Saturday, May 12, 2012

for my wife on her first mother's day

a house that needs cleaning
a little boy crying
dirty dishes in the sink
these are the things that betray
the truth of the situation
the magic and the mystery
the mandate laid down before time itself

that our two lives should intertwine
that we would know love
by knowing each other
struggling with and against

at war while making peace
creating life while dying for a break
thank you for all you do
for our son
for our home
for our lives
but most of all
thank you for the fulfillment of a promise
made before time began
that we would find each other
that you would help shape the man i am
and by knowing you
i would know all that is good
d.s.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

who we are



we walk on a coalesced piece of the universe
we bathe in the light of nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms
we are all things pulled apart
then assembled together in new ways
we are alive as asteroids, rocks, and dust are alive
we are made of the same substance
we are eternal and infinite as space itself
when the first light broke and filled the void we were there
only in a different form
when the last flame is extinguished
we will be there, in our final form
from beginning to end we have observed it all
all of our questions answered
save one
d.s.

Friday, March 16, 2012

why i believe we live forever

the inspiration of a song
the faith of a child
the shade of a tree
the call of the stars
the warmth of an embrace
a lazy afternoon
a good book
great works of art
finger paintings
smiles
hope

then it hit me

i dreamt we were standing in the light
we had conquered fear and banished night
and all our dreams were taking flight
then it hit me
i was naked, cold, and all alone
the hearts of gold were cold as stone
and these, the only friends i’d known
then it hit me
life is only made of dreams
nothing is ever as it seems
and all our longing, silent screams
then it hit me
hope is a prayer prayed in vain
we pull and tug against this chain
and for our efforts, only pain
then it hit me
i've felt a warmth out in the cold
a friendly voice, a hand to hold
like a spirit from the days of old
then it hit me
i wandered through the open doors
an azure ceiling with garden floors
to my surprise, that hand was yours
then it hit me
if your troubles become mine
we can banish night, make it shine
and all our longings will be divine
then it hit me

d.s.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

the lubbers maroon! (we’ll give ye no quarter)


oh mutinous and crew,
with rapier and scimitar
do prick the hearts of brothers.
above the tumult i hear the cries
“swab the deck in blood you dogs!”
while our ship aflame
does circle drain
inverted cannons light.
draw out ribbons red,
with blunderbuss do blow
a murderous tune
played on trumpets of death.
let their report be heard
“peace is nigh”
while dove is trampled under foot.
“let god’s will be done”
ye sing in song
loaded to the gunwales
with the grog of the poor,
“we have had our fill of their booty.”
oh derelict home,
she is starboard listing
heave ho our cargo of dogma.
d.s.

black hole


i am drawn to you
try to pass you by
but i am bending
to your will
slipping
now falling
point of no return
all of you
crushing me
until i am one
with all you have absorbed
singularity
d.s.

the crew


sail in alloy ships of silver
upon the endless black
ocean of infinity
that stretches on forever more
where entire worlds spin
and twirl about endlessly
entire horizons beheld
in a single view
for we are the
captain
and the crew
and we long for ships
to cross the waters
and the cosmic waves
incessantly call to us
“come home”
d.s.

heavens


i am overwhelmed
with peace
when i gaze up at
this cosmos
born of tumult
and violence.
who knows,
perhaps this
is our mission in life
to find love
amid our chaos
to refine our spirits
in the fires of life
d.s.

human, rise above


rise above, be more
than just an african
be a human
rise above, be more
than just an asian
be a human
rise above, be more
than just a european
be a human
rise above, be more
than just an american
be a human
rise above, be more
than just a christian
be a human
rise above, be more
than just a muslim
be a human
rise above, be more
than just a hindu
be a human
rise above, be more
than just an atheist
be a human
rise above religion
and beliefs
and borders
and flags
and status
and anything that hinders
unconditional love
stand human, rise above
d.s.

master of fire


i have looked into these flames
a million times
watched them dance and swirl
releasing the spirit of the wood
the embers burn down low
waves of orange bending and swirling
in rhythm with my mind
countless bodies have I shed
lives lived and died
on a plain in Africa
snowy Asian mountains
European meadow
by the salty ocean
high on a bluff
and yet the fire remains
and i sit and watch it dance
as i have a million times
contemplating existence
consciousness
and the eternity of the soul
d.s.

