Native Sun

I am four generations removedfrom a world unrecognizable, a world without walls, truth of word and of law but ultimately just another domino to fall in the name of progress

Imagination can only give a glimpse But the seed of memory is strong in me Often bubbling up as effervescent Wisdom whispering in my thoughts

The forest is where I come to worship its great canopy, my cathedral branches gently swaying in the breeze to the melody of birdsong, its beautiful choir I connect with Nature in all her majesty, the supreme intelligence behind it gives order to the chaos again grounds and humbles me leaving everything right again

just a brief respite from our unbalanced existence but it helps to quell the sadness of the sorry state we’re in then the Native Sun tells me to open my eyes and see that humanity is finally beginning To awaken from a slumber long huddled in Cimmerian shade

Our family is being remade before our very eyes And the children of new world are an amalgam much stronger than the first, now a harmony unimaginable can be visualized Shimmering in the not so distant twilight, and felt flowing towards our shores Truth and destiny cannot forever be hushed

And to the Native Sun I whisper back, “please hurry”.

Looking Back At 40

What a year of extremes, many mirrors have reflected clearly

my strengths and vulnerabilities

there has been a distinct quickening

in the lessons put before me

the years of preparation are now past

the work has been done

now is the season for patience

peppered with constant reminders

that deeper living, is rarely easy living

Is this emergence from

obscurity so wise?

success will never be caught by chase

you can only awaken and grow to meet it

throughout, life remains as it always has been,

a beautiful opportunity

harmony and balance is my savior

both the reward and the key

that winds this Alarm Clock Dawn

I stand ready.

One Last Long Look

one last long look an over-the-shoulder glance, lingering

and a sigh as I try

to take it all in

before I close the door

and say goodbye

memories,

once you were vibrant,

so full of our life

a shelter from the storms

you once housed our hopes

as we watched the world

in its seasons through

your window panes

one last long look

has now left you bare

revealed for what you are

an empty shell, awaiting

the next souls who

will breathe some new and

different life into you

the door now forever

closes with a click

the time has come

to move forward

as our hearts eagerly find

some brand new home.

Truth

Everything fliesaway eventually

a finite succession of crystalline moments in time are all that we really have here

choices allow us to shape each of them before they are frozen in form

In this moment I choose to be grateful, happy and to be kind to you

I will never understand your struggles and mine you can never know

not hollow kindness born of pity from some bleeding heart

but honest kindness that comes from a place of solemn respect for a fellow traveler whose twisted path will eventually lead them to the fringe of same Truth.

This Precipitous Place

Twenty years of faithhave led me here to this precipitous place right at the edge of my dream

If the wind shifts rightly I can close my eyes and savor its perfume

This dream of mine, a writer's life I was born to live but have yet to attain so I walk here as a ghost in the burning daylight one foot in each world, yet not fully an inhabitant of either

My refusal to relent is sheer stubbornness bred in me from generations of those who did it the hard way those who, I pray, in some way walked their hope with them, all the way to the grave.

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Dream Ultimate

A tangled webof brilliant lies, those insidious white lines that allow us to keep our swagger and artfully dodge the dull daggers of discontent all have walked this road before breathed in its dust, kicked the stones and in the end have found the journey isn’t what it seemed but just some gloriously forgiving dream always kind enough to give us one more chance.

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From The Land of the Lost

This life is a freefalling dreamin which time is the only gravity reach out, but there's nothing to cling to until you awaken and discover your wings these wayward wanderings will bring may a lonesome stings but your soul is a phoenix and a most faithful guide make your journey to the peaks and take comfort in the sunrise of each day born anew taste the wine and know in time that you will make your way from the land of the lost.

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Be

Be still, coax your soul from the shadows know when the madness is quieted you already possess all you've ever desired

Be still, see that there is subtle beauty in each breath, in each second of life when you are attuned

Be still, melt into the center of yourself and see that what you once considered reality will fade away as though you have awoken from a dream.

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Crescendo

Image This is life’s crescendo

constantly on the cusp,

close as a shadow, my best friend

sadness comes only

when I forget that

it is forever with me

this portable bliss

no one can capture

however hard they may try

it lives in the wings of the bird,

the crackle of the fire,

and the kindness of strangers

its beauty surrounds

to remind us who we are

and will cradle us in its arms

until our last breath.

