Post by AquarianM on Oct 19, 2003 at 1:29am

Searching For Cygnus:

 

Cold Red Mars receding,
Brilliant and alone,
For the moment ruling,
This land where the shadows won,
Peaceful in the darkness,
The stars, too, set in the West,
Up above the swan flies,
Hunter Orion always follows,
While princess Casseopia cries,
Jet lights way high flashing,
Crossing the Northern Cross,
Do they see my garage light go out?

Chill breezes,
Zippo-lit cigar,
Familiar click and scrape,
Rustling grass in the dark,
In the silence of the dark night,
I pull my jacket about me,
Trying to fit an October Universe,
Smoothly between the lines of a poem,
Sitting in this chair with coffee hot in one hand,
Every sound in town heightened,
Searching for Cygnus like a feast for my eyes,
As one more tobacco smoke ghost,
Coils silently around the corner,
And vanishes into the starry night.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 10/19/2003

Author's Comments:
Never lose your sense of wonder,
best savored at a deliciously slow pace.

Simple Brass:

Post by AquarianM on Oct 21, 2003 at 5:59am

Simple Brass:

The feel of it smooth in my hands,
The taste of reed in my mouth,
Some piece of life I abandoned far too long,
Battered and old,
Touches of green on gold I'll spend days,
Stressing to find the natural flow,
Remembering infancy and desperation to speak,
It's right as rain and hard as hell,
Wavering cracking squeaking,
Like a teenager trying to sing,
But none of that matters,
Not if I can strike a true note at will,
Someday I'll have different words,
The kind that don't push pictures,
But will break your heart and leave you loving it,
Simple brass but it gleams in spots,
One more bit of polish,
In every hard-earned breath.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 10/16/2003

Author's Comments:
A touch on picking back up a saxophone after
29 years.

Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to the universe.
Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls.
Loving words can work miracles.

The Goat Is Dead!

The Goat Is Dead!

I missed the night of Hailey's Comet,

Cloudy skies,

Was working instead.

I was asleep,

Last time the Eagles played,

No time off I was home in bed.

I've never seen,

The Pyramids of Egypt,

No trail to that ancient dusty land.

Never saw,

The space shuttle landing,

Not a single rocket take off.

But I was there,

Yes I was watching,

The night we learned the Billy Goat was dead.

The last time,

They couldn't announce it,

radio hadn't been invented yet.

Six-to-six,

In game seven,

Bottom of the ninth it went to ten.

Got rained out,

The tarp was over the field,

It dried up and on they played.

I was there,
Yes I was watching,
The night we learned the Billy Goat was dead.

2016,

The Cubs won the Series,

First time since 1908.

I missed the night of Hailey's Comet,
Cloudy skies,
Was working instead.

I was asleep,
Last time the Eagles played,
No time off I was home in bed.

I've never seen,
The Pyramids of Egypt,
No trail to that ancient dusty land.

Never saw,
The space shuttle landing,
Not a single rocket take off.

But I was there,
Yes I was watching,
The night we learned the Billy Goat was dead.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford

(C) 11-03-2016

Author's note:

The Billy Goat refers to a supposed curse on the Chicago Cubs imposed after they wouldn't allow the owner of the famous Billy Goat Tavern to bring his mascot on the field at Wrigley. This one is for you, Lenny "Pops" and Uncle John O'Hara - they waited their entire lives for the Cubs to win the series and missed it by two years. They passed within two weeks of each other in 2014.

The Goat Is Dead!

The Goat Is Dead!

I missed the night of Hailey's Comet,

Cloudy skies,

Was working instead.

I was asleep,

Last time the Eagles played,

No time off I was home in bed.

I've never seen,

The Pyramids of Egypt,

No trail to that ancient dusty land.

Never saw,

The space shuttle landing,

Not a single rocket take off.

But I was there,

Yes I was watching,

The night we learned the Billy Goat was dead.

