Homeland in the Clouds

Lonely road,

Oh, how I long to see

That beautiful wonderland of love.

Guide me through this dark lowland.

I'll follow you; I know I'm homeward bound.

I'll climb as far as I need to

And seek that lofty place.

Winding pathway, will you lead to

That tableland of grace?

And if my feet should grow weary,

Guide them to waters still.

And if my eyes become teary,

I will pray, "not my will."

Lonely road,

Oh, how I long to see

That beautiful wonderland of love.

Guide me through this dark lowland.

I'll follow you; I know I'm homeward bound.

Lonely road,

When will I finally

Discover that peaceful realm above?

Lead me to that blissful land

Where I belong, that homeland in the clouds.

Intrepid bitter winds shake me;

I'll face each gale head-on.

I'll go wherever you take me,

Wild road; I'm pressing on.

I will not wander away from

The solace I have found

Upon this pathway of wisdom;

I'll never turn around.

Lonely road,

Oh, how I long to see

That beautiful wonderland of love.

Guide me through this dark lowland.

I'll follow you; I know I'm homeward bound.

Lonely road,

When will I finally

Discover that peaceful realm above?

Lead me to that blissful land

Where I belong, that homeland in the clouds...

That homeland in the clouds...

My homeland. . .in the clouds.

© 2024 David Acosta

Ode to an Exceptional Hot Cup of Coffee

You're trying to entice me, are you not?

You know you're sweet and frothy, and so hot!

I won't deny it, I'm enchanted;
But please don't take me for granted.

You assure me I will savor every drop;

You're audacious, and you really ought to stop!

I'll ignore you; I'm not yielding to desire!

You see through me; I'm a coffee-craving liar.

You're trying to entice me—please desist!

You're steamy, dreamy—how can I resist?

I won't deny it, I'm enchanted;
But please don't take me for granted.

You're persistent, and you dare me not to sip.

You're so cunning; you're a brutal, brazen brew.

And you mock me! You insist I get a grip.

Should I touch you? Should I walk away from you?

Vanilla and hazel nut? How sly!

You say, "Admit it, I'm your all-time favorite,

And you can't ignore me, though you try."

I yield to your aroma—I must savor it!

You did it! You've enticed me; I give up.

You're such a sneaky, freaky, sultry cup.

I won't deny it, I'm enchanted;
But please don't take me for granted.

© 2024 David Acosta

Ode to a Barren Mango Tree

Night after night you keep me company.

Do your pendulous leaves perceive my thoughts?
What quickens your scaly branches, dark tree?
I see no mangos, only leprous spots.

You fear neither wind nor hot sun nor rain;

I struggle with fear—are you not aware?

Your branches cannot reach my window pane;

I assume you're oblivious out there.

You cannot move, and yet you're unconfined.

You know no walls; the sky is your ceiling.

I have no roots, but please don't be unkind;

I'll step outside and share what I'm feeling—

As if you'd listen, right? Perhaps you would

If you were flesh and blood instead of wood.

© 2024 David Acosta

The Fallen Elves

We were the elven elite;

All other races envied us.

How could they even compete?
And yet, we were oblivious,

Unaware of the snare

We were about to glide into.

It began as a dare;

Oh, but it rent our world in two.

And we fell from the bright northern heights

Of our blue enchanted kingdom faraway;

We became a race of restive sprites,

Nomads in the wilderness of our dismay.

We'd bathe in magical streams;

Wild river spirits beckoned us.

Passion and pride were our themes;

We were a race vainglorious.

In our strength so secure,

Mightiest of the Pantheon,

Till we faced the allure

Of the destructive, darkened one.

And we fell from the glorious heights

Of our blue enchanted kingdom faraway;

We became a race of restive sprites,

Nomads lost in the wilderness of our dismay.

Lifeless, we pine evermore

For that which we'll never regain...

In the realm of dark folklore,

Suns engulfed by a prideful rain.

