Don't Go!

The vines drove up the house one day

and started climbing shingles

got in between the vinyl cuts

and had a happy wiggle.

He noticed them they waved "hello"

around the window screen

and penetrated readily

his home and long daydream. 

Buddy

 Days are long, disturbing

roads are wet they slip

red lights, cameras

slow him down

he clicks a music fix.

Tickets are expensive

the airport's far away

a passing sign is missing

red neon letter A.

While the engine rattles

fumes float up his way

he notices his sticker

expired yesterday.

MasterPeace

 

Two Guys In A Bar

 (To the strains of "Benedictus" – The Maestro & The European Pop Orchestra)

Learning and Memory

slip into a bar

sip vodka and sodas

served in a bell jar. 

What good does it do

Old Mem asks his friend

if you do the work

and I lose it again?

Home Run

 

Bless the ones who try each day

or sometimes for a lark

wind up put the bottle down

then smash it out the park.

Batting in the ninth position

tenth is on the bench, still

the ball comes in for him

and out there is the fence.

Memorial

 I forgot just what I felt

it went away one day

and perhaps for you as well

dont know

you didn't say.

There was a piece of paper

a new arrangement made

no more conversations

and a new place to stay.

Her Child

Her beauty was quite soothing

and kindness lit her smile

patience was a landscape

grew our lives awhile.

And then the changing weather

nothing stays the same

forever a misguided word

map error exit lane. 

Ascension Norway

I tried to tell her how it is

there are no words you see

no going forward

backward

just be here quietly.

Breezes through the screen door

hz on tv

one of those god numbers

promise quick healing.

I tried to say you are the one

will hold me as I go

or I will watch you blast off

then backpack out alone. 

Our neighbor's father passed away

it was his saving grace

hospice for a week or so

"Good-bye"

they needed space.

Bag Of Kittens

 

Bag of kittens

Stretch and Mittens

thanks for coming out

watching Pops

walk to the river

"David"

mom calls out

back inside the kitchen

Howdy Doody says

"spruce up little man"

"we be going places

Jason

argonauts advance!"

army of the puppet kids

drowning river rats

night descending

sheets upending

heart of darkness dance. 

Climb Every Mountain

 

It all started long ago

big movie silver screen

Sound of Music

Julie Andrews

attractive lady sings.

High school and the townies

youngsters live downtown

always up for fighting

enjoy screwing around

poet with poor vision

wore coke bottle eyes

isn't playing football 

Sound of Music guy. 

Debussy Moonlight

 

 

Changes in the elevation 

time to move up high

Steam from grates in cities

tides in beachfront towns

music in the evening

adding to strange sounds.

All of it is going up

in smoke at first slowly

as we watch from the Blue Ridge

the slow end of cities.   

Insomnia

 

I'm having trouble sleeping 

although remember now

earlier a shade of green

was different somehow.

Like your eyes their lids half closed

the smile graceful and arched

like the sea green off the coast

when we were there in March.

In 85 I think it was or earlier this eve

I may have slipped awhile off then

and been beyond these sheets

mixed up with the blush of sky

your lips and subtle glow

I'm having trouble sleeping

but must have slept

you know?

They say till death but then again

there is no linen pall

just dreams go on from dawn

to dusk

then night no sleep at all.

Plums In The Night

I watch you watch the television

and know that you are fine
resting after all the hours
working all the time. 

You think of things to do
stay busy
I think of things to don't
together we are everyone

Dinner

 

Drive

 

Lady Bug

 

My lady bug comes around each night

and careful I must be

to not react and crush her out

when felt the brush of wings.

This happened to a relative

in the last days of autumn

and it has taken many months

for her to play here happily.

Tonight she flew around a bit

bouncing off the screen

landing upside down helpless

all her legs waving.

She tried to laugh it off

I looked she rocked away

but could not right her boat

while I was dreaming

slept away.

In the morning Nonie found me stretched out on the floor

thinking I'm complicit a word not sure l know

dreaming about lightning bugs a company of them

doing drills next to my head with military precision.

Maybe need a therapist

group sessions every day

guilt is always happening

the lady bug was played.

© Feb 6, David Thomas

World Cup

Football is a game they say 

put the ball in net 

while half the world is in great pain 

needs food, meds, shelter etc. 

Our bb net much smaller

round and higher up 

indoors so there's shelter 

if nature interrupts.  

