They Rest Against the Universe

Walking west towards the standing stones Sun descends in blaze of golden light Shadow fingers stretch and reach towards me Cover me with cold and clammy grasp Silent rocks imbued with power stand tall They take the power of the dying light Immutably remain among the cosmos They rest against the universe’s might Darkness falls…

The Night and the Moon and the Water

Walking on the beach when the sun has set The soft sigh of waves rolling in Water laps at my feet and recedes Tinted gold under the rising moon One by one the stars appear Their light obliterated by the closest star of all But now as we turn our backs to the sun Their…

Crumbling

Young, invulnerable, cast in iron Bad things happen to others But even iron rusts And bad things come to everyone Stealing strength and focus Leaving shattered pieces behind The words I wasted in my youth have fled from me I chase them down with difficulty Stitching together clumsy sentences Already straining at the seams Ideas…

Review “The Word for World is Forest” by Ursula Le Guin (1972)

“The Word for World is Forest” is a science-fiction novella by Ursula Le Guin. It was written during the Vietnam War, and clearly shows the author’s views of that situation, and the harm it was doing, to the natives and the invaders alike. This story discussed colonialism, the environment, imperialism, racism. It holds up a…

Choose Peace

Choose peace, said the child As she stood among the soldiers, ethereal and delicate With her hands full of flowers Choose peace while you can They’re full of reasons, the soldiers They’re defending themselves their homes, loved ones, way of life and besides, the enemy is out there and he’ll get you if you don’t…

Song in the Key of Rain

What story does the rain have to tell In water pattering from the sky Till the gasping ground thirstily gulps Its relief after endless drought What message is there In the singing of raindrops As they drum on the roof Pour from the downpipe Pelt against the windows In an orchestra of percussion What does…

Review “Galapagos” by Kurt Vonnegut (published 1985)

“Galapagos” tells the story of the end of civilization and the evolution (or devolution) of humanity into a form more in keeping with the environment.  The general premise is that it is humans and their big brains that are the root cause of what’s wrong with the world. The plot of this novel is fairly…

Wait for me

Let us walk together To the very end of the world Let us stand on the edge and see The vastness of eternity Only one can make the crossing So this is as far as I go And at the end all I can do Is hold your hand and whisper I am here You…

Review “The Outrage” (1964)

“The Outrage” is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon”, as a western. It follows the original story reasonably closely, and while it is not as good as “Rashomon” it does have a lot to recommend it. The story involves a crime, where a woman is raped and her husband killed. Difficulties arise at the trial,…