(poem) - Moving Beyond Death Around Us

Death doesn’t affect me
As is does so many others
People pass from this life
Tender goodbye’s from Grandmothers

I tend to morn more
When people chose to go away
Life has it’s end
Death will have its day

Many leave this existence
Shrouded in clouds of pain
It is a blessing to see them pass
For there is nothing left for them to gain

The only true sadness
Should come from tragedy
For those are unexpected
And will be missed greatly

But even then
We continue through this life
They wouldn’t want us to bog down
With an excess of strife

I’ve had people leave me
That were close indeed
And I have been effected
By grief’s own creed

But it didn’t slow me down
Because life is still amazing
Even without them here
Without their life’s rays

I’ve seen death come
And I’ve seen death go
But I know that I’m still here
To enjoy life’s disco

It’s a lesson we all must learn
To get past all the grief
Because there is more to life
Than wallowing on death’s reef.

We don’t know what is beyond
We don’t know what comes next
But I know that life has rewards
That have amazing context

Grief is a powerful thing
But don’t let it get you down
Those that have passed
Do not want you to frown

When I shed
This mortal coil
And find death
At my very own door

I want people to remember
This very simple thing
That Life is fragile
And you should ALWAYS sing

Because grief always ends
As does waves upon the sand
Life shall go endlessly on without us
As it goes on, without them.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - The Amazing One

She calls me the amazing one
And I do not know why
She is the amazing one
To my discerning eye

She’s taken my life
And given it meaning
Turned it around
From that fateful online meeting

My life was changed
That very day
I saw her picture
And I fell for that display

She answered my reply
Starting the romance
That led to our marriage
And our current dance

She wakes up next to me
Every single day
Greeting me with a kiss
I cherish in every way

She gives me the freedom
To pursue my passions
Writing and Photography
Including snuggling sessions

I get to cook anything I want
And try out new recipes
For you never know what I’ll whip up next
That will change our dieting.

The woman is a beauty
To simply sit back and behold
I could simply watch her breath
If the truth be told

I stare into her eyes
For lengths at a time
And get lost again and again
Hearing the angels chime

I could build her up
And put her on a pedestal
But she belongs by my side
Marring her is nothing more than a sequel

To the romance that started
Not so long ago
For we are completely locked
Within passions throws

She caused all this
Because she replied to my hello
She is the amazing one
That is what I know.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - Exercise Push

There’s nothing like
Going on a diet
Knowing that you can’t eat food
Even if you see it.

The thought of
Not packing away the food
Is a strange one
Putting people in a sour mood

But the fact is
I’m not active enough
To get rid of
All my ‘fluff’

The fact of the matter is
I’m getting more and more out of shape
And upon the horizon
I can see my wedding date

My goal is to be healthy
I know I haven’t been recently
My stamina has dropped down
Quite drastically

So what am I to do
But diet and exorcize?
I know I don’t want to go up
In my current pants size

One thing about writing
It takes a toll on the body
For you remain at rest
A big softy

But the biggest thing to realize
Is I’m the man of the house
So I must be ready
To Move boxes and fend off a mouse

Luckily at this time
I can walk quite a ways
Because exercise is my friend
At least that’s what I say these days....

Which is a motto
I shall continue
Because I must
Attempt to rescue

My body and my soul
Need me more than ever
Because being unhealthy
May very well sever

My bonds to this mortal coil
And I tell you this with all earnest
I have reason to live
My life to the fullest

So healthy I shall be
For the sake of others beyond me
I will forgo being flabby
And do my best to be healthy.

Because my life
Is not my own anymore
It belongs to my wife
Because it is she that I so completely adore.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - Looking Forward to Marriage

The wedding is coming
The date is finally set
I cannot wait
For marriage’s onset

I’ve waited a lifetime
For her to come around
A year before I found her
Towards her, was I bound.

Life and circumstances
Break upon the shore
Reminding us that only Fate’s hand
Can open the door

Yet we must walk through it
And be as bold as we can
To see what there is to see
Of what could be the promised land

I know that I for one
Am looking forward to my life
Because since I met her
Its been more free of strife

Speed bumps
Will always be there
But what I am capable of
Cannot compare

To anything life throws
Because its not throwing at me
Its throwing at us
Because I am part of a We

And We are stronger
Than I have ever been
Because we work together
Towards whatever end.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - Stats Hide The Joy of Blogging

Stats stats
Its all about the stats
It makes me so mad
That I just spat

Why can’t it be
Just about writing?
Putting out content
That is simply inviting?

