Eyes bright with new hope

Eyes bright with new hope
Of possibilities born
Out of new learning.

Tired eyes worn down
Gazing up need's hierarchies:
Hunger killing hope.

Power to conceive.
Hope and our raw substance merge
New futures gestate.

Power to end life
Desire for choice for not life
Swallowing freedom.

Not life: to be free
From life's sweet necessity
To learn painfully.

Pain endured for hope
The groaning of Great Mother
In schools, homes, and streets.

Marching in order

Marching in order
Down the hallway to some room
We hope has windows.

Up from underneath

Up from underneath
See the flowers towering
Colorful giants.

Animated, they

Animated, they
In the corner of the room
Swing from puppet stings.

To bed, like a babe

To bed, like a babe
The comfort urge calling me
Into warm darkness.

Hip-waiters filling

Hip-waiters filling
Industrial by-products
Manufactured flaws.

Hey, call me sometime

Hey, call me sometime,
She said over her shoulder,
Daring him to see.

Nothing much is meant

Nothing much is meant
By the parts of standard form.
All is vanity.

The quiet refusal

The quiet refusal
To participate. Ghandi's
Lesson to my kids.

A positive word.

A positive word
Danced through the air to my soul.
A whirling dervish.

Across the ceiling

Across the ceiling
The creeper crawls toward me
Eight pistons firing.

Light of potential

Light of potential
Shines behind the black of eyes
Beginning to dream.

Leaning back to tease

Leaning back to tease
Drawing him off of center.
The ancient dance form.