Category Archives: Photography

December 3, 2012 · 5:48 am

Chapel

Chapel

Steel gray stare,
slunk into the second pew from front,
cold gray skin, gray coat too,
collapsed in disbelief, full slump.

Painful hush of vaulted ceiling,
a breathing, heaving soundless rhythm
silenced by creaking of old pews seeking
another passion gestured hymn.

Golden glow of ancient woods,
framed square to arch kept heights
bathed in shapes of cornice,
hold thereby, chapel ceiling lights

that fold white beams of reflected sun,
break shades of burgundy and amber,
where brilliant smile of brass and gold
defines a humble servant’s candor,

relaxes heart when pains are sold
or drawn toward the highest bitter…
so cry a stale and stupored gray,
to warm a lifetime’s winter.

If there within, such peace be found
where gray despondent days can mend
a frozen soul’s indentured fate,
then rebuild the strength to live again.
chapel d
chapel b
chapel e

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November 28, 2012 · 1:57 am

Faithful Follower

Homer

Smile deep and dimples showing,
he is my dog, my best friend true…
In leaps and bounds twixt autumn’s grasses,
his honesty and love shows through!

At pond’s edge reeds he steps and nuzzles,
looking for a scent to chase,
then up again with tail a waggin’
brings life’s true smile upon my face.

He waits beside me, never falters,
while fingers write and smoke drifts on…
My faithful follower, my true companion,
he brings the harmony to this October song.

And now that cigar is burning fingers,
I’ll turn to him with anxious eyes,
“where now” his thoughtful smile will answer,
towards home we’ll walk, ‘neath autumn’s sky.

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November 12, 2012 · 12:23 am

England 1941 (Veteran’s Day Tribute)

England 1941

By pond’s still quiet,
November found
‘neath blackened trees
and leaves of brown,
that chime through winds,
season’s decay
rustle the drying grasses to say
or whisper their seed tossed song.
Where prayer is heard
in sweetest words,
bless offspring’s journey,
brave, yet long…

Reeds, by pond’s edge, do blush
with naked stalks and seeds that flush
this breeze with passers by.
Where clouds of grey and white on blue
hang low, and brooding up the view
soften this season’s sigh…

Now above my head a thunder rises,
behind a cloud on blue, surprises
peace with a warring sound.
Two birds of war, in roaring chase,
bend wing on wing around the face
of the grey insipidous cloud.
There turn and twist by engine’s roar,
dive and stretch to fight for one more
breath, or one more shroud…

These two alone in November’s sky
bring anxious thoughts that recall why
I’m sitting here
amidst this November’s season.
Where God’s inspired this nature’s reason,
so disturbed by mankind’s cry
to peace and conquest, home and faith,
for loved one’s whose lives we face
this terror from the sky.
Where wisps of clouds become our means
to face the birds of war in seams
where their anger waits and hides.

These two on wooded edge, now slowly
chase, evade, and roar past lowly
dancing o’er the distant shore.
Yellow blasts and glints of sun
as black unfurls and spirals run
above to yonder clouds.
Where now the victor soars to heights
while in defeat and smoke the fight
twists slowly at the horizon,
and ends in forest’s shroud.

Tomorrow, I may be so blessed,
to rise to clouds of height and best
the anger of this season.
My bird and I pray for reason
to see us through.
There seek another autumn’s day,
and in it offer thanks and pray
my soul comes back to you.

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November 9, 2012 · 10:42 pm

Bells of War

Clouds of war
loom to the east,
reflecting sun’s horizon
of deepest setting’s,
rose and peach.
Be it blood tomorrow,
or garden’s rising?

Surreal, the silence of this dusk,
hangs on the clouds of night’s foreboding,
clings its matter to my mind,
start memories’ work, noting
the tortured gray
of seasons past,
where men lie dead
in fields of grass,
while clouds of cannon smoke hang sighing,
weep to their young spent souls,
and beckon fast their rising.

In clamor, fall the hoof-steps
of wagons hearsed and calling
to stack the flesh, and there return
these bodies, to the bawling
eyes and hearts of loves
whose secret fear’s now summoned,
and in the wake of dead, leave tears
in sorrowed river’s running.

In distant air the sounds are heard
that confound the very reason
of men entrenched, and fighting still
beyond this deathfield’s treason.
The dogs of war, beyond it all,
hounds in chase, instinctual service
draw the hoofs and wagons on,
to serve this warring’s purpose.

In setting sun of future days,
our hearts will cry a humble phrase
that war is waste and serves just death.
And so regret the scornful ways
when tempest reigned our judgment’s tack,
in retrospect we’d like it back
and return our loved ones whole.
When regret is ours, and lessons learned
have etched the living soul,
we’ll know war serves not our purpose,
for life and love’s our role…
Yet today, the bells of war do toll.

















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November 8, 2012 · 4:00 am

Desert’s Truth

Spirit’s heart at horizon’s length,
‘neath azure skies that strike the sound
of echoed desert silence,
does rise in rhythm, call in strength
to speak no lies and bless the ground
with feet so drummed, no violence.

Expanse of land and eagle’s call,
draws canyon’s echo above, below,
so still the morning air –
plunge to valley’s depth in fall,
feather swept in roll to show
the fabric of all living there.

Yet great expanse, by nature’s hand,
grounds the very soul of me –
blends me insignificant,
yet carries tall the truth I see.
This balance here, all I’ve sought.

