Welcome to my collection of

Creative Pieces

Character of the Dragon
Step inside my home,
To be pushed back out again,
Allowed back in the next.
Follow me,
but not too close.
Listen to my words,
but not to all of them.
Know this man
And not that one
Move this way
but not like that
Spring back
Jump forward.
You are the object
But you are not them.
Live within them
and without them.
You are the outside
The inside is known
but not seen or heard
Sophistication but
with menace.
Don't tread on their toes
And they won't walk over you.
Do the song and dance
but to a different tune.
You are their up
and down.
This is how it is
hope
but
don't force that
new tide.
Act with non-acting
you may find nothing
but everything is happening.

fall 2000

Creation

God: as one sees fit to portray, anything from a grand tall man sitting on a mountainous throne scepter in hand, to a scholarly old fool sitting on a stone block in a withered garden, any sex or no sex at all, any shape form or even just a voice.


God: A light! A Sun! A big ball of gaseous clouds bursting and forming, spewing its light into the nothing. Intense sweltering heat pouring out of its every inch. A great big ball of fire. Can that be right? Hmm, does sound pretty raw, but does it really capture the whole idea I'm looking for here. Well, how about the Sun sitting in the middle of a galaxy with other smaller spherical chunks of rock swinging round it in circular motions as their whipped by it's extreme gravitation, shedding its light upon each of these mini-globes thus somewhat forming their own systems of yet smaller things. Then other even smaller chunks whipping around smashing into others, making great spectacles in the sky. Dust, ice, minerals all floating about after the great moment of boom and there is light. I know! I could make a whole bunch of Suns, filling a lot more space. This one little galaxy with its Sun yet spinning round and round a whole universe of others each pulling against each other, rotating, moving like a swirling sea of stuff. Millions upon billions upon trillions of pieces of matter, energy flowing transforming, the whole universe wrapping round and round itself. Then upon the globes moving living things. Matter that grows, forms, becomes. Feeding upon each other, succession, development. Intelligent life! Beings that can think, understand, gain knowledge of the world. Technology, advancement, discovery, more, more, more! Exploring the universe looking in every nook and cranny, finally . . . . Why? . . . Hmm, I don't know . . . . . . . . . . Creation begins . . . . a Sun . . . . a Sun . . ah, think it might be better to go with a daughter.

winter 1999

The Yeller Cow

" Well, thishyer Smiley had a yeller one-eyed cow that didn't have no tail, only just a short stump like a bannaner. That there cow's name was Eliza and it stunk up like an old shoe that had been warn out for twenty-yers. Her smell up and gatheret a swarm a flies so thick you couldn't barely but see er. Well, since she hat no tail she couldn flip them off. Smiley seen this and takes er in to train her to swat flies so as he could bet on er. Not before long had he taught er and said she could swat more flies than any oter cow in the whole world. This startet some commotion around this here town and not before long he hat him a bet wit some stranger. Well, they got them cows togeter and startet counten them flies they swatet. The strangers strong steer took to a swatten right and left wit it's tail. But not old Eliza she just kept perfectly still not move nuttin. Pretty soon all them flies startet landen on er old back because she didn move none. Then all of the sudden she flopped as quick as a jack rabbit onto er back rolling over and over. That killt the hol swarm a them. Old Eliza got up all happy like for she hat won somtin for the first time in er life. She had a smile clear cross er face and startet prancen around for joy. Well her old body couldn take nuttin like that so she up an died. Smiley was a mighty sad about it and dug er a grave. That was the end of old Smiley because after that he packed up and left this sleepy town that night. I ain't never seen him since." Oh well thank you for your story, but I must be going to catch my train." Well, there was this oter feller named Jack Lapin and he ..." At that I got up and left the old man talking to himself and continued on my task at hand.

winter 1995

From Other Worlds
Expance
a life well lived
You who sit there with
your mouth in your hands
do you ever speak?
do the words trickle out slowly
or like a gust spring forth
in stream?
ephemeral
orange ball
rolling down the hill
Star Wars oustide
my backdoor
The world melting away
don't forget
its me inside
soon it will come
soon it will end
don't jump off too many bridges
rosy purple
trickle, trickle, trickle
watch it glow
speak, here, be
burning embers of time
fly away
with that leap
drift with your sails
tied loose around your waist
proceed to nowhere
exhustinguishable

spring 2000

Running up a Mountain - Scene 1

SETTING: A small village far in the hills of China.

