From the possible and into tomorrow. An interpretation of what life expresses. Just following the words and seeing where they may take me. The poems are about love, children, and everyday occurrences. The fascinations that the beach provides, as well as the stars. And what I find to be mysterious.

Painted Footsteps

A Creative Collection of PoetryBy Chris Sheene

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Chris Sheene
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4634-2460-2

Contents

Living Wishes............................................1Tailspin.................................................2Words Reflected..........................................3Beyond The Stone.........................................4The Unseen...............................................5Little Girl Eyes.........................................6Compass On The Wind......................................7Cast Your Heart..........................................8Of The Flame.............................................9Side by Side.............................................10No End...................................................11Rolling Thunder..........................................12Bruised Tears............................................13Illusions................................................14Whispered Truth..........................................15Lady Of The Mist.........................................16A Renaissance Face.......................................17Twilight Missed..........................................18Rare Grace...............................................19Souls of Harmony.........................................20Bird In The Distance.....................................21Cherished Blessing.......................................22A Beginning..............................................23Angelic Rose.............................................24Paper House..............................................25Unknown Journey..........................................26Midnight Ocean...........................................27Another Miracle..........................................28Wisdom's Hand............................................29Hollow Angels............................................30Blind Truce..............................................31Keeping A Distance.......................................32The Dawning..............................................33Well Shucks..............................................34Earth Stroller...........................................35Yellow Phoenix...........................................36The Glass Rose...........................................37One More Try.............................................38Ghost Butterfly..........................................40Lapsing Shimmer..........................................41Around The World On A Paper Airplane.....................42Garden Of Possibilities..................................43Sheltered Kiss...........................................44Lost In You..............................................45Silent Joy...............................................46Humming Bird.............................................47Star of Chance...........................................48Retooling the Work Farce.................................49New Age Love Thing.......................................50Child On Trial...........................................51Puzzle Piece.............................................52Alternate Ingredients....................................53Janice's Place...........................................54When The Dark Dreams Tease...............................55Designer Smarts..........................................56Brittle Bridges..........................................57The Timid Seed...........................................58Cold Sun.................................................59Just Sex.................................................60Agendacation.............................................61Neglected Voices.........................................62Between The Sea and Sun..................................63Hypnotic Faith...........................................64Architectural Displeasure................................65Vanity...................................................66Breaking The Encryption..................................67Fruit of the Spoiled.....................................68A Cup of Uncouth.........................................69Half Way There...........................................70Culture Casualty.........................................71Dining On The Rational...................................72Parched..................................................73Human Universe...........................................74The Question.............................................75Horizons OF Joy..........................................76The Ifs..................................................77Green Toilet Paper.......................................78Tired Shoes..............................................79Featuring 1st Amendment Gaudiness........................80The Menu Ventures........................................81Untitled A...............................................82Life Anonymously.........................................83The Brain Drillers.......................................84The Music Of Illumination................................85Crap Backpack............................................86After The Seasons........................................87The Grayed Soul..........................................88Concrete Cake............................................89Through the calm.........................................90Sweet And Sour On The Rocks..............................9120 Minutes...............................................92Technology Abuse?........................................93Sipping On Anxiety.......................................94The Attorney Gurney......................................95Cancer...................................................96Artificial Water.........................................97Lonely Day...............................................98Invisible Heart..........................................99Captivated...............................................100Reminiscing Through The Splendors........................101Soul Mates...............................................102Silent Waterfall.........................................103Inside Out...............................................104Fractured Wings..........................................105Curious Path.............................................106Hidden Words.............................................107Cold Passion.............................................108Love Surrounded..........................................109Decisive/ Divisive.......................................110You Love I...............................................111The Gimmick Loom.........................................112Imperfect Perfection.....................................113Parking Lot Affair.......................................114The Relationship Equation................................115A Robotic Rebirth........................................116Caustic Persuasion.......................................117Human Ornament...........................................118Yesterday Found..........................................119Guilty Hope..............................................120Abstract Love............................................121Loveable Aren't I?.......................................122Adventures In The Muddy Suite............................123The Impatient Mosquitoes.................................124Flying Upside Down.......................................125Heartburn Handy..........................................126Acid Washed Happiness....................................127The Joy of True Breath...................................128The Ass..................................................129Planet Square............................................130Gym Flower...............................................131When Did Nice Become A Chore?............................132The Mate Locator.........................................133Shading The Glee.........................................134The Married Collector....................................135The Arrogance Of Pyro....................................136Connecting Chance........................................137Child On Skates..........................................138Impressions Of Her.......................................139Thoughts From The Red Light Pause........................140

