and

and the weapons are fired

and the people fall

all for some cause

all for some reason

for it is the season of rage

and killing

and death

and destruction

yet,

yet,

the snowbells blossom

the grass greens in the warming spring sun

the oaks shed their pollen

the rose buds

and crocus rise from the damp

for the earth nurtures all living things

for the sun shines on all

as does the moon

and the earth spins

round it's axis

come, hold my hand

and i'll hold yours

and we will breathe

the fresh air together

Ron Eklof 2011

Rise and Shine

Rise and shine all mankind
Come and greet the day

Yawn and stretch every synapse
Wash crusty sleep from your eyes
Let light enter your windows
Breath deep dawn's cool air
Smell the moist breeze
Floating in from the sea

Eat of the crusty bread
From daily prepared table
Drink of nature's bountiful waters

Gather your strength while ye may
For there is work to be done

And life is lived this day only

HEY YOU, OVER THERE

Across the river is another country
An imaginary, arbitrary line drawn in the water
Separates you from me and versa vice

Yet the birds flying overhead see no division
See no separateness and fly north and south

The fishes under the surface
Swim east to west and west to east
Each diurnal journey
With no discernment of separation

But we
We intelligentsia
Say this is true
Our lands, our traditions
What we honor, what we hold true
Is not what you may hold dear

This is us and that is you
Because we say so
Because we do so

And we agree upon this
We make laws upon this
We set up barriers upon this

Yet the birds fly
And the fishes swim
Unhindered by arbitrary lines
Free in reality

Ron Eklof 2007
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A Weaving

In the warp and weft

Of our daily walk
A thread is woven into
The fabric of a life
It's vibrancy tempered
By hues of attitude
The vicissitudes of the times

Day after day the loom is worked
Using blends of colored thread:
The blood red of anger
The black nights of the soul
The magenta of yearnings
Bright yellow of hopes
Deep blue of understandings
Soft green of new awakenings
The pure white of grace

As the shuttle moves back and forth
Guided by the Master's hand
A pattern emerges on the loom
And becomes a tapestry
Admired by others
Showing a life well lived


In remembrance of Ken Kilmartin

Ron Eklof 2010

What Did You Build

I've built castles out of sand
Watched them crumble in the wind
Wash away in a storm tide
Leaving no trace of effort
Nothing for others to see
Only a memory, mine
Glimpsed in idle reverie

I've built castles in the air
Made of dreams, ideas and fancies
I've moved in and found a home
Away from roiling humanity
Far from the clutches of earth
Gone, now, as the morning dew
Disappears in reality's sun

Thence to wander aimless
Across a barren waste
Cut by dull knives of inconvenience
Bruised by uncaring egos
Stopping to pare my nails
To be close to my own self
To attend my own issues

Whence an inner resolve builds
A determined frame of mind
A realm of the heart
A place where the power
That knows its self
Is nurtured
And is allowed its reign

Ron Eklof '10

For Ed Girard

In order for the male of our specie to mature
We need role models
Ed was such an exemplar

He showed what it means
To be a man of quiet dignity
Soft of speech, quick of wit
He showed how to use wry humor
To get a point across

Recently I spoke to him
Of a situation I had
A character defect
Which rose to the occasion

After listening, he said,
"The bomb is still there,
But the fuse is longer"
How apt and prescient he was

They’re going to enjoy you in heaven, Ed
Like we did on Earth

Fare thee well
You made an impression
On all you touched

Ron Eklof 2009

*

Blue Skies

Some would have nothing but blue skies from now on
Clear as far as the eye can see
With nothing to cloud vision
No blips on their radar

Yet, for me, some clouds now and then are welcome
Something in the sky for the sun to hide behind
To shade me from its fiery flames
To make a difference

For the sky is a white canvas
With blue paint from horizon to the corners
Minimalist art for nouveau galleries
But nothing to write home about

Show me clouds for morning light to color
Soft pinks among the somber grey
Thence turning to bright white puffs
Contrasting with the blue

Delight me with a parade of fulminating clouds
Marching to the whims of the winds
Through which rays of sunlight stream
To touch the ground, pooling light amid the shade

More clouds at the fade of sun
With brilliant hues to astonish my eyes
Edge the purple with gold
That make me turn round and gaze the far horizon

Give me pulsating rhythms to silence the white noise in my ears
Give me the taste of hot and cold, sweet and sour, crunchy and smooth
Allow the scent of jasmine in the cool of dawn
Let me feel the curve that bends the straight

Give me the spontaneous at any time of day
Give me more than just blue skies all day long

Ron Eklof 2009

*