Midnight Sonata

Ought the sunlight touch thee, 'ere breath of life escapes;
from whither come the forward pace, 'ore dusk's dark mantled breast.

'Tis on the grave horizon, love lingers there for thee;
yet whilst thou moral conscious weeps, behold the crimson crest!

A victory awaits thee, apart from thine own soul;
and slumber doth escape thee, as the ground berates thine feet.

Abroad the hills the shadows call, 'tis time for thee to come;
The wind doth whisper, beckons, pleads, forget that which thou seek.

Aye, there upon the mountainous ridge, a lark betrays his song;
drawing deep, the night surrounds, embrace the ancient desire.

The hours gone, thy brow inclined, drenched in pity's woe;
To stand alone not realized, thy love is what thou longs.

Atop the foreign peak thou stands, awaiting dawn's caress;
when midnight strokes the strings of night, creation seizes thy soul;

Beauty all around thee glows, cascades to heights unknown;
the last midnight sonata, thine heart's true love doth hold.

Copyright 2004-2008 CZF

Apathy

Blood on fire,
Choose your sin.
Acid rain,
Betray your twin.
Universal hatred now,
Murder for the ultimate power.

Where's the love we used to see,
When all I see is the blind man bleed?
Lying on the street in pain,
Walk away and know no shame.

Do you feel the atmosphere,
Bitter, growing cold?
Extinction for the knowing grace,
The greatest conflict of your soul.

Playing games of truth or dare,
Watch the sparrow fly.
Round and round, the sky comes down,
Now set the dial on live or die.

Will the consciousness of man,
Sit back and start to fade?
Will we realize the price,
Of threats and vows we've made?

Is the end sometime near,
Or will we even know?
There's nowhere left to run or hide,
Sit back and watch it blow.

Copyright 1985-2008 CZF

I wrote this many years ago, before Steven King's infamous book and movie. My brother, JD Nash, changed it a bit and recorded it as a song on his last CD. Needless to say, I was very proud that he included my work!


Tommy Knockers

1, 2, 3, 4 Tommyknockers at my door.
Knocking softly can't you hear,
Mama says there's no one near.

5, 6, 7, 8 Home alone 'cause Daddy's late.
Knocking, knocking listen close,
They say there's no such thing as ghosts.

9, 10 Let them in,
Mama, please don't let them in.

Bedtime's here the nightlight's on, I'm still scared of the dark.
Mary Poppins took a walk and got mugged in the park.
Footsteps coming down the hall, Mama is that you?
The ugly duckling swam too close and go caught in a noose.

Mama says to go to sleep, there's no one in my room,
Mary had a little lamb and ate it after school.
Tommyknockers at my door, coming after me,
The wolf ate up Red Riding Hood 'cause she would not believe.

Ring around the rosy, your little sister's nosey,
Wish her away to goblin land, a bloody vase of posies.
Daddy's home but he don't care, make a coat from Baby Bear.
Mother Goose for Christmas Day, Mama help me, I'm so scared.

Tommyknockers at my door, now they're coming in,
Jack and Jill went up the hill and guess who pushed them in?
Now I'm gone and no one cares, Mama come and see,
Tom Thumb's dead, they stepped on him, why wouldn't you believe?

1, 2, 3, 4 Tommyknockers at my door.
5,6, 7, 8 Home alone 'cause Daddy's late.
9, 10 Let them in,
Mama why'd you let them in?

8, 7, 6, 5 Tommyknockers they're alive.
4, 3, 2, 1 Out to get another one.

Copyright 1986-2008 CZF

Heathen

As a child, I heard my grandfather whisper to me through the wind.

I felt my mother's kiss on the gentle blades of grass.

I heard my grandmother singing in the ripples of the stream.

I heard my father's laugh, in thunder from the storm.

As a young woman, I heard my children's songs in the birds that flew above me.

I smelled my mother's sweet breath, from the flower at my feet.

I felt my father's arms about me from the sun's strong rays.

I felt my grandfather's love, in the air that caressed my cheeks.

As an old woman, I heard the laughter of my grandchildren, in each pebble thrown into the pond.

