Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Toy with a Voice

All of us were sleeping 
Suddenly, I heard a drum beat.
What was that noise?

Minutes pass, and it happens again.
Now, I heard a car
Revving louder

Silence.

Finally, we have peace.

Vroom, vroooom.
Bonk! BONK!
The sound pierced through the darkness.
Was it a phone?
Was it a truck?

Mama, what IS that noise?
I don't know, but if it happens again, I'll find out.

BONK!!!
Short, loud bursts.

Vroom, vrooom.
Rawr!

It's got to be a toy.
But what makes that noise?

It's not in the living room
Or behind closed doors
Lurking in the shadows
Was an especially curious noise

Soon, it wailed louder
Mama looked for the noise.
Seeing a blue light
She thought, "Oh my gosh! What in the world?"

In the bathroom she found the culprit
It was one of the boys' toys!

Lying on the floor
Was the plastic phone 
That used to chirp and squeak with happiness
And even play the drums

But one fateful day
It was dropped in the commode.
Just a little water changed it forevermore.

Now, it spontaneously burst forth with sound
Vroom, vroom.
Rawr. Ahh!
I won't be quiet now!

"It's not supposed to work if you don't touch it," Mama said.
Interrupting sleep,
Jolting me out of bed
This toy had become a source of dread.

Mama said, "I know what I'll do
I'll take the batteries out!"
Gone are the revving engines
And ear-splitting sounds.
I've got the power now!

And so we drifted off to sleep
And my nephews were oblivious to the sounds of the night
That gave us all such a fright.

Each time you press it
It is a mystery.
Will it sound like a car, a chainsaw, a tiger?
No one knows what it will be.

The toy has a voice,
Morphing anew each time.
Muttering indistinguishable sounds 
It is sure to confound.

This simple toy 
Was begging to be heard
Understood? Never!
It's just absurd.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Detached

connected wires

Internet Connect © Marquinhos Schnaider via freeimages.com
People have detached from the simple things
Want to go their own way
Noses in screens

Isolated
Agitated
Can't engage in a conversation

Detached from family
Thinking they have friends
That illusion is fading steadily

Obsessed with likes, comments, and opinions
Whatever happened to being an individual?

Inundated with the latest news
If you don't wear this
If you ever say that
You can't hang with my crew

Detached from reality
Never knowin' they're sinking
Slinking into a pit
Has a child's mentality

I want this 
I need that
Who texted me?
I missed that?!

Gossip, chatter
Can't relate
Because they make no mistakes

Vision is murky
Unable to see dangers lurking
In the electronic vacuum 
Mommy can't save you

Fake profiles, secrets, and more
Didn't someone warn you?
Addicted
Even though you're in too deep
Can't escape that screen

When I try to unplug
Read a book
The screen beckons me, "Come back. You need me. I am your drug."

Power me up.
Keep me by your side.
As long as you have me, everything will be alright.

Detached. Unaware. 
No personality.
Void of all feeling.
Evidence you are prisoner of the technology lair.

Monday, February 16, 2015

The Verdict

scales

Balance © Stephen Stacey via freeimages.com


The balance is set
Which way will it go?
One tip and everything changes

Each side sits still
Waiting for my next move
Side to side, suspended in the air
My hands tremble. It is such a heavy burden to bear.

The verdict is coming
There is no way to stop it
Faster, faster

Life or death?
Right or wrong?
Fact or fiction?
Bond servant or free?

How do I choose?
Why can't I see?

I am blinded by my own misery
Haunted by a sense of duty

Carefully placing a coin in one side
The pendulum shifts
The mood has changed
No longer stale
Dynamic, shifting, swaying

And then, the dust settles
The choice has been made
Will I live to see another day?

Palms are sweaty
I am desperate to be rid of this weight
Flinging all of my chips at the balance, laying it all on the table
I have nothing to lose

In a moment of clarity, my eyes see a faint glow
Do I dare to hope?

Alas, I leave the pendulum
Unbalanced, teetering
I have emptied everything into a hunk of metal

Now I go
Steeling myself for the answer
Head up, shoulders back

The verdict is in.

Friday, February 13, 2015

A Poem about Truth

Truth is often sought after
Yet it is elusive

Almost within reach
But the facade and lies are keeping it hidden

Truth, I seek you
You are a comfort in the storm
Knowing that if I still pursue
I will find you

I abide in truth
Continuing to hold you in the highest regard
Forsaking the norm

Tear down the walls
Stop the mockery
The only side of the story I want is truth

Reading between the lines
No longer mystified
I see clearly

I've caught a glimpse of something real
Choosing to stoke the flame of truth
Once an ember, a glimmer, a tiny flame

Let the truth burn in me
Consume my thoughts
Guide my steps

What started out as a want has now become a need
A longing I can't deny
Tired of pretending and so many false pretenses

Can we all just be honest?
Can we all be true?
Can we all be one – me and you?

Truth requires a voice
Someone has to say something
Anyone, anywhere?

Truth calls
The echo is almost deafening
We have to be carriers
Carriers of truth

Now is the time
I've made up my mind
I will speak truth from the lowest valley to the highest peak
Because there is a place where truth reigns

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

A Poem about Beauty

I see beauty all around me
It's in the sunshine streaming through my window
My nephew's laugh reaches the depths of my soul


Mountains. trees. rushing water.
Deep, calm, free

I am a mountain
Standing tall despite it all
Weathering storms
Full of mysteries

Beauty is in the simple things
A melody
The song I sing, flowing free

I am soaring, flying
High above the things that used to bother me


I am a conqueror
Strength. Shield. Victory.

I am a rubber band
Stretched and flexible
Bending every which way
Bouncing back from heartache

I am beautiful
I am loved
More than ever, I know I'm enough

My voice rings clear
Stronger than ever before
I won't hold back
No, no not anymore

Pressing through
Trudging on
There's a life to be lived
And it is beautiful, precious, pure

I see beauty in myself
It's in my smile
It's in my eyes

I wanna make the world beautiful
Speaking words of life
Walking side by side with harmony
Loving purely

That's beauty.

The Longest Goodbye

This is what I said it felt like when describing what we have gone through with my grandmother. For four years, we've watched her slip a...