City Lights

   City lights
         from darkness
       show; in night
    to make me
             know
A man has walked before me.

      And wondering
         what will be known
             of me,
   I think -
             not the name.

        With no face,
                no words,
          one is left to
              make a stand
      upon ability alone;
         however grand or
       pathetically drone; to
              be exalted or
           thrown away with
               cares from
                yesterday.

          And coming to
         the break of day,
    I will walk before the sun
          that I may know
        I walk alone;
     And they may know
  A man has walked before them.

(c) 1985 Norman Dziedzic Jr.

Momentary Distraction

  Those walking by
       Dressed for warmer air,
Force smiles
            To the wind.
However,
        This is only a
   Momentary distraction
                        Dear.

  Walking by you,
         It's difficult,
Not to smile;
    But sometimes
       Your face says -
   Not to look.
         Yet
         It never says,
             To look away.

  Even though I should not,
      I worry.
          Your bare arms and
Legs, to fight the day
  - And not to call
          You frail - 
                I think,
I want to
      Hold you close,
      To breath warm air
      Through your hair,
                 onto your
                     neck.

  Walking by
     I see your smile.
  And being dressed
        For warmer air,
    I long to feel your face
         Nested next to mine.

   However dear,
         I am only a
Momentary distraction.

(c) 1987 Norman Dziedzic Jr.

Showtime

 The lights go down
  a momentary blank,
       canvas black,
        empty space
            waiting
            waiting
 an endless instant ...
   a forever moment

The curtain goes up
   the book is open,
    parchment white,
      filling space
             moving
             moving
   an endless dream ...
   a moment forever

(c) 2012 Norman Dziedzic Jr.

Night Time

Night Time
       Wanting, Waiting, Longing.

Wanting sight            but
          more than seeing;

     Touching hands      but
           more than feeling,

        Holding maybe.

     Tightly.

         Wanting grasping -
               tightly longing -
         timely waiting -
               holding feelings.
         Wanting not
               for waiting longly,
         Only touching
               timely holding.

(c) Norman Dziedzic Jr.

Sendak Sendoff (Once)

... Of course
       I never knew where they were.

For I shut my eyes 
          when I thought I saw them
And I shut my ears
          when I though I heard them
And I shut my heart
          when I thought I felt them.

Was it the Wild Things?
     I suppose.
          But what are they?

"I don't write for children;
     I write, and somebody says,
          that's for children."

We should have known.
We should have known.

No one fears another that completely.
No one knows another that wholly.
No one wakes another that widely.

"I don't write for children."

I never knew where they were
     until I fell;
     until I left;
     until I stared without blinking...
                            once.

Once I conquered yellow eyes;
Once I conquered the sea;
Once I conquered the forest;
Once I conquered me.

Once.

(c) 2012 Norman Dziedzic Jr.

Tunnels
 

BLOCKS
OF WOR
DS HEL
D TOGE
THER W                             S EXCEEDING
ITH T U N N E L S ALL LEADING     L  BOUNDS OF
                  TO THE NEXT    E   NORMAL TH
                  .  WITHOUT    N    INGS.  US
                  A FEAR OF T  N     UALLY UNS
                  HE VOID ARO U      EEN.    T
                  UND THEM   T              U
                                           N
                                          N
                  E N N                  E
                 L     U                L
                I       T              S
               N         S             UNDER ALL
              G          L             THE WORKI
      SEEMINGLY          E             NGS OF TH
      TRANSCEND          N             E WORLD.U
      ING BOUND          N             NKNOWING.
      S.  DISSA          U             UNKNOWN T
      PEARING,           T             O THOSE O
      ONLY TO B           ;            UTSIDE.TH
      E FOUND E            S           ESE  T
      LSEWHERE                             U
                              L         N
                                 E   N  

(c) 1989 Norman Dziedzic Jr.

Three Tomorrows

Eight rotations. Here I sit

     You'd think I'd learn
          To turn
away
          And not to burn
inside

Three weeks lately.  Movin' 'round
     You'd think I'd see
          How free
outside
          I'd be
outside

Only yesterday.  I'm still here
     You'd think I'd try
          To fly
home
          Or even die
to leave

Three turns left.  I guess I'll stay
     You'd think I'd know
          Not to show
my thoughts
          How very slow
it seems

One-million yesterdays.  Three tomorrows
   I think no more
      A bore
it is (and after this)
      No more
will it be there
why don't I care?

(c) 1984 Norman Dziedzic Jr.