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Monday, December 31, 2018

Life is in the Living

Another new year is upon us
Coming more rapidly than the last
And while we anticipate the future
We stop to review the past

The future is bright with promise
Of family and friends and love
The past was filled with challenge
That with work we all rose above

I wish the New Year will bring you
Joyous wealth and body fit
 Yet challenge enough to assure
That you’ll live every moment of it

For life is all in the living
Not in assigned duties done
But rather in the coming together
And sharing in the long run

© Copyright 2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Wind Whistles so Lonely

Why does the wind whistle so lonely
When it winds its way through the trees
Sounding clarion trumpets loud
Or sighing soft as you please

Why is the moon so bright
On wilderness twisted terrain
Lighting each rock and tree
Til daylight comes once again

And when the moon is dark in the sky
How do the stars shine so great
That the trees and the mountains reflect
Off the surface of a calm lake

And when winds carry before them
Bunched and laden cloud
Why is the thunder so pleasing
Regardless being scary and loud

More important than even these puzzles
Is that while in knowing yet I stand
Not in wilderness soils deep
But in the “civilized” land

My mind yearns for the wilds
My heart cries out to be heard
I need to be out there encompassed
Seldom trouble by wasted word

Far from the stresses of people
Far from the anger and shame
Living a life of simplicity
Where nature sets the soul tame

I need to be out in the forest
Or afloat on ocean grand
Challenged by wind and wave
Far from concreted over land


©Copyright 2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, December 29, 2018

The Bet

“Hey bro don’t ya think it would be so cool
To leap off this cliff, and land down in that pool
Of murcky water right where the river flows
Over that fall, between those big rock rows”

“I don’t know” said I, “seems like a long way to fall,
Not to mention this cliff of granite is like a wall
That would be awfully hard to climb back up
I could be down there all night, maybe til sunup

“Oh heck” says Bro 1, just joining in
“Its only 3 feet out, if that, he said with a grin
and maybe it might, on second glance
be 10 feet down , surely you’ll take the chance”

“To do what the two of us have done too often to count
What’s under the water you can surely discount”
“It’s deep and light and warm and smooth”
They said together, voices pitched to soothe

My cares and my worries, of that I will say
They did oh so often, most every day
Right before I ended up, launched into the air
Sprangled and sprawling with distressing flair

Yet once again, I amped my courage and trustingly took
Their assurance to heart, knowing I was a schnook
One last look at the gap that lay at my feet
I stepped back a few paces my fate to meet

Praying not to slip, fall, or bounce
I launched myself out with every ounce
Of strength I had, as time slowed to a crawl
I hurtled vertically down that tall, tall wall

I counted the time, and figured acceleration too
I was in the air so long, I needed something to do
Before hitting the water, or so I was told
For rock hard it was, not to mention snow cold

Struggling to Regaining the top I heard Brother 2 say: “Wow”
“I really, really thought that couldn’t be done, until now”
Brother 1 said, “No problem, for us it was no sweat
Now pull out some money and pay off your bet.” 

© Copyright, 2016 Marty Vandermolen

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Peace and Simplicity

I’m supposed to be too old for Santa,
For Reindeer, Flying Sleighs and Elves
Even if so, I can clearly see
They represent the best of “ourselves”

In them we see hope and caring
Sharing, joy, and love
We see “people” helping others
And efforts beyond and above

And yet, each night during the season
As I close my eyes to dream
I take a mere moment to consider
To me they’re as real as they seem.

For why can’t dreams be real
And why can’t real be dreams
And what prevents what is simple
From being just as it seems

So Santa’s as real as I am
Or maybe it’s the other way
But no matter how you see it
It explains my large red sleigh

That putts along on a wind stream
Sparkling and twinkling at night
Filled with reindeer and presents
Prompting other people’s delight

Someday my sleigh may cease to run
Or perhaps it’ll be I that cease
Whichever one, comes to be first
I leave you with this wish for peace

Peace in this Christmas season
Peace in the Christmas next
Peace and joy and loving
And simplicity in this life complex

© Copyright 2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Monday, December 17, 2018

I still believe in Unicorns.