I saw my mother's breasts in the hills around me and long to hear her heartbeat once more.

I saw the twinkle of my father's eyes in each moonlit night.

I felt my ancestors' presence in each tiny movement of the wind.

As I lay to die, I remember my life and those who have given me cause to live.

And in each moment, I felt Creator's gifts of love, humility, peace, and even pain.

For every moment, I gave thanks.

And as I cross, one thing confounds me yet...

For these things in my life, I am called "heathen."

2003

Copyright 2003-2008 CZF

Life

Don’t let a little life get in the way of living.
Mortality’s certain, time cruel, unforgiving.
Sure as the winter comes due before spring,
The essence of being is your song to sing.

Stagnated or boisterous, the balance is frail,
The memories you leave long narrate your tale.
Follow the paths if you fear the unknown,
Or follow the wind that will always lead home.

An overturned pebble or leaf on the breeze,
Behold the soft daring embrace of the trees.
A lullaby’s daring clandestine device,
Steadfast but a moment so quick to entice.

But what of the many who drone on the way,
Deny the adventure, too frightened to stray.
A mundane survival, no chances no cost,
Each moment the same, each likely memory lost.

Life’s dream is but fleeting in one moment gone,
Awakening visions too precious to pawn.
Choices to make between life and existing,
Just drudging along or mightily persisting.

Eternity beckons with each blink of an eye,
The path or the wind, each dance ‘til you die.
So don’t let a little life get in the way of living,
For mortality’s certain, time cruel, unforgiving.

Copyright 2007-2008 CZF

Discovery

The road is over, I guess it's time to fly;
The only reason is to be, the only unspeakable is the question why.
I found myself at this road's end, even though I ran away;
And the blackness that I created, gave me the gift of clay.
I guess it's time to fly my friend, I know now it never mattered;
A new beginning is at the end, fresh dreams arise from the shattered.
My feet no longer affixed to the earth, a prisoner of passion;
My prison took the way of all flesh, but in your eyes I witnessed my birth.
So if you walk your path my friend, I know it's dark and long;
Trade the dagger at your heart, for your self-discovered song.


Copyright CZF 1988-2008

Honor

Blood runs thick, tradition bleeds strong,
There's a fine line that separates, want from belong.
The sky holds infinity, our souls hold the same,
To look past the indifference, to search for a name.

The bark of the tree and the leaves high above,
Hold the history of man, sing the meaning of love.
A century of speaking, a century of grace,
Do you bother to listen, to eternity's place?

The rabbit the squirrel, the fox and the bear,
The raccoon and skunk, the eagle's high lair.
The hawk and the wolf, they all sing the same,
They call out to know, what is your true name?

The ancestors watch, with tears in their hearts,
Generations to come, when did it all start?
The blood stained emotions that cry from within,
The years of near genocide, apathy it's twin.

Who are my relations, you ask with a frown,
All that exists, what you don't see around.
Sanctioned with stewardship, never control,
To care for, protect, to harbor, to hold.

As you stand proud in your blind concrete cage,
You can't see beyond, your greed and your rage.
You can't see the blood that seeps from the years,
You can't see the pain in your own Grandchild's tears.

Prosperity, progress, technology reigns,
Prejudice, racism it all sounds the same.
You can't see your future, as you turn around,
When seven generations, burn in the ground.

What will you do when your history's gone,
What will you do when you cannot belong?
What will you do when the trees and the birds,
Turn a deaf ear and you're no longer heard?

Look around now, while you've got the chance,
Existance is fleeting, and so is your dance.
Honor your ancestors, honor the Earth,
Honor your children, and their future births.

Honor the past and the future the same,
Honor your relatives, remember their names.
Sing songs of memory for those who have gone,
And someday your memory, will too be a song.

Copyright 2004-2008 CZF

Eternity Relived

Distant cries solve distant fears, while present lies remain;
Fortune fades on those who wait, while bitterness taints the sane.
Whispers fall beyond the past, while songs are sung today;
Frightened memories peek about, while prejudice swoons and sways.
Promises dealt left and right, while jesters lie in wait;
To trump the king and queen of hearts, while deuces seek their fate.
Beyond the dreams a nighthawk flies, while tempting destiny;
As lost loves waste into the dawn, while forging eternity

Copyright 2006-2008 CZF

Eternity

There's a full moon in the sky tonight,
I remember how the firelight danced within your eyes.
The ground is glazed with dew,
I'm lonely and missing you.

