Not Anymore

Not Anymore

My baby

has been passed on

two months now,

and, I think,

it's only been

in the last few days

that it has really began

to sink in.

She's not coming back

anymore.

I'll never again look up

from the computer

to see her grin hello

as she walks in the door.

We'll never again

have long talks

at the table

over hot coffee and tea,

no, not anymore.

Never again

to hear the smile

in her voice.

Never again

to feel the gentle touch

of her hand.

Never again will

we be outside and notice

the full moon up there

in the sky at night.

No, never again.

Not anymore.

No more errands

together joking

and laughing at

the signs as we

drive across town.

No more

of all the small things

that she always did

to brighten my day.

No more cuddles

in the afternoon,

and again

late at night.

No more kisses

No more I love you's

lilting like the notes

of a song from her lips.

Never again.

Not from Laino,

no, not anymore.

Her soul

has been to visit often

of this I'm sure,

but I am greedy

for her touch

not only in eternity

beyond the blue veil,

but here in this world too.

And here, alone at the table

I take a drag on my cigarette

and reach for her deep

in my heart,

only to find

a gaping hole there.

She's not coming back.

No, not anymore.

Dewey Dirks

Outlook Twenty-Fourteen

Outlook Twenty-Fourteen

We all live

in quickly

aging cultures

where many

work-a-day

people have

a much better

eyeball on

what is

important in life

than the people

who are supposed

be running

the place.

That's because

as the ruling classes

have become

ever more intrenched

in the delusions

of amassing

money and power

they have also become

ever more detached

from compassion

for their fellow man.

Such problems

have long faced

human cultures

as they have grown

larger and older.

While several societies

around the globe

have lasted for

thousands of years,

the successive governments

that oversee those cultures,

grew so creaky with time,

that they underwent

major re-organizations

periodically.

No large scale

human government

has ever been able

to last more than around

four hundred years

without grinding to a halt

and requiring

major reorganization

and repair

in order to rid it

of excessive corruption

and unjust indifference

towards its own citizens.

Here in the early 21^st century

societies all round the globe

are facing similar problems

with corrupt and unjust

governments

badly in need

of reorganization

and repair.

History tells us

the weight of their

own corruption

and indifference

will cause them to fail,

probably sooner

rather than later

considering

the damage

they and the corporations

they work for

have been wrecking

upon the environment

around us.

Humanity

is a very resilient

and adaptive species.

We will, in all likelihood,

survive the ineptness

of our existing governments,

but the institutions that

currently rule us

will all probably fail

sometime during

the next

one hundred and fifty

years.

The resourcefulness

of humanity

and the hope,

love, compassion,

and common sense

distributed widely

among mankind

will soon have

the opportunity

once again to build

better governments

for ourselves.

Help us Earth Mother

to succeed

in the work before us.

Dewey Dirks

Expectations

Expectations

It is very easy

to get tangled up

by your desires

when you expect

something important

to happen

or when you

want something

very much.

Such things

have a way of narrowing

down your point of view

until all that you seem

to be able to see

or think about

is the object

of your desire.

When this happens

you need to sit down,

relax, and remind yourself

that life will not end if you

don't get what you expect.

There is very, very little

that ever happens

in your life that is worth

all the undue worry.

The ability to be able

to keep your expectations

in perspective is a true

mark of spiritual maturity.

The advantage

of wanting and needing

only a few things out of life

in order to be happy

is a sure sign

of considerable

spiritual strength.

Dewey Dirks

Thunder Storms

Thunder Storms

A wise man once said

that it is not only

the thirsty

who seek water,

but the water

seeks the thirsty

as well.

This is why that within

our cultures there are

a vast cornucopia

of ideas many of which

seem to conflict with

one another.

Nature is compassionate

as practicable to all

even those with whom

most disagree, so that

even for people

whose time has past

and whose ideas

are passing away,

life eases the transition,

with just enough events,

songs, and art

to soften a bit, their pains.

So when you are

bothered by the

terminally

nationalistic

chantings in

our mass media

or by the rants

of those who

who would have us

discriminate against

our fellow man

remember,

nature and mankind

are on the move

to a new kind of life,

and those are old attitudes

whose time

is passing away.

You know, thunder storms

howl the most

just before they

are gone.

Dewey Dirks

Touched The Moon

Touched the Moon

Last week

believing I could,

I reached out

and touched the sun.

Believing I could,

last night

I reached out

and touched the moon.

