Greatest Challenge

The sun and the moon, the stars in the sky,
Silently watch our small lives in their wonder;
And hardly notice an age going by,
Taking no notice of rain or thunder...
The battering storm, the flooding of soil,
Sings a cry of terror, a bloodless shout --
And unheard among the carnage and spoil,
The gasping sigh of a life snuffing out.
Tenacious, we struggle, weather the gale,
Climb from the mud with both patience and grace;
And face to the wind, unwilling to fail,
The universe watches the human race,
As into its greatest challenge it delves:
A terrible foe: we battle ourselves.

Mick McKellar
December 2018

As the year rolls out, I wonder if we realize who we will battle for the right to exist.

Mick

Keweenaw Carol

I sing a carol of Keweenaw,
I dance alone in my mind.
Never, not ever may I withdraw,
Silently seeing the silence I saw,
Feeling the fun that I find,
Dancing alone in my mind.

I mine a myriad of milestones,
I lay awake in the dark.
Heir to stale air filled with homophones,
There to steal steel from their two bones:
Gladness and sadness give spark,
Just to walk and to talk in the dark.

I'm a glad river of memories,
I smile to purvey pure daylight --
Sparkling and rippling through evergreen trees,
Diamond dust shining on cold winter breeze,
A dose of delight in silence so white,
An antidote to long, lonely night.

A reminder that joy is so near,
I carol that Christmas is here!

Mick McKellar
December 2018


I sing songs in my head. And the best part? In my head, I'm always on key!

Mick