"It's all going to be okay" he would say,
with no scent of doubt in his breath,
even as its aroma reeked from mine,
as I'd blurt out "how can you be so sure?"
I never figured out what made my dad so positive in life,
though I'm positively sure his life wasn't free from trial
and the upsetting detours that can uproot our foundations
and upend the tables of tradition we depended on.
On and on life goes like this,
until it ends.
I wonder
What traditions did my father depend on
and, lay to rest,
for something, better?
What pressures pressed him so thin
that he'd give up those things
he once loved so dearly?
Is that what transformed him
into the appreciative, hopeful, happy guy
we laid to rest?
He watches, observes and loves with all his heart
Reservedly waiting to see reciprocation or active participation
Thinking, offering ideas for all to embrace,
Satisfaction to behold and a joy that floods his young face.
Considering others in wake of their pain
He goes the extra mile to ensure protection and such detailed accomplishment
While allowing others to make their own mistakes,
He reflects a sweet combo of trust and consideration.
Whose heart skips among the silences
Of spaces in between
The wind's due diligence
In gusts against the eaves?
A soul in sovereign solitude
Sifting through the pages
For life's sweet beatitudes
And lessons for the ages.
A spine within a heart
My heart aches within
Something pushing and poking in
Poking out
Knowing out
Trapped in
Happiness is within trying to seep out
Through the little cracks of grey, it seems
Gold elixir fading away
Into the grey clouds, we know today
Pouring with pins and needles
That just pins you and kneads you
Intoa paste that washes away
To come back
Better grown and better known
Better thoughts and better knots
New things this time around
A spine
A spine within my heart
Better prongs to use
And a lot of power to abuse
I thought it came better
Yet so it came back worse
Worse than the grey clouds and the muddy paste
Where do I go from here on out
A spine within me
I know the pain I can endure
The pain it could cause
But yet
I stay doing what I've done before
Will the spine get sharper until it burdens too much within myself
Or does death come upon me before the end
A Spine within a Heart
Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by
the seeds that you plant. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
When sowing in a fallow field
A bumper crop you'll hope to yield
For many folks, do a good deed
Think of others when planting seed
Share your harvest and you will find
Daily blessings for being kind
Don't desire avarice or greed
Think of others when planting seed
Do not have a bad attitude
For everything show gratitude
Tomorrow you just might succeed
Think of others when planting seed
May your garden be filled with sprouts
And your days not be plagued by doubts
Do not allow contempt to breed
Think of others when planting seed
Your days will bear sweet ripened fruit
And grow when love has taken root
Keep your field free of tangled weeds
Think of others when planting seeds
Thoughtful but seldom happy
Feigned by concerns and craving
Reigned by dishonor and shame
Ridden with regret and remorse
Seething with paucity and pain
Battered by unreturned hard work
Helplessness writ large
O poor! sorrow and slight
Are your destiny.
But, be straight and upright
You are not alone
Those calling themselves affluent
Confined in their ivory towers
Depressed, jealous and worried
Riddled with insecurity and mistrust
With chronic illnesses
Counting their days
Are million times unhappy
CHANGE
Change can be good or change can be bad
It can be the best experience you ever had
It can be in the way you think about it
Try something new and try not to doubt it
You could change your job or you could change your hair
Just go ahead and do what you dare
Change can be scary but you have to be brave
Change something small in the way you behave
Change can be as good as a holiday
Change can be as different as night and day
You can change your decision, you can change your mind
Just try to leave your cares behind
Go out there and do something bold, go out there and break the mould
Do something that you wouldn’t normally do
Try something completely new
Get off the lounge and just start slow
Where you might go nobody knows
At first you may feel trepidation
That could grow into inspiration
Change could turn into something good
Thoughts of could not might change into could.
Being thoughtful is being aware, Recognizing the world beyond our stare. It's understanding, with empathy and care, That what we see might not always be fair.