The last time,

They couldn't announce it,

radio hadn't been invented yet.

Six-to-six,

In game seven,

Bottom of the ninth it went to ten.

Got rained out,

The tarp was over the field,

It dried up and on they played.

I was there,
Yes I was watching,
The night we learned the Billy Goat was dead.

2016,

The Cubs won the Series,

First time since 1908.

I missed the night of Hailey's Comet,
Cloudy skies,
Was working instead.

I was asleep,
Last time the Eagles played,
No time off I was home in bed.

I've never seen,
The Pyramids of Egypt,
No trail to that ancient dusty land.

Never saw,
The space shuttle landing,
Not a single rocket take off.

But I was there,
Yes I was watching,
The night we learned the Billy Goat was dead.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford

(C) 11-03-2016

Author's note:

The Billy Goat refers to a supposed curse on the Chicago Cubs imposed after they wouldn't allow the owner of the famous Billy Goat Tavern to bring his mascot on the field at Wrigley. This one is for you, Lenny "Pops" and Uncle John O'Hara - they waited their entire lives for the Cubs to win the series and missed it by two years. They passed within two weeks of each other in 2014.

The Family Muse:

Post by AquarianM on Sep 26, 2003 at 3:19pm

The Family Muse:

It's an interesting thing,
When you click "search".

Never knowing what you'll find,
Gifts throughout space and time,
Mysteries and revelations.

The greatest of them,
William the Giant,
He lived with her close day by day,
She leaned on his shoulder with tender golden whispers.

Kim the Giant's Heir,
Walking around his father's incredible ghost,
She brushes kisses on his ear in timely fashion,
And Princess Kit dances sweet moving the world,
Listening to Daddy's Love in timeless abandon and rhythm's power.

The Giant's brood are nuclear,
And the rest of us in the family quiet old TNT,
Lady Judith wanders with her hand in hand,
As they laugh a verse and lay down polished words,
And Dave Sinclair with our family in the midst gets some time,
Whiling away poor dear Norma catches whispers while doing time.

Paul Michael dances with her a jig or two,
Some day I'll see the sweet nothings she left him,
And Patrick P. remembers Lady Di under the gift of whispers,
Immortalizing the beautiful lost candle light in the hurricane,
And there she she danced a well deserved turn,
Yet Clay lies at her feet hearing bits in his dreams,
And David recorded WWII under the force of her gently driven breath.

Jorge is the Crossword Prince twisting out answers under her wing,
And Claire Ann has a subtle spirit of youth which colors her gift,
While Mr. Chris has a turn coming for a whisper soon we'll read,
James speaks to our souls and the twisted path we must walk straight,
As we never forget Simon be it fall upon the lake,
While Jana records the readings yet I bet she'll have her whisper day,
And Donna dash Skar translates January Rainbows and other rare golden delights,
And Barbara lends us pictures of the visions with the poetic way she illustrates.

Georgia Lynn brought us joy and sorrow,
Poor dear couldn't live even with the words,
But she took the time to speak with us before her leaving day,
And so the clan distant and scattered though we be,
She travels light at the speed of light,
A touch here and whisper there,
Busy busy busy but ever a tenacious delight,
The family muse lives on touching the quiet gentle hearts,
All these Staffords in literature and poetry.

What of me did you say,
I think she comes to me missing William,
Because she is often but I've yet to reach Fusion,
She is loving Earth and Sky and heart and cloud,
She led me to start watching over the family,
"Daniel A. please whisper prayers for them upon electric clouds."
My ear is always open to her,
Beautiful Lady Inspiration,
Dancing in papyrus piles and loads of feather quills,
Our dear sweet family Muse.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 09/26/2003

Author's Comments:
Thank you to Google.com, for what they had to say about "Poetry Stafford."

Last Edit: Sep 26, 2003 at 3:21pm by AquarianM

Words are the mind's bridge - it's connection to the universe.
Love is the heart's bridge - it's connection to all other souls.
Loving words can work miracles.

