Everything is broken
In a way you don't understand
Safe within your bubble
Isolated from your fellow man
Granted safety from your birth
As loathe as you are to admit
Privilege is a dirty word
But it's one that unfortunately fits
White of skin and comfortable
With the gender of your birth
How oft do you gaze upon us
And consider us of worth?
See the ones in charge of us
Aim gunblades at this half
Pray, are you just as incensed
Or give a shaky laugh?
If the sword or gun pointed
Doesn't aim at your head
But at those of your fellow man
Do you still feel the dread?
Are you content to stop and stare
As nooses are fashioned?
Knowing you've escaped today
The rest of us are shunned
Do the pointless deaths incense your soul
Stoking violent flame
Or when the victims aren't of your ilk
Is it just a silly game?
Everything is broken
In a way you could understand
If only you would reach on out
To pull up your fellow man.
September sunday break of dawn
A pious flock of pigeons circle gracefully
They’re gathered for high mass
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Atop thy holy hill,
Thy pine – so banished – weeps.
It reaches high for clouds of rye
But falters incomplete.
Atop thy holy hill,
Thy servants kneel and pray.
In holy stone thy bell atones
And beckons forth the day.
‘Why dost thou hide behind thy wooden doors…’
Perched on a sapphire bus, its curves agleam,
In a painted glade where wildflowers teem,
A young man and lady, entwined in a glow,
Bask in love’s fervor, where soft breezes flow.
No tangled forest, but a sketch of delight,
Where a stream’s silver ripples catch dawn’s tender light.
wildflowers and violet blooms burst in the air,
Their petals like whispers, adrift without care.
Her eyes, molten amber, spark embers of dreams,
His laughter, a melody dancing with streams.
Their fingers lace gently, like vines that embrace,
Each touch a warm ember, each glance a soft trace.
Below, on a gnarled branch by the water’s bright hum,
Sits a shadowed creature, its form strangely numb—
Dog, monkey, or kangaroo, cloaked in the haze,
It watches their rapture through the morning’s soft blaze.
In this vivid drawing, their love burns alive,
A canvas of passion where heartbeats connive.
The bus, a bold beacon, the stream’s crystal call,
Frame their forever in this blooming sprawl.
And there I stood, atop a mountain of crave.
In front of me a misty forest of hope lay.
I ran and descended deep, ignoring all fears,
till I left behind everything but what I feel.
Oh her sweet voice, how much I miss.
To me, even hearing her name is bliss.
I can't say no more, my breath has been taken.
By none other, but Her, and back it hasn't been given.
Lovers of old, help on me! It's just you, who can help!
But the forest remained silent, no response to my yelp.
I reached a grand tree, old as humanity itself,
On its bark, ideas of how I should behave myself.
But oh too stubborn I was, to ever follow,
instead I would hurt, and carve my soul until it's hollow.
But no amount of crying can fix what has been broken,
Whether it be a heart, or a bond I wish was christened.
So I walked farther, until I saw a large hill,
I thought it may help, so I climbed it to see clear,
And there I stood, atop a mountain of crave.
In front of me a misty forest of hope lay
In my window Atop the world,
I see you smile,
traces of sadness you attempt to hide,
happiness that lacks.
In my window Atop the world,
I see you smile,
Tears hidden by
A mask with cracks.
In my window Atop the world,
I see you crumble,
your perfect facade breaking down,
little by little, piece by piece.
In my window Atop the world,
I see you stop,
a hand on your shoulder,
a river of tears, a mind at peace.
In our window Atop the world,
you're here with me,
no longer broken,
as calm as the waves upon a gentle sea.
I am sitting on
the mountaintop
looking at the terrain
the clouds are moving
and the wind is blowing
it seems dense covering terrain
it never stops wind blows
the tree waving sources
cascading clouds
manipulating humidity turn to rain
In tuned to my surroundings
I Sitting here atop the mountain top
Spying the terrain
7/18/24
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2024
High atop a mountain, a windswept hill
I thought I'd found my true love, name of Jill
We arched our backs and kissed
I thought I heard a 'Pssst'
My wife?! ~ Her lawyer will send me the bill
Ponderance from Poet Atop a Mountain
The path I follow
until I can’t go further;
A chasm prevents me
from reaching the other side,
and so I dally henceforth.
Revelations from Poet Atop a Mountain
After an arduous climb to the top of the mountain,
I looked back to see them looking at me;
Waiting for an answer, they queried,
“What do you see, ‘O Great One’ of the Ming Dynasty?”
What could I see? (Cloud cover below my feet.)
But I could hear echoes, and so I imagined tranquility
and painted a picture of myself
atop the mountain, leaning on a bramble staff
breathing deeply while gazing out far and free,
and put together words of poetry
to describe what I had heard and seen.
***
Poet on a Mountaintop by Shen Zhou, (Chinese, 1427–1509)
(translation from Indiana University)
White clouds sash-like
wrap mountain waists,
The rock terrace flies in space
distant, a narrow path.
Leaning on a bramble staff
far and free I gaze,
To warble of valley brook
I will reply, whistling.
***
Poet Atop a Mountain
The poet, unfraught
after an arduous climb
to the mountaintop,
attempts to describe the view
with limited use of words.
***
Poet On a Mountaintop
by Shen Zhou, (Chinese, 1427–1509) (tr. Indiana University)
White clouds sash-like
wrap mountain waists,
The rock terrace flies in space
distant, a narrow path.
Leaning on a bramble staff
far and free I gaze,
To warble of valley brook
I will reply, whistling.
***
With this
Vale of Belvoir
And solitude
I sit upon
A lonely mountains top
Looking in the direction
Of a distant
Ice land
Felling its weather
Push
Upon my cold face
A chilly wind
And deep blue sky
That lets me see
A thousand miles
Before clouds drop
To wipe
This mountains top
And reduces
My vision
My lofty thoughts
To this spot
Atop this mountain
With no more
A vale of belvoir
Rebirth atop the mountain tops I am
Seething the crops of my faith
I am banished from the garden
Amidst the open meadows of grace
Nighty darkness firefly solace
Hope is just so all- around us
Standing tall high on a mountain peak
Barefoot when newly washed cleansed dried feet
Sprig of mint-lavender essence iridescent sense in the air
red flags flowing blowing in the winds
Surrender my soul begins
A winning soldier lock in battle in this unholy war
Self started I refuse to defer (I just ignore)
In paradise mercy grace has washed me, cleansed me since
On that point I was rebirth, I was born again
DEATH ATOP A MOUNTAIN REBIRTH WITHIN THE CLOUDS
Amen
and again
Amen
11/19/21
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2021©
up high lit atop
a city power lines
keeping warm their feet
~
chilling winds yet still
they stand atop those power
lines mock winter's cold
11/11/22
Written by James Edward Lee Sr © 2021
As I cross over the bridge
It lives it lives
Waters flowing splashing
Going
It gives it gives
The moon up above
Moves the waves
To and fro
From the shores
I stand on the bridge
And I gaze up upon the skies
And I see the stars and the Moon reflexes it's light on me
7/8/21
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr © 2021
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