© 2024 David Acosta

Serendipidance

I thought I'd try an experiment, a poem based on one of those seemingly endless background music videos that feature a quaint, romantic atmosphere. . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zbGpTybGnA

Serendipidance

Luminous little book nook,

How are your tomes today?

My melancholy outlook

Longs to escape the gray.

I think I'll step inside now.

Cozy and quaint—and dry!

So much variety—wow!

Coffee and homemade pie!

"Yes, two espressos, thank you;

I'm waiting for a friend.

Looking for something brand new—

What do you recommend?

Oh, you're an author! Makes sense!

What am I looking for?

Romance, adventure, suspense.

Your book? Right by the door!

Very strategic, I'll say.

My lucky day, perchance?

Hmmm, int'resting title, eh?

A Serendipidance!

Sure, I'd like to buy your book;

I'll read it this weekend.

Ah, YES—by the lamppost, look!

By the bike—that's my friend!

What? My friend and I? No chance;

My love's unrequited.

No, no serendipidance;

Our dance is lopsided,

No ring in this tale bizarre;

Platonic love will do.

I'll leave things just as they are. . .

So, what do I owe you?"

© 2024 David Acosta

Forlorn

Drop the cup; spill a thought profane.
Seek the sun; run into the rain.
Wash your hands; still you see the stain.

Hide the past; can you mask the pain?

Tender smile yields to sullen sigh.

Sweet hello morphs into goodbye.

Flowers bloom, flowers quickly die.

You fall down, and you don't know why.

Write a song, one that won't be heard.

Find a branch; be a lonely bird.

Hide away in a vision blurred.

Warm your heart by a hearth unstirred.

Bashful sun doesn't want to play.

Azure sky yields to stormy gray.

Battered barque finds a forlorn bay;

Dreams embark and they sail away.

© 2024 David Acosta

Internetless

Click, hover, scroll, surf, swipe and read.

Automaton:

Is that my true identity?

Is it a pastime or a need?

Am I undone?

Is that new selfie really me?

What if I lost my connection?
What if I failed to like, comment, or post?

Would I succumb to dejection?

Would I be lost? Would I give up the ghost?

What if it happened? Would I evanesce

If I were suddenly internetless?

Download me, save me, edit me:

Does that compute?

Am I a cool collage of pics?

Have I been brainwashed? Do I need

A soul reboot,

Or another mind-numbing fix?

What if I lost my connection?
What if I failed to like, comment, or post?

Would I succumb to dejection?

Would I be lost? Would I give up the ghost?

What if it happened? Would I evanesce

If I were suddenly internetless?

Am I human or machine?

Do I live inside a screen?

If I turn it off will I

Fall apart and start to die?

Or will I discover all I've been missing?

What if I lost my connection?
What if I failed to like, comment, or post?

Would I succumb to dejection?

Would I be lost? Would I give up the ghost?

What if it happened? Would I evanesce

If I were suddenly internetless?

© 2024 David Acosta

The Path of the Righteous

Proverbs 4:14-15; 18-19; 26-27, ESV

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of the evil.

Avoid it; do not go on it;

Turn away from it and pass on.

The path of the righteous 

Is like the light of dawn,

Which shines brighter and brighter

Until the full day.

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

They do not know over what they stumble.

Ponder the path of your feet;

Then all your ways will be sure.

The path of the righteous 

Is like the light of dawn,

Which shines brighter and brighter

Until the full day.

The path of the righteous 

Is like the light of dawn,

Which shines brighter and brighter

Until the full day.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

Turn your foot away from evil.

The path of the righteous 

Is like the light of dawn,

Which shines brighter and brighter.

It shines brighter and brighter.

It shines brighter and brighter

Until the full day.

[Scriptural verses assembled by David Acosta]

Directionless

He says he's on his way again,
And he knows you'll watch him go.

He says he's gonna change, but when?

He can't part with his shadow.

Hops on the carpet, takes a ride;

It's a dark rainbowed fantasy.