It seems there is
Some kind of statistic
Behind everything in life
Including a simple lyric

So how does one
Tune it all out
Blog about whatever
And not scream and shout?

I’ve been amazed at how many
Analytics there are
And how SEO
Is what everyone should strive for

Getting viewers to come
Is such a heroic deed
That it makes one wonder
How DO good bloggers get paid?

In the end
You can’t think about that
You have to write for the joy
Not for the feather in the hat

Getting paid would be nice
But the true joy of writing
Is simply creation itself
Of dreams igniting

And burning bright
Out on the internet
For anyone to come by
And leave a comment.

Blogging is a joy
That can be an occupation
Its too much fun
Enjoying this creation

So only glance at the stats
Don’t watch them like a hawk
Keep your eye on the prize
And don’t listen to the talk

Just write for the fun of it
And if you get paid
Then it will be a joy
As joyous as getting laid

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - The New Year Ahead

The holidays
Have come and gone
Leaving us
With their memorable songs

They are stuck in the mind
Repeating again and again
Like some
Horrendously memorable sin

But with their leaving
We can now see
A new year before us
A brand new journey

Time marches ever onward
Leading towards whatever end
But I know this year
I shall not bend

This year
Threatens to be
The happiest
In memory

I will get married
I will have a wife
Who will share with me
This amazing life

Hand in hand
We will face the stretch of time
And I will try to make
Every line rhyme.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - Doomsday

Well....
Looks like we survived
Yet another
Doomsday contrived

Hard to believe
That it is so
But the world is still turning
Just as it did ages ago

Human life continues
For better or for worse
At least until we have
Another doomsday to traverse

I wonder what
The next crackpot will dream up
To make all the doomsday preppers
Find reasons to bottle water up

The specific dates
Are fun to watch
Because as they pass
We laugh at someone’s botch

Either way
I’m glad to be alive
And knowing each day
I will continue to strive

To be the best I can
And enjoy life for what its worth
Because maybe one day
Someone will be right about the end of the earth

But that day
Is not today
So its time to give thanks
And truly pray

Look at your life
And be thankful for what you have
Ridicule the people later
Take this moment as a salve

Heal your wounds
And prepare your life
Know that it continues
With all of it’s strife

So take this moment
And look around
You are here today
Safe and sound

Breath in deep
Just one time
Taste the air
And enjoy the rhyme

For today could be your last
Remember that, and hold it close
Live your life happy
Enjoying it to the most

Because it doesn’t take
A nasty prediction
To end your life
Without predilection

The memes have already begun
So smile away
For today was not
Doomsday.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - How My Day Starts

There’s nothing quite like
Waking up every day
Going to the computer
And blogging away

If only that was
All that it entailed
There’s so many other things
That get me derailed

Socializing and commenting
Reading other blogs
You have to do these things
To power your cogs

Discussions and talks
Everyone has many names
These are all forums
No matter the claims

And here I sit
Making friends from everywhere
When writing like crazy
Is what I hold most dear

I suppose its good
Being all for the best
It takes an audience reading
For ideas to digest

My life has a new crazy
The creation has sparked anew
I cannot understand
How I deserve you

I write and I write
And its all just for fun
Yet readers come back
Again and again

I’m humbled and excited
A duality of pleasure
And I will continue to write my best
For every measure

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) Sins of the Past

Is all the pain
That I have felt
Equal to or more
Than the pain I have dealt?

Surely it is less
But who can honestly tell
That we take
More than we give hell?

Its been an amazing life
To be sure
I just pray
There is no more pain to endure.

Luckily
The loneliness is gone
Replaced with a wife
And her teenage fawn

The past is behind me
The future is so bright
How did my life
Suddenly turn out right?

Did I pay
For the sins of old
I swear that I have paid
The sum total of threefold

I guess I shall see
As time goes forever on
If it was enough
For me to have a happy dawn

That will spread
Throughout the noon of my life
And continue through
The afternoon with my wife

So we can
Grow old together
And never worry
About nary a blunder

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - What If? I run out of ideas....

The other day
A friend of mine mused
What if I were
To run out of topics to be used.

I smiled and laughed
And said no worries
Then got to thinking
If I am truly that hungry

To write an article
Almost every day
Seems an impossible task
In every way

There are only
So many ideas
Maybe I will
Suffer from a lack of choices

I wonder what will happen
If my well ever runs dry
Will I turn my back
And try not to cry?

