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

My dear friend John is a peaceful,
humble and noble giant,
with a red badge of courage.

So, what does God want him to do?

In the historical past,
The slaves needed skills to
survive in the new world.

“They cursed the bread, because
They could not eat the meat.”

Somehow, God provides our daily bread,
And He still provides.

Did you hear the great news?

The mighty African drumbeats are speaking
colorful rhythms throughout the villages.
The drums are singing about freedom for
our brothers and sisters in *******.

Remember, there is only one God, and
He provides the golden battle shield.
Yes, God is the victory, delivering us from evil.

Well, a new day is coming, and we will stand
together on God’s Plymouth Rock.
He is the steady hand, guiding us like a compass,
through a quiet storm.

Still, God is everlasting, because He is the
beginning and the end.
God is the water that we thirst
He is the air for our soul to breathe
God is the answer to our prayers

My friend John, put your trust in God,
and let God take care of the residue.

lord
after
the storm
i
shall get down
upon
my
knees to pray
thus
with
all of my heart
i
am sure
i
want to
serve and follow
the
will of God
to cleanse thy heart and soul
who
brings me joy
and
delivers
me
a perfect peace
after
the storm

lord
wash thy rock
for
which
i
stand
the spirit be weak
thus
trapped in the flesh
transform me
into
a holy man
lord
i
shall be transformed
and
blessed
to praise you again
and
be transformed
lord, here i am

when
worlds collide
like
billiards ***** provide
red blue and green
outside
with
flashes of light
inside
the
soap bubbles
collide
thus
creating
a kaleidoscope
with
another
world inside

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

Once upon a time, I asked my mother;
Mama, why are the Black People
So different, and why are there
So many different shades of color
in our people

Mama replied; Boy, do you
know that Black Folks
are a Rainbow Race

Then a smile glowed
as bright as the morning sun
across my brown chocolate face

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.

exploring your soul
exploding full moon
expanding your eyes
sailing across
the
storybook sky
just waiting for
the
ash rose moon

Death is
A loaded
Gun with
A whiskey
Smile

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

Blue Moon –
Dim your light
To catch the
Windmills dreaming tonight

lord
after
the storm
i
shall get down
upon
my
knees to pray
thus
with
all of my heart
i
am sure
i
want to
serve and follow
the
will of God
to cleanse thy heart and soul
who
brings me joy
and
delivers
me
a perfect peace
after
the storm

A poem is
like a bird
with a broken wing

Kneeling down,
with gentle hands,
i
gathered up
an injured soul,
to mend its wing,
so it can fly.

Brothers three
Inspires us all
So faithfully
Bobby, John and
Edward Kennedy
The dreams shall live
The spirit moves on
Hope shall not die
Brothers three
God watches
Over thee

Drenched from the pouring rain,
The young Cambodian girl
Wiped her face and
Held up her rice basket
Toward the hidden stars
She wondered which way
The wind would blow
Her dreams are hidden
In the forbidden rice field

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.

There, just behind
The thick branches,
Are aspens, in the woods,
chatting with
The oaks and the pines

sweet death
be
not afraid
to
dance
upon
thy sweet grave
while
the
devil
who plays
a mean red fiddle
kindle the fire with flame
shall
dance
upon
thy sweet grave

When I am dead and
six feet under,
Please don’t bring me
flowers I can not smell,
red roses I can not see or
stems I can not touch

Well, don’t let your
left hand knows what your
right hand is doing and...
Everything will be all right

When I am dead and gone,
just keep on living, because
Life is like a red balloon
on a string and sailing
gently on a gust of wind

Almost autumn in the air
Do not wait for me
Almost time to paint the leaves
Do not wait for me
Almost a reason to etch this sky
Breathless heart, we meet again
Almost night ,this dark wine sea
Do not wait for me

how
love
drifts
through
the
soul
while
love spins
dust into gold

oh lord
every break of dawn
i
shall
see
the
sunrise
in
her jasmine green eyes
and
all
the
light
have not gone
through
her
sweet smile
lord
restoreth me again
every break of dawn

