Best At Arms Length Poems
forgive all evil
go on turn the other cheek
perhaps in dreamland
hug enemies at arms length
kiss ~ but first pull out their teeth
By
David Kavanagh
I enjoyed wrapping my mind around his words
Stretching my thinking
At times coming unglued
Reaching towards oblivion
While keeping my feet in multiple worlds
Standing on sinking ground
While leaning on granites precious solidity
The substance of imaginations inconsistencies
Tugging on the heart strings of a well played heart
Wondering along the pathway of dreams long held at arms length
Hoping to understand
Taking that backward look while moving forward and upward
Words are his gift
Dropped like psychedelic bombs
Ripping at the fabric of convention
Pain wrapped in sheepskin
Joy pushed through pencils point
Leaving me in awe
Dancing and stretching along
Bouncing against his liquid walls
Till I come out the other side
Understanding
Landing
Blessed
More than I was before
Yet part of myself
Stays behind
Trying to catch my breath
Dedicated to Drake
Submitted to Debbie's Guzzi's Referential Contest
"Closer" By Chris Aechtner reminded me of Drakes Work
and Drakes unusual word combinations thus inspiring
the above piece.
another tower, rising up the skies,
a high terrasse, a night, a starry weather,
a caviar, a bird of paradise
for every towerer, a golden feather
on tux’s sleeve…
all of a sudden strike
of lightning in the pyramid of glasses,
shards! thunder! screams! crush in the dark! a spike
of panic, a lead cloud that amasses
new rage at arms’ length, furious wind gusts,
first drops of rain as bitter as the tears
that flush away ambitions, dares, lusts,
and hopes of the new babylon that nears
its end…
a soggy bird of paradise,
another tower, rising up the skies.
After The Party Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Anthony Slausin
Love.
A few too many breaths of fresh air,
A sun over water shines a glimmer in your hair,
A palm reaching outward quickly to hold,
A pointed and true reason to want to grow old,
A scent of coming rain sweet enough to see,
A sobering storm I'm willing to weather...
As long as you're with me.
Hope.
As tried as I've been and held down as we are,
The eclipse of this lifetime will surely fail to burn out our star,
We are young and yet old enough to make something real,
As long as we retain these once muttered feelings that we feel,
We are strong, stronger than the values of the things that we own,
And I'd give them all up to take your heart...
On a loan.
Love.
I will never back down or let go or give up or give in,
Always twice a loser it's more than time to win,
I will never break or falter or wane,
I will hold you at arms length to measure this rain,
Because despite its depth and the flood that we swim,
We didn't just fall this hard as a joke...
On a whim.
Hope.
Is always...
Enough.
In the forest of my mind
Between the trees and sunlit glades,
There are paths I dare not take
Hidden, somewhere in the shade.
Sometimes I glimpse fleeting shadows
Apprehension floods my mind,
At arms length I keep such thoughts
Afraid to face what I may find.
So I choose to walk in sunshine
My shadowlands I bury deep,
For if I wander, if I stray,
I'm afraid I will forever weep.
Life on a hitchhike
A cool drool drip slid to the corner of a slit shut
mouth. Eyes that once FLASHED reared back and humbled
into occular armpits, no explanation. Hands that once
felt warmth and high hopes slowly tremmored twitching
careless as unmatter of fact. I watch the
flesh depart, skin crawling with old breakfast
sausage patty indifference. Postage due----Royal flesh
does not win. Careful. External refuse
hidden bonds confide in mass abuse of internal
bliss like factory worker, paydayholiday Friday. Say
goodbye like used coffee grounds At last gasp I
set sockets against a blank ceiling scanning with
eyes aglee and a wave in omnidirectional fervor.
Too finite? Numb and neutral with nothing at stake
I praise a restless content over a form boring of
less than glib compose and promote a position of
erectile tissue and ooooze about time , space
swaying to and fro for this invisible temptation
at arms------------------------------------------length
dave collins, "Yes", 1/89, Wash D.C.
Try to associate people with a name
Do you know someone, know their face
and not know their names?