I still believe in all the Unicorns
And sheep with fuzzy golden-fleece shorn
In Easter eggs and reindeer’s flight
Round world trips of a single night
Pixie dust and secret smiles
Pegasus and Rumpelstiltskin’s wiles

Soap bubbles glistening that float above
Longing desires that grow into love
Knights’ bold charges to side Lady fair
Magic potions that we all can share
Gods of Greece and Gods of Rome
Heroes challenging wastelands for home

Santa’s gifts, Black Peter’s wrath
Yellow brick road and bejeweled path
Ruby slippers and Puss in Boot
Pirate treasures, buried loot
Elves and fairies, Chants and spells
Fairy wands and wishing wells

All these things lay inside my heart
Lighting the darkness, the very best part
Of the life I’ve lived, the fights I’ve had
These things I believe wipe memory sad
So each morning’s thought, each nightime’s prayer
Is that when I look around, a Unicorn will be there


© Copyright 2017, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Heartbeat

Heartbeats pound within my chest
Disturbing lonely nighttime rest
Crashing loud within my ears
Thrusting forth my varied fears
Flashing brilliant on smothering black
Damning my dreams for what they lack

Bringing me to face this world I made
By swinging my short and moral blade
At those who offered life and soul
To enrich mine, to make me whole
That I might live my life within
This silent world of clangorous din

Yet I refuse their offered breath
And so rushed on toward lonely death.

© Copyright 1991, Marty Vandermolen

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Death Afraid

The end of my life will not call with a clash
For I’ve lived out loud, bold and brash
Instead it will sneak up on padded feet
For fear of face-to-face mine eyes to meet

© Copyright, 2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Ironing out the wrinkles

Each dawning day
Brought one certainty
At some time or other
A fight there’d be

I grew up tough
I grew up hard
Fists and elbows
Out in the yard

My palms grew broad
My knuckles thick
Shoulders wide
Popeye armed, not stick

No quarter asked
No quarter given
Until some flesh
Was split and riven

When blood freely flowed
A Truce was called
And peace was built
No parents involved

Day after day
Year after year
I tussled and fought
With Brothers dear

And each issue contested
Wasn’t won by arm’s length
But by determination, drive,
And character strength

© Copyright 2016 Marty Vandermolen

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

At least this can be said of me

When my life is over and I am done
Whether I’ve lost or whether I’ve won
At least this can be said of me
I lived my life, my way and free

I lived my life as I saw fit
Never a care for fads, not a bit
I set my standards hard and fast
Young perhaps, but they did last

Then somewhere along the path of deeds,
I lost my footing on fear that breeds
Within the soul of working man
Thus cutting me off from the human clan

Left fragile I struggled to carry my load
Sacrificing no part of my chosen code
I still reached out as time allowed
To others who staggered in the crowd

And I offered my arm, worn but strong
To keep them upright and moving along
By giving my arm, our combined strength
Carried us over the road’s full length

I shared with one, I shared with all
Whether the last of my food, or violent brawl
And though the sharing added to my plight
I kept at it each day and night

So that now as I stand at death’s front door
Worn and tired, exhausted and sore
At least this can be said of me
I lived my life, my way and free

© Copyright 2018 Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Evil and Untrue

The opening battles
of any war
are fought with fervor
and passion
Right and Might
and intertwined
Within the tumultuous
confused combatants

Either a quick victory
is attained
Or passion morphs
into attrition
Attrition inevitably forces
a protective withdrawal
And a stockpiling
of weapons and grievances

Until the entire currency
of the Soul
is given over to defense
and separation
And the body’s posture
And mind”s perceptions
Hold all else as evil
And untrue.

© Copyright, 2018 Marty Vandermolen

Sunday, November 11, 2018

The Heart Race of Touch

I grieve
the loss of
heart racing touch

Once so great
a part of
my life

Mother, sibling,
girlfriend, wife,
child

All in their way
caused my heart to
race

Now, social norms
and interpersonal
failures

Have eradicated
Touch and
The heart merely plods


©2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Friday, October 26, 2018

Dancing in Memories


You’re dancing in the still waters of my memories,
Tickling streams and currents of color and light,
Wavelets lap at the cloudy recollections,
Washing away the hazes that have slowly cast
O’er visions of you in the moonlight,
Glistening translucent as you lay bare
Skin rising heat-waves shimmer of scents
Which buoy my lungs and sink my heart,
Drawing tears within my eyes, threatening to
Dissolve the last view of the evaporating footprints
You left behind while discarding my life.

