Best Had Poems
Had I known love, flowers would have bloomed in Spring
I would have danced when hearing whippoorwills sing
But in my heart no seeds of love were sown
No one brought bouquets or called me his own
I wear no wedding ring
I could not soar above clouds on love's wing
There were no strong arms to which I could cling
Into my breast, Cupid's arrow would have flown
Trails of my tears would not have been windblown
My lonely heart would not be aching and ailing
Had I known love
I was never a Queen, seated beside her King
No seductive words pulled at my heart string
It beats like all others; not made of stone
My laments would not be heard in pitiable drone
My eyes not glisten and my hands not wring
Had I known love
5/22/17
His day had come, and so He went and prayed.
The woes of all mankind upon him weighed.
His brethren slept; He knew what would befall.
His enemies conspired and did not stall.
A midnight kiss, and He would stand betrayed.
First seized, reviled, then stripped and flayed;
A scarlet robe on broken flesh then laid,
He bore the brutal cross and drank the gall.
His day had come.
A final breath. . . . the sacrifice was made.
The land then quaked. God’s sorrow was displayed.
The Son in linen. . . . on the earth a pall.
But in the sepulcher, His final call –
To conquer death! Man need not be afraid.
His day had come!
Submitted 3/12/23
for the Easter Poetry Contest of Regina McIntosh
Ten Years Had Raced Into Oblivion's Cup
Second Poets Tribute Series, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Chained am I, to desolation's huge anchor
on its long black ship, cargo of hate and rancor
yet in spirit oft I roamed blue skies above
and in my fantastic dreams, found I my true love!
Such was a balm that fled when heartache renewed
Could return only when young life was reviewed!
Alas! At night stars dimmed and evil winds blew
midnight hour, I was served bones I could not chew
and a foul drink of bitter regrets and lying
as Fate had set me here, this ship of slow dying!
Such was a dark curse, uttered by her deep hate
For she turned to darkness to then alter my Fate!
Ten years had raced into oblivion's cup
into darkest seas we went, I never gave up
tho' soul had been impaled by poisonous blades
I clung to that romantic love that never fades!
Such as the poets of old sang and wrote about
Crying to the heavens, chorus of mighty shouts!
Chained was I, to desolation's huge anchor
on its long black ship, cargo of hate and rancor
yet in spirit oft I roamed blue skies above
and in my fantastic dreams, found I my true love!
Such was a balm that fled when heartache renewed
Could return only when young life was reviewed!
Robert J. Lindley, 11-10-2019
Rhyme, ( With imagination, laced in darkness, that life hath a poet shown )
Inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner First poet- poem: of the Second series of poet's tribute poems.
(Five new poets chosen in this Second series.)
Note:
1.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Taylor-Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, (born October 21, 1772, Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire, England—died July 25, 1834, Highgate, near London), English lyrical poet, critic, and philosopher. His Lyrical Ballads, written with William Wordsworth, heralded the English Romantic movement, and his Biographia Literaria (1817) is the most significant work of general literary criticism produced in the English Romantic period.
much more at link given...
samuel-taylor-coleridge
2.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/samuel-taylor-coleridge
Had Hoped to Find
While searching, seemed so hard to tell,
Which would be our most favorite shell;
Had to constantly, consistently compare,
As they laid on seashore here and there.
Shells were round, oblong and also odd;
Have been prepared by our beloved God,
With bright colors and delicate designs;
Often are spiral or could be curvy lines.
Through shells would separate and strain;
Ocean waves played such a sweet refrain,
Asking why we became such a big creep;
All of God's precious shells trying to keep.
Each day morning does beautifully break;
We will always respect God and His sake;
Shells which we love must be left behind,
For searchers who them had hoped to find.
Jim Horn
The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
Well, of course,
It was pretty hard when you refused to go to the funeral after my Father died,
And I’d hate for this relationship to end in a lie, so…
The second hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
But, to come to think of it,
It was probably harder when I had to give Skippy away.
You know, when you made us move to Florida because you hated the cold,
I’ll never forget that day.
The third hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
Well, not quite as hard as it was when I had that little operation,
And you decided still to take your vacation,
And left me alone in the hospital with no visitation.
That was hard.
The fourth hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
You know, I did take it pretty hard when I proposed to you
And you said if I couldn’t buy you a bigger ring we’d be through
And I had to sell my car and hock my guitar
To get you a ring as big as a star.
That was pretty hard.
The fifth hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
Well darn it, no!
It was hard going to school at nights and working all day
Because you didn’t want to get a job and wanted me to earn more pay.
What exactly did you do with yourself all day!?
The sixth hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
No, its time to admit it,
I saw you with Tom that night,
And Bob the time before that,
And Tim and George, Harry and Frank.
That was hard on me and I’ve got you to thank.
The seventh hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you.
Now just wait a minute!
This is not hard.
In fact this is rather easy.