Laughs at the genie at his side

And abnegates reality.

Sails into a candied dream

On a mystical airstream.

Life is too demanding, gotta decompress;

He's got a lengthy list of excuses.

Doesn't really care 'cause he's directionless;

He's got nothing to gain, so he loses.

He says he coulda made it big—

Same old story, same old song.

Oil well is deep, but he won't dig;

Talented, but too headstrong.

He's a drifter once again,

Gliding back to where he's been.

Nothing much to prove now; might as well regress.

He's got a lengthy list of excuses.

Doesn't really care 'cause he's directionless;

He's got nothing to gain, so he loses.

Half-hearted, half-willing,

Halfway to making up his mind.

Why bother fulfilling

A dream he'd rather leave behind?

Nothing to commit to, and no one to impress;

He's got a lengthy list of excuses.

Doesn't really care 'cause he's directionless;

He's got nothing to gain, so he loses.

© 2024 David Acosta

The Enchanted Piano

My piano's thoughts are at my fingertips;
My piano knows exactly what I feel;

My piano offers kind melodic tips;

My piano and I, we've got something real.

I play it when I'm happy or when I'm sad;

I play it when I'm vulnerable or armor-clad.

I play it and I hear a wide ocean roar;

I play it and I let my wild spirit soar.

It was fashioned in a realm of wondrous harmony;

It's a magical, musical, winged entity.

Somewhere over the clouds

Or on an uncharted beach,

Rest assured, my piano waits for me.

Far from the madding crowd,

Seemingly out of reach,

My piano's moonlit silhouette I see.

My piano is an old familiar friend;

My piano doesn't mind it when I'm mad;

My piano doesn't fret or condescend;

My piano gets my personalidad.

I play it when I'm wired; I play it when I'm tired;

I play it when I wake up uninspired.

I play it and it heightens my point of view;

I play it and the world becomes brand new.

It was fashioned in a realm of wondrous harmony;

It's a magical, musical, winged entity.

Somewhere over the clouds

Or on an uncharted beach,

Rest assured, my piano waits for me.

Far from the madding crowd,

Seemingly out of reach,

My piano's moonlit silhouette I see.

© 2024 David Acosta

My Meandering Thoughts

My magnum opus
Proves I'm octopous.

Yep, I made that up; it's a word I coined.

My cephalopod

Instincts are so mod,

Which might explain why I've recently joined

The Mean Mod Mystic Mollusks of Miami.

Hey, put that in a song; it's worth a Grammy!

My friend Fernando's

No Marlon Brando,

But he's wild and he's into the Method.

He'll never whisper;

He's a loud lisper.

But he says, "I don't care, man; I'm bleth-ed."

He's really into yacht rock; he's so retro.

His favorite Beverly Hillbilly's Jethro!

My favorite Monkee's

A drummer funky.

He took the last train to Clarksville—Micky!

My old victrola

Plays "Rum and Cola."

It's an Andrews Sisters rhyme; it's tricky.

Life is short, so play your forty-fives and dance;

Make it an adventure, not a game of chance!

© 2024 David Acosta

Blissful, Boundless Light

Inspired by my recollections of the children's television series Big Blue Marble, which I enjoyed as a child in the 70s. . .

Moon, caress my face
And light this dark vale somehow.
Moon, reveal a place
Beyond this cold and foggy now.

Moon, smile if you can smile;

Keep me company as I journey on.

Moon, go the extra mile;

Light my way till I reach that final dawn...

And on that day I'll gaze upon

The wonderful golden Sun

Who will drive away our troubles,

Lift the veil of sadness,

And flood this big blue marble

With peace, love, and gladness.

Daystar, magnificently bright,

Bathe us in blissful, boundless light.

Stars, what do you know

That I have yet to understand?

Stars, does my love hold

My weary soul in his hand?

Stars, smile if you can smile;

Keep me company as I journey on.

