Chickens peck, scratch, and rest

While the coop wire protects them all around

Not a care or worry they carry

Just eat, squawk, lay eggs, and scratch the ground

Feed thrown through the wire

Falls like golden rain to the earth

Anticipating the treasures from the heavens

They scramble madly for their treat of worth

Oblivious they seem of the opportunist squirrels

Who laboriously gather the wire-clinging grain

Briefly trapped between the beams

And the heavens from which they did rain

A cardinal redbird makes a fast red swoop

To grab his straggling feast there

As the squirrel retreats to hide his treasure

Not at all of the bird aware

Focused on their grain each day

Each to the other was oblivious

The big picture is only revealed

When oblivious is replaced by obvious

Black lies, White lies, Gray lies,

Or lies of omissions

Hurt and stink

As foul and lethal as automobile emissions

All reek of deceit

Falling on their victims feet

With as much power and velocity

As a hurling block of concrete

So why is it so cool

Each other to fool

Putting best tricks in a pool

To carry home to the barstool

No one wins

Justifying the sins

Most often the loss is kin

And one’s very own skin

The north winds raced across the field picking up speed

Greeting and pushing the trees aside

And swirling around the corners of the house

In a playful arrogant rush

The horses darted in and around the cooling wind

With equal mischief and excitement

Kicking up their heels in the air

In direct rebellion and competition with the changing elements

The whistling interruption of the hyper air

Synchronized to the exuberant beat of the horses hoofs

And joined hands at the opposite horizons

Partnering with the sky’s stampeding gray clouds

It was an aggressive and expected announcement

Of the arrival of an old and dear friend

An Appropriate and suitable escort for

The welcome introgression of the seasonal change

Deep and abiding love is so difficult to grow

For first a seed of interest must mutually exist

Between the minds and each accepting soul

Both must be focused and willing to embark

On a treacherous path of life

To be conquered together before the dark

The dangers disabled by the team along the way

Combine to form and strengthen the pillars

Upon which love is able to flourish and stay

Clutter is all about

In anger it makes me shout

There is stuff everywhere

All I can do is stare

Can’t we do without just one time?

It is no fun waiting to buy in a store line

Where is that thing that yesterday I just bought?

I can’t find it anywhere – I put it there I thought

To the store again I will run for another

I guess the last one has already turned to more clutter

Our lives are filled with special moments

All of which are a treasure

Happy, sad, or filled with torments

Are not the means by which we measure

It is the lessons learned today

That one takes and applies to the heart

Experiencing adversities along the way

Enable one’s character to build or tear apart

Today I choose

Productivity over idleness

Happiness not sadness

Smiles sure to overcome frowns

Quiet meditation rather than imposing sounds

At least one good deed or unexpected kindness

A sincere act of forgiveness

To resist temptations of sin

And learn from the places I have been

Today I choose

Not to loose

But to win

I stood in my favorite place this morning

Underneath the predawn sky

As the wind played with me

Bumping, pulling, and tugging sly

A silver sliver of the moon stood strong

While a single star played and danced

Darting in and out of the clouds

Teasing the night that allowed the glance

Rushing to make room for the morning sun

The dark cloud silhouettes journeyed fast and far

Morning soon would steal away

Remaining visions of the moon and solitaire star

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath

Of the cool and busy air

Giving sincere thanks to God

For this moment He so lovingly allowed

God, we ask that You be with all teachers today

And let them know

Their influence in their students’ lives

Will forever show

Let patience, compassion, and vision

Temper the knowledge they share

And give them understanding for well-meaning parents

That sometimes can be difficult to bear

Keep teachers and students

Well and safe from harm

And make them sensitive

To important emotional and mental alarm

Fill them with the strength and endurance

To remember rewards are slow to manifest

And their responsible good work

Will certainly reap a beneficial harvest

We offer great thankfulness

For those You selected to teach

For the lesson plans today

Will infinitely shape the goals each seek to reach

The monster lurked around every corner

Stealing fun and building moats in which to propagate

Its path left littered with destruction

Leaving non-healing wounds and life altering barriers

Impossible to exterminate successfully once given a start

The roots lie deep and grip one’s very soul

Are nurtured with the trusted love of infancy

And fertilized with multiple sources of well meaning intentions

Disguised behind the good

It feeds on love, heritage, religion and tradition

Destroying individual esteem unnoticed

Then devouring positive futures one at a time

The good turns to rot bit by bit

Until it is accepted as normal

It is a handy tool necessary for building

And used frequently to polish character

But when overdone it weaves itself into one’s being

To takeover will and steal  joy

Snuff out  talent and altar one’s fruitful journey

Until one becomes so filled that it consumes all

It is important not to help its cause

For although it may be invisible

It is everywhere and is devastating to confront

Eventually it becomes the monster that forever sleeps under the bed

I was but a single molecule

Minuscule

Witnessing people gallant

With talent

They sat

To chat

Focused on solutions

Not illusions

I gazed

Amazed

At genius

Generous

Individual

Calm and Casual

Pooling intelligence

For excellence