I see Mother watching closely As her children discover a new world They have been protected long enough Not knowing the dangers that lie ahead As a baby bird must learn to fly to live Or a young fawn learn to listen for signs Forthcomings that will present hazards Quick reaction is the key to survival In the wild of nature or the tame of home Never again will they be safe from the world Food may be hard to come by at times Constant awareness of all things nearby Roads will split, forcing instant decisions Death awaits her prey down each path Perhaps sooner on one, later on another Mother has presented them with choices Each has before him a decision to be made To go now, free to roam the prairies Able to wander in mountains or forests Or to stay awhile longer with Mother And learn as much as possible from Her But, not everything can be passed on Ways of life - self-preservation may be taught However, the hardest lessons in life Cannot be taught, explained, or easy But, they are what life is really about Each one of these cubs will decide alone When the time is right, and they are ready As the follow Mother back home, now Joining, maybe for the last time, the pack Mother Wolf feels She has done well today And, She will always love Her children

I walk across the ridge of my mountain With just the sounds of nature as company Keeping the brightest of stars to my left I no longer have any destination in mind A half-moon lights my way, between the trees I only glimpse its true splendor for a moment I know the path, as I have walked it before A familiar trail to me, as the years have passed I pay no attention to the dangers as I approach them They, too, are known well to me, in my mind and soul I wander comfortably in the night, walking slowly Thinking and pondering about life, death, and eternity My thoughts have left this place of utter reality Moving through visions of the past, and of the future I know every choice I make affects my fate and others I control where I go, what I do, and when A shriek brings me back to this place of realism It is but a single bird of prey, telling his story Letting the world know that he has defeated his foe His family will feed well tonight, oblivious to hunger Na�ve about nuclear war, genocide, hate and murder He knows only what his father taught him To live, eat, sleep and love his kin To kill for food or protection, and to pass on his knowledge He will teach his young how to be what they are He respects others of his kind, and in turn, they respect him I see the dim shape of the magnificent animal against the moon As he heads home to take care of his family I return to my dream world, content to know that I've lived Happy to know that I have loved and have been loved I've brought joy and happiness to those who've needed it Then I realize that a broad smile decorates my face I hear a beautiful tune, whistled or hummed There is not name attached to this song, but it is mine The night is half-over and the dew begins to gather There is a chill in the clear night air, and the wind dies down Memories flow through me as my breathing slows Can there be a more beautiful place for my final sleep? Somehow, I knew that this would be my last journey My final hour to gaze upon the world in all of its wonder I fear nothing now, and I lie down on the soft earth Letting Her love and beauty caress my body, mind, and soul I drift now, into my own eternal dream; endless vision Purity envelops me and again, my face lights up - a smile But this time, my face, my expression, will never fade away I will become one with She from whose womb I was born PEACE! TRANQUILITY! LOVE!

Everybody is judged in life By family, peers, or strangers We know, as we take our last breath The outcome of how we've lived By who is near to share the moment It shouldn't be a moment of pain Though we may be suffering But, rather a sort of nostalgia To remember the happiest of times Reveling in the glory of knowing That we've had the experience Some do not have the chance The opportunity to live wholly I do not feel that I am morbid By thinking such as I do It is as if I am just preparing For that which is inevitable Though, still I fear the death Even knowing what I know It is not something I welcome But, I know it cannot be stopped So, I look for the positive And I make myself ready Getting closure where I need Cutting ties that are bad news But, though I am not religious I still believe in my final hour There will be my Final Verdict

