Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti and writers for the website talk with the women and men making news in New York, Washington, D.C., and other cities around the world. Thanks to Ian Herman for his wonderful piano introduction.
In a winter of discontent,
It is our duty to find it in ourselves to fly:
To feel the crisp-air and rejoice in its bravado;
Allow goodness to feather our bones,
Then lift us toward the heavens of decency.
Our wings mean more than journey:
Wings, our vision of hope;
Our proof of realization:
A salvation for the blind;
The voice of one who is speechless;
The music for one who cannot bear to hear.
Defeat: only the option for the unworthy.
One may lose compass while flying;
One may even spiral
Into the cold-depths of the ancient canyons;
Do not despair–
Fly–
This is one’s divine purpose in life.
In the bitter cold;
Whining wind;
In the starless night:
We spread our wings,
Guided by our mettle.
Let the storms loom;
They cannot harness sun.
It’s when you find yourself adrift,
Across the lonely seas;
And all you’ve left are your own thoughts,
And those of Socrates:
You wander through a heaven’s gate;
Reading fortunes by the rune.
And realize your tenderness,
Beneath the Midnight Moon.
Shores off in the distance
Greet waves which can commence;
That dance of salty living;
Crippling mortal sense.
Still, every word you mutter,
Becomes prophetic tune.
As you sail across your sea of life
Beneath the Midnight Moon.
A seagull sees the storms afar;
But we can only feel–
Pressures from the air we breathe
Can bring us to a kneel–
And when it does, we look to God,
And pray he’ll heal us soon.
As we watch the world around us,
Beneath the Midnight Moon.
So hold on to your compass;
‘Twill guide you ‘neath the stars:
Like a metronome in rhythm,
Keeping time to your memoirs.
And sirens donning sequins:
They remind, you’re not immune;
To the power of the unknown,
Beneath the Midnight Moon.
Top image owned and created by Brian Stoltz: Midnight Moon. Permission given for use by Woman Around Town.
If I could wrap you up in ribbons;
And top you off with bows:
I’d thank you for your beauty;
And relieving us of woes.
You see, you’re tied up with my heart strings;
Tied up in my past;
You brought us back America–
From a death I feared might last.
I’d thank you for your kindness;
And what you each beseeched.
And finally a President,
That couldn’t be impeached.
I’d thank you for your conscience;
You did all that you could.
And I hope to God the next one,
Does just what he should.
I’d thank you for your insight:
We’re one big family,
While trying hard to show us,
That we’re the ones who lead
Our country into greatness;
Our world to greater peace;
And in the storm of change we’ll see
Exactly what that means.
I’d thank our lovely FLOTUS:
A blossom grown from grace.
Then thank your lovely children
Who gave our youth a face:
To lead us going forward;
Every woman; every man.
To remind us, live with courage,
Knowing: YES WE CAN.
Bigstock Top Photo: President Barack Obama – Michelle Obama greets fans after his Inauguration in Washington, D.C. on 20th January 2013.
Pick your paint,
To paint your ponies;
Perched within life’s carousel.
Learn that life is heaven now;
And not living it, is hell.
Live deep within the tulip, sweet;
And breathe it’s fragrance, fine.
Then exhale all its essence on
This spinning world of thine.
Leave the darkness to the night;
And choose your star shine, wise.
Forget about the words of man;
They’ll only tell you lies.
But moons, the suns, and mountain’s peak:
Will sing your heart and soul–
Awakening your waters, deep–
Shedding all mortal control.
Fly through the clouds without a fear,
Searching for the sterling’s shine.
Dance to every fiddled tune;
Partake in living’s wine.
Tune your songs sung out of key;
So you’ve lived for more than naught.
Your song, indeed, your legacy:
Reflects all that you’ve caught.
Yes, bend the truth, if you’ve a mind,
To soften what might hurt.
Rememb’ring that we’re mankind:
God’s savory dessert.
This is my New Year wish for you,
In hopes it sets you free:
To fly the heavens with a grace,
Complimenting every sea.
It is the person of the heart which holds the heart of others.
The hearts of Sisters, Brothers, Fathers, the hearts of our Dear Mothers.
They go and battle for who they love,
The Whats, the Whys, and those above.
They take the chance to lose their life
To say good bye to man and wife….
To leave their Mom’s and Dad’s at home
To know they may be left to roam:
To roam the fields of death’s despair;
To walk the land mines on the dare.
That they will live to see sunset,
As they sweat to pay the debt.
A debt for freedom in our land,
A payment made, which goes in hand
Of every person you can count;
Americans which will amount,
To people reading this right now;
To people whom might disavow,
The right to fight for freedom’s dreams:
The right for living to extremes.
It makes no difference who you are…
The what, or why you might disbar,
Those which live a different life,
A soldier’s life’s to play the fife.
A fife, which whistle’s Man’s belief
Where safety is a true relief;
Equalities abound to share;
To live a life without a care.
And so we thank you on this day.
For your courage lights the way
For us to speak what’s on our mind
To exercise a truth that shined,
Upon our flag, we’ve come to share.
Our Stars and Stripes forever bear…
Commandments which allow us to,
Salute in faith, Red, White and Blue.
Top photo: Washington, D.C., March 25, 2016: Lone red carnation and American flag at Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Bigstock Photo.
