Aphorisms

Peace is never passive.
Love, hope and faith are verbs without an article.
One of the most wicked things I recall growing up hearing, was,
'Don't do as I do, do as I say.' Aphorism of character laziness.
It may be 'better to not make a promise if you're
not going to keep it,' but it is, also, the case,
that only cowards refrain from making promises.

"I'm pro-choice!"

“I'm pro-choice!” “I'm pro-life!” “I'm pro-war!” “I'm pro-peace!” “I AM” “I AM NOT”god forbid that any of these would seek to help the people caught in between these! http://logostim.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/timothy.r.gates

'Across the room'

'Across the room' timothy r gates, 7/23/2010

Across the room,
through the door
artist enters
Gemini Lady,
sometime bibliophile
other time lyrical phrasing,
brush stokes
intuitively singing.
sublime and overt
'loveliness,'
immediately came to mind. -
sitting in a chair
felt every word i spoke
heard every one returned,
Dostoevsky must've had
this Beauty in mind.

'beauty'

'beauty' timothy r gates, 7/21/2010

beauty
sings
whispers
screams
requests
weeps
drinks each other's tears
grins
smiles
kisses
laughs
reclines
is

Fragile Day by Wilderland

Written by Scott Blum and Kat Sanchez
© 2010 by Music for a Fragile Day (ASCAP) / KittyWing Productions (ASCAP)

In the sky birds are quiet
They've stopped singing while they're winging
Sun is starting to fade
Sun is starting to fade

In the sea water below
Fish are dimming while they're swimming
Blackened ocean of foam
Blackened ocean of foam

Fragile life
Strength for I pray
Fragile life for a fragile day

Here at home curled up inside
In the mirror I see clearer
Someone there who can heal
Someone there who can heal


Fragile life
Strength for I pray
Fragile life for a fragile day


http://www.fragileday.com/donate.html in order to DONATE

I Will Survive Dancing Auschwitz

never forget 7/21/2010
never regret
never fret
sing, sing, sing!
(please make sure to play to end)

'between breaths'

'between breaths' timothy r gates, 7/18/2010

Cupped in the turbulence
appearance frightening
save for those who know
the agnostic lover prays,
'might i know your fear's release.'
they keep their virtue
only a tease for other's voyeurism
all else drowned
kept adrift, hand and arm
ready for another resuscitation
by resurrection's kiss
cupped by the horror
for some who would prey
while they need only smile
between breaths.

'wonder, is Judas an atheist'

'wonder, is Judas an atheist' timothy r gates, 7/07/2010

playing in the Garden
the two J's had a ball
chasing the goats
laughing at the pigs
looking forward to Paschal Lamb,
yummy well done Jewish party food.
The two J's
picked each other first for games,
Jesus always saw what is
Judas saw what might have been –
friends forever
i've wondered
did he weep when his friend
hung himself?
Would've he corrected the others,
his friend's name a byword:
Judas?
Saints and sinners,
prism's line
struggle to do more than pray,
or to not forget to pray.
The two J's
kept it going,
the one the movement's icon,
the other the movement's business manager.
After all of this,
i wonder if Judas is an atheist,
left hanging,
blamed for what was said to be
inevitable – or,
maybe he gets it like good friends do,
sometimes it's in the nature of the game,
the J's played.

'depression, or not'

'depression, or not' timothy r gates, 7/06/2010

change
consistency
contemplation
abstractions –
that familiar voice
innocuous inclemency
like Linus' blanket,
now folded, placed away,
safely for when
needed
this darkness,
not my old friend
requests a hug and a kiss
lover's a pimp:
'No thank you.'

'Hands, intended for caress'

'Hands, intended for caress' timothy r gates, 7/05/2010

Bones near,
broken
skin past,
bruised
fists,
landed head on

hands,
intended for a caress –
land on adolescent's joys
hands,
intended for a stroke –
planted squarely on cheeks
hands,
intended for catching a tear –
impose their icons

Bones heal
skin smooths
eyes find tears,
remembering the betrayals –
but then, find something new
'happy tears.'


subscript:
hisses sought the night's abuse
kisses were confused
tipped his hat
cupped her hands
children wonder,
if they could
not knowing a soft touch,
when it comes –
first you, jump,
expecting a jerk and smack
tenderness confuses
hat covers affection
scarfs veil experience
children wonder,
praying they could
innocence stolen
innocence baptized
innocence's kiss.
Thank you.

*A gift of reciprocal beauty is that of a child who knows innocence sharing this insight with a person
who never knew this gift. Not to rob a child of what you've been stolen, and then to behold their freedom of seeing through a prism, this is just the coolest of all things (to those who know this).

'the blame game'

'the blame game' trg, 5th of July, 2010

He says, she says, they say
his fault
her fault
serpent's fault –
turn you head and hear,
a collective hiss,
'they're your kids!'

'the Fourth of July! Again'*

'the Fourth of July! Again'* timothy r gates, 7/02/2010

rockets red glare
bursting in air –
gave proof –
Our Flag was still there!

sinew, bones
flying everywhere
praying for blessings,
confessions
of homicidal accidents,
praying for propitiation,
'Lord have mercy,'
after the fact
too many facts

ruddy hues, dust's vessels
painting new earth pigments,
wishing there was no need to –
John Brown or MLK
could not anticipate such proliferation
The Bomb,
still the Newspeak
context for pretexts,
making sure Our Flag stays there!

The Fourth of July! Again
please, no missing fingers from sparklers
please, no m-19 blowouts
please, children's laughter fill the air.


*Every year I revisit our nation's heritage. I remain grateful for the place I call home, and
for those who have and do keep me free to call her home. Every year, it seems, that I also
find myself being reminded of all those who have died, from all sides, in all wars, and the the largest
number of these people are never reported. They have come to be called 'collateral damage.'
A soldier, I believe, merely does what they're commanded, no matter what the side they're
fighting. The billions of collateral damage people have just been in the way of the bullets and weapons
being used to kill the enemy. Let's be honest, those lost as collateral damage are murdered, not
killed. Counties and nations love to have glorious wars hymns written in order to help cover
the actual consequences of war. 'Mine eyes have seen the coming of the Lord,' is both one of the best
iconic examples of this, as well as one of the most perverse songs of war's victories. I look forward
to a day when our children need not fear their parents need to win one more time.