Moonlight Lanyard

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Bruised but alive Thrumming heart ... Bloodied hand trembling I measure the moon with my thumb As I watch the long boat drift away downriver ... YOU are on it ... with the king's entourage And I have lost you all over again Yes, I have my life, (though beaten to near death) But I wish now I did not ... For every breath finds you farther from me Heartstrings stretched to breaking As the weeping moon shivers in the sky Its tears glistening on the back of the Great Mekong Like a mocking serpent ... Hissing its melancholy venom in my face The wake of the ship pointing the way I MUST follow You will become but another of many wives to His Majesty Yet you are my world, complete And there shall never be another. This is NOT done ... I am too weak to move ... yet But soon I SHALL pursue To all of Earth's ends, if need be And I shall keep my promise to you ... Made under Heaven, in the gardens of the palace And consummated amidst our passion A moment that stands still in my mind When, as one, we brought blush to the sky itself For it had never seen a love as ours Divine and rare ... with truth and trust And a joining that has never known another Pure, sacred, tender ... And chaste unto itself and the stars. I know your gaze is on the very same moon That you bathe now in its weep And THAT shall be our binding ... for now Until I rise and follow ... And ride the mighty, twisted back of the Mekong To find you, safe, and bring you home My life ... my love.

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Robert Lindley

Date: 1/13/2018 1:16:00 PM

A true shining gem is this exceptional poem my friend! Depth, flow, imagery are all tops and sets one into wonderment at is conception and execution!! A fav....

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/19/2018 11:44:00 PM

Thank you for fav-ing, my friend! :-)

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/13/2018 5:56:00 PM

That's very kind of you, Robert, and as you know, your opinion is an important one to me! Blessings and best wishes, My Poet Brother! :-)

Laura Leiser

Date: 1/13/2018 12:30:00 PM

Oh my, this magnificent poem gave me goosebumps! A truly amazing composition...you created a noteworthy scene and the emotions of the poet leaped off the page! A fave for me!

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/13/2018 5:55:00 PM

Thank you so very much, Laura, I greatly appreciate the kind words ... I'm glad you liked this one! I may expand it into a short story or novella, (when I get some time - yikes!). Blessings!

Frederic Parker

Date: 1/12/2018 5:15:00 PM

a gift you have dear poet, truly enjoyed this write

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/12/2018 6:10:00 PM

Oh, bless you, My Good Friend - I am so thankful for your kindness and your friendship! :-)

Craig Cornish

Date: 1/12/2018 12:03:00 PM

There are so many things you do with words that far exceed the ordinary--"weeping moon"."hissing melancholy venom",Blushing sky, bathing in the moon's weep, and not the least, using farther instead of further correctly (few do)--Exceptional as usual!

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/12/2018 6:09:00 PM

AND the correct use of "farther", cuz so many would not even notice, lol. Blessings, Buddy, and thanks again for these wonderful words! :-)

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/12/2018 6:08:00 PM

This is really such a wonderful comment, Craig, and I so appreciate the details you speak of ... I work very hard to use words in creative ways, but also in ways that make SENSE and conjure mental imagines that work with the piece I'm writing - to set a mood in a fresh but integral way. My hero, Walt Whitman, was the master of such, and he came to it originally by a lack of structured education, which blows me away. That is SO important to me, and the fact that you mention it means more than you know ...

Maureen Mcgreavy

Date: 1/12/2018 10:15:00 AM

A lovely letter to your Princess Bride, she will be yours, I have no doubt.

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 1/12/2018 6:02:00 PM

I get the strongest feeling that our imaginations spin in a similar direction, Mo ... and I hope you don't take that as a BAD thing, lol. Thanks and blessings, Dear Friend! :-) <3