Being aware is being in sight, Perceiving the struggles, both dark and light. It's opening our hearts, removing the blight, And embracing differences, day and night.
Being in sight is being in mind, Acknowledging perspectives, diverse and kind. It's seeking understanding, taking the time, To listen and learn, leaving judgment behind.
For many, out of sight is out of mind, But let's break those barriers that bind. Let's extend our thoughts to all humankind, Embracing unity, leaving no one behind.
Remember, in this world, we're all intertwined, So let's be thoughtful, aware, and always kind.
"my thoughts take me back to my sorrows- and I face each and let each go"
Love Poems
Out for Chinese food.
"A full wife is satisfied."
Good fortune, cookie.
Pulling warm sugar.
Our love is like sweet taffy.
It is worth the work.
Your hand is in mine.
We dine together tonight.
Romance lights the stars.
Too old for tender.
Our bodies are frail from age.
Gazing, we still bathe.
From a distant view,
you shadow the kitchen drapes,
as I mow our lawn.
Never did we fight.
Forgiveness is something learned,
when love reigns supreme.
Under warm blankets,
my primrose closes at dusk.
She blooms around dawn.
by Martin Braun
August 30, 2023
Dedicated to my lovely wife, who leaves me searching for words to describe the many ways I love her and the many ways she fills my life with joy.
Take the time to lend a helping
Hand to those who would never ask,
Out of shame or embarrassment.
Under the guise of helping you
Get rid of your surplus supplies;
Help out, but let them keep their pride.
Take into account people have
Feelings; remember, be thoughtful.
Under certain circumstances,
Love should be inferred, not spoken.
Such silence in the morning hours
Soft azure skies, clouds white and fluffy
Crows, the family three
Have taken over the shed
The trees the fence
Claiming it as their own
Their caws and hisses
Scuffles with the squirrels
Blacks and grays, beauties all
Hence my animal sanctuary
Doctors and nurses and surgeons
My life a medical museum
Yet there are moments
Between apps and tax rumbles
Attempts to pull me back into
The era before the surgeries,
And life struggles, there are moments
When we remember other times
With hopes and wishes that
Although it won’t be the same
Through the struggles and the pains
Yes something is lost
But truly there is something retained
For Valentines bring all the wishes
Of thoughtful love and kisses.
It takes a brave elf to take a ride in a house on a peach whale fish.
The mermaid was astounded to see her friend Charlie, wave with a swish.
You are so brave! She said in approval as the peach fish swam by.
Charlie gave her a smile and threw out an inner tube on the first try.
This is for you, he said in case you get tired of swimming, my friend.
Mermaid was astounded that he was so thoughtful during afternoon tea.
Elf was generous with his empathetic mind and ideas that bend.
I am a professional swimmer said mermaid, but thanks for thinking of me.
There is a bench upon a hill
That overlooks a lake
And when I’m there, my heart’s bestilled
My troubles I forsake
If places could be poems, then
Idyllic is this psalm
Its beauty stirs my inner pen
My soul to write upon
Surrounded by these twisted oaks
In shrouds of lichen lace
I feel welcomed by these friendly folks
And at home in this place
A piece of heaven I’ve long sought
Lies just over yonder
And when I’m there, my thoughtful spot
Is where I sit and ponder.
Thick skin, the revealing of relentless agony mixed with tolerance to endure what most would surely cower and fray from. It will certainly display the distinguished lifelines of an individual while giving merit to life’s disciplines. A person that portrays these prominent characteristics tend to be vigorous and fierce from within, showing their features with grace and pride for having lived life thoroughly. A sight for sore eyes that gives meaning to others for having witnessed the power available for those that can reach out and obtain it. Not everyone can posses such alluring qualities for one must defy what’s suppose to be, in order to achieve them. Rules were made to be broken, that’s why rules were made. Seeing passed these laws of nature create moments of true beauty for anything that’s unwilling to flow down stream will surely make a splash.
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