Meditation

how lucid is your soul tonightas guards are put to rest? When not one is stirring ‘round you and the sun is setting west,

your true being is emerging as facades yield one by one as you long to merge with oneness and to greet the golden sun,

free from inhibitions imposed by the mind you call your own freedom from the past mistakes that haunts your Earthly home,

cross-legged, in the lotus you begin to clear your wearied mind wishing for a sliver of a moment to leave the struggle far behind

your pulse begins to slow as the void becomes your breath your heart begins to soothe you ever-beating in your chest,

dancing somewhere in the stillness breaking shadows far and near where a worry’s no longer a worry and a tear is not a tear,

a wave is all consuming a bright beam breaks clouds above you reach your precious goal and for a moment become Love.

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The Cubicle Jungle

Working in the close quarters of the modern office environment can be more difficult than you think. Below are a few tidbits of wisdom to help navigate you safely through the pitfalls of the cubicle jungle. Homo-Cubiclus - An often intelligent but sedentary creature who sits in a tiny three walled office for 8 to 10 hours a day. These creatures survive on various forms of fried pastry, sugar and caffienated beverages and frequently daydream of places far, far away. Listed below are some, but not all varieties of Homo-Cubiclus:

Besmircher - One who has mastered the art of twisting every conceivable positive into a negative. You often feel like washing up after encountering a besmircher.

Besmoocher - One who cozies up to the boss or high ranking cubicle-mate at every opportunity and then is the first to talk about him/her like a dog when he or she isn't present. Can be nauseatingly saccahrine. Try to exchange nothing but vague pleastantries with a besmoocher.

Flapper - (Not to be confused with the 1920's era cultural icon). One who will literally explode if, after being told something, doesn't repeat it to someone else within at least five minutes. Flappers have been known to often take creative license in the retelling of said information or stories. Say nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, to a flapper that you don't want repeated.

Stall Jockey (or sometimes referred to as the less culturally accepted, turd-bird) - An individual who disappears for long periods of time, several times a day. Stall Jockey's can be fun at parties, exhibit a lacksadaisical attitude and sometimes whistle. The tell-tale sign of a stall jockey is the everpresent reading material proudly tucked under one arm or sandwiched between important looking work-related files.

Toggle-Master - One who posses lightning quick reflexes not unlike that of a ninja. They use these reflexes to their advantage by surfing the internet and reading frivilous e-mail attachments for most of the day. These adreniline junkies are masters of using the "Alt" and "Tab" keys to toggle back to that all-important spreadsheet or work-item just a split second before the boss walks by. Exercise caution when approaching a Toggle-master (ecspecially if unannounced) for they can be skittish and easily exciteable.

Schnoozer - A true schoozer is almost zen-like. They have one foot planted in reality and one foot in the land of dreams and can make an seamless, almost unnoticeable transition. If a Schnoozer is still for more than a few minutes chances are he/she has achieved the illusive dreamlike state.

Wishy-washer - These people, for various reasons, adamately refuse to state their personal opinion or take a strong stance on any one subject for fear it will go "against the grain" in a homogenous politically correct environment. Often, wishy washers have lost all but a shred of their individuality and delight themselves in owning multiple shades of khaki clothing.

Roundabout - "All the world's a stage" and, when in the spotlight, a good roundabout can be mesmirizing! Roundabouts take pride in rarely giving a direct answer to any question. Watch for a theatrical oratory style, this will often..but not always give them away. The roundabout climbs the ladder quickly and will continue to hone their craft in the cubicle jungle until such time as they decide to move into the political arena.

Chief Time Thief – The person in the office who stealthily lies in waiting to nab you at the least opportune times in hallways or restroom areas for lengthy and often pointless conversations. Avoid this person at all costs, especially in social settings. Chief Time Thieves are almost guaranteed to make their victims sweat and have been known to elevate their blood pressure by at least ten points.

The Piddler – It’s a Piddler’s ultimate goal in life to one day find a way to master the laws of physics and actually suspend time. Until this ultimate goal is reached it will satisfy them to spend least ten times longer than necessary to do each and every job function. Piddlers relish in life’s little details, often have very serious demeanors and appear to be very studious and philosophical.

The Whittler - One who slowly and steadily erodes the morals of the entire department by spreading rumors and/or gossip with the sole purpose of starting trouble within the group. Whittlers are typically excellent strategists, will talk about anyone behind their backs, pit people against one another and sit back and enjoy the show. A tell tale sign of a Whittler is a saccharine sweet veneer and free-flowing compliments for anyone within earshot.

