Dennis S. Martin's Blog, page 257
November 22, 2018
The Innocent Bystander
Just passing by,
Minding my business,
Meaning no harm,
Intending no wrong,
Wanting no evil
To darken my doorway,
Never expecting
To hear danger's song.
Resting my guard
In the cool of the evening,
Easing concern
As the world passes by,
Primed as a victim
To predators watching,
Walking contentedly
Where dangers lie.
Who would have known?
Who could have guessed
That the bystander's trust
Could have been so betrayed?
Just passing by,
Minding my business.
Left dashed, disillusioned,
Bashed and afraid.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Minding my business,
Meaning no harm,
Intending no wrong,
Wanting no evil
To darken my doorway,
Never expecting
To hear danger's song.
Resting my guard
In the cool of the evening,
Easing concern
As the world passes by,
Primed as a victim
To predators watching,
Walking contentedly
Where dangers lie.
Who would have known?
Who could have guessed
That the bystander's trust
Could have been so betrayed?
Just passing by,
Minding my business.
Left dashed, disillusioned,
Bashed and afraid.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 21, 2018
Sparkles
Crystalline fireflies dance on the water
Like Mister Bojangles tapping a tune.
The sun settles in with the earth as its' pillow.
Its waltz on the water gives way to the moon.
Dewdrops awaken the clear mountain morning,
Touching the light to its' delicate beads.
Sparkling fancy foretelling the future,
The crystal of gypsies fulfilling our needs.
Champagne bubbles race to the surface,
A few clinging fast to the side of the glass.
Rising and gasping and bursting in air,
Joyfully, thankfully free at last.
Where do you look to find your sparkles?
What will you cling to when day is done?
Who will you sing to when shadows grow tall
And the lake waters dance with the setting sun?
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Like Mister Bojangles tapping a tune.
The sun settles in with the earth as its' pillow.
Its waltz on the water gives way to the moon.
Dewdrops awaken the clear mountain morning,
Touching the light to its' delicate beads.
Sparkling fancy foretelling the future,
The crystal of gypsies fulfilling our needs.
Champagne bubbles race to the surface,
A few clinging fast to the side of the glass.
Rising and gasping and bursting in air,
Joyfully, thankfully free at last.
Where do you look to find your sparkles?
What will you cling to when day is done?
Who will you sing to when shadows grow tall
And the lake waters dance with the setting sun?
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 20, 2018
Going Home
Dawn breaks across the north Georgia Mountains
Like a peek-a-boo child in a harmless game,
Flashing its' smile between tall standing pine,
Piercing the windows of the slow moving train.
Kudzu so thick by the side of the tracks
Blanketing hillsides, fences and trees,
Smothering, choking the edge of the forest,
Bringing the mighty oak to it’s' knees.
Off in the distance the cattle are grazing.
A corn field flies by topped with gold-braided hair.
The peaks and the valleys misted with bluish gray
Mystery, haunted by crisp morning air.
Pensiveness grows into anticipation,
Anxious to see those familiar faces,
Wondering what changes may have occurred.
Will you still recognize people and places?
Change is inevitable, constant, ongoing,
No matter how far or how long we may roam.
Shall we philosophize or be pragmatic?
No time to think of that.
We're going home.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Like a peek-a-boo child in a harmless game,
Flashing its' smile between tall standing pine,
Piercing the windows of the slow moving train.
Kudzu so thick by the side of the tracks
Blanketing hillsides, fences and trees,
Smothering, choking the edge of the forest,
Bringing the mighty oak to it’s' knees.
Off in the distance the cattle are grazing.
A corn field flies by topped with gold-braided hair.
The peaks and the valleys misted with bluish gray
Mystery, haunted by crisp morning air.
Pensiveness grows into anticipation,
Anxious to see those familiar faces,
Wondering what changes may have occurred.
Will you still recognize people and places?
Change is inevitable, constant, ongoing,
No matter how far or how long we may roam.
Shall we philosophize or be pragmatic?
No time to think of that.
We're going home.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 19, 2018
If It's Good For You, It Must Taste Awful
Remember all those medicines
You took when you were little.
Paregoric, castor oil, vile liquids
Blackened to opaque.
Mom said, "It will make you better", but I do believe
I'd rather have green apples
And a three-day bellyache.
Where is justice? Sweet as honey.
Who decided in such haste
That everything that's good for you
Should have such awful aftertaste?
Flavor it with grape or cherry.
Mix it with some orange juice.
Tease it with a twist of lemon.
Bribe me with a chocolate moose.
Why can't ice cream be a cure-all
Instead of what we must endure?
Then we'd all be clamoring
To catch the illness for the cure.
Life is filled with irony
And one thing is always true...
It most likely will taste awful
If it's really good for you.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
You took when you were little.
Paregoric, castor oil, vile liquids
Blackened to opaque.
Mom said, "It will make you better", but I do believe
I'd rather have green apples
And a three-day bellyache.
Where is justice? Sweet as honey.
Who decided in such haste
That everything that's good for you
Should have such awful aftertaste?
Flavor it with grape or cherry.
Mix it with some orange juice.
Tease it with a twist of lemon.
Bribe me with a chocolate moose.
Why can't ice cream be a cure-all
Instead of what we must endure?
Then we'd all be clamoring
To catch the illness for the cure.