The autumn night whispers your name on the wind,
within my resurrection, this existence seems so unclear.
Where you only my lover,
or my true beloved friend.

A drop of rain falls upon my face,
reminiscent of the tears that I cried a lifetime before.
A pledge of sorrow,
for those I have yet to weep.

The ocean breeze blinds my eyes, is that you standing there?
Joyous fear envelopes my heart as I cry out your name.
Yet wait, you have been gone forever,
you cannot be here.

At my feet a tiny fish lay dying, haunted longing within its eyes,
a longing I could not bear to satisfy.
A plea for eternity,
even as I cast it back into the sea.

The same so very long ago, in your eyes as you escaped me to die.
Was that my name? It all seems so familiar, is that your voice I hear?
How can it be,
when you are not yet of this now?

You exist only in my death, a flitting thought of a love so dear.
So tenderly is my name caressed, I turn but not a soul stands by.
Truly your voice,
but how?

Have I mistaken my own reality?
When there in the surface, as a wave touches the sky,
I see the firelight dancing within,
The lifelessness of your eyes.

Copyright 1990-2008 CZF

And this was in response to my poem, "Death's Retort to John Donne."


Death, For Thou Hast Died

Pitiful death, confusion doth taunt thee;
can'st thou not comprehend the spirit realm?

Should thou banter with thine own fear;
for knowest thou not, this soothing balm.

Tho' thy sickness gnarls and pains, flesh may wither and weep;
and thy wings of dark doth frail body embrace.

Apart mine soul from rotting birth, thy poison cannot grasp;
for'ere doth breathe this breath of life, death's nectar ne'er to taste.

Death I do but pity thee, for power o're me hast not;
'tis love, pure love that beckons me, and touch me thou cannot.

Copyright 2004-2008 CZF

I wrote this in response to John Donne's "Death, Be Not Proud..."


Death’s Retort To John Donne

So thou tell me, be not proud, for 'tis I have been called,
Might and dreadful thou claimest not, 'til thou shalt feel mine scald.
For 'tis thine life I overthrow, wilt one day thou be mine,
Die not will I, though thou shalt fall, thy soul beneath my brine.
No rest, nor sleep, no mercy then, from me to thee wilt flow,
The best of men, include with thou, for all to me shalt go.
Thou laugh to beg deliverance, no bones shall rest for thee,
And thou to be my slave for'ere, eternity with me.
With poison, war, and sickness strike, thou prayers to go unheard,
Disdainful poppies, charms, or butterflies, vile bitterness unfurled.
Take task for thine embezzled soul, that swellest now with ire,
Deny thou may, for when thou wakes, 'tis death shalt thee desire.
Short sleep past, eternal wake, in peace thou shalt not lie,
For death dear one, shall always be, 'tis thou o' mortal shalt die.

Copyright 2004-2008 CZF

Another morning of driving to school...

Experiencing Creation

Something so simple... the moon.

Nearly full, it illuminated the sky with a shimmering tawny color. The differences in the hues were barely noticeable, but they seemed to radiate from their host causing the stars around it to glisten even more.

Listening to the soft drone of the engine, I gazed mindlessly as the road twisted and turned, watching the moon dance in front of me and then behind me. Heading south the moon was to the west of me; one minute it was there and the next, hiding behind some tree or hill, it's glow unveiling its secret smiles.

As the morning sun was awakening in the Eastern horizon, with the whispers of crimson and ginger, the streaks of night black, and the little clouds that race through the bold strands of new light, making every morning excursion, worth the time and endeavor.

Still high in the Western sky, the moon continued to accompany this weary, solemn traveler. A subtle fawn, it's rays still guided the way, as if waiting for the sun to finish rising… just for me.

