Monday, April 30, 2012

Breathe the Dust

Breathe the Dust
by: R.A. Slater
4/30/2012


Thundering, pounding
Hooves beating the ground
As the town watches
The gang ride through
Raising the dust in great clouds
That last long after they're gone
Leaving the people to breathe the dust
As it settles once again
Into the normalcy they once knew
And the sound of their passing
Fades away as a retreating storm


Shhhh....

Shhhh....
by: R.A. Slater
4/30/2012

Quietly
Gently
Now we must go
Like the fog after the rain
On tip toe across the carpet
Fading away into mist
A memory of what was
A whisper on the wind


Sunday, April 29, 2012

Already?

Already?
by: R.A. Slater
4/29/2012

Please tell me it's not over
Say there's more time
It was only just Friday
How can it be
That tomorrow is Monday?


One Blood

One Blood
by: R.A. Slater
4/29/2012

I saw a picture today
Of a cheetah and a dog
Cavorting as though best friends
I read the full article and found
That they'd been raised together
Since they were pups
How much we could learn from them
Though they indeed are different animals
We humans are of one blood
Meant to live together and thrive
Not to throw stones and judge one another
That was never meant to be
If only we could regard one another
As friend instead of dinner
How much different the world would be


Story and Pic here :)

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bad Days & Good Days

Bad Days & Good Days
by: R.A. Slater
4/28/2012

For some reason I'll never understand
I have good days
When the hormones work right
And then I have bad days
When they just plain don't
There is no reason I see
For me to be this sad
I've tried all day to cheer myself
Even my patient partner has tried
And yet the depression persists
Draped around me like a wet blanket
Not warm or even cold
Just wet...heavy and suffocating
I try to think on the good
Of Him, cookies and love
But instead the bad sneaks in
The people I miss
The people I will miss
The bills coming due
The food pantry becoming bare
So I do what I know works
I sit down and resort to poetry
It might not solve anything
It usually doesn't
Except for peace that comes
In the venting
I might not feel happier
But I feel better
Just for the telling
There is magic here
Whether Godly or myself
I do not know
It does not matter


Friday, April 27, 2012

Status Update 2

Status Update 2
by: R.A. Slater
4/27/2012

There's more to my talent than satire
More than wit and comedy
Even more that poetry
Definitely more than 'just' a pen for hire!
 

The Trouble Is I Work Full Time

The Trouble Is I Work Full Time
by: R.A. Slater
4/27/2012

The trouble is
I work full time
Bills to pay
Needs to take care of
Never enough money
Or time or energy
Boring days that drag
With too many thoughts
Floating in my head
Poems wanting to take form
Stories begging to be written
It leaves me tired
And hurting
Sometimes unable to write
Yet I must soldier on
Until I'm ready to cry


Cougar

Cougar
by: R.A. Slater
4/27/2012

They call her a cougar
Because her mate is younger
And she wonders why
When she is no predator
She's just a woman
Looking for someone to hold
A man to love her
He's just looking for a woman
Who doesn't judge
Their families frown at it
She's just having a crisis
She is that age you know
And he is just going through a phase
Just a boy you know
Some get it, they see it
The tangible connection
Of two matching souls
Of strengths and weakness
Balancing each other out
He'll still be there in the morning
She'll still be there the next day


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Surely You Jest

Surely You Jest
by: R.A. Slater
4/24/2012

Writer's block, she scoffs,
In the energetic voice of the young
There is no such thing!
Surely you jest?
Open your eyes and see
All the inspiration you'll ever need
Is all around you!
In the rising of the sun,
To the splendor of the night sky!
From the gentle flower petal,
To the beauty of the rainbow!
All you need is to trust
This wondrous ability you have!

You may be right, says the older one
I argue not! Except to say
You've never been there
When blank paper mocked you
Because all you could see
Were failures at your door
All my energies I did pour
Into a story from my heart
Then when I went for more
I found it spent
How the audience expected you to please
When you mocked them for sport
And they laughed and cried for more
So in disgust I walked away
And slammed the door

You sound almost bitter, the young one says
And shakes her head
But it sounds like you've a learned
To look at things differently
Than when you first begun
For that's what it's all about
Looking at things and seeing
A myriad of things
That none other but you can see
Drop the cynical callous on your heart
Let it feel again, let it heal
It's up to you to tell your tale
It's alright to be different
They need you to be that way
Even if they themselves don't know it

I took the time to live
The older one went on
To live and breath and explore
Did things I've never done before
Spent more time with family
Did not shy from new people
I can see the wisdom in what you say
And my heart wants to catch fire
I'm still afraid you see
Of what people might say
Even more what I'll find
In the hidden recesses of my heart
It's an ongoing process
And I'm getting there