Infallible...

Post by AquarianM on Mar 9, 2005 at 12:20am

Infallible...

Some words spark wonder and amazement,
In placement around a human being,
Claiming to know the mind of God is one such statement.

Words on a page were not printed in holy water ink,
And the senses they were interpreted through are a pale translation,
No title of a man makes him greater than every other.

Love one another - that's as infallible as you'll ever be.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 03/09/2005

Rail Surfer...

Post by AquarianM on Apr 14, 2005 at 6:01am

Rail Surfer...

 

He comes into the car with a flashing smile,
Arms outstretched swayin' the track swing,
Thumbs up when he sees your ticket,
Morning sunlight under a Conductor's hat.

The whole train gets a dose of jolly,
He surfs from car to car with a grin,
Maybe the size of Texas somehow,
A soul shedding light with plenty to spare.

Hang ten my rail surfin' friend,
When I punch my ticket I'll remember,
Though that ride is far and whoever rides first,
I can walk below all this concrete chuckling.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 04/14/2005

Druids In A Modern Age - II:

Post by AquarianM on Apr 14, 2005 at 5:56am

Druids In A Modern Age - II:

 

Visions of ancient trees drive the mind,
Towering brown and green,
Tinges of yellow and red just touch leaves,
Rhythm as ancient as standing stones,
Visual mist breath on crystal white world,
Fade into warm rains and greensward.

We strive to connect through the concrete barriers,
Tarmac footsteps in rubber soles,
Looking at sun and moon and bird,
Trees by the houses but travel food in the cupboards,
Farmers are able to eat of their own dirt,
As long as they can hold it close and live.

Maybe tomorrow when the sun rises,
We'll remember that it's good to eat at home.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 04/04/2005

Sunset At The Station...

Post by AquarianM on Apr 14, 2005 at 5:58am

Sunset At The Station...

 

Sea gulls are swoopin' and callin',
I don't feel like a bat in the dark today,
Up with the sun and sleeping human.

After more than two years it feels great,
Sharp and alive and no slow wits,
The breeze is warm and the sky near cloudless,
Cars circling awaiting their exit.

People walking off the train in a burst of freedom,
I sit at the streetlight post writing the world,
Hello to its late evening and the sun is golden,
Spilling onto this page sublimely.

Can you see it pouring back out to you,
Making the shadow of my pen dance?

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 04/04/2005

What The Pear Tree Knows...

Post by AquarianM on Apr 18, 2005 at 8:01pm

What The Pear Tree Knows...

 

A week - maybe three,
Stately and proud covered in white flowers,
Tiny with little yellow centers,
They come in mid-Spring,
Each blossom a small universe of beauty,
Gracing the world in its brief season,
Then to fade away yellowed and withered.

They fall into the Earth never repeated,
Though many like them may follow,
Season after season in what to a blossom,
A semblance of eternity must surely be.

So long as the tree is nurtured,
Given clean rain and plenty of sunlight,
The cool of Fall and the cold of Winter,
No poisons in it's soil or air,
The blossoms will come before the leaves,
Season after season they will grow and fall.

Such is life on the Earth.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 04/18/2005

Whispers of Grace...

Post by AquarianM on Dec 4, 2004 at 8:47am

Whispers of Grace...

I see my universe as filled with joy,
I have faith and vision my needs are met,
All I desire in peace and harmony,
I am given faith and riches as is the Divine plan,
According to the law of spirit,
I see truth before me,
I am the wind,
Free,
Whole,
At peace,
In health,
In joy,
In wisdom,
Loving,
Kind,
Lucky,
Caring,
Intelligent,
Sovereign,
Blessed,
Guided by Divinity,
Intuitively receptive,
Filled with faith,
I stand upon the grace of God,
Claiming the life that is mine by Divine right,
My foundation of harmony and peace is unbreakable,
This is the tree and the root of my life,
That I may fulfill my part in the Divine plan.

