Early On Poems

For Beloved Pets Over

(written upon the death at age 14 of our beloved shih tsu Max
 on Aug. 11.)

Over ~
Over 
The Bridge 
   where they go
To verdant eternal forests 
  and fields, 
To run and leap free 
Without leashes, reigns or chains…
All heaven blessed 
With no hunger or thirst 
While waiting for us.

A few lessons of grief

Each person grieves in their own way,
processing loss is never easy.

It helps to have understood early on
that nothing lasts forever.

Death is part of this life that's transient,
the end never comes when opportune.

It's comforting to focus on the treasures,
no matter how short the love has lived.

And what remains within the heart,
enshrined, resides in there forever ~



AP: Honorable Mention 2025

Red Banner, No Quarter

Early on a cold March morning
a handful of men took a stand
in the year of eighteen thirty six
when a sabre drew a line in the sand
it was victory or death for the valiant few
outnumbered and out-gunned
surrender and be spared an ultimatum they knew
with a cannon shot by Travis it was shunned
even as the day was dawning
the handful of men held their ground
thirteen days in San Antonio
such a fearful sight a dreadful sound
Santa Ana gave the order,
'Fly the red banner, show no quarter,'
a bloody battle to the bitter end
while the Mexican band played 'El Degüello'
now the guns are silent the smoke has cleared
to this day Texians all say, "Remember the Alamo."

Untitled

.
.
.
.
They heard the movement every morning,

No one knew what it was.

So, it was called 'a shadow'.

It sounded like someone passing by,
But the sounds that were heard were strange.
They weren't the usual footsteps.


With time, they got used to only feeling it.

Each morning, they knew when it was time they heard the dragged sounds.

With backs turned to the sounds, 

And the tall fence right in the middle,

None of them knew what made that sound.

Some assumptions were made at first before they just let it be.

The day ended early on a Tuesday; the following week.


Then came the end of Thursday,


The end of Friday came, and it struck!


They hadn't heard the dragged sounds for some days.


One person mentioned it and others went 'Ahh' 'Oh':

'Maybe they stopped coming'

'Maybe they travelled'

'Maybe they changed routes'....


But the shadow didn't change routes.

His gait improved.
The sounds they heard were of him working hard to be better.

He still went by that route.
.
.
And soon the sound they had gotten used to became a memory.


But the shadow never left...

The Dark That Lingers

Night creeps into midday,
enters the dawn and lingers,
it arrives too early on a summer evening.
This night-light is moonless,
it surrounds you as you drive
to a gravesite, or as you lay
in a clinically white mausoleum
too close to a fraying thread of life.
It slides under a thought, smothers it,
as you reach for a dark-red wine
a glass saturated with nocturnal memories.
This light I speak of
speaks also for every word
that has sunk too deeply
in the shadows of the mind
It has its own sky,
and it is we who create its atmosphere.

A Day Indoors

I don’t mind a day indoors
When windshield wipers show
That rain is pouring from the sky
To puddle down below.

As long as I squeeze in my walk,
Which I did early on,
I’ll find enough to do at home
Until the gloom is gone.

Of course, I’ll still ignore those chores
Which really are a pain.
To force me to declutter
It will take much more than rain.

Coffee and Thanksgiving

Why do I drink iced coffee?
Early on Thanksgiving. 
When I could sleep in.
The smell of turkey cooking could wake me. 
Instead- I like to sit on the couch, early.
In my robe, nowhere to be. 
Yet, there is coffee. 
And it’s a cold one. 
I take a sip, and it’s as if the snow has snuggled around the cup. 

Why do I drink iced coffee?
Early on Thanksgiving.
When I’m not supposed to do much. 
And I don’t. 
The cup is empty, soon enough. 
I like iced coffee.
Almost as much as mashed potatoes. 

My fingers are cold. 
Not from the drink…
But from remembering her.
I don’t want to miss this cold, dark morning. 
I don’t like to nap on this day. 
We fed her turkey as her last meal. 
We fed her, she liked turkey. 
Then we took her in, we took her in…

I have energy this morning. 
I promise not to fall asleep, with tears in my eyes. 
I do anyway.
And wake up to a feast.

Give Her A Chance

From early on, I have known
That she is a gift from God.
I have always wanted every fiber
of my being to be satiated with her.

Dare to give her a fighting chance,
and she will cause you to dance,
energizing you to thrive and advance,
causing our lives to be greatly enhanced.

She will serve you with her whole heart.
She's  a loyal friend and will stand by you to the end.
She is very passionate but also highly sensitive.
She is well-equipped to assist you in your destiny.
Never forcefully get in your way, but she will always
stay if you desire and need her. She is never
intimidated by hi-tech or modernization; nor does
she feel inferior to convoluted sophistication.