Today I look at the world

with eyes that see

beauty in everything

from the smallest beetle,

from every tree, bush

and green patch of grass

to the bird that sings

every morning

just before dawn.

From the small

gestures of strangers

to city lights at night,

I am forever grateful

and I know

it's not the world

that has changed,

but my sight

Dewey Dirks

NSA Spying

In honor of the Feb 11 protests against NSA spying on citizens, here is the poem “The Spark” Please share this around

The Spark

Hopeful as a lighthouse beacon

On a hurricane killer sea

Vengeful like a Kansas tornado

On an August night seethe

Powerful as an earthquake

In the city of Angels on mid-summers eve

Forever too small

For the big boys to see

Angry as a rap riot

Pounding out deeds

Sounds like Led Zeppelin and Cinderella

Or a Beethoven symphony

It’s on the breath of old farmers, children, and artists on fire

It’s in the passion of sailors just back from the sea

Tonight it sleeps with you and I

In spite of homeland security

Has coffee every morning

With code breakers hacking Windows XP

Stayed with the Jews at Masada

And the Lakota at Wounded Knee

Spends a lot of time in intifada city

Where it never dies

But often is the last gasp of those who are free

It can break the heavy chains of God

Keeps dying men alive

Lets blind men see

When Uncle Sam has a policeman in every pocket

And he shows us what to see on the wide screen TV

I’ll still see the spark in you

And you’ll still see the spark in me

Sometimes it’s the only survivor

When come packing the dogs of tyranny

Spark is the light in the wise mans eye

When he says ‘If I didn’t believe in love,

I wouldn’t believe’

Dewey Dirks

Be An Ocean

Be An Ocean

Be an ocean,

my friend.

Be both gentle

and strong.

Let your words

and deeds

be nurturing

---a cleansing bath,

with touch easy

and true,

yet be ready

to be the storm

when comes time

to clean house.

Be tender,

be patient,

letting things

happen

in their

own time,

yet be ready

to take

the initiative

when others

lag behind.

Be simple

as water

made only

of three atoms

yet within you,

carry the supple

springs of life.

Be an ocean,

my friend,

both gentle

and strong.

Be as deep as all

the rolling seas

knowing

that within

your being

you keep

a vast cosmos

of ideas, emotions

and ideals alive.

Be an ocean,

my friend,

both gentle

and strong.

Dewey Dirks

Kind Response

Roots

Expectations and Adventure

Expectations

It is very easy

to get tangled up

by your desires

when you expect

something important

to happen

or when you

want something

very much.

Such things

have a way of narrowing

down your point of view

until all that you seem

to be able to see

or think about

is the object

of your desire.

When this happens

you need to sit down,

relax, and remind yourself

that life will not end if you

don't get what you expect.

There is very, very little

that ever happens

in your life that is worth

all the undue worry.

The ability to be able

to keep your expectations

in perspective is a true

mark of spiritual maturity.

The advantage

of wanting and needing

only a few things out of life

in order to be happy

is a sure sign

of considerable

spiritual strength.

Dewey Dirks

Adventure

If you look

always at life

as an adventure,

the thrill of living

will never

leave you.

If life no longer

appears to be

an adventure

to you, change

your attitude

and look anew,

because

good, bad

or indifferent,

peaceful or full

of mayhem,

life is forever

an adventure.

Dewey Dirks

Bluebird

Bluebird

She was a very pretty young woman

with a young son at home,

makin' do as best she could.

She was just struggling

to find her way and get by.

She'd been through

some pretty hard times

with an ex-husband

who had a bad turn in the army

and came home

refusing to treat her right.

She told me as we sat talking,

“John, I've got to pull myself back up

and get on with my life.

'Get back to my art and my writing.”

Her spirit was a bluebird,

flying high and untamed

in an endless summer sky,

and I could see a powerful magic

in the bright spark of her eyes.

I knew, even if she didn't right then,

that come what may,

she would find a way through.

'Said to her,

“If you believe

the wide screen television,

all you gotta do

is drink the right beer,

get a few tattoo’s,

use the right toothpaste,

and buy the right brand

of pick-up truck.

Do this, they tell you,

and life will be perfect.

Buy lots of stuff

you don't really need

with money you don't really have

and everything will all fall

right into place for you

and you'll be a resounding success.

Now, anyone with half a brain

knows that's all a scam

and a big pile of horseshit.

