Best Fall Away Poems
I've heard your whispers
in quiet moments
amongst the shedding trees of Autumn..
I walk alone our wooded path – listening
the air just as crisp as a bright-blushed Winesap
but my tears not as sweet – glistening
the wispy whispers haunting
taunting in their gentle tug
and I wonder; how easily the golden leaves let go..
with barely a breath of wind’s soft persuasion
they fall away from boughs
each descending like a fated swan
gliding circling fluttering to their end with a taffeta crinkle -
the crinkle reminiscent of a shy fire’s crackle
as they settle and nestle on the forest floor
I remember how we settled and nestled
on the rug before the fire’s supple tongues
home-made hard cider filled our mugs
made from untamed fruits
of wild trees
our flame untamed and wild too
when we were ginger-kissed
and the taste of your lips saturated mine
besotted with our nectar-like love
till satisfied cinders in the hearth serenely died..
I walk alone now with falling leaves
was it Fall who taught you how to let go so gracefully
while October’s wind trembled aspens like harp strings..?
I hear a thousand golden whispers of love
amongst the shedding trees of Autumn.
Susan Ashley
August 27, 2022
~ Second Place ~
Premiere Contest: Brian Strand Contest No 1178
Sponsor: Brian Strand
~ Second Place ~
Premiere Contest: 2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 13
Sponsor: Mark Toney
*Winesap: an American heirloom apple that ripens in October with a bright/dark red skin, a crisp texture, is aromatic and has a sweet-tart taste. Winesaps get their name due to their distinctive spicy wine-like flavor. Great for hard cider!
Photo: CU Denver News; 2020 Guide to Fall Foliage
A fire blazes behind the veil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This veil I wear
is not made of cloth
for no fabric could withstand
the incendiary passion
I command
It's self-imposed
not forced
no man's hand
would dare cover me
yet here I am
swathed in these layers...
folds of security
you see
it's easier
much easier
just to be like the rest
not a subject of discussion
or the brunt of derision
with meanings misconstrued
by the crass and the rude...
thus,
anonymity allures
I finger the veil
its threads: religious doctrine
its dye: denial
its paisley patterns: protocol
culturally appropriate
I stand:
~chaste~
silence simmering
with actions inactive
I stand: quiet, demure, serene
but my thoughts burning, unseen
and behind the veil
I smolder
passion flares through my eyes
the only indication
that I'm alive
I pass you by
another woman
unseen
unknown
unacknowledged
I pass you by
you...frivolous in your freedom
you...unappreciative of accpetance
I pass you by
and yet, inwardly I smile
warmed by inner flames
emanating from my core
I know…so much more
There's potential...
potential this woman has in store
for this I know
when the time has come
when I'm ready
it will fall away
by my own hand
unobtrusively grand
and you will see the sight
the walking, breathing delight
of the unveiled woman
confident
sublime
a woman
calmly, gracefully, purposefully
passing you by....
Eileen Manassian
This is not meant to be offense to anyone from the Islamic faith. The veil has symbolic meaning.
So this is the way the moon remembers,...
by reaching into yesterday
I hold her pearls against the light,
and see a strand that tethers time
With envy now, the night is awed
Covetously, it fondles rows
of tiny orbs. Which, one by one,
are miracles, with moons, within
This strand of pearls, with a diamond clasp,
caressed her hair, her porcelain neck.
Still here for me, within my grasp,
to remind me of Glenn Miller songs,
and mother dancing long ago.
The moon was watching, and it knows
she wore them like another skin,
long before my life began.
A grain of sand, then pearls became
a part of her, .... a part of me.
So fragile, weak, the thread is bare.
As if the sun might gaze too long,
or moon's regard could wear and fray,
that the pearls would spill and fall away.
Perhaps such things meant to be.
Each miracle has just a while.
Glenn Miller songs have come and gone.
