Best Eastland Poems

Wonder Woman  

When I saw her five large powerful males 
bodyguards at a photo shoot protecting 
the actress of the movie Wonder Woman 
the sight crashed me into reality with a pin 
that burst my kickass super hero balloon 
and reminded me all those...

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SURSUM CORDA 

(for Ruth and Clement Mc Cormack, 
Bridgton, Maine)

“Come see us, we’ll talk about the job."

you were convalescent, generous, 
and anxious to get your hands moving
into the garden among the buds and birdsong 
ready to get your mind off the disease
and get a grip...

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WHEN The WIND COMES DOWN LONG LAKE in OCTOBER 
 
(1 AM in the morning  -  Naples, Maine)

When unseasonable lake water balm 
meets you tripping out of Ricks’ Café 
after midnight
you know those blues notes  
were not meant for you
tonight you’re off...

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ALLEY CAT 

The city alley kitten is fire boned  
body electrified in barbed wire fur
snarling ferocious wild fear bigger 
than its raging dot of an existence 
hissed from behind garbage cans 
at this naïve boy also determined  
to make this kitten a pet...

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SPHINX

you silent riddle
of the lion stars
ancient in mystery 
staring at omega
in a terrible patience
stone eyes are fixed
at civilization fractures 
ground down by hubris 
all human history's here
in these stinging sands 

stone maned lion
symbol of king solitude
patient as a Bedouin
tending his camel
such appetite for code 
unbroken...

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THE CAR HAS EARS 

  by Charles Eastland
  (also Kindle eBook:  Selected Poems by Charles Eastland) 

Shhh shhh…whisper 
that news about extra money—
shhh…don’t say it…
the car has ears 
I tell you truthfully 
from experience, the car knows 
when money is coming 
it...

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PLOWMAN 

(for Bill Troy, and Messer’s generous 
free Plowman Day.) 

Not soon enough comes the thrill of snow!
for plowmen who beckon the blizzard’s fall
anxious to use his craft of geometric cut lines 
and angles of  blizzard white in reverse drive 

so shines a man’s...

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OUR SIGNATURE OF RAIN

(for you Arlene, my True Love—  
     Valentine’s Day 2017)

Our signature is of the rain
it rained on our wedding day
relentless it rolled off new love
and on through all our events 
the heavens opened and poured 
on us...

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PARKING LOT MEDITATION 

Leaning back on my car hood
the old blue skies have my eyes   
squinting  ion clues of a melody 
wanting to be born of scars in me 
innerspheres humming to a song 
an accompaniment to this show 
of seagulls’ white...

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SUDDENLY The LAKE 

This joyous lunge of spirit
when green forests suddenly part
and reveals a precious liquid animal
bathing its wind scaled body
healing its summer craft scars 
chameleon element locked in grey
contest we both the cloud imprisoned sun

Charles Eastland
from Kindle eBook: The Car Has Ears...

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BREAKING HABITS

What I once believed was love forever
Time has peeled and dimmed that glow 
What we have here is addiction, Dear
A habit enjoyable and difficult to break 
But cigarettes are gone and now so are we

Charles Eastland...

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MOON LAUGHING EAST LIKE A WINE SOADKED POET 

(9/12/05 - Somes Sound, on Mt. Desert Island)

A spilled red wine jug on the deck
my black dog “Imus” warms my bare ankles
stars sketch symbols in the ancient dark above
Somes Sound's Luna tides’ ritual movement
in my fertile solitude...

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THE WOMEN
(1982)

How precious now, the women
who must take to the roads
we have scaled, and failed
to help support the roof
save the dream

how detailed now her 
vague life’s focused suddenly
now  magnified because 
her invisible chores
are now tiringly yours

in the silent house her wonders reveal
the lover, the...

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LEANING 

Old man and woman 
locked arm in arm 
neat dressed beige 
sweetly  leaning in
towards each other
backs now to the world
hard to tell who is leaning 
on who but their faces 
are towards some exit
smiling private O.K.s 
…we’ve seen it all 
we’ve done all’s...

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