THE GHOSTS OF NEW YORK

I've been invigorated thinking of the World's possibilities
I've been in awe of America's resiliency
I've been admiring a City's determination
I've been touched by People's generosity

        That ineffable Tuesday,
        On the 11th of September;
        The indelible images
        Which haunt,
        Which speak of the ghastly
        An invariable depiction, now and again

Perplexed by the puzzling perspective
Having to ascertain such guile looms
Striving to uphold our mostly magnanimous ways
Having to swaddle the most insidious of wounds

       The towering birds of prey;
       Their wings clipped,
       An ill-fated descent,
       Toppling the innocent
       Pinnacles of prosperity, protection, and privilege
       These targets of atrocity

Though caught off guard, rescuers were prepared and acted swift
The tremendous heroism displayed by Everyday People and
all Emergency Staff
Their lives they gave, for the lives they saved
The unthinkable thoughts; our loved ones may not be coming back

       Running for cover
       In a desperate search for safety
       As the streets were showered with debris and ash
       And in a flash,
       Swallowed up
       And through the billowing cloud of dust
       Emerged these ghostly figures,
       Their faces disclosing
       The fear and the dismay

The courageous stories of those who tried and helped
The amazing tales of survival
Having been reminded again, how fortunate some of us have been
Perhaps our outlook changed having a new common goal

       Whether sun-up or sun-down,
       The distinguishable glow
       From Ground Zero
       Reminiscent of stadium lighting,
       For as this stage lit,
       Supplemented by the smoldering fires
       From near subaqueous depths

In our attempts at moving forward
We ruminate about what might be
In coming to terms, condemning these actions we spurn
A gradual, but vehement road to recovery

       Staring within this shell of truth,
       An amphitheater of annihilation,
       The tower's skeletal remains
       Having taken years to construct
       And minutes to diminish;
       Now sifting through the rubble,
       As if a Pharaoh's tomb,
       Having become a sacred resting place

In bearing witness to this tragedy
We have questioned our own invincibility
Perceptions are distorted, our lives contorted
We must focus on our humanitarian sensibilities

       This reaches
       To the furthest of regions:
       To a field in Pennsylvania,
       To the Pentagon in D.C.,
       To a total of 83 Nations
       Having had a casualty

I've been invigorated thinking of the World's possibilities
I've been in awe of America's resiliency
I've been admiring a City's determination
With the support of the People, our future is encouraging

SIX FEET ABOVE

To watch.

An unapologetic undertaking. 
An exposé of laborers
subsisting, smite with truthful consumption,
bestowed to deal with the concerns and affairs,
involving the deceased
and those deemed vivified,
who bolster or thwart.

The entanglement of customer service amalgamated graveness:
perturbed allowed repose,
agitated assigned concordance,
trepidation apportioned apathy,
fear allocated peacefulness…

Only after, the spectacle of embalming (for self-preservation a must)
and the frankness to which is unearthed,
do we dig (pun intended) into territory were unaccustomed to.
Shedding some of our layers of protection,
discussing amongst a larger audience, subjects few dare to examine.
And in doing so in such a way that lends itself to greater introspection.

We are met with insanity,
so matter-of-factly, sometimes to the point of being stricken numb.
Lives are reflected throughout levels, falling somewhere
halfway between.

At one end hilarity,
at the other grief,
and all that encases human existence
portrayed through the smallest of expressions
to the largest of story plots
(no pun intended).

By the end of these hour journeys,
we ultimately find redeeming qualities
and are innovatively cushioned
with profound compassion,
having seen deeper.

Opening with curiosity, but closing with insightful, yet at times harsh, observations--

The dysfunctional within us all, the family we so desire, the trials of loving another, the worlds we keep hidden from those who disparage,
the inquisitive nature of exploration, the precious gift of life,
and the opportunity to rediscover one'’'s place.

It'’s a different take on the human condition and how that condition may cease to be.

NA PALI

Planted within Earth’s affluent garden

A remote locale with duration’s unfolding

A picturesque paradise meant for the adventurous

For those enthralled by scenery so stunning

A dramatic stretch of coastline hammered out

Chiseled embellishment through natural molding

Carved archways and sprawling cliffs

Protruding from the stirring sea

Bejeweled in the way the grain cuts

While rugged and razor-sharp, teeming with tranquility

Colossal formations piercing the upper spheres

Drenched in rainfall and waterfalls cascading

Blue greets brown; brown gathers green; green extends toward blue again

Scheming with color conveyed in unanimity

The air swirls with an enigmatic charge

Weather be it blustery or balmy

A point in which risk and preservation collide

The ocean swells to the tempo of heartstrings

Sites remaining undisturbed, for certain dates divulged

Sights filled with intrigue, certainly for the taking

A walk on these beaches, one shall not forgo

Sand grains imprinted upon such scarce feats

Hand in hand nurturing ourselves of this land

A moment to be shared, if only ubiquitously

Given into the compelling innateness

Depicted with unscripted honesty

Quite efficacious in helping us forget

Our lives constructed so precisely

An empowering sense of seclusion

When left only in each other’s company

A solid connection made through years of refinement

Culminating with a proposal so inviting