HUNGRY FOR A DAY

I went in for a minor surgery- something you have when you’re old and grey

which meant I had to fast…which meant I was hungry for a day.

For two days I went without eating…from early morning until the night… 

By the second day my stomach hurt I was irritable…

trust me…it was not a pretty sight.

But when the surgery was over…when I came out from the anesthesia…then

the first thing that I did…was to go and eat again.

On the way home we stopped art McDonalds…and my heart began to ache

as I was stuffing my face with French fries…dipped in a creamy vanilla shake.

I was hungry for a short while..then my hunger went away

but what about the people out there who are hungry every day.

41 million people in America including 11 million children by the way

aren’t hungry for a little while…they are hungry every day.

What kind of country are we if we can’t find a way

to feed those 41 million people who are hungry every day?

So I decided to put my money where my mouth is…and I donated today

to an organization that helps fight hunger each and every day.

I’m not sure how much good it will do…but when the day is done

I’ll be glad if out of the 41 million people…I have helped feed one.

Glad to do my part to help…if even a little bit

For people who are being punished…for a crime they didn’t commit.

For our society will ultimately be judged on how we intercede 

on behalf of our children, our elderly, our sick, our handicapped and 

all of those in need.

And wouldn’t it be great to be judged, at least in part, on how we found a way

for no one to go to bed hungry…even for a day.

IF OUR SHADOWS COULD ONLY TALK

We stopped to let them walk by us…an old woman leading and old man

She was apologetic.  She said, “Forgive us…we’re moving as fast as we can.”

She said,  “you wouldn’t know to see him now”

her face grew sad and long

“but in his day he was big and tall…intelligent and strong.”

She said he was a lawyer…here a smile crossed her face…

and I don’t think in all his life…he ever lost a case.”

She said, “I was a full-time wife and mother. 

I was once young and lean and fit.

Together we raised four children…

and I loved every minute of it.

“I also loved to sing and dance and, if the truth be known,

I didn’t always dance with him…sometimes I’d dance alone.”

She smiled at the two of us…a smile both friendly and kind

and I noticed as they passed us 

how their shadows walked obediently behind.

And I observed as they walked away…

and to each other’s arms they clung

how their shadows didn’t show the ravages of age…

how their shadows seemed so young…

And I thought wouldn’t it be great if as we all grow older

and begin to walk a little more erratically 

if our shadows kept showing silhouettes 

of all people we used to be.

How wonderful to be followed by a movie of our life

played out in shadows for all to see…

So people would know not just the old person walking in front of them…

but to all the persons we used to be.

HOW COULD YOU?

Everyone who was still alive...

on Earth…

that final day...

Turned their eyes up to the sky...

and to their Gods...did pray.

“Oh God!” they asked, “How could you...

condemn us to such a fate?”

“You condemned yourselves!” their Gods replied...

“When you turned our love...to hate.”

“We gave you every opportunity

every chance 

to turn your hate to love.”

These were the final words anyone would hear

as darkness fell from up above.

CELEBRATING FAMILY

Our family loves to get together to celebrate birthdays 

which, as everybody knows

is harder and harder to do each year…

as the family grows.

When you look at this year’s family photo…

you’ll notice masks (no hugging or kissing)

but what’s even more apparent 

are the family members who are missing.

Not everyone could be here this month to help us celebrate

Three are working in a different city and two are out of state.

But the great thing about this photo is…

when I focus…when I stare

I can see all five of them in the picture…

all five of them…standing there.

It seems whenever we take a family photo…

in whatever place we’ve been…

If there is someone missing at that moment…

my memory photo shops them in.

In fact if I look even closer…

I’m amazed at the family my memory adds…

I see Deborah’s parents standing there 

next to my Mom and Dad.

For that is the beauty of family…

if members have departed…

or are spread out across the map

our memory comes to the rescue 

by filling in the gaps.

In this year’s photo I see generations of our families…

smiling…alive…awake….

Luckily they were here just here for the picture…

because…we didn’t make enough cake!

ON THE SHOULDERS OF AUTHORS

It hasn’t been all bad…this quarantine we’ve been on

For instance I can’t believe some of the wonders I have seen 

and the places I have gone.

