Best But Poems
Who but God could paint the evening sky
And use a brush that is a fiery torch?
Tonight, the garish sunset makes me high
In awe, I stand and watch it from my porch
Who but God could make the insects sing?
Cicadas droning on with their night song
Still better yet, to sing with legs and wings
Tonight, their cousin crickets sing along
Who but God could hang the moon and stars?
Each star a wish, the moon a silent friend
To light our nights as we live our memoirs
To pull the tides and push them back again
And yet, I understand, some don't believe
Who but God can grant them their reprieve?
July 19 2017
Religion or Philosophy
I want you to know I am not forgotten and those that knew me, make me known in their hearts and minds.
I believed in a cause to protect my fellow brothers and sisters, to risk my life
and to gladly serve. To protect this great nation for future generations. To crawl, to be shot at, to be wounded, to die. To leave behind my children, my wife, my family and friends. All for the cause, for my Nation, for what I believe is the right thing to do and have done.
I see you bringing flowers, and laying them down, in appreciation for my actions. Sometimes I lose a tear in watching you give thanks to me. I get to know all of you who come and visit us Here.
We might not be known,
but we are never Forgotten
You see for I reside in a
Special Place, that place is
The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier
Michael Tor
"Happiness and sorrow ebb and flow like waves upon a beach,
and I am but a grain of sand."
by poet
I think of myself as nothing more than a sunflower
who, at the hint of first light, turns to face due East
Respectful of dawn, through God's glorious power,
morning stirs my spiritual need, and upon it I feast.
It's not a shortcoming to be generous and humble,
nor a weakness in my character, a burden to bear.
I'm never too proud to ask for help when I stumble
for if I humbly ask for His hand, it will be there.
Defiantly, pride seems to take control before a fall
Arrogance is a foolish trait that becomes a liability
ending in dishonor when the foolhardy hit a wall.
Humility can be a saving grace; but not a disability.
I am just a tiny grain of sand, washed upon a beach,
a speck of dust on Earth, the size of a mustard seed.
I believe by being modest, happiness is in my reach
Content with what little I have, not tempted by greed.
Integrity is an admirable quality in an altruistic mind
Benevolence and compassion are gifts to be lauded
By living an unassuming life, my worth will be defined
without need to be rewarded, praised, or applauded.
November 3, 2021
Your Own Philosophy Statement Contest
Sponsor: Chantelle Anne Cooke
The rain outside plays games with the webs that cloud my mind,
I think I hear a tune. A drum solo that heralds memories buried deep
and sealed in concrete. Even the locked safe with five feet deep of steel
can not resist the lightning strike of the Goddess of Thunderstorms...I
...i think of you.
A pain from yesteryears thought dead rises from the ashes...
I think...No!
No! I will fight this.
Forget when I flew too close to the sun
my feathered wings singed.
I fight...I do...I try...I do...but I...
i think of you...
You,
your fresh baked sugar cookie scent,
your China Doll moonlight white complexion.
I think of you...and I...I weep
I on the mountain, exposed
as vultures tear at my flesh.
Devour my organs like so much fodder
and everyday whole again...
the creatures hover to start anew.
In my sorrow,
in my physical pain
I attempt to resist...but I...
i think of you.
Iodine flows through my veins.
My screams echo.
My blood drenched tears
flow like a mountain stream
and i pray
and i whisper the word "mercy"
and still...
still...I
i think of you.
March 16 2015
Armand
Great sun, your day is drawing to a marvelous close.
The horizon seems ablaze as you slowly spill into the turning of night.
Tomorrow we shall see your return,
as you stir sleepy eyes and herald the dawn.
Your arrival brings forth the songbird's call.
Though for now, your departure delivers dreams as we wade into the ether
Knowing that you are gone, but not forgotten..
Beautiful stars, we gaze deeply into your brilliance.
The sheet of darkness dances around your perfect placements.
Wishes and wants whispered towards your travels across the silent sea.
Years and tears have you guided all towards that great shore.
