Monthly Archives: July 2014

Dreams of Riches

Dreams of riches,

Leached from the ground

By muscle, pick axe and shovel.

Panned from our rivers

Even dust brought great joy.

Craning skyward

The Superstitions loom large

Legend says there is treasure

Long lost to time and greed,

Hidden where it can never be found.

Miners still prospect for their slice of the pie;

Looking for that vein to bleed gold in these rocky crags.

Others chase the lore;

Seeking after the Lost Dutchman’s riches.

Not for the faint of heart,

Either destiny or curse has claimed many a soul.

Still this does not deter.

Maybe Waltz did dance around the truth,

Perhaps the joke’s on those that believe a fortune exists in this granite hell,

We may never know.

Maybe hope is enough to keep us alive,

Hope that our pot of gold survives

Beneath the armor of these…

Superstition Mountains.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Authors Note: This piece is about the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine in the Superstition Mountains located near Apache Junction,  Arizona just outside of Phoenix.  The legend carries on to this day with people continuing search this treacherous mountain seeking the goldmine that Jacob Waltz claims to have discovered and kept secret unto his death in 1891.  More can be read about it here.

Invincible Youth (Tanka)

Invincible youth

Passes in the blink of an eye

Inevitable

As it always has with age

Though not always with wisdom

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

‘Tis More Dangerous Than Any Weapon Created By Man

‘Tis more dangerous than any weapon created by man,

Born of spirit and Heaven’s hand.

Free to be opened and enjoyed like fine wine,

Or corked up and saved for another time.

In anger it rages and wishes to impart harm,

Praying before action that reason sounds alarm.

Planning and scheming are some of what it does best,

Running through scenarios, putting them to the test.

At times acting irrational as in the case of lust or love,

Acting without thinking giving primal urge a shove.

Evil when plagued with illness deprived of right or wrong,

Difficult to cure lasting the whole life long.

It’s never been more dangerous than when behind a wall of brick,

Ignorance and jealousy and hatred make it sick.

Closing off one’s mind is a terrible and awful waste,

Something that should be frowned upon as a sheer and utter disgrace.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie – Photo Challenge #16 – “Portrait”

 

Gabriel Neffke

Gabriel Neffke

 

Patriotic (Acrostic)

Purveyors of hate

Attempt to intimidate those of unlike minds–

Turning to violence and angry rhetoric to force their points-of-view.

Reality eludes them as they long for their diluted utopia.

I do not despise my country nor my brothers,

Only those despots among us that desire to bastardize it in their image.

They and they alone are treasonous,

Ignorant and insidious,

Corrupting all that is good in the name of the flag.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Pedaling Madly

Pedaling madly

Skating on rain-soaked pavement

Cobblestone death trap

\

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Authors Note: This haiku is in honor of today’s stage of the Tour de France, stage 5 in the very rainy north of France.  Defending champion Chris Froome pulled out of the race after falling twice on the rain slicked roads today after falling once before in a previous stage.

You can get the idea of how dangerous this stage was from this slideshow from the official Tour de France 2014 website.

So Much Seems Misguided In This World

So much seems misguided in this world

Though perhaps it is me that is misguided, I do not know.

Is it wrong to expect more from us as a people,

To give with an open heart,

To love without consideration of race, creed or color?

Touting the sacredness of our religions,

Our freedom to worship as we please,

We are stifled,

Narrow of mind,

Driven to discriminate in the name of our God.

We preach against other free peoples,

Demanding their conformity to our world view,

Threatening hellish consequences for disobedience.

This is not freedom–

Shackled by our religions, it is we are enslaved!

Find one among us that is not simply trying to survive,

Doing the best they can in these uncertain times.

Does your Holier-Than-Thou attitude raise you above them?

Does belittling your brothers and sisters bring you closer to God?

Does freedom and equality apply to only those with whom you are in consensus?

It does not you hypocrites;

Your religion is distorted and not of God!

You are not ordained to be judge and jury

Carrying out sentence on your brethren!

Take heed of your own shortcomings,

As I am certain there are many

And this world shall be a better place.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

A Playful Nibble (Tanka)

A playful nibble

The lightest flicker of tongue

Erogenous dance

~

No music is required

In this sensual samba

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

O’ One of Pure Heart

O’ one of pure heart,

Surely it must be enveloped in resin

Otherwise how can it not break.

Thine voice sings the beauty of angels,

Thine face art most ravishing,

Still how many times hast thou fallen prey to artiface,

How many times hast thou succumbed to frisson in the face of night?

Drawn, art thou to that which promises thee harm

Excluding nothing from thy circuitous journey.

To castigate thee would serve no purpose;

Nay, it would serve only to drive thee to be taciturn.

In this I fear that thou wouldst be lost to me forever.

Therefore I am destined to love thee just as thou art;

Embracing thy peculiarities and thy uniqueness

As endearing and part of thy mesmerizing charm.

O’ one of purest heart,

I shall love thee forever and ever.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Prompt: Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie – Wordle #16

 

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie - Wordle #16

Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie – Wordle #16

A Weathered Key

A weathered key turned in a worn out lock;

Rusty hinges creak as the lid is gingerly raised,

Aged dust drawn as if by vacuum fills the musty air,

Like so many travellers on their worldly journey.

This steamer trunk long forgotten;

Adorned with France, Belgium, Canada, Japan…

Reminders of its travels and the sights it has seen.

Memories of good times,

Memories of some not so good,

Memories of long nights,

Smoke filled taverns,

Exotic women,

Exhilaration in the unknown,

Glorious sunsets,

Distant shores,

Warm breezes,

Tearful goodbyes,

This musty old trunk, like my mind

Covets memories of days-gone-by.

Perhaps they too are weathered and worn,

Adorned with tattered tags of my life’s travels,

And relegated to a dingy attic,

But they are mine and mine alone

To cherish all the days of my life.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Tis This Hell On Earth (Tanka)

Tis this hell on earth

The scorching sun, desert sand

Bleaching toughest bone

Helios hath no equal

This alone is his domain

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~