Best Beens Poems
Within reason
lies a house full of ordinary
a chest of bland memories.
You end up with
a pocketful of might have beens.
Within reason is five square feet of grass
and the proverbial white picket fence,
nothing else.
The word 'important'
never makes it onto the page.
Nothing"within reason" was ever found
that didn't already have its place.
When u abandon
Reason
you also abandon
Impossibilities.
the brother of reason
The one needs the other
two heads of the same dragon.
One breathing fire and brimstone
the other living without hope.
They never live separately
they are siamese twins.
The ying and yang of yesteryears.
They had a reason with a hint of possibility
They had something,
something maybe,
at best something insignificant.
But imagine what waits
when you eliminate 'impossible.'
In the darkest dark
within the scream of 'don’t',
inside the insanity of abandoning reason
it is there you'll find
that decaying flesh infested with worms
it is there where the round wheel was found.
You use a black shovel
through the bone
into the skull
through the brain
along the heart
into the gut.
There lies that fine line between insanity and genius
but THERE is where you have to go.
To get there you abandon reason.
Abandon the dogma shoved down your
throats all these years.
Glide on the wild side.
Show your body hair.
Expose your fangs.
Lights, camera, DANCE!
Categories:
beens, life,
Form:
Verse
Each step I take along the way is more than I can endure
and every curve in the lonesome road becomes a detour
back to you because movin' on is somethin' I just can't do,
not if movin' on means no longer will I be with you
I can't explain what I hear when you don't say a thing
But my heart dances to every word of the songs you sing
I feel an ache so bittersweet when with a ragged breath
I whisper and you're not here. Juliet dies another death
I can't rewrite history, but if I could I'd steal time from stars
All I can do is pencil in, "I loved you" on pages of memoirs
When dying embers of us become ash without a spark
I'll be lost without love in my life, wandering in the dark
Emptiness is a painful emotion no dictionary can explain
A chorus of 'What could've beens' I'll echo in sad refrain.
But what can I possibly say to console my broken heart
when it realizes that we're no longer just fingertips apart?
Categories:
beens, lost love,
Form:
Rhyme
I've dreamed of things and might have beens
with hopes and love in back lot shadows.
Replaying these cold-heart wrenching scenes
that will bring no dawn to my tomarrows.
And as this play plays out each act,
my role fades from lead to second best.
Mere words no longer cause effect
to cure the faults of love's ill rest.
I pray to God, re-write these lines
that I might toss aside regrets
and bring the peace for which I pine
to a closing scene no one forgets.
I'll take no bows, of that I'm certain
as stage lights dim on this final curtain.
Categories:
beens, love hurts, sad love,
Form:
Sonnet
Out here,
where time forgets its name
and distance wears no shoes,
a single atom dreams
of being seen.
A nebula breathes in slow creation—
a phosphorous wound
stitched by light,
spilling stars like secrets
never meant for mouths.
What lilt remains in the voice of the void?
Even silence has shape here—
serpentine,
a slither of ancient radiation
wrapping the bones of galaxies,
like a mother tucking in
what she cannot keep.
We call it space,
but it’s more:
a cascade of almosts,
of might-have-beens and never-weres,
falling endlessly
through a gravity
that remembers everything
but forgives nothing.
The lunar dust knows—
how soft it is to vanish,
how even your footprints
can outlive your breath.
And Earth, blue with burden,
floats like a question
we’ve stopped trying to answer—
spinning myths into maths,
naming fire with numbers,
hoping to out-code
the ache.
There is a myriad of ways to be alone.
But here,
in this tender, terrible expanse,
we are together
in our unknowing.
And maybe that
is enough
to make us stars.
Categories:
beens, space,
Form:
Free verse
A Renga for Poetry Soup:
Meander
Time and the river
Endless silver morning
Autumn leaves float by
Shimmering streaming mountains
Pines swaying in constant winds
Morning mirror
Another gray hair
Ah! the wind of time
Spring's last daffodil
Plucked for a dinner paty
Diamond blue fragments
Reflecting off stream waters
Another moonrise
Sunset colors disappear
Shooting stars
Campfire sparks
Fresh fish and conversation
Embracing shadows
How many friends have vanished?
