108. The Ordeal

Like an initiation
There lies hidden in an ordeal
A right of passage to the real
Though savage it may feel
That’s its appeal
Offering a glimpse of the ideal

107. The Key

Deadlocked

I found a key

Turned it and learned

It’s not about me

Now I’m free

106. Making It Through

What to do
It’s new
Never faced this before
What to do
That’s simple
Let your principles and values

Guide you through

105. The Lasting Past

I do my best not to live in the past

Don’t do it, I’m told

It’s bad for you

But sometimes I wonder 

If the past is living in me

It surely seems to be that way

In my mind from time to time

As my life unfolds

Each stage kind of rhymes

104. Sealing The Deal

His life was not what he thought it should be

An inner voice kept whispering 

The meaning is missing

He dreamed of becoming a better being

An ideal he could nearly see and feel
Determined to make it clear and real
He stepped forward and sealed the deal

103. The True You

There’s the me, myself and I

Then there’s the psyche, spirit and soul

And of course the mighty ego

With its hiding shadow

There’s also that other tricky trio

The person with a personality

And its pretender 

Known as the persona

How do you know which of these identities

Is the true one and only you

102. Mass Mind

Never did I ever think
There would come a time in this land of mine
When I couldn’t say what was on my mind 
Like life in darker times
And far away places
Where you and I couldn’t stray
From what woke folk compelled us to say
But today in Canada
I’m warned 
There are some thoughts
I dare not utter
Under threat of fire and fine
For having a criminal mind
But no way will I chain words of mine
To the shackles of the Hive’s mass mind

101.Distinctly Unclear

My Dear
Whenever I remember
Those 10 lost years
I still hear
Those words that sear
I still taste
Those bitter tears
I still sense
The intense presence
Of those haunting fears
Things seem better now
Somehow
But what's in store
Is still distinctly unclear

100. Press On

It’s time to express
The restless stress
That compresses depresses
And confines
Sooner or later
We’ll find our way
Out of this virus mess
So press on
Until Covid 19 is gone

99. VIBE

Once upon a time
We were
In tune
In harmony
In sync
On the same wave length
We shared a common vibe
Until our frequencies
Were rocked by a shock
Our charges changed
We repelled
Became estranged
Said goodbye to good vibrations
Once attracted by the resonance of romance
Now distanced by dissonance
Good friends no more
The music was missing
All that remained
Were reverberations
The memories of past synchronizations

98. The Addict

It started with The Naming
Then came The Blaming
Followed by The Shaming
When the end came
There was nothing remaining
Except the painful stain
Of that disabling label

97. The Black Truth

Everyone thought he was a nice sort of guy
Who would only tell the occasional
Little white lie
What they didn’t realize
He was really a brute
Who delighted in telling
The ruthless black truth

95. The It

He dared to stare 
Studying it with care
What could it be
This thing he could see
Could he use it for anything
Is it a tool, a machine 
Something alive or dead
One thing or many things
Old or new
Maybe a treasure
Or one of those unknown unknowns
That unfolds
But try as he might
He just couldn't tell
Little did he know
The It had the pleasure
Of using him
The way a flower uses a bee

94. Whole No More

Once whole
Before the fright of the fight
Flight denied
He fell apart
Or so it seemed
Pull yourself together
He was told
Be bold
He gathered up his parts
Those he could find
But try as he might
He just couldn't find his right mind
He tried again
And again
Then as fatigue set in
Whole no more
Broken by war
He gave up the fight
Took flight
And died
By suicide

93. The Entity

As I slip into sleep
The entanglement of fragments I know as me
Lose their cohesion
And float free
Remixing repeatedly
In reams of dreams
Or so it seems
As I awakened
And reassembled the entity
I know as my personal identity
Greater than the sum of its parts
My soul was made whole once more

92. Being Thee

The truth just is

Not was

Nor will be
It's not a static thing
To be uncovered
Or discovered

It's a living, breathing, moving thing

Like you and me
Look closely
You'll see

The truth just is
And like we've been told
From days of old
The truth really will set you free

To be thee

91.The Pleasure Exchange

He was her treasure 
The source of her pleasure
She was his treasure 
The source of his pleasure
They thought they were in love
They were
With themselves
All they'd arranged
Was a consensual pleasure exchange
To assuage their pain
But like everything else 
The time came
When things changed
Strangely
Only the pain
Of their loneliness remained
Soon each was in search again
For a new treasure
At the Pleasure Exchange

90.Now Satisfied

As a child he wanted to know
What life is all about
As he grew he just knew he had to find out
He searched for the answer above and below
Far and wide
Inside and out
But all he found was doubt
Until his question changed 

When he learned the right answer
Can only be found
By asking the right question
Does life have a meaning?
The right answer:
Only if you give it one
Now satisfied
He grew older and bolder
Lived a meaningful life
And died

89. Just Be

When he looked at what is
What he saw was what was
Seeing but not perceiving
His mind was blind
To the present time
Until at last
He was able to blast free
From the past
And just be
Then he could see

88. Dimly Bright

Oh silent night

Cold and starless 

Made dimly bright 

By artificial light

But oh such a sight

To behold
When winter sends its seasons greetings

With a touch of snow

Much to my delight