Adventures Across the Barricades

a warm sip

a cool breeze,

the sight of you

through willow trees,

these

play life-harp melodies

in the orchestra

of my heart.

a soft couch,

a gentle rain,

your soothing voice

to ease the pain.

when time weary

days give in to

time anxious nights,

and free-winging birds

take casual flight,

i sink into 

my bed of pine

and forest leaves

and watch.

and see the 

whiring world come near

and by,

and near again.

these are the days,

the days of pine-scented

thought.

the days of belief,

of truth,

of happiness.

if you can find

a mountaintop

today,

place a nice mat,

and then dance.

dv 4/12

i sometimes come across

that bit of trail,

that little way of path

that seems to lead

to places 

loud with life.

A place where

rocks sit atop each other

balanced and showing

a way.

Something inside me 

tells me to go

the opposite way.

When you get to the edge

of that cliff,

where it seems

that the other world

is only a ledge away,

just jump!

And then when you 

open your eyes,

and discover

clouds have 

borne you up,

sigh and be thankful

for losing yourself in life.

DV 4/3/12

Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November;

All the rest have thirty-one.

Excepting February,

Where sometimes,

It's days are counted 

Twenty-nine!

This leap-day,

Do twenty-nine wonderful things,

And then please share!

the light

from a Turkish lamp

hangs glowing

in the corner of 

my mustard 

and olive room.

and i wonder 

how tiny particles

of light

fly through the night.

my heart beats

stronger,

knowing there is 

strength and power

even in the smallest

venture - the tiniest

glimmer.

a Master

once observed

the joy

of sowing light

in darkness.

this morning,

i was most deeply priveleged

to watch the Sun

sow light.

our clouds,

the lampshade.

my heart,

the switch.

dv. 2/13/12

there are times

in my wanderings

that i am

asked

to run here,

or walk there,

or climb this,

or hike that.

when all i want to do

is dance.

sometimes, 

in moments

of utmost frustration

or mind-boggling

obstacle,

i want to 

run away,

or hide,

or climb

a tree,

but what i need to do

is laugh.

it happens

on occasion

that i am asked to 

speak

about something

that i love.

and i talk,

and talk,

and talk, 

perhaps instead

of pray.

when i am in pain,

and soothing

is all i want,

i seek balms

and touch,

and warmth

and ease.

what i really need

is patience.

if in some time,

there is movement,

and suddenly 

quiet,

remind me.

remind me

to run

through fields

of warmth and touch

and ease, 

and fall upon

my grassy bed

of patience.

remind me 

to dance,

to laugh, 

and to pray.

dv 2/6/12

Merry Christmas 2012 to all readers and travelers...

walking on the path,

and coming to a corner,

looping again back 

upon my own tracks.

hiking lofty mountains

and reaching the apex,

descending again

to familiar realms.

observing the clock

pendulum swing

back and forth

and forth and back.

new coats,

and molts,

new shadows,

new sun.

all part of this wonderful

and fantastic dance

our heavens 

lead.

we tire of cold,

we tire of heat,

we tire of daylight,

we tire of night.

and for this,

and for us,

our heavens dance!

and what a perfect

choreography!

what perfect

scynchronicity!

this balance,

this wonderful

rejuvenating balance!

we join our beloved

winter, spring, summer

and autumn in 

celebrating 

these angle points,

when we think of 

the alternative,

we tire quickly.

fatigued,

we sink back 

into the dance,

and suddenly,

we are alive 

again!

dv 12/15/11

when that feeling of fatigue

comes slinking by,

and sands of sleep are dumped

like waterfalls into the eye,

i find sleep.

and amid dreams and nightmares,

between now and then,

and somewhere lost in spaceless

beauty,

i eventually awake -

my head upon a pillow in

my room,

my feet dipping into 

alhambra's pools

reflecting clouded skies

and racing birds. 

infused with happiness

i lay in waking bliss.

there are times

when i head through my days,

throttle full,

and flying through clouds

of dust and freedom.

and after enjoying those 

hidden curves and countless 

bumps, i find myself

in fields where napping

ewes and bleating lambs

abound.

i lay my head back

upon my tilted seat, 

and nap.

after several

jolts of head-pitching

and episodes of sunday-

service-like

neck-snapping, 

i wake, 

my head resting 

in near-neighborhoods,

my feet plunging into 

the warm, salty

seas of mediterranea.

so smooth, so warm,

that salt-softened sea

has captured me.

i remember times when 

the body has challenged

intruders, 

and has for the moment lost -

in those times, i seek

my bed, i seek sleep.

i fall asleep,

in fevers,

wild rampant dreams,

steering me through

dark caverns,

bright hills,

pursued by long-necked

birds of prey,

chasing great

rainbow-colored

fish.

and i awake at once,

my head sweat-wetted

upon my pillow,

my feet submerged 

in rippling waves

of tagus flow.

rushes whispering,

larks singing,

sun warming,

and ancient gates

swinging.

in my days,

i delight in familiarity -

and in my nights,

i search for faraway

waters

to cool my travel-weary

feet.

dv 12 4 11

it's been said

that the comfort of home

is a thing that nothing

can compare with.

the warm familiar smells,

the laughter of lighting,

the knowing.

all of this, and more,

so much more -

is what draws the heart

home again.

but now and then,

i like to put on my

walking shoes -

and prepare the carpet -

and fill the bags;

and set out for some

distant land,

or at least some distant

neighborhood.

when dreams

of splashing

in ancient surf

fills my heart and mind,

nothing can keep me

home.

or the thought of

walking on ancient

cobblestoned paths

barely wide enough

for a small

beast,

much less a droning

engine-driven

entity,

entices me on.

in the distant nights,

i hear them dancing,

tapping,

clacking the castanets,

tipping the hats,

flinging the rough

ruffled hems with

precision steps and feet.

i hear them singing

sad songs of the heart.

and

amazing though it is,

my heart knows these

same

words.

yes, when these

many things call inside my soul,

look out!

i may just be passing by

ready to board

some fantastic carpet

or

craft,

bound for the distant shores,

bags packed,

all things ready,

doors locked,

and heart running!

dv 11/11

i know.

let's pretend we're on

a pirate ship,

bound for some far

eastern isle,

rich with cinnamon,

and sparkling with rubies.

i can be the cook,

and you can be the captain.

i'll make baked fish

with wine,

roasted roots,

and toasted seeds.

we'll eat risotto

mixed with slices of 

sweet tangerine.

and then,

you'll steer us safely

between rocks

covered in sirens,

craggy cliffs

hiding sure-footed goats.

we'll toss and pitch

this way and that.

in the end,

you'll steer us 

safely to a sunny shore

where i'll have 

crispy dark brown toast

covered in 

mango marmalade,

and sea oats

and dried gooseberries

swimming in cream

waiting on a table spread 

with rare

east asian silk.

and it won't be just chance

that you've guided us

to this land

where x

will indeed

mark the spot!

derb 10/25/11