The Martyr – A Martyr will be the first to tell you, the weight of the world is on their shoulders. Martyrs can be seen sighing and shaking their heads in disgust quite frequently. Nervous ticks and soft incoherent mumblings can sometimes be observed in extreme cases.

Gigante Importante – A person who has been with the company since the dawn of time and have found a comfortable niche in middle-management. Gigante Importante’s, many times, operate under the false assumption that they're indispensable and the Universe would actually grind to a halt if it weren’t for their glowing competence. Be careful, Gigante Importante’s are very territorial and can become argumentative if threatened.

Shiny-Happy-People - These people are just plain happy as hell. In fact, they can be disturbingly happy. Shiny-Happy-People can exhibit short-term memory loss, cry frequently after-hours, most have experimented heavily with psychotropic drugs at some stage in their lives and usually have deep dark secrets that are best left unsaid.

The Interrupter – A person who dominates each and every conversation or meeting that they’re involved in. There’s an unusual air of intellectual superiority surrounding an Interrupter. Usually thin, nervous with very dramatic communication styles and have a hyena-like laugh. These people clearly weren’t given enough attention as children and are making up for lost time. Interrupters have the unique ability to make others feel like they do not exist. Not unlike the Chief Time Thief, the Interrupter can raise other’s blood pressure significantly.

The Interceptor - One who will take another’s good idea and present said idea to a manager with the intention of claiming it as their own. The Interceptor is completely devoid of a conscience or even a shred of common sense and can be found lurking behind cubicle walls, eaves dropping. Seasoned Interceptors have even been known to log onto other people’s computers in their absence to obtain their valuable information.

Human Calliope - One who can make disgusting noises from each and every orifice either separately or in advanced cases, at the same time. Human Calliope’s are often slightly autistic and exhibit brash, anti-social behavior. When conversing with a Human Calliope it's best to stand at least ten feet away or perhaps wear a slicker.

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Nothing Else

As the sun's raysilluminate your being and warm your face pause… to take a nice long drink of life, close your eyes and smile.know that this moment in time is real and all there is, really all there ever was and will be

Nothing else matters.

People will feel how they feel and will believe what they want to believe it is our only job to be

Fall leaves will continue to dance in the crisp wind, the squirrels will continue to play and the wood smoke will wisp long after we are gone.

But now, there is the sun and the earth beneath our feet and our breath time is still and nothing else matters.

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A Just Pause

Standing hereon the precipice of nowhere in particular

feeling open, ready for whatever’s next

now, paying attention to nothing but my breath

expectations of anyone nor anything seem desperately naive

understanding, the true nature of how lucky I am to perceive such beauty and bliss

my soul is strong and these shoes are still comfortable because I’ve taken these million humbling steps.

Inspired

Image I was pretty much resigned to the fact that the world was being completely engulfed by consumerism. Yesterday, something happened. My faith was renewed at the Saint Paul Art Crawl. It was so inspiring to be surrounded with that much creativity, intelligence and interconnectedness.

For thousands of years, this is what humans did best, we made things either for survival or fun that allowed us to express our awesome power of creativity. Unfortunately, the modern world doesn't encourage the average person to use creative expression. Really, who has the time?  In the last hundred years the powers that be have tried their best to mold us into one thing, consumers of corporately produced goods. This has largely succeeded and as a result we are more disconnected and often confused as a species. An important part of who we are has been forgotten and it's created a huge void that try to fill with countless other things.

I was reminded yesterday that there is a great and growing underground community of artists and musicians out there trying to change this. Although you'd never know this by tuning into the media.  These individuals are attempting to regain a bit of what has been lost and integrate it back into our lives again. For this, I commend them.

To hold something born of someone's mind and made of their two hands helps us to reconnect with the awesome power we have lost. As a species, we have such depth, talent, so much intelligence within us.  We are so much more than we are lead to believe, the power is just waiting to be awakened.

I liken being a creative person today to being a circus juggler. Often times we have keep two lives in constant motion, one to pay the bills, the other to practice our chosen craft.  It's exhausting and both lives suffer for it. The luckiest among us have found a way to successfully merge the two but most of us only dream of doing so.  It is the hope of one day joining these two aspects of ourselves that keeps us going.

I saw a prayer hanging by the door of an artist's studio, beautifully stamped into a square of  tarnished copper, "Artist's Prayer - Lord, please allow me to live the kind of life that they think I do".  This says it all.