Tom Alan Quest Poet Dramatic Verse

Begging For Lisbon

I walk my life, a subway station
Where dirt consorts
The air around.
It pounds my nape,
It flames my mind
With sights and fates
And sounds.

Above, a tram goes up the alley
Tinged with canary hue.
Below, my wit:
What void, what valley:
It sank, in Tagus mused.

I take a seat, doors screech behind.
O, what wondrous whiffs?
Of metal beams
Attriting loudly
Against metal wheels?

To a halt it cuts my chain of thought,
Rivals my dream, they brawl.
'Tis from the gallery
Of broken hope
The beggar man crawls.

Intemperate horns his entry announce,
Dysphoric scenes aground.
He comes detuned
Near clears his throat,
Lethargic voice resounds:

I beat my cane
In wrongful rhythm,
'Cause wrongful
Was my life.
My voice hurts from
All this singing:
'Twas morphed into
A sigh.
I longed, I longed
For all my sinning
Was ought to be repaid.
Deserved so much,
God took my
Will, my sight,
My love, my
Name.

So tell me, vagrant,
What did He take?
-Said I-
Who has loved you?
What is your will,
What name did you go by?

I used to be a man of soul
Whose heart beat strong and dign,
I used to write
And then I died
On the 10th before July.

He took my coins for all my service
At wars:
At land
At sea
-The waves still have her,
Laying there still,
Waiting away from me!-
Said he-
I will my love,
My fire, passion
-My young Natercia!-
Most darling of all nymphaea!

So God is just after all,
Replacing sin with grief.
No need for me
To pay the man:
God has done the deed.

The deadbeat coins of his cup
Turmoil ever so slightly.
I leave my dream,
Doors shrill again:
'Tis time to end my journey.

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Beata Agustin December 29, 2024 at 5:01 AM Thanks for sharing this... exposing your thoughts through your unique poetic style. Meanwhile, I greet you with the love of the Lord, expressed by John 3:16 of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Be blessed.

Gregory Richard Barden March 23, 2018 at 8:19 PM Warm regards and congrats on a well-deserved Honorable Mention, Tom - blessings as always, my friend! :-) Tom Alan Quest March 26, 2018 at 2:01 AM Feeling blessed! Thanks for taking the time to write this, it does make a difference!

Line Gauthier March 22, 2018 at 8:45 AM Wow quite the tale. Well done, Tom. Congrats on a winning poem. Tom Alan Quest March 26, 2018 at 1:57 AM Thank you very much! :)

Kai Michael Neumann March 22, 2018 at 3:36 AM Amazing. Congratulations. Great description of a real journey and story. On a side note, this poem takes me to Lisbon, where I myself started a new path in life. Many wishes, Kai Tom Alan Quest March 26, 2018 at 1:57 AM Thanks for the review, and the information! For what Lisbon has given me, this poem was the least I could give back to it!

Funom Makama June 30, 2017 at 10:07 AM This is wonderful. I love your thoughts and apt creativity. Welcome to poetry soup.

Andrea Dietrich June 9, 2017 at 6:43 PM wow, this is intense in its imagery and passion of writing, Tom. Speaking through the dead! And the title is so interesting. I was there once very shortly! In Lisbon. I am imagining a ghost going through this town as he speaks these poetic words! Tom Alan Quest June 10, 2017 at 6:48 PM Thanks! It surely is my best attempt at following meter and story-line, probably my only successful one to date haha. Great to hear you were here! Lisbon is my hometown and my dearest metropolis. today is the 10th before July (Portugal national day), which is interesting! The character in the poem is based on a real historical figure who died on June 10th. Lots of other hints along the text! If you were here there's no way you haven't heard of this "beggar man" :)