stairs

every morning
when I wake up
a new set of stairs
lies outside my door

i climb and i climb
everyday a little higher
with the secret hope
that it leads to heaven

every now and then
I make mistakes
and need to retake
a couple of steps

the stairs are there
shinning and new, and still
familiar to me since we've shared
each others' company for a while

and while I tend to get tired
at the end of the day
every now and then I sit down
I might as well enjoy the view

while I am here

carpe diem

the days get shorter
but the light is good
i'd take a picture every moment
of I could

the air is crisp
the squirrels quick
to gather food
for coming times

i'd roast a chestnut
hear its rolling sound
then try to keep it tight
to warm my palm

i'd share my food
and then some wine
with some good friends
of yes I would

for this is the day
that we were given
to live in joy
and make a mark
in someone's heart

grace

we shall dance in the night
when the lullaby alone cannot sooth you,
we shall dance in the day
when we are merry and gay,
we should touch hands and then point them up
to the sky, we should shake feet,
and blush our faces with joy
saying grace to the Lord
simply because we can do these today

we

the really really good thing
about you is that you are
right next to me
and if we talk at the same time
i can still hear harmony
don't really know if it was you
or me, but then again it does
not really matter you see
we are so close together
we should just call ourselves we
forget all about you and me
let us just spin with the stars
modestly but in harmony

the loop

so many songs
so many books
so many movies
to tell us
to teach us
what is important
really important
in life
and in love
so many times
we will be told
until we learn
firsthand
who are our friends
our loves
and passions
put them in songs
and books
and movies

bloody pink

it is so daring of you to show up
all of a sudden, rising between
the brown of the ground and the gray of the cloud,
all bloody pink in the middle of winter

you were unforgettably bold
to smile from under your frosty hat
to all passerbys and what nots,
seemingly unafraid of the cold

I thank you camelia
for all colors of hope
you bloomed all along
our trip on the side of winter

the hope you have given
just a couple of drops
all bloody pink and heroic
kept us afloat on oceans of cold

but now while it is warm
your leaves wait for the time when most needed
they'll feed our hopes to blossom
in the heart of winter

osmanthus

a little piece of paradise in the backyard - a blooming tea olive. the duke gardens are an open bottle of perfume for the same reason, the tiny flowers of of the osmanthus.

this girl, her love

this girl so beautiful and tall
America - she learns from all
her friends whom she invites
to visit her warm home

she smiles a lot, and sometimes
cries because she cares.
she goes to church in her best clothes
some of the days which she takes off

some other days she cooks for those
less fortunate, and then she shares
her kindness cause she thinks
she has surplus to spare

her heart's so full I've gotten used to her
voice sharing joy through song,
but this past week in her blue eyes I've felt
a muted but a strong torment

America who loved Haiti
who helped the children of my eastern world
i look at you and now I wonder
have you forgotten how to love yourself?

at the end of summer

it is still time for summer
for admiring the flight of the butterfly;
yellow tails dot the yard
when the air is humid and hot;
when the lights dim the crickets take over
the night with their songs
of the summer - sunny and hot
the rains menace to fall
the leaves are still hanging
but almost ready to roll
the knapsacks filled to supplies
are ready to jump on the backs of the kids
ready to start a new year of school
anxious to grow, fast and smart,
while I pray they will stay
ever so loving as they are today.

quote of the day - excellence

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotelis

grow

grow big and tall
fed by the proximity
of other beings
all ready to teach.
do learn to stay still
when you need peace;
and do learn to storm
when you need to run;
do learn to dance
with your hands up
in the free air above;
learn to stay clean
no matter how dark
the waters in which
you were thrown to swim.
when you come out
you will know
you have grown big and tall
kind and all
you need to be
for your own
but also for others felicity.

summer

come down south
where the summers are long
and the ground is low,
where the fish are jumping
in the afternoon heat.
where the air is steamy
and the crabs are swift,
while the lazy gators
are first to cross the street.

drive your car slow
watch out when you turn
alligator mama is crossing
and going to town
her hips are swinging
with pride when she does
put her best feet forward.
give thanks for this day
to bask the sun.

come down low
where the summers are long
let the pace get slow
can't avoid the sweat
but can cool it off
when the breeze comes in
let it pass under your chin;
let the lazy gators
be first to cross the street

my library

my books are moving
eternally between
my house and a larger one
a well organized one - downtown.
the focal point
of the city for me
has been its library
family friendly
and mostly free.
i have met friends
some live between
cardboard covers,
and some behind desks.
the books come and go
and they have many stories
to tell if you listen to them.
they teach you, they tease you
sadden or amuse you.
they bring to your home
sometime a dusty smell,
sometime the one of fresh ink.
whatever they bring
you might well grow
to be wiser because
of them - just think.

summer day

blue from blueberries,
red from raspberries
and white from cream
put them together to decorate
a beautiful cake.
after you eat
rest on the lawn
look at the stars
till sparkles start
to spring right up.
then in excitement
jump on your feet
do make some noise
to show your joy
the band may be tired by now
but we can still stand up tall
the street's in smoke
after all the firework
now go to bed
to rest and dream
in many colors
you used to trim
this summer day.

parable

source: http://joomla.wildlife.org

you have launched yourself
dangeroulsy but think for a while
know what you do
and what cannot be undone.
if you fall you must
gather your strength
so you can spring back
from murky waters
let hope reborn itself
onto your wings
batting the air moderately
forget the greed,
you do not need all this
(just to feed).
now launch yourself
beautifully.

step

for once let us take a step
out of the ordinary reality,
let us think that we are as young
as necessary to be able to fly freely,
as rich as necessary to not really need
anything but a dream
a chance to pursue it
and see how we feel.
and what else would we need,
dear?

dance

think light
think lightness
think joy
cause everyday
we share
you and I
is a gift,
an exercise
in being kind,
a new move
in an old dance,
where we strive
for harmony
only

flow

flow like the water
down the valleys
and high up in the hills
ride the waves on oceans of dreams.

roar with the storms
and hush with mild winds
stay still if you can
like hot air on a summer day.

play all sorts of music
on all your four strings
enduring the heat and the chills
as if they were games for some kids.

flow like the water
fresh when it's close to the springs
getting smart when quick turns are called for
wisely open to change - smooth and calm as you grow.

word

one winter day
the word got wings
and the freedom to fly
over the city.
from there it has not been hard
to fly between cities
and it has been heard
that it even tried
to cross borders.
let the word fly!

summer

she has caught the firs firefly
of the summer
he has thrown in the back of the closet
his shoes
the day has started to shift its schedule
apparently
according to their moods
you can hear in your left ear the call
of the seagulls
the roar of the ocean being tamed
by the sun
you can feel the sand burning the soles
of your feet
and all because free days of the summer
vacation and you
have come to meet