Harlan Simantel Poems

The emptiness shows through
in all you do.
What is life for?
Why is it so much of a chore?
...

let me heed the child within
wanting to play thru thick and thin,
always having fun
until my work on earth is done.
...

Gentle rain
Softens down
In my hometown,
Reminds me to rest,
...

the squirrel is a busy guy,
too occupied to to stop
or wave
or even say hi! -
...

you are a sparrow
meant to fly free
and I like it
that sometimes
...

You sent me a teacher,
A smart little creature.
She's witty and wise,
Alert to my cries.
...

I said,
Why don't you help them, God?
Those lives in the stinking sod -
The poor, the starving, the sick.
...

Don't be religious,
Full of ritual and form,
It's dead, it does untold harm.
Stick to what's inside,
...

thought, emotion, and sex
top to bottom, head to toe
beautiful trio
simple yet complex
...

is God a placebo
of the mind?
is God a drug
to help me feel fine?
...