The hard part was living with you,
Placating you,
Pretending to love you,
Pretending that you loved me,
Heck, this is easy!
The easiest thing I’ve ever had to do,
Was to say I’m through with you!
Boy that was easy!
Now I feel much better.
Here’s to a love that never existed!
And to the departing you insisted,
Let me give in to all I’ve resisted
It is true through our frivolous trail
Our lives were but a tale;
Though if I hadn’t thought of it
Pure hearts indefinite,
Not mattering even then,
Would I ever believe again?
We never win, we never fail
For what we had was only a tale
I’m lost within a dream never dreamt
Inside a slumber never slept,
And I caress the intricate design
Of the world I can never find
How vast! Yet still it is dying
Fading into the nadirs’ binding
As I fill the world with crying—always crying!
Oh world! Can I ever bring myself to hold
The warm nothing growing cold?
Oh world! Can I not take away
The love I gave with my will today?
We never win, we never fail
For what we had was only a tale
We Had Time, Eternity Or So We Thought
We had time, eternity or so we thought
days of sunshine, picnics in flowering fields.
In life and in love, nothing more ever sought
on and on, our raging love forever builds!
We had time, eternity or so we thought.
In life and in love, nothing more ever sought.
We had time, eternity or so we thought
you with great beauty that would never fade.
In life's great illusion we both were caught
forgetting we were mortal flesh and bone made!
We had time, eternity or so we thought.
In life and in love, nothing more ever sought.
Yes, about that time we both thought secure
those summers, when bliss came with the winds.
We swam in love, its clear waters so pure
treasured times awaiting around the bends!
We had time, eternity or so we thought.
In life and in love, nothing more ever sought.
Yes, about that illusion we both held so dear
did we not see and hear its silent cracks?
More breaks in our shield that allowed in world's fear
with tragedy following up our well worn tracks?
We had time, eternity or so we thought.
In life and in love, nothing more ever sought.
Yes, about past fantastic times of love's bliss
romance and its magnificent joys we had.
You and I shall hold onto that first sweet kiss
give thanks for blessings, no longer be sad.
We had time, eternity or so we thought.
In life and in love, nothing more ever sought.
9-25-2017
When tons of doom filled nights fall on your head,
hot embers glow and fires burn unabated,
you recall her last breath and wish you were dead.
In a poem's sad lines you've been castrated.
From the heavens a voice thunders dire threats
about losses and breakfasts consumed without eggs.
Fumbling about, looking to hedge your bets,
you drink your cold coffee, down to burnt dregs.
On waking you find dawn's hard hammer fell
last night's burns are reminders of strife.
You stumble and look up from the pits of Hell,
recounting the reasons why you lost your wife.
Your clock chimes out vulgar curses at you
and your house bids you leave by peals at noon.
You think of the ancient, wicked dreams, too,
as night falls with its wretched lucent moon.
You dream of hungry tigers eating your boots.
Your house is perched atop two adjoining trees.
A hunter fires; but it's not a tiger he shoots.
Your second wife cuts off your legs at the knees.
With life's blood flowing from your severed veins
your heart bemoans that you married once more.
By morning you were free from nightmare's pains
but horrid memories linger behind closed doors.
What vast burdens you bear in fear of sleep
and hollows in your mind fill quickly with dread.
When your clock strikes twelve, I hear you weep,
" Odious anguish! I wish I were dead."
Shadows dance on your walls in candle light.
Dark images of her body pressed close to you,
waltzing in your arms on a moonlit night
but she vanishes when dawn's rays break through.
Which sort of dream scars your mind with more grief?
The ones in which you're butchered; burned by fire,
or when daylight steals her away like a furtive thief?
Will your penance release you from the leeching mire...
the terror you encounter each night as you lie abed?
Foolishly, you once thought love claimed your heart.
Therein lies the angst of what you most dread...
the vexing memories in dreams that tear you apart.
Co-Written with Robert Lindley based on the original
verses he offered in the open challenge on his blog.
Johnny was my best friend through our early teenage years;
Wherever one of us went the other could always be found near;
Until he found a girlfriend who soon supplanted me,
But because he was my best friend, for Johnny I was happy;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl
Johnny had a girl
She rocked his world
Johnny had a girl.
Throughout four years of high school I was always the third wheel;
Going off often by myself, leaving Johnny with his girl;
They learned about biology outside the class room walls;
Johnny always had plans with her every time I would call;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl
Johnny had a girl
Oh, what a thrill
Johnny had a girl.
One week before graduation, coming home from a date,
Johnny never saw the drunk driver until it was too late.
For three months in a coma, I sat by Johnny’s side;
I knew that when he woke up, someone had to tell him she’s not alive;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl.
I took him to the gravesite so he could see it with his own eyes;
We stayed there for hours so Johnny could say his goodbyes.
Johnny got in his car that day and started heading west;
Nobody has seen Johnny since, I wish him the very best.
