Never Without

Wings

Wings

They say that life begins at forty.

Everything

before that is practice.

In my experience,

that's true.

As time has passed by,

one of the things

that has surprised

me most is how much

I knew by thirty

and how little of it

I realized that I knew

at the time.

In many ways,no man or woman

ever grows older

than eighteen.

After you take care

of all the business

each day,

spend the rest

of your time

being as young

as you can.

You knew best how to love another

by the time

you were six years old.

Most people

spend much of the rest

of their lives re-learning

how to love

that well again.

As the years roll on one of the best

things you can learn

is how to take

your own advice.

One of the best things

to remember

is what it was like

to be a kid.

Each day, spend time

doing three things---

working or creating something,

doing something fun

to entertain yourself,

and talking

to someone you love.

If you are able,

make your work

the same thing

as your play.

Everyone arrives at a fork in the road

in their late twenties,

again in their forties,

and yet again

in their fifties.

Each time, one path

leads to stagnation

while the other

leads to a frontier.

Each time, if you take

the wrong path,

you'll find yourself

in a ditch

and climbing out of it

will be the only way

to move on.

As the years roll on

if you keep

learning and loving,

you'll grow older

but your heart

will never grow old.

The years

weigh down;

No mind,

it's just ballast

for flight.

Learning and love

 have wings.

Dewey Dirks

Dances

Dances

There have been times in my life

When I've felt unspeakable pain and fear

And times when I've seen

Those whom I love

Suffer mind breaking pain as well

While I watched, unable to help

Of the two, I can tell you

The second is far, far worse

I've known love with another

That runs so deep in our souls

It will never know death

I've also seen and felt

To the very core of my existence

The simple joy

That quietly lives in all things

Like a pond of pure, clear water

And I've listened to something

Of the great lilting melody

To which all life moves

Joseph Campbell once said

"Find a place inside where there's joy,

And the joy will burn out the pain"

Which, I think, are very wise words

That couldn't be more true

When I was a young man

Hanging out with my dad,

When he was talking

Every once in awhile

He would become so emotional

That he'd almost burst into tears

At the time, I didn't know

There was no shame in it

And I was embarrassed by his openness

Now, many years have gone by

I've crossed many deep canyons,

Danced grand dances

With those whom I love very much

And I've climbed many mountain tops,

And, I too, find myself with tears

In my eyes welling sometimes when I talk

And now I know what dad

Was feeling way back then;

His tears were memories

Of the dances he'd danced

Dropping by to visit him

Dewey Dirks

Gifts and On Your Sleeves

Gifts

If my life has taught me any truths at all

They are three---

That there is no greater freedom

Than that presented by uncertainty,

That there is no greater comfort

Than that given by love,

And that the Universe offers us all

Auspicious and abundant quantities of both

It seems to me

That the only real tricks in life

Are to become unafraid

Of accepting these gifts

And to become aware

Of how fantastically precious they are

*****

On Your Sleeves

Keep your eyes and mind open

And your heart and soul

Out on your sleeves

Friendship and love

Are always looking

And when they find you

You never know

Exactly where you might be

Dewey Dirks