By: Jake Cosmos Aller

Good-Bye 2021 Good Riddance

Reflecting on the last six years
One cannot but sense
That momentous thing
Were happening everywhere

2021 was worst than 2020
And the year before as well
Nonstop terrifying events

The world seems
To be spending out
Of control

January

January normally dawns
Cold but hopeful
This year an attempted coup
Storming of the U.S. Capitol

The new president
Not accepted by the old
Half the country
Believes the big life

February

February continued
The non-stop political wars
As COVID continued
Marching across the land

March

March is not much better
March madness
Continued unabated

April

April taxes due
Other nightmares continued
COVID vaccination wars
Continued in the U.S.
COVID relief passed

May

May brings little relief
Constant political battles
Descends into madness

June

June brings no relief
People screaming none stop
As COVID deaths continue

July Economy Begins Recovery

July continues -COVID still spreading
The economy seems better
But so many people
Have checked out

August

No longer
A month off
The battles continue

September

Many people
Dread returning to school
The economy slowly opens up
Vaccination mandates
Vaccinations stalling out

October

It seemed for a bit
That perhaps COVID
Was easing up

There was some hope
In the air
Perhaps the politicians
Would finally do the right thing

Way overdue
inadequate infrastructure bill passed
Build Back Better stalled

November

The dreaded COVID
Mutates again
Mocking humanity

General Corona still
On the rampage

30 still refuse to get
A vaccination

As one thousand people
A day become Corona Ghosts

December

Travel restrictions re-emerge
COVID continues to surge
Gun violence continues unchecked
Politicians continue to play game
As too many people die

Becoming Corona ghosts
Gun violence ghosts
Drug overdoes ghosts
Accident death ghosts

The year of dread finally ends
With so many ghosts
Crying in the wind

###

Ten Winter Haiflu

Winter is coming
The cold season approaching
Christmas around the corner

 
The COVID virus
Surging everywhere it seems
Winter of our discontent
 
The winter rushes
2022 looms
Goodbye 2021
 
2021
Fading into memory
Good riddance we all proclaim
 
Dreading the winter
Dreading more COVID
Dreading more Corona Ghosts
 

Winter depression
COVID fears re-emerging
Still more travel restrictions
 

The winter starting
Coronavirus and guns
Deaths, ghosts crying in the wind

Wintertime for blues
Blues playing on my YouTube
Seeing Corona Ghosts Dancing
 

Wintertime sadness
Recalling all who have gone
In this dismal year now past

 
Winter beginning
Are the end times coming?
Are revelations coming true?

###

Seek the Light

Seek the light
My friend,
Seek the light

The light of the universe
The light of peace and happiness.
The cosmic good of the universe.

The ancient battle
Between Good and evil
Light and darkness
Life and death
Love and hate.
War and peace.

Seek the light of love
Seeking love
It is all around you
It is all in you.

Open your soul
And let the light
Of the universe
Flood into your soul.

Seek the cosmic light
My son, if you think it is right
If you think the light
Is the same,
As the light of the Christian faith.
You would be right.

If you think it is Light
Of the Buddhist faith
You would be right.

If you think it is Allah’s light
You would be right.

If you think.
It is Shiva’s light
You would be right.

If you think
It is God’s light
You would be right.

It’s the same light
Of the universe
Which shines on us all.

Regardless of our faith
Or lack of faith,
We can all receive the light.

The light of the universe
It’s flawless
We all seek the light
And it is right
To seek the light.

The light of the universe
Is waiting for you
It is all for you.

And if you find
The light of the universe
You will find love
Peace and happiness
It is your birthright,

You will find that
After you die
The Light will fill you
And take you
To the next world.

Seek the light
It is waiting for you.

Wake up and
Embrace your fate
Seek the light on this date.

###
 
The Darkness Spreads

The darkness is spreading
The darkness of the universe
The dark side
Of the legendary force.

For the world
Is divided into force
Of the light
And the force of darkness.

You cannot have light
Without the darkness,
And you cannot have darkness
Without the light.

There is a cosmic battle
Between the light
And the darkness.

Good and evil
Life and death
Love and hate.
War and peace.

Ying and Yang
God and Devil
Make up the whole Tao
Of the Universe.