consider war


have we considered the fact
that it may be a sin to
fund bombers for killing
people on the other side of the world
when we have children
who go to bed hungry
without medical care
or a chance to learn?
perhaps if our money
went to healing
and not killing
we would surely not be
in so much debt
as we are now.
for great is the debt we owe
to the souls of those who have
died in need within our own borders
while our killing machines
did their best abroad.
it is no sin to protect
those we love
or to defend the borders
of the land that sustains us.
but it is certainly a tragedy
to let our neighbor starve
so that we may kill
those who live abroad
because they do not share
our wholesome ideals.
d.s.

stored potential


humanity
we have the power
to break the bonds
of gravity
and depravity
to soar among the stars
to thrive in places
we could never survive
to love
when it is beyond reason
to dream
we have this power
this potential
stored within us
release yourself
be bound no longer
let us not be beasts
of the earth
but children of the stars
born upon wings of faith
high and higher
d.s.

people i look up to


gentle as a whisper
solid as the earth
faith that never was blind
push against the currents
hold back the angry sea
love for people
love for nature
love for learning
never ceasing
stories to tell
till stories are no longer told
d.s.

welcome spring


welcome to the fluffy yellow lion’s mane of the dandelion
welcome to the lively purple deadnettle
welcome to the henbit and the vast carpets of chickweed
welcome to the green fig leaves in the backyard
welcome to the rain that announces it’s entrance with a clap of thunder
welcome to the open door that lets the breeze stop by for a visit
welcome to refreshing
welcome to old things made new
we welcome you as the birds sing
welcome spring
d.s.

for a few


cut funding for nasa
so that we may explore the stars
in spaceships with advertisements
do not explore
for the glory or the advancement
of all people
instead make a profit
for a few
plant the flag of a corporation
on some foreign world
replace our ladder to the stars
with the corporate ladder
reach up and pull yourself there
with a fist full of cash
and plenty of selfish ambition
exploration for the sake of learning
is for imbeciles
there is money to be made!
tourists to transport
asteroids to be mined
astral dumping grounds
for nuclear waste
do not waste the people’s taxes
on something so trivial
as the vast expanse of the universe
we have wars to fund after all
d.s.

gravity


displacement of space
draws us together
alone is a tragedy
listless in the void
but we are not alone
slowly we drift toward each other
reaching out with unseen hands
to hold to what is dear
for all that we have is each other
an attraction that defies reason
a need that simply is
though we are apart
we will fall toward each other
in the end
d.s.

the saurus


the odious creature stalked the anhydrous, effete plains
but this was not a commonplace bipedal creature
no, this beast was a vile denizen of the ignominious depths
conjured from beyond the diaphanous veil
that separates this world from the next
with elongated claws and execrable protruding cuspids
he ravaged the bucolic country side
and everywhere the iniquitous creature wandered
the people bewailed in consternation
“the saurus!”
d.s.

to be a tree

i think that i would like to be a tree
for a while
to grow unchallenged in a forest
to sink my feet deep into the fertile earth
to raise my hands in praise to the sky
for a hundred years i would stand motionless
swaying to the rhythms of the earth
and when my leaves fall for the final time
i will stand as a silent effigy to myself
as my peers look on
and remember the fine tree i was
yet they will not weep for me
nor would i desire them to
for one day a strong wind will come
my carcass will be toppled to the ground
and it will be a home for worms and beetles
friends one and all
i will slowly melt into the forest floor
and in that place will sprout
a fine young tree

ponderance


a thin, sticky web of reason
stretched across my mind
to capture and to entertain
i will be your host for a while
i will wrap you in ponderance
while turning you over and over
all your sides revealed
and should i choose,
i will feed upon you
and you will become
a small part of me
and when my web is torn down
when the silver cord is broken
we will drift upon the breeze together
and know not where we shall land
d.s.

drifter


dance
as i have danced
upon the void
upon the black
drift
as i have drifted
ages uncounted
see
as i have seen
from the beginning
to the end
then you will understand
my joy
my torment
my longing
i am shattered
shattered but not broken
never broken
for i have a will
freely given
free i wander
lifetime to lifetime
age to age
restless
searching
d.s.

let there be


light waves bend and twist and turn
radiating
ebb and flow of radiation
frequencies
vibrations
pulsing energy
woven around an ethereal frame
create the physical from nothing
all is made of light and love
d.s.

peace of winter


silence falls with the snow
as if the earth is waiting
breath held
to hear what will come next
waiting for the first trumpet call of spring
no call today
today the world is quiet
peace
peace for the day
for night has faded away
the stars have stretched and yawned
extinguished their candles
one by one
they slumber
the sun climbs
higher and higher
into the sky
searching for travelers upon the road
the empty open road
curled comfortably
under a blanket of white
today the earth will rest
and night will come
as quickly as it left
and the world will wait
patiently
as the naked trees
stand in silent guard
waiting
for the ambitions of creation to thaw
d.s.

