Worthy Stanzas

Dedicated: Poetry2Share

To touch the stars with worthy stanzas
Is what every poet thrives to do

I've come to realize this and more
Since joining a poetry site, far across the sea

Every so often stored deep within our dreams
Sparks are ignited by our wondering thoughts

Which turns the vivid shadows, of the darkness
Into a blazing light, that flashes across the sky

Thus causing such joy, to those who care to read
The words of enchantment which calms a enduring heart

To those who write such phrases, I have this to convey
It's a pleasure for me to be able to say

How proud I am to be a member of poetry2share
Which shines so brightly with talented writers

Who touch the stars with each syllable
In the rhymes created, from the substance of their souls

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
April 25, 2008

Forgotten Tragedies

In Memory: Nameless faces & Old Soldiers

Can a soldier be forgiven, for the death which comes his way?
Can the savagery of his nature, be tamed to some degree

Can the horrors one sees in war, be a figment of a dream
Or does it go on enticing one's soul, in the bitterness one displays

Thus creating a shadow of despair, in the hallows of an empty heart
Compounding the memories of forgotten tragedies, one tries so hard to ignore


Even after forty years, the pain remains so clear
I see the faces of the nameless, I recall their tearful gaze

They come in the middle of my night, no pity can I expect
In a fantasy of a cause, I still don't understand

For the souls of those who perished, in a jungle of no regret
Leaves an empty feeling, I would rather soon forget

So my life will continue onwards
Nothing I can do, to exempt the wrongful sins

But pray for God and those nameless faces
To release this pain from me

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
April 08, 2008

Author's Note:
40th Anniversary of the My lai Massacre
3-16-68

Tracks of Time

Along the dusty tracks of time

Lurks the memories of forgotten lore
It comes in the haunts, of my sleepless nights
A reminder of what was lost, within a restless heart

Awakening to the bitterness, which never seems to fade?
Enlightens the loneliness felt, in the desperate flow of despair
So I'll take whatever comes my way
For the mistakes made in the embrace, we call life

The dreads I've come to know, which has been a part of me
Gives me thought of how it shall end, before the final blow
Wishing I could alter time, so I can start anew
But alas this cannot be, so I'll look to another source

I have come to this conclusion, evil does exists
It surrounds our very nature, tempting us in every way
But if one looks between the darkness
There is a brightness, which lights the day

It lies in the man named Jesus, who died upon the cross
He came to save our souls, if only we believe
Just take his heart within yourself, for you'll never be alone
To feel the richness of his grace is the greatest gift of all

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
April 08, 2008

Roll of The Dice

Laced within the hapless shadow
Which engulfs one's withered soul

Lies the fate of a wayward heart
So listless and out of control

While no virtue exists for the sins
Ingested by the wagers of life

It comes in the roll of the dice
Along with the numbers that follow

Over the years, the eyes of the snake
Has come to be the norm

Which causes so much pain
In the person I've thrived to be

Addiction is not easy to break
No matter how hard one tries

It affects the lives of all around
It's seen in the tears they cry

So whenever I fell the desire
For taking a change on luck

I stir the memories of forgotten harm
I've caused to the those I love

This weakens the corridors of my inner being
As the hurt invades my heart

Reminding me of my selfish ways
As tears stream down my cheeks

I hope that I will not be lost
In the deals and shuffles of life

For the gamble that's made in turning one's life
Can change one's destiny

So I'll pray the good Lord to give me strength
To resist the temptations of sin

Tempering the craving felt deep within
Making me whole again

I trust to be that person, they've longed for
In the love they keep for me

So I can be the man they've needed
To a family in need of one

Not knowing when the bell will toll
This I know for sure

To win a place in the kingdom of heaven
Is a bet worth my soul

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
April 3, 2008

Double Bouquet

In Memory: Of love departed, but not forgotten

Within the shallows of your grave

Their lies a hallowed love

It comes from what once we felt

In the time we shared as one

I’m here to bring you flowers

The kind you always liked

Now there are two, I come to see

For our son lies by your side

It’s been two years, since he left

To a war across the sea

On his return, in a flag draped coffin

We cried unto the night

Now I face another loss

You left me all alone

Again, I cry, but you’re not here

To console my streaming tears

So now, I bring a double bouquet

To lay upon these markers

Remembering the one, we loved and nurtured

I picked these flowers for him

The other my sweet, I place for you

As tears, begin to flow

For the women who was his Mother?

To the Mother, who was my wife?

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz

March 16, 2007