I'll put the pearls away for now,
so the moon can own the night again
_2013___________________________________________
To hear Glenn Miller's rendition of "String of Pearls" click on the following youtube site:...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY4gUhFVNfE
I am just a country boy at heart
mustang free wild at spirit
Awakening to the bliss birds singing love piercing into a soul
Treasure gem in the promised land
dewdrops are falling rubbing them into my fingers
wind breathing her voice whispers silver
I hold so much love deep inside for you
stroking gently as it touches softly
your one amazing woman to me
sweetly inside the land of milk and honey
touching finger caress in the morning sun
Golden dreams in her I smile rising queen of the east
To she who bows me humble
so full of grace inside treasure deeply smiling
Then as I look across the mountains
captured in deep thoughts within beauty wow
White clouds in the sky racing to dreamland
darling hop on the magic carpet
whisked away in a breathless heartbeat
I fall away into a distant dream starstruck paradise Shangri-la
garden of eden your my seventh heaven love
never have I tasted such a fine fruit
paradise walking with you is to wonderland
hand in hand we will dance together sweetheart
in never-never land forever and always our love
you darling are heaven on earth
illusion of a rainbow falling rich
baby I found my pot of gold
your all the riches this man needs in the heart
Darling with you I can see a great vision
together in the great golden cased thoughts
us two at the pearly gates of heaven
now your my dream smiling angel of delight
I wonder . . . do you know where poets go
whenever they sit down and start to write?
I think the answer’s easy. We should know
it’s where one’s thoughts and feelings can take flight!
The poet focuses on a small space
inside his mind. Distractions fall away.
Imagination is this lovely place
where magic happens as words start to play!
For some the words with rhyme may come dancing.
For others, verse flows free. Words fall like rain.
In Fancy’s Space live dreaming and romancing.
But there may also dwell there gloom or pain.
The poet who can make us think and feel
is he who makes imagination real!
Nov. 27, 2020 for Silent One's 'Where do we poets go?' Poetry Contest
How Does a Soul Enter Heaven?
How does a soul enter Heaven?
Suddenly. Often quietly. Whole and Complete.
Stepping through the flimsy membrane of time
On scented leaves of healing for the nations
Born from earth’s womb into once blinding glory
Lead along in a mysterious path of crossroads
Detours and mystical coincidence
A struggling bud bursting into full bloom
Beholding for the first time the Anointed face
No longer veiled in holy incense from eye bound eyes.
How does the soul enter Eternity?
Knowing its need for God in finality’s answer
All deliriums answered
In a charismatic kiss
Prodigal rags of empty pits,
Valleys of compassion left homeless
And piercing arrows of shattered words
Fall away
No Eden’s shame for the unclothed soul
Shining alabaster in luminescent pearls.
How does a soul enter Paradise?
Turmoil – forgotten; Temptation – overcome;
Rejection – forgiven;
Psalms of sweet arias sing reveries
Of prayers prayed, cloaks shared –
A simple cup of water –
The way made straight in a pledged troth
The bridegroom’s betrothal consummated
Eternal sigh beneath trees by the crystal fountain
In the open arms of pure grace.
How does a soul enter Heaven?
To words of welcome – good and faithful servant.
2-4-23
When the blinds fall away
unveiling of the cocoon
A light flutter
dust sprinkles
Careful wing beats
a slight movement
An artistic creative force
fleeting, transitory
and fragmentary
Soul prophetic power
even by its insignificant place
in the cosmos
Purple lilac aroma
butterfly transformation
Written: July 10, 2023
______________________________________________________________
In the realm of stars, where dreams bear flight,
A moment of tranquility, bathed in celestial light.
When night kisses the cease of the day,
A realm of peace emerges, where troubles sway.
As twilight weaves its tapestry of gold
And the stars start their dance, bold,
I find myself in a place so serene,
Where worries vanish and troubles are unseen.
In this realm of stars, where dreams bear flight,
I am embraced by a soothing, celestial light.
My cares, such burdens too heavy to bear,
Are gently released into the night air.
I feel weightless, floating on tranquil waters,
Embraced by a love that knows no borders.
The moon, a guiding beacon in the sky,
Illuminates my path as I peacefully glide by.
In this realm of stars, where dreams bear flight,
I am free from the chains that bind me tight.
No distress, no fears, just serenity,
As I find solace in this moment of tranquility.
