Author: Dale Sahlberg POETRY - Missionaries to Thailand · troubled, shredded and broken. ... Down to the depths where cold waters flow ... stuff themselves with savory fillings to

Author: Dale Sahlberg

1

POETRY

&

PROSE

By

Dale Sahlberg


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CANDLE OF TRUTH

I sought diligently

to find life's meaning

so if lit truth's candle

and with ray's beaming

held high in my hand

this instrument of light

to shine through the darkness

of disbelief's night.

When finally if found

the great "answer book"

and opened the front cover

to at last have a look

the hot melting wax fell

and burned my hand

causing me to drop the candle

and in darkness stand.

Is it better that if

stay in the darkness

be spared the pain

or light truth's candle

and be burned again ?


3

CEPHALOPOD HUNTING

With magnifying glass and a big shovel in hand she meticulously sifts through coarse desert sand examining a small rock, smashing cretaceous sod

she is on the hunt for that tiny cephalopod.

No scorpions can stop, nor dust storms curtail her search for a fossil of a primeval snail and though it is hot in the bright sunlight

that won't end her hunt for a small trilobite.

Her work is exhausting as she looks everywhere to uncover a polyplacophoroy, a find most rare her drive is relentless, her digging never stops she's hoping one day to uncover a triceratops.


4

YOUR SON IS COMING HOME

Your son is coming home he served his country well

and to the last his courage held fast

in the blast of that mortar shell.

Your son is coming home wrapped in colors of red, white and blue

for being so brave and for the life that he gave to him great honor is due.

Your son is coming home a soldier in whom we take pride

for through the war on that distant shore

he showed what his country stood for when he died.


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EARTH'S THIRST

Large,

glistening

droplets

of

rain

fell

upon the earth

so parched and dusty.

Slowly,

drinking

deeply

the earth filled

with cool water

so revived and alive.

Warmly,

glowing

brightly

the sun shone

as earth dried then cracked.

Gently,

refreshing

droplets

of

rain

fell ...


6

LOVE'S EMBER

In loneliness I knelt seeking grace

but the angels of mercy came not to me,

only she whose eyes penetrated

to the inner sanctum of my soul.

Mesmerized by her I stood transfixed by the gaze

of one born from mystery.

"There is warmth within my wings," she whispered as I felt the wind of the night wrap me in a cold embrace.

"I want to give," I replied,

"but found no one to share the flame, so love's ember slowly died."

She beckoned and I accepted ... ephemeral ecstasy with incarnate agony.


7

POVERTY'S CHILD

On the news today I saw poverty's child.

Thin limbs and sagging skin

bore testimony of hunger's cannibal curse.

There was no food for her plate.

Vacant, hollow eyes had shed tears of sadness

down a face of loneliness, etching lines

through dirt's layered coverings.

When hunger devours the body and sets the spirit free

will there be meaning to this existence for the children of poverty ?


8

PEACE LIKE A RIVER

I had peace like a river bubbling forth from a cool spring

trickling over pebbles sparkling clean and glistening.

My peace was once

fresh, young and vibrant.

I had peace like a river that splashes over boulders

is churned to a frenzy beaten to a fine spray

tossed and sliced against jagged rocks

in seething, boiling rapids.

My peace was once troubled, shredded and broken.

I have peace like a river that is deep, wide and mighty

yet flows on calmly and quietly, meandering slowly in its course.

The sea patiently waits ...


9

( Read with a mirror )


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SEA FLOOR

Wooden ships are covering the cold sea floor where wind and tide assail no more

and vast troves of treasure lie in store for the true believer of old salty sea lore.

The pirate ship "GRIM REAPER" had the misfortune then of attacking a galleon filled with the king's best men;

when the cannon shot and screaming came to an end, flame covered the "GRIM REAPER" and she began to descend.

Down to the depths where cold waters flow

where only thick algae and tall seaweeds grow the terror of the high seas was finally brought low

to a murky dark place just shadows and corpses know.

Sent to the bottom by fatal damage done having lost other battles, now the king finally won; the sea poured in and cooled the still smoking gun

blanketing the wounded from the scorch of the sun.

Now feeling the same horror they loved to create the flow of flooding waters the pirates tried to abate

but failed and in losing cursed the king with bitter hate when they realized the sea floor was soon to be their fate.


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SEEKING DIRECTIONS

A dedication to ...

Those who never found their missing part who looked for an end, unsure where to start waiting from sunrise for the setting of the sun

finding in sleep what could never be won.

Who looked outside for what was within wanted to go there but could never begin

who thought they lost what they never had believed through tears could they really be glad.

Who feel that half is better than the whole and the body is there to cover a soul

that possessing is adding when more is actually lost covet the prize without considering the cost.