I do that
I can go for years yeah knowing someone
and not know their name
Is it a sign of carelessness
or just don't care?
I would've never thought that I don't care
It just not occurs to me
Isn't that crazy?
Until one day I heard herself relating to someone
- her name
And it suddenly dawns on me
I didn't even know her name
And I found myself thinking
'That name doesn't fit her'
as I have known this girl for a while
How did we do that?
Go on knowing someone and doesn't even know their name
She is just a friend
What if they turned out to be your best buddies
would you still not know their names?
We do that
Keeping people at arms' length
Whether knowing or not knowing
Just to keep up with your level of comfort zone
Or it could be our carelessness
In that case be careful, would ya?
They may not know your name too
In that case are you even?
Not
Because you are supposed to know everybody's names
Their circumstances
How are you going to minister to them
if you don't even know their name?
Aren't you supposed to preach the Word?
I am not supposed to preach nothing
I don't even know someone's name
Who am I?
I come from a family of thespians
Who turned hiding their problems into art.
Inside these walls,
We cry. We yell.
But from within these walls,
The sounds never depart.
Yet,
somewhere among the act,
I lost the talent.
My heart can't hide anymore.
My eyes sting, my throat burns--
They're all pretending
but my heart's just too sore.
What show will be my final?
In what performance will I truly break?
I keep pushing to my limits,
I swallow the pain but
I'm full past what I can take.
Things aren't the same,
They may never be.
But, that's okay because
the only person I really have is me.
I scream into the abyss,
and bleed on those who never cut me.
Yet, I tuck it all away
Like the world cannot see.
Maybe the biggest actress of all is me.
Acting as if the pain is transparent--
Like there's nothing to set free.
While those who really love me
stand at arms length,
As I push with all I have,
They beg me to let them love me.
Oh, how easy to see:
The biggest pretender is me.
The world is spinning so fast that time doesnt have a chance to render its mercy.
The uncertainty of truth is at arms length, what we can not observe or measure does not exsist. The construct of reality assumes its never ending assault on global consciousness and unity in its entirety. What we observe and what we don't observe
can be applicable as well as impliable. Time and space can lead you anywhere and anywhen. We can confirm that in this life man has harnessed enough knowledge to destroy the world and that we are at the mercy of an unstabled power struggle. If knowledge is power who can harness the power if no one knows it all? If we are all a part of this world and in unity with the universe how do we control our own actions? To control my actions is to control the actions of others for we are one, is this part of deception or part of the truth? Is it truth that "out of chaos comes order"? Is it because of this very statement that man creates chaos to gain control? Is it truth that what we dont observe we also change? Was knowledge the original sin or is knowledge the truth? Is there such a thing as negative knowledge? The questions that tear at the very fabric that hold time and space together are the questions that will damn us all to hell.
Well, aren’t you a sight for sore EYES
Off the top of my HEAD its been nearly two years
Yes ,I have been keeping busy
A FINGER in every pie that’s me
It has been a bit of a struggle
I did put my NECK on the line
Many times I cried my HEART out
Then would dust myself off and say “ok girl CHIN up”
And FACE the music
Yes we were away for a while
We had really itchy FEET
Though we were BACK before we knew it
I've kept an EAR out to see if anyone had heard from you
I did hear you started your own confectionary business
You’ve always had a sweet TOOTH
It’s on… “Now what’s the name of that street “?
It’s on the tip of my TONGUE….
It is something like KNEE
Kneetson No Kneedham thats it!
You’ll have a lot of ELBOW room there
If you ever need help
I can always lend a HAND
Oh ,you heard about that incident did you
She really put her FOOT in it this time
She has a such CHEEK
I told her to get off my BACK
To stop looking down her NOSE at me
I’ve always been upfront with her
Worn my HEART on my sleeve
Though getting the truth from her
Is like pulling TEETH
She is a royal pain in the NECK
I ARMED myself for the next encounter
My HEART was in my MOUTH
To be honest I got cold FEET
Best I keep her at ARMS length
So last time I saw her ,I said
I hope you are all EARS
I need to get something off my CHEST
I politely wished her good luck
Told her to break a LEG
And kiss my ****!!