I’m sure that somedays
There will be lack of inspiration
But what if I run out
Will I have a coniption?

I’m on pace to write
Over three hundred posts
In a single year
Am I being too ambitious?

Should I slow down
Or should the train keep rolling?
Is this fear valid
Or do I need consoling?

Only time will tell
If I can keep this up
What will I find next
In inspirations beat up cup?

I know I don’t show signs
Of slowing down soon
Because I’m enjoying
Making my wife swoon

The poetry I write for her
Is simply a joy to construct
And the controversies I publish
Are enjoyed, to my luck

At least I know
My schedule is way far out
As I write this
I have to laugh outloud

At least a month will pass
Before this is read
And another month of posts
Have I already bled.

So worry not
Because I do decree
If I start to stop
I will warn all of thee

Because I care about my readers
And they seem to care for me
So I will not just fade
Into obscurity

I will write and write
And write some more
Because writing for you
Is something I adore.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) Sanity in an Evil World

Even as I dream,
I wake up crying
Knowing that the world,
Is outside dying.

Someone is out there
Being lied to by a dove
Someone else is getting hit
by someone they love

This world is an evil
Masochistic place
Where evil parades around
With a sadistic face

I long to scream
And make it better
Yet noone raises a hand
Or writes a letter

I can’t believe
How scary life truly is
When it all seems to fly by
Without much flavor or fizz.

How can I stand up tall
And enjoy all of this life
When everyone else
Seems to struggle with the strife?

The answer is simple
Yet completely sad
My life is my own
And not to make you mad

But what others do
Does not concern me a bit
For everyone else in the world
Seems to be throwing a fit

I’ll lie in my hammock
And sway in the breeze
While reading my Kindle
Enjoying a book about zombies

And all you silly people
Can keep on fighting for your fictions
While I enjoy my own life
Oh, did I mention?

That I’m in love
With my wonderful wife
And completely enjoying
This crazy life

Maybe you should stop
Flaming out in the night
Embrace your neighbor
And help them with their plight

For humanity is doomed
By humanity’s own hand
For we strive and struggle
To battle over simple land

All you do is
You fight and kill
And you want me to believe
Its not just for the thrill?

None of your Saviors
Would be proud of the way
You wake up in the morning
And do nothing but plot and slay

God gave us this life
To completely enjoy
But you waste it away
To shamefully destroy.

So just stay away
From my life and lease
Because you’ll find nothing here
But wonderful peace.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem - Deeya) - Howl in the Night

For those of you who are reading, or have read Running With Wolves, the third chapter in the Ballad of the Emerald Bard Saga, you know that Aloucia of the Fae, and El'Mindeeya Do'Katal have a 'history' that's alluded to.  The following poem is a song Deeya wrote for Aloucia while they were together, way back when they were first exploring a romance together.  So please enjoy this glimpse into the beginning of their doomed relationship, long before Deeya realized that Aloucia was a being that belonged in the wild, that could never have any form of leash around her neck....

--

(poem) - Fear of the Storm

Nothing like a good storm
To wash everything away
All the bad, all the good
All will be okay

Just as long
As lightning doesn’t hit
Something important
Like a power outlet

There’s nothing quite as sad
As the computers fateful, “POP!”
To make you know
That you are full in the dark

Its happened to me
Far too many times
I often dread seeing my home
In the weather alert’s lines.

Rain might wash it all away
But the electricity is something to be feared
For you never know
What destruction will be reared

Hopefully the storm
Will pass on by
Without leaving much
To clean up with a sigh

Rain nourishes
As it falls upon
Just wish it didn’t come
With all those extra electrons

Sounds like the rain
Is letting up
So it is time
For me to go sup

So I say,
“Let the rain fall upon my head
And pass me quickly by
Not fulfilling my utmost dread.”

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - A short but sweet dedication

I remember a time
When I wasn’t blind
Where life and death
Were not of the same breath

And chocolate tasted
Like life that was bested
And wine it did flow
As the wind did below




Yet now I sit
Blinded by love’s wit
Enjoying life
With an unprecedented wife

Sipping wine from a glass
Eating chocolate in mass
Trying to remember
A time much happier

Yet I simply cannot
For I am simply besot
With a wife who is so fair
And a love that cannot compare

This is my life now
And this is my new vow
We will reap the love that we have sewn
And enjoy the pleasures we have never known

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

(poem) - The End of the World

I swear I will stay with you

As our love is unfurled

Even if we stand

At the end of the world

The sun will set

On another dying day

And I sleep soundly knowing

I loved you in every way

I slip into the dream

And you are waiting for me there

I cannot escape you

For you are everywhere

You smile at me

While I sleep in your arms all curled

Because you know I’ll be there

At the end of the world.

