Innocence

a simple time
a place of joy
a second home
immersed in love

roses bloomed
squirrels to feed
beans and mets
and coconut cake

a cheerful voice
a checkered dress
trips downtown
adventure bus

welk and friends
melvin's mock
gramps amidst
his tools and trains

even now
decades hence
I still can hear
her playful game

eenie meenie
minee moe
catch a nigger
by his toe

Haiti

city of dust
city of death
so much lost
so much pain

horrid scenes
before our eyes
they make us see
they entertain

strangers come
from every land
to offer hope
to ease the pain

what can we do
from worlds afar
but share our wealth
and pray in vain

Why

why should I weep
when he left us here
when all that he wanted
came to be
why should it bother me

when his goal in life
was to meet his king
why should I cry

when he believed that life
was a means to the end
why should I grieve

when the lesson learned
was not what he meant
why should I weep
now that he's gone

Tropical Man

born beneath
oppressive sun
across a dry and
hostile land

our bodies built
to manage heat
our minds to stir
a wanderlust

so off we roamed
to distant lands
beyond the range
of our design

creative minds
released our chains
and led to worlds
of ice and snow

and now we miss
our ancient home
when winter chill
invades our soul

After Life

they did not die
they were laid to rest
in grassy fields
where flowers bloom

they did not die
they left this world
for sheltered graves
in earthen wombs

they did not die
they guide us still
from quilted beds
in sturdy rooms

they did not die
they watch us now
with blinded eyes
from cement tombs

they did not die
they just passed on
to gated parks
where flowers bloom

Winter

a biting wind
the crunch of snow
barren trees and
star filled skies

songless birds
the hoot of owls
a southern sun and
the promise of spring