This fabric found in passion’s tones,
bleaching red and grey in sum,
culling canyon’s echoed heart
and where imaginations run,
so in holds this lesson taught –

“We stand amidst these finer things
of nature’s truth and simple love.
We, but moment’s beating heart
to draw it in and rise above.
We, in soulful duty and
in balance of this nature’s law.
We, by granted stewardship
must echo truth here gathered, all!
So live each moment’s truth
in balance and in honesty
of what this desert gives as proof
and what we know of ‘we’!”








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October 27, 2012 · 2:22 am

Heaven’s Door

Heaven’s Door


At fleeting moment’s grasp,
the heavens beckoned, opened hasp
and brought me clear unto this day –

Rose and amber shadowed,
pulling on my heart beat’s hollowed
echo through the blue and grey –

And there I stood in awe –
Caught twixt heaven and earth I saw
the very face of God!
As whispered soft, his thoughts struck true
this flawed and tiny man, I knew
I’d stumbled into Heaven!

As quickly as I realized thought
and questions formed with answers sought
a grin and sparkled eye beheld me –
Set my mind back to my place,
relieved the worry on my face
and laughed, “this could be Heaven that you see…”

With fleeting moment’s heart beat gone,
I found myself upon the lawn
beneath a summer’s thunderstorm –
Where twixt the booms and flashing light,
rose doorway’d clouds held fast my sight,
and the rain began to pour…

“There stumbled I on Heaven’s door?”

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October 26, 2012 · 5:53 am

Soldier’s Prayer

In the Field –

I’ve joined the fight to do what’s right
in aid of land and liberty.
I’ve stood my soul from head to toe
to fight as men who’re free,
Through mountains insurmountable
and trials that no man should know,
I hold my creed to do what’s right
that through it all this truth will show –

“God bless the loved ones of my home,
relieve their worry and their fear.
Grant them peace in knowing
that we fight as free men here.

Protect my brothers beside me,
bless their step that they’ll not fall.
Grant compassion’s wisdom,
that they’ll do right when anger calls.

Find me in your vision,
grant me strength when I’m alone.
Guide my hand with wisdom
that I may carry truth back home.

Forgive injustice when it’s played,
grant me strength to forgive in same,
that if You call for me here,
honor may embrace my name.
– Amen”

Those at Home –

They joined the fight to do what’s right
for peace and liberty.
Tall they stand, hand in hand
to represent all men who’re free.
Through trials unimaginable
and fears I know I’ll never know,
I know they hold their creed as truth
and through their actions honor shows.

“God bless our soldiers far from home,
comfort their worry and their fear.
Grant them peace in knowing
that we hold them close, we hold them dear.

Protect the men beside them,
guide each step, one and all.
Grant compassion’s wisdom
that unjust anger never calls.

Keep them in your vision, Lord,
hold them close when they’re alone.
Guide their path with wisdom
that together they may return to home.

Grant their hearts forgiveness
when injustice makes its claim.
Watch over them, protect them –
This I ask in your good name
– Amen”

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October 25, 2012 · 3:53 am

Evening Chair

a self portrait

Quiet corner, quite room,
evening folds around me –
shadows blur to unseen gloom
misshaping all to “could be” –

Bookcase cast in softened light
hinting names in titles worn –
desk and paintings fade from sight
as I set back to purpose born –

How this quiet has me held,
enamored so, I have fell
to count the details calling…

This house in hush and breathing
counts odd seconds as they fall,
that as the smoke from fingers rolls
its dance is timed to ticked-tock heaving,
and there my attention’s called –

Burns and Poe and Rupert Brooke
mingle with the Malbec here,
that fills my glass and so my mind,
and rests in heap beside my chair –

I sit without a care –
to watch what’s left of evening’s din.
I sit to grasp each moment,
pained and slow and let each in –

Silent corner, silent gloom,
my world enfolds around me –
my conscious darkened to this room,
awakens all that could be!

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October 19, 2012 · 12:43 am

Old Books


Spines aligned across the wall,
titles pressed as great names call
to mix my mind within…

Some of fiction, some of fact,
some that capture heroic acts,
and some to just dwell in…

The musk of age is held in those
whose dogears came from those who chose
to feel each written line…

That when I read again each page,
the now’s removed and so my age
draws even with the time…

When hands since passed and eyes long dry
embraced the words as now do I,
through written word return to life
and share with me in kind…


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October 18, 2012 · 2:54 am

All Hallows Eve

Sit still beneath the full moon’s stare,
in heart of woods where few souls dare
to pause in quiet, rest and listen
to hear the babbling brook, that glistens
eerily on all hallows night,
by falling shadows and dancing light,
for sighs that come in moans and stirs,
twixt shadowed breeze and moonlight’s blur.

Sit still beside the brook and path,
and into depths of lost souls hath
ye found the opened door to death,
left ajar by those who’ve left
to join a chorus of frightful moans,
on hallows eve, they stir and roam,
to free the burden of their demise,
expose their deathly secrets, rise
from grave and headstone broken,
to seek these woods and brook’s words spoken,
that harken all lost souls to come,
release their painful burden, some.

So if thee listen close and still,
thou’ll hear the souls speak to the will
of babbling brook and forest’s moon,
bring forth their image to float and swoon
upon the forest trail,
curse the stream, haunt and wail.

Yet if the truth be strong in thee,
sit by brook and path to see…
Yet if thou heart is black with lies,
upon this path, by brook, might die!
For horror’s strong deep current runs,
where darkness kept, where souls are summed.
So hold thy truth in hand, and fast,
that thou be strong when midnight cast.
And if ye spirit strong and sure,
ye might just hear the closing door,
that creaks and moans at one a.m.,
there seal the lost souls in again!

So be careful, for once the door is closed,
if lies be thine, or truths untold,
that this door in closing might ye catch,
and behind, with souls lost, shall ye be latched!

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