This and Other Things I Write – Poem

Tunis - After this coming cold winter I will rise up in the splinter With my steps up and up till I find the garden of spring.

By God

Of Earth and Eden

In this life

I have a seat

Bitter and sweet

Heavy and light

I will sit for a while

But then I must buckle

For my boat to set sail

And wrestle and wrestle

Into the Island of Light.

*********

Behold!

I have a feeling

Bitter and sweet

Heavy and light

That my life now

Has a beautiful meaning

Worthy of the struggle

That with my hands

I work and eat

Not to steal and smuggle.

*********

I have a feeling

That my heart keeps sight

Of what my mind conceals

my mind tells me I am a knight

So what? I reply. What of it?

My heart is fragile and bleeding

And keeps grist to the mill of it.

*********

I need to read, pray and weep

And my tears are drifting

As the autumn’s leaves

Have fallen and keep falling.

My tears are trickling down

But one day

I will lie down

And be at rest.

*********

After this coming cold winter

I will rise up in the splinter

With my steps up and up

Till I find the garden of spring.

*********

My life has a beautiful meaning

In it I have a feeling

Heavy and light

Bitter and sweet

always worthy of the struggle.

*********

For as the sun hides behind the clouds

And hides behind twilight

And people on earth wonder

Where has it gone?

What have we done?

The sun comes up with beautiful light

And when the stars sparkle at night

And people down ponder

How far in the sky are the stars?

Those giant eyes looking down on us

They still come up with heavenly light.

*********

My life has a beautiful meaning

In it I have a feeling

Heavy and light

bitter and sweet

and always worthy of the struggle.

*********

I will keep doing what is proper

I will keep doing what is right and sober

I will keep looking for the invisible fountain

Of love and life even in Parnassus Mountain.