Dark Night in Aurora

On that night, pain and sorrow tore

the dark bowels of the theater floor

as rivulets of sticky red

left their stains among the dead

In the darkness and within flitting shadows

staccato bursts of gunfire during the show

sounding a song in mortal verses

as lethal bullets bored into the surprised faces

innocence is savaged during this murderous display

late on the night of this day

as blood in deepening pools lie

there is a moment of brief respite

the curtain of reality parts slightly

only to reveal many souls gone away

victims who cannot understand

why blood is soaking their hands

scatter in the darkness, their eyes wide

some beneath their seats hide

and when the massacre is past

they stand in pools of blood, aghast

Truth and Reality

When truth properly defined

as pure reason of mind

is twisted and sometimes spoiled

by individual perceptions and foiled

within the memories in neural form

 inhabiting our lives' daily norm

'Tis time to search harder

to notice the perceived closer

accept the sensory overloads of life

that expands truth as it arrives

Truth in the golden autumn bowers

and in the sudden summer showers

Truth in the beautiful frosted winters

and in Springs' resurrection from slumber

Accept Universal truths always

that fixes in mind reality that stays

to be enjoyed and seriously cherished

as truth in us lives and persist

The Departed ( rewrite )

Near the approaching end of day

in a place where Saigons' departed stay

and in the golden fading light

far away from casual sight

a long-haired youthful girl today

walks slowly where the river rolls away

her deep brown eyes and raven hair

clash against soft skin so fair

she brings flowers fresh from the nearby park

walking softly on gravel stones

in summer breeze her hair windblown

her eyes closed she silently weeps

as she faces markers of deaths' eternal sleep

her hands grasp fragrant flowers at rest

held closely to her rounded breast

she moves towards the grave where silence hides

where markers are strewn by riverside 

and the restless birds of summer sing

a song of sorrow and soulful sting

the offering is placed on ground moist and low

covering cold marble white as snow

with the soft hues in flowers found

she wishes peace to the departed underground

his presence will be mourned and missed

never again to feel her gentle kiss

for in earth his body dwells

his coffin a narrow cell

'Tis with shameful contrition

for those making decisions

that their choices should haunt hearts

and minds for the war they did start 



Doors

Every man, woman and child

Every Nation in the world civilized

needs a solid door behind which to hide

to maintain secure existence of life

Sometime, doors hung slanted

swing from crooked frames

 rusty hinges sing verses loudly chanted

that escape like shadows having no names

Each shadow behind barriers hiding secrets

block the frightful wonders of reality

that accompany shameless selfish regrets

that feeds human destiny

Doors hide the pain of loneliness

during a daily life that unravels

within evolving mental sickness

in moods that quickly travel

Joining shadows worn

urging soulful internal laughter

to take down the walls of mental storms

   and cast the self into a flood of sunny weather

All humanity needs revolving mind doors

that allow inspiration to easily flow

with ideas that lick the open wounds of war

 to heal the hurtful memories of dark shadows

Limits

Along the shores of lifes' daily grind

where muddy banks hamper heart and mind

restricted vision strains against the lingering light

to perceive imaginations' edge in limitless sky

bordered seemingly by the intellect unbound

free from natural laws and physics found

searching for defined reality that looms

as whispered consciousness during lifes' high noon

it binds the hopes of cherished deeds

controlling space, time and cerebral speed

thus mildly hampering the eternal sunshine

from exulting moments deservedly fine

fettered by casual mistakes and fear

with sad rituals of souls freshly bared

 frail thoughts confine progress

and dreams once present and boundless

now for lack of interest suffocate

within vacant minds and hopeless fate

boundaries exasperate genuine feelings

enclose and squash creative imaginings

this tame compliance must give way

to shatter limitations of finding the light of day

and then seek gratification and self discovery

that must be revealed in restless curiosity

PUTININPUT

Let the fate of the Nation glorious

be Putin the political hands of the master

let all the power be Putin the delirious

dream weavers that seek destiny faster

Putin wise words used sparingly

and see how the world trembles

when visions of times past Putin seemingly

bring forth tense moments Putin world circles

for once a mighty power Putin chains

seeks to break free of conformity

Putin the will of the people to rein

and bring back times of assured destiny

the people must Putin determined efforts

at accepting feverish work Putin

and see that their will is truly worth

the changes that are Putin

worry not of abroad conquests of things

but Putin much work in the homeland

and be assured of times glorious coming

good life and peace for all Putin

the time has arrived to Putin presence

the day is here to Putin the time

to seek the futures' essence

and all the efforts Putin will be sublime

The Trophy

A thing of beauty never gets old

such as this splendid golden bowl

the Champion raises it high for a moment

against the bluish firmament

all eyes fixed on the hero posing gracefully

the fleeting moment is set visually

captured in digital stone

by the ubiquitous smart-phone

harvested for immortality divine

to live again in memory if so inclined

this symbol of determined victory

softly kissed for all to see

fruit of toil and talent

swells the spirit triumphant

as lips sip from the golden bowl

prompted by duty, a toast of Claret old

Let life become skilled art

and let art set Champions apart

from casual delights and normal lives

let the winners' glory blind the eyes

as the Champion holds with certainty

the prize, the Golden Trophy

The Torch

This glowing flambeau held high

burns fiercely while smoking the sky

it lights the way and brightly persists

as it did in the caves of the Clovis

It reminds us of royalty and castle walls

bearing flame in the residents hall

Roman legions held it aloft solemnly

to impose fear on the enemy of the day

as humanity roamed to Continents

the torch burned against the firmament

with precious ruby blaze sublime

it assured security during hard times

Then, employed as an instrument of conquest

fire weapons leaving scattered ashes of death

gray swaths of nothingness replacing villages

infamy captured in disturbing images

this flame unwavering and bold

against the winds of time and history retold

this vessel of sacred fire

symbol of human failure and desire

once guarded by Vestal virgins

sustains the Olympic hopes of Nations

bathed in this light sacred

as Olympians from everywhere are celebrated