That's the spirit, the younger one rejoiced
Don't be afraid, but plunge on ahead
You won't find what hasn't been found before
Catch fire and burn
Blaze like the sun
Write your stories and your poems
Lose yourself in your dreams again
No turning around
No looking back
Except to remember your lessons
Share with the world
What has been given to you
Don't hide it in the sand

Taking her words to heart
I set out across the sand
Knowing that the further I can go
The farther I can leave it behind
And embrace the future
And harness the storm within
To ride through the battles
Remembering how to dream
Will be easier
Than I first thought
As I keep on moving
Onward to where the water is
Out of this desert place

My thanks to Mara Wilson Writes Stuff for the inspiration for this poem.  May she forgive me for the liberties I took with her 'character'!

Puck

Puck
by: R.A. Slater
4/24/2012

Flying across the ice
No time to waste
No standing still
From one end to the other
Circling the rink
Feel the rush
And the chill

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Classic Case

Classic Case
by: R.A. Slater
4/24/2012

You and I are a classic case
The perfect love hate
You tempt and beckon
With easy fun and thrills
Even now I hear your call
But it is never long
And I am caught in your web
Obsession drives me onward
Needing that next moment
One more time and then I'm done
Or so I tell myself
I love to play your game
As much as I hate not scoring high
The time I spend with you
Coud be better spent
But your siren call
Is hard to ignore
And the next I know
I've gone another hour
Lost in you


Monday, April 23, 2012

Dread the Morning

Dread the Morning
by: R.A. Slater
4/23/2012

Let the night stay
For I dread the morning
With its alarms and deadlines
The daily rush and clock-in times
For here in your arms I am happy
There is no rushing
No need to hurry away
Warmth and love surround me
Acceptance and no judging
Let me stay with you
Don't let morning tear this away


Frozen Moment

Frozen Moment
by: R.A. Slater
4/12/2012

Magic
Pure Magic
Filled this moment
Caught in between
The sun rising
And night fading
A few bright stars
Still hung in the sky
While morning painted
Her glory across the horizon
Soft hues of pink and lavender
Highlighting the low lying fog
Wisping across the countryside
Patches here and there
As a new day was birthed
And a myriad possibilities
Awaited discovery
In this frozen moment
Before reality comes crashing in
And the sun scorches
Our dreams away


Sunday, April 22, 2012

Disappointment

Disappointment
by: R.A. Slater
4/22/2012

I called you expecting understanding
A sympathetic ear to help me plan
And for a moment I was delighted
Knowing of your past troubles with the matter
For that moment I felt encouraged
I didn't feel alone anymore
But then you turned the tables on me
With your negativity
And it all came back to me
The overwhelming sensation
Of carrying the burden on my own
Knowing that if I fail
You will be quick to condemn
Though you did not help
But I guess my shoulders will be wide enough
To handle even that
It appears I have no choice
But to keep on trucking
Even if I am alone

Drunk People Suck

Drunk People Suck
by: R.A. Slater
4/22/2012

Drunk people suck
They are too loud
Much too clumsy
They spill their drinks
All over the table or floor
They flit around and flirt
Until they can’t even walk
And have to crawl instead
They think of no one else but themselves
And expect their DD’s to take watch out for them
To clean up their messes
And pick them up time and time again
While they are having fun
The rest are stuck babysitting
Drinking water and soda
While the steak cooks
Maybe next time the tables will be turned
They’ll be the responsible ones
While we drink till we’re silly
But somehow I doubt it
For some people never change
So I’ll swallow my jealousy
And take a bottle for later
When I’m safe in my home
The dog has been walked
And my charge put to bed
It won’t be as much fun
But sometimes you take what you can get ;)

