All Categories - Dave The Poet

Week #50 Grandma's Eyes

4/8/2018

Grandma’s Eye’s

A woman stares deep into
The eyes of her grandbaby
Does she know her voice?
A possible recognition maybe?

Grandma talked to her
when she was in the womb
Told her she loved her…
and would see her very soon

Could she hear her?
Was the voice distant?
Did she feel her love…
longing and persistent?

Baby stares with contemplation
Who is this lady…
that smiles with such elation?

What is the warmth
in her gentle voice?
Who is this with tender touch?
Who is this that loves me so much?

I need to know
The one my heart has warmed
The one who loved me
Before I was even formed

David Kettler
February 17th 2018

Week #49 Flying Over

4/8/2018

Flying Over

The twinkling lights of quiet cities
Pass beneath our wings
Anonymous clusters of civilization
Sleeping …
Where freedom rings

Slowly engulfed in a blanket of clouds
Billows…
Enfolding the night
Quietly we pass unseen and unheard
Above the line of their sight

Chicago greets the dawn
Street lights dim in protest
Another night is leaving
Darkness is laid to rest

I never met those people
Literally we passed them by
Sailing over unconcerned
Winging on the fly

David Kettler
3/7/18

Written as we approached Chicago for a layover on our way to Doug and Katie’s wedding in Jacksonville.

Week # 48 Tiny Island

4/8/2018

Tiny Island

I’m a tiny island in a raging river
A blunted arrow in the warrior’s quiver
A lonely black sheep within the flock
But my island’s founded upon a rock

I’m a lonely voice in a world of noise
A carpenter’s tool in a box of toys
I’m standing alone against what is wrong
But somehow I know that I do belong

I’m a burning light on a darkened hill
Efforts to extinguish but I’m shining still
The spark inside is what is real
It’s the only thing the dark can’t steal

I’m a tiny island in a river vast
The drowning floods just roar on past
In safe harbor I’ll one day dock
My tiny island was on the rock

David Kettler
March 12th 2017

This was inspired by my friend JR Cordoba.

Week #47 "Two Hearts"

3/13/2018

Two hearts met…somewhere over Florida
The ocean breeze it blew
The embrace that joined this loving pair
Resulted in…”I do”

Flying high and loving life
Embracing their forever
Life alone was pretty good…
Imagine life together!

He won our hearts in mid-December
With his helpless new-born bleat
She won our hearts many years later
By making his life complete

This journey they are starting on
Is a path of many joys
Much of it does not just happen
The work… is our own choice

Two becoming one, me becoming us
The molding of two souls
Crystalizing both our plans
Reaching both our goals

Love is the answer-love is the key
The glue the healing oil
Making life the smoother run
Making so worth the toil

Hold each other, hold your dreams
Don’t ever let them go
Love the love you have today
And love you’ll always know

Written for Doug and Katie’s Wedding
March 9th 2018

David Kettler
November 30th 2017

Week #46 "The River of Life"

3/13/2018

This river of life that I must cross
The rapids the churning the boil
Year after year constructing my raft
The labor the sweat and the toil
Cutting corners taking chances
Not the right road to take
It must be correct it must be well done
My life is the one that's at stake
Just any old twine just any old glue
Just any old nails will do?
The sinking feeling of seeing too late
It all comes apart halfway through
Put in the time put in the work
It’s your life my friend that's at stake
Don't cut the corner that your life depends on…
It’s way too big a mistake!
David Kettler, December 5th 2017

Week#45 Tender Warrior

2/26/2018

She’s a great and mighty warrior
without the sword and spear
Her weapon is the sword of the Spirit
That’s what the enemies fear

She’s a tender warrior in times of battle
Who fights with a gentle touch
All the strength of her great Commander
whom she’s come to love so much

A tender warrior who inspires her troop
With her gentle loving way
Who prevails in her own secret battle
that she fights everyday

Weapons of warmth and compassion
Coals of fire are lent
To the weary fighting soldier
At the front lines from her are sent

Bread to hungry comrades
The tender warrior brings
And fills them a-new with courage
As the fight song she sweetly sings

So renewed we return to battle
Inspired by the faithful one
The tender warrior who tells us
Our battle-it will be won

David Kettler

Note: This is dedicated to my dear friend Freda Curtis. She is a mighty soldier in the good fight of Faith who inspires us all.

Week #44 Groan Up

2/26/2018

We push kids to grow up
They just can’t grow fast enough
The young need to look old
The tender need to look tough

Innocence needs to be schooled
Incapable ones need re-tooled
Heaven forbid if naivety
Ever got fooled

Paint the plain, mask the pain
Everyone buys a ticket
For the very same train

We spend the first part of our lives
Seeking to be old
The rest of our lives
We search for youth’s fountain of gold

David Kettler
January 15th 2018

Week #43 Last Ride

2/26/2018

She lay still on the ride
that we took to the vet
A ride that I’m sure I will
not soon forget

No jumping no bouncing
no spinning around
This was the ride
to have her put down

How I hated the ride
when she was a pup
Up and down and
down and up

Now I wish one last time
I could say Molly lie down…
and not wish so bad,
she still was around

Week #42 Inspiration

2/26/2018

Inspiration comes
in the middle of the night
I rush to write it down
And wait for morning light
How hardly can I wait
to read what I have wrote
Just the night before
My inspiration note
It's often boom or bust
Like crashing of a wave
Like lassoing the wind
These fleeting thoughts to save
When the lights go dark
Inspirations gone
All that you can do
Is wait for it to dawn
David Kettler
12/22/17

Week #41 Validate

2/5/2018

Why do I need to validate
the gift inside of me,
with other ears who hear my words
or other eyes who see?

“Wow, you’re good” I long to hear
So relevant to be
As if I’m just not good enough
Till someone sets me free

If I think that I’m OK
Is that not enough you see?
To validate God given gifts
That God has given me?

To be happy in my very own skin
And cause all doubt to flee
I validate the one who gave
Validation back to me

David Kettler
10/7/2015

Notes: Woke up at 3:00 AM with this on my mind.