Best Closer And Closer Poems
A solitary man
I make my way up the mountain
One step at a time
The life I know further and further behind
I wish to be alone
away from the busyness
the incessant noise
my many responsibilities
life’s never ending activities
work that is never done
all of life’s many conflicts
I reach the top
sit down and cross my legs
As I look out at the landscape
my village is a small mass of thatched roofs
the people barely seeable
I see smoke rising from a central fire
wondering if I will be missed
From this distance the lake appears so small
I imagine it fitting into a wooden spoon
The horizon surrounds me
stretching my eyes
distracting me from the pebbles beneath me
blades of grass are now myopically large
I watch as the ants toil
Are our lives not the same?
Seasons change
Summer to fall
Winter to spring
I witness it all
My beard lengthens as my mind enlarges
Secrets have been revealed
Disconnected yet I am a part of all
I grow downward into the ground
Others come to the mountain top
seeking wisdom
They sit with me for a while
never staying long
Each takes from me so that they may give
I am a man transformed
Arms outstretched reaching to all the horizons
covered with foliage
The seasons continue to change
I send my leaves down to the village
beconing them to come to the mountain
no longer do I want to be alone
"Come sit beneath my branches
caress my bark smell my scent
know my soul."
You come to the mountain top
But I am no longer able to audibly speak
All that I know resides in the rings of my seasons
Still you partake of my wisdom
Putting your ear to my trunk
You can hear my lonely heart beat
aware of my breath whistling through leather like leaves
I attach my seeds to your woolen coat
You are a solitary man
making your way down from the mountain
One step at a time
Closer and closer to our village
To the ones you love
As you walk through the village you shake your coat
Seeds fall on the fertile ground
Finally I have come home...
“The Queen-Sized Bed”.
A queen-size bed was coming slowly,
down the rough dirt track.
As it drew closer,
The wheels clumsily mounted on the base of each leg,
rattled like a hospital gurney on the stones.
The bed was being pushed slowly,
ever so, carefully.
By a weary old man in tattered clothes and worn-out shoes.
as he drew closer, and closer,
I saw that he was pushing his dying wife who was,
lying in a dressing gown under the covers,
in the Queen-Sized Bed.
He pushed carefully trying not to shake the bed,
excessively.
His wife's head was supported by four pillows,
she had wispy strings of silver white hair.
She was dying.
Several I.V. Bottles dangled off a hook,
And dripped painkillers into her arm.
She was awake but barely conscious,
I wondered where they were going,
but in my heart, I knew...
privacy for an hour,
I came back as the sun was setting.
I found them together sitting on the bed,
Looking over the ocean.
The old man was holding his dying wife,
in his arms… stroking her silver hair under the sparkling,
southern cross.
They were sharing her last sunset as,
the dying embers of a fiery sun faded into the ocean.
Night fell and I walked home alone,
I had witnessed love real love,
something I had never experienced,
something I had never known.
If you’re near Cowell and you look hard enough,
You may just find the queen-size bed,
with a tattered mattress and exposed springs,
quietly rusting away outside a decrepit ruin of a barn.
Take a closer look at the legs and you will find four rusting,
gurney wheels.
and if you approach quietly on a moonlit night,
you will hear soft sobbing in the whistling wind,
as it dreams of that dying sunset,
under the southern cross...
and the milky way lights up the sky,
soaring into the heavens
as the angels sing.
I wrote this non fiction poem
For Debra Jean..
(C)London F. BuSS. 2022
Oh, how wonderfully innocent
and juvenile, 'twas for me.
You, scooting surreptitiously.
closer and closer to me.
Like a soft, gentle caterpillar,
slithering and smiling.
Making its way home in the
still of the night.
I clutched my lovely, flowered
handkerchief.
Then my gold cross with a
sparkling aqua gem upon it.
Really, wanting to not say, no.
My blue eyed Tommy boy.
In the Elmwood Park Spring, we
were about to kiss.
Fireflies came to celebrate this
celebratory bliss.
When we were moving beyond
flirtation.
It was as though heaven were
sending particles of stars,
To bless the softness of this
sacred night.
Of huge elm tress, your strong
arms about me.
Finally, those soft, tender lips.
There in God's silent moonlight,
I had my first teenage kiss!
August 30, 2019
Inspired by writings of Robert Lindley.Thank you!