I took a drink of my coffee

and went on,

“Invest time, instead, in your son

and in your family.

Invest in those whom you love

and who love you back.

Remember, true love begins

only when two share

what is deep in their souls.

Everything before that

is just practice.

Invest time in your own creativity,

in your own art, writing and music.

Invest in the voyage to discover

the world inside yourself,

and in your long journey

out into the world around you.

Invest time in books

and in the great thoughts

of those who came before you.

Trust always the voice

that speaks from your heart.

Remember to laugh

at yourself like Red Skelton.

Let the child that you are deep inside---

The one who plays peek-a-boo

with the work-a-day world,

come out and romp in the green grass

and make splashes

in the puddles when it rains.

Remember to notice the sliver moon

high in the sky at night

and always keep a look out

for beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Invest, your time, my friend,

in people, emotions, ideas and ideals.

As all the years roll on by,

you'll be very much happier for it.”

She went off to think for a bit.

When she returned,

she poured me some more hot coffee,

then she smiled and said,

“Thank you much, John.

I think you've inspired me.

Hold on for a minute

while I find a pen and paper.”

I smiled back and told her,

“I'm just returning the favor.”

Dewey Dirks

Don't Need Much

Don't Need Much

Give me sunshine

and a good rain,

clouds in the sky,

beautiful sunrises

and sunsets

and the moon

and stars to see

in the velvet night.

Give me

a good conversation

with a stranger

every once in awhile,

a few good friends

to chat with

from time to time,

and my family to care for.

I'll be needing my dog

to meet me at the door,

and a cat or two

who like my lap.

I'll need a roof

over my head

that doesn't leak

too much when it rains,

a bit of food

in my belly each night,

and some clothes

for my back.

I'll be needing

and a few good books

to read now and then,

my computer

with a passable

word processor

and a game or two

for my work

and my play.

With these few things

I'll figure

I have a hand

that's pat.

I don't need much

to make my days

happy and content.

Dewey Dirks

Soul Sea

Soul Sea

Every creature

you ever see,

and every creature

you never see

has awareness

and a soul.

All around you

in the air,

filling full

every sea

and deep, deep

into the ground

under your feet

are things alive

each with awareness

and a soul.

The secret, my friends,

is that Mother Earth

is a blue orb

filled completely full of life,

---much more so than most

ever happen to imagine.

Like fish never aware

of the waters they swim

We each

wander Mother Earth

minding our phone bills

or figuring out

how to buy a better car

never realizing

we all live

in a vast Soul Sea.

Dewey Dirks

Soul On Fire

Soul On Fire

(For Elaine)

She could break your heart

with the look in her eye

and just standing near her

could light your soul on fire.

Long, long ago I watched

her motor on through men

like a fast, fast mustang

on a midnight moonshine run.

To this day

I still don't know why

I was special to her

though she tried to tell me

a thousand times over.

To her last breath

the light in her turquoise eyes

was ever a mystery to me.

She lit my eternal flame

out of soggy wet mud

and saved my life more than once.

She was my lover, my best friend,

my reason for waking each day

for half my lifetime.

For these, I owe her

a debt of gratitude

I never can repay.

She never put down her colors

and told all

who might do us any harm,

“Do whatever you like

but don't you

fuck with my family.”

She could fight as fiercely

as a snow white tiger

and was as intelligent

as the midsummer solstice

is long

She carried with her

a magic as powerful,

as wise, high, and beautiful

as Shengren mountain sides---

one part in the dark shadows,

the other bathed

in vivid sunshine.

She could break your heart

with the look in her eye

and just standing near her

could light your soul on fire.

In the end, for me she did both

because she lit my eternal soul

with a flame brilliant, bright and true

and then one dark winters night

she left me standing alone.

They say every angel

who gets their wings

also becomes a light and a song

to kindly guide those who wander

the green hills, rolling seas

and sandy deserts of Mother Earth.

Tonight, tonight my friends

look high up into the Southern skies

there shines a new star

in the velvet night

whose name

sounds like a wildflower.

Dewey Dirks

Who Built a Civilization

Who Built a Civilization

Our modern mass media,

ruling institutions,

and entertainment industries

try to make you think

it was the men of the military

and men of business

that built our civilization.

Now it's true they played

their part, but it was the guts, gall

sheer bravery, and down to earth

creativity of millions upon millions

of everyday people struggling through

year and years of unspeakable poverty

and terrible hardship that did by far

the lions share of the work.