Life is filled with irony
And one thing is always true...
It most likely will taste awful
If it's really good for you.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 18, 2018
The Envelope Please
The suspense is building.
Anxiety runs thick in the air
Like the mist of a fog.
The crowd is aflutter
With anticipation.
Suspended in tension
Awake and agog.
Who could have written
This narrative drama
Dripping with circumstance,
Clinching its' fist
In white-knuckled wanting,
Holding its' breath,
Waiting to see
Whose star has been kissed?
Finally, the time is here.
A prayer ascends from bending knees.
Who will it be?
Will it be me?
Oh god! The envelope, please.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Anxiety runs thick in the air
Like the mist of a fog.
The crowd is aflutter
With anticipation.
Suspended in tension
Awake and agog.
Who could have written
This narrative drama
Dripping with circumstance,
Clinching its' fist
In white-knuckled wanting,
Holding its' breath,
Waiting to see
Whose star has been kissed?
Finally, the time is here.
A prayer ascends from bending knees.
Who will it be?
Will it be me?
Oh god! The envelope, please.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 17, 2018
Waking Up In The Middle Of the Night
I shouldn't have had that last glass of water,
That last cup of coffee,
Last drink of tea.
Shouldn't have drifted off
With a mind racing, recalling, reliving
The day angrily.
Dreams have a habit of walking the night,
Waking with fright as their victims fall prey,
Fearful of yesterday,
Dreading tomorrow,
Wondering what will arrive with the day.
Pity the mind can't erase all it's worry,
Blank out regrets and
Make everything right.
Sleep is too precious to be interrupted.
I hate waking up in the cold of the night.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
That last cup of coffee,
Last drink of tea.
Shouldn't have drifted off
With a mind racing, recalling, reliving
The day angrily.
Dreams have a habit of walking the night,
Waking with fright as their victims fall prey,
Fearful of yesterday,
Dreading tomorrow,
Wondering what will arrive with the day.
Pity the mind can't erase all it's worry,
Blank out regrets and
Make everything right.
Sleep is too precious to be interrupted.
I hate waking up in the cold of the night.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 16, 2018
Why Do We Cheat Each Other?
Lessons come hard for cheaters.
They don't always get it the first time,
The second, the third.
Someone forgot to tell them their shortcut
To finding the answer was terribly wrong.
Somewhere along the highway of lessons in life
They simply did not get the word.
Or somehow the tune went awry in their minds,
Erasing the words to the song.
Wanting and winning and taking and getting
Are viruses growing, infecting the heart,
Dulling the senses of kindness and giving,
Setting compassion alone and apart.
What do we win when we covet our neighbor?
What prize does envy align on our shelves?
Nothing is gained when we cheat on each other.
We just wind up cheating ourselves.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
They don't always get it the first time,
The second, the third.
Someone forgot to tell them their shortcut
To finding the answer was terribly wrong.
Somewhere along the highway of lessons in life
They simply did not get the word.
Or somehow the tune went awry in their minds,
Erasing the words to the song.
Wanting and winning and taking and getting
Are viruses growing, infecting the heart,
Dulling the senses of kindness and giving,
Setting compassion alone and apart.
What do we win when we covet our neighbor?
What prize does envy align on our shelves?
Nothing is gained when we cheat on each other.
We just wind up cheating ourselves.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 15, 2018
The Bitch Was Right
"What a bitch!" Was his quick response.
"How could she say that to me?"
What was her motive?
What did I do?
What does she want me to be?
So defensive... So damned touchy...
Can't she take a joke?
Can't she see my side of things?
Why must I wear her yolk?
I don't need this from anyone,
Won't take it anyway.
There's plenty more where she came from.
Tomorrow's another day.
Then comes tomorrow's calm reflection,
Simmering through the night.
Often said, a clearer head
Reveals the "bitch" was right.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
"How could she say that to me?"
What was her motive?
What did I do?
What does she want me to be?
So defensive... So damned touchy...
Can't she take a joke?
Can't she see my side of things?
Why must I wear her yolk?
I don't need this from anyone,
Won't take it anyway.
There's plenty more where she came from.
Tomorrow's another day.
Then comes tomorrow's calm reflection,
Simmering through the night.
Often said, a clearer head
Reveals the "bitch" was right.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
November 14, 2018
Do You Love...?
Do you love to see the sunrise,
Pink and orange, blue and red?
Do you watch it settle on the tree tops,
Nodding off to bed?
Do you love to hear the robin sing?
...To watch the rabbits play?
Can you sit and watch the autumn trees
'Til the leaves have blown away?
Do you love the snow?
Do you love the rain?
...The wheat fields green and gold?
Will you stay with me?
Will you be with me when
We both are growing old?
Do you love the thought of a happy heart?
Is it what you want to be?
Would it make you sad if we were apart?
Tell me true,
Do you love me?
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Pink and orange, blue and red?
Do you watch it settle on the tree tops,
Nodding off to bed?
Do you love to hear the robin sing?
...To watch the rabbits play?
Can you sit and watch the autumn trees
'Til the leaves have blown away?
Do you love the snow?
Do you love the rain?
...The wheat fields green and gold?
Will you stay with me?
Will you be with me when
We both are growing old?
Do you love the thought of a happy heart?
Is it what you want to be?
Would it make you sad if we were apart?
Tell me true,
Do you love me?
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