As the chariot of morn arrives, for that brief moment of time
The shimmer of your shine is gone, but not forgotten...
Northern winds in your winter wear,
Whistling as you rush across the barren hills.
All have been held in slowness and slumber
You bring forth a trial of man and also the cries for the new.
As gray gives way, to the colors of tomorrow and the warmth of want.
A chapter closes for three, as your distance grows, gone but not forgotten...
For love is a treasure, one which knows no boundary.
Knows not of time, or of chains and constraints.
It is never ending...
We shall shed a thousand layers
We will hold to one another, even as this earthly realm draws apart.
Gone, but not forgotten....TAH
Trills tumble through an air long silenced
warbled melodies enlighten the palate
whistles delight but fly off to the thistle
freighted by the frigid speak
amongst the downturn of the day
where blue skies lost their way
Memories of warm caresses
sing along in forgotten dreams
eclipsed heat of destiny
dealt away behind a curtain
draping naked rays of beauty
relegated to shroud in faded grey
Faint knocks of glory soon heard
where smiles seep in secret
gone but not forgotten
under blankets of hope
a moon struck douse of patience
left to awaken another day
I am but a dreamer
and in my dreams I play
where I live so happily
writing them my way
inside my illusions
where I know I belong
whistling a joyful tune
as I go along
Like a little spirit
I venture on the breeze
skipping in the gentle wind
doing what I please
with the rising sun I dance
wrapped inside his charms
across the golden morning sky
twirling in his arms
I can climb a mountain
or live among the trees
sail in a silver sailboat
on the seven seas
I can draw a moonlit night
ride on a bright moonbeam
and swim among the diamonds
in a velvet stream
I am but a dreamer
there's nothing in my way
living in the place I love
loving everyday
maybe it's a fairytale
but that's all right by me
I'm the master of my dreams
where I wander free
No one there can tell me
what is wrong or right
following what's in my heart
I live in the light
happy in my dream world
that's where I choose to stay
in the world where I belong
writing dreams my way
you don’t know what you’re doing to me
how i feel when you come near me
happens to me
you don’t know what happens to me
right next to me
when you're standing right next to me
take me
all of me
you on me
taste me
i'm always me
when your with me
your scent is me
your touch fills me
you live inside me
you are the best me
so please trust me
always be with me
i couldn't go back to the old me
i couldn't stand you not loving me!
Maurice Yvonne
11~28~2014
(Set to the music of 'Phantom of the Opera')
His masked face haunts me so
in candlelight
This vision makes the glow...
A mystic sight
And I am drawn to him
In dreams, I find
So like a moth to fire is pulled by light,
My eyes are blind.
Is he the mask I wear
To what I see...
This power over me...
How can I flee?
I cannot turn from him...
A prisoner
Of Phantom of the Opera, my deep
suspicions stir.
And what's behind this mask
that haunts me so?
Is this reality...
How can I know?
It seems we two are one
I see and hear
This Phantom that, sings deep inside my mind...
But, oh my fear.
I'm filled with fantasy
Beyond control
A distant vision, yet,
Rests in my soul
Inside of me, he lives,
This mystery.
Oh, Phantom, now thru this strange maze I go...
Please, rescue me.
In this dark, endless place...
Black fantasy...
Don't leave me lying blind...
Please, sing to me.
Unfold your mystery
Inside this space
Oh, Phantom of the Opera, free me...
and show your face.
My words are set to the music of 'Phantom of the Opera'
theme song and I composed these lyrics for Christine to
sing as a sequel to the duet she and the Phantom sang.
[Verse 1]
I’ve arrived — big lights and a blacked-out car,
Backstage passes and a six-string star.
Crowds go wild when I hit that chord,
I’m livin’ the dream I used to pray for.
I got gold records, a house with a view…
I’ve got everything —
Everything but you.
[Verse 2]
They scream my name, wear my T-shirts proud,
Sing every word, get lost in the sound.
Yeah, I’ve got charm, and I’ve got game,
But none of these girls feel quite the same.