Filled with astonishment and astounded, both the sun and the moon were visible in the same sleepy sky, illuminated in bold grandeur, with tender murmurs of what was yet to come. A delicate vision of all creation, waking and sleeping, saying hello and goodbye... just for me.

As the moon was just slipping below the Western horizon, it looked as if it were afire. Waves of color seemed to flow from it, like molten bullion. Almost saddened, the last hint of my companion slipped behind the snow covered prairie hills, glistening with the first light of day and being kissed goodnight by the last light of night.

Copyright 2003-2008 CZF

I wrote this in 2003 after yet another morning on the way to school. I drove an hour each way, five days a week in all types of weather. During the winter, the roads could be beyond hazardous, especially with ice storms. I lived in Topeka, KS at the time and was going to school in Emporia, KS.


My Day

The morning air stung bitterly cold, searing exposed flesh and shaking the spirit. The snow wet, the sky dim and dreary. A rare gift was being presented, to experience the morning's awakening and in turn, experience the environment in all its simplistic glory.

With a tiny hint of the sunrise, a diminutive cluster of forlorn snowflakes fluttered down as this lonely traveler went her way.

The trees stood against the prairie wind rigid against the assault of winter. They seem to shiver though, with life not visibly seen. The muted light of the sun, hidden behind the snow clouds, fell upon the barren limbs of the trees, gratefully embracing light of the Creator.

Through the night, the snow had settled on each branch of each tree, separating the dark of the sleeping bark from the white of the snow, highlighted against the gray morning backdrop. Each tiny limb, blushed with just enough radiance to make it appear swathed in glittering silk. Below their reach, wisps of white on each fence wire and upon each fence post, a pure white cap. Blades of prairie grass gingerly lean, peeking their heads from the snow... just to welcome the new day.

Like an apparition from beyond, a swirling cloud descended from a tree, revealing two quivering hawks, leaning together in warmth and protection.

The mysterious beauty of the open prairie blanketed in virgin snow pure and white, unmolested by the wind or hunting paws... just a blanket of beauty. Here and there, evergreen bushes were scattered about, bejeweled with snowcaps on the tips of their branches. But the prairie; it shimmered and glistened, like an ocean of diamonds. Just enough sunlight had escaped the clouds to bathe the horizon in a shower of absolute perfection. Tiny sparkles seemed to leap from the ground, to kiss the last star goodnight.

And there they were. Like a childhood fairy tale, a family of deer was running across the meadow. Almost a dream, it seemed their feet never touched the ground. Gracious and delicate, they appeared to glide over the snow, causing it to burst into the air behind them. As the snow rose, it caught the sunlight in the prisms of it's points and all the colors of Creation, danced in the air, then slowly... as if breathed by the very mouth of the Creator, they gently settled back to the prairie, awaiting another adventure.

Streaks of blue and gray in the sky, some not quite awake, not yet touched by the breath of ecstasy, but rather waiting... tired, weak, and weary.

Some clouds were beginning to turn white, absorbing the sun's breaking rays... warming, growing... but still, waiting.

But those few in the eastern sky... amidst the gray, the gloom, and the dim... didn't bother to wait. Rushing forth, diving into the explosion of the morning's birth, drinking in every imaginable color and hue, radiating the glory of the new day.

Gifts so generously accessible, if the heart is enlightened enough to entertain the infinite.

Copyright 2003-2008 CZF

The Service

A beaming morning ray, yawns through the silent opaque windows.
Stained glass prisms glistening upon the pews,
await the awakening of souls.
Whispers of times long past, songs of praise, and prayers of peace,
still linger upon the minute particles of dust.
Giggles of gleeful children, shushing mothers,
scents of grandmothers and sleepy old men.
Shadows falter, anticipating the Presence,
seeking peace, and longing for warmth.
A weathered shingle, a battered door, a moment of rest,
welcoming those who will come.
Sleepy eyes, frigid cheeks, mittened hands, and bonnets bound.
Jackets and ties, a pat on the back,
hands grasped in ancient love and friendship.
A single note bellows from the old pipe organ,
heads bow in reverence and joy, fellowship has begun.
As the wind blows softly, voices are raised,
as the ashes slowly settle to the ground.
Voices from long ago, hearts tied dear,
fellowship, worship and praise, strong ties that bind.
On a still winter day, from centuries long gone,
the congregation again joins as one.

