Midnight singing

Three times I stopped to keenly listen
Wondering, were my ears hearing right
So again I checked the clock to verify
That indeed it was midnight

Yes, I was comfortably lying in bed
But outside and I was sure up in tree
Were a pair of mocking birds
Singing away with might and glee

It was such a strange sound to hear
Though not the tune and melody
For these were not nocturnal birds
Nor do I recall that nigh birds do sing

They belted out music resplendent with joy
That could not wait for the light of day
Matters not if outside was dark or light
Fulfilled happiness cannot be delayed

Content and with nothing to fear
What expression of joy and cheer
Could it be you were too happy to sleep?
Or were you tired of counting sheep?

And then in the brightness of morning light
coinciding with the sun rising in it's glory
There rang the cry of concern and distress
That of a mother bird calling for a wayward nestling

While away in the distance
There continued the sound of a happy song
For the light of day did not lessen the thrill
Of excess joy and happiness that spilled

© Prince W Bradford (words & photo) 2016 

The Poinciana Tree

What shall I compare to a rose? 
Although it is adorned with thorns
And oh the aromatic fragrance of the night jasmine
Pervading the air until the early morn
Yet for me the most beautiful thing to see 
Are the blossoms on the Poinciana trees

I sometime gets heady listening to the bees
Buzzing by the thousands in the blooming Otaheiti apple trees
Or for season seeing suspended colors 
And forgetting theses are flowers on a tree
But none compare to the diversity of colors
On a blossoming Poinciana tree

Flowers in the gardens bloom so bright
Or covering the fields seem so right
Blossoms on tress are a special delight
Beauty that cannot be hidden by the dark of night
But even the blind stop to admire and see 
The blossoms on the Poinciana trees

Poem and photo © Prince W Bradford

Stop Thief

Thou shalt not steal

I did not

Yes you did

You took a piece of me

Then cemented your being

In its place

Now I have you

Everywhere I go

For I walk around with you

A memory to cherish

A peace that shall last

Forever

You are in my heart

 ©   Poem & image  Prince W Bradford 2015 

Blood Moon

Wonders in the sky

Reasons to marvel how and why

Obviously creation really exists

Senses acknowledges what the eyes see

Still the eternal question rises

How came it all to be

The scholar gives one possible answer

Explaining in a way even more plausible

Than the pastor or preacher

The bible’s account can be believed

But it must have all begun

With the now famous big bang

I do not pretend to understand astronomy

The study of the heavens makes no sense to me

I am standing on earth while looking at the moon

While the earth passes between the moon and the sun

Yet another time I am told 

That the moon passes between the earth and the sun

Both sun and moon remain in the sky

Covering millions of miles in their circuits

Yet not deviating an inch from their courses

Precise and not faltering for the minutest second

So that a thousand years in the future

It can be predicted when their paths will overlap

Wonders in the sky

Did you come about by the big bang?

Every so often in times like these

We turn to the bible for answers

 © words and image Prince W Bradford  2015     

9/29/2015

(I stayed outside in South Florida hoping to see the famous blood moon. I did not see the the color change and maybe my cellphone was playing tricks on me. below is what my cellphone captured about halfway through the eclipse of the moon on 9/27/2015.

A place for love

I want my heart to be like the earth’s first garden

That place where man had his first home

Planted with flowers of every shape, size, color, shade and hue

Where blossoms are in eternal bloom

And petals that with dew ever glistens like diamonds

Reflect an eternal glow and sunlight

The air shall forever resound with the singing of happy birds

While the humming of busy bees shall never cease

Joy and happiness shall be the song of the flowers and the trees

In my heart’s garden there must be an abundance of fruit trees

Reflecting indecision on their part

For there must be colorful blooms emitting heady aromas

Crowning fruits that are halfway to maturity

In bunches side by side with glowing ripe fruits

That are begging to be picked and eaten

All this on one tree of which there are a thousand and more

For there shall never cease to be an abundance of pleasant sights

And things tantalizing to the nostrils and melodious to the ears

My heart’s garden shall not be complete without a stream running through it

For every spot and corner must be well watered

The soil fertile and well manure for abundance

And I shall add canals and bridges

For one spot must be reached from the next

There shall be seats and benches underneath the shade trees

Steps to climb underneath arches of blossoms and blooms

And paths to walk while enjoying the cool breeze

Oh yes, there has to be a waterfall

My garden must be the ideal spot for love

And the ideal place for God and man to tryst

For Eden’s paradise was lost to man by Adam

The temples in Jerusalem destroyed and no longer exists

But still there must be a place for God and man to meet

And my heart can be that ideal place

Oh joy, oh bliss, all is not hopeless, all is not gone

The paradise of Eden was lost to Adam

But it can be restored in the heart of man

For long before I entertained the thought

God went ahead and did his part

                                                                               
© Prince W Bradford, photo and image 2015

                                                                                                          9/23/2015

Unfolding

Blessing , Joy joy happiness
Being found where least expected
Shall it be handed on a silver platter 
No way
For beneath each layer it only gets better
You must overcome the Tough outside
And should you get to the core
Then enjoy the delights that lay inside
That is the true picture of life
It is only those who overcome the tough
That truly enjoy the sweet
                                                   © Prince W Bradford, photo and image 2015                                                                                                                                                    9/15/2015