J T Milford
The World You Have Given Us Called LifeA long stillness
The sun rises to another great day of joy war laughter and murder then a brief shower of happiness disease and dread Since we all receive sunshine and rain alike is not all this as it should be? Dark atrocities gentle kindness An apprehensive silence What's going on? There are cars insects Internet galaxies trees people guns’ sickness waterfalls bombs flowers Yet in our often bewilderment is there really something beyond a feeling of foreboding? A certain stillness The children of Terezin who never saw another butterfly saw a reality that prepared them in this life and for their tragic leaving Can you hear their singing? But suppose There is a coexisting radiant reality that we may not always recognize whose words we can feel when hearing the children’s star streaked voices for those voices may somehow free us from our pervasive anxiety? Today look The sunlight is reflecting off a coursing rain fed stream This GiftEarly morning
A windblown spring sun sparkles my neighbor's wild cherry tree silver, gold. Awed by the unusual light I pause. Moments later the tree and the sun change positions causing the view to forever disappear from our time and space. How fortunate to be given this gift of transient beauty. A brief flowering of elegance beyond my ordinary life. Early FallThe decision has arrived
A leaf begins to fall After a season of work and art Through a circular path of cold air Sometimes attracting light Other times shade but always down How green the long summer days After an early expansive arrival Now this once and only time has ended The leaf blows over the countryside Blowing where it blows Becoming the earth Out on the Bay
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May the flowers
of your soul open to receive the gift of morning light That gives life to everything the sky lapis blue and the forever light of you Poet's note: I wrote this poem to celebrate Jo Balistreri, her poetry and her help and support given me over the years we have been e-mail friends. Many of my poems would not have come to fruition without her insightful comments and suggestions. Reading her books and selected poems she sent to me has shown what emotion she brings to her beautiful poetry. Blue Jays “Once you have been there,
you’re there forever” ~Mary Oliver Have you ever heard the sound of Blue Jays just before a spring thunderstorm? their loud raucous cawing tells me a storm is near falling pressure and the far off sound of a train whistle confirms the the impending rain a low distant whistle that signals be careful something is coming In this May moment from another time the day stands still, yet time does not I am in the first grade classroom looking out the big windows an instant, though it happened over seventy years ago and the Jays have long been sleeping their remains reclaimed by the earth this sound and image come in least expected times and as always, I am there The Garden Party |
There is something about spring that says fleeting?
Yet again dazzling spring is everywhere
With the return of shimmering light
The chairs are white umbrellas green
Mandeville red white and pink
All veiled in early green
Hibiscus and roses are impatient to
To show their subdued night colors
The patio lights a mysterious gathering
Of distant stars a party of floating dreams
We are all outdoors drinking Sauvignon Blanc
Under a rising moon that brings
A diffused stream of milky liquid light
With soft conversations about today tomorrow
The girl with green lips and Manuel De Falla
Here we are a fleeting party of friends
Suddenly Barb says
How beautiful the rising moon
On this early spring night
A night that captures us with its dark luminosity
That will always keep our hearts close
Yet again dazzling spring is everywhere
With the return of shimmering light
The chairs are white umbrellas green
Mandeville red white and pink
All veiled in early green
Hibiscus and roses are impatient to
To show their subdued night colors
The patio lights a mysterious gathering
Of distant stars a party of floating dreams
We are all outdoors drinking Sauvignon Blanc
Under a rising moon that brings
A diffused stream of milky liquid light
With soft conversations about today tomorrow
The girl with green lips and Manuel De Falla
Here we are a fleeting party of friends
Suddenly Barb says
How beautiful the rising moon
On this early spring night
A night that captures us with its dark luminosity
That will always keep our hearts close
Touching
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While out walking after my winter storms have finally begun to subside A blue and yellow flower quietly touches my sight With soft petaled feeling offered and I not yet understanding return her gaze In some mysterious way I knew then that my summer would again bloom As will fields of red yellow pink and lavender in blazing sunlight As the days slowly grow the petals leave that in an early time somewhere We may again touch as wild ones always do |
This Moment
It was noon and as I walked through
the door home from work
the sweet smell of cape jasmine
followed me inside
Outside everything was bright with bloom
crepe myrtle, roses and hibiscus
for time was near the solstice
The light was ablaze not like
the July white hot glare
but a more serene light
On the radio an orchestra was playing
bright summer music in ¾ time
Today at noon as from nowhere
a play of light and flowers brings back
this forgotten moment from another era
For what is unseen and long out of touch
now suddenly presents itself to me
I wonder why this scene
returned so late in my life?