Copyright CZF 2004-2008.

It was suggested to me last night, that I place all of my writings in one thread so they would be easier to find and take up less forum space.

So, for those of you who commented on my work, thank you all so much and I hope you'll continue reading!

Granted, most what I'm placing here today, is a repeat of what I posted last night, so they're all in one place.

Peace to all!

Honor

Blood runs thick, tradition bleeds strong,
There's a fine line that separates, want from belong.
The sky holds infinity, our souls hold the same,
To look past the indifference, to search for a name.

The bark of the tree and the leaves high above,
Hold the history of man, sing the meaning of love.
A century of speaking, a century of grace,
Do you bother to listen, to eternity's place?

The rabbit the squirrel, the fox and the bear,
The raccoon and skunk, the eagle's high lair.
The hawk and the wolf, they all sing the same,
They call out to know, what is your true name?

The ancestors watch, with tears in their hearts,
Generations to come, when did it all start?
The blood stained emotions that cry from within,
The years of near genocide, apathy it's twin.

Who are my relations, you ask with a frown,
All that exists, what you don't see around.
Sanctioned with stewardship, never control,
To care for, protect, to harbor, to hold.

As you stand proud in your blind concrete cage,
You can't see beyond, your greed and your rage.
You can't see the blood that seeps from the years,
You can't see the pain in your own Grandchild's tears.

Prosperity, progress, technology reigns,
Prejudice, racism it all sounds the same.
You can't see your future, as you turn around,
When seven generations, burn in the ground.

What will you do when your history's gone,
What will you do when you cannot belong?
What will you do when the trees and the birds,
Turn a deaf ear and you're no longer heard?

Look around now, while you've got the chance,
Existance is fleeting, and so is your dance.
Honor your ancestors, honor the Earth,
Honor your children, and their future births.

Honor the past and the future the same,
Honor your relatives, remember their names.
Sing songs of memory for those who have gone,
And someday your memory, will too be a song.

Copyright 2004-2008 CZF

Eternity Relived

Distant cries solve distant fears, while present lies remain;
Fortune fades on those who wait, while bitterness taints the sane.
Whispers fall beyond the past, while songs are sung today;
Frightened memories peek about, while prejudice swoons and sways.
Promises dealt left and right, while jesters lie in wait;
To trump the king and queen of hearts, while deuces seek their fate.
Beyond the dreams a nighthawk flies, while tempting destiny;
As lost loves waste into the dawn, while forging eternity

Copyright 2006-2008 CZF

Eternity

There's a full moon in the sky tonight,
I remember how the firelight danced within your eyes.
The ground is glazed with dew,
I'm lonely and missing you.

The autumn night whispers your name on the wind,
within my resurrection, this existence seems so unclear.
Where you only my lover,
or my true beloved friend.

A drop of rain falls upon my face,
reminiscent of the tears that I cried a lifetime before.
A pledge of sorrow,
for those I have yet to weep.

The ocean breeze blinds my eyes, is that you standing there?
Joyous fear envelopes my heart as I cry out your name.
Yet wait, you have been gone forever,
you cannot be here.

At my feet a tiny fish lay dying, haunted longing within its eyes,
a longing I could not bear to satisfy.
A plea for eternity,
even as I cast it back into the sea.

The same so very long ago, in your eyes as you escaped me to die.
Was that my name? It all seems so familiar, is that your voice I hear?
How can it be,
when you are not yet of this now?

You exist only in my death, a flitting thought of a love so dear.
So tenderly is my name caressed, I turn but not a soul stands by.
Truly your voice,
but how?

Have I mistaken my own reality?
When there in the surface, as a wave touches the sky,
I see the firelight dancing within,
The lifelessness of your eyes.

Copyright 1990-2008 CZF

Another morning of driving to school...

Experiencing Creation

Something so simple... the moon.

