.


Within the glow of candled flame
Sparkling mists of heaven’s sun
Comes now washing down on me
This love which pours my only one

On corners of a filtered sky
With clouds that disappear on sight
Beneath the greenest valley’s flow
Painted soft within its light

I gaze towards horizon’s crown
Patches of a rainbow’s place
Colors fill the distant dance
Of smiles seen upon my face

Shimmering the ripples bare
A picture filled with happiness
Along the wooded crest I see
A beauty of the mind’s confess

For this is love I know it’s true
To hear these whispers oh so fine
Affection fills the twilight sky
Forever neath a moonbeam shine

This heart which beats a mile long
Down winding walks of lavender
So deep the shadows fill the void
Of dreams that nightly do occur

So on this a day of lover’s song
A promise rings forever true
For this is not a paper heart
But endless love from me to you

Silent Staunch The Sentry Stands
Guarding Graves of Grassy Fields
and Yesterday Afternoons
A Small Boy playing all the Men not in His Life
Forgetting Strife and Daily Deeds
Zones and Bonding, Contract Bidding
A Small Boy, still not too Old
The Cross Street Jungle Bought and Sold
and all thats left.....
Silent Staunch the Sentry Stands
Guarding Graves of Grassy Fields
and Yesterday Afternoons
................JMF 1968

What load has us braying?
We toil. Work for meals,
Clothes and housing,
Cars and holidays.
The celebrations of our lives
In our American
Middle-class struggle.

Is it the price of gas,
Steak or beer.
My lawn could use
More watering.
The streets are clean,
And the plow just
Filled in my drive.
The copper-plated coffin
Had me cry;
The kids left for school
Without saying good-bye.
And it took way too long
For the shower to heat up.
No?
Perhaps we should clam-up.
Count our blessings,
Add them up.
Then subtract Iraq.

On the porch,
Our star hung high above us,
The flowers bloomed,
Trees wiped away sleep from their branches
I remembered the frost on my bones,
Floating candles of fireflies,
Laughter in the breeze,
And the rain dripping from the shingles

The purpose of this day
Will be to own each second
As if it will never come again

For the time is now

Tomorrows clocks has stopped
Yesterdays clocks erased
Today's clocks are still moving

For the time is now

Do not let the ticks slip away
Tuck them into your present
Take a deep breathe

For the time is now

Silken Tongue Poets eschew the Pedantic
Masters of Imagination Create Fantastic
Poets of Masterly Craft and Imagery
Like Don Bouchard, Joe Cole and Me
Wolf spirit aka quinfinn also added in
These poets and More, will Proclaim
That Mastery of Imagination Can Reign
Tales will be told, of times of Old
Poets will take you to Magical Places
Among the treasures you will find Gold
Poetesses will spin tales of Love and Woe
And you might even meet a UFO
Poets will Stumble From Irish Pubs
For Deeds of Valantry Knights be Dubbed
Or Stars May Fall from the Universe
The Craft and Mastery will be diverse
So this is your invitation to our World of Creation
By Artisans of the Craft and the Masters of Imagination,

A  Collection for the Masters of Imagination,
The True Craftsmen of the Arts.
Come see where Imagination Shines...Shamus

The came down from their misty mountain hold
Short of stature but oh so bold
Helms of beaten iron on their heads
Belts of gold on girded waist
Sword Axe and hammer, the tools of war
Oaken shields also worn
They came to beard the dragon in his lair
Bring rescue to a maiden fair
Held in fear against her will
In that rancid caven deep in the hill
Each warrior knew of the danger faced
But would not retreat as coward disgraced
When the searing flame of hell released
Would burn the hair and singe the face
For these were warriors of a race so old
They the dwarves from the misty mountain holds

i see him there every day
he always watches me
the town people call him stray
he calls himself free

"there's big fish under this bridge"
he points to a submerged stone
"that's where the whale lives"
I cast my line toward it's home

the old man smiled and watched me cast
idle hands and vicarious eyes
"don't try to set the hook too fast"
"this whale is really wise"

my line went tight, i felt the pull
i yanked with all my might
too hard headed to follow the rule
'let him take a big ole bite"

i threw my pole, and fell in the water
the old man only laughed
he said "look on the bright side"
"at least you got a bath"

(his smile made the water shimmer brighter
his laughter sang with the birds...)

"i'll be back soon to claim my prize
with a heavier pole and line
for me to catch a whale that size
it's going to take a lot of time"

now when i see the old man
we talk of the ones that got away
his wife, his kids, his life
and the fish i lost that day