And the darkness
Seems to be spreading
All over this darkening world

Every day we turn on the news
We see more examples
Of the darkness
Spreading across the world
Like dark cancer.
A pandemic of despair, fear, and hate.
All humans seem consumed
With fear, hatred, violent thoughts,
And the disease of the mind.

We all seem to be
Sliding down a dark hole
Into the darkness
Of our souls.

The ancient battle
Between Good and evil
Light and darkness

Life and death.
Love and hate.
War and peace.

And it seems
That we have lost all hope
We have lost this light
Of the universe

We have lost the light
Of love
It seems that the darkness
And the fear of the darkness
That is all that we have left.

Hatred, fear, and mistrust
All overwhelm us
And we look out at other people
Thinking that it is now a time
To do or die.

Kill off our enemies
The other evil tribe,
Before they can do
the same to us.

And only a few of us
Still see the light
That is still there.

It has not gone away
And perhaps
With the turn of the wheel
Of time
The darkness will gradually end.

And the lightness
Will once again
Flood the world.

And we all wake up
Peace and happiness
Will defeat the darkness
Yet again
.
It is the way
Of the universe
Ever since the dawn
Of this cosmic game.

The darkness
And light
Battling each other.

The darkness takes over
Becomes the nightmare
Of our Collective Soul.

But it is not too late my son,
There is still time
To find the light
And combat the darkness.

So, my friends
It is waiting for you
Seek the light.

Avoid the darkness
Walk away from fear
Walk away from death

Walk away from despair
Walk away from hate

But you have
A much better world
Waiting for you
If you embrace the light
Of the universe.

Seek the light
It will banish the darkness
And set your soul free.

###
 
Seeing Demons

Sam Adams
Fell into a deeply troubled sleep
One night.

He saw in his nightmares
The growing power of the darkness
Of the universe.

The ancient battle
Between good and evil
Light and darkness.

Life and death
Love and hate.
War and peace.

Yin and Yang
The duality of the Tao.

Playing out
In front of him
As if in a movie
But nightmarishly real.

Sensing the fear and hatred
Spreading everywhere

He saw an army
Of foul creatures
Straight from the nightmares
Of Hell.

Banshees, bears, bigfoot. Cthulu, centaurs, drones, dwarfs, demons, devils, flying drones, flying monkeys, giants, ghosts, gorillas, goblins, orcs, imperial stormtroopers from Star Wars, Klingons, java the hut, leprechauns, lions, max headroom. men in black suits with no faces, Mr. Smith corporate suits, munchkins, monsters, robots, Romulans, Roman gladiators, space aliens, the four horsemen of the apocalypse riding out front, tigers, warlocks, the white witch from Narnia, the wicked witches from Oz, witches, werewolves, wolves, vultures, Yeti and zombies.

He saw millions of people,
Being taken
over by the demons.

Eating them
Rampaging, rioting, raping
Pillaging them

Taking control
Of their bodies
Consuming their souls.

Turning into hideous monsters.
Who continue the carnage
Rampaging mobs
Of deranged crazed demons.

In front of them all
He saw a demon
Staring at him
With a thousand-year stare
Filled with hate.

A tall dark pig-like beast
Standing erect
With reddish horns.

And two heads
The head of President Trump
And the head of President Putin
And blazing red eyes.

The head demon hissed,

Sam Adams
We are coming for you.

“You are mine
Resistance is futile,
Prepare to meet your fate
On this cosmic date.”

He screamed
As the demon ran up to him
Fearing the demon
Would soon consume his soul.

He prayed with all his might
And then he saw
The light of the universe.

The demons ran screaming
Running from the light
Fleeing into the darkness
Back to the hell hole
From when they had come.

He woke up
Next to his wife
Glad he had embraced
Life, love, and light
Of the universe.

Filled with love
And happiness
He got up.

With the demons
Of the dark lord
Fading into his nightmares
Banished by the light
Of his one true love.

###

John (“Jake”) Cosmos Aller is a novelist, poet, and retired  U.S. Foreign Service officer with the U.S. State Department. Before joining the U.S. State Department, Jake taught overseas for eight years, and served in the Peace Corps He grew up in Berkeley.