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Please take the time to read and enjoy my poetry! It is my ongoing project and I am looking forward to translating my poems into Turkish, Portuguese, and French. JFB


The War Show
Watch the war show. Imagine yourself sitting on a rock, above other rocks, And watching two little lizards fight to the death over a bug...
hcdjfb
Mar 6, 20241 min read


The Catalyst for Courage
Courage is defined by converting fear into action. The catalyst for this conversion is introspection— Finding the heart, that steel in...
hcdjfb
Feb 27, 20241 min read


The Human Cabochon
A cabochon is a gemstone that has been cleaned, polished, but not faceted, To be set in a ring or pendant, ideally in its most beautiful...
hcdjfb
Feb 16, 20241 min read


Taking Leave of Friends, They Remain
Seeing friends after an absence, You realize that closeness is not about geography or time, That the spaces between us are only...
hcdjfb
Feb 13, 20241 min read


What is frozen thaws.
What is frozen thaws. We had a freeze, a frost that killed anything that wasn’t covered. Trees lost their leaves; the garden perennials...
hcdjfb
Jan 18, 20241 min read


I am a river stone.
I hold a beautiful river stone in my hand. This one is almost translucent. The stone is so rounded and smooth, Polished by perhaps...
hcdjfb
Jan 15, 20241 min read


The Mysteries of Aging
It is good to be old In my twenties, I had wonderful, but rather stupid adventures. In my thirties, I went searching for the manual on...
hcdjfb
Jan 12, 20241 min read


Introspection
Look into yourself Picture a shelf of very fine wood, Properly stained and varnished. The wood is expensive and beautiful\ And you can...
hcdjfb
Jan 5, 20241 min read


Compassion
Your tears fall from your eyes, And into my heart, To nourish what can be best and noblest in it. Then I can dry your tears, And help you...
hcdjfb
Dec 11, 20231 min read


Finding Treasure (Beyoğlu. Istanbul 2023)
When I close my eyes, I think of the happy moments when I was a boy, Finding treasures. It may have been finding a fossil in a cool,...
hcdjfb
Dec 8, 20231 min read


Love is a Paradox
Love is not at all transactional. The more your give.the more you receive. You fill your heart by emptying yourself to another, Which...
hcdjfb
Dec 4, 20231 min read


Degrees of Friendship
There are degrees of friendship. Throughout our lives People walk across the stage and play a role, Then walk away. Some walk across the...
hcdjfb
Dec 1, 20231 min read


On the Right Path
How do we know we are on the right path? Sometimes the right path has many twists and turns. It isn’t always smooth. It has puddles to...
hcdjfb
Nov 14, 20231 min read


Wage Peace
From a lofty height, an angel looked down and remarked, “These human creatures have a mind, a body, and a soul. The one thing they are...
hcdjfb
Nov 11, 20231 min read


What side are you on?
What side are you on? I am on the side of those who mourn. Their tears are colorless and have no nation.
hcdjfb
Nov 6, 20231 min read


You Never Know To Whom You Are Speaking.
You never know to whom you are speaking. Appearances deceive. It may be an angel or king in disguise. It may be Elijah or Jesus And your...
hcdjfb
Oct 27, 20231 min read


The Threads of Friendship
The fabric of our lives is sewn with many threads, Among the threads are those that give it color, Depth, and warmth. These are the...
hcdjfb
Oct 27, 20231 min read


The Dervish's Dream
I wrote this with a very brave young man in my mind and heart. A dervish had walked many miles one day and sat down at dusk to rest. He...
hcdjfb
Oct 25, 20232 min read


Adventures in Either-Or Land
In Either-Or-Land, nothing is ever really as it seems, Because it is all concrete (but it really isn't.) It looks black or white, but it...
hcdjfb
Oct 23, 20232 min read


Bloodstream: A love story.
Bloodstream I went to the doctor. They had taken vials of my blood, run tests on them and said, “You are healthy. We read your blood, and...
hcdjfb
Oct 19, 20232 min read
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