Canyon echoes
Retirement time
Facing all the could-have-beens
Tears in whiskey
Quietly at the gravesite
For her long dead daughter
Rolling ocean waves
At the sunset horizon
A ship disappears
Dry pine needles underfoot
In the distance, tolling bells
The sound of a car
Approaching - disappearing
Sleepless night
Between the windowsill plants
A single moth, dry as dust
Cloud shrouded moon
Moire patterns fill the sky
Wandering ghosts
Great grandfather's photograph
Fading before my eyes
Dried flowers
Holding a spider's web
Sunrise
Children building sandcastles
The sound of waves and laughter
The old phonograph
A song from long ago
A shaft of dust-light
Sitting on a redwood stump
A logger counts his wages
Stopping to listen
An unknown bird's mournful song
Fern embroidery
Seeds on the wind drifting by
Tea kettle whistles
In the dazzling sunlight
Achingly white billow clouds
Ring of blue
A drone of mid-day falling
On the autumn wind meadow
A hawk ascending
Call of triumph echoing
A trout in her talons
Smoke from the hermit's cabin
No one remembers his name
Winter rain
The dry emerald brook
Resurrection
Waking from a flight filled dream
Facing the machine filled day
Watching the moon set
Chaotic starshine appears
Orion's embrace
Singing satellites sparkle
Between the winter branches
River of wonder
Filling the child's eyes
Christmas morning
Bright snow on the open field
Melting in the winter thaw
All that I can find
Of the homesteader's church --
The empty window frame
Spring breeze rustling the old tree
The sound of grass and lilacs
The old woman
Serves herself a cup of tea
With her memories
Forest boulder
April rain
Categories:
beens, lifeold, winter, sound, autumn,
Form:
Verse
The voyage long, begun at dawn, and then
the winged beast of metal rolls wheels to ground,
loved ones, inside and out, bear only grins,
and recount old tales of "remember whens?"
The hours of waiting fast recede, unwound,
as passengers embrace their long lost kin,
they grab their bags, head toward waiting cars
with hope and faith, forget the "might have beens."
"Worth the wait?" said Gram, Gramp smiles without a sound.
His son beams at 'the wife' and passes round cigars.
The world is right and bright again.
Categories:
beens, family,
Form:
Curtal Sonnet
Mama I want to be a star
I want to grace stages that host the world's revered faces
Fantasies shameless my pipe dreams contagious
I want to be famous
Not one for fictional frivolity
I speak of what's in front of me
A new city called Poetry,
I watched as the has-beens soaked their dreams in sewage streams
Unphased by rodent plagues
These ones embrace their own rat race
I still try to navigate the avenues
Negotiate the ones and twos and find a way to tell the truth
Young and unstable I stumble in the giant footprints of those who stood before me
Tip toe on verbal terrain as desperately I pray the weight of immaturity won't bury me,
Admittedly this spoken world is new to me
-But-
Is it possible in any way the gift of verse will carry me?
I see me breaking grounds, earth shattering and in my dreams these words resound
I'll turn cacophony into somewhat of a sacred sound
I want to craft phrases that serenade, deliver sweet-somethings that emancipate
I want, in some way to bring meaning to confusion
Dear world of poetry
Sometimes when they're floored I'm in awe of how my flow's flawless, I hear applause no pauses, waving arms and stinging palms bear tribute to those timeless charms, classic tales still bent with intent to succumb to new pens
Pave way for insecurity
For fear of gift escaping me
See I fail to write when I'm trying to
I get it right with no intention to
Am I...within my right to claim potential true?
Tear ink off her hinges, her blue ball point cringes
Left hand in debt
My blank page bereft
But in the back of my mind
I see standing ovations and soul drenched invasions..
I want to pierce every being I encounter,
I want to penetrate faith, tear doubt asunder,
Let me to speak to the valleys
negotiate peaks and make friends with epitome
I want to part oceans and in the grips of my - pause - tempt emotions,
mold momentum to set in motion the wheels of adoption so that poetry.....may adapt herself for me
I want to write poetry, I want to speak
I want to reach within,
pen something...
A remote reflection of her
This...this brand new city
I present this piece as fantasy
when in all reality
I do hope she's prepared for me
Categories:
beens, art, career, character,
Form:
As the might-have-beens get smaller
And the what-the-hecks get taller
Life gets sweeter.
What a beater,
Death looms, but ya wanna stall'er
Categories:
beens, life,
Form:
Limerick
Trust, like a pitiless whore-master, grins
as between the sheets and at my breasts, he suckles.
Though Cupid lauds' the joy, I feel only stings.
The manic moon shivers to shriek-like violins
as trusting seed is split and son-less my knees buckle
mother-less street urchin blanched, impatient, sin.
In sympathy the sun pales night's mood swings
seeking to caress and hold with a fractured chuckle
love's exhausted, and misspent, ripened lingerings
To the dying day and I, cry of might-have-beens
ivory white my ice hands, my bleeding knuckles
Trust like a pitiless whore-master grins
Though Cupid lauds' the joy, I feel only stings.
Categories:
beens, lost love,
Form:
Villanelle
Said I was stayin’ home today?
That used to mean lovin’ play?
But your look told me... you’re confused
Then I went and said the words?
