week 472 ~ once upon a blameless fear

once upon a blameless fear
when the worst could still be real
when the future looms unclear
once upon a blameless fear
we hold tight to all that’s dear
wait for someone else’s deal
once upon a blameless fear
when the worst could still be real

week 467 ~ a clear shaft of light

a clear shaft of light
up from the center
eyes still without sight
a clear shaft of light
dreams poised to take flight
no one dares enter
a clear shaft of light
up from the center

week 413 ~ floating toward the exit door take me

floating toward the exit door take me
far from this opera forever more
make me pack my bags buy my ticket soar
far as far as I can finally see
an empty calendar with days weeks free
to laugh write sleep hum I want to grab for
the brass ring to unfurl my dreams before
asking if they’ll find room to grow to be
ready for whatever uncharted course
might reveal itself before it’s too late
before the entrenched path closes off all
other options to explore maybe force
a new ending for my story if fate
abhors a vacuum catch me as I fall

week 397 ~ what we can’t give them poised here

what we can’t give them poised here
at this moment of ending
the one thing that makes it clear

to choose from all we hold dear
what matters most partings bring
what we can’t give them poised here

the strength to go beyond fear
find something worth defending
the one thing that makes it clear

that all will be well to steer
their ship wisely wing on wing
what we can’t give them poised here

life’s true path don’t interfere
when they are flung resisting
the one thing that makes it clear

for someday it will appear
suddenly like love or spring
what we can’t give them poised here
the one thing that makes it clear

week 374 ~ it’s hard to stop when you’re rolling downhill

it’s hard to stop when you’re rolling downhill
despite boulders trees and cliffs in your way
you’ll probably reach the bottom what will
happen then good bad unprepared that day
awaits somewhere still undetermined yet
inevitable what will it feel like
to lie looking at the sky and then get
up assess damages and start to hike
where back to the familiar or ahead
to the unknown or stop right where you are
and not try to fix anything instead
wait for the dawning of night’s brightest star
and watch the clouds move away carrying
their patch of blue as if it’s everything

week 331 ~ madrugada breaks slowly as midnight

madrugada breaks slowly as midnight
crosses to dawn the invisible line
that’s passed before you notice shapes entwine
with colors as the world embracing light
surrenders to beauty morning returns
daily its changes hard to register
in sunrise colder today or later
details of no matter for hope relearns
what it needs to survive I’m learning too
redrawing my boundaries to rethink
time perched precariously on the brink
of sweeping across night’s horizon through
to what doesn’t exist yet where I’ll know
the seeds of change were planted long ago

[madrugada is the time after midnight and before dawn in Brazil and Argentina]