Who would buy that which they must give away and leave from where they needed to stay travelling to places they didn't need to go

because others had gone there and they should also.


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QUENCH MY THIRST

I bitterly wept

tears of sorrow.

Down my face

my tears dripped

into a large golden goblet

filling it to the brim.

I wept

until I could no more,

then I was thirsty.

With a smile

the world offered me a drink

from the same golden goblet

filled to the brim.


13

TOO LATE

The screech of car tires quick turn of wheel

still hitting a little form that broke upon the steel and lay in a small bundle staining the road red ...

"I sa..sa..saw her too late,"

was all the drunk driver said.

Another drink for the road

was too many that day a small precious child

would never again play; for the parents - no answers only these words instead ...

"I sa..sa..saw her too late,"

was all the drunk driver said.


14

I USED TO ASK

I used to ask

the world, "Why ?"

Until the world replied, "why ask why ?"

Then I realized that knowing why

changes nothing ...

The world still goes on and on.


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LOVE'S KNITTING

I thought life’s course could no longer be run,

my damaged heart faintly was beating,

no more would I see the bright light of the sun,

the torchlight of life was slowly fading.

My will was resigned to the next life beyond,

with this chapter of existence soon closing,

I lost the resolve to faithfully hang on

to hope of life’s joy everlasting.

At the moment my grasp was almost broken,

your soft angel wings began warmly enfolding,

stopping death's blow from being harshly stricken,

averting my book from a sorrowful ending.

In my journey through existence a fresh course has begun,

a tall candle of hope is now brightly shining,

life’s fabric newly woven, each thread finely spun,

warm clothes made with your precious love’s knitting.


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POETRY BANYAN TREE

Poetry is a magnificently massive banyan tree With readers forming branches that spread continuously

Its many authors are broad leaves glossy green and leathery The whole providing welcome shade for a literary community.

With roots drawing nourishment from our sacred mother earth Each vein lifts up love, laughter, joy, sorrow and pain

Every verse inspires thoughts about life from death to birth Refreshing our thirsty souls with the lyrics nurturing rain.


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PEOPLE ARE SO AMAZINGLY LIKE FRUIT

People are so amazingly like fruit manifest evidence of nature's astonishing variety with matching characteristics no one can dispute

in size, flavor, form, texture and consistency.

Lemon people appear lustrously colorful yet inside are completely sour apple folks seem most angrily red but truly are pleasantly sweet

watermelon individuals store plentiful water for nourishing another fruit's flower while an avocado person provides healthy counsel so nutritionally complete.

Passionfruit members have a soft juicy center covered by a firm glossy rind always craving to mix their aroma and flavor with others of lascivious mind.

Kumquat folks thrive in harsher conditions than their delicate tangerine cousins

enduring intense heat and freezing gusts without crumbling under relentless tensions.

Grape people progressively become better as they age and eventually mature transmuting into an exquisite fine wine upon retiring to a life of pure leisure.

Raisin kind crammed in a box

wile away dreary hours composing haiku

Kiwifruit comrades have a fuzzy exterior encircling a syrupy yet unique flavor they quickly render assistance, never hesitate to help when you ask them for a kind favor.

Blackberry individuals hide in a city's dense brambles, protected by leaves sharp and prickly if you reach out to them, severe cuts will ensue and you'll withdraw your hand very quickly.


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Prune associates can provide welcome relief when you encounter a painful dead-end

if none can be found then plum folks can step in to deliver a comparable trend.

Date fruit persons only grow in thick clusters securely attached to the family palm when separated, stuff themselves with savory fillings to recapture prior harmony and calm.

Individual berries of budding flowers join together to create a pineapple community

cut the top off the fruit, plant in fertile soil and that person will regrow miraculously.

Coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut, though in reality some people truly are every individual hoards precious milk under protecting layers numbering three

thin outer skin covers fibrous husk around a hard shell no fingernail could ever mar with sunken eyes that eerily scowl at you after shaking them from their palm tree.

Acai folk can restore your vigor as effectively as a revitalizing acai smoothie

pomegranate comrades add intoxicating spirits to their cocktails albeit parsimoniously.

Cherry people are consistently cheery always greet you with a heartwarming smile

ask how they can help when you're feeling dreary make you aware time spent with you is unquestionably worthwhile.

Mango individuals have a soft, pulpy texture that engenders congeniality

while prickly pear people have elongated spines which penetrate painfully.

Banana comrades gather in large bunches, ripening until matching the hue of our sun don't squeeze too hard, hold gently while peeling layers, take care never to step on one.

Trying to determine if a cantaloupe teenager has finally reached full maturity

could be an exasperating, vexing and continuously frustrating endeavor thumping, squeezing, shaking, even smelling cannot guarantee precision would be more worthwhile to compose backwards rhymes like this one.