No, I haven’t actually been anywhere, of course, that would be wrong…

but luckily I have the shoulders of authors who let me ride along….

Yesterday wearing a hat and pipe and my requisite wisdom and grace

I was with Dr. Watson in England helping Sherlock solve a case.

Today I’m riding a noble steed…and it’s anybody’s guess…

Will I be slaying a dragon…

guarding a king…

or saving a damsel in distress?

Tomorrow I may wrest victory from the edges of my doom

I may storm a castle gate…or open a Pharaoh’s tomb.

Or I could be the captain of a submarine…

20,000 leagues under the sea

I could be a prince, a king, a wizard…

I can only imagine the hero I might be…

I might climb a beanstalk…or finally learn how to cook

for there are no limits to what I may discover…

within the pages of a book.

So when I can’t go anywhere…but my urge to travel is strong…

thank goodness there are authors who let me ride along…

Thank goodness there are authors who in this time of gloom…

will take me any place I want to go…from the comfort of my room.

WE COULD CALL IT PEACE

We are awash in a world of colors…reds, greens, yellows…blues.

Each color is unique…

each with its own distinctive hue.

And by themselves they are quite beautiful…

when we see one we’re transfixed

but we can’t deny the beauty once the colors have been mixed.

When the sky is blue it is beautiful…it’s a pleasure to our eyes

but what a beautiful mix the colors make as the sun’s about to rise.

Or when the sun begins to set in the days evanescent light

and the colors synthesize harmoniously…as they usher in the night.

And there must be a heavenly reason…

after the darkest storms in a sky overflowing with rain

a rainbow arching across the sky is the mix of colors that remains.

Sunrises, sunsets, rainbows have proven…they have shown

that each contains a beauty…creating a color of their own.

Which leads some of us to wonder…

and others of us to muse

Doesn’t the beauty they possess arise from the mixture of their hues?

What if we saw each other as a mix of colors

no matter the day or night

a beautiful blend of colors…instead of just black, yellow, red or white

Would that alter the way we feel?

Would our love and acceptance of each other increase?

If we could see each other as a blend of colors…

We could call that color…Peace

THE CHILD SHE NEVER OUTGREW

He loves her beauty, her intelligence, 

he loves her kindness too

but he also loves her innocence…

the child she never outgrew.

The child who gives her life its unique perspective

her wonderfully innocent point of view.

The child who, no matter how old she gets,

makes everything seems new.

The child who, the other day, 

stopped right in front of him.

to watch with all her concentration…

a leaf fall from a limb.

The child who sighed as it cascaded down

who watched until its tumble was complete.

The child whose smile lit up her face

as it landed softly at her feet.

The child who grinned when he said to her

“I don’t know why you’re so enthralled.

In all the years we’ve been together

you’ve seen an abundance of leaves fall”.

“Yes, I’ve seen a lot of leaves fall

in this wonderful life we’ve led.”

Then reaching down she gently picked it up,

“But not this one!” she said.

And once again he felt blessed to be in love

with someone who’s every moment is brand new

and to share in all those moments

with the child she never outgrew.

STILL THE RICHEST MAN IN TOWN

I had this dream while growing up…that I’d be a millionaire

l’d live in a beautiful house, drive a fancy car…there’d be money everywhere.

I’d float through a life of happiness…I’d seldom wear a frown.

I’d have no reason to be sad because…I’d be the richest man in town.

It’s funny how life sometimes has other plans…how different dreams unfold

when on a teacher’s salary, now with a family…I put my initial dream on hold.

There were mouths to feed and bills to pay…facts I couldn’t deny

Now I dreamed of health and happiness with enough money to get by.

Yes, growing up I had this dream…as many young people do

but I never dreamed I could be happy if a different dream came true. 

My dream house isn’t as big nor my dream car quite as fancy…

but I found I do not care

I have a beautiful wife, a wonderful family…I have joy and love everywhere.

I’d like to tell you the exact moment when it happened…but I don’t think I can…

when the young boy’s dreams from long ago gave way to the new dreams of the man.

But this new dream I am living…I’ll be the first one to concede

has allowed me to float through a happy life…with everything  I need.

Which is why, after all these years…I seldom wear a frown…

because somehow, even though a different dream came true…

I’m still the richest man in town.

