Change is always with us.
Nothing stays the same.
Life we try to schedule.
But time we cannot tame.
~
The clock is always ticking.
Seconds pass us by.
Days are growing shorter.
The years tell us why.
~
Be at the ready,
prepared to change our mind.
Exercise flexibility.
Wiggle room we’ll find.
~*~
SCK012821
I sit and wait for words to flow.
Where they’ll take me I never know.
I’ve danced with stars and commanded the sea.
I’ve chatted with wizards that look just like me.
~
My hand’s my wand to wave to and fro.
My mind’s the place we always go.
My eyes have absorbed many a sight.
My ears heard thunder and “I love you, goodnight”.
~
My life’s been shaped by uncertainty,
striving always to be not me.
Seconds have crept and years have flown.
I’ve learned some things best unknown.
~
Yet time is for shaping, both future and past.
The now unmoldable, it happens to fast.
Love has been felt, now again every day.
On carpets we ride and on clouds we lay.
~
Age has taught me many new things;
the less one cries the more one sings.
The more one loves the less there’s hate.
And the more one laughs the happier the mate.
~*~
SCK090819
~
Procrastinators,
it’s said often live longer.
I’ll just wait and see.
~*~
sck011616
Reminiscing of my younger days,
the bad forgotten, the good stays.
The bumps and bruises now long mended.
Lessons learned but youth had ended.
~
Reflecting time the ripples soften.
The pebbles tossed returning often.
The image felt fades with age.
Clarity welcomes another stage.
~
Twilight glistens upon the swells.
The shoreline’s endless bearing shells.
Footsteps crisscross in the sand.
The past and present now hand in hand.
~
Sun’s set and tides rise.
Horizons curve to meet my eyes.
The future’s now a step away.
If a choice would I stay?
~
Yesterday’s echo to the unknowns call.
Adventures await when not to stall.
Tomorrows are whatever I guess.
Live or die, the answer’s yes.
~*~
SCK091820
Back before sneakers where all the craze
Back in my good ole shoe-shinin’ days
Lugged a box that nearly scraped the ground
At six or seven I roamed all over town
.
Had a place for quarters one for nickels and dimes
And a pocket for pennies, for change sometimes
So when given a quarter for your ten-cent shines
Make change in pennies, you’ll keep-it most times
.
Busy summers at the beach and the bars
I had to be careful because of the cars
I drank lots of soda, learned lots of jokes
Once got caught stealin’ a fresh pack of smokes
.
The bartender yelled “I’ll kick your ass”
I ran out of there really fast
I had to be done by the afternoon
Cuz the big kids would be shinin’ there soon
.
I charged a dime, the others a quarter
I got the tips and they got the fodder
I once got to shine all afternoon
The big kids had a plan I learned real soon
.
They let me shine just to steal my money
They didn’t think my success was funny
I was on my way home when I saw them comin’
They yelled my name and I went runnin’
.
With a hand in my pocket to hold up my wealth
Little shiny feet flyin protecting our health
My shine-box banging, bruising knees
So I took a shortcut through the trees
.
Then I got grabbed tryin’ to climb a wall
They caught up quick cuz they were tall
I only got hit a couple of times
They left the pennies, took the nickels and dimes
.
It was a fight I couldn’t win, but I didn’t lose
Cuz I limped home – quarters in my shoes
~
Sck012115
Time for time-out it’ll end soon.
Dug in the yard with mom’s good spoon.
She’s had it since her wedding day.
Used just for holidays, not play.
*
I said that it was shaped just right,
to dig a trench where armies can fight.
Needs to be deep but not too wide.
Had to dig fast so they can hide.
*
Buried far down just like a tomb.
Guarding treasure found in your room.
Found in a box high on a chest.
It’s the booty pirates like best.
*
I must protect those shiny things:
chains, charms, bracelets, baubles and rings.
Hid them good, remembered the map.
But then forgot after my nap.
*
To help me dig I found a pet.
The best digger there is I’ll bet.
Finished our yard then went next door.
Found nothing, ran off to dig more.
*
Chased our cat high up in the tree.
Grandma called the police for me.
Her nurse had to help make the call.
The police came, that isn’t all.
*
While chasing his dog that I found,
the man fell from holes in the ground.
He said he’ll sue, just wait and see.
I said it was his dog, not me.
*
His face was red, limping away.
But grandma’s heart will be okay.
And I have some more good news.