After the snowfall but before the lily blossoms,
you were this woman who left by choice. All natural decisions
made from a place of despair. Darkness consumed you as you
fell into an addiction with expressions of deep sorrow and remorse.
step by step by step,
taking steps-
foot by foot by foot...
Slower than a run, yet faster than a turtle, closer and closer
towards your oblivion. Into mysterious unconsciousness I
whispered...
"goodbye, my love"...as you walked away.
After the spring but before the leaves, I found you drained of energy. Completely exhausted into nothingness, and through it all, you still
loved me. Seems like yesterday we walked side by side;
you
me
the gentle breeze-
You need not ask for forgiveness, sweetheart, it has been granted
long ago, and before you were gone I already whispered...
“goodbye, my love"...as you walked away.
After the sun but before the rain, you tore out the pages from your
favorite book. You wrote it at such a tender age. Too young to
understand, yet too old to make believe. Big brown eyes,
wearing a ball cap on your head.
Smiling while hiding and running while crying.
I couldn't handle this defeated
hopelessness you wore
on your sleeves
with patches
sewn on
to cover up the burn holes...
I sit at your grave once again.
No tears, no laughter, no guilt-
I stood up and whispered...
"GOODBYE, MY LOVE"...as I walked away.
I wrote this during a difficult grieving time in my life. It had been almost 6 years since my sister took her life. She was always saying goodbye, and it was finally time for me to say goodbye and let go of the guilt and sorrow.
There's nothing like losing someone you love to suicide. I couldn't decide which poem to enter today. My sister led me to this poem, I can feel it (that is exactly why I picked it). This was written on my 1 year anniversary here at PS.
Written: September 27, 2016
I loved you from the onset ...
at the twilight of our first romantic sunrise
Fading rainbow rays of the morning,
our love had such young, bright eyes
Dashing across the field of promises,
under the full strength of the sun
We had a love so vibrant,
a love so very young
Time had no relevance for us,
we were two star children
orbiting each other in love
The gravity of attraction
pulling us closer and closer each day
Heart to heart meetings
in a meadow on warm spring afternoons
Our lips in sync,
fingers caressing one another
Emotions moving in tune
We had a love so exuberant,
a love so maturing
As our summer of single, one-on-one happiness
merged into wedded bliss
We vowed to give our betrothed hearts
a passionate autumn kiss
Time was of no significance to us,
we were so madly in love
Thus, when our children budded
and their fruit fell from the family tree,
the radiant autumn sun
sparkled through the kaleidoscopic leaves
We had a love so enduring,
a love so faithfully strong
That over the years, our love has only grown
I loved you til the very end ...
as the dawn of sunset slowly settled in
The brilliant, golden rays of the evening years,
showed our love had such ancient, luminous eyes,
which dried away all the intervening tears
Sitting on the edge of winter's cold embrace,
basking in the ebbing strength of the sun
I see every loving moment in every wrinkle on your face
Now at the dawn of our setting sun ...
We have a love so timeless,
a love so ageless
A love forever young
The sun dips silently over the horizon
painting the cloudless sky
with shades of red, yellow and peach
Arm in arm two figures silhouette in the distance
closer and closer they stroll
stepping out onto the old fishing pier
the pair gaze out over the glasslike pond
with the occasional ripple rolling gently
Darkness comes upon them
and they kiss
a long and deep kiss
you can hear her speak in the silence
"Don't ever let me go"
"Don't ever let me go"
Climbing slowly ascends a silent invitation to witness heaven on earth
Emerging in layers of allure, a rising pictorial lifts emotional grandeur
Bringing closer and closer dome of sky, tempting to reach and touch
Glistening frozen peaks with pinkish sunshine attempting to converge
Splendor strolls tenderly to romantic overtures over crunching snow
As satiated visions swing on icy air-streams, floating on Top of Europe
June 18, 2018
First Place: When line six is a perfect fix contest by Silent One
Placed 8th: Mid June 2018 premiere contest by Brian Strand
NOTE:
Jungfraujoch is a scenic attraction located in Switzerland at an elevation of 3,466 meters (11,371 ft) above sea level, highest elevation in Europe.
