"In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away." -Shing Xiong *** "Do not go where the path may lead; instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson *** "Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget." -G. Randolf *** "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -E.M. Forster *** "Imagnination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited, imagination encircles the world." -Albert Einstein *** Defintion of Suburbia: A place where they cut down trees and name streets after them. -(Unknown, found on sticker) :p *** "A lie goes halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." -Winston Churchill***"Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly." -Louis Ginsberg ***"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." -Martin Buber



Saturday, October 15, 2011

Midnight Rain (a poem)

Midnight Rain
Written October 14th, 2011
Sweet velvet rain
Pattering on my roof
Sing me softly to sleep

The gentle whispers
Reach my ears
As you travel in swirling rivulets
Across the shingles
Of this midnight house

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

A Lucky Burden (a short story)

 A Lucky Burden
Written October 12th, 2011
Farmer Joseph made his rounds in the early morning as he always did, delivering to all his animals their breakfasts. First the cows, then the horses, followed by the sheep, chickens, and ending with the pigs.
            As he poured the slop into the pig trough, he watched one swine in particular trot over. It grunted as it walked and snuffed at the smell of food in the air with his slimy, whiskery nose. This certain pig could be identified by his front right hoof, which was pearly white, unlike the remaining three black hooves. Although Joseph called that pig many names, mostly cuss words, its official moniker was Runt. He had been a runt at one point, but now he was two years old and the fattest pig Joseph owned.
            Runt had been the sixteenth piglet of Old Maizy’s sixteenth litter; her last litter. She had died a few hours after giving birth, her seasoned heart unable to withstand the stress. Joseph had been quite fond of Old Maizy, and although he knew it to be irrational, he blamed Runt for her demise.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Ice Tyrant (a poem)

The Ice Tyrant
Written October 5th, 2011
The mighty trees burst into flames
Their last stand as forest warriors
Against the sweeping shadows cast by the Ice Queen
Leaves of ember rain upon the ground
And a vibrant wildfire spreads abound
Across the rolling, tumbling hills
Reaching the distant glowing horizon
The warriors crash like a firework meteor
Lighting up the world before descending into brown

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Montville Falls (review, rating)

Montville Falls
Moravia, NY
Hiked: September 25th, 2011
Reviewed: October 2nd, 2011
Interaction: 5 stars
Scenery: 4 stars
Diversity: 2 stars
Accessability: 2 stars
Size: small
Overall: 4 stars

This is an exhilarating, interactive hike that is about ninetry percent creek-walking with no defined trail. However, it is ranked as a difficult hike, and rightfully so. The hiker accesses Mill Creek through on of two cemetaries. We reached it via Section 9 of Indian Mound Cemetary, and began our descent near a large tombstone labeled C.A. Parker.

 Indian Mound Cemetary entrance

Seasonal Spirit (a poem)

Seasonal Spirit
Written October 1st, 2011
The cold surrounds a small house
Moving in with surprising, silent speed
Fingers of frost reach across the window pane
A warm orange glow radiates from the other side
A family gathered around a friendly hearth
Holding back the cold and keeping it tame
With mugs of steaming cocoa at their side
And loaves of toasty pumpkin bread
Fresh from the stove; they keep good mirth

The children huddle on the floor of blankets
Proud parents on the couch holding each other
Looking on with a quiet smile
The cat perches on a shoulder
And the large dog squeezes into a lap
As they smile and laugh they seem not to notice
That outside it only gets colder

Waiting on the Shore (a poem)

Waiting on the Shore
Written October 1st, 2011
Icy September water
Sighs softly as it kisses the shore
Pitch black from the touch
Of a tense, starless night
The water swirls, rolling, undulating,
Lapping at my feet

A breeze rushes by
Lifting and tossing my hair
So it can touch my neck;
Soft, exposed, and vulnerable
Leaving a sinister whisper in my ears
A secret I can’t quite decipher

Little Brother (a poem, a dedication)

Little Brother
Written September 18th, 2011
Little brother
Chase me around the house
Jump and tackle
Trying to take me down
Push my homework
Out of your way
Scatter papers across the floor
Unplug my game
Right when I was about to win
Then stand there and look at me
With that lopsided grin

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Fade Away (a poem)

Fade Away
Written September 24th, 2011
Summer fades away
Carried off by a sweeping breeze
That sparks a tingling on my skin
And stirs a strange sensation within

The world's bright menagerie of colors
Age and descend into shades of umber
The morning air nips and the forest falls silent
As though everything is easing into slumber

I stand here and watch it all
With a weary sigh
Crumble to ash and fall
I can see the time passing by

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Frozen Mornings (a poem)

Frozen Mornings
Written September 18th, 2011
The house retains a serpentine chill
That slithers down into the bones
It seeps out from the stone walls
And up through the icy wooden floors
That sting defenseless bare feet

