The below is from my second book Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories, available on www.authorhouse.com, www.amazon.com and www.bn.com

Everything and Nothing

1990s

Scientific discoveries,

Trips to the moon,

A mother’s cry as she gives birth,

Gospel singing in the choir,’

Parents’ joy at a child’s first acting role,

The playoffs,

The victory of war,

The sanctity of marriage,

The thrill of orgasm,

Family,

Religious freedom,

Democracy,

Marathons,

Parthenons,

Books, Poems, Philosophies,

Blown in the wind.

Are nothing, are nothing,

But small, insignificant,

Purposeless, short points

Of temporary brightness,

Illuminating nothing.

The hurricanes, the earthquakes,

The floods,

The wards,

Come sweep it all away.

Look at eth stars in the sky.

The embraces of friends found by fate,

The bond of motherhood,

Patriotism,

A letter awaiting to be opened

Roses and pets,

Houses and furniture,

The subway in rush hour,

Beloved land, and laws, and food,

Riding on a ship in the sea to find

A grandmother’s smile,

The skin of a baby,

Education of far-away lands,

Customs,

Nature,

Survival of the fittest,

Disease and death.

All of these are nothing,

Yet

All of these are beautiful,

All of these are real.

Everything, everything,

We are given, we create

Before us

And in our souls

Is everything.