I pause and know
they come
demons of darkness
black clouds
in this season of storms
valkyries
naked
my soul is lashed
bashed by fear
drowned in disappointment
chilled by frigid failure
stunned by thunderous disapproval
stumbling in the cacophony of screaming doubt
lost
I pray to survive
this weather system of the mind
tio stib
2019
You might also enjoy: Promise, Life Journey Poems & Prose
there are moments when
I dream in peace
a mind released to roam
then others when
the clock grinds on
and night becomes a tomb
I lay now in eternal night
awaiting mindless deep
a craving need to somehow get
a decent hour’s sleep
tio stib
2015, 2018, 2019
You might also enjoy: Veiled Vision, Life Journey Poems & Prose
in winter stillness
ancient aspens watch
a chickadee flitting past
feathered music
bouncing
over infinite blue
alone
atop the buried meadow
a man paused
turned
looked back at the trampled snow
the trail of footsteps
each print a shadowed testament
to sweat falling from his brow
all he could see was white
reflected memories in a sea of snow
light’s harsh truth
stinging weary eyes
a deep sigh
a gasp of icy air
a hesitation in the heartbeat of being
a smile
he chooses life
again
tio stib
2016, 2018, 2019
for fifty years they’d each returned
back to the same cafe
gathered round the same table
these small town knights
slowly sipping coffee
reviving the Camelot of their youth
alive again
in a breakfast of memories
stories swirled
more smiles than scars
the pranks, the mindless adventures
girlfriends real, love imagined
mountains climbed and races won
friends recalled and gone
they talked of how they’d loved this place
had never thought to leave
but life and time had swept them off
to chase their separate dreams
not one head turned to watch them go
the gray men and their ghosts
and silence roared to fill the void
of legends lost to most
tio stib
You might also enjoy: A Friend Passes, Life Journey Poems & Prose
rocketing through a cacti forest
past towering sentinels frozen in moonlight
night air and music blasting through the cockpit
singing with Cat Stevens
Riding on the peace train
I’m speeding into wildness at 3 a.m.
crossing into the unknown
road tripping
on the loose
Fall has called me forth
to a season for adventuring
ghosting through the morning mist
as day slides from gray to gold
I’m pulled by hunger into a small cafe
cradling a warm coffee cup
I spy the famished hiker beside me
demolishing a plate full of pancakes
he turns and smiles
Fall is freedom
the work is done, the harvest in
I’m on the road again
mornings are cool now
Fall brings a sharpened awareness
a time to wipe fog from my glasses
as growing sunlight melts shadows from the river
cold water swirls about my shivering thighs
I cast to a distant riffle
the line lays out softly
the fly disappears in a splash
lost in the sweet perfume of pine sap
following a dusty trail of memories
the buzz below me sounds familiar
Jeez!
Damn! Helluva rattlesnake!
all those blue highways
all those maps, long before GPS
all those little country stores
all those stops to buy a soda, asking directions
where the heck is Boggan’s Oasis?
and the magic of those unexpected moments
chasing wild horses through a sea of purple sage
eyeing eagles falling from heaven in their mating aerobatics
cresting a final ridge to discover Shangri-La
an azure lake sparkling in an alpine meadow
immersed
alone
in a hot springs pool
steam rising into nothingness
feeling forever in all directions
soul steeped in gratitude
as sky slips from gold
to pink
to gone
I will not travel these roads again
but they will haunt my heart when
once again
Fall calls the vagabond
to a season for adventuring
tio stib
You might also enjoy: Paddling a Submarine vs. Living an Authentic Life, Life Journey Poems & Prose
It was well past midnight in the architecture studio when a fellow student stuck a video camera in my face and said,
“Hawaii you here?”
We were in the middle of an all-nighter sweating a 10 a.m. deadline for final presentations. The bright Hawaiian shirt I was wearing in hopes of keeping my mind awake in the wee hours likely spawned his question, which translated was,
“Why you here?”
That was many, many years ago. years after a lengthy life journey in search of a meaningful pursuit that ultimately led me to architecture, which is why, in answer to his question, I smiled inches from his camera and said,
“Because I love architecture!”
At this point, my mouthful of “Pop Rocks” exploded.
Okay, for those who’ve never heard of or treated themselves to this candy sensation, it’s a hard tart sweet candy you toss into your mouth and when it melts, tiny bubbles of pressurized carbon dioxide are released resulting in a sizzling sound and a taste explosion.
When this surprising spectacle is presented open mouthed to a close up video camera lens, it’s absolutely gross.
But, in our defense, it was well past midnight, and anything that jolted us back to consciousness outside of drinking and drugs was fair play. The drinking and drugs came later.
So much for the leap back in time, let us resume our conversation in the present,
“Hawaii you here”
Just what are you doing here on my blog? Rest assured, I lay awake at night puzzling over why so many people from so many places with so many different backgrounds visit “Travels with Tio.” Is it the catchy title? The image of a stunning sunset over the Teton Mountains in Wyoming, the witty and humorous posts, the poetry? Or, are you intrigued by how a blind guy stays sane while caring for his demented wife?
As I get about 1 actual comment for every 50 visitors to my site and this is not a statistically relevant sample, I’d really like to hear from you. Rest assured that I will sleep better at night and will certainly answer you back. Heck, I might even send you a package of “Pop Rocks.” (Send your mailing address to tiostib@gmail.com, and I will introduce you to this unique candy experience).
“Hawaii you here?”
tio stib
You might also enjoy: Jumping Off, Life Journey Poems & Prose
once
my life was a never ending to do list
every minute, every hour, every day
riding the nowhere train
always something to be done
another meeting, another deadline, another promise to keep
the notion of a nap was a faraway fantasy
then
I jumped off-
now
today’s calendar is blank
an empty page
uncluttered, unfettered, unpromised
the delicious bliss of nothingness
what to do on this sumptuously lazy afternoon
the easy chair beckons
a deep breath, a sigh, a shuttering of eyes
happy memory movies play across my mind
is there anything sweeter than an afternoon nap?
tio stib
You might also enjoy: Paddling a Submarine vs. Living an Authentic Life, Life Journey Poems & Prose
