Tag Archives: joy

The Quiet

How eerily quiet it is

As dusk rushes in to part day from night.

The birds song falls silent,

Screaming to a deprived auditory,

A favorite time of day.

Providing respite to the senses,

Relief from the noise and chaos,

The pollution that ravages solace.

So few are these moments of silence;

The bombardment of the modern world sees to that.

Sights, sounds, electronics, social media,

Flooding, desensitizing, minimizing,

Reducing humanity to its possessions.

Instant gratification,

Constant entertainment,

Mindless busyness with little reward

Fill the hours of the every day.

Meditation,

Peacefulness of sleep,

Simple reading,

Communion with thoughts

Are endeavors relegated to antiquity if so ignored.

The natural joys of quiet revitalize,

Bringing balance to the imbalances of life.

With eyes closed, in silence,

The beating of the heart

Will become the song in the mind

Reconnecting spirit to nature and humanity.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Trapped

Trapped in this chasm, my mind

Constantly looking…

Searching for something only I can provide

Realizing, but still denying the power

Peering into the eyes of friends and strangers

Seeking approval…

Begging for their projection of happiness

Only to be disappointed

Let down by their inability to meet my desires

My need for acceptance,

My need for love,

My need for joy that once staked claim to my soul

But has since blow away

Sailing to parts unknown on the wings of the four winds

As I lay quiet staring at the stark white ceiling

Tears, salty and warm sting my bloodshot eyes

Crying as I’ve done so many nights before

Tomorrows another day

Maybe I’ll find what I am looking for on the other side of the door

Waiting to embrace me

Envelope me

Wash me in the happiness that I so desperately pray for

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Rose Colored Glasses – A Haiku

Image Credit: tumblr.com

Image Credit: tumblr.com

Rose colored glasses

Distort my view of the world

All for the better

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Awakening

Awakening to the first rays of day

Filtered through muddled panes;

Thankful for each cherished breath,

The perfection of the day,

My wife, children, friends, acquaintances,

Those whom I have not yet met,

Perfect in just their existence.

This happiness is born deep within;

It can not be projected on one by another

Nor given as one would tender a gift.

This joy must live of it’s own volition,

In unison with the body temple,

Expelling that which festers melancholy.

Would anyone not choose happiness over misery,

Relaxation over stress, Peace over violence,

Love over hate…I think not.

This ability lies within each of us,

Active or in hibernation;

Only a nudge is necessary to awaken it

Often we bury it under rubble;

Forged from the drama surrounding us.

Though unavoidable,

It must not be permitted to loiter.

Rather it must be cast out as a leper,

Burned at the stake,

Sacrificed to the gods,

Guaranteeing the health of our mind,

Our body

And our spirit.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

A Simple Action – A Tanka

A simple action

Done out of selfless kindness

Can change the world

Open your hearts to others

And goodness will surely flow

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Solitude

Solitude scares me not as I wallow in the quiet.

Exquisite silence joins me, sits beside me like an old friend,

Placing a congratulatory arm around me in comfort.

As refreshing as a hot bath or a shot of Glenlivet;

Sharpening the senses as a razors edge,

Carving away at the clutter of modernity,

Replacing it with the simple rhythms of my own beating heart.

At times, as joyous as intimacy,

Energizing and euphoric yet primitive;

Cleansing the mind, lifting the soul.

This rejuvenation, one of the great pleasures of life,

Elementary in conception, is often not easily obtained

As responsibilities, self-imposed or otherwise throw up their gauntlets.

Unavoidable without effort in our hectic sphere;

Time for self must be apportioned for sanity’s sake

If we are to live healthful and fruitful lives.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

The Joy Of Children – A Tanka

Image Credit: centerforjoyfulliving.net

Image Credit: centerforjoyfulliving.net

The joy of children

There’s no greater innocence

In this savage world

Our responsibility

To protect their purity

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Beauty Surrounds

Beauty surrounds,

If we only take time to observe.

Caught in the trap of modernity,

Should we not exalt these wonders,

For the sanctity of nature,

Is most breathtaking to behold.

Our towering buildings, bridges, fountains, sculptures,

All the great works of the ages do not compare.

Man’s achievements are but specks,

Mere blemishes woven into this worldly fabric.

The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the giant redwoods,

the mighty Mississippi, the Rocky Mountains,

Overshadow anything man’s simple mind could envision.

Yet through our mortal determination

We destroy the masterpiece that sustains us.

Let us slow down…

Take a moment to appreciate what surrounds us

Before we further damage this gift we have been given

Leaving nothing but ugliness and regret

To those that will follow.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Glean What Truth – A Tanka

Glean what truth you can

From this haggard earthly soul

Worn by life’s torment

For mortal time is finite

By natures perfect design

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Optimism – A Haiku

Image Credit: my.englishclub.com

Image Credit: my.englishclub.com

I bask in sunlight

Seeing hope where others fail

Timeless optimist

~

~~ Dominic R  DiFrancesco ~~