Strength

Strength should not be measured
by weight or appearance
nor by how much we withstand

Strength is more
knowing full well
what lies ahead
experiencing the disasters
of the world
listening to the words
spoken against you
And standing in the midst
feet planted
into the concrete
raising your gaze
from the ground

To see what is ahead
to see what is good

That takes strength

Death of Moammar Gadhafi

I was so struck and intrigued by the images I saw of people lining up to see Moammar Gadhafi's body in Libya, so I decided to put myself in the line and try to feel what these people might have been feeling.

Death of Moammar Gadhafi

Standing body to body

in a line of hundreds

maybe thousands

curved and legged like a caterpillar

slowly stepping

one limb at a time

toward a victory, a reward

to prey upon

We are victims and now we victimize him

to take our place

to take our scars

If only we could see his lifeless, bruised body

then we could feel free

In line, we wait anxiously

for death to turn into life

Words

Here are two poems about the lovely topic of words. Enjoy!

1.

Words: I love and hate

For they hold power over me

to encourage and to destroy

to bring greatest joy

and to give greatest hate

tugging me onto either podium

happiness or hatred

I have given words this value

by putting them on such a level

that they define and evaluate

too much, of what is my value

2.

Words so many days

are too much

on our tongue, clinging to minds

that won't let them free

Is it just me or

do some words lodge into our being

while others float by

uninvited and unnoticed

Who determines what

we will remember

what stabs our ignorance and

what we say that's never heard

Maybe it's clearer

when we turn off our mouths

and find the words that fell away

Seasons

I looked up and saw what had fallen upon us

In the changing of trees

The saturated colors of death

So many days we carried the heat

On the sweat beads of our backs

Waiting for wind’s relief

And so many steps I wanted to go back

To where I was before the seasons

Ran so quickly and left me behind

But the words of the wise lifted my arms

And pushed my heart in front

Leading blindly but forward

And now my tired eyes awaken

To how nature works its ways

And births something more beautiful than pain

The thing about band boys is...

I just found this poem that I wrote quite a few years ago about boys in bands. Enjoy!

The thing about band boys is...

They are fun to look at but not to date

Their music is great, but they’re always late

Their hair is cool, and they’re style sweet but somehow they manage to hit on every girl they meet

Sure they’ll write you on myspace but never call

Their life is going great unless their band takes a fall

You come to see their shows, but they don’t care

You’re a small concern compared to what they’ll wear

They’re poor as dirt and sometimes they smell

And rarely do they ever come out of their “I’m a rock star” shell

After the tours have ended and the music stops

You finally see that band boys don’t really rock

Fruit of the Earth

Taste this sweet red plum

And let its juice run

Down your young, fair face

‘Til you feel joy come.

Peel a peach with teeth

Like a shark to prey.

Eat ‘til there is bone

And your skin smells sweet.

Crunch a ripe pear slice

‘Tween stone-hard white teeth

And bite through its shell

To find what is nice.

Take fruit off the tree

Each day and be free.

(Un)organized

I hope I'm more than

just your to-do list

Spouting, spitting and spinning

with appointments

May you see past the lists

and into my (un)organized heart