Nearly full, it illuminated the sky with a shimmering tawny color. The differences in the hues were barely noticeable, but they seemed to radiate from their host causing the stars around it to glisten even more.

Listening to the soft drone of the engine, I gazed mindlessly as the road twisted and turned, watching the moon dance in front of me and then behind me. Heading south the moon was to the west of me; one minute it was there and the next, hiding behind some tree or hill, it's glow unveiling its secret smiles.

As the morning sun was awakening in the Eastern horizon, with the whispers of crimson and ginger, the streaks of night black, and the little clouds that race through the bold strands of new light, making every morning excursion, worth the time and endeavor.

Still high in the Western sky, the moon continued to accompany this weary, solemn traveler. A subtle fawn, it's rays still guided the way, as if waiting for the sun to finish rising… just for me.

Filled with astonishment and astounded, both the sun and the moon were visible in the same sleepy sky, illuminated in bold grandeur, with tender murmurs of what was yet to come. A delicate vision of all creation, waking and sleeping, saying hello and goodbye... just for me.

As the moon was just slipping below the Western horizon, it looked as if it were afire. Waves of color seemed to flow from it, like molten bullion. Almost saddened, the last hint of my companion slipped behind the snow covered prairie hills, glistening with the first light of day and being kissed goodnight by the last light of night.

Copyright 2003-2008 CZF

I wrote this in 2003 after yet another morning on the way to school. I drove an hour each way, five days a week in all types of weather. During the winter, the roads could be beyond hazardous, especially with ice storms. I lived in Topeka, KS at the time and was going to school in Emporia, KS.


My Day

The morning air stung bitterly cold, searing exposed flesh and shaking the spirit. The snow wet, the sky dim and dreary. A rare gift was being presented, to experience the morning's awakening and in turn, experience the environment in all its simplistic glory.

With a tiny hint of the sunrise, a diminutive cluster of forlorn snowflakes fluttered down as this lonely traveler went her way.

The trees stood against the prairie wind rigid against the assault of winter. They seem to shiver though, with life not visibly seen. The muted light of the sun, hidden behind the snow clouds, fell upon the barren limbs of the trees, gratefully embracing light of the Creator.

Through the night, the snow had settled on each branch of each tree, separating the dark of the sleeping bark from the white of the snow, highlighted against the gray morning backdrop. Each tiny limb, blushed with just enough radiance to make it appear swathed in glittering silk. Below their reach, wisps of white on each fence wire and upon each fence post, a pure white cap. Blades of prairie grass gingerly lean, peeking their heads from the snow... just to welcome the new day.

Like an apparition from beyond, a swirling cloud descended from a tree, revealing two quivering hawks, leaning together in warmth and protection.

The mysterious beauty of the open prairie blanketed in virgin snow pure and white, unmolested by the wind or hunting paws... just a blanket of beauty. Here and there, evergreen bushes were scattered about, bejeweled with snowcaps on the tips of their branches. But the prairie; it shimmered and glistened, like an ocean of diamonds. Just enough sunlight had escaped the clouds to bathe the horizon in a shower of absolute perfection. Tiny sparkles seemed to leap from the ground, to kiss the last star goodnight.

And there they were. Like a childhood fairy tale, a family of deer was running across the meadow. Almost a dream, it seemed their feet never touched the ground. Gracious and delicate, they appeared to glide over the snow, causing it to burst into the air behind them. As the snow rose, it caught the sunlight in the prisms of it's points and all the colors of Creation, danced in the air, then slowly... as if breathed by the very mouth of the Creator, they gently settled back to the prairie, awaiting another adventure.

Streaks of blue and gray in the sky, some not quite awake, not yet touched by the breath of ecstasy, but rather waiting... tired, weak, and weary.

Some clouds were beginning to turn white, absorbing the sun's breaking rays... warming, growing... but still, waiting.

But those few in the eastern sky... amidst the gray, the gloom, and the dim... didn't bother to wait. Rushing forth, diving into the explosion of the morning's birth, drinking in every imaginable color and hue, radiating the glory of the new day.

Gifts so generously accessible, if the heart is enlightened enough to entertain the infinite.

Copyright 2003-2008 CZF