Midnight In The House Of Love

He awoke

from a dream to a dream

and saw himself

alone amongst the ruins

as shafts of blue-gray midnight

pierced the darkness

through faded stained glass scenes

of love's once glorious ascension

and shone their celestial stage light

upon a battered altar

where worship and communion

once held in gratitude of blessings

now stood deserted

littered with artifacts 

of another lifetime's remembrance.

In solemn processional 

his every footstep screamed through the empty hall
and ordered sleeping memories of laughter 

and solemn promises of forever

to begin their nightly haunting

and suddenly he knew 

this place

this was where 

he lived

this was where 

he worshiped all he was given

this was where 

all was lost

and suddenly he knew

there would be no more hymns of love

confessions heard or contrition offerings

or sermons on forgiveness

and suddenly he knew

how no good could come 

from the wreckage of this place

and what he must do

gather it all

pile it high with memories

promises and shattered bits 

of heart and soul

burn it down

till the rising mourning flames 

are glory bound

dance the healing dance

watch the funeral pyre burn

while ghosts rise and wail

each one in turn

burn it down

all of it

walk away

and don't look back

so he did
and as he left
he sang to himself

"The way you made it, 
that's the way it will be."

Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press   April 2014

Signs

In sorrow chains that bind

with suffering that blinds

the closed heart and the mind

denied of healing time,

let go, they cried,

there is no other way,

let go, let go

the anchor of the past

the weight that sinks you fast

the storm that will not pass

your soul tied to the mast,

release the pain inside

and sail away,

release, release

to see the signs around you

shine light on truth within you

The Universe to guide you

the path to better serve you,

lift up your heart and see

be shown the way,

lift up, lift up

things happen when they do

design unknown to you

in time The Answer true

revealed into view,

teach lessons from the past

so pain may pass,

teach, teach

from endings we begin

redemption for our sins

choose to live The Now

the signs will show you how,

begin the journey

to a stronger, better you,

begin, begin.

Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press   April 2014

Jesus and The Chickens

I Saw Jesus, Part Two: The View from Angela's Deck

I saw Jesus 

with a big dumb smile on his face

- I think he was high again -

looking over the backyard fence
at the chickens running around in our yard,
so I asked him, "What's up, dude?"

"I really don't know what I was thinking
when I made chickens. I can not, for the life of me, 

remember what that was all about."

"Now worries, dude," I said,
"the eggs are good and they don't
take much care and feeding."

"Cool," he said, still grinning.

"Hey man," he said,
"nice job on the raised vegetable beds!"

"Thanks. We needed those to keep the gophers
from eating what we plant."

and then I stared at him,
and he knew I was waiting
for an explanation on gophers.

"Dude," he chuckled, "I, uh, really, uh,
I mean, what can I say? 

There was this whole
rats, mice, squirrels thing happening one afternoon,
and I think left the room for a minute and when I came back..."
...he shrugged his shoulders for emphasis

"Gophers!"

"It's cool, man," I said,
"not everything can work out
the way you plan it."

"Exactly what I was saying, man, exactly!"

and he smiled and walked away
mumbling something about grand design
and man-nipples and Paris Hilton
while fumbling for his lighter

and the chickens went on about their business
as the clouds rolled by 

in their puffy white perfection
that Jesus never made mention of
but he should have
because they were beautiful.


Ken Owen  Van Niddy Press   April 2014

Why I Don't Mind Cigarette Smoke

1966

my sister and I

in the back seat of my parents

powder blue Chevy Impala

on the way home from a Sunday trip

to Grandpa's house in The City

where I stared for hours

out his back window

at the neon Hamm's beer glass

filling up over and over,

I felt safe and warm 

in the back seat

no seat belts

the car full of cigarette smoke

from Mom and Dad

as we headed down the freeway

they used to call Bayshore

back to our windswept home in the fog

while begging our Dad to turn on

KYA or KFRC on the radio.

Those simple days are over,

Tell It Good-bye.

Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press   April 2014

Back Seat Drivers

The Heart and The Mind
were in violent debate
on which ancient dogma
or modern new-age philosophy
or combination thereof
was the right map to use
to get out of this broken down
City of Suffering
when The Driver said

"enough is enough,
let's just go.
I'm driving
so shut the fuck up!"

So off they went
confident
for the moment, at least
on the road chosen

as they looked out the window in silence
at the scattered bits of wreckage
along darkened streets of memory
and tried to focus on the horizon
and what lay ahead

while no one dared look
in the rear view mirror.


Ken Owen   Van Niddy Press   April 2014

Reflection

Look up.

And I notice
In this moment
For this moment
I have everything I need

A warm bed
A book of poems
To be read
A book of poems
Unfinished in my head

Coffee
Still warm
The dog in morning meditation
at my feet - his Zen is perfect

I'm trying to learn
How to arrive
At the place where
I can appreciate these things
Without trying

To wake
In first lights reflection
And behold
Life's unfolding perfection
And let gratitude
guide my direction

With each new day
As the gift
That it is.


Ken Owen  Van Niddy Press  April 2014

The Things That You Do

With minor deliberation
beyond the Self view,
your results might be different
with the things that you do,

someday you will learn
what The Universe holds true,
you get what you've given
from the things that you do,

with no solace in offer
nor province to rue,
I wait not for contrition
for the things that you do,

the well traveled road
shows me what I must do,
in silent reflection
of the things that you do:

         I forgive you
               now
      because I should

                               someday
                           because I can

love true in deliverance
from a heart you once knew,
now lost from the cost
of the things that you do,

the walls of pride's fortress
hide from life's view,
the damage you've done
from the things that you do,

cry for redemption
and I'll cry with you,
as you seek to find answers
for the things that you do,

after much to consider
I bid you adieu,
and wish you good luck
with these things that you do.


Ken Owen  Van Niddy Press   April 2014