Bio of David Nekimken

Grandfather of Jarell, Maia and  Imani. I enjoy living in a housing cooperative in Hyde Park with 19 young people. I have been a poet most of my life with poems published in the Journal of Ordinary Thought and the Journal of Modern Poetry. I have published a book of poetry Anything and Everything Goes, available on Amazon.

Fire

A campfire in a forest clearing Families and friends sharing deeds of derring do sorrows and joys along the way telling ghost stories under a crescent moon, Nurtured by the bright red and orange flames crackling ash, maple, cedar tones and their distinctive smoky aromas, Bonding with hot dogs on a stick with the works: mustard/ketchup, relish, onion and tomato slices, And smores…

A bonfire outside city limits Arrows of heat shooting toward skyscraper heights with sparks of unrestrained passion, Dancing flames beckoning human witnesses to release political correctness cultural taboos personal inhibitions, Uniting present with past ancestral histories with current narratives, Our vital thread of existence…

A wildfire occupying population centers Blazing a trail with scorched earth intention an unbiased incineration of forests, grasslands vineyards, orange groves celebrity estates, ranch-style homes future hopes, histories of achievement, Defying all efforts of orchestrated unity political finger pointing climate change discussions, A monumental task to extinguish once unleashed...

A suddenly wide awake volcano A feral force of Mother Nature living in the bowels of Planet Earth amassing a litany of grievances (centuries of human intolerance, neglect) reaching its boiling point Blows its top spewing bits of primeval rock and lava as a molten river of unrepentant fury on paths of unstoppable destruction…

Fire The light we read by The heat we warm by The means we cook a meal for sustenance.

David Nekimken 11/18/18

The True Joy of Happiness

Happiness-
The crown prince of acquisitions,
More sought after than
Rubies and pearls
Gold and platinum
Park Place and Boardwalk
Diamonds, a girl’s best friend…

Happiness-
An elusive being,
Slipping in and out of captivity
A high stakes game of peek-a-boo
Someday, somewhere, that special someone
Never quite matching the job description…

Happiness-
The stuff of dreams come true,
Among the stars and in the tea leaves
Over the rainbow and through looking glass
Greener grass and better homes and gardens
Beauty without the beast…

Happiness-
Is everybody happy?
Therapists and self-help books
Make someone happy, perhaps even yourself
Pills and booze for all occasions
A grand obsession, grand illusion
The popular Harvard course. Happiness 101…

Joy-
A whisper, a soft evening breeze
Radiant love and undulating peace
Connected to the Universe, inside and out
A steady smile and quiet optimism
A resident from birth, ready to serve
A constant companion, wherever happiness might be or not.

David Nekimken,  June 2006