations delight
I'll oil up my joints
And learn to take flight



II.

There's a nest in a treehouse
It's made by the birds
It's filled to the brim
With nothing but words

There's safety and comfort
And warmth all around
But deep down inside
The nest is off ground

The birds do attest
That the nest is the best
But those who aren't fearful
Put their faith to the test

So they stand at the edge
And they spread their wings wide
They jump for the stars
Through the air they do glide

Round the circle they swoop
Dodging this and that poop
That those who eat words
Fling about from their stoop

It's the ones who find comfort
In the worms in their rooks
Who stand at the edge
Giving pilots poop looks

But for those who find courage
To stand and achieve
The nest is the crib
Pure faith makes them leave

In Out

In

Out

A Little Oar in the Ocean

Through the glass door
You ran in a snit
You slammed the door shut
I had a great fit

I knocked and you listened
But you nailed the door closed
So I slammed with my fist
And it shattered the glows

Then the fear overcame me
And I stuffed it down tight
But now it's brought out
Turned to dust in the light

If you're with me and listening
And scared of what's new
Just loosen the nails
Then we'll learn what we'll do

We can't tape it or fix it
Or make it all right
What we'll do when they come
Is not put up a fight

We'll just tell them what happened
And take what we've done
And let it burn up
In the warmth of the sun

There's a game that's found in Asia
With a little white ball
Set your sights on the sweet spot
Then give it your all.

It takes practice to paddle
To hit the ball right
But no one can do it
If they feel the fright

That's the one thing to remember
If you're not sure what to do
Clean the house 'til it's spotless
Of the dust and the doo

Now the ball has come to your end
Of this table in the grail
Hope you find what you've been seeking
And believe the Word won't fail

Note to Mom

You’ve pushed and you’ve poked
With your eye and your thread
You’ve stitched to the point
I’d be out of my head
But there’s one thing I know
That you’ve done with all this
Is to show me through patience
It’s ok when I miss
So the next time I see you
I’ll give you a kiss
To gently remind you
You helped create this.

Lessons from Dad

I got a little white ball sitting on a tee
If you’d get down from that treehouse
You could take a swing with me
Take the driver and a gimme
Keep your focus on the ball
Then pretend you’re like an eagle
Strike the bullseye with your all.
If you hit it on the first try
That’s perfection and a call
But where I come from
The gimme is the best
Part of it all.
There’s some sand traps
And some divots
And a pond made out of stew
But the best part of this story
Is the ending through and through
There’s a forest with this one hole
Where the fairway has a bar
That’s the place where all the
Eagles meet to mingle with the Stars.

Moving On

The day has come
I've changed my tune
At least within
These walls of fumes

I'll flit and dart
Peer here and there
But if you should see me
Harsh words I won't dare

I'm done with the dead things
And living in the past
It's time to move on
This rust just can't last

So I've oiled up my joints
And I've greased up my pen
I won't let it slip
If I write from the Den

So before I put a post here
I've made an oath to myself
I'll get up from my desk
And take two words off the shelf

Go Within.

Koala 972

Your words they have touched me
In their own special way
They brought back a friend
I thought had gone away

But the friend I thought I lost
Has always been here all the time
Only this time he's an angel
And he shared this little rhyme

There was once a little boy
Who thought his world had come to end
The day he found his Fuzzy
With the puppy in his pen

His poor Fuzzy had been stolen
And the beast had shred him good
There was nothing left to salvage
Nothing left of him withstood

But now I see with brand new eyes
That Fuzzy never went away
He's been waiting right here with me
For this very special day

You see my Fuzzy was Koala
Not a bear to you and them
But to me he was the best bear
That a boy could ever friend

Now he's back and with me always
And he brought a brand new friend
You will always be an angel
Like my Fuzzy Wuzzy kin

To Be

wherever you wish to be

Not wherever they would have you be

But wherever you would be

Not where they say to go

But where you want to go to be

Not where they are

Where you are

Now

Here

Within is where I wish to be

Within is where I would be

Within is where I go to be

Within is where I am

Here

Now

Always

Cleanliness is Godliness

I found Me, a diamond
It was in the rough
Buried beneath all
These jitters and stuff

With careful detection
I branded my puff
To make it shine bright
I gave it a buff

And now that it sparkles
A brilliant bright gleam
I sniff as my tear
Washes down like a stream

Blame

Though it sure feels good
To place blame upon blame
There’s one thing I’ve learned
Is the blame causes flames

They’ll burn you
And singe you
And cause you
Some pain

But only until you
accept you’re to
blame.