For soon it will be night and if possible
I will fly out beyond the deep stars
to explore a place not remembered
and will bring with me this moment
from the earth’s library of flowers,
music and light as my connection
the door home from work
the sweet smell of cape jasmine
followed me inside
Outside everything was bright with bloom
crepe myrtle, roses and hibiscus
for time was near the solstice
The light was ablaze not like
the July white hot glare
but a more serene light
On the radio an orchestra was playing
bright summer music in ¾ time
Today at noon as from nowhere
a play of light and flowers brings back
this forgotten moment from another era
For what is unseen and long out of touch
now suddenly presents itself to me
I wonder why this scene
returned so late in my life?
For soon it will be night and if possible
I will fly out beyond the deep stars
to explore a place not remembered
and will bring with me this moment
from the earth’s library of flowers,
music and light as my connection
Dream Pond
Sitting on the marshy bank
with maiden cane and hyacinths
I watch a yellow leaf float
in aimless circles
of stillness,
a summer-like stillness
feel a sudden wind
that moves ripples
across the water
near a willow,
a brown-green willow
and without apparent cause, it stops
As I gaze across the pond
I am overtaken by a dream
that the marsh pond is still
when death is near
with feelings of lost joy
and loneliness
a wild sort of reverie
with cormorants, marsh marigold
and dark woods
the dream star
that sits in the eye of the pond's light
signals the possibility
of an early lament
certain darkness
a tunnel of light
Now the failing light awakens me,
as darkness slowly falls upon the marsh pond
in a sudden sweep of wind
the willow surrenders its leaves
down to the earth, a sad weeping earth
and without apparent cause, it stops
with maiden cane and hyacinths
I watch a yellow leaf float
in aimless circles
of stillness,
a summer-like stillness
feel a sudden wind
that moves ripples
across the water
near a willow,
a brown-green willow
and without apparent cause, it stops
As I gaze across the pond
I am overtaken by a dream
that the marsh pond is still
when death is near
with feelings of lost joy
and loneliness
a wild sort of reverie
with cormorants, marsh marigold
and dark woods
the dream star
that sits in the eye of the pond's light
signals the possibility
of an early lament
certain darkness
a tunnel of light
Now the failing light awakens me,
as darkness slowly falls upon the marsh pond
in a sudden sweep of wind
the willow surrenders its leaves
down to the earth, a sad weeping earth
and without apparent cause, it stops
A Yellow Bush
In a time of loneliness and regrets
the dreary descending darkness
on this rainy afternoon
presses down my fragile life
It seems light once gone will never
again return leaving only extended night
Yet out beyond the house stands a yellow bush
catching the solitary moments of last glow
on this time without time when the sun's
zenith is in the Tropic of Capricorn
As I watch the last fading afterglow
it seems that for a brief time my life
on this spinning planet is free with
no desires anticipations or possessions
Life illuminated by cascading sparks
of deep stars descending
from an infinite peace
In this still time my gaze moves
to a place without boundaries
For this once I can see out beyond
the far distant horizon to pure space
the dreary descending darkness
on this rainy afternoon
presses down my fragile life
It seems light once gone will never
again return leaving only extended night
Yet out beyond the house stands a yellow bush
catching the solitary moments of last glow
on this time without time when the sun's
zenith is in the Tropic of Capricorn
As I watch the last fading afterglow
it seems that for a brief time my life
on this spinning planet is free with
no desires anticipations or possessions
Life illuminated by cascading sparks
of deep stars descending
from an infinite peace
In this still time my gaze moves
to a place without boundaries
For this once I can see out beyond
the far distant horizon to pure space
Sea Stars
Today the surf appears
as it has all week long
like flashing fishes
starred scaled and
edged with silver
as the low running sun
reflects the sparkling
Gulf waters on to the beach
Every day from the sand dunes
I see this play of sea light and surf
and slowly my whole being
is flooded with a numinous kinship
with this other part of our world
that changes my life in ways
I cannot yet understand
For this daily illumination exposed long
submerged feelings that have always
been hidden deep below
as it has all week long
like flashing fishes
starred scaled and
edged with silver
as the low running sun
reflects the sparkling
Gulf waters on to the beach
Every day from the sand dunes
I see this play of sea light and surf
and slowly my whole being
is flooded with a numinous kinship
with this other part of our world
that changes my life in ways
I cannot yet understand
For this daily illumination exposed long
submerged feelings that have always
been hidden deep below
A Sudden Joy
A sudden joy appears
like a low running sea swell
that completely engulfs me
The catalyst a momentary glint of bright sun
reflected through morning pine needles
All movement is stilled -- and for a time
I am blinded by this solitary bliss
and carried away to an enchanted
place without moments
Then, as before, elapsed time begins
I again move within the ordinary
This sudden joy disappears as it came
leaving me unaccountably sad
like a low running sea swell
that completely engulfs me
The catalyst a momentary glint of bright sun
reflected through morning pine needles
All movement is stilled -- and for a time
I am blinded by this solitary bliss
and carried away to an enchanted
place without moments
Then, as before, elapsed time begins
I again move within the ordinary
This sudden joy disappears as it came
leaving me unaccountably sad