They were not blessed with houses and lands to leave me,
but my parents and grandmother gifted me with her
and insisted that I never let go of her. I will therefore
leave plenty of her to my descendants. I tell you,
she has become a rare commodity in our modern society. 
Moreover, like all precious things, her rarity makes her
all the more desirable.  So, my friend, from the depths of
my heart, I beg of you.  GIVE COMMON SENSE A CHANCE.

Enduring Principles

As I approached the political poll,
a fellow countryman spoke a word
of wisdom to my soul. He told me that
I should consider 'voting' as a task that never
grows old. He related this short story to me:

"For 55 years, I have exercised this right to have my say. 
Sometimes in tears, I have cast my ballot on very cloudy days
in many of those years. There were times when I could not clearly
see my way.  Every step seemed to unveil the colors of grey.
There were times that I did not know who to vote for and just like you,
I didn't know what to do.  But I learned early on that 'doing nothing'
was not an option.

As I look back over time
and space, I notice a pattern imprinted in the sands of time on the
human race.  I see people of many opinions and persuasions coming
and going, but what appears most clearly and revealing is not 'great
people' but rather 'great and eternal principles."

After he departed, I was left with such a pleasing reality staring at me.
I was determined to be embraced with a mindset that casts a ballot
so much bigger than one enameled with a personality, but rather
with one rooted with great and enduring principles.

My Road

My Road
By: Miracle Man
9/26/2024

My road in life, by choice, I have traveled,
without any vision of where it might end.
Many miles were smooth, some were graveled,
with unforeseen things I had to contend.

But early on my miles began to turn sour,
and while young in years I became perplexed.
Without reason I found myself looking glower,
not understanding why I was feeling so vexed.

But then one day, still seeking an answer,
and spending many days just slumming.
At twenty-eight I was told that I had cancer,
and I couldn’t fathom what was forthcoming.

I felt like a hitcher on the highway thumbing,
I accepted Jesus’ hand and gave him control.
Faith became mile one on my road to becoming,
I embraced for my life, God’s long desired goal.


Was 28 when Born Again, 85 now.
Thank you Jesus

a period of peace

A period of peace

When peace reigned In the year 1334 or so the residents in Alhambra thought Catholics chimed too early on Sundays at the time, Granada was ruled by, The Muslims, who went along fine with the Christians, who were good farmers and makers of wine not to forget, the Jewish population ( people of the book) kept, the pecuniary, in shape it was agreed that the bells should not ring before seven, but the beautiful gardens behind tall walls
must be watered at five in the morning.
It was a peaceful time, but nothing in human history lasts forever; the Church of Rome had ambition, Muslims fled, and the Jews went into exile in Portugal and were shattered around the towns and villages and became a part of the general population

Wishing

I learned early-on
the same stars 
always there

with the same wishes

wishes never travel far
from their source -- 

it is like that
with love

bringing out the stars
in others

one can be a 
constellation of self

or a universe of sharing --

Bonds or Cons

Questions may often arise,
    As to just how far they can reach?
        Where the bonds between two may
            Be tested, before they are able to teach.

Early on, it's seen through our childhood,
    When we endlessly search for that elusive best friend.
        While we playfully mimic our adult mentors,
            Only to eventually see it all as pretend.

Delving deeper, there's a constant barometer,
    Piercing to gauge one's level of loyalty.
        And regardless of commitment or integrity,
            It's easy to think that they confused it with royalty.

What is known about these binding influences,
    Relies heavily upon the truth in between.
        Such that these ties can be strengthened or weakened,
            By what's believed and trusted pristine.

Colorful Temperament's

When you were alive with life:
My world had a loveliness in it, wow!
Heaven now holds the hues of your 
Soul's colorful temperaments! 

It strained me when the time came for you,
And early on in this life, it wasn't fair. 
But I know I can still feel you,
You're this essence that fills my air. 

But help me to feel and understand, 
What you have been trying to reveal
Is it locked deep inside you
Way deep down inside that you resist? 

You made me come alive, my love,
Now, with your presence, I cannot feel
But it doesn't change the way I feel our seal
With this time I do appeal, we'll shall see my love.

Shannon Marie, never shall I stop loving you! RIP

May Love Forever Burn Brightly

Friendships are made, friendships are broken
But the friendships here on the site
Are as strong as any that have ever existed
Unencumbered by outside influences
They thrive in an atmosphere of a common language
That of love, compassion, and joy
In the knowledge there are still loving souls out there
Amid the turmoil that exists in the world
Wars have been fought since the beginning of time
They have always been part of the human condition
This desire to be king of the hill
Starts early on with childhood interaction
Bullies trying to prove their superiority by strength
But their strength is usually only physical
There is also a strength of character
Which the so called meek of the earth can possess
That is stronger than physical strength
Strength of character is the strength I describe
Those that possess it often go on to great success
If their fire within is allowed to burn brightly
So let the friendships here on this site
Burn brightly with the love of the written word
The words in rhyme that communicate
A love of our fellow inhabitants
Of this wonderful site and this wonderful world
We call Earth!

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