Chapter One

    Poems

    Living Wishes

    A walk among the stars.
    Shared thoughts.
    Like the stars.
    Dot the sky.
    Living wishes glisten with promise.
    Tear-filled secrets.
    Whispered on fingertips.
    Keys to a dream.


    Tailspin

    We laugh.
    Wondering if the next day
    will be as great as the next.
    And you find that it is.
    You can be yourself.
    Without holding back.
    Say goofy things.
    And they look forward to it.
    You feel as though you can fly.
    Even though you have no wings.
    You dance at any time.
    Even though there is no music.
    Share an umbrella in the rain.
    Listening to each others heart beat.


    Words Reflected

    See the past through the present.
    Like a winters frozen brook.
    Warmed by the new spring sun.
    Trickling through the frost.
    Words like life being born to the world.
    Living within their own pages.
    Forever ours.


    Beyond The Stone

    Share with the truth.
    Not with a lie.
    Because games played with the heart.
    Can sometimes make it into stone.
    Your eyes look at me.
    But your mind plots for later.
    I want to be me.
    Where did I fail?
    How do I begin again?
    I want to swim in clear waters.
    Just to trust and care.
    Like real friends do.


    The Unseen

    During the day you walk.
    into the night you dream.
    To places before
    that you've never seen.
    On a voyage to discover
    the hidden pieces that are you.
    Seeing sometimes a picture of yourself.
    A veiled wonder.
    Keys to a truth
    of who you are and why.
    Fate gives each a reason.
    Life gives each a light.


    Little Girl Eyes

    You loved me.
    You showed me
    who I am is who you raised me to be.
    Yesterdays praise.
    A mother's wisdom.
    A daughter's ways
    of pride and devotion
    is my strength today.
    Our home like your smile
    was a castle to me.
    A vision that now lives on in thee.
    Where everything is warm and right.
    The way you cared.
    The way you held me tight.


    Compass On The Wind

    Life is like a brief whisper on the wind.
    Rustling through the leaves.
    Taking a moment to listen.
    May guide you on a path not yet seen.
    Letting the wisdom of your heart
    be your compass.


    Cast Your Heart

    I watched you stare into hope.
    Your eyes filling with beautiful courage.
    A smile waits.
    But hides itself.
    Unsure if it is safe.
    You've cast your heart into the stormy wake.
    With but a prayer to keep it company.
    Just then his shadow joins yours.
    And you begin to wonder.
    Will he see its charm
    and bring it back to me
    or let it slip away with the tide
    like so many times before?


    Of The Flame

    Born of honor.
    Raised of faith.
    Friends made as paths are crossed.
    A handshake begins the way.
    Pioneers of the flame.
    They have their different sights.
    Within each a traveled tale precedes thee
    of beliefs set in stone.
    No deceptions written in sand.
    Silently behind you they stand.
    Times framed.
    Faces etched.
    They are everlasting to me.


    Side by Side

    Friends come and go
    but the ones who stay
    steal the show.
    Like a river that knows no end.
    You've grown to become a very special friend.
    So much in common,
    as the days pass by,
    of memories and stories
    told of the now and then.
    Of laughter and triumphs.
    The uncertainties ahead.
    Seeing them through with you.
    Like family, again and again.


