Category Archives: Poems

Walking on Earth 2016-49

Posted in Contemplation, Spiritual by

As one that KNOWS there is a Triune God, I wrote this yesterday when I was thinking of my Being and where I am in life. I was blessed, one time, with some knowledge that goes beyond the norm and with that insight, I can relate to what I have written below:

Walking on Earth 2016-49

We walk on Earth as land locked beings;

Our existence, like a quest for knowledge.

We try to separate reality from fiction

Looking for the reasons of– why we are

Our lives have the

Convolutes of true knowledge

Mixed with the absolutes of life

Do we owe our existence to a Creator

That observes and judges– per our actions?

Are we, but organisms

That are born, exist, and then die?

OR, can we look forward to a life

Beyond, just that existence?

AND relish a blissful way of living,

That goes on and on and on?

Words spoken, promises made, with

Each of us to find out individually

At the given time in the future…………

Should we ALL consider the consequences

Of making the wrong awareness ??????

Den Betts

Constipated Mind 2016-47

Posted in Contemplation, Poems by

I remember one time when I wanted to express myself, but was unable to do so. Talk about frustration! We all take for granted the simple actions of life. Our senses, our motor skills, our ability to do and think. When those are taken away, OUCH! We then become something else, a different entity of life……………..

Constipated Mind  2016-47

The want, the need, the desire,

To express, to let loose a thought

And do something so much, so much

 

The inability to expound on the

Things you desire to state, to

Incorporate in the flux of it all.

 

An urge to go with the flow, the

Norm of things, but knowing of

The incapability of doing so.

 

The mind having the motive, but

Not the competency of taking action; still

Wanting, needing, desiring fulfillment.

 

 

The “control center” of the Self

That sometimes is not in control,

That struggles for release, for abilities to be free

 

 

Den Betts

 

Ganglions of Expression 2016-45

Posted in Contemplation by

This has to be one of my most favorite written pieces. Where I understand it, many will not and I realize this… It is about my brain thoughts, when I was contemplating things after having a traumatic brain injury, now long ago. I had to rewrite it two times, each with better clarity for anyone else to understand it, but this is the original. If you do comprehend, good for you…….

 

Ganglions of Expression 2016-45

 

 

The essence of the human mind

 

Belies the kindred spirit

 

Forsooth, the mighty processes of thought,

 

Luxuriates in both feeling and self pity

 

Compassionate waves of high-pitched timbre

 

Echo midst the wandering mind

 

While rambling bits of neurotic bytes,

 

Show extemporaneous expressions of this compassion

 

All the while, chasing the mediocrity of commonness away

 

As the cavalcades of simplistic awareness reigns

 

The barrier to the threshold of understanding remains

 

While the answer to the universal question of life awaits

 

Den Betts

 

My mother would NOT have appreciated this piece, but she was a poet and liked them to rhyme and make complete sense and understanding to all. That is good, but not always the way it is in life, but I think she may have liked some of my works; which is also good………….

Right – Wrong 2016-43

Posted in Contemplation, Current Events, Poems by

Listening to TV, or reading about the constant horrors of man with the daily turmoil of humans doing horrible things to humans is sickening at times. Asking WHY? does not help, for the answer will not be soon in coming. What is the answer or is there only one answer for peace to arrive for mankind?

 

Right – Wrong 2016-43

 

Who is wrong in this world  –  who is right?

 

Is it the Jew, the Gentile, the Black or White

 

Could it be the Muslim, the Hindu or maybe Shitte,

 

The Redman, the Yellow or it, the one with might?

 

We all have our differences, but do we have to fight,

 

With the energy spent to argue it’s all gone for spite.

 

Isn’t there someone with wisdom like a guiding light,

 

To lead us to peace from the morn to the night?

 

Or are we afraid that He may come — wouldn’t that be a sight?

 

With the predictions of 1000 years of peace without fight.