AT RISE: DONG is crouching on his porch brushing his teeth in a basin of water in the morning hours. He hears the sound of an automobile coming down the road. Gazes down to see who it is. Stares intently following something move across beyond the stage.

(Spitting out the liquefied paste into the bowl.)

DONG(yells)
Looks like their hauling in the foreigners again for the festival.

(WEI walks out the front door.)

WEI(interested)
Really? Did you see them clearly? What did they look like?

DONG(sarcastically)
Don't you know what white people look like, giants, with pearl white skin and light hair. If you've seen one, you've seen them all.

WEI
Just because you've been to the big cities and seen lots of them doesn't mean you know all about them.

DONG
I know all I want to know about them. All they're good for is money, which they've got plenty of, while the rest of us work for our living.

WEI(changing the subject)
Tian said that they came to her school the other day. They made a big to do about it, she said everyone was really excited.

DONG
Have to put on a show for the white people. I bet all the teachers were fumbling all over themselves.
(laughs)
(mockingly, heavily accented English)
"Hello", "Hello", "Hello".
(DONG stands up and puts on his shirt. Walks toward the door.)

DONG
Its all a load of rubbish.

WEI(fed-up)
That's enough, I've had about all I can stand of your belly aching.
(pointing fiercely at DONG)
Now keep your mouth to yourself when Tian comes home. She works hard on her English and doesn't need your negative influence.

DONG(under his breath)
English-smeenglish.

(DONG walks inside the house with his basin. WEI gathers her basket and exits stage left. Lights fade.)

fall 2000

A manner of a man
There is no purpose but the purpose inside said the man with his hand on his beard. He wasn't very tall but you wouldn't call him short so he stood as most men do in the middle. He liked his life and then again he lived it so why not like it. People believe what they want about themselves and so does the world. Now that's a statement that didn't come from his mouth but from the wind in his ears, or so he says. He says he gets everything he says from the wind in his ears. As do we all I guess. Have you ever listened to the silence in the winter snow. The perpetual nothingness that pervades all around you. It shakes the heavens and the earth, but never enough to make it fall, just vibrate to infinity. Now and again he would go on walks around the park with his beard in hand and his cane. Passerbys would always stop in awe and walk a bit with him, but never the whole way. He was always walking his own way and no one wanted to disrupt that. So he went along the paths and hills and trees that greeted him with their movement. And he would greet them back with a nod of his head and smile and enjoy their company. Life is that simple as he would do this. Just a walk, a smile, and a nod, takes nothing more. But I think he didn't realize all the things that need to be done in life before one is buried six feet under. But you don't realize what doesn't need to be done my boy he would say to me, but he just didn't understand. His walk was that of a circus performer bouncing along as if the world was his stage. But he always maintained his composure too, never letting go of his beard or loosing the calm. Somehow he was always so calm in everything he did. He was a man without rigidness. Quite a spectacle. Along the way he would finally stop and rest his tired bones as he would say and people would come and go and he would greet them and befriend them. Such a man not many have seen or known but the few who get to or maybe don't. I was there the day he died on that cold winter night under the tree in the middle. He said i'm tired, I think I will rest and with that farewell he was gone to the clouds above. Wisping away he touched us each gently on the cheek and our goodbye was done. A world away we now were, but only to those still living.

spring 2000

Tender Melody


Listening to the tender melody,

They are drawn into motion,

The two rush towards each other,

In the enticing splendor of movement,

Approaching they both grasp holding tight,

Then start their rhythm,

Bonded by joy that could,

But twisting and pulling across the floor,

Each within their own,

Driving forward in differing aspirations,

Until suddenly separated in confusion,

Halting - connecting their eyes in gaze,

They slowly reach out their hands,

Meeting steadily - beginning again,

Mindful of their form together,

Becoming closer in harmony,

As one leads the other follows,

Complimenting grace enveloping each other,

Theirs is soaring unity,

Achieving the bliss in whole - life - dance,

There is in God, god dances.

fall 1997

Loneliness

Man of middle age with full long beard and long hair, wearing a trench coat of a dark shade, attire overall being in tattered shape.

