No more
Mothballs and cedar assault my nose
The dust mites and stale air dry my throat
A wardrobe that is just that
The lion roars no more
Neutered and robbed of his fire
The last time the words were read
In the darkness of this cell I fear the witch no more
Drunk at her cauldron
Slurred words conjure no magic
Snow driven mountains of pure white
Have dissolved into a gray haze
Footprints like bread crumbs dissolved
My desperate escape blocked
Solid wood between me and salvation
My world made infinitely smaller
- When the gateway to Narnia can no longer be imagined, the magic dies
(Trystan Colin Behm- April, 2024)
My Father died at 63
I’m now 75
I remember the day
I turned 63
Thinking I would finally know
What he knew
Be able to feel what he felt
See what he saw
And to be who he was
But I wasn’t a decorated
World War 2 Marine
The last of his platoon
To survive
The Solomon Islands the graveyard
Of most of his friends
He died on a Thursday
But we were estranged
‘Another woman who was not my Mom’
Looking back I wonder
What could I have changed
What words would I have used
To say to him …
(To Edward F. Behm U.S.M.C.: March, 2024)
The house is quiet,
as Knothead’s asleep
Hershey Kisses in place
on the staircase to reap
There’s snow on the roof,
with the chimney unblocked
For Santa to enter,
new soot on his frock
The cookies and milk
on the hearth reappear
With Rudolph’s one favorite,
chocolate chip to endear
The sound of his footsteps
arrive on the roof
As Knothead awakens
to Santa’s reproof
“Get into the sleigh
as I’ve told you before
“TC and Melissa
deserve so much more
“Your mischievous wandering
has caused quite the stir
“Mrs. Claus is upset,
the good Elves much deterred
“And clean up your mess
before we move on
“Those wrappers a danger
to those woe begone”
But as they departed,
the naughty Elf smiled
Two silver reminders
ensconced to beguile
Both hidden in cupboards
for children to find
Christmas 2021
—to forever remind
(Christmas Poem: 12/24/2021)
Backstory: Knothead is the naughty Elf who has plagued the Behm household for over 40 years at Christmas time. To catch him, you need to put out Hershey Kisses, so that Santa can follow the trail of wrappers, capture him, and take him back to the North Pole.
Destroy the war shop,
nationalist- imperialism gist!
Cultivate the flower garden
Peace and love surely comes
Be a lion not to show the cruel power
but to be a true knowledge of love, peace learner
Scriptures!
Come out from the all sneaker whispering
No power can bring redemption
But the self inside- the virgin knowledge!
-December 20, 2019 CTG, BD
///
Inspired by Kurt Philip Behm
K-eep
U-sing
R-ighteousness
T-o
P-onder
H-ow
I-t
L-ives
I-n
P-leasant
B-ehavior
E-rasing
H-uman
M-istake
Topic: Poet (Kurt Philip Behm)
Form: Vertical Monocrostic
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