I SAW MY DAD TODAY

I saw my dad the other day…it was on my morning walk

He was standing underneath a tree…and so I stopped to talk

I said, “Dad what are you doing here?” as I leaned against the tree

He said,”what I do every day around this time…”

He was checking up on me.

“But I walk this route every day,” I said, “and I never see you underneath this tree.”

Hs said just because I don’t see him doesn’t mean he doesn’t see me.

But you’ve been gone so long I cried…so many years I’ve been on my own

He smiled touched my shoulder and said, “Son, you’ve never been alone.”

And so we talked a while…it was the best conversation we ever had

and when it was time to leave I said, “It was great to see you, Dad”.

I smiled at him and just before he faded from my view

he smiled back then answered, “It was great to see you too.”

And now ever morning on my walk…I smile as I pass that tree

at the gentle reminder that wherever I go…Dad is looking out for me.

HOW DO YOU KNOW

One day a son came to his father saying,

“Father, there’s something I’ve been thinking of…

How do you know you’ve found the one you’ve been looking for?

How do yo know when it’s love?”

“I asked your grandfather this same question.” His father said.

“hen I was no older than you…

and the answer he gave to me that day

is the answer I now share with you”.

“When saying her name makes you smile.

When that smile lasts all the day long.

When the sound of her voice is music to your ears

When her words become your love songs.”

“When you realize her hopes and her dreams

and your hopes and dreams are the same.”

When the sun and the clouds and the moon remind you of her

when the wind and breeze echo her name.

Or:

When saying his name makes you smile

When that smile lasts all the day long…

When the sound of his voice is music to your ears

When his words become your love songs.

When you realize his hopes and his dreams

and your hopes and dreams are the same…

When the sun and the clouds and the moon remind you of him

when the wind and breeze echo his name.

And there came a day when the father sighed

as he looked out his window and grinned

for he noticed the smile on his son’s face

as he was turning his ears to the wind.

SHADOWS

I wonder if our creators were trying to teach us about love…

when, even though we all have a different name,

a different sex, sexual preference and religion,

they created all of our shadows the same

I wonder if they were trying to teach us about acceptance

(an acceptance many of us still lack)

when, as they shine their light from up above,

they created all of our shadows black.

SHE TAKES PRIDE IN HER HEROES

As far back as she can remember…whenever her memories stir…

her heroes came from the pages of children’s books her dads would read to her.

When they read about knights in shining armor…about heroes brave and wise

about feats of strength and courage…she would listen…mesmerized.

When she grew a little older her heroes also grew

they transformed as she did…as heroes often do.

Yet she found as her heroes changed over time

into new champions…new Galahad’s

the traits she admired in her heroes…

were the same traits she admired in her dads.

She found of all the heroes she admired…

all her heroes big and small

the most important heroes in her life…never changed at all.

They were the two men who read her children’s books…

the ones she still can’t wait to see

the ones who taught her everything

about what heroes ought to be.

And they are still her heroes…

her champions…her Galahads

and she is proud to call them heroes

but she prefers too call them dads.

135 YEARS AND STILL HOPING

135 YEARS AND STILL HOPING

She arrived in New York Harbor…June 17, 1885 

after sailing across the sea.

She came to us in pieces…

our Statue Of Liberty.

She now stands in that same harbor 

representing the hopes and dreams of people who just want to be free…

people who want to be treated as equals…

our Statue of Liberty.

And she reminds us how not one of us is truly free…

until all of us are free

perhaps this is the year we’ll heed the message

of our Statue of Liberty.

AT THE TOP

I was walking by a tree the other day…composing poems inside my head

when a breeze blew the tree’s branches open wide, “Would you like to climb? He said.

When I was a child I’d run right in and climb to the top…no fears

but I am so much older now…I haven’t climbed a tree in years.

“What if I’m not able?” I said…“What if I can’t remember how?”

The tree smiled, “I didn’t let you fall when you were young…

I won’t let you fall now”.

I looked up to the top of the tree remembering how I once soared…

and when he extended a branch to the ground…I happily climbed aboard.

I began to climb with all my might…I made it to a branch unscarred

I don’t remember when I was younger…that climbing was this hard.

I took my time on this climb…making frequent stops

before, with the tree’s branches offering support…I finally made it to the top.