 

Would we miss the forever horrors of daily blight

 

But in reality —-that would be a delight……………

 

In the meantime, we go on with our lives and

 

Continue to do what we do – Nothing

 

 

Den Betts

Word Spoken 2016-42

Posted in Contemplation, Poems by

I believe this one came where I was thinking about something I did and should NOT have done. My mind then conjured this and made me think about my actions that occurred previously. Do I really think about “an evil one” being out there luring/tempting me to do things? OR telling me something that I do not want to hear? Should I worry about it? I think the answer is YES and that really makes me think……..

 

Word Spoken 2016-42

 

The black robed one rode upon the noble

steed, up the cobbled road toward the small house

showing lighted windows and smoking chimney.

 

His horse, a massive beast with iron rimmed

hooves strode majestically; its nostrils flaring,

its breath shining in the damp misty night.

 

With leather gloves, the rider pounded

on the door once, twice and once again;

then backed off atop his ebony prancing carrier.

 

The door opened, the light showed a man in dirty

pants and white linen smock, staring, seeing, then

quivering, with a sudden spreading stain he stood.

 

The steed reared up on hind legs; kicking at the air

with the rider gripping the reins, looking down at

the man grasping the door, leaning against the wall.

 

With a pointed finger stabbing at the fear crazed man

he said one word and flung it into the man’s heart; then

with a final look he spurred the horse around and away.

 

The man backed into the house, turned and looked at his

spouse, standing silently, who then backed away with hand

at mouth, eyes wide, fearful, stopping at a table.

 

His heart thundering, eyes ablaze, weak kneed, and in

abject terror, he turned and with stilted legs he walked

out the door – never to be seen again.

 

Where he went is unknown today, but realized

twas a sentence by “the robed one”. Some will

say that although they  sometimes fear,

they do not normally worry, about THE EVIL ONE.

Den Betts

Red Flag in San Antonio 2016-41

Posted in Contemplation, Poems by

                                     Red Flag in San Antonio 2016-41

WITH

                                 Somber Mood and Thoughts in Penna

I have a poem below, I wrote in the past that speaks for itself in its content, but it brought to mind something that JUST happened recently.

We went to Penna on 5-12-2016, to do some genealogy research and took a side trip to Somerset County to the town of Shanksville to visit the Flight 93 Memorial located there.

As I looked at the scene of the impact area of Flight 93, so many thoughts came to mind as to the moment when the horrible event occurred. In my mind, I heard the voices of those that, with outright courage, made a decision to take action back then.

They KNEW what they were doing and most of them had an idea of the results of their decision. The realization of knowing that they would be in God’s hands and that they were refusing to give in and NOT do anything was overwhelming to me when I looked at the names on the wall. It showed they were ALL heroes and were saving lives in the process of their fighting against the terrorists.

Wow. To know that what they were going to do and then actually did, is amazing and so, so very wonderful on their part. To make a stand, take action and know they were probably going to die, was very humbling in my mind.

I encourage any, and all, to at least read up on this moment of history and if possible, visit the site and feel the moment in time and perhaps hear the voices of the people that sacrificed themselves so that nobody else would die from that plane that was taken over by cowards of the lowest degree.

My poem below is about the Alamo where, long ago, many died and made a decision that they knew ahead of time would result in their deaths. I pray I am never tested like they were, but if so, I hope and pray I will stand firm and do what is decreed as the “right” thing…….

                   Red Flag in San Antonio 2016-41

What is courage? Courage to die for a belief so strong! What does it take to do so, with the knowledge that the next sunrise will not be there for you? It happened!!!

Again, I look at today with the wonder of what it would take for me to consider doing what those brave people did back in 1836. To know that what I do will foretell my dying for a cause, a belief, so strong.

 

A bugle blew in a distant field, to instruct those near a flagpole,

The assembled group in a nearby mission turn round to see

A red flag furled, flying high, stating – No Quarter – No Salvation

A promise of death to those remaining, realization of no tomorrow

Not another sunrise to greet a new day, a certainty of internal blackness

Assurance of no mercy to be given that day to the last man alive.

 

Saber unsheathed, a line drawn in the dust, cross over – man’s fate made

All but one – deciding to fight, to stay, to fight for a belief – to the death.

What is a courage so strong, an ideal so grand that a man will

Knowingly seal his doom, to forestall another sunset on earth that day?