Throwing Stones

Throwing Stones
by: R.A. Slater
4/22/2012

I lay here in a heap
Huddling on the ground
My clothes barely covering me
They dragged me here that quickly
Standing there wrapped in their Law
That has no mercy for one such as me
Stones they hold in each hand
Waiting the word to throw
Why have they turned on me now?
They who were all too eager
To pay me for my services before
Where is the pharisee I was with
When through the door they did burst
But on the fringe
Stones in his hands as well
They are all silent as they speak to Another
Asking what He thought should be done with me
I looked out through hanging strands of hair
And see a Man stooped down
As though drawing in the sand
For one split second His eyes meet mine
And I am lost in that gaze
There is no judging or hatred
Nor contempt for my kind
Only the purest love I've ever seen
Kindness and gentleness and hope
He rises and speaks to those who would test
And challenges them
Only one who has never sinned
May cast a stone at me
Knowing them I cringe
Waiting for the first blow
But it does not come
I hear soft thuds on the ground
And open my eyes to see
Judgement turned within
And the subject found wanting
One by one, then in groups
They all walk away
Except those behind this Man
I rise to my feet in the emptiness
And then He speaks to me
"Where are you accusers? Is there any left to condemn you?"
For a moment I cannot speak
Such respect I've never heard
Words spoken to me as though I were an equal
I manage to answer that there was no one left
He nods His head and told me He wouldn't either
Go, He said, and sin no more
Numbly I nod, knowing that my customers will be back
Wondering how I could sin no more
With pharisees such as these
Thinking He asks too much
I being to walk away
Knowing I need more clothes
When I hear Him say to those following Him
"I am the light of the world..."
And then I know what I can do
I can follow Him too
There are women in this group
Who come to no harm
And are not abused
Respected they are, and taken care of
My walk breaks into a run
There are thing to be done
And then I'll be back
Knowing that if He didn't judge me
Then neither would the rest
Indeed, while I was gathering my clothes
There is a quiet knock on my broken door
I turn to see a group of them
Woman well dressed and smiling
These few didn't look down their noses
And I knew I was free


Imperfect Lens

Imperfect Lens
by: R.A. Slater
4/21/2012

Every status update
Every blog entry
Down to the smallest tweet
Can come under scrutiny
Of someone somewhere at some time
The more famous you are
The more likely it will be
But it can happen to the most ordinary
Your joke wasn't funny
Or the picture was lame
Your topic too bland
Or just incendiary
Bosses look and frown
Relatives see and gasp
Strangers may applaud
-or throw a fit as the mood may be
There is no privacy
And room to just be free
This imperfect lens
That society uses
To judge, condemn and stone
The whole story we do not see
Of the loneliness, fear, and insecurity
The masks we need to wear
Are more truer than we know
Made clear on this Internet
That we are more alike than not
And some just can't handle that


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Status update

Status Update
by: R.A. Slater
4/21/2012


Onto my second cup of coffee
Wondering what today will bring
Other than laundry, coffee, and poetry



Let's Not Forget

Let's Not Forget
by R.A. Slater
4/20/2012


Let's not forget
The moments between us
The simple sounds of like
Of you in the bedroom
Playing on your Xbox
Me in the kitchen
Typing out another poem
The dog on her chain in the yard
The only one enjoying the outdoors
Let's not forget to live
To poke our heads out
And take a breath of air
To remember there's more than just living
To this life of ours
Let's not forget to remember each other
And not take us for granted
Appreciate our differences
And our similarities
Let's not forget to enjoy
Every moment we can
And not take for granted
The shortness of this life
We've lost too many
In just this short year
There are no guarantees


Friday, April 20, 2012

Battle Drums

Silence.
Slowly a drum beats begins, soft at first, then growing louder, until it settles into a battle cadence.

Hear the battle drums
Feel their heartbeat
The thunder of the air
They set the tempo
They set the pace
Of this the coming war

In the midst of the beat, a trumpet sounds one long clear note.

Head the trumpet's peel
The call to action
To make haste
And not to delay
For the day is at hand
And the hour now is

In the midst of the beat, the trumpet sounds three times.

How can you not hear?
Does not the very air tremble?
How can you be unaware?
Does the earth not shake?
There is lightning everywhere,
Do you not see?

In the midst of the beat, the trumpet sounds once, as though far away.

The time is now passing

Drums begin to fade, then build louder and quicker. Grows quiet, then loud again. They work themselves fanatically.

Do not delay any longer
Or sit idly on the sidelines
No more time can be wasted
The battle lines have been drawn
The opening melees have been fought
The first push awaits

Drums fade out.

Hear the battle drums
Heed the bugle call

One last faint trumpet sounds, then the drums grow quiet.
Silence.


This is a poem that is meant to be presented in front of an audience, preferably with a live drummer and trumpet.