Their names are countless

and you will not find them

in any history book.

It is upon their backs

that our civilization rests.

Dewey Dirks

Share

Share

We share

Our blue dot

In the sky

With around

nine million

other species

We are just

One small member

Of a very large family

Mother Nature

Is a very busy lady

Life cannot,

Will not

Make every decision

About our biosphere

In the best interests

Of humanity

Our species has grown

A little older

Now it's past time

That we realized

We have a place

In the scheme

Of things

But certainly

Not the only place

Humanity must learn

To share the world

With millions upon millions

Of other creatures

Least we lose our place

And fall behind

Remember, my friends

On planet Earth

Tomorrow

Is going to happen

Whether

We are here or not

Dewey Dirks

Walk a Better Earth and Happiness

Walk a Better Earth

Look for the best

in each person

you meet.

When you talk to them,

speak to that part of them

even if they don't

recognize it in themselves.

It will help those you meet

to discover and strive

for their dreams,

Talking to the best

in those around you

allows you to see

more clearly

the best in yourself.

Seeing the best in yourself

and in those around you

allows you to walk

a better Earth.

Dewey Dirks

Happiness

Some say that you

need to surround yourself

with people who will

make you laugh so hard

you'll forget the bad things in

life and remember the good

and then you'll be happy

My friend, I've got some

news for you---

Take some responsibility

for yourself

You need to learn to laugh

on your own,

learn to see the quiet joy

in everyday things,

and everyday happenings

Don't depend to other people

to make you happy

Instead, first find happiness

and laughter in yourself

and pretty soon

happy people

will want to be with you

Dewey Dirks

Rain

Rain

I love the sound of rain

When it rains I open

my doors and windows

and listen quietly

to the rhythm

of Tao teaching

me and the tree

in my front yard to grow

It sings simply

and so softly

it fills all the

rooms in my mind

and all the spaces

in my heart

Dewey Dirks

The Long Journey

The Long Journey

I have been on a lifelong

spiritual and philosophical journey.

I have talked to scores of people,

read many books, gathering points of view,

and I've seen many things happen

mysterious, wondrous and terrible

each with their lesson to teach me.

Some of the things I've learned

are that within virtually every

difficulty in life, are opportunities hidden,

and that life is far, far kinder and compassionate

than most people ever happen to notice.

I've learned that things have a way

of working out, even when the situation

appears extremely dire.

I've learned that life has given us all

an enormously powerful medicine

in the form of humor,

and that one of its most potent applications

is laughing at ourselves.

I've learned that both Mother Earth

and the Universe around us all, are,

in all probability, alive,

and like tiny cells of a vast, vast living being,

we each are inseparable from that greater life.

I've learned that the long journey of all humanity

to a deeper understanding of the life

that we are a tiny part of, has resulted

in all of our religions, sciences and philosophies.

I've learned that life allows rather than dictates,

and that it is we who judge ourselves

by our own actions, ideas, emotions and attitudes.

I've learned that the Universe

is unfathomably, wise, compassionate, and kind.

She is the advocate of all that lives,

She has no prejudice and holds no grudges.

I've learned that she is so kind, in fact,

that she'll even hang out

with Mormons, Baptists and Catholics on occasion.

This, of course, was kinda hard for me to accept ;)

Dewey Dirks

Elaine Cunningham-Dirks

Hi folks. I have some real bad news. Three months ago my wife Elaine was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She passed away peacefully in her sleep with me by her side early in the morning 12-30-2013. In her last few weeks alive she was able to spend much time with our family which was very important to her because for Laino, family was everything.

Laino was a very loving mate, mother, and friend. No one could ever ask for a finer partner in life. She was the kindest person I have ever known and one of the most capable people I've ever met, bar none. It has been an honor to be her mate. We were together for twenty-two years and I've known her for over half my lifetime. We all miss her so much.

Laino was one of those people who was always moving in four directions at once and so was able to fit a very great deal into her life. She was a jack of all trades and was very accomplished. In life she had been a bartender, waitress, process server, business owner, loan officer, appraiser, paralegal, caregiver, and patient advocate. Many times over the years she worked three jobs at once. Through it all she managed to fit time in for our kids and myself every day.

She is survived by myself, three sisters, two brothers, her son, her step-daughter, two nieces, two nephews, a grand niece and a grand nephew. In life we considered her nieces and nephews as though they were our own children.

Elaine Cunningham-Dirks

1960-2013