Mandela

and now he's gone
that gentle man
who years ago
refused to break

and in response
his freedom lost
but later still
his power claimed

and then that man
so long abused
defied the call
to seek revenge

and by that choice
to pardon hate
his image rose
above the fray

God and Santa

kindly men
with flowing beards
watching lives
demanding faith

ingrained in youth
by those we trust
promised rewards
threats of revenge

innocent beliefs
for those so young
uneasy faith
as minds mature

and one a myth
they soon confirm
the other real
their fears insist

Innocence Lost

in she walked
beads in hand
her aging face
drawn in pain

until that day
a source of fear
her hostile voice
now soft and kind

please kneel and pray
was her request
our president
has just been shot

Unclaimed Pumpkins

there they sit
amidst the stubble
too large or small
or oddly shaped

not good enough
for pie or lantern
left to rot
in chilly fields

no ghosts or pirates
sliced these orbs
no gracious guests
praised their taste

but then their plight
is not so bad
to blend with earth
before the spring

if claimed at first
and taken home
they'd now await
the garbage truck

Dancing Plates

a fractured shell
of jagged plates
move across
a fluid core

this puzzle shifts
as rifts unfold
and oceans spread
to split the land

as pressure builds
between the plates
the crust will shake
and mountains rise

where ocean plates
subduct and melt
volcanic arcs
distort the coast

and on the seas
terranes adrift
of continent
or hotspot born

as eons pass
these islands move
and merge with land
at distant shores

and on it goes
this endless dance
until the heat
below has died

Canada

a northern land
til then unknown
a close escape
from distant war

a plan discussed
should all else fail
a painful choice
to leave our home

a promise voiced
to share the risk
though in the end
no journey made

and now I know
good fortune held
but wonder what
was lost instead

Prayer

a cry for help
when all is lost
a soothing choice
when fears arise

a promise made
for favors sought
a verbal gift
for those in pain

a note of thanks
for life's rewards
a calm request
by those in need

a pious act
for all to hear
a common gift
from public men

a dart of hope
when all else fails
a leap of faith
in gods unseen