Safety 

His soul hides

Deep within old leather covers 

Safe upon the shelf 

Sometimes pulled down 

Blowing dust free 

Forgotten poems read 

In the fading light 

Of dusk 

Lessons I Learned About Deserts This Winter

Seattle’s winter taught me something new: deserts hate me. In the deepest cold of February, as the upper left coast shivered in a frigid, deeply embrace, my skin burned. Cracking, peeling, bleeding, the lack of moisture in the air brutalized me. Far more painful that I remember.

Over the years I dreamt of journeys through the Southwest. Wandering the desert canyons, a soundtrack featuring R. Carlos Nakai, perhaps tied to a writer’s retreat, I explore the zen within the arid land. Tranquility filling my soul.

Now I fear my skin crumbling off my bones. Needing to bathe in moisturizer. Not the most pleasant imagery.

Perhaps my mind exaggerates. It often plays such tricks on me. The dream still lingers. No harm, I guess, in holding that. Maybe the tranquility compensates for the damaged skin.

Such randomness within in my mind.

Unfamiliar with R. Carlos Nakai’s music? His native flute music carries me deep within, speaking to my depths.

 

The Paradigm of Rage

I reject the paradigm of rage 

Replacing that with kindness 

Seeking all the world’s beauty 

Then magnify it all 

To those who brag about their generosity 

The louder you shout 

Boldly proclaimed

“Generosity”

The more clearly I see the

Deception within your heart 

Wednesday Morning Haiku 

At the week’s middle 

My alarm’s song is calling 

I love the snooze bar 

A meditation on brokenness

Am I more broken?

How does one compare such things?

I can hear the rain