For Markus (on his 14th Birthday}

I woke up to life relieved to see

the world was rid of plight;

of war and hate and pain and fear,  

t'was full of life and light.

The sky was blue, the sunsets red,

the mornings fresh and chilly.

Days lasted long, summers forever,

to be little was same as silly:

I played in the mud, and road dust, and straw piles,

and meadows, and fields, and on trees.

Watched birds fly south, heard dogs bark at night,

saw swallows catch flies and the bees.

The sounds I recall don't exist on this plane:

like oinks of the farm pigs, and whistles of train,

or clip-clop of horse hooves, or crows of the cock,

and church bells announcing the top of the clock...

It's gone, but it's here: inside my head,

and it's staying with me to the end,

It doesn't seem real, but it's part of my life

in spite of now different trend:

New languages, cities, acquaintances, work,

knowledge, ideas and  joys,

new  thoughts and songs, vehicles, pets,

relatives, friends, kids, and toys.

Gathering knowledge is humans' privilege

on this blue planet in space.

We are aware of our power and freedom,

and we claim charge of this place.

We mushroom and grow, and network and thrive

until the planet fills up.

We must find solutions to waste and pollution:

we did it, we must “scoop it up”.

Everyone's needed, who's born to this life

to put things in diff'’rent perspective,

to learn and create, to change and improve,

and grow to be more objective.

What you know here you might need "THERE",

but use it in the present:

to make things work, fix, heal, explain,

discover, create and invent.

I hope we’ll find out why we are here

in the little time time we've got.

I wish I knew what I will know

when I chip in my lot.

One thing I know: What we have here

we can't  take over THERE.

and as long as we’re here in body and spirit,

we’re meant to love, work, and share.

1991-03-18