Cucumber people are resilient and hardy crunchy, succulent and very sweet

when submerged in the vinegar of adversity emerge from that dunking more complete.

Olive people are bitter and unpalatable company until their acrimony is removed by a curing bath of kindness

then their focus turns to promoting peace and tranquility serving others with compassionate thoughtfulness.


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Papaya folk have an astonishing ability

upon meeting a heart made of fibers tough and sinewy to somehow decrease the aggression while increasing docility

pacifying and tenderizing that person very effectively.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Peaches and nectarines are a mouthwatering stone fruit

both having a spicy scent and rich flavor; a peach has fuzzy skin while a nectarine doesn't follow suit

each offers lip-smacking tastes for us to savor.

Only one difference separates these two types of fruit a genetic mutation created a recessive gene;

it determines whether the fruit will be fuzzy or cute can we learn valuable lessons from a humble nectarine?


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MEANINGFUL CUP

Seeking to find the meaning of life In a world full of hate, turmoil and strife A journey was begun by a resolute one To consult a guru on a lofty mountain.

Finding no trail up from the granite basin By pulling on boulder edges over again

The seeker began a perilous ascent Climbing slowly with pain and lament.

Two days elapsed before reaching the crest Where the climber halted a moment to rest

Before walking to an elderly man seated content On a blanket by a campfire in front of a large tent.

"What do you seek?" the sage queried Of the young man so visibly wearied

"The meaning of life to our existence," He answered with manifest insistence.


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Grabbing a porcelain cup alongside

The sage placed it into the climber's hand "Look and tell me what is inside,"

He spoke with a strident command.

Peering down, the visitor answered, "Nothing is inside. It is empty."

"Not so!" the sage swiftly countered "The cup is filled with air aplenty."

Clutching the handle of a jug by his left knee

The sage poured clear liquid into the cup leisurely "Check again and tell me what is within."

"Water," the young man declared with a grin.

"Wrong," the sage chuckled merrily "Drink and state what you have surmised."

Gulping the entire contents hastily "Sake!" the hiker replied quite surprised.

Retrieving the cup from the man's hand

The sage said, "Listen carefully to understand This vessel began as soft white clay

Cast to this shape and baked for a day Then smeared with glaze and thrust again Into the blazing flames of a redbrick oven.

Now it can hold soup to slake hunger pain Chilled water to quench unbearable thirst Willow tea to assuage a severe migraine

Uplifting spirits when you feel at your worst."

Tapping the hiker's arm the sage finished, "You are an earthen vessel uniquely molded,

What gives life meaning is stored inside Let this knowledge now be your guide."


22

TRAIN HAIKU

Commuter train to work

Occupy time daily trip

Compose haiku


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RAISIN HAIKU

Shrunken grapes in box

Selection rejections

Never wine


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UPSIDE DOWN WORLD


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RIDDLE

What can hold hot air until filled with chilled water Singe seizing fingers or gradually warm a frozen hand

Be shaped circular, elliptical, square, even rectangular While being wide, narrow, very small or tall and grand ?

What could be tightly sewn from dried and tanned animal hide

Cut from towering bamboo stalks with tensile strength rivaling steel Made from plastic or molded paper with a wax coating lightly applied

Hold potions that can cause elation, sedation, painful death or even heal ?

What could be formed from soft clay made harder by intense fire Chiseled from blue granite, banded onyx, white marble, jade or amber

Carved from walnut, maple, teakwood, mahogany, oak or red cedar Cast in glimmering gold, glistening steel, burnished bronze or shiny copper ?


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RIDDLE

(stereogram answer) -------------------------------------------

A stereogram is an optical illusion of depth created from a 2D image.

Gaze patiently at the center of the stone pattern in the image on the above webpage - an object within is the answer to the riddle.


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LUMPINI PARK HAIKU

Rode dukduk to Lumpini Park in Bangkok Watched model airplanes fly

Heavenly tranquility


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CART HAIKU

Land Rover stuck on muddy road

Rode cart to nearest village

Dependable horsepower


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STAR SAPPHIRE HAIKU

Boarded big bus bound for bustling Bangkok Bought brightly beaming sapphire for beloved

Bewitching beauty


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NONSTOP FLIGHT HAIKU

Crammed into narrow airplane seats Cold air vents not circulating

Creeping claustrophobia


32

RIVERBOAT HAIKU

Heading up Mekong River to next village Giant catfish swimming underneath

Riverboat adventure


33

SAMLAW HAIKU

Samlaw ride out to visit friend in Nongkai

Sticky rice with spiced shredded papaya

Superb supper

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Author: Dale Sahlberg POETRY - Missionaries to Thailand · troubled, shredded and broken. ... Down to the depths where cold waters flow ... stuff themselves with savory fillings to