The Candy Box

Open the box and pick out a seat
There’s plenty of soft, tasty morsels to eat
There’s chewy and gooey and sticky and sweet
A nut here and there or some fruit flavored treat

There’s dark ones and light ones and minty ones, too
And some that are too hard and chewy to chew
There’s others that look like they’re fancy and sweet
But sour they’ll turn from your head to your feet

So don’t be afraid to reach right on in
Set aside all your fears and take what you win
If you taste one you’re not really sure you can eat
Please don’t put it back in the little white seat

Spirit of Life

This moment now is crystal clear
No other place except for fear
The now is living at this time
The past is dragging us behind

There'll be a day when time stands still
But only when we lose our will
To greet the morning sun and see
The earth is just a play for we

For once the show is o'er and done
The truth will reign and fear undone
But now until that day arrives
I'll keep fighting fear to thrive.

Blessed are the Meek

To my friends out there in hiding
Feeling left out in the cold
Just remember that you’ll find Me
If you follow this sweet code
Love your being and your beauty
Let it be the rising sun
Let it rise upon your insides
Let it warm you ‘til you’re done
Find the ball of light within you
Let it sparkle let it shine
Seek the guidance in the sunshine
And remember this one line.

No fear.

A Bright Idea!

I had an idea

I knew I could trust

My critical thinking

Has turned all to dust

Now that compassionate
Levels are bust
My heart has exploded
It's full of stardust!

Curin' Witches

There’s a witch in the house
She’s been brewin' awhile
But first came a glimpse from
A witch with some style

She dropped by the house
Let me know she was dope
Asked me what I’d do
To digest her and cope

So I looked all around
And what did I find
But these two little words
And a bottle of wine

Then the witch went away
In a bubble of glee
A whisp of thin air
Left a trail of windy

So I think I’m prepared
If the house starts to rock
I’ll sit back and watch
As the wine hits the spot

In the mornin' I’ll rise
And get out of the bed
And think of those two words
That thump in my head.

No fear.
No fear.
No fear.

2

I am shocked! I am awed!
And I am overwhelmed, too!
Your words sent a chill
Down my spine, to my shoe
But I've learned from my fellows
And my childhood friends, too
If there's one thing to take here
It's two little words, two.

No Fear.

Buyer Beware

This story’s old,
It’s been retold,
Time and time again…

It’s moral has been sold.

The problem though
In this market show
Is the buyer who
Chooses elsewhere.

Enticed by the perfume
Of freshly baked bread
And a free sip of wine
And a morsel of dead

Flesh

And off they go
Skipping with glee
They’re washed of their sin
They know nothing of Me.

I could sit back and wallow
In all of this glee
But their fruits let me know
They don’t see the real Me.

Like the figs in a story
The tree rots from within
Like the horse in another
The gift's brought right in

Charades anyone?

Not a thing to give shivers
Just some salve and a patch
But all that does linger
Is the bee in their thatch

All abuzz

Never still

They appear to be lost
Searching that page and this
Their sensory finding
Only dreams of some bliss

Never Me.

The promise that’s sacred
The one not forlorn
Is the one that gives guidance
Since the day they were born

From practice.

To the ones who buy dead things
I’ve got a morsel of advice
Skip the bread and wine and roses
Choose whatever’s left

Of what’s left.

