Kiss the Earth, by Shirley 'Dee' Neal

c2010

All Rights Reserved


I watched as the sun uncovered the Earth
It touched the highest mountain peaks
Slyly painted oranges, pink with streaks
Tentatively, at first shy and trembling

Then bravely the darkly-frosted thin air
Was banished and dispelled
Longer shadows fell to pale, discordant light
Quivering, dancing, glowing, like candles
Just ships passing in the night

I watched the sun kiss the Earth again
That golden fire, with power to transform
And the world is suddenly visible to all
This simple feat, unspoken miracle
Happens to everyone, every day, every where.

What of us so insignificant?
Comparing a force from without and within
Is it not the same?
Touching another’s life and giving a smile
Warming a heart, sharing in our joy –

Dawn’s transcendental joy is magnificent
Our Earthly boundaries insignificant
To others when we give, to ourselves when we share
The insights and the wealth held within
Of life, and of love, and of experience
I watched the sun kiss the Earth today.

Don't fall down there.

What He Sees.

by Louis B. Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved

The rain is falling, gently through the trees
A dove gives a mournful call
I wonder what he sees
Newborn child a-bawling?
Or just the futility of it all.
He told me once, a wise old owl
Very good advice, to get me through it all
The glass is either half-empty or half-full
It says a lot about you
The choices that you call.
The rain is falling, gently through the trees
A chipmunk sits there laughing
I wonder what he sees.

Velocita. The cyclist's mantra.

by Louis B. Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


La mia bici e il mio corpo sono una cosa sola.

Velocita, forza et corragio.

My bike and my body are one.

Speed, force and courage.

My mind controls every muscle, cell, bone, fibre, and tissue.

The very fabric of my being.

Every nerve, every thought, every attitude, sense, and sinew.

Physical, mental, psychological, emotional.

My spirit cannot be conquered. I am alone with the road.

My bike and my body are one. Speed, force and courage.

L’essenza di velocita…

The essence of speed.

Yeah, but what are you really trying to say?

For want of a better term
by Louis B. Shalako
c2010
All Rights Reserved

To a blind man, the world is a dark place.
To a deaf man, the world is a silent place.
And so we can extrapolate –
That perception is reality.
And all of reality is filtered through the senses.
Everything we know is contained inside of our own heads.
And essentially, it exists nowhere else.
If a tree falls in the forest, it makes no sound. No sound.
For there is no one there to hear it —
Yet a million voices speak silently out of the darkness.
All of them whispering at once.
For want of a better term, we call that fantasy. Or a dream, or a delusion.
And the truth is what I believe it to be.
Attitude is everything. I guess it’s all in how you look at it.
The contradictions are easy to see.
But a mistaken assumption will kill you every time.
The important thing, in my opinion,
Is to keep your eyes and ears open;
Stay alert, open up your heart,
Take a deep breath…and empty your thoughts —
Now try to keep an open mind.
And if you speak my name upon the wind, surely I will hear you.