Water Well……..J. Carlstad

I float    along this river of musing

           a naked vessel

drained of all known connection

     thirsting for fulfillment

absorbing intently

          each  murmur of

                   sound, story, speech

images rip-pl-ing

         flood my senses

 while waves of history

     flow over, around, and through

the seething emptiness inside

            consuming me

                         filling me

     with pictures,

 tales  - droplets mirror the told and untold

         adding channels

 of glaze o’er this urn

layers

fashioned by a master

of inspiration

     and reflection,

           now  yearning

                  for timelessness

                        unfurled

decades of learning

        nothing         compared to this           a universe

              revealing secrets 

       filling the receptacle I have become

a  lifetime of questions

             like spaces between the stars

spill over… trickling through tingling senses

         that can never drink their fill

                          soaking up the depth of  knowledge

        until these eyes swim

                         in rivulets

                                           of renewal

                  ready now for an outpouring

                        of all that has been absorbed

                            in an effort to share

to quench 

the thirst of others – to water well…the seeds of learning

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Guitar

By J. M. Carlstad

(...for my collaborator and mentor, Wayne, who helps me "feel the music" and "find my voice"!  Thank you for the words we share!)

A poet of the Peace

she’d write what she’d see

about the river, the people,

the birds and the trees…

She’d say a few words

Aah, ‘tis a ballad

He’d say

And he’d pick up his guitar

Oh, he’d play and he’d play

She’d murmur her thanks

As she quietly looked on

Watching in wonder

while her words turned to song

His notes how they’d gather

Now gentle now strong

Fingers whispering lovingly

Wandering frets and along

Then he’d glance at the maiden

as reading along, she watched

her words, his chords

becoming a song

Yes, he’d pick up his guitar

Oh, he’d play and he’d play

Turning darkness of night

into glorious day

turning chills of the winter

into bright streaming sun

her words and his music

becoming one

Musing about this remarkable skill

The maiden began to write

a newer song still

Oh a song, a song

come sing along

 Quickly he felt it, strumming along

Picking his notes, they came in a throng

His chords how they’d gather

Now gentle, now strong

Fingers whispering lovingly

o’er frets and along

With a touch of light fingers

Dancing over the strings

His blue eyes how they glistened

pulling heart’s strings

She nodded and smiled

Inviting him to sing

A song, a song

Oh come sing along

And together they lifted their voices in song

Filling the air

With music so strong

Thoughts and sights

Life’s wonders, delights

Notes tumbling over

Like notes on a breeze

Gathering momentum

Joining with ease

They sang of

Humanity, peace,

land and trees

With a vision far greater

Than two voices as one

But a vision of unity

Under one sun

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