AI images by Bernard Jarman                    Haiku by Ward Jarman

                                Moth

Overstretched yearning

clutching for stability

seeks distant fire.

                          Tension

Empty stomach gurgling

moves keen predator to prey.

 

Gnashing dash slashing.

Fleeing hope jumps to delay

the neck snapping fray.

                       Domestication

The butcher’s blade slays

the pug-faced, ugly, fat cow.

Antlered darlings saved.

            On the Corner of Frederick & Nunnery

Street child of eighty

juggled for his bouncing ball –

dog chewed but lively.

                                  Bliss

Wealth acquisition is a

poor goal for the soul to seek.

 

Money’s very weak

to reap tender affection

for joy’s ascension.

                            Living Paths of Intersection

Richard and Jean seem 

to me to be generous 

with gentle fondness 

 

to dare to behave forthwith 

to share their unassuming 

 

kindness to spread joy 

to destroy unseen war wounds 

from past days of gloom.

                            Awakenings

Sun-kissed, turning-Earth 

yearns to stretch from deep slumber 

to open blue skies 

 

and we, her playful children, 

rise strong with hopes for delights.

                              Choosing Your Future Now

You choose how to use

this money to amuse or

to save and accrue

 

more to store for future days

to drive away unforeseen

 

scenes that may threaten

your means to glean more cuisines

that delight your tongue.

                                  Ahimsa

Meat eaters, life defeaters,

reek of death that life might live

 

to give organic

existence strong persistence

to diversify.

                                                Choosing

I’m a meat eater destined

to be fashioned daily by

 

polarized strong drives

that can never be deprived 

of their roots to survive.

                                 Binary Orbs

Binary dead orbs dance

lifeless entranced by chance

 

circumstance to greet

gravity’s need to lock in

greed’s horrible needs.

                             Blind Deaf Mute Self

Sightless Winter Born

Whose dauntless ears hear no sound

Yawns in Sunrise Blaze.

 

Would that I could give you Red

or Orange of Fall’s fallen Green.

                         Creative Endeavors

Darkness wants soft warm kindness

to flow from energetic

 

dynamic, actions

from particle collisions

that transform newborns 

 

into charged elements meant

to be joined in bright light, rays

 

that will crave more chores

to sure up a more robust

diversity of

 

living entities to think

of ways to link opposites

 

into composites

of radiant harmonies.

From nothing — something !

                              Why Do Stars Burn ?

Poured paraffin scented

Formed towers

of would be flame.

 

I struck the match.

 

Radiant heat, light

descends the wick

We’ve lit.

 

New Moon veil,

layers of black lace,

disintegrated in flash fire.

 

You stayed.

 

In the warm tone glow

human skin, hair, gleaming eyes

dissolved into childhood wonder.

 

We joined.

 

Like flame and wick

with red hot core

We burn.

 

Do we descend to our end?

                                                                            Poems

 

A word

 

Maybe two

 

A collection

 

A few.

 

No music.

 

Just the round sound found to fall

from lips

poised to please

ears wanting to hear more

than the business chatter

of buy one get one free at half price.

 

Whole thoughts rolled and folded

like the gray haired Baker’s pastry dough.

(Formed delicacies carefully warmed into light delightful puffs ! )

 

Barren words

Like Winter’s sidewalk cement on bare feet,

Like jagged angular shards of hunger’s pain

resolved with water.

 

Cry out

Spirits wanting to be free.

Bleed pen

that others might see.

                                           The Randomness of Human Life

 

What we live with we learn.

What we learn we practice.

What we practice we become.

What we become has consequences.

 

Cognition is the ignition for change

to rearrange what we live with

which gives nuance to performance

of what we practice which changes the canvas

that paints the portrait we become.

 

Pain that strains the motion of lives

is the vibe that helps us survive

with nerves that serve to preserve

cautionary words that perturb

the peaceful homeostasis of life

in balance between pain and bliss.

 

It’s important not to miss

the mutual government

of cognition and emotion

that together cement

critical judgements of specifics

pertinent to situational ethics.