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"A Terrible Thing to Waste" copyright 2005 John J. Rigo "Roses Amidst Thorns"

October 14, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

 
 

Courtesy of heavenawaits.wordpress.com

A heart is a terrible thing to waste.
If one comes to you with this offering
do not scoff too quickly.
 
Love is a precious gift.
It is precious to the one who gives love
and very precious to the one who receives it.
 
Do not be hardened to this gift.
Accept this gift with kindness
and tenderness.
 
Love is the joy of life.
Love is the light of life.
Love is the soul of life.
 
Be thankful and gentle
in the receiving of love
even if this love
is not the love you seek.
 
Remember one day
you will be judged as a human.
You will be judged to the degree that you loved.
 
More importantly
how kindly you received love.
Love in its many forms
is God showing
His face to us.
A heart is a terrible thing to waste. 

Posted in Poetry, The Importance of Love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Remembering Cooperstown” (Revised) copyright 2010 John J. Rigo,Upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

October 14, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

A Winter Scene from Cooperstown, N. Y.

Last year was a visit to the Carrol Clinic in Dallas.
My back and hip had been hurting me for some time.
The findings were not good.
 
A Class Four hip.
A crack in my spine bone.
Two disks in my spine fused together.
 
I knew when it happened.
A fall over ten years ago while attempting to trim a tree
in our front yard.
 
The fall at that time resulted in nine staples in my head
and eventual surgery on my knee.
The other injuries laid in wait.
My future in enjoying the rest of my life was in doubt
with the activities I enjoyed so much in my past.
 
My mind went back to Cooperstown in upstate New York.
I was sixteen and working the summer on a dairy farm.
It was part of the “Fresh Air Program” of New York City for young men.
 
I remembered the rolling hay wagon.
Throwing ninety pound bales of hay
eight tiers high on the wagon.
 
I remembered the muscles in my arms
my strong thin waist
with a tan equal to a black man.
 
We worked hard that Summer.
It was the “Haying Season.”
The work went fourteen hours a day
seven days a week for two and half months.
 
Looking back now
I now realize how really happy I was
each of those summer days in Cooperstown.  

Posted in Poetry, upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy" | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

"The Tree of Life" (Revised) copyright 2007 John J. Rigo upcoming Book III, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

October 12, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

 

Courtesy of peaceinchrist.wordpress.com

I carved our initials in the Tree of Life.
What value has love in ‘death do us part?’
Is love a flash of light
in the long darkness of night?
 
Flesh to flesh in being born
then death without memory
unable to behold
to recall at will in deep detail.
 
Will thoughts become ashes
that are scattered in a soft wind?
My love to you dearest one
is forever more
upon the Tree of Eternal Life.
 
From the first garden
of eternal promise.
A promise of Love
never lost.
 
Love that is always remembered
in the heart of our Lord
that will never be lost
or forgotten
in the passing of time. 
 

Posted in Poetry, Texas' Poetry, upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy" | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Who Art Thou?” copyright 2013 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

October 12, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

 
 
Courtesy of asmp.org "One of my favorite pictures off the internet."

Courtesy of asmp.org
“One of my favorite pictures off the internet.”

Who art thou that invades my nightly dreams?
You are a stranger to me.
Yet what you bring to me
is a yearning that beseeches me.
 
I long for yet fear your return.
My youthful soul remembering
another time from long ago
will not let my present go.
 
Caress me with kisses
that my lips cry and hunger for.
Is it wrong to hunger for signs of love?
They are not in abundance
in my current world. 
 
The mirror before me this morning
is a face unrecognizable to me.
Oh Youth Divine!
Where has Thou gone?
I await  your return.
 

Posted in Remembering Youthful Love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Re-Run” copyright 2012 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

October 11, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

 

Courtesy of the special collection of the University of Washington

 
 
It had been many years since he felt that way.
It was a rerun in his memory of the past.
There was fifty years between them.
She was outright flirting with him.
 
He was uncomfortable with it.
He was sitting right there with his Bride.
She acted like his bride was not even in the room.
 
Maybe it was how she got right into his face.
She looked at him like he was something really special.
She touched his knee under the table
as she kneeled before them on the side of the table
to take their dinner order.
 
Just when he accepted that his youth was long gone
she had to come along and remind him
what it felt like to be desired.
She was unfair in doing what she did.
 
Leaving behind the passions of youth
is not an easy thing for a man to do.
The move from passion to wisdom
is painful for any man.  
 
Perhaps ladies there is a lesson here.
Men of Passion never die in their hearts.
The burning heat of creation is part of their DNA.
Never treat your man like he is no longer alive.
 
Within every silver-headed man
still lies the young boy
remembering
wanting
desiring.
 
Laugh not at Passion.
It is as old as the centuries.
Forever faithful.
Forever remembering.
What it was like
to have been loved. 
 
Commentary on Poem:  Shortly after I posted this poem and shared it with one of my friends, their comment was, “John, some folks would just about do anything for a big tip, especially a twenty year old.”  His comment was filled with great laughter.  Frankly I joined the laughter with many big “Ha-Ha’s” on my part.  There is much truth in the saying,  “There is no fool, like an old fool.” Lol 
 

Posted in Passion Never Dies, Remembering the Passion of Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

"A Gift Of Treasure" copyright 2008 John J. Rigo upcoming poetry book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

October 6, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

Courtesy photo by Pat Dollins. Taken at Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Placerville.

 
I tried to think of a gift
that would be special to you.
A gift of treasure that would endure
thru the days of our lifes.
 