While digging today, I wore no shoes.
*
They’re nice and clean and tucked away.
I’ll try no pants some other day.
Though mess was made with my bare feet,
I cleaned it up with hose and sheet.
*
Pushed all the water out the door.
Then to your room, I cleaned some more.
Too bad the hose didn’t quite reach.
I luckily then found the bleach.
*
You’ll smile when you turn on the light.
I know you like things clean and white,
with spots of color here and there.
You’ll surely hug your little dear.
*
I’m glad you’re home early today.
Don’t believe what the neighbors say.
The rescue came, Dad’s all right.
Not much pain, he’ll wake by tonight.
*
Go to the doctor, I’ll just wait.
I’ll be good and won’t stay up late.
I missed lunch; I’ll make us a snack.
Fix the chair dad broke with his back.
*
He climbed too high to find his keys,
lost his balance from wobbly knees.
I found some socks to wrap dad’s head.
Then found soldiers under my bed.
*
Recalled the mission to be done.
Ran downstairs to start the fun.
Found no spoons not already bent.
But then found yours and out I went.
*
And that’s where my story began.
Now come sit close mom, hold my hand.
I know that time-outs hurt you too.
But when it’s done I’ll still love you.
*
The End
sck2014
.
I was out to lunch this early fall,
with my sweetheart, disturbed by a call.
Tried not to answer, boss wouldn’t wait.
“Go to the harbor”, he yelled, “before it’s too late”.
Duty calls, I sped to the pier,
swerved through traffic as fast as I dare.
Screeched to a halt at the dock by the bay,
the boat’s motors revved then underway.
Holding on tight I asked what’s the fuss?
The skipper pointed up at the blob over us.
It was big and gray, no particular form,
battered and tattered like a dingy in a storm
It hung from balloons, one at each end,
letting air out slowly to descend.
It kissed the calm harbor with hardly a swell.
A slit appeared then a putrid smell.
Followed by a ladder of rope dropped to the sea,
then an old head popped out “Ahoy thar matey.”
We climbed aboard the blob that fell from the sky.
Inside appeared to be a ship with no sails but masts high.
A portal to the past or future, it wasn’t clear.
My eyes wide open, couldn’t fathom what’s near.
Bos’n whistle blowing, ships bell ringing,
Captain’s on deck, old sailors singing.
Adrift in time for many a year,
brass shone bright, decks scrubbed bare.
Beards grown long, spirits grown weak,
searching endlessly for the end they seek
I asked many questions and he of I.
“How did you come to fall from the clear blue sky?”
He shrugged and answered “balloons in the sun.”
He asked how the war went; I said “you won”
Pleased by the news, great joy was abound.
The captain and crew, spirits were found.
We told him our location, name and job.
He told us the story of his great flying blob.
“I built her to survey the rogue enemy.
Launched in the spring, eighteen sixty-three.
But she rose too quickly and at too fast a pace.
Caught in a current and thrust into space.
She’s wrapped in layers of thick blubber.
Fin of spruce to serve as rudder.
A ship out of water floating in space,
propelled by methane made from our waste.
And in her belly the mighty tree grew;
wood for repairs, air for the crew.
Trimmed to perfection, nurtured with care,
the trees demise is all that we fear.”
“The tree is the living when all else seems dead.
Greens for the birds then eggs we are fed.
Twigs feed the fires for heat and our light,
the roots of survival the engine of flight.”
The captain paused for word from the mate.
A decision to make before it’s too late.
The blubber was oozing in the midday sunlight,
absorbing seawater, soon too heavy for flight.
He called out the order to make all lines taut.
Bid us farewell and shared one last thought.
“No matter how far our souls may roam –
the journeys not over until we are home.”
The blob sailed off high in the sky –
then disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The captain and crew homeward at last,
seeing the future, choosing and the past.