Stars, go the extra mile;

Light my way till I reach that final dawn...

And on that day I'll gaze upon

The wonderful golden Sun

Who will drive away our troubles,

Lift the veil of sadness,

And flood this big blue marble

With peace, love, and gladness.

Daystar, magnificently bright,

Bathe us in blissful, boundless light.

Light, brighter than the brightest star,

Sweeter than our splendid honeyed Moon,

Though our hearts have wandered far,

Fill us with a hopeful, happy tune,

And tell us it's true

That you are making all things new.

Help me see...Help me believe...

And I know someday I'll gaze upon

The wonderful golden Sun

Who will drive away our troubles,

Lift the veil of sadness,

And flood this big blue marble

With peace, love, and gladness.

Daystar, magnificently bright,

Bathe us in blissful, boundless light.

© 2024 David Acosta

Spin into Reality

When the fascination fades
And the fantasy has played itself out,

Will you spin into reality?

When the wild adventure ends

And you're looking for an exit route,

Will you spin into reality?

"I know what I'm doing," 

You say,

"And I know where I'm going

Today."

But when the bright lights dim,

Will you cling to a wild whim,

A new thrill, a much higher high?

Bright star, will you fall from the sky?

When the fascination fades
And the fantasy has played itself out,

Will you spin into reality?

When the wild adventure ends

And you're looking for an exit route,

Will you spin into reality?

Ride the magic carpet

Tonight

Over those clouds of endless

Delight.

It's getting costlier,

But you've yet to realize

You have traded what you once were

For a new you you'll someday despise.

Why are you stubbornly

Chasing an illusive phantom-friend everywhere?

You're wandering aimlessly,

Drifting into a seemingly sweet deadly snare.

[instrumental interlude]

When the fascination fades
And the fantasy has played itself out,

Will you spin into reality?

When the wild adventure ends

And you're looking for an exit route,

Will you spin into reality?

Spin, spin, spin...back to life.

© 2024 David Acosta

David and Company

(1) David and Goliath

David cried out in his first battle scene:

"You come to me now with spear and with sword,
But I will defeat you, O Philistine!

I come to you in the name of the Lord!"

(2) David and Saul

The harmful evil spirit would depart

Whenever David played his lyre for Saul.

David was a man after God's own heart,

But jealous Saul was destined for a fall.

(3) David and Jonathan

"Go in peace, secure in what we have sworn,"

Jonathan said as he wept for his friend.

They made a lasting covenant that morn:

The Lord would be between them till the end.

(4) David and Bathsheba

King David sinned; he stole Uriah's wife.

Because of David's schemes, Uriah died.

The king repented; the Lord spared his life.

The child died; King David gained a new bride.

(5) David and Absalom

Absalom was a son David cherished.

The young prince conspired; the king's heart he broke.

Thrice pierced by Joab, Absalom perished,

While dangling from the branches of an oak.

© 2024 David Acosta

The King of Vacillation

He lost the match
And blamed the court.

He tried to thatch

His flimsy fort.

He changed his song;

The crowd dispersed.

He ran headlong,

And then reversed.

He was the woeful King of Vacillation,

Sovereign over his fearful ambivalence.

Waiting for a sign, a wild revelation,

The gloomy King of Vacillation

Battled himself inside an unseen prison fence.

He heard the call

But looked away.

He breached the wall

But chose to stay.

He saw the light

But loved the dark.

He gained insight

But snuffed the spark.

He was the woeful King of Vacillation,

Sovereign over his fearful ambivalence.

Waiting for a sign, a wild revelation,

The gloomy King of Vacillation

Battled himself inside an unseen prison fence.

Until the day he uncovered

A treasure—he never thought he'd find it!

That was the day he discovered

He didn't have to be. . .double-minded.

He said goodbye to the realm of Vacillation

When he tore down the castle of ambivalence.

He found a mighty fortress on a firm foundation.

Yeah, the former King of Vacillation

Was a brand new man; it made a heckuva lot more sense.