Would gold and jewels
things that could rust
and turn to dust
in the sands of time
be such a gift?
 
I think not
for the earth holds many trinkets from the ages.
Trinkets buried deeply in the earth
long forgotten of their purpose.
Forgotten of the song they held so long ago.
 
I give thee my words of my heart
that are enclosed within the eternity of my soul.
Eternity with such a gift
that will go beyond the decaying trinkets of the earth.
 
If it is God’s will that death should temporary seperate us
this gift shall be my seal of love
to clothe you in the light of my love
and carry you forward to the day
we shall meet again in the eternity that is before us.
 
It will be a place without pain
hurt or further sorrow for us.
A place where we shall again open the seal of my love.
A place where we will laugh again in joy each day
in the wonder of our love.

Posted in Love Surpasses Death, Poetry, upcoming book "Passion Amidst Apathy" | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

"I Broke Your Heart" copyright 2008 John J. Rigo future book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

October 3, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

 
 
 

Courtesy of Google Search….author unknown

I broke your heart.
I know when the deed was done.
I knew then
as I know now
I was in love with you.
 
More afraid of failure
than giving myself to you.
I still can hear in my soul
the sound of your tears
on the tape from that day.
 
Two hours of tears and screaming
my name in agony.
I was the center of your agony
in my rejection of your love.
 
It has been twenty-five years
since that day.
A day never goes by
that my thoughts turn to you.
 
In my being
I now know
that the joy I knew with you then
will come again in my death
and hopefully with it
the joy of heaven.
 
If you are reading this
at this very moment
know this is one
who will always love you.

Posted in A Broken Heart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Baby Jesus Lives” copyright 2011 John J. Rigo, upcoming poetry book, “Passion Amidst Apathy”

September 30, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

 
 

Courtesy of sion.hr

Commentary for September 30th, 2013:  According to scientific research and back spacing the position of the stars in the supposed time Jesus was born, by many it is said to be on September 24th as His actual date of birth.  In that vein this poem is posted in remembrance of His birth. 
 
 
I somehow lost Baby Jesus at Christmas.
I know they say Baby Jesus was born in September.
Still it never mattered to me.
 
Each Christmas I was filled with excitement of the news
of Baby Jesus’ birth.
That changed several years ago.
 
My family discovered a religion between Jewish
and something else.
They tend to make fun of the New Testament.
 
They say Jesus was just another man
like other famous men in the Bible.
I been a get alone in all of this.
 
Still in my heart
I know Baby Jesus came to save me.
Baby Jesus opened the gates of Heaven to all of us.
 
In my heart Baby Jesus is my Lord and Savior.
There was no Christmas tree at my home.
There were no lights upon my home.
 
No presents awaiting under a tree.
Still in my secret heart
I know Baby Jesus came for me.

Posted in Poetry, The Actual Date of the Birth of Jesus? | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

"Chemo" copyright 2008 John J. Rigo upcoming Poetry Book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

September 29, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

Courtesy of answersto.wordpress.com

 
 
I could see the sadness in her eyes
as each chunk of her golden hair came forth in her hand.
She placed her once shining, golden flax into a plastic bag
to be reminded of the beauty of her hair.
 
Her hair stylist assured her that baking soda
washed gently in her hair would prevent
the falling of her hair from her scalp.
 
In giving her this suggestion
the stylist refused to cut her hair shorter
in order to make her lost easier to bear.
The stylist was wrong.
 
Bear witness to the shining and blotched scalp
where beautiful golden hair once resided.
Nightmares of her past returned to her.
 
Remembrance of a childhood ring worm of her head
returned to haunt her again
of laughing classmates
finger-pointing to stocking capped head.
 
The Spector of Death upon a black chair
drove her to the decision
to move forward to this dreaded treatment.
 
Was the fear real
or made to fill the pockets of her doctors?
Payments for the Rolls convertible that sat
shiny and pale green in the doctor’s slot
of the cancer treatment center.
 
A large cow-like-barn room
where milking looking machines of death
pumped their questionable medicine into their hosts.
 
A winged angel of slow death
masked as an Angel of Life
to claim another possible victim
in its green flow of money from perhaps
its victims?
 
Dear God,
please protect
the one I love so dearly
from this possible
self-inflicted treatment.
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Posted in Chemo, Is Chemo part of a "Get Rich Program", Poem, Poem regarding Cancer, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

"My Beloved Survivor" copyright 2009 (Possible PG13 rating) John J. Rigo, upcoming book, "Passion Amidst Apathy"

September 28, 2013 by John J. Rigo, Texas' Poet and Commentator

Courtesy of Hubpages.com

 
She stood naked before me in the bathroom.
Before me I can see her beauty
amidst the scars of her two battles.
 
Breast cancer
twice in a ten year period.
 
Her left breast was twisted almost inward.
The scar under her arm pit made her nipple
bend inward toward her chest wall.
 
Upon her right breast the burn was clearly seen.
It was where six weeks of radiation were done
in one week. 
 
The right side was caved inward in this area of burn.
Her nipple stood straight high and proud on this breast. 
This was the breast that the doctor suggested
that she also have chemo due to her second bout.
 
Her hair had long grown back from this terror
of a heart-wrenching attack on her entire body.
 
As she smiled at me
and kissed the top of my head.
 
I thanked my Lord
for putting this beautiful
and strong woman
in my life.   

Posted in Overcoming Breast Cancer Twice, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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