Sailing far beyond the fading shore,
Dusk till dawn, laboring at the oar,
Ears acquainted with the ropes and cleats,
While the mind races where the ocean meets.
Wounds of the heart evade the brush,
Loneliness weeping in the evening hush,
Smiles are buried deep and out of sight,
As hands grow frozen in the dead of night.
Dream the restless waters bloom in rows,
Where ocean winds wrap like a warm embrace,
Drift on the vessel, letting worries go,
And find your harbor in this quiet place.
The newborn cries, the old man sighs,
The same faint light is in their eyes.
The journey ends where it began,
The tiny babe, the fading man.
The baby starts in nappies, new,
A fragile life with much to do.
The elder closes out the years,
In nappies as the ending nears.
The toddler takes a shaky stride,
With parents watching right beside.
The elder struggles just to stand,
And reaches for a helping hand.
The infant babbles, learning speech,
To grasp the words just out of reach.
The senior tries to mouth a word,
But leaves the sentence lost, unheard.
The helpless baby needs our grace,
To lift them in a warm embrace.
The helpless elder needs that care,
When heavy years are hard to bear.
The cradle meets the rocking chair.
The heavy coat drops.
The pretending stops.
You sit on the edge of the bed,
with a tired head.
We carry the dread
of the things left unsaid.
Afraid if He saw the real floor,
He’d walk out the door.
But mercy still finds us
and gently reminds us:
He doesn't look down with a frown
at the ways that we drown.
He searches the dark
for a small, broken spark.
He doesn't pull back from the grime;
He stays every time.
He buys back the years
of the wandering and tears.
The hands that first knit you in place
now fill you with grace.
No checklist to fill,
just a love that is still.
He meets you right inside the smart
and holds your whole heart.
-inspired by Psalm 139
soothsayer gave the woman a solemn smile
lucky rings around your wrists, you are lucky you know
they sat staring at each other for quite awhile
would you like to stay for the Halloween show?
oh yes, said the woman but is there a cost?
the soothsayer was willing to take a loss
this empathy would make a fine apprentice for her.
she felt as a natural healer, she might help her find a cure.
A soul once walked in shadowed days,
lost in pride and empty ways.
No peace within, no steady light,
just wandering through the longest night.
Then came a presence, calm and kind,
that met the broken heart and mind.
No turning back, no harsh reply—
just love that saw through every lie.
Words of worth were softly spoken,
lifting what was crushed and broken.
Hope returned where none had been,
as grace began to work within.
It was Jesus Christ who stood so near,
and washed away each doubt and fear.
Value found in perfect grace,
reflected in the Savior’s face.
And now the truth can be made clear:
that worst of souls… was I right here.
At last, the lumbering beast awoke.
The suspense grew until he spoke.
"I'm new here, neighbor. What's your name?"
In response, an educated bloke
would extend his hand and exclaim,
"I'm Dr. Frankenstein, the same".
The party's over
You got in bed with the devil
And pulled the covers up over your head
It's a bed of your own making
Now you have to lie in it
And lie you have and lie you will
Over and over and over again
You'll toss and turn until morning comes
And after that sleepless night
It will finally dawn on you
It's time to wake up and smell the coffee
To go with your breakfast of crow
Which costs more than you will ever know
And we're all paying the price
he never thinks fore he talks
but on rope, head high, he walks
there's nary a fear in mind
a stronger base you'll ne'er find
his voice a substantial weight
his promise looming and great
those below look up with awe
all too blind to spot a flaw
I stayed up past midnight on Halloween night
Wanted to see a particular sight
Watched in the shadows, until I finally I saw the truth
Day of the Dead meeting Halloween; her name was Ruth
She snatched the calendar out of Halloween’s hand.
Next thing I knew, I heard a mariachi band
Halloween giving way to Day of the Dead is interesting to watch
My intuitive familiar told me; I call him Odd Ted; he's a splotch.
Did Hannah See Bees? Hannah Did,
eating blue cheese with the big kid.
Noel, Let's Egg Estelle On,
about her friend little John.
They ran fast down the hill and slid.
Ill go
where the match meets the flame
Where embers ignite
the empty space that remains
Ill sit
by the trembling door frame
Where dry bones weep
The words leave my charred tongue,
seeps through my teeth
"5 flares in still waters"
This is where love meets
From the first breath IT ever took,
till the last day IT was still of life,
IT and Him were always one.
Together they loved, cried, and screamed,
feeling each other's pain like their own.
IT and Him were always one,
having a feeling of completion, joy,
and never-ending love.
However, one day IT met That—
a dark, mysterious thing That was.
He loved the smell of blood and tears,
giving IT a lemon tree, hoping to deceive IT.
IT was thrilled, happy for now,
forgetting all about Him
and their long-lasting relationship.
He slowly grabbed a lemon to eat,
with That watching vividly.
The second he bit the lemon, though,
he fell—
Fell from love, joy, and freedom,
ending up in the valley of hate,
tears, and misery.
I long to be the shore and feel your waves crashing on to me,
Waiting in patience to hold your anger till it subsides into peace.
I long to walk alongside you till the end of horizon,
And let the sunrise dawn upon us in holy union.
But, alas, I find myself in the middle of your hurricane,
Breaking away piece by piece to sink in your neverending hunger.
~ Classroom Instructions ~
Motivation meets a mountain
climbs it up halfway
But stops to gauge its future
if danger ahead lays
Will Motivation ever reach the top
after coming to a stop
Raise your hand if you think so
~ only two thumbs up means N-O!
The beach climbs are harder
the rocks turn my feet
and I find myself walking on my ankles
wading through sand
But the photos at sunset
or as the moon rise
are such a surprise
Like paintings
like fine art
witnessing the beauty of nature
as it shows us all of the basis for inspiration
everywhere
The sea air is so refreshing
the tang of salt
its cool crisp feel
as it laps past me
and blows my hair
The sheen of the sun and the moon
off the water
and it undulates and ripples
It's mesmerizing and beautiful
I seek out the lighthouse
to capture its beauty on the horizon
Its glow too settles on the ocean
and lights the scene in a way
that makes it seem like a painting
A huge downed redwood tree on the beach
a sculpture in driftwood now
but so big as to be a playground
The natural wonders of this place continue to provoke me
and keep me wanting more
from the tiny bits of rock on the ground
to the magnificent scenes in the sky
my senses are always tuned in
And here I share them with you....
Artimus 9/1/2025
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