Exploring eternity in a parlor
a fool finds velvet and marble
The velvet ever statuesque
marble seeming to drape
lithe over a hewn muse

Above the fool, jellyfish stained glass
Gentle movement, perfume of aging paper

their eyes brush the stitched spines
lingering on the edges of crooked shelves
bowed with years of burden and replacement
once among a quaint little copse
these planks harbor stories, mildew blossoms

Slices of memory kept fresh out of time
each photograph is a buried treasure
My eyes feast on the heat of emotion
held in thrall to the frozen instant

Who can tell the twists of fate
or speak of certain fortune?
Celebrate life in the now
and paint each and every joy

Keep them close to your heart
Capture the scene, and remember
A picture is worth a thousand words
and you are the custodian of each moment

“I like your new dress”

{Shit, now she'll wear that thing all the time}

“It's not so bad, once the color fades out a little”

{What the hell possessed a fifty-year old woman to dye her hair purple?}

“Naahhh...You aren't bothering me”

{Now, I'll miss my favorite show}

“I'll be happy to watch little Joey!”

{My dog needs something to chase around the yard}

“Sure, I'd love to give you a ride”

{If there is gas left from the last dollar you gave me}

“No, I love kids, bring them over any time”

Like broken glass, sea of shale,
in Nature's canyon swale,
walls of layered ochre, sienna hues,
surround crashing waterfall blues,
still moist air, captured in this prison,
this mist filled chasm,
years shown in the towering walls,
each layer had it's genesis call,
being God's continuing creation,
wonderment, fascination,
gentle streamlets, rock erosion,
channeling peaceful emotion,
humbly into thankful solitude,
crevassed silent gratitude.