In the vortex of a maelstrom, I was rudely thrown
drowning in turbulent waters for an error I bemoan,
a blunder of loving someone who chose to whittle
away at my heart until it became fragile and brittle
Bereft beyond the point of caring if I lived or died
My eyes were scarlet, burning from tears I'd cried
But they became transfixed, immutable on a fire stoked
for my normally tenuous demeanor had been provoked
I was a genteel lady, who demurely acquiesced to love
but it was time for me to throw down the gauntlet glove
I was chaffed by what had been just an interlude for him,
an escapade, a mere dalliance, a rascally romantic whim
I drew a rough sketch; in likeness of my vagabond swain
an abstract portrait, in Picasso's style, the face of my bane
Black eyes were hollow, blind orbs that would never see
that his trifling peccadillo tryst was a brutal betrayal to me
The painting was delivered as twelve bells pealed midnight
I watched as he unwrapped it, but carefully kept out of sight
A formidable opponent I had become to his knavish ways
In the moonlight his face turned pale; his eyes were glazed
I recall the day tears fell for you, Pleading for your stay, futile, true. Yet you departed, leaving me to surrender, Broke me, changed me, a fate I'd render.
Thank you for not lingering in doubt, For in your absence, I found my route. Disguised in wrong, I acquiesced, But in your leaving, strength coalesced.
For in your absence, I learned to see, To accept, to be, authentically me. All that seemed normal, right, in guise, I learned to discern truth from lies.
Thank you for your final choice, Placing both our happiness in voice. No longer solely yours to claim, A mutual joy, free from blame.
No regrets, for you were not in vain, But my greatest lesson, my lasting gain. Thank you for putting me first, at last, No more shadows of a haunting past.
No regrets, for in each twist of fate, God's plan revealed, albeit late.
GOODBYE, MY LOVE
Accept the "Holy Fathers" stains?
What prideful tolerance sustains
The acts by priestly "Confessors"
Whose transgressions we all deplore.
Their molestations cause such pain
That no repentance can explain
To parishes stretched far and wide -
To innocents they cast aside.
Religious aristocracy,
Duplicitous conformity,
Accepted this hypocrisy -
This predatory blasphemy.
Faux piety to hide their shame,
Disdaining good and shielding blame;
No deft Indulgence could resolve -
No Inquisition would absolve.
Despicable to humankind,
By words and deeds now left behind;
No con nor lies supplant the proof:
The mirror to self-damning truth.
These crimes, these aggravated sins -
Atrocities no words can spin,
Nor can appeal 'yond earthly reign
For acquiesced eternal stains.
Sunday’s an auspicious day to suggest
that you, as a student, take a recess
In order to try and decompress
from our studying and stress
Now, of course, if you’re so possessed,
or some might even say obsessed,
you could study for a test,
we all want to do our best
but some work habits can oppress
and leave one all depressed
Just take a needed rest
and if your needs are unaddressed
get caressed when you’re undressed
some would have that thought suppressed
or simply left it unexpressed
but under oath I would attest
and to a priest I have confessed
all my roommates acquiesced
that for relaxation it’s the best
and quickest way to get unstressed
there a hundred things I could suggest
you type “A”s tend to make everything a contest
in this, there are no professors for you to impress
this isn’t a competitive, academic trap, trick or jest
I just know that, on Monday, this girl will be refreshed
An apple a day
Keeps the doctor away.
With the meal finished
My daughter is still hungry
An hour later, anyway.
Reprimanded by her mother,
Acquiesced by her father,
She chomps away silently,
Juicy brick after juicy brick.
She is never, ever sick.
A girl.
A boy.
A Ford convertible.
His mom’s rose bushes.
To please her,
he cut the flowers
and filled his car to the brim
with his mom’s roses.
He came to call,
rag top down,
backseat overflowing
with his mom’s roses.
She acquiesced
gave him a kiss,
filled her bath tub
with his mom’s roses.
She never learned
his consequence,
only knew she reveled
in his mom’s roses.
He came to me in my dreams,
Night after night.
Dad, you’re not supposed to be here.
He never talked,
He just hung out with me.
Night after night,
As though the cancer had never taken him.
I finally acquiesced.
We just hung out.
Night after night.
My family and I were hiking;
My father was not around.
A large rattlesnake blocked our way.
Out of nowhere, my father appeared,
Grabbed the snake from the path,
And threw it off in the woods.
He turned and ran down a dock,
Into the sun,
And leaped up high,
Into the lake,
Laughing joyfully.
As he hit the water,
I realized his body was naked,
And it was whole, and strong, and healed.
He didn’t visit again for many, many years.
It does give one pause…
From Galilee then on the scene, He burst
For John to immerse Him accordingly.
The Baptist balked; he thought their roles reversed:
“I am in need, yet you come here to me.”
But Jesus answered, “Let it be now so;
’Tis fitting we fulfill all righteousness.”