(A Body Idiom Poem)
A land sheltering 1.3 billions,
of varied creed and religion,
dated to world's history over a million.
Irrespective of nation's diverse region,
Indians hoist the white, green and vermilion.
Twenty - nine cultures standing united,
twenty -three mother tongues spoken,
yet this nation's bond remains unbroken.
United among these differences we stand ,
liberated from the colonial lands,
3.287 million sq km, it stands.
our borders and thoughts expand,
flourishing our croplands,
Fighting for our independence,
from our imperial monarch's dominance.
Our leader's expressed silent repentance.
Through the Indian independence movement,
they expressed their non - violent resistance
Curtailing East India company's strength,
our victory was at arms - length
fighting to create a history,
they laid the path towards victory
Our leaders wrote their own story.
making fifteen of August as an evidence,
to celebrate India's joy of Independence.
Sir John the Brave as he is now known for he once slew a dragon,
Became the champion of the King and protector of his wagon.
The King it seems had a magic touch that changed his coach to gold,
And now Sir John is by honor bound to guard it I am told.
This duty gives Sir John a lot of time to deal with as he pleases,
To pre-arrange his dalliances by preparing fine wine and cheeses.
It seems the knight has gained a taste for gourmet food and drink,
So now all he has to do to get a date is to give a little wink.
But his one true love is a Lady that keeps him forever waiting,
He can’t find the way to unlock her heart and it’s getting irritating.
You’d think a knight of his stature would be considered quite a catch,
But this Lady keeps him at arms length and it seems he’s met his match.
"Every struggle in my life has been a lesson
and made me stronger."
--Constance La France
I know that I am a far better man for my sorrow
The worst times of my life increased my strength
Through tears, I always see a brighter tomorrow.
I try to live with my own woes, never borrow
When facing others’, holding them at arms-length
I know that I am a far better man for my sorrow.
When depression attempts to land a lethal blow
And I find myself drowning, teetering on the brink,
Through tears, I always see a brighter tomorrow.
I visualize better days while crying into my pillow,
Determined not to allow all my pleasures to sink
I know that I am a far better man for my sorrow.
Between the best and worst of times in the tarot
I have come to understand there is an indelible link
Through tears, I always see a brighter tomorrow.
During the worst times, I plow a straighter furrow
I row harder, not allowing myself to go over the brink,
I know that I am a far better man for my sorrow
Through tears, I always see a brighter tomorrow.
[Theme - #1 - Introspection]
FIRST PLACE WINNER
Written November 14, 2022
Submitted to “WRITING CHALLENGE – “V” Forms” Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Constance La France
Keep me at arms length/ I cannot hold you.
I haven't the strength.
With wondrous eyes I use to see/ the magic amd will that lived within me.
Now filled with anxiousness and worry/when will this ever end?
I no longer wish to have the sensation/no longer want to bend.
Struggles of life affect us all/ one way or another.
We try and force/ needing a breakthrough.
When will it come? This is no life to live.
They will say push; PUSH HARD TO STRIVE.
~mp (c) Nov 15 16
It happens over there,
a suburb, a state or half a world
or more away from where I live
in a quiet street with roses and hedges
hanging over front fences
with newly planted trees spaced
along a footpath the council truck
waters once a week.
For anything to get past
and make it to here must be filtered,
sanitised and packed in biodegradable
pouches and come with conditions
clearly stated in print bold enough
to see at arms length and most
important of all, have an off switch
that can be activated by an app
on a phone or a remote control.
What's more, it must be kept short
not taking too much time for it to clash
with commitments I previously made
over a coffee at the gym or make
me feel bad by its content or tax
my nerves by taking me to a place
which I have no desire to go.
So, I would be pleased if you kept it
over there, housed within the confines
of a television screen and sandwiched
between ads and promos for the latest
"Reality" show. And to keep
my conscience pristine, provide
an address I can send
a small donation to on my credit card
with a receipt so I can claim
the expense on my next
income tax return. Thank you.