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 wind
and
the wheat
so
full of grace
to
receive sustenance
from Him
then
he
is my portion

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

oh lord there are so many
mountains for me to climb
if i still cry inside the line
yet I’ve turned over
every stone in my mind
yet some things are hard to find
we shall never know this time
when there are circles in my mind
yes the world is sublime
but if I still cry inside the line
oh lord when will I know
where there is to find
and maybe
the heart will sing next time
if i still cry inside the line

Your blackness
Boldness
Breathless
Timeless
Effortless
Togetherness
Lo­veliness
Oneness
Pure black
African queen
When the
Morning comes
As far as
The eyes
Can see
Black queen of the Nile
I give my love to thee

i
kissed him.
Jesus,
upon
his silent cheek—
cool as unturned stone—
pressed against my lips.

thus,
I betrayed him,
for thirty shekels of gold,
their cold weight heavy in my palm,
a silver chorus
that rang like nails against wood.

and to be crucified by Rome,
Oh yes,
I kissed a man.
His name broke in my throat,
a prayer I could not finish.
Yet I kissed a man.

Now, Silence fills the space
where his voice once breathed,
And I am alone,
the shadow of my cross
stretching far too wide.

the road to slavery shall die
this Profitable enterprise
so full of lies
someone's property or human chattel
chained in the belly of the slave ships,
side-by-side
chained by feet and chained by hands
where
the rights of men denied
Lord, we curse the vipers,
the maggots and the flies

Shattered moon, don’t cry
Thy will be done
The lord will let you
Fill this sky and teach
This heaven
How to multiply
Lord, fill this sky

Lord this boy is bright
as a ten-watt lightbulb
well, he needs some home-schooling
to properly integrate himself
into our society
Lord, don't send this boy to hell
take the gun out of his hands
please give this boy a chance
Oh Lord, don't let him drink
from the poison well
just because he wants to be a man

Lord you
Move the
Wave of oceans
Move these clouds away
Move heaven and earth
Light up this orange-paper sky
Move this Celtic green air
Lord, I want us to share

Miguel, bring me a glass
of your best wine
underneath
the Mexican moon,
in the twilight,
We shall fight the
Windmill dragons of Spain

Liquid Moon,
You do not
Have to
Behave tonight
We are alone
Between this
Heaven and earth
Let these golden wings
Of love, take their maiden flight
Moon, are we alone

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

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

say thy name
restless eyes
shed your tears
then say no more
thy will be done
this holy place
this mighty blade
shall pierce this earth
this golden shield
reflect this light
the hands of God
shall guide this steel
this God is real
as we walk in faith
oh breathless sun
say no more
victory has
found her wings
oh breathless sun
to heal again

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

a pair of
rainbow
Lorikeet birds
Spin free
as a Ferris wheel
Upon
the highest branch
In the garden of
a thousand eyes  
from
their favorite olive green
Pistachio tree
Sun-bake hands
Shall
pray for thee
Upon
the highest branch

What is the
Slave masters’
Goal

Separate a man
From his soul

Takes away his
Language and culture
To gain control

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

Be this heaven,
So divine
Untouched, unblemished
The air unwinds
The voice of
Your deep blue eyes
Still moves me
This time,
Say that
You love me, and
So, shall I

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

I was the first to cry
when daddy died
lying there so peacefully
in his golden casket
yet, I give him so much grief
being the youngest boy
in the family
always competing with my older
brothers for Daddy's affection
oh, what laddy I was back then
mischief knows me well
as long as I live,
on the face of this earth,
your son will earn his due, first
yet, prove his worth

crying
is
the
sweet blue rain
that
cleanse the heart
from
the
spirit of God
while
the
rain flows through the heart

Blue rose
Let love
Trickle down
Through your
Thirsty heart

behind this gun
a bruised and
shattered soul
when i am told
this is
my son
always on
the run

Before marching
To our graves
Time leaving
Her mark
On all of us
Waiting for
Your soul to
Be saved