We wake together

Witnessing the sun rise

We know today holds

Absolutely no goodbyes

And as the day goes on

We enjoy it all the more

Because it is each other

Whom we most adore

Around the sun

The clouds have swirled

Shading us together waiting

At the end of the world.

The world may end tomorrow

Yet it may end this day

I know that you will always

Give thanks and pray

For all that we have

And all that we do

Because our most publisised phrase

Is, “Baby, I love you.”

And yet the Earth continues on

Spinning and whirled

And nothing between us changes

Even, at the end of the world.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

((as always, my photography is taken by me, copyright be me, so please do not use without permission))

An essay on poetry

Once upon a time, I was scared of poetry.  I thought it was silly, and that there was no true way to get a clear and consistent thought across using such a format.  Rhyme and structure, beats and verse....  Its all very daunting.

Then I tried it.  Its very easy to get swept up in a poem, and get side tracked.  One of the hardest things is to just go back and read it, and see if the flow works well.  Also tough to stay away from, what I call, the cheater rhymes.  The best example is The Tyger, by William Blake:

What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

(poem - Deeya) - Encroaching Darkness

For those of you following Ballad of the Emerald Bard: Buried Secrets, you know that Deeya has had a trap sprung upon her, and she's in a very dark place.  So, I went in and pulled out an old Deeya poem that reflects what she's going through, not knowing if she's going to pull though, yet having to pick yourself up and keep trudging along.  I hope you enjoy Encroaching Darkness, a poem that Deeya has performed 'live,' at one of her venues.

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(poem) - Autumn's Thrall

Fall has struck
With a resounding bell
And oh....
How it doth make my heart swell

The cold of the day
The chill of the night
The trees turning color
Is Autumn’s delight



Every summer I long to feel
The cold tendrils in my hair
Or sharing body heat
Deep within our lair

There is no doubt
This is my favorite time
For I have wrote about it
Line after line

I never get tired of
The darkened grey skies
No matter how depressing
To not actually see the sun rise



All Hallows Eve
Is just around the corner
Full of spirits and ghouls
Which makes me ponder

On life’s great existence
On all life’s fun
I want to jump in a pile of dried leaves
After a short run

The smell of decay
Lingers in the air
But it is an aromatic scent
A potpourri fanfare

Yet the worst will come
Winter at its best
Eventual it will creep in
This I can attest

So enjoy Autumn
While you can
For before long
It will be Christmas yet again



And people will be filled
With Greed and Kindness
And all the stores
Will become pockets of stress

But that is far away
For now it is Fall
And I will enjoy this season
For I am Autumn’s thrall.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!

Where poetry comes from.

I was very good at creating from misery.  The loneliness of life in an empty house I was about to lose to foreclosure will do that, I suppose.  I always knew/believed that I would be better at creating while I was happy.

Indeed that assertion seems the case, but I find it hard to write those haunting poems I did before.  "The tortured soul always bleeds better on paper," as the saying should go.  Now all my poems are too mushy really share.  Even the erotic ones kind of lose their bite because the way they come off as all nice and stuff.

(poem) What I see in her eyes.

There’s something about her eyes
That makes my soul fly
The way she looks at me
Makes me feel wonderfully

Her laugh is what I live to hear
It makes sure I am always near
Jokes come out all the time
They add the spice like thyme

And though spice is not needed
It makes our love life more honeyed
And oh how she loves her honey
For which she’d commit larceny

I still can’t believe I found her
And she took me from my winter
Bringing me into the sun
Of love so intensely one on one

I’m glad our nights are long
For that helps our love go strong
As the trust flows freely
I find myself thinking humbly

About my life and about my past
And how it all moved by so fast
And brought me to this slice of heaven
After a life of love’s famine

Now being treated to such a feast
I stare off to the East
Watching the sun rise on this wonderful chapter
Hoping it will not move any swifter

Because I want to enjoy this moment
Feeling my hearts every movement
As it beats just for my wife
And the outlook is so good for our life.

She saved me and brought me to this
For that she deserves my every kiss
For my love is hers till the end of time
And beyond, so goes the rhyme.

--Dan

--Want more Poetry?  Check out my Poetry Collection Page!