Walking A Small Child

The vigilant dog
Keeping the neighborhood safe,
Walking a small child.

The blistering sun
Shows the way to a shade tree,
Walking a small child.

The colorful kite
On a blustery blue day,
Walking a small child.

The billowing wind
Sends all quickly on their way,
Walking a small child.

The guardian moon
Makes safe the room for sleeping,
Walking a small child.

The brilliant stars
Guiding the way for dreaming,
Walking a small child.

Ken Owen   January 2022

Van Niddy Press

 

When Thought Takes Wing

                                                                            Photograph by Dianne Woods

Before he could return to the room 

with pen and paper to capture 

the newborn thought 

that appeared in a spark of brilliance 

boasting of its potential 

and demanding it be documented 

immediately for posterity 

the thought 

grew impatient

        jumped up

        sprouted wings 

and learning to fly 

took a few test flights 

around the room 

then it hung in the air for a brief moment 

tilting its head slightly while 

looking down in amusement 

and flew quickly towards him

giving the impression it might land

right on the tip of his tongue 

and lovingly peck at his forehead 

so to loosen things up 

as if shaking the branch 

of the tree from where it was born 

might deliver him the golden thought 

but the thought never landed

and stayed enticingly just out of reach

as if to gift him the lesson

of lost potential

but before it left

it winked at him as if to say

“Faster next time” 

and flew away

leaving him to wonder

if all his escaped thoughts

were landing in the same stark field

somewhere in the night

many miles away.

He quickly wrote that down.

Ken Owen     Van Niddy Press

January 2022

The Banquet

Each day begins a great battle 

to establish a hierarchy of power 

determining rank and privileges 

for places at the banquet 

as all combatants strive to capture 

the highest position with fewest above them 

while those at the summit decide 

who may attend and for how long.

As the strong wage attacks

in great flurries of action 

and shows of strength to 

fiercely guard their position 

the weak sit below patiently waiting 

for an opening at the banquet 

while scavenging discarded bits tossed aside 

from those with no regard for wasting.

This conflict might easily be avoided 

if those bestowed with the smallest measure 

of consciousness could make time for a 

quiet moment of reflection 

that they may realize our bountiful harvest 

could sustain everyone regardless of position 

and the battle against nature’s instinct 

stamped internal across all species 

need not rage on.

-inspired while watching the garden bird feeder

Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press

January 2022