Muffled voices speaking in strange tongues Words difficult to understand, to translate Telling histories, old stories, and legends Tales of how life was so very long ago Passed down from one generation to the next Never losing the power of the meaning That lies hidden, secret, behind what is said Though I cannot decipher each word spoken I can feel the strength, conviction in each syllable But, I am merely an outsider, looking inside I am not a member of this elite entity, gathering These beings, who seem to me other-worldly Witnessing the splendor of wisdom and knowledge And all of the beauty and wonder and magic They are the decision-makers and the elders And tell of faith and of values and morals Warning the young and innocent of tragedy, death But, not to fear those things, Nature follows laws, too And, She is the ruler of all living beings - evil; good They teach those laws and rules, centuries old They are truth and purity and all that is good. Eyes that hold the keys to the sturdiest of doors Those doors which keep safe all important information Answers to all of life's questions - both large and small Years of pain and suffering, decades of love and joy Family members and friends: Oppositions and foes Then suddenly, I hear what's spoken in words I know Saying, "Keep well our secrets". There's a flash, and they vanish.

Thunderclouds gather for the final blow Her head was cluttered from the storm The confusion was in the form of a tornado It felt as though hail was pounding in her mind For two weeks now, she has hovered in "the eye" Knowing it was just a short pause, a small break This time may be the final breaking point She feels drained, fatigued, and so worn out Unsure when she'll be able to get away, escape Emerge from the thick fog surrounding her soul She knows she will survive it again, this time And everybody tells her, "It's not your fault" Still, she can't help but feel the blame She needed something that he couldn't offer Then, she realized what it was - another man Just somebody she worked with, a friend Offering her what he thought she'd want And, in a state of complete helplessness, agreed Her husband was not the abusive type He had a big heart, and loved her dearly But, he wasn't very good at showing it Little things, he did, to show her his love He'd had a rough childhood, grew up too fast Never learned the art of showing affection Details of their relationship lost over the years Not disappointed, just overlooked, taken for granted So, her husband heard the rumors, just gossip Asked some questions, learned more than he wanted Anger arose in him, and sadness clouded his mind It was the first time he had had a drink in years Not able to think clearly, he drove home that night But, the road to his house was blocked with a detour sign And he did not know the new alternate route very well With the ocean mist rolling in and sharp curves in the road He missed a very crucial sign posted for all to see The cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean are beautiful To most people when they stop there to look But, that night, his destination was never achieved And the last thing he saw was the sandy beach Filling his windshield. Filling his entire sight They had always talked things out When an argument threatened to arise To keep the love strong, trust unbreakable On that fateful night, there was no talking Nor during the days and weeks to follow She never had the chance to apologize to him Guilt ate away at her soul, tore her up inside And she was going to tell him what happened And reassure him that her love is still strong She was uncomfortable in another's arms All she could imagine was the hurt The pain and the suffering that she'd cause The trust that she broke, the love betrayed The vision of the police at her door Replayed in her mind over and over And they would never go away, never So, she blames herself for his death Never knowing that she was the cause Forever regretting her selfish actions Doomed to live the rest of life alone And forever longing to hear him say "I love you", just one more time

The spirit guides me when I need it Points me in the direction that's best Giving me words of encouragement Though not always near, it is close But, not too far away, either All I have to do is ask for help Quietly, silently, only in my mind It warns me of dangers Reminds me of the inevitable This faceless, shapeless deity Came to me from the other side When I was just a young child And when life sickened me Or when stress was too much I'd hear whispered, "fight on" It told me to never give up Not to let it win - my enemy With those words, I continued on Never giving up, never giving in And, I will always claim victory As each battle nears its end The spirit has left my side Left me with my knowledge Given me wisdom, self-respect Shown me pain and suffering Taken away darkness, humiliation Helped me love, and face my fears I still love, and I am still afraid Scared of the future, and of death But, what frightens me the most Is the thought of losing Those whom I love the most

