wake up
wake up
come to the surface of this soil
see what you have not been able to see under all those dirty stories
understand that you’ve been misled and deceived

and yes, you sometimes participated in the deception

wake up, for the sake of the children, wake up
you say you care
I believe you
and I believe you’ve forgotten what that means… to care.
Caring is not a newspaper thrown on someone’s front lawn from very far away
while riding your bike in your personal neighborhood
Caring is riding into their neighborhood, getting off your bike,
and tending to their garden.

Wake up and rise to the surface of this soil.

~juan marcos

gentle winds
sing
they sang on the day you were born
and they sing
following you around
to all the places you travel
may you travel
to those places
that delight you the most

the wind wants to be there too

~juan marcos

© copyright 2014

In the beginning there was nothing.
Nothing was hungry, and so it ate nothing.
Now nothing was full, and felt sleepy.
It wanted to press its back against something and rest,
and so it leaned back against nothing.
And since nothing was there it fell and fell and fell,
until it landed here on the dance floor.
So tonight I got to dance with Nothing.
It was so sweet.

~juan marcos

© copyright 2014

dancing around the sun we go

delight the earth bare feet and toe

blessings to beings above below

your life a gift to all who know

~juan marcos

What is the payoff
for keeping this old robe?
the tinges, the tingles
from this Polaroid ?
the oven is waiting
Fresh dough is rising
The full moon is coming and waxing

We are creatures of water,
and we listen to the push and the pull.

The pack of matches is in your pocket.
The mixing bowl chats with the wooden spoon on the counter top.
And the delivery falcon left a box of spices on your windowsill.

~juan marcos

last night
i had the most interesting dream.
in it
i was six years old
in a national spelling bee.
genius
complex words….
duodenum….
serendipity…..
floccinaucinihilipilification
.
up until the final round
one word between me and victory
the spell master clears his throat
young man your word is father
the crowd began to chatter amongst themselves
seemingly displeased
at the simplicity of this final word
i searched for those eyes
those eyes that say
“every things going to be ok. just do it”
i dazed off
young man!
your word is father
i stood up straight, licked my lips and began
father, m-o-t-h-e-r, father…
the spell master looks at me,
down at his flash card,
back up at me
“sorry but you are incorrect”
i don’t understand
my fathers sitting right in the audience
“excuse me?’
” i am sorry son but you are incorrect”
well then
you can save your sorry apologies
because you must mean “in-correct”
as in within the parameters of being right.
let me explain something to you
cuz obviously you aint grow up
where poppas are rolling stones
down the hills of women’s backsides
and when he’s gone
all he’s left us
was alone
where minstrel men stroll around on bikes
while fathers balanced their menstrual,
2 jobs,
2 kids
and a life
on a unicycle
and it looks something like this:
breastfeeding on one arm
phone on the shoulder
cooking with the other arm
cleaning with one leg
tying sneakers with their teeth
young fathers
who make mistakes
because we are not all perfect
but the one mistake they never make
is abandoning their seeds
u see fathers
are master gardeners
they tend to every leaf
removing the weeds
placing us in the windows of opportunity
so that we can lean towards the sun
and never forget that the sky is the limit
planting kisses on our cheeks
hugs on our backs
growing their love on us
the best way they know how
like my father
my father, sacrificed owning nothing,
that i may have everything
my father, walked a daily nightmare
so that i may live out my dreams
my father watered me
with blood sweat and tears
so that i may be ripe
for the harvest
and i hope that one day
i can grow up to be as great a father
as she was for me
you did not ask me spell deadbeat sir…
but if you want dead beat here it is:
f-a-t-h-e-r, d-a-d,d-a-d-d-y,p-o-p
p-o-p-s, if you want the slang
you asked me to spell father
and father is,
always has been
and always will be spelled
m-o-t-h-e-r
so get your encyclopedias,
show me your flash cards
open your dictionary
cuz what webster says
means nothing around here
around here,
my father is sitting right there…
and i love her

http://www.upworthy.com/watch-this-guy-totally-misspell-father-at-a-spelling-bee-for-a-totally-beautiful-reason

today
hot shirt on skin
voices in halls, in rooms
gettin’ things done
looking at blue of sky
wind from above, a vent

time to Be.
time to walk.
remember to breathe…   Deeply.

~jme