The whispers of the wind, a symphony of peace,
As I surrender myself to this moment's release.
The world around me fades, and I am alone,
Immersed in the beauty that the night has shown.
The stars twinkle above, as diamonds in the night,
Guiding me toward a destiny so bright.
In this realm of stars, where dreams bear flight,
I am filled with a sense of pure delight.
The universe unfolds its secrets to me,
As I wander through this realm so free.
I am but a speck in this vast expanse,
Yet I feel connected, a speck of the cosmic dance.
In this moment of tranquility, I am at peace,
All my strains and troubles find release.
In the realm of stars, where dreams bear flight,
I am embraced by the beauty of the night.
A moment of tranquility, so pure and rare,
Where the burdens of life simply disappear.
When night kisses the boundary of the day,
I find my cares just... fall away.
Another war crime to add onto a bucket list
that goes on far beyond our mind
Another human rights violation unheard of
when is this world going to awaken
The sleeping giant filled with grace
and bring those murdering monsters to trial
So as they may face justice
their justice returned onto them
So many masks fall away in a world arena
Greed and pride invades countries
Forcing poor innocence to suffer
trying to bring order with chaos and control
Desecration of the holy lands
innocent blood spills on sands of our times
Each and everyone of us knows morally right
There is a worth in every death
The moons have bled
I see it now opening behind scenes
Pray God be merciful unto the blind hiding
open their eyes for a moment
In a just democracy power is the people
understand this ninety per cent of all killed
Innocent people says it all sealed
In the name of the cross and ark of our covenant
They who love in God's name will speak
Holy Spirit holds the castle fort commands you
They who live on the dark side reek
peace for them does not exist
Killing machines show no mercy on suffering souls
Thou shalt not kill love's reminder enemy hates
Love thy neighbor spoken on the tablets
They have no morals standing within the light of truth
Spawn's of the Devil out of hell kills with burning lead
so we see behind the mask who deceives us
They who worship the golden calf again
as they do the anti-Christ's bidding
Reeking havoc upon this earth plundering
their soul aim is destruction givers
Treating people like animals clowned joke
reeks of vermin crawling underneath their skin
Angels upon this earth our battles has begun
we all can see the ignorance killing is not just
With twisted visions planning forward with no democracy
to kneel playing the key role fate our destiny awaits us all
Powder dreams and acid queens
Snow white bliss and razor
blades
Rails so thick your heart will
bleed
Find your fix so you’ll succeed
Uppers, downers, sweet cocaine
Every demon has a name
All that matters is the fight
To stay alive and in the light
It hurts so bad right through the
core
You fear two words and that’s
coke whore
Cut so deep to feel alive
With every shot you build your
pride
The fiery rush and burning lust
Nothing else matters f*** their
trust
A slip, a fall is all it takes
To see you land back on your
face
The heart that breaks can’t take
no more
Your soul is gone thrown on the
floor
The pills you pop the smack you
shoot
The crack you cook the lines
you toot
The midnight toke that liquid
courage
That blissful coke won’t be
discouraged
Rapping, tapping on your door
Claiming your body take some
more
A stressful day a slip from grace
A couple more makes my heart
race
The walls cave in two worlds
collide
I wait in horror as my heart dies
A crash of sound a rush of red
Crimson tears are filled with
dread
The sirens fade and fall away
Too late for fate this ends today
you touch me
and I fall away
to nothing
breaking apart
into a thousand
petals of want
I am as bewitched
as the trail
that lies beneath
your hand
incantations
sing through my blood
and I am wrought,
with my need
to list into you
at just a touch
I need to inhale
but,
you breath life
into every molecule
to overflow my spirit
and in the essence
of love
I lay in want
of the masters
hand
and to fall as petals
at his feet
~~~~
Entered in Catie Lindsay's Competition
Fanning the Flames
Gained 1st Place
An open window frames a scene
Compelled obsession’s wistful sway
A metaphor imbues my dream
Entranced a moth, in porch lights gleam
Around it flits, a cruel ballet
An open window frames a scene
With you at night, the same routine
Your heart within a glass display
A metaphor imbues my dream
Unaware the faux flame's scheme
A driven urge the moth replays
An open window frames a scene
With fettered will and pull extreme
Your gravity of soul persuades
A metaphor imbues my dream
The glass I stroke as slumber weans
In crushing heat I fall away
An open window frames a scene
A metaphor imbues my dream
** Nigh Another Birthday **
I’ve passed so many birthdays,
That a few dozen of those special days
Fall away in a gray haze,
With too many forgotten by everyone (then or lately),
And were spent like most of my other days,
Which I don’t really mind — without presents, singing,
Cards, and other kinds of celebratory cliches.