Darkness. Out of the darkness one light comes on stage right, it is as a street light.

Man enters stage left plodding head slightly bent down, hands deep in pockets.

He reaches center stage, turns looks out to the audience, raising head slightly.

Looks about him starting from the left, rolling head back looking up.

Gazes for a few moments, slight strain in his face. Then adjusts head back to eye level and turns head right toward the light.

Follows the path and circle of the light studying its source.

He makes as if walking and the light travels accordingly until straight above him yet he always maintains center stage position.

His head follows the light as it approaches him. He gazes up at it.

Slowly removing a hand he raises it delicately until arm fully stretched with hand opened grasping at the light. Turning it slowly one direction and the other, and slightly curling and uncurling fingers.

Silence is broken by rolling wheels and hum of engine.

Man quickly draws back hand and attempts to dart out of light all in one moment, resetting his composure to exactly what it was before. He plods left, but again the light moves and he stays center stage.

Head lights shine out to the audience at an angle from left stage, the angle becoming closer and closer to center stage and the car sounds growing louder accordingly.

The head lights sweep pass the man for brief moment making him visible. At this moment he turns facing the audience, head bent farther down, shoulders pulled up, the rest of his body hiding in his coat. Then the light passes and the sound grows faint and disappears. Throughout he is walking but staying in place at center stage.

The stage is as it was in the first, the street light stage right, him facing audience now stopped in his walking, his not body not quite as tense but not back to his old composure.

He gazes out for a brief moment and then quickly turns left walking slightly faster he walks off stage left, this time the light staying put and him moving.

The light then fizzles out, maybe in a flashing sequence as if it were burning out, then darkness.

winter 1999

Gehst du ins Burger King

Og- D Glug- Justin

Og: Bist du einsam! Gehst du ins vornehm Burger King mit mir.
Glug: Ja, gern für frei?
Og: Ja, kom mit mir.
( Og and Glug walk to the car )
Glug: Ist dieses dein dringend Auto.
Og: Nine, ist es dein Auto.
Glug: Ich weiss nicht.
Og: Kom du, bitte.
( Og and Glug get into car and Og starts it )
Og: Wo ist Burger King.
Glug: Du musst auf den wichtig AutoBanh kommen.
( Car gets on AutoBanh )
Glug: Boden es nicht aufmerksam Og! Hee-Hee-Hoo! Ye-Hooey!!
Og: Da ist eine neugierig Porche gegangen.
Glug: Mensch da ist ein blended Volkswagen gegangen.
Og: Das ist meine leiblings Auto.
Glug: Was lest das?
Og: Warnung, Konstruktion Glug.
Glug: Geh du dort drüben.
Og: Ja, Ich zustimmen.
Glug: Ich habe arbeit um Burger King gehabt!
Og: Ich habe du gehört.
( Go through construction and fly off bridge )
Glug: Mensch das ist Prima! Ya-He-He-Hoo! Ye-Hoo!!
Og: Schau das ist Burger King!
Glug: Wo ist die fahren fertig.
Og: Es hat nicht.
( Crash into Burger King )
Cashier: Was möchten sie?
Glug: Ich wille habe einen zarf Hamburger mit eine knusprig Kompott.
Glug: Was möchtest du?
Og: Ich wille habe eine safting Schweinhaxe mit eine Kloß.
Glug: Ich habe Shuahe gehabt .
Og: Ja, wir sind am den AutoBanh gegangen.
Og: Prost!
Glug: Gleichfalls!
Og: Das Ende.

winter 1994

To walk the Earth

There stands a being upon the earth,
Looking out across where it stretches,
"Is it flat or is it round?"
They say as they begin to walk,
Each seems to know which one it is,
But all are walking,
By the force that pulls them forward,
One leg at a time,
And we wonder which one is it,
For where are we being?
In both.