Shock was followed by the hurt?
Love doesn’t mean we always get to choose
You know I loved you... please hear me
You know I loved you... and I still care
You know I loved you... forgive me?
But there’s no holdin’ onto love not there
We’ve both grown our separate ways
It happens a lot these days?
Tryin’ to heal scars with drink
I hope someday we can be friends?
Once we get past the might have beens?
You can bet on love, but it’s never a sure thing
You know I loved you... please hear me
You know I loved you... and I still care
You know I loved you... forgive me?
But there’s no holdin’ onto love not there
There’s nothing you did, there’s nothing to change
Sometimes love just slips away...
You know I loved you... please hear me
You know I loved you... and I still care
You know I loved you... forgive me?
But there’s no holdin’ onto love not there
Categories:
beens, forgiveness, i love you,
Form:
Lyric
dedicated…
to this hurt
to this pain
until you
ask
me
why?
I cannot explain
and I want
to tear my heart
OUT!
and show you
everything
that I am..
not
the edges
frayed
tattered
because I let them
in
gave each of
them
the sharpest scissors
hoping for curled up edges
like
Christmas ribbon
instead
I am unraveled
like your
favorite sweater
I want you to be
angry…
I ruined your
hope
of perfection
just put me
in your keepsake
box
with all the other
possibilities
the could-have-beens
the almost maybes
but
you offer
me the most
beautiful golden
thread..
fix yourself, you say
but I can’t sew
and I feel
useless
once
again…
until
you take my hand
in yours
and teach
me
..
.
One stitch
at
A
Time
Categories:
beens, friendship, life, love, sad,
Form:
Free verse
We’re welcoming our newest,
a little girl has come has come.
She’s sweeter than a melon
or a ripe and juicy plum
You’ll find her by her mommy’s side,
in pink from head to toe.
When she has rested just a bit
she’ll be ready for her show.
She has a lot of long black hair.
This is a great surprise.
The wisdom of the ages
is showing in her eyes.
The world must seem so strange to her.
She’s handling it with aplomb.
She’s stolen all our hearts away,
a beauty like her mom.
She is less than one day old,
and as I meet her gaze,
I wonder what it would be like
to have no yesterdays.
No sorrows and no sad regrets
and no what might have beens,
only her name upon the page
as her new life begins.
For Royal's "Pink Joy" contest
Categories:
beens, color, daughter, family, happiness,
Form:
Quatrain
is
what
what is...
what is what
is what is now...now...
all the whens and the might have beens...
a captivating time space wonderland called...the now...
a stability without hunger to consume and fill all from an emptiness void
stan sand
Categories:
beens, allegory, analogy, appreciation,
Form:
Fibonacci
I never liked the smell of lilacs although they were always
your favorite flower.
When did you stop bringing them home? I never noticed,
Wish I had.
I always thought walking through pine-scented woods was such
a bore, kicking leaves, how foolish I thought, and didn't
hesitate to tell you so...collect them for a fall bouquet,
hell no!
Wish I had.
How my memories haunt me now; I rejected your every whim, such
little things.
You wanting to build a snowman, I complained,
'It's too cold for that', and how hurt you were when I wouldn't
wear that silly hat you bought for my birthday, from my favorite
store,
Wish I had.
I found an old letter today, stuffed deep in the pocket of your
old coat, the one I never liked, both smelling of lilacs.
The letter was penned in an unfamiliar hand.
Bits of crumbled leaves fell as I unfolded the pages of this, your private world.
Some words were faded by time and splotches of tears.
Yours?
Hers?
No matter!
Such gentle words, flowing sweet with love
like the music of a string quartet.
If only I had written those words that must have made you smile,
mellowed your mood, touched your heart, but it's been so long
since I spoke to you of love.
Wish I had.
Sitting alone, lost in a turmoil of cluttered 'might have beens',
the ring of the phone startles me; it's you, expressing your regret,
you are going to be late again.
I wanted to ask you to bring lilacs home for the table I'd just
set, but I didn't!
But oh God! I wish I had!
I was always too proud to cry until now!
I wish I had!
I wish I had!
Cynthia
Categories:
beens, lost love, words,
Form:
Free verse
Why do we make things
so complicated?Falling
for someone is a gift.Will
your heart get broken?
maybe so but don't let
that stop you.In time
your broken heart will
heal.We live in a im-
perfect world with im-
perfect people.Life is a
beautiful dance we may
slip and fall but we get
back up.For a chance
to experience love I don't
mind the bumps in the
road that may come along
the way.I dare you to be bold
and not worry about the fear
of the unknown(heartache
and fear).And say whatever
happens will happen. Because
life's too short to think about
what could have beens.
Categories:
beens, how i feel,
Form:
Free verse