Peace......

I have this peaceful place I go
It's not far
But sometimes It's hard to find
When I do find it
It's a beautiful place to be.....

It's not of material,building or land
Nobody else can go there
Some wouldn't understand....

 I found this place of peace
As a child
Wanting to go away
But to stay at the same time....
I can be anywhere,in this world
It will be where I want it to be......

I visited this place of peace
As a child,a teen,a GI in the Army
Adulthood too
The peace controls my thought
My actions too....

This place I speak of
Has no book shelves
No rooms
Really no other places to see or go.....

Peace,where we all should be
I don't visit there
As much as I use to
I taught myself the peace
In the world I live in now
I still fnd it
As needed so....

My home is of peace now
We made it so....

The outside world is ugly
As I see the exceptace
Of things that shouldn't be
They turned their backs
 On respect,honor and scruples.....

This place of peace
You probably know
I know a few people
That have this place of peace
Where they can go
I can see it on their faces
As they return....

I am at this place of peace
As of today
Tomorrow too.....

Words are pouring in
Paper and ink
Thoughts,feelings
It's all starting to flow......

Find your place of peace
Don't tell a soul
You will want to go there often
Until you can control.....


Michael VanDyke @ Oct. 2019

The Crow.......

As the Crow calls
I see it leap
To spread it's wings......


As the clouds open up
I feel the gentle rains
Touch down
The softness of the sky
As you looked above
The coolness in the air........

Was it a warning
For his companions
Or us
The few that listened.......

As the rains let up
The Crow, thrusts his wings out
Catching the breezes
To lift him high.........

Unfolding the magic
On it's journey
For only
He would know.......

The flight above the trees
Rivers and deep valleys below
The wind glides him
Like a silent hand
Holding him so.........

Silence is not with whispers
With his eye sight
He knows.........

The flight was short
From one valley
To the next
Gliding in to the trees
To perch and watch.......

The gentle rains
Start up as before
In the distance
I hear him so.........

The Crow, as he calls.........




Michael VanDyke @ 2016

Lost Alive.......

As they sit there
In silence
Are they in thought
Or in remembrance
Of their past......

Maybe trying to think
But can't
Conversation is gone
A few words here and there
Fewer, as the day's go by.........

Doesn't know your name
Trusting you
Because you are in their every day life
People that haven't
They remember no more
The smile they show
When they see you
But ask
Who was that
After you left...........

Is it a world they have
Without thought
Or direction...........

We can't turn them away
You love them
As you always did
Of the yesterdays...........

They can't remember you
You can and do remember them
As you care,love
And understand why...........

Don't turn them away
They don't want this either
Their life was taken away.........

We still love them
Care for them
Give them a safe place to stay........

See them, as much as you can
No excuses why you can't
Because there are none
On this earth to use...........

They could be our Father
Mother too
Aunt or Uncle
Maybe You.....................


Michael Vandyke  @ 2016

Broken Chains of Darkness.....

I was raised in the darkness
In the shadow of life
An abusive parent
With us
No where to go....

Mom was strong
She lost her spirit
Long ago
The protection
We tried.....

Why we asked
It wasn't anything
We did......

Other families
With love and respect
The laughing, loving and caring
How come we didn't have that
Which others shared......

Dad was just a father
Had to earn that word
To be called "Dad"......

It was to be
I had enough
Chains have to be broken
The old life buried.....

My brothers and I
We started our families
Raised them with love, respect
Above all caring......

Past buried
Not forgotten
Darkness turned to sunshine
The shadows, walked away.....

Mom is in a better place
With our Lord Jesus
In heaven you see......

We hope Dad is too
His darkness followed him
He buried it to his soul......

Our shadows of the past, walked away
So the darkness had no where to stay.....

The days of Grandchildren are here
Making the past, so far away
Bringing in the sunshine
For more happier days.......



Michael Vandyke @ 2016

The Nail

The Nail  

Dedicated to Kenny Young.....



Most people,would just see a nail
I see memories and thoughts.....

The many miles of fence
The miles of walking
Hammering a nail
Into a wooden post.......

Building a cattle fence
Making the cattle safe
The other land owners happy......

It reminds me of the many people
I worked with
Putting fences up
Or taking it down......

Be it in the dead of winter
Or the hottest days of summer.......

So few,were good at what they did
Some enjoyed it
Worked as a team.......

That's the memories
It has for me....

Fences up and tight
Fences down and rolled
We did it all.......

Not a whimper
Not a complaint
Working walking
As we go......

Stories told
Laughter too
This little nail
Reminds me
Of a story or two.......


Michael VanDyke @ 2015

Myself Yourself

Myself Yourself...


To the world I am one
But to one,I am the world.....

The journey has been long
My heart has been broken
Let them see the brokenness
Let them see through the cracks,in your Armor
That's how the light gets out......

There is always a song
That reminds you of it
The place,the time.....

As you sit there in the quietness
Of the night
You realize
This is what it's all about.......

I can see your journey
Through your eyes
But I can't feel the pain or happiness
You went through.......

Go to where you need to be
That past brought you this far
Continue the walk
The journey never ends........



Michael VanDyke @ 2015

The Morning Drive

The Morning Drive


The suns rays are piercing the clouds
The dew of the grasses of green
Are reflecting the mirror finishes
Of the crisp morning......

As I see
The sun breaks through the clouds
Rays of sunshine are in the valley.....

The distant mountains to my left
Are in darkness
Of colored greys
And of fogs of white......

The mountains to my right
Are of sun and blue skies
Trees of gold and green
With reds showing.here and there.....

The misty morning sun
Working it's magic
The roads ahead
Have leaves of golden colors
Laying their blankets
Toward the ground.......

The trees baring their limbs
With the sights of nested squirrels
Which are at home
With their gathered nuts
Straw for warmth
For what's to come...............


Michael VanDyke @ 2015