the click-clack climb, breathless pause of
reaching so high then... falling in love
STUMBLE AND RISE (Gravity and I)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A gala event, a minefield of hope and dread,
Winners announced, toward the stage were formally led.
My name was called; I tripped, planting my face on the floor,
Embarrassed was I, my ego damaged, my pride done for.
“Gravity and I are in a toxic relationship,” I said, my face turning red.
golden leaves drifting
trees whisper in the wind
forlorn reveries-
trees once wearing stained glass hues
hold a few golden children
When it comes to my children,
grandchildren and
great-grandchild
today I’m grateful I understand….
how love and time work together…
how the two of them go hand-in-hand…
Because when it comes to love…
as a parent
I have a head start
as love for my children has always
so quickly
found a comfortable place in my heart
It’s why I can say with confidence…
how I’ve fallen in love with every child in my family…
long before they knew who I was
and they fell in love with me.
FALL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Falling leaves, once vibrant fists of green, bow to placid flames.
Autumnal breeze plays in both up-tempo and gentle lulls.
Leaves, a symphony of umbers and golds, serve as crunching meditation.
Living life fully in sanguine scarlet before the season’s gentle letting go.
GOLDEN AUTUMN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
golden leaves descend,
whisper tales of summer,
sun-kissed memories.
cool, gentle breeze carries them,
to earth, a gilded slumber.
Summer never stood a chance
against us, when even
in the still air our hearts flutter—
There will always be thunder
and rain, you said.
But in being in love with you
—It’s a slow dance, you and I
in crystal air, rain or clear,
under blankets of stars—
In your eyes there are
sparks only love can light,
softness only love can touch.
A lifetime worth of words—and more,
but they can wait, I want to
blend your touch into my ink first.
You asked why I fall.
But I didn’t—
I saw you, and I jumped.
AUTUMNAL BLISS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
autumn's winds, a playful caress
dissonant wind chimes dance in artful bliss
A single flower died today.
Grew bright yellow petals,
With soft green leaves.
A sturdy stalk,
I was quite pleased.
Slowly the petals faded away.
Leaves twisted brown and crinkled fell.
Stalk bowed and broke.
Faded petals gathered round at the end.
Seed pods sprinkled to start the flower again.
DI SOULS BE FALLING WETTING MAI SPIRIT
di souls be falling wetting mai spirit
fine well well di mercies flow;
tears flowing down mai face;
sensitive di breath i breathe;
rain falls i now embrace;
~
gather, i di sounds for nature;
holy voices sounds for jubilee;
colors souls shine fine well well di rainbow shall shine;
~
Beautiful the mercies flow;
Tears flowing down my face;
Sensitive the breath I breathe;
Rain falls I now embrace;
~
Gather, I the sounds of nature;
Holy voices sounds of Jubilee;
Colors souls shine beautiful the rainbow shall shine;
8/30/2025
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2025©
English and Pidgin English verses
Rain follows the fading winter's breath
In the tangled field,
where bristly ryegrass sways
Emerging green, the blades do rise
glimmer in the verdant hue of shamrock
like the lively notes of the cuckoo's call
Whispers dance upon the undulating meadows
The fragrance of the soil—
its charm, a whisper of rain-kissed ground
Silver whispers of yearning
Softly sung, a memory lingers still.
It doesn’t fall because it wants to
it falls because it must.
As it falls, it sways, side to side,
almost lowering with grace
till it reaches the ground.
A reminder to us to slow down.
It’s okay to pause, to breathe, to drift.
If we let go and fall, we’ll be okay!
we’ll still blow in the wind’s breeze,
still make our small movements in life.
I want to fall away… but I held on
I want to hold on… yet I fell away
Feelings sway to belong to begone
I wanted tomorrow from a yesterday
We invented time
Does it mean it’ll never end?
Timeless to find
Lifetimes to never know when
I would wish for something I never knew
Yet never can we understand beyond
Living lives exhausted to feel
Where had we belong?
Too much was nothing more
A little is perhaps something
I need experience to ignore
And inexperience to once more dream
I held on to fall away
Falling into where I belong
Life forever holds sway
For every tomorrow to be gone
………….
The Falling Out
I find the ceiling fan
quite interesting – a whirling
meditation; -- blades
whiz! – air cooling unseen
yet felt
apparently
all affecting not overtly visible
how one’s heart reacts to currents
oblivious to detached others --
when we had our falling out
a great storm rocked worlds
no mention by the local meteorologist
nor cosmologist
seismologist
or an especial priest --
What’s one more or less, our universe~
to the greater emotional theme?
. . . .
. ' . . ' .
. . ' . .
' . . . . '
| | | | | | | | | the needle-like streaks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ( ) ( ~
~ ( ) ) ( ~ create ripples and circles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ( ) ( ) ) ~ on water's surface.
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