The Weeping Willow is no longer there.
In my heart I'm saying, 'It's just not fair'.
Missing is the cool shade that she shared.
Around her, loving kindness filled the air.
As kids, we earned money from Pecan Trees.
Those strong Autumn winds were our friends.
Pecans were kids' money-maker back then;
And money from pecans was never wasted.
Chinaberry trees were very plentiful and popular.
We used the hard berries as bullets in slingshot.
Memory of Pecan Tree goodies, so tasty;
Weeping Willows, so cooling and shady;
Chinaberry Trees, so filled with fun;
Kid-loving fun, second to none.
Cosmic Adventure
There, upon the launchpad, the countdown proceeds
as bolts explode, and the umbilical apparatus releases,
and massive amounts of energy bursts from engine ignition
to create propulsion thrust and lift-off reaction
for the vehicle’s escape from Earth’s gravitational attraction
in sequential stages, skyrocketing into the orbital trajectory
of slingshot phenomenon to the universe of cosmic adventure,
likened to explorers in olden days piercing the unknown aperture.
Through the porthole, astronauts marvel at the spectacular scenery
as they watch their country on the blue planet disappear gradually.
Emotionally restrained, the astronauts resume their mission,
methodically pushing buttons and recording observations
in a four-dimensional continuum relativity experience,
limited in scope by the laws of scientific ingenuity.
The turkey’s held up signs
Protesting the Parade
“We were here before the Pilgrims”
They sought back-up from the Pumpkins
“Where were you on Halloween”, they asked
A Deer in a red vest strutted across the meadow
An old Owl shook its head from front to back
It gets worse every year mumbled the hunter
As he loaded his slingshot
An escaped lab monkey
Built a fire in the distance
As a feral cat
Longed for home
“ragazzino salta”
face to the wall
reading poetry
slingshot spitballs
little jack horner
sat in his quiet corner
once upon a time
ragazzino salta
your sorry muse, old ‘been,
your lawless circus,
never mine.
Candide Diderot. ‘25
When I was a child,
I had a tomcat that loved sleeping in my bed,
and a dog that lived outside
and barked at night when demons would come.
I wore sneakers, shorts,
and a green hat made from a burdock leaf.
I broke my neighbors' windows
with a slingshot just like
the kids from the Hidden Street.
I brought home flowers, wild strawberries,
pine buds, and shiny stones;
I caught butterflies and watched the sun
through colored glass fragments.
In the summer, I went to the sea with my parents,
built sandcastles, swallowed salty water,
gathered seashells for my collection,
and tanned like a corsair of distant southern seas.
My grandmother made me cherry and walnut jams
so I’d grow strong, while my grandfather
took me treasure-hunting in the forest,
telling stories of fairies, gnomes, and giants.
I snuck into the locker room to peek at girls,
wrote love notes, and went to secret meetings for first kisses.
In a few words, I was a boy like any other,
meant to grow into a man like any other — one of millions
of happy men. Now I only want to know
why things didn't turn out that way...
blade of grass blowing
dewdrop slingshotted through sky
caught on angel’s wing
My Father told me I was OK
And all that He’s done
He’s is right here
Never, ever does He leave me?
But I leave Him
My Father told me I am OKAY
You are a prayer warrior you are
Armed with the body of God
A fearless warrior just need a rock not a bolder
With my eye, a slingshot a pebble stone rock
I
O’ I can slay any giant
4/12/22
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2022©
My faith can move mountains
My face my faith looks onward
My hands reaches out
As my legs and feet run
I stopped short of the pitfall
of the valley of death
I stand tall I rise up above it all
And I look up toward heaven crest
And I call I cry out move my faith
I can move mountains move mountain move
I call on the name of Jesus
Our Father my God like David with a slingshot and a pebble a rock
I twirl it around over my head it lifts off
Casting down the Giants bodies I stand in able
Willing and waiting I'm a winner I'm not a sinner
I am great I Am remade my faith can move mountains
I just speak it so as the rolling hills fall down avalanche so flows
Mountains so be it move their gone now
3/24/22
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr.2022©
Too wet
To play
Read day
Today
Good book
Get hooked
Minds stray
Away
Sweet tune
Sung soon
Cow, moon,
Fork, spoon
Gat knew:
Jump too
Then Gat
Tells Bat
"Oh, man!