© 12/04/2004 by Daniel A. Stafford

Christmas Quartet...

Post by AquarianM on Dec 24, 2004 at 3:52pm

Christmas Quartet...

 

*Note - Lightverse.com has been down closing on two years. The audio should be good, though.*

 

Calling All Snowflakes - 525kb MP3
Audio: www.whizzyrds.com/Calling_All_Snowflakes.mp3
Text:
www.lightverse.com/LightVerseDocLibrary/frmViewDocByID.asp?ID=5793

Snow Down - 932kb MP3
Audio: www.whizzyrds.com/Snow_Down.mp3
Text:
www.lightverse.com/LightVerseDocLibrary/frmViewDocByID.asp?ID=3775

The Electric Elf - 1.9mb MP3
Audio: www.whizzyrds.com/The_Electric_Elf.mp3
Text:
www.lightverse.com/LightVerseDocLibrary/frmViewDocByID.asp?ID=5623

Whissler's Paradise - 4.42mb MP3
Audio: www.whizzyrds.com/Whisslers_Paradise.mp3
Text:
www.lightverse.com/LightVerseDocLibrary/frmViewDocByID.asp?ID=5813

Merry Christmas!

Nightwalker...

Post by AquarianM on Oct 29, 2004 at 12:23pm

Nightwalker...

 

I close my eyes,
Transported in time and space,
Beyond the bounds of reality's rules,
I walk in the fields of dreams,
Close to the time of visions,
Believing something endless,
Awaiting trespassers,
Sprung like spiral steel.

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 10/29/2004

Jack Rabbit Man...

Post by AquarianM on Apr 14, 2005 at 6:00am

Jack Rabbit Man...

 

Six seventeen means six seventeen,
No matter how many school buses or trucks,
Riding behind a desperate honk,
Pop the cash in the parking machine or tow ya,
Still the horn blows and the wheels clank on time.

Huff and puff and plop in a seat,
People disapproving your breath noise,
Of course they never ran like a child,
"Wait for me, wait for me!!"

Six seventeen means six seventeen my son,
May the Universe bless you with swift feet,
Long legs and great lungs,
The beast of iron waits for no one.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 04/13/2005

A Soft White Miracle...

Post by AquarianM on Dec 28, 2004 at 2:28pm

A Soft White Miracle...

 

A simple write of slight import some might say,
Just a little tiny miracle upon Christmas Day,
Beautiful lights everywhere, everywhere,
Wonderful dinner and festive decorations,
Songs sweet and of good cheer,
Wishes for all the world to be able to share,
This is the Common Man's dream everywhere,
That we all might stand in peace and harmony and caring.

Outside it was the hush of a dark night upon Christmas Eve,
Stars twinkling bright and pretty in a clear sky,
Chill to near zero and breath rising in the only cloud to sky,
Grass bare all across the land,
The Weatherman said Santa would need wheels this year,
Nor a speck of white expected.

Three days of soft-spoken prayer,
Three days of asking God for just enough,
Three days of asking that it not take from another's due.

Who would answer this Christmas wish,
Weatherman or God?

There was a quarter inch by Christmas morning,
Grass peeking from under the blanket,
Soft flakes falling all day and all Christmas night,
Outside the decorated windows and covering the flat iced pond,
White upon the pine trees and bare oaks,
Millions of tiny flakes like Christmas lights under street lamps.

God spoke softly in 2004 my friends,
We should all just listen.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 12/28/2004

Author's Comments:
Every word of this is true. There was to be no snow. I prayed for three days. There was snow.

Opalescent Aquamarine...

Post by AquarianM on Jan 9, 2005 at 6:38pm

Opalescent Aquamarine...

A soft color reminiscent of sea foam,
Gilt with gold-flecked froth and warm as summer rain,
Just as cool as perfection while I float in it's effervescent hue.

Vision of smooth pastel translucence...

