One Day
by Ted L Glines

Yesterday
threshold leading to today
today is a grand stage
built with yesterday's boards
my script is written
by yesterday's results
my audience is blended
those whose yesterdays
were shared with me
(for better or for worse)
and those who do not know me
yet
(for better or for worse)
and you of course
(welcome to my play)
as I trod these boards
wearing pathos
to wound your heart
and comedie
to make you laugh
bright lights
costumes grander than life
dancing through my play
my life alive
for this -  my one day
and on my lips
a silent prayer
that when the final curtain
falls
I will be proud to know
I did my very best
for you ...

One Dead Child
by Ted L Glines

one dead child
floating in debris

styro cups and strings of vomit
feces and one dead rat

unable to hear
i am sorry
help is on  the way

faith based  trash
you have the power
the pope  loves you

dead lips leaking  oil

one dead city crying
the  south will rise again

and one dead  child
fails to listen

Author's Notes: Katrina Revisited:  It  is an ugly picture. It is a  snapshot with all of the "saving graces"  cropped out. When I look at all of the  blame-game played out  on CNN - I am seeing this one dead child eclipsed by  political  agendas of those who only cared about their own status, the very  same  ones whose priority was hype rather than preparedness. When  will we ever learn? Gustaf will require an answer - 31 August 2008

Obsessed
by Ted L Glines

Friends and lovers
you were
thirty-five years ago
until she was married
twenty-four years in the past
and then you lay silent
you lay obsessed
seeing love darkly
and in your darkness
you moved
thinking to re-stake your claim
you sent naked pictures
as if your erection mattered
it did
as an ego trip for her
nothing more
and she copied this to her friends
and you sent your
erotic fantasy
you and her
according to your obessesion
and she enjoyed your story
as an erotic story
nothing more
and she copied this to her friends
and you were embarrased
by your own obesssion
and you stalked her
on HaltAbuse.com
and on Authors Den
--you thought you won--
and the Pitman police
and Sonoma County police
laugh at you today
because of your
obsession

men tend to think
their obsessions rule
but they don't

women are wiser
they know to walk on
leaving obsessions of fools
behind

-----

Offering
by Ted L Glines

Our Dragon shed his skin in gouts of flame
we sang his soul to heaven's love and light
and hugged each other 'round the pyre of night
another would have called it just a game
but souls are often slaughtered without blame
you sang and danced and laughed as Dragon burned
as if by joyous laughter death was spurned
young hearts are often shriven without shame.

Our smoke of Dragon's passing left me bare
so frozen in the act of sacrifice
I could not help but grasp an ancient truth
trembling in my skin of soulless ice
your heart was gaily dancing without care
in cold and guileless passion of our youth.

-----

Taking
by Ted L Glines

Our Dragon shed his skin in gouts of flame
but souls are often slaughtered without blame
when love is loosed upon the night
exulting touches in delight
young hearts are often shriven without shame.