Then instead of seeking baked bread
And a sip of soured wine
Choose instead to find the morsels
Of the man they left behind

If you practice what he fed you
then in no time you will see
All that stuff that you've been eating
Is the source of misery

You see, my friend,
They left some bread crumbs
Of the man they feared the most
The man they kneaded into

Jesus Christ

The Holy Host

Just remember while you’re shopping
And you’re skipping all with glee
You’re a leaf upon the life tree
And the marketplace ain't wee

If you're thirsty for some lighting
Or a glass of wise advice
Just stop by the little cafe
Where the service is quite nice

It's in the Garden

Through the door

If you join up for the program
For frequent visits and the like
Then you soon become rewarded
with a chunk of pure delight

Once you've fed upon this morsel
You will never have a need
To go shopping in the forest
Or to chew upon the weeds

That's the top and best award there
And I know that they won't mind
If I share it with you right here
For it's wisdom is divine

You must steep the wisdom giv'n here
For it's knowledge to impart
Within’s the Tea and sparkling Me
You are the Chalice

Made for thee.

If there’s one thing to remember
From this story’s moral plea
Is the tiny, little detail
They removed the single key

Without the key to get to Eden
They can charge all kinds of fees
But for those who find the right door
Just a knock, not even “please”

The final message of this tidbit
Of these words from well-steeped Tea
Is to share the simple message
Of the man from Galilee

What this man told his disciples
Gathered round him on the eve
What you take and eat and drink from Me
Is absolutely

Free.

Remake

In the hallows of my soul
In the depths of contemplation
Is a beauty to behold
Of no compare
No reservation

In the beauty of my being
In the hall of endless seeing
Is an echo made of light
A vibrant voice
A beam of white

In the baptistry that gleams
In the bath of myriad dreams
Is divinely limitless grace
Spreading shine
To infinite space

In the shine of grace and love
In the breathless voice above
Wondrous beauty born of faith!

I am released.

Forgiven.

Remade!

to dance in the rain

to dance in the rain
is to reign in the dance
of droplets of stardust
within the expanse

the droplets they tickle
they're warm to the touch
they drip from the heart
there's never too much

the rain it falls gently
sometimes it can pound
the beating of love
is where droplets are found

above in the meadow
bright lit from the sun
the rain it has stopped there
but within never done

So whether it's cloudy
or a bright sunny day
I can always go dancing
with the stardust at play

Writer's Block

Go out on your own!
How far can you go?
Then come back to Me,
And then it will flow.

Where to start?

Where to go?

Then, just as now,
and now, just as then,
You've always been blessed
with the gift of the pen.

And the Word.

And the Den.

But now, just as then,
And then, just as now,
You'll fail to proceed
You've not got the know how.

So you think.

You believe!

It’s fear that confounds you,
Trepidatious delight!
It brings forth the shadow,
Illumination de-light.

Obstructions!

They're blight.

The trouble's within you,
The flow, it's amiss.
The fear is the fractal,
The light gets remissed.

Ignored and

Dismissed.

Examine the options,
Consider them well.
When Love is unshadowed,
No fear there can dwell.

It’s gone and

Farewell!

And now that you know,
What’s the problem, the gist,
Find a tree in a meadow,
Settle down for some bliss.

A bathing.

A kiss.

And, then, when you're ready,
To let the Word flow,
Dismiss all your worry,
Relax, let it go.

Let it go.

Let it go.

Go down to the Cellar.
Go down to the Den.
Go down to the Pool.
The One deep within.

In the Now.

Not then.

In the glow that you find there,
In the pool liquid white,
Immersed in the glimmer,
You'll cease to have fright.

Pure Love and

Pure Light!

Down below in the shadows,
Underneath the great tree,
Find the silvery-haired gent,
With the eyes full of glee

Sitting down.

Sipping tea.

And then when you're ready,
To hear him sincere,
He'll speak with a rhythm,
With a tempo that's clear.

Hear the Word,

No fear.

He'll tell you a story.
A tale he will wend.
It's told as a poem,
From the start to the end.

Just hear here.

No pens!

And then when you're ready,
To write what you will,
Bring some ink and a book,
with some pages to fill

And some time.

Now 'til ________?

And then when you're ready,
To write what you will,
Be still in the meadow,
and let the words spill,

From the Light.

To the quill.