So, there I was minding my own business Walking quietly, and alone along a path When a bluebird rested upon my shoulder "So," says I, "what can I do for you, bird?" "Keep walking," he replies in a beautiful tune (For birds cannot speak human languages) "Let me keep you company with a story." So, as I walked on, listening to his music I lost track of all time, but did not care And this is how his story went: "I've heard of you," he began, "very well known is your presence on this Earth. It is prophesized Among all animals who rule in the skies, you are An equalizer, translator between man and beast." "The story has been passed down from father to son For so many generations, beyond all comprehension." "My ancestors how man would eventually become Superior to the other animals here, and would one day Come to destroy us, and our families, homes, and lands And at one point, finally completely destroying themselves" "And," he continued, "I've been chosen to be the One Who speaks to Him, to you, who may possibly be The last hope for all of us. Hear my words!" This brought a tear to my eye, stinging, hurting As I continued to listen intently to the voice of this bird The minutes became hours, and the hours became days We paused for food and drink occasionally, though But, there were so many details in the words he spoke As seen, from a "bird's eye view", so to speak, of life And how life has evolved over the centuries Finally finishing his story, he asked me what I'd do And in response, I told him that I knew not, yet For how could one man change the whole world His answer: "Everything begins with one heart; One soul, one mind, one idea, but above all, one man" Oddly though, this thought had never occurred to me But it made perfect sense once I pondered the meaning So, now as I continue to think about it, I realize I must decide how and what to do about this problem And pass on my knowledge to a successor, if there is one Maybe, life can be better, after all. How impossible is it?

When I think about life and everything I remember my past and I am floored Just imagining what I've seen, experienced The changes I've made and those I've gone through And of those around me. Now, those I notice most Though they are slow, and most times minor I feel it is best to compare not with yesterday But, more obvious, compared to yesteryear And by seeing that, and by what I see now It becomes plain and obvious, as it were Although one may not notice it in oneself Others see it, and react accordingly Explaining how we tend to grow apart, at times And, at other times, grow closer to one another Forgetting, perhaps, how and who we were But, remembering instead, how others were And liking, or hating, the changes in each Though it be wrong to ask them to change Either back to old ways, or to yet new ones The only way, is to accept people how they are And let them be who they want to be For only then can they be truly happy And we should be happy when loved ones are Even when we disagree with their methods Or dislike their ideas, opinions, or styles Changes are natural, and must be accepted as so And, they are good, for monotony can be destructive

Faces so full of energy and passion Hidden behind eyes of steel, cold Like robots, doing as everybody else Or maybe more like sheep, following Seems like individuality is a legend Fairy tales told to enchant the young And awe the slightly older ones Sometimes, I feel like I am chasing dreams Fleeting visions of so long ago, ages past There are exceptions, though, that I see People do things different, like their friends In an attempt to express that individuality How ironic and wasteful it is. So I watch I listen and I observe this, open-minded Because it is not my place to judge My purpose is to watch, to see people What they do, when they do it, and where It's amazing how much I have learned Surely, it would be most surprising To learn that I know more than they think To know exactly how little I miss, don't see Only by really paying attention to the details Little things that people say, do involuntarily Without thinking, they tell me their life stories And, I listen to them speaking silently No words, no language, just by their actions And by movements of head, hand, eye, body Interesting stories when the shield is gone But, they protect themselves from pain And, by doing this, protect themselves from love I hope they come out of their hypnotic states Before it becomes too late to really live.

Warm sunlight glistening off crystal-clear water As it flows slowly, surely down a slight slope High clouds filtering streams of sunlight, serene A cool, light breeze whispering across grassy fields Great birds in flight, gracefully enjoying spring The way it was meant to be enjoyed by all, everywhere The perfect quietness of no city, no cars, no crowds Ahead, the stream I follow drops over a small waterfall Into the most beautiful pool, deep, clear, cool Refreshingly unlike any other sight anywhere All time stops there, no pressures, no worries The clouds thicken and darken, but it stays warm Near the middle of the pool, I swim - relaxing, quiet I see and feel the first raindrops in the water The first droplets of rain, the first rainfall of spring Washing away last years problems and troubles Clearing my mind and soul, rinsing me clean Preparing me for a new year, new challenges Just as it has every spring since I can remember And, as I doze beneath the old elm tree, I smile