Juggling an ice-cream cone
In his hand
while dancing a red balloon on a string
with the other hand
The little boy clicked both heels together,
And he dashed
As fast as he could, to the top of the hill

Then he blew out a shout:
Hey, look at me,
And just look what I got!
I got a red balloon!
The world is all about!

Then a strong gust of wind
Came along with a snatched
The red balloon zoomed away
From his playful hand

The red balloon climbed
Above snow white clouds,
Clouds appeared like fluffy
Mashed potatoes
Waiting for a spoon

The red balloon soared,
as free as a bird, without a
word
Well, it decided to go to the
moon,
The red balloon shone brighter
than a silver spoon.

So, the red balloon dream
believed it could fly,
Through the air with ease, it
danced above like a Tennessee Waltz,

Hanging from a park bench or tied to
a tree, the red balloon traveled above
the castles, churches, and kings.

Well, the red balloon sailed away from the
little boy’s hand, but just around the
corner and up over the bend, you can find
a red balloon dream, in a little boy's heart.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
A great civilization flourished,
And we discovered a wonderful kaleidoscope
Of exuberant and vibrant humanity

Enchanted tones tell a story
About people made from dusk
And red clay

They blend into caravans
Of strong and beautiful faces

The royal kingdom with majesty,
Sits on the throne,
And the mighty lion with pride,
Rules its dominion

Rights, rituals, and passages
Speak of our greatness

Traditions taken from the ancients
Are the seeds planted?

As we enter the sacred place,
Paradise is never forsaken

Behold, the true Garden of Eden,
As we drink sweet water
From the Nile River

Timbuktu astronomers study the heavens

Mandingo and Zulu Warriors display
War-painted colors like
The broad plumage of a peacock

They stand gripping tall sharp spears
And poisoned arrow tips to launch,
Thus, ready for battle

Juju medicine man mixes repeated chants,
As he drifted into a spiritual dance

At daybreak,
We go down to the river flow,
And shadows rise like the moon

Hearts beat in rhythms
Like fine-tuned African drums,
And the rainy season
Stay bound to Mother Earth

At the edge of a crackling fire,
The enchanted medicine man
Delivers magic words and potions

Great powerful heavens
Lift every voice and sing,
To the sweet harmony of Africa

You are my glass
of vintage wine
and your sweetness
quenches my thirst


You are my sustenance
the daily bread that
feeds my heart, mind,
and soul


You are my illumination
radiant and burning bright,
the enlightenment
that attracts me

No more can be said
now and forever
You are my sweetness,
my light, my daily bread

One day, a poem stood at my doorstep
and I let it come in to get warm and dry
We sat by the fireplace and had a chat

We laughed and shared stories between us,  
about yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and  
Yes, it was delightful to get a chuckle or two.  

I picked up my old guitar,  
The poem dusted off the ancient fiddle,  
And we played sonatas and variations of Bach    

Then, we sat down at the kitchen table,  
Nibbling on sweet, delicious corn cobs and  
sinking our teeth into succulent roast pheasant.  

At last, we filled our wine goblets to the brim  
With vintage brandy, we drank to our hearts' content.  

A poem does not want to be left alone,  
So the next time you see a poem outside your door,  
Please do me a favor, and let it in.

When your heart admires
To live like a bird on a wire
Praise Phoenix, the bird of fire
Indian white clouds, we soar higher
To a spiritual world, if we desire
There is nothing sweeter in life,
Then to live like a bird on a wire

The breath of priests
Their voices thin
Whose fruit are we
We pray within
Finding broken roads
Where dreams explode
Priests are cloaked
Behind their robes
Lord, these priests are men
Let the whole world say, amen

the
sweet hands of victory
shall
ring
the bell
while
the soul to keep
the
grave shall weep
the
voices from
the
depths of hell
said
we want ice water
because
it's hot as hell

I walk along this lonely trail
The mind is a ship with a gallant sail
To be this piece of heaven on this earth
Surely, He knows my worth
Please help me, Lord, or tell me why
You hurl a piece of heaven from the sky
It landed and hit me on the head
Then, you resurrect me from the dead
So, I can return this piece of
Heaven from the sky, because
It belongs to you

Cupped-hands blessed the first winter snow –
That tasted like peppermint wind

The pines and aspens share secrets,
As they whisper what they know

Then, they giggled like schoolchildren.
In the snowy playground – with the red
Brick schoolhouse off in the distance

Their cold faces blinked and blushed.d
Like a basket full of wild freckled strawberries

Suddenly, fresh pine cones fall to the ground;
They chuckle, laugh, and then roll over,
Exposing their innocent souls to a fresh blue sky,
This all appeared in the first winter's snow

This, I am sure, and still am

the
walls
shall lean in
to
listen
when
truth
speaks again
and
the
light
shall
cleanse
the
heart and soul

Let me be
This phantom
Of the night
Deliver this
Pale moon
Behind the fragile trees
Seek warmth
In this river of light
Adorn this shallow sea
That follows thee
To the arms of night
Steady victory
Secures these stars,
In-flight
Sings out of key
Bring
every ounce of breath,
From your lungs
When you
Speak of me

lord
we
airbrushed
the
sacred sky
while
harvest hands
paint the
face of
the moon

Silent leaf
Lying here
upon this ground
Mimicking death
You make no sound