Longing

Longing
by: R.A. Slater
4/19/2012

It has not happened yet
This moment that I am longing for
It may never come
But I hold on to hope
Even when it seems dim
To retire from the daily grind
And focus on other things instead
Like reading, writing, poetry
But I have not made my millions
Nor the lottery won
So each morning I rise
Long before the sun
To tend to others chores
In order to earn a dollar
For all the bills to be paid
Only to come home too tired
To have any fun
Except to rehash and remember
All the thoughts that ran through my mind
While my body was busy
And try to capture all that I can
In the written word
Before my battery dies


Thursday, April 19, 2012

Ringing of the Bell

Ringing of the Bell
by: R.A. Slater
4/19/2012

The hour was late
When the bell was rung
Startling the sleeping
In their beds
What chaos ensued
While the sleeping joined the night watch
Some with swords already in hand
For they'd worn them to bed
Some were prompt, some were late
But the captains turned none away
Every straggler had a spot in line
Because every sword was needed
Regardless of the sharpness of the blade
And for those who came without
A weapon was found
For the enemy stood at the Rubicon
Flaunting their numbers
Flexing their muscles
Jeering and taunting
But never crossing
More than a toe over the line
The captains moved to and fro
Encouraging the members in their line
"Stand fast, lads" they would say
"Be strong! We've been here before,
"We'll be here again. We'll send them running
Every time, as we've done before."
But even they could not convince
Themselves of the truth
That this time there was something different
In the ringing of the bell
How clear each peel sounded
How crisp it did echo
Over the mountains and through dales
Calling all who would come


Chocolate

Chocolate
by: R.A. Slater
4/18/2012

Such a cliche I know
A woman and her chocolate
But it is my drug of choice
Raising my blood sugar and my weight
It is a hard thing to say no
Such sweet bliss
Cheering me when I'm sad
Tantalizing my taste buds
Whether dark, milk, or white
Chocolate is my choice
Plain or fancy
I care not
A delightful frenemy


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Marbles in the Sand

Marbles in the Sand
by: R.A. Slater
Sound Bites Series #15
4/18/2012

Dirt and grime
Sand dune against the door
Driven by the winds of change
Ever shifting, ever blowing
A glimmer in the sunshine
Reveals a hidden gem
Marbles in the sand
Thought lost all this time
Hidden just beneath the surface
Pieces of treasure from long ago
Regathering them takes but a moment
Wondering what will be uncovered
During the next storm

Monday, April 16, 2012

Jigsaw

Jigsaw
by: R.A. Slater
4/15/2012

A tiny thoudand pieces
Floating in my head
They fit together somehow
Like a convoluted jigsaw puzzle
Scrambling my brain with its smooth edges
I know that if I just relax
The pieces will click together with ease
But jigsaws have always been my bane
Unless they were the easy ones
Edges and corners blurring into one
Colors and patterns swirling
Until I can see nothing
And walk away in frustration
Only to be consumed by obsession
Returning once again
To turn the puzzle pieces over
To examine them anew
Waiting for them to come together
As I know they will


Saturday, April 14, 2012

Living Characters

Living Characters
by: R.A. Slater
04/14/2012

Living characters in God's play
We frolic and romp
Across God's green earth
Running to and fro
Wreaking havoc and mayhem
Sowing love and joy
In a never ending battle
Between good and evil
With heaven as our audience
Angels and demons amongst the throng
And the Son our referee
He the master of detail
We cannot see it all
Plot lines run here
And then take off there
Splits and merges defying logic
The flaw in the weave
That holds it all together
Humans' free will
Free to chose their own side
Free to chose their own role
Destiny teases at the edges
A faint scent on the breeze
Some will chase it down
Hound dog on the run
Others will let it linger in the air
Wrapped up in their comforts
Our choice to make
Before the clock runs downs
And the curtain call sounds
Will there be applause?
Will they yell for an encore?
Or will silence be our due...

Friday, April 13, 2012

Memories of You

Memories of You
by: R.A. Slater
4/13/12

How thin this image
Seemingly inconsequential
These simple lines and colors
That coalesce into a you I never knew
A single moment captured
Before I was ever born
And yet I can still see
The you of my memories
In the gentleness of your smile
I can even hear the bubbles of your laugh
Memories of times spent together
Words fail me even now
For they cannot express
The depth of your effect
On the lives touched by you
How deeply we feel your absence
Though we are at peace
Knowing you are in heaven
Until we can meet again in that place
And dance together at Jesus' feet
Our memories of you will be treasured


In memory of Audrey A. (Isabell) Allen
1/21/1952-4/3/2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Silent No More

Silent No More
By R.A. Slater
4/12/12

I remember the day, deep in June
When the flare went up, and the watch resumed
How loud the death knell sounded, reverberating the earth
As the living gathered the wounded, we watched the river burn
Birds of prey circled in the air, feasting where the dead did lay
---Or the living stood too still
In momentary shock we gazed, as prophecy unfurled
Though victory assured, battles remained to be fought
For the silent war raged on, silent no more