David Hawranek Paradise Valley, Arizona

Philosophical Statement: I believe in love. The more I live, the more difficult I find it to hate. I believe happiness is much better than any other emotion except love, which is simply pure unmarred happiness. I believe in learning which is the one thing all creatures do. I do not believe in limits of any kind. There is nothing that we as individuals and as a world cannot achieve. I believe in doing at least one crazy thing every year.

SINGER And the music played louder As the singer began to sing She moved deftly forward And made the microphone ring She inhaled very deeply And then let she out her soul As she began singing Some good time rock and roll The crowd started swaying And singing along with her For she had a gift that allowed them to be heard

ON THE ROAD And the time moves slowly on scrolling out like the mist from the river never knowing, asking, or caring The ways of the world a mystery not to be pondered or understood by beasts like you or I Misty waters hide the pain they flow over the soul and into the brain They help you to try again and again

RENEWAL I miss the rivers and the streams The way the wind drives through town pushing anything that gets in its way I miss the mountains looming overhead I long to sit in the forest and just be still I am tired of the city It has many distractions and amusements to be sure But it has not the timeless wisdom of majesty of the wild places. The places where man has not been yet The hidden and forgotten valleys that old men show their young sons And the valley glows in the autumn sun. Death is coming along with sleep and rebirth the land must rest and so must we mustn't push so hard or drive so fast must take time to stop and enjoy the sun set because the wind will blow and and the snow will come turning black to white covering the earth in a blanket to keep out the cold to keep out the sun to help it sleep and rest away from everyone

All poems Copyright © 1997 David Hawranek. All rights reserved.