REALITY OF LIFE

  

At the edge of the yard

Near an old Dogwood –

I looked at the mountains,

I’d climb each one if I could!

 

A gentle wind begins to stir,

And it’s as if it said:

“Do whatever you can,

But life, don’t ever dread!”

 

Then my eyes were opened,

And my spirit was raised –

I am not promised tomorrow,

And it’s only God I’ll praise!

 

It’s a beautiful day . . .

And the reality of life I smell –

The mountains can wait,

But the truth I’ll have to tell.

 

Epaphroditus© October 31, 2023

I MISS YOU TOO

 

O when I think of you . . .

It takes my breath away!

Love words I like to say

I know you liked them too!

 

O when I think of you . . .

Yes I know we were young

French kissing with our tongue

I know you liked it too!

 

O when I think of you . . .

Such thoughts come to mind

I was yours – you were mine

Do you think of me too?

 

O when I think of you . . .

Yes darling I miss you too!

 

Epaphroditus© October 29, 2023

 

WITHOUT WARNING

 

In early dawn – before light,

   This is my quiet time

A time to reflect on last night,

   And to find what’s on my mind,

      The beauty of morning!

      Oh! The beauty of morning!

 

Sadness in my spirit, but why?

   An uncertainty that fills the air,

Words won’t come – I just sigh –

   (Find the truth if you dare!)

And then it’s this that I know:

      Early dawn – before morning!

      Reality comes without warning!

 

Epaphroditus© October 29, 2023

OUR PLACE

  

As we sit and watch the waves roll in

   And think of all the places we have been,

We hold each other so very close

   And know this is the place we love the most.

 

The rugged coast, the waves, and the sea

   My love for you, your love for me;

The cries of the gulls that fly above

   All these things we passionately love.

 

The wind blows through your tangled hair

   Fresh and enchanting without a care,

All the memories we hold so dear

   Until we come back again next year.

 

I know one day dear we will have to part

   And our spirits will wonder through the dark,

Then they will find images of our ghost,

   Watching from the cliffs that we loved the most.

 

Epaphroditus© July 31, 2003

SWEET TRUTH

 

   Dear common sense, it seems I’ve lost my way,

I know there are things I need to know,

      Maybe I shouldn’t listen to what others say,

If they are not telling the truth then I need to go!

   Most will tell you their opinion – wanted or not,

And common sense, well that is never found,

You see in life people are going to let you down

   It’s a simple fact, and I can say that about me

   Through rose colored glasses most of us see!

 

   It starts in childhood – remembering what we see –

But not all are taught right from wrong . . .

      We all have a dark side – even hidden in me!

It’s so true – true as the days are long,

   And we all possess a common noun, “Stupidity!”

Listen to truth – listen to what it could bring

We all have enough people we can blame . . .

   Sweet truth! Sweet truth! It’s music to my ears,

   And common sense: Well I toast you with cheers!

 

Epaphroditus© October 28, 2023

SIMPLE TRUTH

I have pretty much reached a conclusion:

(Life is filled with confusion!)

You see most people don’t give a damn!

And our government – well that’s a scam!

This is a fact: “It does no good to worry,”

But look around – everybody is in a hurry!

The fake news is nothing more than a lie –

Hell if I were to hear the truth I would cry!

Friends, this old world is upside down –

I’m not sure where our future is bound!

I know we are to stay calm in the storm,

But that thought is hard to form . . .

I have pretty much reached a conclusion:

To know the simple truth is an illusion!

 

Epaphroditus© October 27, 2023

 

O LIFE! O LIFE!

 

O Life! O Life! All set in place

   (What will come my way today?)

A lovely maiden dressed in lace

   Or will time just fade away.

 

O Life! O Life! Lover, do you care?

   That I dreamed of you last night –

O Heart! O Heart! Life is not fair,

   And to me that’s not right!

 

O Life! O Life! Soon it will be gone

   (So I should make to most of today),

But I guess I’ll have to carry on . . .

   Yes, life always gets in the way.

 

So my eyes will look upon the hills,

And I’ll walk in Fields of Daffodils.

 

Epaphroditus© October 26, 2023

LOVE AND HAPPINESS

 

What I know I think I know,

But we have all heard the wind blow!

Memorized things in my head are locked,

And I guess that is a lot of crock!

 

Thoughts are thoughts – things are things,

But in truth reality sings . . .

O I guess there are others I could blame,

Let’s see, you want me to name names?

 

Emotions churn – emotions seems to stir,

But looking back it’s all a blur . . .

Focusing on yesterday is a waste of time,

There is always another mountain to climb!

 

Today and not tomorrow is all I have you see,

And for most people I can never please –

What I know is that I don’t know it all . . .

But love and happiness I can always recall!

 

Epaphroditus© October 26, 2023

 

FIRE AND DESIRE

  

I watch the fire flicker . . .

As the ice melts in a glass of whiskey –

I’m trying not to think of you,

But as always it never works!

I am amazed at how you seep into my mind

Is it the whiskey or is it the fire?

Or maybe it’s the sadness of being alone –

Whichever you always seem to find me!

 

Remembering the times you were here,

And when I held you in my arms . . .

I can still taste the wine on your lips,

And see the passion reflecting in your eyes –

I watch the fire flicker . . .

Wishing I could touch you once more!

