That sun and moon, they’ve

seen it all and still they shine,

shedding light on all

of us, hoping we might see

the light and become light too.

                                                                                                         JDG

It was a short walk

that took an eternity –

past guardians of

the status-quo and into

the open arms of freedom.

                                                                                      JDG

I know they’ve reserved

a special place in heaven

for those who shop with

teenage girls. Patience must

 open wide those pearly gates.

                                                                                           JDG

Beneath a cloudless 

sky, as the last leaves slowly

lose their gold, what once

was and what is yet to be

silently meet what is now.

                                                                                          JDG

From the rubble hate

leaves, may the invincible

power of justice,

truth, beauty, and love arise

and, phoenix-like, spread strong wings.

                                                                                                              JDG

Must we choose only 

 one? What would the world look like

  if we viewed it through

poetry’s shining eyes and

the steady gaze of reason?

                                                                                                      JDG

Stripped of their leaves, vines

clinging to their trunks, those trees –

temporary homes

for eager squirrels, tired birds –

are open to whatever comes.

                                                                                                    JDG

If I didn’t know

better, I’d swear that crow

was flirting with me –

cocked head, knowing look, beak raised,

wings shimmering in the sun.

                                                                                                      JDG

After a lifetime

of struggle to stay within

my own skin, it just

doesn’t seem fair to leave so 

soon after arriving there.

                                                                                        JDG

October rain can’t

fully quench Autumn’s fire,

but it can dampen 

our own. It’s a fine trick to

embrace both fire and rain.

                                                                             JDG