FREEDOM! – so others may choose, a way of life, an existence wanted

 

A bugle sounds again, in a distant area saying to charge.

The multitudes move, overcoming in short order those inside.

The last one to die looks up and knowing his fate yells,

“REMEMBER THE ALAMO!” and joins his companions of the red flag.

Den Betts

The Alamo, was a fortress under the command of a 26 year old, William Travis, and came under siege by Santa Anna who ordered a pre-dawn attack on March 6, 1836 in which 186 Texans, Americans, and Europeans sacrificed themselves to have independence from Mexico. Texas actually joined the United States nation on Dec 29, 1845

Lost in Space 2016-40

Posted in Contemplation by

I am how I am, and am who I am because I am. My mind is as it is, because it is. The realities of life are because they are and the senses of my being tell me just how things are in life; outstanding!!!!

Lost in Space 2016-40

I look, but do not see

Try to listen, but do not hear

To speak, but cannot talk

 

I am alone with my senses

My mind overflowing

With random thoughts

 

The world spins so fast

Leaving me in a

Whirlwind of wonder

 

How does one follow,

Is something to consider;

And so, so staggering.

Den Betts

 

Sight of the Fly 2016-39

Posted in Contemplation by

                                    Sight of the Fly 2016-39

Poised upside down, its facetted eyes peered at

the creature below, watching, waiting

A man sat below, with staring sightless eyes, his chest

rising up and down, the only obvious sign of life

A grandfather’s clock’s tick-tock, tick-tock

the only competition with the man’s slow breathing

In the corner of his mouth, an unfelt drool lingered

deciding whether or not to plunge to freedom

Past memories of joys and momentous events of life

playing over and over – the man’s daily entertainment

No sounds to intrude in his quiet thoughts, his deafened ears,

useless appendages, as is his forever darkened eyes

A canary starts to sing a seven-octave song, trilling loudly

unheard and unseen by the quiet man, but appreciated still

The man sat, slowly breathing, staring, and remembering

basking in a stream of sunlight and memories of the past

The fly loosened his suction cup grip from the ceiling

flew to the window to sit in the rays awhile

 

DON’T be like a fly to those that will soon die,

Give them comfort, at least, I pray………….

Den Betts

Infernal Internal 2016-35

Posted in Contemplation, Poems by

I wrote this when thinking of the mind and how it works and sometimes does not work correctly. Re-reading it, I can see where some would not be able, perhaps, to understand just what I was thinking when the words flowed out and were put on paper, even though I still do comprehend the meaning today…………………

Infernal Internal 2016-35

Likened to a line of super Cray’s

in parallel for a mile

A microprocessor of renown

with extraordinary know how

 

The capability of doing much

in unknown ways and time

Its limits of intellect

not found; stay sublime

 

What key, what shibboleth

is required, for the one outside

to release the master of within

and show itself with pride

 

To give full gifted power

and management of life,

and dominate the existence

of man’s everyday strife?

 

The mind, part of the creation of God’s

exquisite form of being; the human,

the hierarchy of the animal kingdom,

Long may it rule, last and continue!

Den Betts

Responsibility of Life 2016-34

Posted in Contemplation, Statement by

The subject of abortion came up with a  politician saying the woman should be punished for having an abortion; then retracted the statement, knowing that was not politically correct. It made me think of the woman who makes the decision of life of another life.

It is NOT an easy decision, but one that has to or should be weighed with much thought. Religion comes up regarding this, at times, and judgements are made, but I feel let God make his own judgements, if any, and humans should leave women alone….

Responsibility of Life 2016-34

A right to life with

responsibility of its living.

Decisions by the one with

the living inside.

To bear and to have born life or

make a choice to end forevermore

Right or wrong – no true issue,

instead, consciousness of responsibility

Either the end or taking care of in future times

– but always, living with the conclusion.

Tis easy for a man to say what a woman should

or should not do, he is the third party

But it is NOT easy for the woman

who has to decide on the life within her

There are many options to consider

But so, so many, feelings that are involved

Den Betts