I enjoy the people 

go crazy at the games 

their joy at moments 

lights the room 

in 8K color

great.  

Then the manic turnaround

despair when losing games

like Egypt Argentina 

it is kind of insane.  

Imagine if the goalie 

got it in his heart 

to demonstrate priorities

made more sense

a start.  

Like a monk in Vietnam 

set himself on fire 

to protest a crazy war 

becomes a funeral pyre.  

So the goalie has the ball 

while someone runs his way

tosses ball to him sits down

no longer wants to play.  

 

Doesn't set himself on fire 

doesn't crash a plane

just sits down and meditates

the world is blown away. 

Oh! A little fantasy 

I'm heading back to bed 

plan to watch the game 

of course

own goal might work instead.  

Virginia Beach, Virginia

 

The Sandbox

 

Aged learning goes like this

night a better day

darkness education

rake the sandbox

play.  

New Songs

 

This morning

little trip downtown

flowers flashing by

Nonie does the driving

while I  watch the sky

looking out for visitors

go faster than the eye.

Don't believe in ufo's

and then again I lie

clouds are acting funny

keep a close watch

sigh.

Way points new locations

onward to the doc

practice counting backward

from nine or ten

one hundred way too much.

Maybe a late luncheon

after the exam

put a fork in everything

Craters! Golf heaven!  

Such great tunes and dancing

bands but where the

trees?

Are there bars on Mars? 

Of course

they do bartering.  

Relapsing boom de boom again

Martians having fun

call out "dance you five toed lot"

I need be home by ten.  

 

Mars is really not much fun

earth is not much better

Venus! That's the ticket Spot

So hot! Forget the leather.

 

House of the Dragon Love Is Hard All The Way Around

 

Stream Of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness is one of the most fascinating intersections between modern psychology and literary art. It is both a technique for capturing the chaotic reality of human thought and a mirror that helps us understand our own minds and spirits.

Here is an exploration of where it came from and how it serves as a balm for the human psyche.

The Origins and History in Literature

Before it became a staple of 20th-century novels, "stream of consciousness" was actually a psychological term. It was coined by philosopher and psychologist William James (brother of novelist Henry James) in his 1890 masterpiece, The Principles of Psychology. He famously wrote:

"Consciousness, then, does not appear to it itself chopped up in bits... It is nothing jointed; it flows. A 'river' or a 'stream' are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described."

Literary artists realized that traditional, neat, chronological narratives didn't reflect how human beings actually experience reality. We don't think in perfect, grammatically correct sentences; our minds jump from a sensory memory (the smell of rain) to a deeply rooted anxiety, to a lyric of a song, all in a fraction of a second.

The Modernist Revolution

In the early 1900s, authors began breaking traditional rules of syntax and punctuation to capture this internal drift. Key pioneers include:

Dorothy Richardson: Often credited with being the first English writer to intentionally apply this method in her multi-volume novel Pilgrimage (1915).

Virginia Woolf: In masterpieces like Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, Woolf used the technique to fluidly drift between the internal lives of different characters, capturing the profound beauty and loneliness of individual perception.

James Joyce: Took the technique to its absolute stylistic peak in Ulysses (1922). The final chapter—a massive, unpunctuated soliloquy by Molly Bloom—perfectly mimics the semi-lucid, drifting thoughts of someone falling asleep.

How it Helps the Human Mind and Spirit

While it can sometimes be challenging to read, engaging with stream of consciousness—both as a reader and as a writer—offers profound psychological and spiritual benefits.

1. Breaking the Illusion of Isolation (Validation)

Human beings often feel deeply isolated by their own thoughts. We look at others and assume their minds are orderly, calm, and perfectly curated, while our own internal monologues can feel chaotic, fragmented, or obsessive.

The Spiritual Shift: Reading a stream-of-consciousness narrative acts as a mirror. When you see a character jumping from grief to a mundane observation about a passing car, it validates your own mental patterns. It whispers: You are not broken; this is simply what it feels like to be alive.

2. Encouraging Radical Mindfulness and Presence

The technique forces us to notice the absolute immediacy of the present moment. In a stream-of-consciousness narrative, a character simply walking down the street becomes an epic journey because of the sheer volume of sensory data, memories, and emotions triggered by the environment.

The Mental Shift: It trains the mind to appreciate the "now." It reminds us that every single moment we inhabit is rich, layered, and worthy of attention, turning ordinary daily routines into deeply textured experiences.