The End
Sck092914
~
To all the writers never known
To the few from which we’ve grown
From their words the future’s sown
Rearranged to call our own
~
To all of those that do it now
From palette pure to graven brow
Investing all we dare allow
Divesting that we can’t avow
~
Time records in poem and prose
Imagined journeys no one knows
From euphoric highs to deadly lows
The tide of emotion forever flows
~
Looking back at history
Or hypothesizing infinity
Sensations felt we can’t see
Ink bled sets us free
~
Where to start, that depends
Our time alone shared with friends
Yet all stories must have ends
Well submerged is where life blends
~
Write the dark to see the light
Time always wins the fight
And when you lay awake tonight
Rest assured our future’s bright
~*~
Sck112315
Embers fade, waning moon
Sounds of day coming soon
Nights of bliss with our love
Counting stars that dance above
*
Sharing secrets from the past
Recalling joy that didn’t last
Time’s treasured in the dark
Horizons clear with the rising arc
*
By day we grow, eves recede
Priorities given to what we need
Quills in hand, arm in arm we’ll fly
Soaring and diving in the endless sky
*
In search of a hilltop on which to lie
It is here I’d wish to die
To rest and ponder life’s miracle
Where the arc becomes full circle
~*~
Sck061715
~
Colors of autumn, death’s in bloom.
Return to the earth, the seeds’ final tomb,
nourishing yet another season.
We’re all guests of earth for this reason.
~
And thus the surety of life;
prosperity, mediocrity or strife.
All to return to where once came,
regardless of misfortune or fame.
~
For life is but a lesson –
throughout our mortal existence.
A test of our bodies, minds
and hearts persistence.
~
We’re all creatures of the same seed.
Return to the earth, our souls freed.
So let us not perceive death an end –
simply a new life to transcend.
~
For death is the exploration
of dimensions unknown.
And thus the destiny of the seed-
Grown
~
Sck2014/84
~
Stories of a life hidden beneath the grays
Peel back the many layers, see the brighter days
Shades grow ever subtle; space grows to its end
Hues upon a palette, in time all will blend
~
Our colors, depths and textures all leave their traces
Memories in murals and the portraits many faces
Like time measured in the trees ringed grain
Reflections of our many years of snow, ice and rain
~*~
sck091415
~
Colors of autumn, death’s in bloom.
Return to the earth, the seeds’ final tomb,
nourishing yet another season.
We’re all guests of earth for this reason.
~
And thus the surety of life;
prosperity, mediocrity or strife.
All to return to where once came,
regardless of misfortune or fame.
~
For life is but a lesson –
throughout our mortal existence.
A test of our bodies, minds
and hearts persistence.
~
We’re all creatures of the same seed.
Return to the earth, our souls freed.
So let us not perceive death an end –
simply a new life to transcend.
~
For death is the exploration
of dimensions unknown.
And thus the destiny of the seed-
Grown
~
Sck2014/84
Circuitous
Yin and Yang’s never
just black and white, but it is
always circular.
~
Foresight
With age comes brighter
introspection, for the dark
is to near sighted.
~
Just a Peek
Know thyself, climb high,
peaks fleeting, limits unknown –
unless exceeded.
~*~
sck040817
The first whiff of autumn’s in the air.
A moment new that we’ll all share.
The flowers wilting and sweaters out,
should be ready, there’s never a doubt.
~
But each day’s new is always the way.
Only yesterdays are here to stay.
The leaf cycles; green, gold to gone.
To the earth they all are drawn.
~
With time comes age for good and bad.
We all cycle forward, happy and sad.
And like the leaf we too shall fall.
Winter’s coming, but not for all.
~*~
SCK092719
~*~
Disconnectionated
The older I get,
the younger I feel I feel,
till felt what’s real.
~
Preflighty Check
Dangerous actions
follow dangerous thinking.
Think before thinking.
~
Nit Pickin
When I examine
myself with a microscope
I just get smaller.
***
sck080717
Hands rise
Weights fall
Chimes sing
Birds see
Cuckoos all
`
Keys twist
Springs wind
Gears mesh
Spindles turn
Hands unkind
`
Travel on
Sunny face
Divided lines
Hide numbers
Perpetual race
`
Hands fall
Weights rise
Chimes strike
Birds die
Cuckoo’s wise
`
Keys open
Spring trap
Hours Chime
Birds sing
Hands clap
`
Travel off
Years shock
Number’s turn
Time winds
Cuckoos clock
~
sck102714
It seems like only yesterday when time was on my side.
The future was ahead with opportunities far and wide.
The world, it seems, my oyster with all its slime and goo.
The pearls were for my plucking; now they are but few.
~
My words no longer flow and little seems to please.
Perhaps it’s just boredom or my mind is now at ease.
Age may be the culprit; it seems to fit the bill.
Birthdays cause reflection as they always will.
~
The image that is seen may not be what it seems.
Tomorrow I’ll be younger, but only in my dreams.
Today I watched the sunrise, it seems, a perfect day.