So John consented, plunged Jesus below;
Into the watery depths, He acquiesced.
As he arose and took a breath of air,
The heavens parted, opened from above.
Then, clear to those who stood nearby them there,
The Spirit fell upon him like a dove.
A voice from heaven cried, “This is my son!”
I am well pleased with him; He is the one!
(from Matthew 3)
Imprisoned, before I could walk
By men of great power and greed
Taught in the dampness and cold
By animals who feed their basic need
I learned to do my laundry, in secret
With dogs keeping watch at my heels
Smelling the danger that lurks in the dark
Resolving to comply...but never kneel
I was ripped from my prison, one day
To stay, comfortably in my new home
I was free to do as I willed
As long as it was within the assigned walls, I could roam
I learned the great price of Thor
Who, alone, commands the hammer of thunder
If I ever would become QUEEN
I would do justice, placing men's authority...asunder
Well, well, well, look where I ended up
On a throne, with no man to rule and reign
Me alone, as cruel and concise
As any male dominated kingdom could gain
I, alone, in power, with suitors to press
But I was choosy and never acquiesced
Aged and saggy, beyond desire
They left me to tend my raging fire
Who cares about order when nothing is right
My knee never bowed to a stupid man
I am QUEEN, and no one will know the price I paid
Freedom isn't free and royalty isn't made.
Written by Trudy Schrader on 10/23/2021
“Let’s have a party- it will be fun!
You don’t turn 60 every day- It’s a milestone!”
Words told to my husband about his upcoming Birthday.
He acquiesced, so…
I invited everyone we knew,
Secured the venue,
Started the lists…
Energized by this looming event.
The RSVPs started rolling in
Including the ones from those we were sure wouldn’t come!
The week of the party the Nightmares began-
Wave after wave of them invading my sleep…
Depicting ridiculously insane scenarios and
Setting off anxieties that seemed to stick up their heads whack-a mole- style.
A few cancellations came in….
And I’m starting to wish I was one of them!
By happenstance
I strode across
the boundaries of my being
and marveled at the beauty
and horror I was seeing.
By happenstance
I chose to stay
outside the boundaries of my self
bask within the joy and pain
of being there with someone else
By happenstance
I acquiesced
to let teared rivers flow
to irrigate a troubled heart
to see just what might grow
By happenstance
of weeds and chaff
foibles that hid my fear
I chose to let them grow awhile
for we had days to share
By happenstance
of boundaries fled
of footsteps following - that led
to being in the place I am
outside the boundaries of my head
John G. Lawless
©10/12/2019
Have we ceded our stewardship
allowed a systemic sepsis to spread
acquiesced to the benign malaise
of Death’s directing finger?
Spending billions to cure diseases
caused by poverty’s pestilence
arming ourselves against an assault
of mutating microbial minds
Offering triage to the fatality
of futility’s folly
bandaging life’s severed limbs
sound biting our souls.
Who took the village?
©8/1/2019
Sound of Silence Poetry Contest
John Hamilton sponsor
His life now has permanently changed
Costing him more than aches and pain
As slowly he walks on prosthetic legs
Humility reigns, taxing venturous brain.
Propelling courage fiercely he fought,
Defying death, meeting face to face.
Concealed within his unflinching image,
Torment open wounds of unholy place.
Unsteady mind roams haunted now,
No longer capable to hold a steady job.
Death and destruction hammer his mind
Where angst and hurt relentlessly throb.
Determined as ever but he feels restless
Having acquiesced to tallies of life,
When his toll was counted in unpaid bills
And loss of dignity to agonizing strife.
Able man he was before he went to war
Returning home after he almost died.
As a grateful nation sincerely thanks him
Resolutely he moves to restore his pride.
November 9, 2018
Dedicated to veterans of war
concur in the nights under the starry eyes.
..with romantic winds blowing ...
.by the sea shore..
.with waves reaching and touching your feet
...sands of heavenly bliss.
..forbear the stress and just lay down in my lap
...get cordialized by the dimness of the sun
..
.feel the nature that invigorates...
walk over bridges of peace and love with thick layer of leaves in fall.
...
get acquiesced by the nature and breathe in the heaven leaving the abyss behind!!!!
fall deeper in the depths of uncertainty....
this poem came to me as a result of my visit to the West Bank, Rumallah while walking down the street observing.
Her Eyes
Her eyes
. . .
They showed no emotion,
Like a calmed wave-less sea.
I watched,
But she did not even blink
Nor did she seem
To notice life
As it passed by her
On the street.
There was a quiet resolve,
But I detected a subtle anguish,
Endured for much too long.
She had acquiesced
To some degree
To the life she was given,
Afforded . . .
Would some semblance of peace
Change her eyes,
The in-expressive peering
At life ?
What if
. . .
The things
We so often
Take for granted,
Changed?
We observe life at times
As if it is a preordained right.
We take for granted
Far too much . . .
Things, such as joy, laughter, peace
And love.
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