poetry, prose, and photography
As I’m want to do, and have received a modicum of fame for, let me start with a haiku:
Such a simple phrase:
“Anything Worthwhile Takes Time”
Not the common view
I’ve long followed Ms. Millman: somewhere around 7-8 years. A long time. And, considering the modern view of time, a VERY long time. Lot’s changed over that time. Especially me. As I keep moving forward, keep learning, keep trying to be better, I become better.
My relentless mind
In perpetual motion
Sleeping’s a challenge
Awake against my will
Dreaming of dreaming
Longing for slumber
The machinery of my mind
Psychological cogs churn and spin
Whirring hum of my soul
My phone buzzes
A beautiful woman
Who I remember
In diapers
I feel joy
At the blessing
Of my simple
Witness
His death striking me
Suicide’s painful cruelty
What ate his heart so?
I learned a lot from him
Though we weren’t friends, nor had met
But that’s not the point
His show connected with me
I felt a kinship via his journeys
And deeper knowledge
His travels: unique
He went off the beaten path
A road less taken
His show; self-aware
Acknowledging some deceits
Never caught a fish
No angel was he
A comfort with his darkness
Yet not quite enough
Bourdain won Emmys
And also a Peabody
Awards can’t save us
“Everything” he had
All the pieces he held up
Yet he felt despair
His pain surfacing
After great wealth and great fame
Worse than in failure
So many faiths
Preach there’s more to our lives
Than wealth or our fame
There’s an emptiness
In this life we envision
We must be wary
As the rain had passed
This flower’s glory shines forth
And then the light shifts
A worthless feeling
Are those focused on demeaned?
Seek dignity’s path
In this morning dark
My mind’s focus telling me
My heart’s deep values
There are times that I think my priorities are “X”. I’ve learned, though, my mind’s focus when I wake tells me the deepest concerns of my heart.
What’s interesting is how often it’s not anything I give focus to during my day. Or i would expect to be secondary.
Sometimes it’s not logical, other times it’s extremely rational.
Sometimes fear, now, though, it’s not. That’s a blessing.
Bodies in motion
With the power of our minds
Martial arts’ beauty,
I’ve been studying taekwondo for several years. I’ve been a black for s could years know. I love the beauty, the strength, and grace. And,just importantly, I adore the community that is my humble school’s.
Fear is powerful
Yet only hope can transform
Cling strongly to that
It’s hard, at times, to fnd the light in the dark. Seek it out, nurture it. It is there, and will grow stronger.
Please remember why
So many giving their lives
Bird song on marble
As a young man, I was quite proud of my decision to join the Navy. No plans for great and noble sacrifice. My future was what mattered; potential, possibility. There were thoughts of glory, but not of sacrifice.
I’m sobered as I remember my youth. The naivete. The impulsiveness. The reckless spirit. The commitment to my friends. A child in so many ways, carrying amazing responsibility. I held the keys to horror. Mistakes could mean anguish and death for my friends, my crew, those I loved, and for countless innocents.
I’ve seen the face of parents who’ve lost their children. Of wives who lost their husbands. The promise of youth shattered to pieces. That leaves a horrible swath of destruction within hearts.
I consider all of this as I look upon this day and it’s symbolism. There’s so much we have yet to learn.
Carl Setzer: Word Shaper 