open road


scoop me up
a child
in the arms of joy
a pilgrim lost
an adventurer
I have wandered far
too far
a simple dream of home
i do not remember you
only a memory of
a memory
is left
a feeling
a longing
did i leave
or was i sent
surely i was sent
though i admit
i loved the road
even now
i love the road
but i am lonely
as travelers are sure to be
d.s.

wild onions


a buried treasure
green marks the spot
though the grass
is dead
brown with sadness
weeping and wishing
for the warmer days
of summer
but you are not like them
you do not lose hope
boldly your emerald stalks
shine as a beacon
defiance
year after year
season after season
your stubborn soul
has boldly flavored your heart
millions pass you by
kings in plastic chariots
riding to market
to purchase your inferior
and twisted cousin
fattened by those with fat wallets
but i choose you
for you are wild
and free
and also free
and your flavor
burns with passion
the passion of freedom and defiance
d.s.

reach


dream with your eyes open
do not waste your dreams
to slumber
sleeping in the land of living
and living in the land of slumber
release the inner power
of your mind
do not hold within
what should live without
though we may reach the stars
in our dreams
we will not reach the stars
unless we give our dreams
flight
fly to the stars
not in slumber
but wide awake
for this is the power
that God has given us
it is wise to be content with what you have
but only a fool does not reach for something greater
d.s.

defiance


love is the miracle
that broke the cold empty
sadness of non-existence
let there be light
let there be love
let hope shine like a beacon
a vast expanse
an empty ocean
a buoy bobbing in the distance
something to cling to
hold on to to life
though the empty waters
wash over
live in defiance
love in defiance
defying the
sadness of non-existence
d.s.

waking in a tent


the golden mist of morning
marches against the
melancholy solitude
awaken
sparkle shine
against these canvas walls
walls erected in bold
defiance of nature
fall over my cloth castle
let the heat of your great siege engine
make my fortress most unpleasant
warm
i will not be moved
these walls
will not be moved
(except by a slight breeze)
shake my fist at the morning
hide myself from the light
slither deeper into my cocoon
darkness found within
drifting back
welcome land of dreams
but curse you bladder
for you have betrayed me
d.s.

sow


open up and receive the wealth of nature
live like a king in a garden
sowing goodness and watering the spirit
walk like a god among the trees
learning and knowledge is yours
an animal may see the stars
but only you will wonder
wander far and wide
discover all that nature will reveal
be a priest of the air and water
let the land be your pews
a garden your pulpit
the mountains your steeple
preach the gospel of nature
its glory and splendor revealed
reach out to the lost
who would sell their souls for profit
who fell the trees to fuel their greed
show them the way of salvation
show them the healing
that only a garden can bring
d.s.

lament for the day


setting sun
please don’t go
sinking on the horizon
my heart is longing
thoughts of the day
reflecting from the clouds
in hues of orange and pink
rays reaching out
grabbing the ends of the earth
holding the four corners
hold in vain
gripping
slipping away
tears falling like stars
scattering on the
blank page of the evening sky
one by one they appear
a steady stream
intensifying
one by one
now a hundred at a time
the world is hushed
i pull the darkness up around me
like a blanket
lay my head in the earth
dream of a kiss wet with dew
kissed by the morning herself
draw your sun out of bed
i am yours
d.s.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

the poor you will always have


oh to be a conservative Christian
to preach the gospel of peace
while cutting funds
for the poor
let us join hands and pray
“thy kingdom come
but, dear God, don’t let it
be a welfare state”
give Ananias back his money
and be sure to silence
the beggar on the street
meanwhile, let us loudly proclaim
“those godless heathen liberals
want to spend, spend, spend
but, thank God Almighty
Jesus saves, Jesus saves!”

d.s.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

the dark pathway


blackness envelope me
night swallow me whole
hide the light from my eyes
darkness fall
from horizon
to horizon
stars call to me
a million angels
sing in silent praise
draw my gaze upward
in awe steal my breath away
be the desire of my heart
in this moment
in this place
place your path before me
show me where my soul must walk
the place no mortal will ever tread
the path is dark
and long
and cold
a thousand life times
is not enough to walk
the lonely trail
that stretches
from horizon
to horizon
for morning comes
and light will hide away
a secret
only darkness can reveal
d.s.

