Social Marthoning

Write just for the fun of it.
I've been way to serious
in my attitude towards the
outcome of my writing as
of late.
Trying to hit the "bullseye"
every time as if there even
was a bullseye, puts way
too much pressure on a
writer to produce anything
of a very creative nature, I
think

So...as I heal and become
more "socially" available I
find many more opportunities
to be invited into others'
company.
I find my balance of alone time
and others' time to be respected
as I can easily overbook in my
exuberance to make up for
years of accentuated shyness
around another or others.

Yet I feel a pull to be more
engaged in the world, with others
and not be so much of a hermit
as much as I may enjoy my own
company without necessarily
feeling I'm missing out on too
much.

I've always needed to "recuperate"
from intense (to me anyway)
activity with others as enjoyable
as that may be and kind of
download and incorporate the
experience of group or anothers'
interaction into my comfort level
of being.

Maybe I can entitle this piece
Coming Out but I've always
been out--poked my head out
of the hole a little bit, so maybe
Daring to Sunburn or Shedding
it All.

I usually title my writing after
I've written something as I never
really know where I'm going
with a piece-starting from a
bare bones of an idea or even
a sentence I like the ring of
and develop something from
there.

Sometimes when I'm very tired
and have been working on a piece
of writing way longer than I planned
(sleep still holds a lot of aces- I like
to work late in the evening when
it's quiet) the antics I go through
seeing if a particular title fits is
embarrassing to recollect such is
my enthusiasm to write no matter
how difficult the day was and
particularly sapped me of almost
every ounce of energy allocated
for a human on any given day.

I'm beginning to come to that
spot now, as it is late and work
looms on the horizon of the
morrow as I end a glorious,
delicious week off doing, or not
doing as it may be, looser ends
than I want to think about most
times that they come to mind.

So coming out to see the light
of day for preparing for some
kind of marathon type of
experience, no doubt.



Copyright © 2013 Gary Frates

Choose Peace

Thank you for
taking me within
a place I don't
often frequent
while picking up
the loose ends
of my of my
hustle-bustle
existence,
forgetting who I am
and why I came here.

My heart warms
with a feeling
of presence-
a centered,
safe place-
home, peaceful
full of everything
positive and good.

A small amount
of restful awareness
recharges
and renews
the life force
that animates many
exquisite experiences
of joy and wonder
offered each day.

Silence within
keeps me
on the road
to peace, joy
and enlightenment.



Copyright © 2013 Gary Frates

Clouds

I look for clouds
and then
they're gone
bright sunny days
prevail
then they're back
wisping into existence
formless
sans an endless
imagination
to prove otherwise.
Oh, a day for
viewing the taking
shape and dissolution
of what was meant
to be
and then not.
Deep in spring grass
the inhalation of
scented landscape 
blows through
ones' being
on it's way
to more
fertile valleys.
Newness and discovery
appearing all around--
so much diversity
of nature
easily outliving
clouds
that once gave them
life.


Copyrght © 2013 Gary Frates

Waking Up

"Wake up!"
this man would boom out
to the oncoming runners.
I was next to him
when he let out a blast
and almost knocked me
off the trail.
I thought, what's he trying to say?
They obviously were "awake"
but it must have meant something
within the group of people
who were running along with him
on the Bike Trail
that Saturday morning.
I didn't stop to ask.

People looked like
they were"awake"
or at least doing well
to me,
some possibly trying
to run off some extra
pounds and/or get into
better shape
while socializing with others
of a like mind.

We view the world
from our own perspective,
so in a way
we might be said
to be "asleep" to
all the possibilities
"out there".

Waking up
to something beyond
our often  fear-oriented,
boxed-in point of view
might be a good thing
to aspire to.

But before I become
a human alarm clock,
wishing people's more rapid,
if not instantaneous,
enlightenment,

I think I'll just smile
or give a thumbs up
in return to those
who have forsaken
sleeping in
for a bit of early morning,
fresh air, exercise
on this rest oasis
we call
the weekend.


Copyright © 2013 Gary Frates