A window is an ocean
It may have a similar motion
In showing moments as if in a cage
A moment in time, as on a page
Or perhaps thrusting forward like a sword
But playing music as a chord
Emanating from a flute
Serious or perhaps just cute
Out the window are trees, elm, oak and cedar
Kids playing following the leader
But most of all windows bring us possibility
Of looking at the world and taking responsibility
A toast to the common
Everything we eat, even ramen
And cars and houses
And kitties and mouses
Cafes are great places to meet
With a friend and something sweet
I appreciate my comfy bed
And all the books I still haven’t read
Music really does bring us peace of mind
Perhaps even makes (some of) us kind
All around us most of the time
Are objects both ordinary and sublime
Few of which we make with our own hands
Many made in foreign lands
By workers toiling night and day
Often for very little pay
And somehow these things great and small
Can be found at a local store or gigantic mall
As I continue to live and breathe and take up space
I would like to offer thanks and grace
To all those unseen who endlessly labor
Far away or perhaps a neighbor
My life is mostly filled with ease
Due to the effort of these
Who do the work deemed “essential”
Each of them consequential
When I lay awake at night
Wondering if the world will be alright
I always appreciate the work of those folks
All those woman and children and blokes
Your work does not go unnoticed
To all of you, we are all devoted
Once upon a time, love met hate
It was on an arranged blind date
Those with open hearts
Hoping for some fresh starts
Convinced that if hate could hear more from love
Thinking a change might happen; well….sort of!
And love, though reluctant, would listen to hate
And maybe hate might deviate
From previously held false notions
And misplaced devotions
Hate would mostly not be moved
And soon enough self-excused
But love believes they will meet again
Though love does not yet know when
But love believes in its own power
And grows stronger by the hour
Love has pledged to never quit
And every day will recommit
Till we all can join hands and embrace
With a smile on every face
Feeling loved, every one
And all that is under the sun
Yes, it can be and it will!
Because every one of us has the skill!
And, of course, humans and the rest of you all
Here’s a postcard from inside my head and heart
Showing what I would like to help start
World Peace One
Which can be achieved without a single gun
Look over there and see everyone eating
And there are a bunch of people reading
Notice the happy animals grazing
And look at those sunrises and sunsets….just amazing!
See the love spread all around
To every soul that can be found
Up in trees, on the earth and underground
This is such a beautiful place
You should come; there’s plenty of space!
For everyone, there is plenty of food
No reasons to fight or feud
Lots of fun
For everyone
Every person and creature is happy
Absolutely nothing is crappy
There are roofs over every head
Everyone has a warm and comfy bed
Everyone can be exactly as they choose
All can win; no one will lose
No one wants to cause harm
All of us are filled with charm
And all of us have love to give
And we all want all of us to live
However we choose
All can win; no one will lose
So, I hope you will come to this beautiful land
I open my heart and my hand
The world can renew
It just takes a few
We’re waiting for you!
Can less really be more?
There has never been a civil war
Sad smiles and icy hot?
What’s next…. a thoughtful bot?
The sound of silence; is it there?
If I listen, can I hear?
Awful good
Sounds….maybe…misunderstood?
Also makes no sense
Like absent presence
Can one man
Be a band?
Cool passion and freezer burn?
Is it possible to “un”-learn?
I guess it’s all old news
So much of it, I guess, falsely true
Or truly false
I’ll just keep the smelling salts
So I can keep on going
Even with all this weirdness in my knowing….
Silly ending, yes, I know
But, anyway, now I’ll go!
To stop working
May find you smirking
Your days are yours
Plenty of time to do your chores
But also time to be outdoors
Your now own your time
And doubtless this is mostly sublime
To stop violence
To end the silence
About war and hate
It is never too late
We can find peaceful ways
And have enjoyable days
If we open our hearts filled with love
Happiness will be everywhere, below and above
To stop trying for perfection
Will leave more time for self-reflection
To be perfect will make you crazy
And reality will become hazy
Take a deep breath and know you are good
If you are who you are, you will be understood!
If fish can sing in the moonlight
Harmonizing with the night
So maybe I can bring a swing
To almost anything
I hope to inspire
Everyone I love to go higher
Light the world with well-contained fire
Of this, I will never tire
It is so important to maintain hope
And to keep possibility within sight and scope
Even when the future looks dim
And we only seem to see the grim
I try to remember
To light that ember
Of possibility
Of world-wide gentility
If fish can sing….
Then what else is possible?
Anything and everything!
If you can bring it to mind
All of our efforts combined
May well change the world
Let’s give it a whirl!
To write a poem as surreal prose
Leads me to this question I will now pose
What we may say is surreal these days
Is just reality covered by haze
Whatever is on the news
Comes from many perspectives and views
Some makes sense and seems to be real
Other stuff is nonsense which continues to exponentially congeal
Who can tell for sure what to believe
When we all suspect “they” are trying to deceive
There are liars and weirdness and nonsense from cults
Anyone who says such things must be one of those dolts
It is so easy to reject
And everything is pretty much suspect
So when it comes to surreal writing
Just say anything and expect lots of fighting
Because if any one thing might surely come to be
Is that we will always disagree
Maybe some days things will change
But until then, the world remains very strange
Everywhere it can be found
Chocolate may be the object of your affection
As a particularly enticing sweet confection
Or maybe it is the beauty of flowers
That seem to awaken all of love’s powers
Nature brings us endless beauty
Looks like a cutie
And often is very fruity
I also love to look at the ocean
Its endless tides a sort of soothing potion
And the sun provides a daily show in the morning
With the bright colors of each day’s dawning
And when the sun each evening goes to sleep
Its setting leaves shades of those colors to keep
And I also love to talk
With friends, at a café or while we walk
Music can awaken a sense of passion
And also instill compassion
Which is never ever out of fashion
I have always loved to draw and sketch
And begin each morning with a good stretch
I love to think and deeply reflect
And hope that all the world can learn to love and respect
Everyone on the planet
From A to Z, the entire gamut
There is nothing more beautiful than love
Often symbolized by a snowy dove
Who sails all the lands
And I hope will be greeted with open hearts and hands!
Love is always beautiful, romantic and platonic
And always brings hope that is supersonic!
Sinclair Lewis wrote “It Can’t Happen Here” in 1935
Of governmental disaster that we would not survive
And now it’s been 89 years
Many of those long-ago fears
May still catch some of us unawares
But I still hold out hope and even belief
That even in these times of widespread grief
All remains possible, even prevailing peace
And all violence finally cease
I know there is much to do
The world needs me and all of you
It can happen here
And there and everywhere
But the best is always possible
If we work together, we will be unstoppable
debora gordon 