I’ve taken care of her graveside for thirty years and more;
If Johnny ever comes home again, we’ll be friends just like before;
Johnny had a girl
He had a girl
Johnny had a girl.
I had an alien for two weeks before I realized how unusual she was.
I wish I could be a mouse in the corner, I had said, and I was.
My alien gave me a cracker, patted me on the head, and reminded me
Once again, how important it is to keep her earth-visit quiet from the masses.
I nibbled on the cracker nervously, wondering how long I would be stuck
Wearing this smelly fur suit, dragging this ugly super long tail?
Praying that Shark, my killer cat was out hunting somewhere else.
Poof! I was back in my normal body.
What other talents do you have? I asked my alien friend.
Not in words because aliens from the two-galaxies-over talk in thoughts.
I am a tripartite, she tele-pathed to me.
What’s that?
Her body immediately transmogrified into three separate, untouching-pieces.
Before I could close my shocked wide-open mouth, she had transmuted back into one complete alien.
Can you disappear? I asked her.
That was the last I ever saw of her.
Some days, however, I feel that she is here, invisible, watching me,
On those days, I wonder if I am going to find
Myself munching on a cracker.
It'd been one of the most bizarre days; downright crazy
so I had a martini, maybe four, so things got kinda hazy
I fumbled in my wallet so I could pay my pricey bar tab
Friends thought I had too many, so they put me in a cab
I stumbled up the steps. It seems walking was a chore
Couldn't find my key, so I tried beating down the door
Her screeches of "Where the bloody hell have ya been?"
Pounded in my head, making me sorry that I'd come in.
She hissed, then off to the kitchen she foolishly prattled
With horrendous noises, pots and pans were being rattled
My head was sorely throbbing so I begged her to be quiet
She screamed, "Don't yell at me! Blame your liquid diet!"
She banged a bowl of something down on the table cloth.
I weaved my way to a chair as my mouth began to froth
Put my head in my hands when the room started spinning
Caught a glimpse of that evil woman. Yeah, she was grinning
A mound of muck she'd plunked down right in front of me
looked like it should still be swimming in the salty sea
It smelled vile and disgusting... nauseatingly atrocious
I gagged and turned away, that's when Liz became ferocious
I couldn't move an inch to find my way back to the couch
I was a brick, held by mortar. My wife was being a grouch
but I couldn't find the strength to flee. I felt far too dizzy
My turn to shout, "Can you just stop your naggin', Lizzie?"
I didn't mean to say it, and my words came out so slurred
My vision was fuzzy. Everything was clouded and blurred
Something was staring up at me while awful music played
That's when I saw green heads and grew appallingly afraid
Whether fantasy or reality, frogs had escaped from a pond
These were fugly creatures. From evil they'd been spawned
I was being serenaded by a quartet of deep croaking voices
So suffers the drunken man while his heartless wife rejoices
I crawled to bed when I couldn't take the harmony any more
Lizzie punched me and said, "Wake up if you're gonna snore."
I tripped down the stairs, woke the dog and made him bark
Left the wife and found a bench to sleep it off in the park
I never had the chance
To hear you talk
Our time ran out
Before you could walk.
You were born with wings
A sign we knew
That the man upstairs
Would soon come for you.
They laid you in my arms
And I quietly mourned
For my dark haired angel
That I had born.
I never had the chance
To see your eyes
He took you away
With no time for good byes.
I think of you often
And wonder why
I never had the chance
To hear your first cry.
You were a special little girl
An enchanting rose
The moment I held you
Our time suddenly froze.
I never had the chance
To watch you grow
Or hear your laugh
As we played in the snow.
I never had the chance
To give you a mother’s love
But I know you’re always there
Watching over me from above.
i have had moments in life
where the vortex becomes silent
those minutes spent in halcyon rapture
away from the maelstrom of hours
when the soul must be refreshed
to pause in the wonder of it all
listen to the soft murmuring sounds
as doves nearby roost
oh i could easily give wings
return to the hurried world
but these minutes as i listen
i know well their place in the order
of life's duties calls
a respite to refresh the soul
with a heaven-sent cooing
and as Emily did note
they asked nothing of me
joyous in the nobody we are
leaving me treasures in song
minutes that make tolerable the hours
more so the width of life, its song
to breathe the breath given to us all
the euphoria in a dove's murmurings
OKC 6/22
It's a long time ago
that I flew high and thought
that’s like a carrion crow
flying over a deserted plateau
could bring its prey so much woe.
Once I had a rose, a ruby rose,
someone stole it; my death throes.
It vanished like yesterday's snow.
I saw it as a television show
my heart that was so much aglow,
knew you decided to let it go,
like a third-rate picture show.
I wended my way through shadows,
sometimes was lost in meadows
or languished beneath the shady willows.
It was then too late for me.
I lay beneath the ugly Judas tree,
wondering how could he
have stolen my love from me.
But does he kiss you passionately?
as I, a bird of prey, did?