Predator and Prey

Low down in the brush
Getting ready to spring
Stealth quiet for an ambush
Claws ready to sing
Sleek, strong, coiled up
See with wide focused eyes
Overcome with dangerous intention

Singled out, unaware
Prey welcomes the fight
Settled fear, wary peace
Display of vulnerable might
Heart beats, breaths cease
Something wrong, something right
All at stake they’re playing the game

Muscles ripple, feel the heat
Blinded by the smell of meat
Wild bloodlust tastes so sweet
Hold on until it’s over

Melded in primal dance engaged
Cruelty changed in motion, life uncaged
In intimate weakness, strengths enraged
Two embraced in mutual sustainment

Stilled softness gives new life returned
Warming wetness spilling atoms churned
Combining flesh, separation spurned
Two embraced in mutual sustainment

The Puzzle

Nobody seemed to be watching
The brightly-colored puzzle pieces on the table.
On the front of the box was a scene
Enticing enough.
A row of identical happy houses
On a street with children riding and running.
Neighbors in their Sunday best
Waiving to each other.
Looking back at the carefully laid out pieces
I began to form a plan.

I started with a rose bush
Just beginning to bloom
In the center of the puzzle.
Its radiant colors caught my eye
Despite the prickly thorns defining its boundary.
Other pieces began to fall
Eagerly into place from there.
Around the bush I built
A lovely yellow house.
Through the window was a family
Sitting down together at a large table
Heads bowed and hands folded.
I smiled at my handiwork
And though the edge pieces were not yet in place
It felt comforting to know
What the finished image would look like.

That’s when I saw the puzzle
On the other table.
Intricate shapes and subtle colors
Stole my attention.
The lack of any box was surprising
Though it presented an intriguing challenge –
An unfulfilled mystery.
Excitedly I pooled together like patterns
That began to take shape
Into whimsical forms.
Castles floated in billowing clouds.
A spiral staircase disappeared into the sky.
Waves of golden flowers stretched to the horizon.
As I pieced together a princess in flowing gown
Mounted on a dazzling white horse
Guided by a figure in gleaming armor
My eyes glanced back
To the unfinished houses
To incomplete families
And I knew what I had to do.

Grinning wildly I carefully carried
Castles and clouds
Returning to my unfinished work
To create my dream.
Before long, knights sparred
Alongside children playing.
Winged unicorns danced through dazzling skies
Above colorful rooftops.
I was not discouraged
When pieces didn’t quite fit.
A little extra force compelled them to obey.
The puzzle came to life
With spontaneous glory.

But as I examined the lower left corner
Where sparkling brook
Jammed against neighborhood street
I saw a lone child
Crying tears of diamonds
Into a dazzling waterfall
That flowed to nowhere.
With a sudden sickness in my stomach
I scrutinized my creation
With more discerning eyes.

Children ran screaming from clanging swords.
Clouds hovered ominously
Threatening to wash away families
Who huddled in houses
Praying for deliverance
From the winged monsters that attacked from above.
And all orchestrated by unforgiving deities,
Laughing as they looked down
From their dark fortresses.
I had to look away.
Burying my head in my shaking hands
I wept
Over this abomination I had created.

In shame and disgust
I fled the room
Locking the door behind me
Hoping that no one would become aware
Of my horrible travesty.
I tried to lead a normal life
Going dazedly through the motions
Believing that time would fade
Memories I could not escape.
But they called to me in the night
And during quiet times
When I could not ignore them
Haunting my past
And poisoning my future.
One path of restitution remained.

I stood disgraced
Before the door that taunted me.
Jeering and jabbing
It knew my darkest secrets.
Yet reaching out beyond my fear
I turned the cold handle
Stepping into the dusty room.
All remained as before –
Even the tears I had left behind.
A hand extending
That no longer felt like my own
Glided forgivingly across this eclectic scene
Taking in stream and street
Castle and cottage,
Cherub and child.

Carefully and lovingly
I began to separate the two worlds
Placing them side by side
On the same table
Close enough where I could work on them
Both at the same time
And they could see each other.
Digging through the box
I found all the edge pieces
To frame the picture of my happy home
And though I searched
I knew that I would never find
Any pieces to enclose
My spiral staircase climbing forever skyward.
Finally satisfied my work was complete
For today
I stood up and walked back to the door.
Looking back one final time
I smiled
Before turning out the light.

Free Destiny

With honed desire and sharpened mind
And future thoughts unbending
Forged plans inspired, but plans unwind
Yield battle scars unmending

Hard steel cast off, damp seeds cast down
To fertile ground awaken
A vision of the future sown
In subtle faith unshaken

A perfect gift though born to fight
From Mother Earth still rooted
And choose its path from dark to light
Toward guiding future fruited

Rebirth

Honor, duty, brave tested heart
Admired but cast aside
Resignedly he plays the part
The tears he must abide

Freedom, joy of running tempered
Under emptiness and doubt
Voices of the ancients whispered
Limits of the past cast out

Forgiveness ending solitude
Abandon running, learn to fly
Toward oneness mending gratitude
To be reborn a soul must die