It’s really a destined plan
God made before my birth, that He has completely in hand.
Beyond these many decades of years after many passed,
I now greet each birthday with profound gratitude,
Because when illness first hit me at age eight,
This length of my time living NO one had forecast.
Still, now I never want to be
Too old to ask for a kiss, or for a story
Filled with twists and adventure, told to me
At bedtime, as I fall off to dream,
While hearing your voice, my darling,
Which I love so dearly.
I never want to age so much
To be too old for a starlight’s wish;
Or to outgrow the truths of Christmas.
Always may I stay in awe of God’s mysteries
And omnipotent, miraculous ways; and to see
The marvel in every sunrise, every sunset I breathe.
Lord God, may I never be too old for poetry!
To find all its words and lines within me leap
Over many pages, along with the verses of others I read;
Or to hear the sung lyrics of great arias,
And know the well-recited stage soliloquies.
The notes of support and love I receive,
Like treasure, I will also keep.
I never want to age beyond the end
Of Hope; or my meaning’s journeying; or delighting
In Nature as a friend;
Or enjoying, like a child, long hours of play and pretend.
May I never age too old to allow
My heart its freedom…To feel. To grow. To enfold
All, dear Lord, your graced splendors
In this on-going here and now.
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
*** The coming of Christmas makes me think of my birthday, which comes ten days after Christmas on January 4th. Thus, this poem
had its provoked thought into being.
(c) sally young eslinger 12/18/2022
Glory to God — and Merry Christmas. God bless us, every one!
My soul rides the pen.
Flowing through the nib,
my thoughts are revealed;
flowing onto the page
in dark, liquid waves.
As a vessel, I pour;
all within me, spews forth.
Naked rivers of ink
Reveal muse’s secrets.
Muse wields her sword,
sliced opinions, fall away
upon journal pages.
Pen-to-paper, scratching letters and
words that betray us both.
She talks too much and insists that,
there are others who dream and believe, as we do.
Why do I feel like I must keep silent and
Let her do all of the talking?
With Pen, she speaks;
with sword, she conquers.
I am her vessel and I must let her pour.
it was of someone I once knew
but I did not yet know
it was of love and kindness
a union of spirit a familiar soul
but this was only a dream
drifting in my night
my heart takes flight
during summers sad moments
all alone in dreams dreamt of you
I feel you I know you or how you are not
this dream will linger in my heart
when I awake the sadness returns
a bittersweet feeling of losing something
unknown in a dream
like the drops of doom
I could not shake years
of isolation from my heart
deep in my soul
were I not to chase the dream
Would I not know the love of divinities' devotion?
If I don’t try…
…could I survive the inevitable
empty Room…
A soul takes when love breaks.
I pondered why you were sent
once I found someone
a time long ago
Someone to have N to hold
someone I never knew
I was afraid of it
afraid it would feel small n fall away
like my dreams dreamt along the way
and I will feel weak and lie awake
wondering why
I would walk in the afterthoughts of you
I awake with the sadness
from a Dream, I once Dreamt
of you or someone I thought I knew
It will return as bittersweet feelings
I could not scrub away
the feelings like bitter thick dew,
maybe that was my fear
bloody and cruel,
I could not run from dreams dreamt of you
Afraid it would break a fragile image of you
until I woke and that feeling did not flee
Was not fragile or fleeting like morning dew
As this was reality
a dark but sweet feeling
I felt memory cover me
I try not to flee
I did not want to shake
your future visions free
As you are sold real mine to hold
years still come and go
always something new
And now I will dream a different dream
of one spent forever with you