fall 1997

Tranquil Wanderings

The experiences of the past are engraved within the very substance of the forest. As one travels down a withered and aging path of crushed grass one feels the being of those who have traversed this place before them. Looking out across the thick vegetation on either side of the trail is like seeing the forest breadth in and out as the wind transgresses it's obstacles with sufficient ease. Coming to a small intricate puddle with in which the forest abounds inviting the weary traveler into the illusion of joy through unattainable reaches. After proceeding around the obstacle of reflection one catches a glimpse of his surroundings within the mirror, but then surprisingly he recognizes the bearded weary face who he had not seen for so long.

winter 1996

Long Awaited Weeping

We all have moments in our lives when we can't see the other side of the barrel, feel their pain, look past the differences, and then we're stuck in our lost perceptions. There's these places inside of us we never go, but suddenly end up being there. This is where they started.
Hershel wakes up in a cold sweat. Another night under the darkness had led him one step closer to that heart attack he's planning for. Mind racing, he paces around the room in sweeping churnings about the bed. Pawing his hands one into the other he goes through his exercise in his mind. "One, Two, Three" quickly at first, gradually slowing the pace to a drawl of "Onnnnne, Twwwwwo, Thrrrreeee." Slight relief fills his body. He can again fill his legs which was always a good sign for him.
Across the hall is Norene. A small pointy woman lying in bed next to her cat. That damn cat caused the apartment complex grief with its indiscriminate leaving of droppings. Norene didn't mind though, but she was never the one that had to clean up either. She lay resting her eyes when she heard Hershel doing his usual dance about his cage. The man seeming so peculiar, verging on frightening, to her sensibilities. Always wondering what fearful things he might do next, she never realized her own paranoia.
Hershel lay down to sleep again, but just couldn't muster it. The world was loosing ground on him. He knew soon he would be gone. Fall leaves, rainbows, thunderstorms - things he was enjoying and looking forward to at this moment in time, but they soon would disappear. Hershel knew the law of diminishing returns and knew that his list of enjoyments were growing fewer and fewer with the march of time. Life had lost its vivacity somewhere between 2nd and 3rd base he thought. So home must be just a short trip around the corner. His eyes dazed again.
Lousy good for nothing municipality thought Norene. She had offered them twice the normal amount on that lot of property so she could build a house, but they would not budge. So she was stuck in this apartment with strangers all around her, nothing to comfort her but her cat and her deceased husband's savings. They were stored under her bed so as to be accessible and safe at all times. Close to a million dollars in $100 bills all organized neatly in a leather case. So was all that remained of the family business her husband's family had run for over 100 years and now it was just a small subsidiary to a larger international corporation. She didn't think about that much though. Norene had never been too involved in the business end of their relationship. Truthfully she hadn't been involved in almost any part of the relationship.
Fear, pain sliced through his body. Hershel leapt to his feet and to the bathroom. Twice in one night. Too much to handle as he washed out his eyes and face. Drenching his entire head he tried to relax to the coolness of the water dripping down. Nothing was helping though. His body was only becoming more numb. All that remained was that fear of impending doom. Squatting on the toilet, he dropped his head into his hands. The tears trickled down in moistening torrents, but still no relief. It was as if his whole body was calling out desperately for him to stay, throwing out any extreme - pain, hunger, fear, joy, to get him to settle back in, but he slipped farther out. Hershel felt the anxiety welling up in him over what would happen next as his final choice grew nearer. But all he could do was to sit crouched letting the continual drip of nose and mouth run through his fingers.

fall 1999

Paradox
There are so many random peculiarities in this life and we each try to make our way through them as we may. The attempts at trying to balance self with the other, subjective vs. objective, society vs. the individual. But the crucial need for both in life and paradoxically at the same time. The moment we want to throw off the shackles: rules, criticism, tradition, that very same moment we got lost in our own randomness, spontaneity, and variability. We need both in that same moment to be able to live and choose what path we will next venture.

fall 1999

Please do not copy/publish this material without contacting the author. All of this is the work of d dayton - [email protected] Thankyou, enjoy i hope.

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