Sistine Sky

The hand of God

Reaching for me

The space between 

As big as the sea

Moving to the center 

Closer we shall be

The celestial attraction

Fulfills the decree

Of love and acceptance

Longing to be free

Capturing His hand

Blessings will be

Above the blue sky

I shall follow thee

Nathan LeRoi James

(Leticia Garcia Bradford)

© August 2015

As Seen at the Frank Bette Art Center, Alameda, CA. 

Sweet Kisses

I love your
Sweet kisses
Of saying goodbye
This morning

Most mornings
You are off
Head filled with business of the
Day
No peck on the cheek
Barely a goodbye

Today
     I felt your love
  consumed of wanting me
Me wanting you
Today
Tomorrow
Forever
More

~May 2016

I Should Have Known

I should of known

The sun would refuse to shine in my soul

Water dries before it nourishes 

My heavy heart hastens a long journey

Amongst the tears and valleys the slow moving earth

Sphere and axis foreboding a wretched watch

Spinning wheels mark a path of…

How many mixed metaphors can there be in one poem?

I am losing grasp on my existence 

I hate where I am at

Will it get better

My exhaustion is at a level I can't contain

Sleep does no good 

Pain reaches deep

No rest even sleeping more than awake

The pain is all too real

I have been here before

This poem is more depressing than relieving

Reducing the scary truths

Ouch Ouch Ouch is all I can say.

~May 30, 2016

Stormy Weather

Refreshing Raindrops

holding fast on my windowpane 

Teardrops of rejuvenation

Sparkling Sun

Pushing through the pain

Peace bursts from within

glistening crystals of love

Comfort my being

Inconvenient Irritations,

Subside

Contrasts of life,

Embraced

Time of reflection

Soul re-examination 

Anger dissipated 

Once more on my feet

Holding fast opposing   

Stormy Weather

Tea Shop Serenade

Following the garden path

the perfume of the roses wafting 

towards my senses 

As the gentle music of

the song bird allows me to be present

To water trickling from the meandering

brook purging blood

from my lonely self

Encompassing sweet sensations

brings me an ease of a tumultuous 

past. All temptation subsides.

My footing grazes the cobble stones

reassuring me of moving forward 

past my ill heart

that only the blue jay understands

Lost in the mural overshadowing

raspberry orange tea, I come back to 

the present as my pot of tea once hot

now tepid. The jazz overhead 

clears my mind.

ODE To Standing Rock, December 4, 2016

Rights to Water

The emphasis of life

What’s ours is yours

But not if you poison us

A nation of natives

Joined by a tribe of

Socially Conscientious Citizens

Guarding an indigenous people

Veterans gather from as

faraway as Hawaii

Water Rights Matter

Not just for the Sioux

A time of enough is enough

We want peace

We want a resolution

To protect our children’s children’s children

We sleep in peace tonight

Our collective voices have been Heard

Bubble Philosophy

The bursting of a bubble produces fusion
heating up the bubble of life.
Heat and fire to purify life.
What's on the second page?
Do the bubbles pass on in the wind
to create a small explosion?
A spark
A light
A blink and it's gone.
Smiles, laughter resulting in bursts of energy
to transform everyday existence.
What do we have left? Does
anyone know? Does the sun really
move around the earth? It may seem
so. The earth stands still.
Moons conspire to fulfill the
nothingness of space and sparks of
light. Do you believe in the Man in the
Moon?
Tangible or not
Sighted or not
The bubble bursts
Releasing energy of surprise to warm our
Eyes.