The sun was setting, as it usually does
The town a ghost town, the main street all but silenced
The wind blowing leaves and dreams to and fro
The tension in the air was palpable
The few souls about all peering out shuttered windows
When in from the west, came a storm
Her name was Serena Storm,
They shivered in her wake, the poetess of dead lovers
Then over to the east side, riding in slow and steady
The grim reaper or so it seemed, hollowed eyes
Dead soul and dark mind, his side arm at the ready
The greatest duel in history, right here
In the town of Nowhere
The setting sun reflected of her dark long coat
The last tear drop, falling to its death in the dust
She stared ahead, face blank
Daring, with a glare, shoot me, shoot me, try
He dismounted his horse, called Heartless Soul
His eyes slits, staring down the curvaceous storm pacing untoward
His hand inside his coat, slowly pulling out a mickey
He belted down a shot or three,
In the town of nowhere
They both paced, hands at their side
Closer and closer, the saloon keeper
Not quite sure his bottle would be paid in full
Then as quickly at the sun set……
Vaso drew first.
The finest long black quill one ever saw
His other hand dropped his bottle
Magically a writing pad appeared
Serena drew second, pen at her side
The color of blood, and for good reason
She too tablet in hand, putting ink to paper
As they both furiously wrote
In the town of Nowhere
Hearts were murdered
The meaning of life was hanged not long after
Love was beheaded
The main street a river of blood
A storm of tears washing away crimson desires
An empty vassal, Vaso’s insides already dead
Dropping his pen, he pulled out his sword of mourning
The duel to end, as he lopped off his own head
She dropped paper and pen to the ground
She faced down the grim reaper, and it’s he who is dead
The only one to know, his name was Arthur
King of the dark, ruler of lost dreams
In the town of Nowhere
The poetic duel of the century
Both won and lost
Long ago
Wisdom Tree
A solitary man
Makes his way up the mountain
One step at a time
The life he knows further and further behind
He wishes to be alone
Away from the busyness
The noise
Responsibility
Activity
Work that is never done
Conflict
The need to be in control
He reaches the mountain top
Sits down and crosses his legs
He looks out at the landscape
His village a small mass of thatched roofs
People unseeable
Smoke rises from a central fire
The lake so small
it looks like it can fit into a wooden spoon
The horizon surrounds him
He feels the pebbles beneath him
Blades of grass are myopically large
He watches as the ants toil
Are their lives not the same?
Seasons change
Summer to fall
winter to spring
He witnesses it all
His beard lengthened
As his mind enlarged
Secrets have been revealed
He’s disconnected yet part of all
The base of him grows into the ground
Others journey to the mountain top
Seeking his wisdom
They sit with him for a while
Never staying for long
Each person takes so that they may give
The wise man transformed
Arms outstretched
reaching to all the horizons
Now covered with leaves
The seasons continue to change
He sends his leaves down to the village
Beckoning them to the mountain
Not wanting to be alone
"Come sit beneath my branches
caress my bark smell my scent
know my soul."
He’s no longer is able to speak
All that he knows
resides in the rings of his seasons
Still he offers wisdom
Put your ear to his trunk
You can still hear his heart beat
His breath whistles through the leaves
His seeds cover your woolen coat
You are a solitary man
making your way down the mountain
One step at a time
Closer and closer to your village
To the ones you love
As you walk through the village
you shake the seeds off your coat
They fall on the fertile ground
The wise man
has finally come home.
they warned me
against extremes
intensity must not be indulged
"Flying in between
is your safety scene
not too high
not too low
don't look too longingly below
don't fly too close
to the sea of his splendor
the blue green of his eyes
hypnotize, mesmerize
desire will dampen your wings
weighing you down
nor must you fly
too close to his passion
blazing bountiful in brilliance
his sensuality, a searing sun
will melt your wings; you'll come undone."
I should have listened
I should have known
Icarus ignited was I
My hubris lifted my higher
nothing seemed dire
overconfident in my ability
to fly away if need be...
your sensuality seduced me
drew me closer and closer
solar combustion on display
you would have your way
rays of radiant heat
in wave upon wave
emanated towards me
doused in desire
you set on fire
melting
melting
melting
burning turning twisting
writhing rigorously
pain and pleasure
came upon waves together
spiraling me out of control
seared straight to my soul
I fell
Oh, how I fell
from the apex into the swell
of the blue green sea of your eyes
sizzling fire subsiding
subsiding
awash in wetness
about to die
you hear me cry:
"I would do it again
and again
and again
today and any day
molten passion in my core
consuming, always wanting more
I know
you'd have me fly
again...
Icarus ignited
right up to your sky."
