A Tribute To Lawrence Ferlinghetti

he captured the average American experience

with words woven with activism and skepticism

an insurgent in the literary world with no allegiance

to traditional poetry and using abstract expressionism

he confesses to being an anarchist at heart

encouraging poets to write about political and cultural

aspects of their country like laws and local art

Lawrence Ferlinghetti who turned 100 the other day

still burns brightly in the world of poetry

an icon with plenty left to say

about the world and our society

The Ripple Effect

the consequences of our actions cause ripples in a cosmic sea

reverberating further than our eye can see

they echo in the myriad corridors of eternity

and find fertile hunting grounds in diversity

they spawn revolutions and bring prosperity

sometimes they point out things inadvertently

as you watch helplessly

with uncertainty

as the ripples spread out mysteriously

entwined with your fate in history

Keep The Line Moving

there’s no time to stop or hesitate

or to contemplate your fate

the line must keep moving along

no sense of right or wrong

the line keeps moving everyday

never making any headway

in a society of strangers

afraid of dangers

lines are crossed and people die

not even knowing why

everyone keeps moving the line

looking for a sign

a guiding light

through the dark night

for inspiration

and salvation


Stop. Listen. Talk.

the people who spend their time really communicating

are taking an important path towards eliminating hating

learning to have a successful conversation

is the way to reinvigorate a polarized nation

it’s important young and old listen to one another

instead of stepping on words disrespecting the other

for civility to return to our divided society

we need to call out destructive impropriety

It needs to stop

Everyone needs to listen

Then we can talk

Feeling The Heat?

do you ever get criticized for what you eat?

or dressing sloppy and not being neat?

then you’re probably feeling the heat

from the critics in your life and on the street

our hopes and our desires are fragile things

that need nurturing, not a critics barbed stings

using words like weapons and their voices like slings

critics treat your ideals and habits like verbal playthings

but you can make sure the your critics don’t succeed

when they talk trash about you, pay them no heed

be the master of your own ship and don’t concede

to naysayers and enemies who only want to mislead

we’re all going to feel heat along our chosen way

how we stand up to our detractors determines our day

we’re all different and have a variety of games we play

in essence, life is too damn short not to have your say!

Getting Real

our society has phonies to the left and right

truth is shunned and kept out of the limelight

getting real in these chaotic times is no easy task

everyone in the country is hiding behind a mask

deciding what is right or wrong is a real chore

it’s difficult to know who to abhor or adore

getting real is becoming harder every day

because people worry about what to say

it takes confidence and purpose to get real

sometimes it also takes nerves of steel

Tribute to George Carlin

the comedian who gave us the seven dirty words you can’t say on TV

was George Carlin, whose brutal honesty appealed to me

attacks by the FCC for use of expletives were thrown out of court

a victory for freedom of speech which the FCC tried to distort

while George is no longer on this earth his words are still alive

he made millions laugh about the absurdity of many things

yet there was a serious message to his acts that still clings

to our memories like fall leaves holding on until the last breeze

stubbornly clinging to his mastery of words and sly journalese

Another Day On The Merry- Go-Round

awakening at the first light of day

I think of the challenges ahead

some with hope and others with dread

it’s never easy getting out of bed

the key, I’m told, is a good attitude

in spite of what may lie ahead

you realize it’s better than being dead

so let your worries go unsaid

life is a merry-go-round

my grandfather use to say

embrace it and have a good day!

The Fable of Fate

scholars and philosophers claim

we are all victims of fate

in some big game

nothing is foreordained

our future is unwritten

we choose our own lane

how we spend each day

dealing with reality

and sometimes play

fate is not cast in concrete

framing your name

on destiny’s side street

I don’t care what the poets say

we are not bound by fate

or any other written cliché

and what pundits say

What is Praiseworthy?

“What is praiseworthy?” Socrates asked Voltaire

Sacrificing one’s life for another” he replied, answering the dare

“I’m not so sure” Rousseau countered with an imperious air

“It’s in the eye of the beholder,” spoke up Jean-Paul Sartre

“Who can truly say for sure?” Plato posited as he walked by

Spinoza suggested someone is praiseworthy if they don’t lie

“I think there’s plenty of room” said Hume, “to wrongly misapply”

Then all the philosophers threw up their hands asking “Why try?

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