They don’t know the way you used to do —
I’ve got everything...
Everything but you.
[Chorus]
Oh, I’d trade it all — the stage, the fame,
The sold-out nights and my rising name.
Every single song that ever came true,
Ain’t worth half a minute back with you.
Yeah, I made it — that much is true...
But what’s everything
Without you?
[Verse 3]
I see your face in the front row lights,
In every shadow, you're haunting my nights.
The way you laughed, how you held me near,
It echoes inside, but you’re never here.
All the glitz and glam can’t fill the void,
Just a fading memory I can’t enjoy.
[Chorus]
Oh, I’d trade it all — the stage, the fame,
The sold-out nights and my rising name.
Every single song that ever came true,
Ain’t worth half a minute back with you.
Yeah, I made it — that much is true...
But what’s everything
Without you?
[Bridge]
There are nights when the stars, they shine so bright,
But they dim when I’m here, alone in the light.
Riches surround me, but they don't feel right,
'Cause all of this love is lost in the night.
[Chorus]
Oh, I’d trade it all — the stage, the fame,
The sold-out nights and my rising name.
Every single song that ever came true,
Ain’t worth half a minute back with you.
Yeah, I made it — that much is true...
But what’s everything
Without you?
[Outro]
So here I stand, with my heart exposed,
A tale of a man who had it all — but closed.
I'll keep singing these songs, it’s all I can do,
I’ve got everything —
Because I do not know of my tomorrow
Yesterday is gone I've forgotten it
I but have today to know I exist
I resist letting my today be wasted on drama
I am out sipping on sunshine
Gliding on life
Dancing in the rain while drinking rain drops
Have my fill on ice cream till I'm well content
Smile because I just love life
Love every unloved one
Give and share
because it makes me feel absolutely wonderful
And when night comes I'm up eating chocolates
while writing poems of my life's adventure
Smile
Akkina R Downing
8-20-17
Sometimes words just aren't enough
to capture all of the magic that surrounds
the spill of the rainbow after a good storm
the twinkles that resound from a caring eye
the lick of the lips before that first kiss
resplendent, sumptuous, beheld
my mind wanders the forest that is me
searching for what now remains
the faults and the fissures
the fallen, and the free
the leaves fall one by one
opulent amber hues abound
ne'er is there a sound
no words but the beauty still exists
there's a rustle in the air
the bark begins to bleed
will the words spill out and breathe
I hesitate,
a chestnut gallops by
smiles and winks her eye
the words now come
flowing with matchless grace
stunning, wondrous, sweet
adorning a remarkable face
- Even darkness shines in a dance with butterfly wings - quote by poet
She dances in the dark
expressing passionate emotions
Through movement
with a partner or alone
Dance gives her a sense of belonging
stimulates socializing
A bridge between the visible
and the invisible world
As humans, we are equipped with
a wide range of passion
regardless of whether you are blind or not
Dance serves as a delightful sanctuary
I don't know whether his eyes were green or blue,
but what I do know
is that he jumped on my orange cupcakes.
Creamy and delicious
were those high school days.
Eyes drop, shy, mine,
but electricity shocks.
Twenty-five years later
I get that hug, I would have died for,
so many years before.
My best friend almost gave it away,
“Why didn't you tell me?”
(A little too loud)
I said, “That's why!”
Red hair, but what color?
Irish, but what about them eyes?
Surely, they weren't muddy.
It was clear to me,
that I made just dessert,
for you. If anyone else stood near,
I have no recollection.
I think he smiled
and licked his lips.
I forgot about you,
but I don't remember when.
With all the thoughts inscribed to you,
I once had to chase the pen.
My mind's now like an empty gas tank.
Oh, the roads we traveled... I can't get there.
The dedication page is blank,
because I can't remember what or where.
With all the adventures lived without you
and every brand new start,
with life otherwise filled, now I doubt you
ever existed in my heart.
Senility is what gets me through
each memory from beginning to end.
I forgot about you,
but I don't remember when.