Poem: Wise Counsel

 Collage - Rita Bourland 2012

Wise Counsel

Majestic beast of the earth,

Symbol of honor,

We come to you

Seeking wise counsel,

Patient lessons,

Gentle reminders

Of God’s bountiful gifts,

From the sea to the sky

We see the expanse,

Yet fail to embrace the majesty

And wonder,

Fail to be good stewards,

You carry our burdens with dignity;

A symbol of the divine

In your ancient steps,

We sense the message in your quiet gaze,

Move with steadfast urgency,

Protect the earth,

Protect it all,

For all God’s creatures 

great and small,

Be thankful.

Poem: Is Now the Time?

Photo by Rita Bourland

Is Now the Time?

Leaves cascade

 to the ground,

without a sound they alight,

giving flight to any thought

of forestalling

winter’s arrival,

squirrels skitter about 

making plans

for long days of cold,

while we hold onto the

last few days of warmth,

choosing life and light

while the earth

 prepares for slumber,

seeds burrow

deep into the ground

knowing now is not 

their time,

winter speaks not to our needs,

and thus we ache for a sign,

is now the time to lie fallow

 or shine forth,

growing tall despite 

the dimming light

and shortened days

of winter?

Wooing Fair Ohio - Advice for the Candidates

Wooing Fair Ohio

(rhyming essay)

I live in fair Ohio, a swing state with some power; the phone just keeps on ringing, a few times every hour, the candidates are calling; they seem to know my name, they say they want to help; at least that’s what they claim, so here’s some quick advice for wooing folks from here, I’ll keep it nice and simple; the facts are very clear, we’re proud of who we are and all the things we do; we really like our football - it’s played inside ‘The Shoe’, we also have the MLB, the NFL and more, but don’t mix up the Reds and Browns;  you might make people sore, a lot of fine inventors created stuff right here - like chewing gum and hot dogs and pop top cans for beer, Edison was born here, and astronaut John Glenn, seven former presidents were good Ohio men, Oberlin’s a college, one in high demand; the first coed and interracial school in all the land; here in the Midwest the family reigns supreme; we want to have a shot at living out the dream, of finding work that pays the bills with some to put away; we hope we can retire - somehow, somewhere, someday, so don’t make promises, don’t tell lies; we have a nose for fakes; be sincere, lay it out, show us what it takes; you’ll win our votes, one by one by telling us the truth, and then we might select your name when stepping in the booth.

Good luck and God bless America!