Bad plan!
Risk flirt,
Get hurt!"
Nut sling?
Stretch string?
"Like that!",
Says Bat
Same gig,
Just big
Slingshot
Real taut
Juno
Let go
To sky!
“You’ll die!”
In air,
Up there!
Miss trees?
Oh, please!
Moon sought,
Branch caught
In trees:
Live bees!
Got stung,
Then hung
Tree limb
Saved him
Gat now
Had cow!
"Dumb Bat,
Knew that!"
Survives,
Eight lives
Homebound
On ground
New tune
No moon!
Sammy wanted his uncle's attention
Uncle Pete adored him.
Took out his slingshot, thinking this would be hilarious
But this time it was not; he met a different Uncle Pete.
Words drained, blood empty.
Liquid poets imploded,
Poured and stained upon each page,
Given to the superficial sacrifice of meaning.
There is no truth
Which we did not participate in making;
Ours for the taking
In downward spiral steps contrived.
All stars our own to swim,
All space our whim.
Our standard stopped.
Desires dropped
Intermittent fires out
Behind the eye of every host.
Fighting memory, now a ghost
Encased in stones.
Trading one another;
Slingshot yo-yos born
To farthest reaches.
Each annoyance adding
To the proof of scales.
We wear them as a cloak,
Then shed their skin.
Our new man never comes.
The old, erupted once; always
Hung by tinsel strands and strung
Upon a pleasured dome
That some call home,
Yet we dream a coming dawn.
Carriages and motored monuments
Stilled in rarer moments, filled
With each ones essence.
Dwindling our quality of existence
Until we meet at dawn
That man who never comes,
To walk the earth
In shoes that never were.
PLENTY GOOD
candy dance for fools
paper crown askew
bubble gum popping
tomboy blonde sees him plenty good
she’ll recall those cotton candy blue eyes
and clouds of curly pearl hair
her farmer-braids appraise
the mule, about to get spanked
by the slingshot tool
her cotton candy pink bows
show off a measure of femininity.
her mother planted them there.
soda pop teeth guffaw
as the jackass rears up
and the boys gang’ slap their knees
all the adults in the poetry room
rear up too
at the sound of the asinine scream
braids upside-down
stomach hurts
butterflies inside
7/8/2021
Each day, I walk past a lingerie store.
In the windows are posters of women I adore.
Looking at them makes me feel so glad
because each of them is scantily clad.
Mannequins wear items of silk, satin, and everything nice.
Some of those things are on clearance at reduced price.
There is an especially large-sized bra they've got.
It reminds me of a double cannonball slingshot.
I'm on my way to work, and I have to leave right away.
How convenient it is to have this store along the way.
He exists, never doubt it;
how strong is your faith?
Was the courage of David
an example to be followed?
That boy had only a sling and
with a stone killed Goliath!
Can you hurl a slingshot...
when nobody is willing to fight?
God is your eternal, spiritual Father
and the comforter of those who suffer;
He's different from your human one,
He's invisible, but constantly there:
seek him out when the need arises!
A good father is someone who understands
and helps his son through life's hurdles;
even in death, he wants him by his side!
He exists, never doubt it;
trust in Him and He will
delight in you the least you expect it,
keep him in your thoughts and feel
His hand resting on your shoulder...
whenever you are in danger!
God can also be your brother,
that person who comes to your rescue...
when wolves surround you on all sides,
but they can't harm you with their claws!
You are protected as Daniel was...
because he had God's favor
never hesitating to be true!
Boy with his slingshot aims at sparrow sitting on mulberry tree. Bird falls vertically on ground, dead. He had never killed before. Suddenly, remorse strikes him. He burries the bird, vows never to be cruel to a living being again.
Playfulness takes life
innocence suddenly lost~
guilt saves lives later
31.5.2020
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