    No End

    Farewell.
    Hello.
    This is what you wanted.
    You said don't go.
    Fill me into your mold.
    Praying that I will fill it up whole.
    "I'll figure it out."
    "One day I'll know."
    You say shaking your head.
    Holding it with your hands.
    Tears mixed with sweat.
    "I trust you."
    "But I just don't know."
    "I'm here at your request."
    "Putting time to the test."
    "Is everyday going to be like this?"
    "A test with no end?"


    Rolling Thunder

    The fog hidden fury sleeps today.
    As it's quiet roar
    plays heaven's music.
    A concert for the soul.
    Waves of liquid blue.
    Caped with white.
    Caresses the shore with a gentle might.
    As nature paints with the colors of time.


    Bruised Tears

    An imprisoned heart
    is now your gift to thee.
    When a comforting hand
    was once peace to me.
    As another day of reckoning begins
    of who I am
    instead of who you want me to be.
    You greet me with warmth in your eyes.
    But an unconscious rage.
    Rests in your smile.
    I say that I am sorry.
    But I don't know why.
    As your reality sets in
    and you relive your sorrow through me.


    14
    Illusions

    Away on fate.
    A feather on the breeze.
    A dreamed of day.
    Yesterdays wish.
    You called to me.
    I felt your hand.
    But the vision that is you.
    Escapes me again.
    A half filled heart.
    Tears disappear into the dark.
    And eclipse of the soul.
    The answer lies with you.


    Whispered Truth

    The words I want to say.
    Come to my lips.
    But cannot leave.
    A whisper buried deep.
    So with my eyes.
    Is the only way to share.
    A promise for each day.
    A quiet caring.
    Like perfume caressing a wrist.
    A rose in place of a kiss.
    You have always touched me.


    Lady Of The Mist

    From where I've been.
    To one day I'll see.
    The real you.
    Only a dream away.
    A journey through the air.
    To the one heart.
    I've waited all my life to meet.
    You're out there somewhere.
    Among the timeless fold.
    The missing part of me.
    The beat that stirs my soul.


    A Renaissance Face

    I know of you.
    But I don't know who you are.
    You have a renaissance face.
    And a deep quiet smile.
    You're a glimpse of something rare.
    Like a painting in a gallery.
    A beauty to the world.
    A moment on canvas.
    That lives on through you.


    Twilight Missed

    I saw you and smiled.
    But only for a moment.
    Fate has shown me that this is not for me.
    My feelings are true.
    But the vision I see is not.
    You hold the hand of another.
    And the smile you share is his.
    And maybe I've missed out on what could have been.
    And for that I apologize.
    I care for you.
    And I'll always be there for you.
    You're a friend of uncommon heart.
    A cherished part of my life.
    Thank you for being there.


    Rare Grace

    Beautiful is she.
    A sunsets glow dances upon the sea.
    A captured heart.
    Away with it she goes.
    Admired from a distance.
    Her eyes can make you swoon.
    Like a snow storm in spring.
    Rare she is indeed.
    For an instant.
    A dream has come to life.


    Souls of Harmony

    The days may pass.
    And the music of the moment may change.
    But the words shared between us.
    Will always be the same.
    Souls of harmony.


    Bird In The Distance

    A bird landed in the distance.
    He looks.
    Nothing to be found.
    Nothing to be seen.
    He is in the land of nowhere.
    No grass.
    No water.
    Nothing but him.
    He sings.
    But the wind carries his voice.
    Desolation all about him.
    He is like me.
    The wings of freedom.
    Will carry us home.
    From the distance.
    He with wings.
    Me with steel.
    After the war.
    We are home, free.


    Cherished Blessing

    Together we were one.
    A mind of two souls.
    Sharing in what could have been.
    A stroll among the clouds.
    Collecting stars.
    Cherished blessing of who you are.
    She was a breathtaking vision.
    Unique and true.
    We shared a lifetime within moments.
    A quiet harmony.
    A song all our own.
    And that's when I knew.
    You walked away with a part of me.
    My heart.