 

Epaphroditus© October 25, 2023

 

A TRAINED MIND

Too many hurtful emotions

All playing in my head,

But what am I going to do

Have different thoughts instead?

But I find comfort in discontent

Too many questions get in the way –

It’s the way I’ve trained my mind

So it matters not what you say!

 

Too many hurtful emotions

They’re like leaves twirling in the wind

Every hurt has found its place –

It looks like they have become my friend!

 

Epaphroditus© October 25, 2023

ROMEO AND JULIET

I reached out for your affection,

There is not much else I can do!

How can love stand up to your rejection?

Not understanding the hurts in you.

 

I am the sand and you the wave

But where does a heart began to break?

My lips upon yours sweet Juliet,

Will ease the pain that you dearly hate.

 

Again and again you somehow retreat

Far from my knocks upon your door,

And again, I do not know the reason why

That I keep coming back for more.

 

Maybe it’s the lure of your mystery I seek

An uncertainty that I need to know,

Or that somehow I can win your trust,

And in time you will surely let go.

 

Perhaps it’s my need for you not to cry

In the secret places of your mind;

For it was not I my sweet Juliet

That broke your heart and stole your time.

 

This passion I have makes me hurt for you,

My angry at the one who broke your heart!

What sense does it make to feel this way?

To which I played no part.

 

The choices you made were made by you

And how it works is what you choose.

I know it’s hard to hide within your mind

But to have known love, was to never lose.

 

I dream sometimes my sweet Juliet

That your need is to stay and to never go,

But do you think only of yourself

And care less of these words from Romeo?

 

Epaphroditus© May 7, 2006

 

MEMORIES IT SEEMS

 

When I was a child I played in the snow,

But that time was different, though –

Winter is winter and spring in spring

The beauty of life is now my thing . . .

A moon lit autumn – a moon lit night,

All the seasons are right –

But how I miss playing in the snow,

But the stages of life we have to let go –

Looking back to a time, a simple place,

But reality I have to face!

A childhood filled with dreams . . .

And in my mind are memories it seems

When I ran and played in the snow,

But time is different now, even though!

 

Epaphroditus© October 23, 2023

 

THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD

 

Oh, sure I can see

The love hidden in thee,

   No, I’m not always right!

   But I’ll hold you tight,

Oh, sure I can see!

 

Oh, sure I can see

I know how you feel about me,

   These thoughts in my head

   Of trying to get you in my bed,

It’s just the nature of me!

 

Epaphroditus© October 22, 2023

 

OCTOBER KISS

 

          A kiss, tender as the touch of a child,

             It is given like the taste of wine;

          Like passion there is no way to gauge,

             Lips so hot it blows your mind!

       Beads of sweat where desire wants to dine.

Innocence needs to cry – lust in our eyes are fed, -

          But cries, only a heart that is in pain,

      The sheets are wet – bodies entangled in bed,

          An October kiss can never be in vain!

        This will surely last forever, we think, -

       Drowning in desire – it’s of love we drink.

 

Faces of desire but can one’s eyes bear to look

   At the fibers of our soul;

Was it love or desire, pages in a romance book –

Tomorrow when we awake – truth we’ll know!

 

Epaphroditus© October 17, 2015

         

 

SO UNFAIR

 

As I sit by a stream,

   It’s such a beautiful sound,

And here I can feel the wind,

   As it slowly dances around.

 

The quietness of this moment

   As my mind makes a note –

This is what money can’t buy

   Watching a leaf slowly float.

 

Where has time gone, I think?

   Remembering what I know –

Wisdom only comes with time

   Then it’s time for one to go!

 

In a brief moment of time . . .

   Reflections of gray in my hair –

Blessed am I to have this day

   This beauty seems so unfair!

 

Epaphroditus© October 21, 2023

 

 

 

ALL I’M SAYING IS

 

Live your life,

   And hope to live until you’re old,

Life is like a vapor than it’s gone,

   This is what the Bible has told –

 

We get complacent

   It’s life, but then

We all have to adjust to the change,

   Remember, nothing stays the same

Then the next day we do it again!

 

All I’m saying is

   Measure your days in total length,

Know in life where you stand,

   We were never promised euphoria!

Heartaches and pain give us strength!

 

Epaphroditus© October 20, 2023

DECEPTIVE WORDS

 

I lie under the Sycamore tree

It’s just my lover and me –

In my mind I make a note

Then she clears her throat –

“Do you remember back then?”

This all started as a friend!

   But look at us now

   Wiping her face with a towel

Then she kissed me again.

 

We talk, we laugh, and we have fun,

Then through the leave comes the sun,

She smiles, and then she speaks:

I notice tears running down her cheeks –

    “Will you love me forever?”

   I embrace her – I hold her tight

   “Live for now – our time is right”

Deceptive words that were said so clever!

 

Epaphroditus© October 19, 2023

 

CONVICTIONS

  

I am with remorse as I kneel,

But my convictions I’ll never yield!

 

It’s upon the truth I’ll always stand,

And to God I hear His command!

 

Tossing my cares to the wind I blame –

But the truth will always remain!

 

Darkness in a heart I truly know . . .

Like all fears tied with a pretty bow!

 

In life, it’s each day we have to go,

And regardless the wind will blow!

 

But my convictions I’ll never yield –

Even if the world breaks my will!

 

The scars of life that’s my crown,

But peace and contentment I found!

 

Epaphroditus© October 18, 2023