Devil

I met the devil in the parking lot,
he lurks in the most common spots.
Shaped like a man, possessing a black heart,
sneering, grabbing evil from carts.

Smiling, approaching, extending his hand,
he lured me into the quicksand.
Trapped, and realizing that I had been tricked,
panicking because I had been picked.

I did not succumb to his desires,
his eyes turned red like huge fires.
Sinking, sinking, I recited some prayers,
sand crept up layer by layer.

Dancing in delight, spreading wickedness,
sure I’d follow his waywardness.
Suddenly a white cloud wrapped around me,
a bright light flashed and I was free.

The devil vanished in black puffs of smoke…
heart racing, sweating, I awoke.
It took awhile to shake the bad feeling,
still praying, my head was reeling.

Mantra

Mantras of others
annoy and bother,
not settling well
with nothing to tell.

My heart must find one
that's cheerful and fun,
lifting my spirit,
loving to hear it.

Days passed, so did weeks.
I knew I should seek
a mantra for me,
but what could it be?

Then driving one day,
enjoying sun's rays,
it's all about love
was worth thinking of.

My mantra was mine,
it was the right time,
to sing from my soul,
it made me feel whole.

It's all about love,
It's all about love,
To repeat, repeat
It's all about love.

Dawn

The world is sleeping as well as the sun,
a couple of hours before it runs
across blackened sky trailed by colored streaks,
nature’s sunrise displayed for all to seek.

Sniffing aromas of perking coffee,
the black liquid opens eyes so puffy,
then creative juices begin to flow,
if writer’s block doesn’t deal its harsh blow.

Tranquility soothes in golden silence,
the writer and sun are in compliance,
simultaneously creating art,
until light illuminates and both part.

Culture Shock

Living in a foreign land,
strangeness barking its demands,
lost, lonely, feeling bereft,
confidence snatched, from a theft?

Different customs to learn,
weak, powerless to discern,
what to know, what to ignore,
must I now sit on the floor?

Questions and doubts crowd my mind,
answers are tricky to find;
tired and agitated,
life here is overrated.

Screaming I want to go home,
resounds from the villa's dome;
resolved to catch the next plane,
I feel I’m once again sane.

I Want

I want to live on a star
and bathe in silvery light.

I want to float on a cloud,
snuggling in fluffy white.

I want to capture sunrays
and bask in their warmth at night.

I want to bounce on the moon,
soaring to the highest height.

All of my wants will come true
when I close my eyes so tight

and dream.

Centuries Old Song

Resentment bubbles up,
spilling out of the cup,
a noxious gas scatters,
leaving paths in tatters.

Monstrous feelings emerge,
rancor, envy converge,
heart hardens like a stone,
strange – no longer your own.

Volcanic forces rage,
like tigers in a cage,
focused on escaping,
spectators are gaping.

In a destructive mode,
snubbing ethical codes,
a centuries old song,
a love story’s gone wrong.

New Start

I think I’m too serious,
I’d rather be curious,
learning new things every day,
seeking, exploring new ways.

A lighthearted view of things,
makes me want to dance and sing,
I want to shed my old skin,
forget old places I’ve been.

A new start should make me part,
from strings restricting my heart,
free to try and free to fail,
with wind guiding my boat’s sail.

Now I wonder aimlessly,
enjoying all shamelessly,
I taste the sweet and the sour,
and blossom like a flower.