 ©Copyright, 2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Wild Things

Just about here
Where the land meets the sea
The wild things dance
Happy and free

No worries shade their brow
Joy forever flows
Through their muscles loose
Never tight with woes

Once I was a wild thing
Sand between my toes
Sunlight splashing o’er me
Fresh air drawn in my nose

And though life since has drained me
Pulled me from the sea
My “wild” still itches in the dark
Yearning to be free

As long as yearnings stir me
As long as memories last
I know that I’ll rejoin them
Before more moons slip past

And my dancing may be stiff
When at first I rejoin them there
But my dancing feet will limber
As I shed my every care.

Come join me if you’re wild
Or if you want to be
We’ll dance together you and I
And you’ll feel forever free.


© Copyright 2018, Marty Vandermolen, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Tears

I look back into my past life
At the struggles, the pain, and the strife
For there I can never fail to see
The defining patterns that became me

Some of those patterns are ugly to know
They highlight the evil that I did sow
But the theme shifts across the years
And slowly the harm is washed by tears

Tears for the damage that I have caused
Sobs that helped to heal all the flaws
And bring the joy that life has to give
As I set myself a different path to live

I look forward, now, to the rest of my days
Peering to see through dusky haze
Working to rebalance my earlier wrong
For the rest of my life, all my life long

©1986 Copyright Marty Vandermolen, All rights Reserved

Monday, March 12, 2018

Drained

Sometime along the back trails of my life
Unnoticed losses drove fangs into my soul
Sapping almost imperceptibly my future joys
Penetrating in darkness to the foundation of Me
Eroding the inherent strength that there resided
Countering my efforts to heal my spirit
Deadening loves and thrills, senses and compassions
Emotions burned black to hardened coal
Destroyed forever, for whatever, remains of this life


© Copyright 2016 Marty Vandermolen 

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Heartbeat

Heartbeats pound within my chest
Disturbing lonely nighttime rest
Crashing loud within my ears
Thrusting forth my varied fears
Flashing brilliant on smothering black
Damning my dreams for what they lack

Bringing me to face this world I made
By swinging my short and moral blade
At those who offered life and soul
To enrich mine, to make me whole
That I might live my life within
This silent world of clangerous din

Yet I refuse their offered breath
And so rushed on toward lonely death.

© Copyright 1991, Marty Vandermolen

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Come the End of My Life

Come the end of my life
When I’ve finally gone
Scatter my ashes
Some cool damp dawn
Part over river
Part over field
Part on the wind
All to yield
My due returned
For the joy I’d gain
Sailing o’r water, sand and plain

© Copyright 2017 Marty Vandermolen All Rights Reserved

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Forlorn

Loneliness
has stalked my nights,
the fading borders of my days,
and the shadows cast by fear and uncertainty.
Third
brother and last child,
arriving in place of a desired daughter, I have
forever known a veneer of separation in the midst of a passionate family. 
Often
ignored and just as often discarded
by older brothers that wanted no part in my limitations,
I found solace in imagination, walls, and distance.
Erecting
fortified palisades to both hide
and protect, my
inabilities, insecurities, incompetence.
Cast
as first among friends, my youth was spent
offering support and encouragement to those who by the merest act of accepting,
left me behind to embrace my then vacant horizon. 
Never
partnered, at least not in deeds, my life has been
burdened as that of a single oxen forever locked in the trace chains of misery
with link upon link dragging ever deeper into the ruts of dismal continuity.
Forever
insulated from the warmth and vibrancy of life and
the tenderness of companionship and love
my footprints pace patterns with no other on the pathways of existence
Ending
Staggered step by staggered step
against the solid wall
of nothingness


© Copyright 2017 Marty Vandermolen

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Slipping into Sighs

Slip-sliding through
Shimmering sky
Faster then ever
Dared Peregrine fly
Far below wrinkled
Textured grounds lie
Dust clouds whorl up
Shuffling dirt dry
Seeing the vast broad
Course ground slide by
I can’t but wonder
And question why
The audacious spirit that
Drove early pioneer to try
Crossing that desolation
While so many did die
Has disappeared by generations
Finally lost in soft sigh


© Copyright 2016 Marty Vandermolen