Trojan Horse

Bing photo:

The political debates rage on

Nasty politics as usual

Twists of truth filled with lies;

and we believe…

what we have already set in our minds

But, with every election

there come a Trojan Horse;

One of beauty and promise

captivating the minds of believers;

Promising they are on you side

The Trojan Horse of politics

doesn’t come sculpted in wood or stone;

Rather, ladened with sculpted words

carved and shaped to entice…

Believing there is nothing within them

that would change or harm us

Don’t be swayed by outward words.

Look deep into the sculpted belly

of hidden agendas and dark money;

Into the self-centered soul of the beast (politics)

that in the end will burst open

disillusion // and destroy us all!

Crossroad

We are at a crossroad of the mind

Not of dirt and gravel // asphalt or cement

Rather, a crossroad of thinking…

One that permeates our being.

Elections are not about the man or woman

They are about a mindset

A way of thinking that affects attitudes and actions.

It is so easy to get lost in the superficial

Age, gender, personality, party, or politics;

But it is much deeper than that…

Elections are crossroads of the mind;

Forever changing the landscape of thinking;

Changes that cannot be reversed only adjusted.

Elections often come with lies and broken promises;

Expectations that repeatedly remain unfulfilled

Leaving us disillusioned at the next crossroad.

Remember, you are not choosing a person

You are choosing a mindset for the future.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Head Banging

Watching change taking place in my lifetime makes me conclude that it doesn’t happen quickly. Seems like paradigm shifts are happening all around, demanding immediate changes in society. History shows us it may take awhile.

Ocean’s white head slams

Against solid rocks of time

Change happens slowly

White foam creates a big splash

Hard heads take time to erode

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

What Lies Beneath

Invisible lines

Demarcations of the heart

Oblivious to some

Rigidly held by others

Impositions for many

Deadly for others

Marked // labeled // branded for life

Cast systems remain

Rivers of entitlement

Flow just beneath the surface

Paradigm shift starts

Parana of injustice

Caught from time to time

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

I used a repeated Tanka format for this poem.

Bottom Leaf

In an everchanging world, I find myself struggling with the way in which things are moving! Life goes on whether I want to come along or not. As I watch the struggles of social groups and see the injustice that has long plagued our country’s history, I wonder where we are headed.  History like politics has very dark times. We can embrace it, be offended by it,  or attempt to deny it, but it will always be there.  As the next generation comes on, I hope they learn from history instead of repeating it.  I pray that we can all learn to live with each other, allowing for our differences in values and beliefs without feeling like we need to impose ours upon everyone around us. Uniqueness has always been our strength!

Sometimes I feel like the bottom leaf of a plant

Birthed from seed // providing sustenance for a time;

Now eclipsed by more recent growth rising above…

Providing new solar sources to feed from…

 

Obsolete // no longer making that much difference.

Never meant to shine or blossom // I’ve done my job…

Supporting // nurturing new growth and change;

 

Yet, now that life has grown beyond me,

I am here // drying up at the bottom of the stalk

while growth and reproduction of values and thought

happens above me // in a world very different from mine.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Learning From Children

Racism, hate, and discrimination are all  learned from the example of adults who show these attitudes. Children don’t think about skin color or ethnic roots. They just see one another  as God sees us, full of love and acceptance. Perhaps adults could learn a lesson from their children.

Sweet friends full of love

Not bothered by skin color

Love begins at home

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

 

Choices

It pains my heart to see the way one policeman’s deadly action has reopened the door to division and strife that has been stewing for years in the United States. Peaceful protests are very much in order, but the violence of opportunistic looters and destructive vandalism in no way honors the memory of George Floyd. How can one call for respect when their actions show otherwise. The lack of wisdom and understanding in this situation is very disheartening!

Choices affect everyone;
changing the course of a nation
Choices are the difference between life and death;
altering the lives of everyone around us.
Wise choices lead to life…

“Above all, seek wisdom and understanding…” Proverbs

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

The Edge of Light

Dark sleep rises at the edge of daylight
Dreams of life that chased around the labyrinth
gone // lost forever // not to be recalled
Squinting I see the light of a new day
Hesitant to open my eyes, I reluctantly rise
Walking through the door of a new day
Into a room filled with welcoming light
Grateful to be alive my spirit rises

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Lara at d’Verse asked us to choose a room to write about. Rooms almost always have doors to pass through, so this is the theme of my poem. This poem began this morning as I was trying to wake up! It also took me to a deeper meaning as I come into the winter of my life.

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A Sad Twist

Life is full of twists

and turns // suddenly blowing

changing everything;

Full of dragon’s breath fury

Destroying all in its path.

***

Photo of my tree today: Dwight L. Roth

A follow up of the five-line Japanese poetry given to us yesterday on d’Verse Poets Pub. The form I am trying to do here is Kyoka!  Today I lost the top half of my maple tree, so I could laugh or cry … or write a poem about it!! Inspiration can be found in all of life!

https://dversepoets.com

Kyoka is to the senryu what tanka is to the haiku. That is, Kyoka is a five-line form of parody poetry. While tanka savors the nature/human nature intersection with heart and pathos, kyoka explores just human nature, usually in as satirical a way as possible. Or, at the very least, in a self-deprecating way.

 

 

Unfinished

 

This painting caused me great frustration in getting the turtle to look right in the sand. As a result it remained unfinished. Finally, I simply redid the painting, keeping the moon and changing the scene from the beach to the mountains. I like the way it turned out.  A friend that I work with decided he wanted it, so now it has a good home.

Some things in life don’t

turn out the way you had planned

Time to change the scene

Rethink what is important

Recreate something you love

 

Paintings: Dwight l. Roth

*The turtle lies at the point where the stream turns!