We emerge from our sleep weary and worn
As though we never slept at all
Our knuckles swollen and slow
Inflated from the serpentine cold
We hide away beneath warm blankets
And pretend we never woke

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Stained (a poem)

Stained
Written July 18th, 2011
A familiar pair of eyes
Stare out at me from the computer screen
An image from the life you’re living
This very moment, somewhere, without me

And there’s this sinking feeling
Way down deep in my innermost core
I can’t look away from your face
While I remember the loss of something that could have been more

I can’t help but wonder if you think of me
If you reminisce and miss what we had
On the cold and rainy days
The days I used to keep you warm

Cycles of Change (a poem)

Cycles of Change
Written September 17th, 2011
We continue to spin around this star
Time rolls on
And makes us who we are

There’s this chill settling in the air
Reaching in to embrace my bones
And a whimsical breeze tosses my hair
As it whispers cold sinister secrets

There are crows dancing in our streets
And the ones who regret their lives
Look on with wide eyes of fear
They aren’t ready to die, not now, not here

There are crystals in my lungs
As I inhale the glass in the air
A layer of frost prickles my tongue
Everything is changing again

Friday, September 16, 2011

Dark Boy (a poem)

Dark Boy
Written September 14th, 2011
Dark boy
Lurking in the shadows
With glowing mischief eyes
Creeping up on me

Dark boy
You speak with a voice
Inviting and deep
That fills my bones

Dark boy
You smile like an imp
Lopsided and alluring
That pulls my gravity

Dark boy
You laugh with fire
Crackling with warm temptation
That glows on my skin

Late Night Muse (a poem)

Late Night Muse
Written September 11th, 2011
I watch them
I see them all
Lonely, heartbroken, and defeated
It’s in their posture
As they walk down the hall

I’ve been there
Felt it all
I’ve been in that fall

They ask me
How do I do it?
How do I smile,
How do I keep going?
They say
It isn’t worth it
Not at all
It just ends up in tears
They always fall

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Flipside (a poem)

The Flipside
Written August 25th, 2011
There’s pictures on the wall
Of my adventures far away
The maps and photos, tickets and brochures
Receipts printed in French and letters from home
It’s hard to look at it all
Without catching my breath as I remember that day

See that postcard off to the side
Along and out of the way?
Greetings from Munich
A sunset glowing behind a silhouetted city
Flip it over, there’s a message, I tried and I tried
To send it to you; but it remains here to this day

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Windows and Doors (a poem)

Windows and Doors
Written August 24th, 2011
As time passes by
A pool of reflections
Swells behind my eyes
The shimmering lights on the water
They are only windows of the past
And hard as I may try
I can never change them to doors

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Tempest Storm (a poem)

Tempest Storm
Written August 14th, 2011
Thunder roaring in the sky
Lightning flashes blinding bright
Rain falling till it starts to flood
Take me, seize me, fly me high
Away from this life into the windblown night
Tempest storm I feel you running in my blood

---
Just a quick little poem inspired by the storm today :)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Goodnight (a poem)

Goodnight
Written August 10th, 2011
I wish you didn’t have to go
But your eyes are heavy
And you’ve had a long day, I know
Goodnight to you, fallen angel
Know that as your eyes close
The sun sets on my world
And I will grow impatient for tomorrow to unfurl

Saturday, August 6, 2011

(Raise Your Voice) Bat in the Window (a poem)

Raise Your Voice
Bat in the Window
Written August 6th, 2011
Frantic flitter flutter
Bang crash on the glass
Scared and hungry, breath stutters
The exhaustion is utter

Strange faces in the window
Big frightening loud
Oh! Wow! Ew!
Safe on the other side
From this hideous spectacle

She didn’t mean to get stuck in here
Her fuel is fading fast
The food she needs on the flipside of the glass
Not one life on the line but two
A tiny helpless infant waits at home
For a meal it can’t get on its own

Oh, a bat! A bat!
Do you want to see a bat?
Ew, would you look at that!
A bat!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Magic and Mystery (a poem)

Magic and Mystery
Written August 1st, 2011
Your compelling eyes; a strange marine color
Flirt with my skin
Settling on my neck, my lips, my eyes,
And then start again
Without a single drop of wine
I'm drunk, it seems
Blissfully happy, lacking complete thought
The world and its problems;
They don't matter so much today
When you and I occupy the same space
It all just fades away...
You must be a wizard
A strange inhuman being
For your fingers are charged with fire
Leaving behind a pleasant burning
Wherever they go
You're something otherworldly
A unique and shimmering soul; this I know

Vivid Memories (a poem)

Vivid Memories
Written July 30th, 2011
I still remember your smile
Fresh as yesterday
On the face that made my days worthwhile
I recall how your eyes would dance
Whenever you looked at me
You were my risk, my one-shot chance

Still memorized; the contours of your face
So real and vivid, right before me
The feel of your sweet, safe embrace
The warm smooth texture of your skin
Remains; a phantom on my fingertips
I gave you all my secrets deep within