a stranger’s prayer


this is my prayer
that when i die
in you i will find life
and in that life
i will fly
i will run
i will dance
i will sing
i will visit every planet
that circles every star
that swirls in every galaxy
that fills the expanse of the universe
i will watch every star rise
and watch every star set
on every alien world
i will know as my home
time will wind on and on
like an old twisted cord
securing my place in eternity
and when the lights dim and die
when the last star in the heavens
flickers like a flame
and is at last snuffed out
creation will collapse
falling in on itself
and then explode again
the fires will be rekindled
light will fill the heavens
i will be born again
a stranger on an alien world
i will call my home
and i will look to the stars
and see your glory
believe in you again
and i will fall in love
d.s.

holiday on alpha 9

a lift to the stars
you wish you could build
to carry people to the heavens
consumers to the stars
entire planets
a single mall
solar systems for dumping garbage
a holiday on alpha 9
mining meteors
swiss cheese asteroids
money orbiting
flowing back to earth
fill the universe and subdue it


d.s.

some useful things


swords into plowshares
tanks into tractors
bombers dropping watermelons
with little pink parachutes
guns as walking sticks
inter-continental nuclear warhead ballistic missiles…
not as useful
d.s.

Perfect Sushi Rice


Perfect sushi rice is all about stickiness and texture. I am going to show you how to get both correct. First, let’s take a look at what you will need:
- bag of short grain white rice
- large mixing bowl
- strainer with holes small enough to keep rice from slipping through
- measuring cup
- stainless steel pot with lid
- timer
- wooden spoon
- large flat wooden bowl
- rice paddle
- sushi rice mix powder
- small fan
Measure and Wash Rice
First, measure 2 to 3 cups of rice. Pour the rice into a large mixing bowl. Next, you need to wash the rice. Even if the bag says that the rice is washed it is still not clean enough to stick together properly. Fill your bowl with cold water from the tap. Stir the rice with your hand for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour the water off slowly being sure not to lose any rice. Fill the bowl again and repeat the process until the water runs clear. This may take 10 or more washes so be patient. If the rice is not washed properly it will not be able to stick together effectively.
Dry the Rice
Empty your rice into a strainer and let the rice dry in a place where the water can drain safely for 30 minutes. This step helps with the over all texture and actually makes the rice whiter. The rice may not be completely dry after 30 minutes but this is not a problem.
Cook the Rice
Place the rice into a stainless steel pot and place it on your stove. Measure one cup of water for each cup of rice. Pour the water into the pot. Turn the burner under the pot to the highest setting. While the rice is heating up, stir a few times to make sure that none is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Do not stir aggressively. Over stirring will break down the rice and defeat the point of the washing process. Once the rice comes to a boil, cover the pot immediately with the lid and reduce the heat to low. After reducing the heat, set a timer for 15 minutes. Do not for any reason remove the lid. Removing the lid will ruin the entire process. The steam inside of the pot is what cooks the rice once the water is absorbed.
When the 15 minute timer goes sounds, turn the heat off. Remove the pot from the hot burner and place it somewhere to cool for another 15 minutes. Again, do not remove the lid for any reason. When 15 minutes is up the rice is fully cooked.
Cooling the Rice
Gently scrape your cooked rice from the pot into a large flat wooden bowl. Sprinkle a small amount of sushi rice powder mix onto your rice. Follow the directions on the mix to find the exact amount needed. Place the bowl on a counter and point a small fan at the bowl. As the fan is blowing on the rice gently stir the rice with a cutting motion. Stirring the rice correctly will help separate and cool the rice without damaging it in the process. Stir the rice for 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice is completely cool.
Test the Rice
Wet your hands to keep the rice from sticking to your skin. Grab a small hand-full of rice. Gently close your fingers around it and lightly press it together. Now open your fingers and allow the rice to rest in the palm of your hand. If all went well. the rice should hold the shape you pressed it into. and individual grains should not fall off easily.
Use or Store the Rice
It is best to use the rice immediately but it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before use.
d.s.

acorns

i watched the autumn wind
blowing the leaves
as though the tree reached up
to shake the dead ones out of it’s hair
there were acorns there as well
glorious acorns
each one a perfect creation
i marveled at them
the acorns
and the leaves
at the trees
and the wind
and the cycles
the wheels
forever turning
the leaves
forever falling
piling at the base of the tree
rotting
enriching the ground
for the acorns that would follow
that would
die
and live
to be born again!
perfection
no one has ever seen
or heard of anything like it
before, or since
a cycle
a wheel that spins on a greater wheel
and turns other wheels altogether
the cycle of life
and death
which is only the flip side of life
and we will see both many times
as the wheels roll on and on
forever
unchanging
as another acorn falls to the ground


d.s.