24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
Eternal life is given through faith
The promise of heaven
A hope of being reunited with loved ones
And eternal fellowship with God
Meeting those who have gone before
People who walked this earth
Since the beginning of time
And also those who will come after us
Spending all of time as we know it
At the throne of the Savior
Singing praises to the most high
In gratitude and humility
These were the shoes
I bought with the first paycheck
Of my first full-time job
Even as they get old
And fall into disrepair
I still keep them
And occasionally wear them
My badge of honor
I should get a shadow box
And memorialize
This moment of celebratory materialism
The day I bought my first and last pair
Of orange shoes
With Boston terriers on them
Hi, hello, how are you?
Pardon me, excuse me, let me get through!
Ma! Ma! Why is the sky blue?
Ah! No, no, no, stop stepping on my shoes!
My battery is dead!
James, stop biting on the pencil’s lead!
Those two are newly weds!
Look at all those people’s heads!
Oh! Look! Free coupons!
Oh dear, I think I left the oven on!
What are protons and neutrons?
I think I just saw a trumpeter swan!
Why are all these people talking?
I think I just saw one guy sleep walking?
Look at the childish kid mocking!
How many hours am I clocking!
Mobius Strip
Moby, if you show me yours,
I promise to show you mine…?
I should have expected a
One-sided affair…
©Ardelle Hollis Ray
It use to rub me
like vapor rub
the wrong way
and I would
break out in hives
when someone
would ask me
why don’t you settle down
this type of living
brings me clarity
as it does community
but sometimes
I want to settle
this wandering soul
and build my own
place, call it home
and plant a garden
full of vegetables
and herbs
but staying in one place
would rack my last
nerve, so I move
on, from place to place
and job to job
a good person
who doesn’t steal, cheat, or rob
but no one cares
when you don’t have
a piece of the American dream
I’m just seeking the peace
of mind, if you know what I mean
why do folks have to be so mean
it seems that what I eat makes
them poop
and where I lay my head
at night, is where they rest and recoup
I enjoy seeing new cultures
and communities on my travels
hitting the highway, the railways
the airways, no matter what
I don’t play in the gravel
of complaining
I enjoy the sun shining
as much as I do the raining
because I know each
day life is alright
and every time I lay my
head down at night
I’m tucked in a warm bed
a roof over my head
and I know it’s already been
said
that it doesn’t belong to me
but I have my
home of joy and sanity
which you can’t buy anywhere
these days
so i’ll put on my traveling shoes
and enjoy my Nomad ways
FJ original 2016
The Night is for Sleeping
The death watches creeping
No sugar plum fairies dancing in my head
Because all I want
Is to go to bed.
The night is for sleeping
Or so I was told
But my parents are still up
And so is my mind
Everything warps past me,
Everyone dreams by
Because the night is
Still for sleeping,
But truly it doesn’t matter why.
Parties, scheming, out right creeping
None of those things
The night is for sleeping
Get up early to maximize your day
Turn in early
Make your stress go away
Soft blanket for cuddling
With a fuzzy inside.
Stuffed animals to protect from the cold wall.
A squishy pillow to rest my head.
A nice soft mattress to bring it all together.
I grew up on this mattress.
It moved up and down.
From top bunk to regular bed
And back and over again.
Now it’s stuck as a regular bed.
I took it from my parents,
And removed it from its fellows.
Never again will it stack up high.
Over the years,
My bed has changed.
New blankets, new sheets,
And new stuffed animals.
But it has always been my bed.