I would wear it in a jewel or paint it delicately upon my walls,
Here within my heart I swim in it's incredible peaceful beauty,
I feel the Earth's embrace upon seeing that color.

Warm sands of time washed within it...

Like returning to a tidal pool in a primordial time,
This color is the next to embrace the subconscious of the world,
A gentle persistent splash of healing and clear knowledge.

The ultimate color of teeming life...

The color of unconditional love,
Unending yet always quenched thirst to know,
It is my gently rolling spiritual sea.



AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 01/09/2005

Thrivin' 2005!

Post by AquarianM on Dec 31, 2004 at 4:49pm

Thrivin' 2005!

 

The air is charged with expectation,
Wonder at what might be,
Liquid silver future,
Shimmering...about to take shape.

What vision lands,
It's all in what we see,
Before the clock strikes twelve we reminisce,
Remember all the vanished ones.

As the fateful tick tocks,
The lights go brightly high into the new night,
Cheers and wide open possibility,
Infinite maybe vastly before us.

Let us walk across the threshold of time,
Carrying only visions of joy in our hearts,
As we become what is still to be...

What we choose we will see.

AquarianM

© 12/31/2004 By Daniel A. Stafford

The Great Pumpkin Is Real...

The Great Pumpkin Is Real...

I saw it in plain sight,
It was three hundred pounds,
No joke,
No boast,
The Great Pumpkin landed in our front yard.

Funny thing,
He always had his back to us,
In daylight that is,
Wouldn't show his face,
Not to a single ghoul,
Ghost,
Goblin,
Skeleton,
Vampire,
Nor witch.

No magic was powerful enough,
Not even when the veil was thin,
Not until kissed by the rays of Harvest Moon,
For at night that Great Pumpkin,
He came alive!

I heard his secret late one Halloween night,
Long after children were abed,
Thrashing in candy throes,
Trying desperately to sleep.

"I believe in Linus you see,
I must visit a different pumpkin patch each year,
For some day,
There will be a little boy,
With a blanket and a girl,
It will be up to me to save her faith."

I wish I could believe in the Amazing Linus,
Who could make a toy piano sound like Mozart,
With one thumb still in his mouth.

I hope the Great Pumpkin finds him someday,
Only to save her faith.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C) 10/25/2016

Grasshopper Tracks...

Post by AquarianM on Mar 4, 2005 at 2:12am

Grasshopper Tracks...

Hot and sunshine beaten,
The grass is tall over our heads,
Wandering along the rusted rails and timbers,
Grasshoppers bouncing off our ankles step by step.

Sneakers tied tight over tube socks,
Birds were flying over and perching on wires,
I remember the oil-browned poles with blue and white glass insulators,
How the wires could sing at times the birds grew wary.

Garter snakes slithered off into the grass harmless,
Pocket compass and toy binoculars,
What kinds and colors of stones best fill your pockets,
Footpads in bicycle world with un-wound watches.

Wade through the pricker bushes pulling burrs out of socks,
Climbing trees for a lookout or to stare down clouds,
It was a lucky day when the trail ended in watermelon slices on the porch,
And hide 'n seek was the show for the night by lightning bug lights.

July had just started and tomorrow was the lake,
Corn on the cob and hot dogs with lemonade,
Digging up clams from the mud and getting dog-shake splattered,
Grasshoppers bouncing off our ankles step by step.

I wish I could burn THAT in a board with a magnifying glass.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 03/04/2005

A Single Voice...

Post by AquarianM on Jan 5, 2005 at 4:57pm

A Single Voice...

 

Will there be a sound,
The peal of thunder is just upon the verge,
Lightning flashing all about,
The cracked bell tolling wildly in the gale,
Ghosts swarm the harbor and ride a swift steed,
All about the East headstones twitch and Earth rumbles,
Spinning, spinning so that smoke rises,
Amidst the falling snow,
Shall we hear a single voice?

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
© 01/05/2005