Eileen Manassian
"In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Often depicted in art, Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings or the sun's heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun, when the wax in his wings melted and he fell into the sea." Wikipedia
I can't remember if the sun was shining
Or if the clouds looked down on me as I stood
A child of ten standing on a window sill
Whispering to himself he should
It started shortly after I woke
Distant where the trigger was
I'm guessing just the overflow
of everything they did and said
Finally ground down by all around
And though I'd fought for years
Death becomes a friend
When she's the only one there for you
Knowing I would soon be in the playground
Where no nurse could make better the names they cruelled
Knowing my mothers boyfriend was down stairs
Waiting for his latest vile whim to unfold
My mind consumed by every name called
I was not the same they proved
Alone in my crowded thoughts
T o death I looked for belonging
As I dressed my imagination dreamt
What could happen today?
Exploding into the unknown
My strength rapidly dissolved
I could see no directions
that didn't lead to another painful day
As my journey to the end begun
All they told me loading the gun
All that made me different from
Pushing me closer and closer to the edge of no return
In front of the mirror I stood
Cut off my curly hair
No longer the golliwog
That their taunts would compare
I covered my skin in talcum powder
As I didn't want to be
That horrible thick coon
he always called me.
My hair a mess
My colour unmasked
Tired, Frightened, alone,
I decided enough, enough
Standing on the window sill
The last bastion for survival colliding inside
As the exhausted wishes to hang on
Were overcome by the desperation to escape this hollow excuse for life
No single tear a cry for help
As id learnt they choose not to hear
I urge myself towards an end to the hurt
where the crying would clear
As I engulf my mind in my final moments
And call for death to take my hand
From across the road a woman called
To this day she probably doesn't know she saved my life
Tears unintentionally
Created rivers down talcum powdered cheeks
But my mother didn't laugh
when she found me
I guess that's where you'd expect everything to be made right
I guess that's where I learnt to no longer believe
Through every promising word in the wake of what could
They didn't do what they should
My fantasies are lost;
Into the wild I could not chase.
Closing my eyes, I desired for your touch.
I felt your fingers running through my hair.
I shivered to your soft lips touching my skin.
I longed for your kisses.
Drawing me closer and closer,
A vision of flaming red sheets in the air -
I followed your scent.
In your black, rolled up, half buttoned shirt and jeans,
You light the burning fire in me.
And into your blue eyes, I fully submit.
You pulled and pushed me; walls against my back.
Sending chills once more, your face touched my cheek;
I heard your silent whispers of want.
You grabbed my hair and our hearts raced.
Without a beat skipped, I drowned.
To your vigorous, passionate kiss; I responded.
To your soft, powerful touch; I melted.
To your breaths, I surrendered.
for you are this longing
gravitational force-
you steal my senses and
secure me to the deepest
parts of your existence.
you and me have this
attraction,
causing a chain reaction-
without reason or rhyme,
we've traveled through
space and time.
for we are intense magnetism-
affinity and allurement,
drawing us closer and closer...
towards temptation.
you and me have this
fascination,
a God-given creation-
keep pulling me near,
live inside my gravity....
...without fear.
June 21, 2017
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
I say, "How can I ?"
It says,"Yes you will."
I say,"You are a stranger."
It says, "I am your life."
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
Doesn't let me sleep
Says," I am not meant for it."
when I am down
Makes me smile from up above
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
I say,"You are not my world."
It says, "Is world enough?"
Keeps me going
And sees that me I m through
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
It gets closer and closer
remains a no distant dream
And paves the way to
Another distant dream.........
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
A distant dream
Keeps calling me
Stomp, stomp, stomp,
Scream, scream, scream,
Before the stomp, stomp, stomps,
He, she, they screamed screamed,
And screamed, at I,
Scream at I which the thoughts,
Of comeback come near, near, and nearer,
Stomp, stomp, stomp,
I hear the stomps, they come closer,
And closer and closer,
Stomp, stomp, stomp
My heart beating faster, faster, faster!
The room, spinning, spinning, spinning!
Times going, gone, gone!
Stomps coming closer, faster!
The screams getting louder, louder!
Stomp, scream, stomp!
Nothings more worse than when you see the,
He, she, they behind the stomping of the stomps,
The screaming, of the screams,
The fire, hell, saddened in the eyes,
Is what hurts most, rather than the,
Stomp, stomp, stomp,
Or the,
Scream, scream, scream.