two cats

Two cats had a discussion,
upon my front porch today.
I’m here! the first said.
Your there!! The second.
Go away! the first spake.
You first, whisper the second.
I’M HERE!!! The first yowled.
You’ll stay there forever, the second hissed.
So they had a race, across the yard, over the street, down the block,
To a fence over which the winner shot.
The loser took a bath, chased a bee, danced across the street, sniffed at the grass,
chased a leaf, climbed to the porch, with head held high to look over his domain… took a nap.

Written by John Fried
Posted 02-25-13

Fish

There are fish In my aquarium,
I watch them day to day
In their water filled vacuum, 
flying as they pass along their way.
I wonder though,
are they the watched
Or are they the watching,
And pondering why I do not fly
In my empty air filled void
I shake my head, enough said
Go on with my daily voyage…

Written by John Fried
Posted on 02-25-13

I started on the walk one day

I started on the walk one day
And a young oak I saw
Standing aloof, proud, tall
In its well made bed,
set and ready to be admired, 
its arms held high,
Almost arrogant as it reached though the sky.
Trimmed and sculpted it looked down,
And I walked on, passing by.
Later on my walk, I came to a field
Another oak tree I see,
Bent by weathers,
Wild in its bed
Old scars of fire upon its back,
Lightning struck,
Its arms bent wide and down
Gently bowing at the ground
Its shaggy head ruffled the sky,
It smiled at me and I grinded back
and beneath its invites I set aside my cane
To laid my head my walk at end…

Written by John Fried
Posted on 02-23-13

When I was young I was told

When I was young I was told:
You can’t have evil without good,
You can’t have good without evil,
And I understood.
Without light, there is only the dark,
You have no sight,
And without dark you are snow-blind,
And cannot see.
Then I got older.
Gray showed up, between the light and the dark,
On the edge of the lights fine lace
is the darks faded charcoal smudges.
Good can be the comfort of a trees gray shade
Or Texas sunlight hash summer gaze.
and I grew older.
I noticed what we see as dark, is not always,
what we want to see becomes what is important
not what is bright in light, gray shadows or dark night,
that good can flourish where we think all is dark,
and that the darkest evil can come
in the shadow of the arm
outstretched
accusing finger
bright in the sun
dark without simple understanding…

Written by John Fried
Posted on 02-21-13

Sunbeam

The 
morning 
Sunlight 
Passes 
through 
a
window
and
s c a t t e r s
On a
Cat.
How about that!

Written by John Fried
Posted on 02-20-13

There is a time I remember

It's been 25 years, but a weak start is better than nothing:

There is a time I remember,
When thoughtful care was give to others,
When respect was the first common factor 
In our discourse and conversation.
There is a way I feel that we had,
To listen to others thoughts and ideas
That we didn’t condemn or cry foul,
For we realized all views helped balance the world.
We have truth and falsehood in all of our opinions,
For we lie to ourselves the easiest
And in that are all wrong and we are all right
At times in the least and others in the most part
So when you start to talk or read
When you begin to answer or counter
Think not to how the last person treated your ideas,
Take not your revenge upon the treatment you last got,
Do not stoop to a level below yourself
But with open mind, study to see
What others feel and see
Work for the betterment of yourself and all
And converse as you wish the world to be
And how you wish your treatment could be…
We can always agree to disagree…

Written by John Fried
Posted on 02-19-13