Ode To A Hobo

Ode To A Hobo

I admit the more I give and try

My dreams wither from the cold

All the while my head in the sky

I should have been digging for gold

Pocket lint, a hole for my change

Won’t keep me under my roof

Yet I continue to lose this game

And dreams no longer assumed

“Get a job” they shout from miles away

All from the tops of their lungs

Meanwhile I stop, stare, and dare

The thought of rising above

I admit the more I give and take

Each day is harder than the last

By living moments to break away

And knowing I stink of trash

Smart People

Smart People

Do Stupid Things For A Reason

Looking down at the path we strive
The ground is littered with trash
Beneath the waste lies steps of stone
From breathing memories past
For every finger that points astray
And leads us all to an end
There is a better choice to choose
And worse wounds to mend
In this battlefield of the mind
One wishes but to defend
To wash away the tears and pain
And for peace to descend

Daniel Jaffke

September 18, 1983 - January 31, 2014

A Life A Blaze

A Life A Blaze

I’ve accepted the failure

To forget the flaw

To end the chapter

And leave the story

But as dust collects...

And the cold comes back

A book burning smile

Keeps me warm at night

There use to be a hearth

On which it would sit

By its self in the empty room

With its dying glory

But as it dies I do as well

While excuses flow like wine

One more drink to keep awake

It keeps me warm at night

Gold flexes within its heat

Hand to hand and out of mind

Justice served with a cruel balance

A beggar, a thief, and end of times

But as you will so must I

Memories become smoke in flight

Watching my words burn at last

Will forever keep me warm at night

"A Life A Blaze" by Daniel Jaffke

Portrait by Sinclair Michael

Portrait by Sinclair Michael

Sinclair Michael and Daniel were skateboarding friends

I met him at Daniel's funeral and became facebook friends.

He gave me this portrait at the cemetery on Daniel's first angelversary.

1/31/2015

I took this pic after returning home from the cemetery to show how large and beautiful it is.

Sinclair Michael

Collage by Dawn Mathisen

Collage by Dawn Mathisen

I met Dawn at the trial, she had been a friend of Daniel's

We quickly became close friends.