Random Poem of the Day – XXIV

Way, way back in the day, I posted a poem written by my son, Keagan, when he was in 5th grade (Random Poem X).  Well, he’s a junior in high school now and he’s still writing some pretty good (at least his mother and I think so) prose.  Here is something he shared with us last night.

The Vessel

by Keagan Ball

In the wake, I’m left stranded.
Oh, how sure seemed the shore.

I curse the sky as it becomes one with the sea
And how I’ve fallen somewhere between the two.

Still and silent, still so silent.
Shall I shudder some sweet notion?
Or are you still surrounded by
Another’s somber ocean?

Still we’re silent, still I find I’m
Surrendering to this motion.
Drifting aimlessly and subdued
By this endless ocean.

And if either one would care,
We’d be far beyond this sea.
Far from any sullen
Shipwrecked memory.

And if either one would care,
We’d be far above this sea.
Nothing short of something sure
Or this solemn certainty.

So I’ll stand amidst this current.
I’ll bathe within this current.
And if I succumb to this current
Then surely it’s more certain than…

The past tide,
The last tide,
That has swept me away.

And if either one would care,
We’d be far beyond this…

Random Thought – Divinty

To live is to hope,
To hope is to give,
To give is to love,
To love is divine.

So I say to you:
Live.
Hope.
Give.
Love.
And be divine,
Every minute of every day!

Return of the Random Poem – XXIII

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any poetry, so here is short one to revive the category.

My Light
By Michael Ball

Sunlight plays ‘pon chestnut hair,
dancing through the highlights there.

Starshine glimmers in amber eyes,
surpassing the beauty of night skies.

Moonbeams kiss skin so soft,
a jealous rose, her petals off’t.

‘Tis not a faery I speak of here.
‘Tis surely the Lady I hold dear.

My one true Love, who lights my day,
whose soul who completes me in every way.

Random Poem of the Day – XXII

Speed of Life

by Michael Ball

We blaze through life,
barely looking at the signposts as they flash by,
racing with breakneck speed to the grave
that lies at the end of our journey.

Hours,
minutes,
and seconds blur together.
Forcing us to think in ever decreasing measurements of time
in an attempt to suck the marrow out of our frantic existence.

What is the value of a life lived at warp speed?
Can we really find what is good, just and desired
when our experiences flit by
with only a grammatically incorrect Tweet to mark their passing?
What does it say about us when our Facebook timeline
has a greater number of entries than then number
of cherished memories that we hold in our hearts and minds?

If we let the days we are given stream by
like so many unnoticed nanoseconds,
we miss the opportunity to see
the truly wondrous moments in life.
Time may be infinite,
but we are not.

Slow down,
disengage,
apply the brakes to your head-long rush.
Quiet your mind and savor the beauty of the world as it is,
not as you want or expect it to be.
Find that inner stillness that will allow you
to see each moment of your life
for the precious gift that it is.

 

Random Poem of the Day – XXI

 

Waiting….

by Michael Ball

Another day goes by,
I find myself waiting.
The endless progression
of tasks numbs my mind,
leaving a void that begs to be filled.

Past the hours,
between the minutes,
seconds flowing by unremarked.
A sense of something wondrous
hovers at the edge of perception,
like the phantom ringing that
fills my ears after the report of a gun.

As I focus on the blandness that confronts me,
it teases from the periphery,
beckoning like a half-seen mirage.
Only to dissolve into wisps of fancy,
when I reach out to claim it
and change my fortune.

Grinding on in an infinite cycle,
mired deep by duty and commitment,
I struggle in vain to find the launching point
that will elevate my reality.

Waiting… waiting…. seeking and not reaching.
Impending greatness forever forestalled
by the mundane tedium of life.

Random Poem of the Day – XX

My Light

by Michael Ball

Sunlight plays ‘pon chestnut hair,
dancing through the highlights there.

Starshine glimmers in amber eyes,
surpassing the beauty of night skies.

Moonbeams kiss skin so soft,
a jealous rose, her petals off’t.

‘Tis not a faery I speak of here.
‘Tis surely the Lady I hold dear.

My one true Love, who lights my day,
whose soul who completes me in every way.

Random Poem of the Day – XIX

Dragon Song

by Michael Ball

Wings of gold, heart so bold,
Flying through the air.
A dragon swoops, and flies in loops,
To find a maiden fair.

Hidden in a forest green, captive of a wicked queen,
The maid awaits her hero brave.
The search by magic guided, finds the maid well hided,
Held within a deep, dank cave.

He vents his ire, with dragon’s fire,
And soundly smites the queen.
Reunited, wife and rider, they mount their golden flyer,
And soar into the sunset scene.

Random Poem of the Day – XVIII

For Paul

by Michael Ball

This man was a carpenter,
who built his life straight and true.

This man was a gardener,
who grew his family with love and kindness.

This man was a fisherman,
who cast his net wide and called all he met ‘friend’.

This man was
a husband, a father, a grandfather.

This man was all of this and more
and I am better for having known him.

Random Poem of the Day – XVII

Spring Fairy

by Michael Ball

Flitter here,
flutter there.
Did I just see a sprite
with wild chestnut hair?

She was dancing on a flower,
with a smile and a spin.
Did you see that sprite
with the silly little grin?

Dancing bloom to bloom,
disturbing naught but dew drops.
Did I really see a sprite
dancing on the flower tops?

Random Poem of the Day – XVI

I originally wrote this poem for my wife, Bobbie, before the birth of our first child.  Now, after what seems like a lifetime, our oldest daughter, Valerie, is going to make us grandparents sometime this July so I thought I would post it to give her some ideas as to what to expect.  🙂

Baby on the Way

by Michael Ball

Hooray! Hooray! There’s a baby on the way!
Do you know what will fill each day?
Morning sickness, heartburn, your belly getting bigger.
Cravings, hormones, trying to watch your figure.

Hooray! Hooray! The baby’s due any day!
Do you know what the doctor will say?
Breathe, push, remember your Lamaze class.
When the baby’s out, we’ll smack it on the ass!

Hooray! Hooray! The baby’s here!
Do you know what sounds we’ll hear?
Crying, hiccups, farts and squirts!
But nothing’s worse than formula burps!

Hooray! Hooray! Baby’s growing every minute!
Do you know what your house will have in it?
Bottles, a crib and toys everywhere.
Wipes, diapers, and baby powder in the air.

Hooray? Hooray?
Now that you know what’s in store.
Are you sure you’ll want any more?