© 2024 David Acosta

We Have Seen His Glory

Have you not seen?

Have you not heard?

In the beginning was the Word. . .

And the Word became flesh

And made His dwelling among us.

We have seen His glory,

The glory of the one and only Son
From the Father,
Full of grace and truth.

Heralded by angels,

Worthily adored,

He came down from heaven.

He is King and Lord,

The promised One,

The worthy Son.

And the Word became flesh

And made His dwelling among us.

We have seen His glory,
The glory of the one and only Son
From the Father,
Full of grace and truth.

See the Servant lowly,

Lamb of God divine,

Living water holy,

Bread of life, true wine,

The promised One,

The worthy Son.

"Forgive them, Father" He cried,

As blood flowed from His side.

Beneath the blackening skies

Love shone from His eyes.

Oh, now we have seen!

Now we have heard!

In the beginning was the Word. . .

And the Word became flesh

And made His dwelling among us.

We have seen His glory,

The glory of the one and only Son
From the Father,
Full of grace and truth.

Yes, we have seen His glory,
From the Father,
Full of grace and truth,

Full of grace and truth,

Full of grace and truth.

© 2024 David Acosta

21st Century Adam and Eve

Hey there, where did you come from?

Sweet thing, are you a figment of my mind?

I've got Love; would you like some?

Rest here. Yes, I know you have been maligned

By fools who have tried to redefine you.

They haunt you; they don't know you like I do.

Picture yourself standing right next to me,

Somewhere beyond the 21st century.

Love is something higher

Than what these so-called experts fathom.

Our gain is their loss.

Say the word, and we'll leave.

Dear, if I respire,

And if I really am your Adam,

It's only because

You're my ravishing Eve.

You know you are my heartsong;

Sweet thing, climbing the charts within my soul.

Upwards, and evermore endlong,

Our bond will be a light the stars extol.

We'll build a home in a brand new Eden;

This world's chaotic madness won't bleed in.

Counterfeit loves implode when they harden;

Our Love awaits us in a new Garden...cuz

Love is something higher

Than what these so-called experts fathom.

Our gain is their loss.

Say the word, and we'll leave.

Dear, if I respire,

And if I really am your Adam,

It's only because

You're my ravishing Eve.

Come, walk with me

In the cool of the day.

Love has set us free;

No need to hide away.

This temporal sphere

We will transcend.

We've nothing to fear

As we ascend.

Love is something higher

Than what these so-called experts fathom.

Our gain is their loss.

Say the word, and we'll leave.

Dear, if I respire,

And if I really am your Adam,

It's only because

You're my ravishing Eve.

© 2024 David Acosta

Soulsong Sanctuary

Anybody seen my soulsong?
It's a simple, honest ode.

Long ago I left it stranded

On a lonely, dusty road. . .

It's a song I left undone.

Wrapped it in garments threadbare,

Out in the Shadowlands where

Orphaned poems and songs unfinished wait.

It's a song I had begun

When I believed in my dreams,

Long before sad, obscure themes

Shackled the joy I dared not emancipate.

Why did I stop playing it?

How could I not admit I was wrong?

Don't know why I walked away;

I became my soulsong's adversary.

Now I'm restless, seeking it,

'Cause I long to embrace that old song.

Anybody know the way

To the hidden soulsong sanctuary?

It's a song I tried to hide

While I was chasing shadows—

Shadows disguised as rainbows.

Why did I wander from the truth I knew?

It's a song that almost died.

Why was I so half-hearted?

Why did I disregard it?

I've got to find it, revive it, sing it anew?

Why did I stop playing it?

How could I not admit I was wrong?

Don't know why I walked away;

I became my soulsong's adversary.

Now I'm restless, seeking it,

'Cause  long to embrace that old song.

Anybody know the way

To the hidden soulsong sanctuary?

If you do, point the way

To the soulsong sanctuary.

© 2024 David Acosta