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Best Poems Written by Donald Goodside

Below are the all-time best Donald Goodside poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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El Gato

El Gato ___

Padded feet on deserted streets 
After-hours as others sleep 
With half Moon hidden 
Behind clouds and trees stripped of leaves. 

Familial walks of solitude and classic etude's 
Whispering in tall Fall grasses 
Fences blending shadows into the night. 
As Life's fabric of mystery weft and weaves. 

There are gardens of purple hush 
With no access for trespasses 
Only stone pillows for the restless and the lost 
That wander the forever in dirty sleeves. 

The air smells of dogs of war 
Avoiding the whore of death 
That tempts my contempt of the pleasures 
Society so eagerly receives. 

Being alone is my preference in life 
Not the cackle of woman and bleating sheep 
Or those that would lie in wait 
To destroy dreams and dawns of precious sleep. 

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2016



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End Game

He hadn't wanted it, to end like this, 
Shuffling, dragging one foot, 
Elbow pressed to his waist 
Holding up his rumpled trousers. 
Whimpering with each painful step. 

Not too long ago 
He was the man he thought he was 
A son’s hero. 
Strength of his loving wife. 
Now discarded, 
Unable to carry his burden, 
As flotsam upon the sea of man. 

He thought of Combat fire fights, 
Gallantly dying for ideals of State. 
Enmeshed in battles with comrades. 
Hero’s all ___ , 
but not this. 

Scorned by the new youth as he once was. 
Ignored by the fluttering lashes of young girls bright black eyes. 

Drag stop, 
step, 
wince, 
drag. 

Pulling his upturned collar closer to his throat. 
Windblown strands of hair in his eyes. 
Praying for that long warm sleep of forever. 

Drag stop, 
Step, 
Wince, 
Drag.

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2013

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Exit Stage Left

A cold front moved across the Hudson River 
Settling into the concrete streets of Hell’s Kitchen

A Postal Canvas Hamper cried in its wheels 
While being pushed by a scavenger 
Collecting cardboard refuse
 
Impatient horns made known their intent
 
A woman missing teeth with an affluent smile 
Rattled a paper cup asking for change 
Giving God’s blessing in return
 
And I 
Lost in my own disappointments 
Barely noticed the 'Opera’s Drama 
Unawares that I had been ‘caste'
In the role as an extra.

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2013

Details | Donald Goodside Poem

Invitatation To Reality

Invitation to Reality ___ 

Embossed, elegant and proper 
With white glove upon silver tray 
(He imagined ) 
the invitation 
Would surely come 
To announce his required presence to attend. 

His fellow wordsmith's and other known 
Notorious Poets of the Dusky Café , 
Would say, "Come speak and bend your phrase 
and entertain us, on this, your sixty-first birthday". 

A celebration that would envy, Cyrano, Don Quixote' 
and all those other guys with 
Wine, laughter and raucous noise 
While out on the town with the boys. 

With this, a gentle tear did shyly slip 
Past cheek, mustache and hidden laugh.' 
"My life is proven to be all that I have dreamed"
 
( ___and With that ) 

A crack of burn'n wood and steam 
Did rise to wake from within that barrel of fire 
That warmed the homeless and dispossessed, 
Quaked! Donn Booda, 
In cold damp shoe and common cloth, 
Of yesterday's still dressed. 

Breath of kerosene, and hunger now asleep, 
He’d creep 'round to avoid the shift of wind 
That hawkish did bite the face. 
Covered in smoke, ash and forgotten sins 
For which, he must now pay for his mistake 
Of pride, rebellion and anti-social ways. 

' Ahhh ___ but those were the days, 
Those were the days. ' 


He wanders in whatever direction 
The wind blows his back 
Across the tracks through the brush 
Of once garden's pruned and manicured 
Til bloom of fragrant wafting airs turned to sickly smell 
Of graves now frozen gates to hell. 

Leaning against granite reality 
Scrapes his knuckles and barely bleeds 
Feels the need to rest 
Exhausted, crumples and collapses
 
The stars remain fixed 
His world spins in ellipse 
Of forever turning 
Churning through the airless void. 

His Belly flutters 
Eyelids squint against the light 
Wind whoosh chases night 
Summer and being seven follow him 
Down the path to a porch well worn 
An unlocked door hearing his Mother's scolding scorn, 

' Your hands are dirty and you're late for Dinner ' 

( About : 
Old homeless man wanders into neglected cemetery, 
Dies, and spends eternity reliving memories of Thanksgiving's past.)

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2016

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Malcontent

MALCONTENT

Dressed in the rags of time and places
He signifies in loud incoherent phrases
With bluff and blunder
Talks a storm
Sings as thunder
Scaring tourists and their children
From tame towns that have no Zen
With once dull eyes they come
and see just another homeless bum
Believing their lives are the ‘only’ way
They lie to self wishing they
Could also speak the magic of dirt and dust
And do, what the ‘Dust Dancer’ must.

"We all gotta eat our own ‘peck O’ dirt."

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2016



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Revenge of the Leaves

Revenge of the Leaves 

They all came together in one place 
Each with each and all with all 
They said their piece 
From early Spring to almost Fall

They listened intent to understand 
What was to become of the rest of Man 
After assimilation's of the great debate 
A conclusion was decided on their fate

After man had raked, pillaged & burned their kin 
Destroying memories of those within 
The great leaves of trees would finally take revenge

'Let US no longer give air for them to breathe 
No longer the beauty of our Majesty 
Never again provide shade from the Sun 
Let them burn, as our Fathers had been done

From that day forward till the end 
Trees and leaves held their breath 
Until all the ‘Rakers had died 
The most boring of deaths 

... and for any that may come long after 
That sound you hear of breeze in the trees 
Is the leaves in their laughter.

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2018

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Disclaimer

the five recent submissions, were 'penned, 10 years ago.
I have not written anything since.
Thank you for reading.

Copyright © Donald Goodside | Year Posted 2016


Book: Shattered Sighs