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

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

*

Snapshots 1

Zephyr

On a warm September morning
Windows and doors wide open
A zephyr pushes its way
Through my home
These thoughts pause
As my skin wakens
To a refreshing breeze

Norfolke 2009

BY AN UNWEPT GRAVE

By an unwept grave
Leaves scatter to the ground
A bell sounds three times
The wind sways the branches
Shriveled roses lie on a nearby stone
Birds are silent in the grey afternoon

I walk in the quiet
Between the remembered and not
Not searching but gazing
At names and dates
On chiseled granite and eroding marble
Through land set aside for the past

Broken columns
Cherub faces on flaking slate
Biblical names unused in this day
Words carved of heaven's reward
Dates marking too short lives
Relations noted

Dry grass crunches under foot
My shoes scuff the dirt
As I walk to the wrought iron gates
I know/knew none in this place
No tears left by me

Ron Eklof © 2009

The Dancing Spirit

On polished floors as lights swirled around the ballroom
You, entranced by the sound, followed your passion
We watched the sway of skirt to bouncing rhythms
Saw you laugh and delight in your partner's arms

All to soon the dance is done and we've said our adieus
Parted as the lights dimmed to black
The music has stopped, the band has stepped out for a cigarette
But sweet memories remain and floating tunes linger in our ears

The ship has passed into the night
As sultry sounds wend their way to heaven
And we know of one who still dances the night away
Who is swinging among the stars

For when we look up to the night sky
See the motion of the heavenly bodies
We will hear the laughter
We will remember your music

It was a pleasure to know you, Mary.


Ron Eklof 2008

CAT / MOON

The cat doesn't mind the moon
Outside the window
Where he sits

The movement of small critters
Of that
He is aware

The moon gives shine
As, in the day, the sun

But, the cat doesn't mind
How many times the moon appears
Nor count his trips around the sun

Ron Eklof 1997