I think I’ll wake my love and kiss these blues away.
~*~
SCK101620
This story begins where most would end.
It’s not fiction, I won’t pretend.
The moon was high, my energy low.
The night came fast, my thinking slow.
~
I heard a noise come from my shed.
A scream so loud it could wake the dead.
I stepped outside not knowing why.
Should I return or would I die?
~
Each step closer my life’s less long.
My goal uncertain but temptation’s strong.
To turn and run or hide and wait,
the choice is now, if not too late.
~
Between my door and destiny,
lay the light and dark of uncertainty.
Betwixt the abstracts of would, could and should,
in a purgatory I there stood.
~
Clinging to the past and a peace of mind,
scenarios flood to times I’d find.
Reaching out to unlock my fate,
sights envisioned now bears the weight.
~
In the dimming light of one’s existence,
the future seen in our past’s distance.
Fear now a memory, the dragons slain,
tomorrows welcomed with forever’s again.
~
The truth often stretched resilience we test.
For problems to solve persistence is best.
And the shed’s but a metaphor for time unknown.
While the night the place where stars are grown.
~*~
SCK032121
My candle flickers in distant panes.
Main Street silent, the starlight wanes.
Icy fingers grip my bones.
Frozen breath chills my moans.
~
My story begins and none too soon.
Shadows long for the hidden moon.
The hour’s late, the journey’s long.
The sun’s rise unseen if again I’m wrong.
~
My goal’s a king born a pawn,
To live again, this moment’s gone.
Blindness hides the cold hard truth.
Hindsight magnifies the lies of youth.
~
My pride swallowed, visions lull.
Biting winds gnaw at my skull.
Clouds engulf a blizzard near,
too many steps, too late to swear.
~
My goal is clear, survive the night.
There is no choice to stand and fight.
The path uncharted, each step’s new,
to trip and fall death’s in view.
~
My head is pounding, my body aches.
The thrust is forward to reverse mistakes.
Apologies given but time doesn’t care.
Words mean nothing if not to share.
~
My mind is blank, my heartbeats race.
Howling wolves set the pace.
Clothes in tatters, my bare feet bloody.
If I shall live, my pain they’ll study.
~
My memories linger of a forgotten past.
Dreams awaken, a future’s cast.
Dawn surely near, nightmares recede.
My eyes then open to all that I need.
~*~
SCK031821
Our empty lot’s not empty at all.
There’s a tree that’s big and tall.
It’s a place that kids love to share.
It’s on my street so mom needn’t care.
We spend sunny days in the shade.
There’s lots of dreaming in forts we made.
There’s bunches of dirt to dig deep holes.
Rainy puddles for toy fishing poles.
Our empty lot really has it all,
We hide and seek and sometimes play ball.
It’s the place where adventures begin.
A fence to keep the city out and us in.
We’ve bugs and spiders, squirrels and cats.
There’s soft grass to sit for quiet chats.
We see dogs on leashes and birds in the sky,
Some tweet, sing sweet, bark, run and fly.
There’s rope jumping girls and running boys.
Everyone brings their favorite toys.
Weeds make jungles for our tiny men.
Tiny cars get lost, then are found again.
A place on Sundays for dads to mow.
A place anytime where friendships grow.
When the days fun is done, we all say goodnight.
To our good old friend, under the street light.
SCK102814
Instantaneous conception
Darkened suspension
Quintessential isolation
Thrusted illumination
Blissful termination
Trusted dedication
Explored dimension
Forced memorization
Infinite confusion
Rising tension
Tense deliberation
Lofty ambition
Numbing frustration
Occasional jubilation
Generational creation
Much tribulation
Restful justification
Deserved relaxation
Diminishing pension
Perpetual hibernation
But so far mostly fun
Sck120812
Almost sixty, though I’m not quite there.
But I’ve learned some things I’d like to share.
First; get up early and watch the sun rise.
Then the world will get brighter before your eyes.
~
Indulge your passions whenever you can.
Allow yourself time and have a plan.
Make others happy and they’ll do the same.
Accept your mistakes when you’re to blame.
~
Give freely your love and never resist.
Make the most of life’s many turns and twists.
Take note of the bad but never complain.
Look for the good and don’t dwell on the pain.
~
This list could run on but I’d rather not preach.
Though it’s always important to learn and to teach.
So just one more thing before I go;
If you’re in love, be sure you let them know.
~*~
SCK092719
rhymesalot 