3. Catharsis through "Brain Dumping" (Writing as Therapy)

When applied as a personal practice—often referred to in psychological spaces as expressive writing or free writing—letting your thoughts flow onto paper without editing, pausing, or caring about punctuation is highly therapeutic.

The Emotional Shift: By bypassing your internal "editor" or critic, you allow suppressed emotions, raw fears, and unpolished truths to surface. It acts as an emotional pressure-release valve, untangling the knots of anxiety by simply giving the "stream" a place to go.

4. Cultivating Deep Empathy

Spiritually, stream of consciousness is an exercise in radical empathy. Traditional narrative tells you what a character feels; stream of consciousness lets you dwell inside their soul.

The Connectedness Shift: By experiencing the raw, unfiltered interior of a character who might be vastly different from us in age, gender, background, or era, we recognize the shared baseline of human vulnerability. It bridges the gap between the "self" and the "other."

Are you looking at this concept purely for your own reading and reflection, or are you hoping to experiment with writing in this style yourself?

To The Lighthouse

 

Nothing better than a sail

rides the waves and sky

cutting through the water

most natural of rides.

As we went to

Martha's Vineyard

my dad, my wife

and me.  

Mother passed some years before

dad living alone

we flew up from Virginia

was good to return home.

So many misadventures

and yet accomplished this

married a good woman

lovely, intelligent. 

Off we went to Martha's place

my father looked at me

perhaps a little envious

or just feeling happy. 

Taking photos of the sails

as they flew around

lighthouse in the distance

fabulous playground.

I knew that I could do it

raised the kids repaired

in my early fifties

problems solved

new era.

And now few decades later

life's journey full of bends

Dad has joined my mother

and I left the West End.  

Rudee's Inlet

 

Sunrise Virginia Beach

 

Time Unbound

Time works very slowly

when watched

it comes about

silently observing

the one who calls it out. 

It's those furry eyeballs

rimless eyewear too

frowning through creation

we've been dropped into.

Time the ghost of everything

here to bring us down

needs to be reminded

it can be lost

unbound. 

A ship without a mooring

dancer needs a date

child playing forever

outdoors till very late. 

"I lost track of time" she said

her eyes smiling so sweetly

as I said

"I missed you too"

"what time has it been lately?" 

Crack of Bat   ( read another poem? )

Happy Anniversary!!

 

Bucket in the eddies

breeze upon the back

lovely is the lady

blue green underpants. 

Fishing line between two friends

don't have the strictest rules

golden hour here again

photo shots will rule. 

Fish are also biting

this time of day for them

leaping out the water

bass be waving yes. 

Astral Travel

 

Full of fanciful desire

wander to the trees

dawn just now is happening

birds call out to me.

Don't care about material

harts run where they will

structure not important

rhyming just a drill

trying to find freedom

beyond the things we see

everyone is different

snowflakes eventually

but for now being a deer

heading to the woods

dog looks up noticing

back yard scents confused

his people are still sleeping

but out there what happens?

autumn brings it out in me

bright frost and strong desire

paths are chosen without thought

instinct blood repaired. 

Downtown Richmond Va.

 

Multiply Again

 

Evil never added up

way back as a teen

superficial reasons

no red-tailed demons

please! 

But not connecting

many dots...

and so it came to pass

didn't do the Golden Rule

wandered off the path.

Did once try for a full week

to be a thoughtful person

extremely nice to everyone

not some deserved "this version".

And it made a difference

it really changed the route

but was left one person out

and did not love "myself". 

Virginia Beach Pier

 

Restless Legs Relief

 

Enjoying some relief frrom RLS with this YouTube video.  Also am using this Spooky2 program with it...

nervous anxiety program:

Schumann (XTRA)

Electrical Sensitivity Reduce (XTRA)

Anxiety (XTRA)

Detox Mental Disorders (XTRA)

Essential Oil - Gentle Baby (XTRA)

Nerve Disorders and Neuropathy (XTRA)

The two together offer relief in just the first few hours.  No medication.  I have wrestled with this ailment for 25 years.  I've never experienced anything like this.  Spooky2 is an electromagnetic process that works thru contact and other methods as well.  Look it up!  I am using the cold laser wrist band.  This is not medical advice.  Consult a MD.  Do your own research.   

Early Morning Exercise

I was fortunate this day to find some great lighting and a dolphin in the middle of it all.