Charles Brian Van Heyden's Page

Better Man

Do you like the social graces?
Can you read behind the faces
When you meet the effacing ones
And the disgraced ones among
The smiling faces?
Then you’re a better man.

Do you tend toward politeness?
Then you might wend between
The social shyness and
Sidestep the skeptical dryness…
Of the social graces, and be a
Better man.

Are you a sympathetic distruster of
Those who strut and bluster?
Can you be noble to the ignoble,
And listen to a tirade
Without turning a different shade?
Then y… Continue

I never met him
Except that I "met"
Him by seeing his
Image on TV and
Hearing his songs,
For the many years
On the radio,
And sitting captivated
By his music videos.

No, I never met
Michael Jackson
In the flesh.
I didn't have to
To know him,
And to Appreciate him.

Arthur O' Shaughnnessy wrote,

"We are the Music Makers
And we are the Dreamers of Dreams.
Standing by lone sea breakers
And sitting by desolate streams
World losers and World
Forsakers on whom
The pale moon gleams.
We are the movers… Continue

The Noose


The news has brought
Me to grief again.

I’m apathetic about
Life today like
Yesterday.
Oh why do I
Need the news?

The First Page
Is the 1st stage
That like a booster
Sends me down
The tubes faster.

If I were a reporter
Or a cocaine snorter,
I’d enjoy telling
Everyone the news.

But since I eschew
Making people into glue,
I’ll refrain from
Pouring out the soo’.

A man once said
You can practically
Raise the dead
By restraining daily
Papers and the ed.

And so it came
To pass, and i… Continue

(Preface) I'm thinking with the highly chaotic condition that marriage has progressed to be over the past two generations, and the number of 1st and 2nd degree crimes committed in that arena, perhaps it would not be unwise to
suspend the part of wedding ceremonies where the participants vow, "...until death do us part".

Misunderstanding

I didn’t say you should be ashamed, what I said was you should see Shane, you know the movie?

When the king asked for Richilieu his aide said, "his wor… Continue

The Story of Gabriel

A young boy named Gabriel who believed less in materialism than spiritual things took to playing the trumpet. And because he was unconcerned about the “pleasures” of life offered he ascended quickly into prominence as the foremost trumpeter in the known world.

When he blew his trumpet it seemed to observers that his lips became soldered to the mouthpiece as he continued his dizzying spirals of notes and phrases. People actually saw a pulsing glow emanate from his instrumen… Continue

Darkness is not bad.
It is that way by association.
Darkness is good! Especially to
A pair of lovers wrapped in a cozy beach
Blanket on a balmy stretch of sand by
The sea under a twinkling nite sky.

No, darkness is that which existed before
Light came along, which was when you were
Still thinking about what a Sun or Meteor
Might do to the spacescape, for space is
Not lit after it is made other than by suns or
Cosmic explosions.

And forget not how many beautiful
Photographs would never be seen… Continue

Anywhere Sky (Totally Blue).pdf

A Vision.pdf

In the Beginning.pdf

Let me add some tender Words
In a corny way, to your day.
And if it was harsh,
I pray they sooth and restore thee.

If ever I should come by chance
Upon thy form so
Fresh and full of Life,
And fragrance sublime.
And feel your nakedness
So close I
Breathe thy yet
Moist periphery and
Inwardly Explain.

Oh… Continue