    A Beginning

    To know your hug.
    To see your smile.
    All I've heard is your voice on the line.
    I want to talk with you.
    Listen to your heart.
    And know who you are.
    We could go for a walk.
    Or skate.
    Or have dinner on a ship.
    Cruising in a sunsets wake.
    Get a telescope and visit the stars.
    Maybe find one and make it ours.


    Angelic Rose

    Like a rose that sways with the wind.
    A quiet chorus.
    Is her strength from within.
    A smile upon the earth.
    She is one of heavens own.
    A masterpiece in bloom.
    Each petal.
    Small reminders of who she is.
    Courage, inspiration, and hope.
    A classic to the soul.
    She'll always be.


    Paper House

    I awoke one day in my home.
    To find that the world inside.
    Was not my own.
    What was once made of stone.
    Had turned to paper.
    A storm had begun.
    A silent rain fell.
    Dissolving the pieces that made up my reality.
    The truth I knew became fiction.
    The childrens' eyes looked at me.
    Question-filled and full of surprise.
    And a hug is my only answer.


    Unknown Journey

    Hear a voice from far away.
    Like reading the pages from a book.
    Without looking at the outside cover.
    I have read the beginning.
    But not the middle.
    Nor the end.
    I'll leave that for the future.
    Destiny's friend.


    Midnight Ocean

    A pondered road do I sail.
    To her castle far away.
    Up above my thoughts become waves.
    As the midnight ocean keeps me company.
    It's then the spectacle begins.
    When shooting stars like dolphins.
    Reveal themselves for an instant.
    Then disappear again.
    Wizards of their veil.
    And the clouds slowly float by.
    The sleeping giants of the sky.
    Down below the glow from my lights.
    Guide the way.
    Through the vastness.
    I see the morning approaching.
    Cool and clean.
    And soon I'll be.
    Where heaven and earth meet.


    Another Miracle

    Once upon a time
    I looked into the mirror.
    And saw my future face.
    Eyes filled with a sparkle.
    And a smile that never ends.
    A gift to the earth she must be.
    Beautiful beyond all imagination.
    Unrivaled majesty.
    Like the day I was born.
    I can't wait to talk to her.
    As her words fill my heart with love.
    I will hold unto everyone of them.
    For they are treasures.
    No where else found.
    She is everything I hope to be.
    And maybe later when I look again into the mirror.


    Wisdom's Hand

    On the waters of conversations do we sail.
    Listening to the winds of time.
    Through it's breeze.
    Tells the mysteries of the seas.
    Breathing in deep.
    Freeing your soul into heaven's keep.
    Of truths and our fears.
    The inner blessings we hold dear.
    Here, our words like the waves.
    Become memories alive.
    Yesterday's promise is a quest to behold.
    Another passage awaits.


    Hollow Angels

    Safely behind our doors.
    At home in its blanket of warmth.
    Families are together.
    Sharing about their day.
    Then the news comes on.
    And dinner time is once again.
    A plate filled with sorrow.
    As the stories of fallen children engulf the screen.
    Questions to an unknown truth fill the air.
    The troubling answers seem to go nowhere.
    We watch in dismay.
    As to what happened and why.
    Where anger becomes a child's secret friend.
    Acting out.
    Surprising us all.
    Have we lost touch with our children?
    Is a kiss and a hug not enough?
    Or are our tears going to be our only future?


    Blind Truce

    Fight for you.
    Fight for me.
    Fight for what you believe in.
    Even if the vision seems a little weak.
    Try to dissect one's heart.
    And call that thoughtful treatment.
    You ask for a second chance.
    Promised gold and a real romance.
    Tell me to share the air with you.
    Take a ride with you on a broken roller coaster.
    And hope we don't crash.


    Keeping A Distance

    Hug me with your words.
    Not with your arms.
    Its breathing without strings.
    Being without doubt.
    Because a shielded heart.
    Is what she knows.
    She knows I care.
    But she's not sure how to feel.
    Unclear of the now.
    But the days ahead will be hers.
    And her life is an adventure in writing.
    Bringing magic to the world.
    With her touch.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Painted Footstepsby Chris Sheene Copyright © 2011 by Chris Sheene. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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