Spousal reign long gone
Another grasp for the throne
Will lady begone?

The objective was to support the emancipation
Of a population suffering under repression
The consequences were the destruction and destitution
Of the leaders and other people in controlled confusion.

Historically conquerors do not always vanquish
By killing the opposition, defiance and anger do not perish
But rather deep-rooted animosities begin to take root and flourish
Futile to reorder the destiny of peoples and the values they cherish.

It is not debilitating and draining
Yoga is fortifying and fulfilling.

It is not tearing down others defenses
Yoga is about enhancing your senses.

It is not overwhelming your opponents
Yoga is overcoming your impediments.

It is not about material possession
Yoga is about spiritual ascension.

It is not winning a frantic race
Yoga is attaining a state of grace.

It is not about a world that has to be won
Yoga is about a Universe that is One.

In the glimmer of light, that shines through
the East Texas pines, close to dusk,
I stand still aware of a whisper from an opening
that is allowing the light to shine through.
Who are you, I ask, while a million
electric needles pierce my arms.
“I am the light that is the last warm ray
on the first day of summer, sole proprietor of the sun
and holder of humankind’s destiny.
Don’t you know that just like this flickering fading light,
In a minute, it will be over and you will have
no memory of the darkness closing in.

How are the flaws as important as the beauty marks?
We seek perfection only to find the real value is in sharing the flaws,
learning to walk in the light of those scars that add depth to the soul,
inculcating the compassion necessary to grow as human beings.
Without flaws, there is no depth to the soul.
Perfection is our puny attempt to emulate the divine,
a feat that is never achievable and destined to break our spirit.
So share the flaws that allow the bonds of friendship and love,
infuse the compassion and integrate the knowledge

What is a tear but proof that the soul cries.
Today I felt sorrow for the less fortunate,
Driven to the brink of existence and smothered with lies.
Tormented by the reality of life’s inequities and berated
to the lowest level of living and existence.
Does a tear wash away the hurt and pain or
Salvage a wounded soul and lift a sad heart?
Tears are man’s escape from the internal suffering that
Is too hard to bear and can only be relieved with a gift,
like rain on a hot summer’s days cooling the parched earth.

Come my boy,
Sit down,
I’ll tell you about my time,
My time in my old town,
Which I hope is doing well,
I passed and left long ago,
Keeping the comedy alive,
For you see there was nothing grand about my time,
But it was a charming time,
A warm time,
All we had then were jokes,
All we had were our mountains,
Mountains full of pride,
Which stood so tall,

It was a charming time,
Difficult nonetheless,
For you see,
My beloved lost her mind,
And it was difficult for me,

This stellar happening
(with which arose the planet)
accumulates vast quantities
of ever-orbiting fragments
then spews the dust heavenward,
for us to see as blue.

Twelve; the year of liberation
Freedom from the tyrant
What a glorious sensation
No more, shhhh...”You can't”

Took up life-long habits
Some were bad and one was great
I bought my own cigarettes
Stayed up reading way too late

Mrs. Moore, I thank your grace
Stayed after school with me
I still see your smiling face
You're the one who set me free

Stories, places and times away
I had adventures and I flew
Read about the good old days
I knocked back root-beer brew

And I’ll say
When I had just turned twenty,
I was supposed to get married,
To this one girl,
We’ll call her Love,
But not that sweet kind of love,
That love that doesn’t even love you back,
That love that lies to you and doesn’t call back,
That love that secretly hates you,
Because it doesn’t understand you,
Nor does it want to,
Yes sir,
That kind of love,
The kind of love that will get up and leave you,