I stood on a branch to catch my breath…a little tired but satisfied too

and as I swayed back and forth with the tree in the breeze…

I looked out and enjoyed the view.

As I held on to the top of the tree…I whispered in his ear…

“Thank you…for I had almost forgotten how beautiful it is up here”.

For a moment from my perch…I don’t think more happiness could be found

and I thanked the tree again as he helped me to the ground.

If today a tree opens it’s branches and asks if you’d like to climb…

climb up…climb up…don’t stop.

and don’t be surprised if there’s a smiling old man

waiting for you at the top.

HIS GIFT

He left me this old wooden ladder...rickety...and patched...

and on it, twisting in the breeze, he left this note attached:

“When you were young you used this ladder to touch the sun

to kiss the clouds creating the snowflakes that fell to Earth in June

and do you remember how you use to smile

when you’d climb this ladder…to the moon?

When you soared with the birds high in the sky…

do you remember all the wonders you could see

as you rode a fire-breathing dragon…

or had a conversation with a tree...’ 

‘Your imagination is a gift,’ the note went on to say

Feed it, nurse it, nurture it,…‘cherish it everyday’.

I still use that rickety old ladder 

And oh what wonders I still see

When I ride that fire-breathing dragon

or have my conversations with the trees...’ 

When I climb way up to touch the sun

when I kiss the clouds creating snowflakes that fall in June…

and I imagine he is up there smiling…

every time

I climb my ladder to the moon.

SILVER LINING

We’re almost halfway through the worst year of our lives 

It’s been tragic, sorrowful…confining..

but what if, in this myriad of catastrophes…there is a silver lining.

How can there be a silver lining you ask when our country stands divided,

when each side is convinced the other side is the side who is misguided?

What if as we watch our world come tumbling down…

as life as we know it seems to shatter…

What if this is the year when we decide black lives truly matter?

What if this is the year we finally bid oppression and prejudice adieu

and understand everyone is equal

everyone…

every me and every you?  

What if this is the year across all people we see humanity increasing?

What if this is the year we begin to uncover a new way of policing?

What if this is the year we realize how all lives and our planet interweave

and accept that everyone has the right to choose in whatever God they may believe?

What if this is the year we realize the importance of our family and friends

and how we’re not meant to be divided…we are put on Earth to blend.

What if this is the year we start being human…to every human being?

What if churches, synagogues and mosques are the only places we are kneeing?

What if after watching all these tragedies that have unfurled

we decide to get together…and build a better world?

An improved world…a world where we fix everything we’ve done wrong.

A world that’s wholly based on love…where everyone belongs…

A world where we finally begin to comprehend…to see…to understand…

our ultimate survival depends on how gently we treat our land.

What if this new world we build beguiles, enchants…enthralls?

Then what began as the worst year we could ever imagine

could end up as the best year of them all

FOR A LITTLE WHILE

When you look around at life and see tragedy and despair

and no matter how you try…you cannot make things fair

Sometimes the best that you can hope for when the day is done

is to balance all the sorrow with a little laughter…a little fun.

So to escape the sadness that surrounds us…at least for a little while

we paddled our kayaks to an island to find some things to make us smile.

For when we’re feeling sorrow and frustration with the ball in mankind’s court 

we find it helps to to get away…and turn to nature for support.

So let me offer up some balance…at least for a little while

By sharing some of what we saw…some of the things that made us smile.

We got to the water early as the sun was about to rise…

and once we started paddling we couldn’t believe our eyes.

For not only was she announcing the beginning of a brand new day

but her light across the water helped to guide us on our way.

The water was calm and salty…the panorama wide…

our kayaks on the undulating waves seemed like a magic carpet ride.

When we reached the island we dispensed with the water shoes we wore

so we could feel the sand between our toes as we walked along the shore.

We shared our walk with sandpipers, and herons and seagulls in the sky

and as we searched the shore for shells…a stingray who swam by.

The sun was warm, the breeze was cool…the water…refreshingly mild

and once when I looked back though I can’t be sure… think our shadows smiled.

For a little while we only thought of the ocean, the animals and the land

For a little while it was enough…to make footprints in the sand…

As we returned to shore we thanked nature for presenting things to make us smile…

and for providing us a place to get away…

at least for a little while.