It Comes

But we were crying
before -
bitter and behind
Now it's cry-of-joy
Alas, cries

But they drove past us
before -
wailing sirens, hailing citizens
Now the convoys head
to jails
Alas, wails

Our weight
gone...
with the wait

Never Called

No dictator goes willingly
In the end, they bluster
then gamble

No dictator wins narrowly
In the end, they cluster
then trample

No dictator ends merrily
In the end, they muster
then crumble

If dictators end miserably
and dictators come furiously
why, blood is oyster
blood is ouster

Hmm... Dictators!

The Dope Scatter

Don't Push
don't Wrap
It's the gay
not the way
and
the pay
not the day

Don't Push
don't Wrap
It's the rote
not the note
and
the rot
not the sport

Don't Push
don't Wrap
It's the jail
not the hail
and
the Hell
not the Helluva

Together

For a season so treacherous
we need a bond of faith
For a nation so anxious
we need the bond of truth
For a people so broken
we need the plaster of love
For a land so weary
we need the basket of care
For a generation so hungry
we need the opposite of anger
For a time so slippery
we need the grit of elders
For a proverb so forlorn
we need the reason of here
For a season of anomie
we need the beauty of peace

In this reason do we live
for this season must we rise
To make our season the reason
and our reason the prism
we need to stay as one
work as one
share as one

Lands Afar

As we regard distant lands:
Tales of the great Atlantis
legends of huge empires
feats that chill our spines
thoughts beyond bare souls
- tickles and buckles -
- masters, disasters -
measured in treasures
we marvel and are baffled

But as we see today, if we see
nothing achieved in times past
be past man’s hidden talent
It is of time, care and effort
Driven by purpose, given direction
Laden for service, hidden in codes
The sage lays the ground beams:
 commitment, honour and sanctity
And history be on its way!

All lands, however far
- in space, time and dimension -
are lands as here as yonder
If we work them as they did
Atlantis will rise again
When we stay core as they did
legends will reign again
And the marvel and baffle
 will happen, as they do--
in our very “before”!

Chances At Dawn

Can we blame time
for giving us dawns
Can we query time
for granting us nights
Who? Who amongst us is clever
Let him come
Who? Who, amongst us is restless
Let him run
For when time has chosen
even before our eyes
it confounds the bright
and out-smarts the agile
Who? Who amongst us can gather
 the sky and squeeze the ocean
Let him speak

Those who rise and shine
must honour time
Never again will man and time
battle for the wings of flight
No, no, never again
For time brings, time takes
Time makes, time dissolves
Time of chances, chances of time
After our nights and dawns
over our fights and yawns
 we will remain with time
Oh, take your chances!

Adventure

Someone must answer the call
no mater how long it takes
Something must matter today
no matter how bad we hurt
Somewhere be home again
no mater how far we stray
For some fun remains ahead
no matter how gory the past

Adventure!
Search the world, and roam
Search your heart, then your head
Go, go in search of gold
and work your world
If you fly, fly
if you sink, stay not down
When you conquer, be humbled
when you’re floored, be humoured-
they both bring honour
in coming days
They each house glory
in special ways

Measure!
As you give, you receive
When you take, do give
Search thee equally
For, this day is all day
to those who are free
to those who know the world…
And work for all