If you are to meet the Great Emperor
and instead of meeting you he sends his proxy
his gold and bejeweled sword, to which you are to bow
instead,
graciously accept the gift of such a fine sword!

     * * *

If anyone looks at the same clouds I do
I'm sure they see nothing remarkable
Yet I am endlessly fascinated

Smokers see me stopping,
pointing my camera at the sky
seemingly at random
I'm sure they think I'm nuts

Part of me would like to tell them
I am taking pictures of
all the UFOs

     * * *

Breathing deeply of the crisp, fresh air
a light rain begins to fall.
Warm and dry I hear the sound
the plick plick plick
of the raindrops hitting last fall's leaves
Slowly it builds
rains lightly for a while
then fades away
leaving only wet earth,
fresh air,
silence,
and deep, abiding peace.

     * * *

Poetry --
Words written by strangers
but that can make you weep.

For all it may lack in communicating with accuracy
it makes up for in confirming that we are all human.