Best Have Poems
At day's end, I take in the last light
seeping into the dark waters
across the bay and keep it here.
I gather the sound of departing gulls
smudged on the sky, the quietening
settle of birds in the cypress trees
along the foreshore, the giggle
of a child high on a swing
being pushed by a mothers hand.
I hold here the gentle sweep
of waves soaking into wet sand,
the slow roll of seaweed, bubbles
bursting around shells, wings
low over the water.
I draw in the evening and keep
it close with its lights
sprinkled around the edges
of the headland,
emerging stars hung soundless
in the heavens, the blinking
passage of a southbound airplane
heading into a long night.
From somewhere, the smell
of honeysuckle spilling
into the waiting air.
I make my way home, filled
with all that I have taken in,
having little space left over
to fit myself.
These eyes have often been solaced
by twilight's cotton candy pllows moving silently
towards a sky's velveteen blanket
and angels'silver gowns
By gazing over hills
to where old country church bells
and crickets play harmonious sounds
These eyes have often been solaced
by honey coloured shadows
pouring moonlight zest
across the rose plum of my cheek
By little antique lamplights
which illuminate my soul 's dark cobbled street
By winds carrying sea-salts to a fragrant golden sand
By tides washing out corals to a distant land
These eyes have often been solaced by your return
to this vacant room inside my heart
By the hush hushed whisper of your voice
By the embrace of your arms
By the way you love me
By the way you need me
By the way you want me
Like an autumn bonfire
before next sunrise'dew fall
By the way you lean on me
sometimes
we are afraid to jump
but we take the leap
sometimes
when we fall deeply
it's not our limbs injured
sometimes
what is meant for us
hurts too much
sometimes
nothing makes sense
confusion reigns supreme
sometimes
we only have tears
to express emotions
sometimes
some see the facade
only a few see reality
sometimes
our heart breaks
but we love again
sometimes
we die inside
but we still breathe
sometimes
we become machines
but we are still human
sometimes
we see the stars
but not the moon
sometimes
when we follow the moon
we forget the stars
sometimes
we look back in regret
but we move on
sometimes
in metaphorical storms
we have poetry
always
when we are silent
we have our words
You had me oblivious to your antics,
as you hushed me tenderly by the creek
into your hide and seekable
soul-surrendering secret relief.
There, you cottled me into softness
with a simple chin caress,
which continued to smooth
the entire twisting course
of my delicate remorse.
My garments shifted
from their skin,
slipped into the witnessing wind.
You convinced me to sin
so remarkably, so recklessly,
for one worshipped glide
of feigned intimacy.
I bemoan my mixed senses
behind the curtain of uncertainty.
Oh, Romeo, if only I'd known you.
If only I knew that
your prestigious people-pleasing smile
was practice for the play.
That those granny pleasing manners
and Band-Aid banter
would soothe my soul to sleep.
That those jovial jokes
and caramel coated coaxing
would lead me quietly to the creek
where your meaty man hands would span
each inch of my innocence and beyond.
That your chivalrous, chiseled chest
and incandescent camper's scent
would be compressed
against my gentleness.
By this indulgence
I had relinquished your respect
and you had tossed my trust.
So dissolved the blending of lust,
and with it the end of us.
Your camouflaged fibs
of forever love
would continue deep
through the space in my ribs,
into the closing scene.
Romeo, so applause-worthy were you
on your secret stage that
Shakespeare could have cast you
just as you had cast me.
Sometimes you have to let
the morning have its way,
set out its wide sunlit spaces
like a tablecloth upon your silence,
speak to you softly in the sound
of leaves, bright with the flush
of spring. There is much to tell,
the stories of its winter dreaming,
waking to a warming sun,
desires erupting in flower
and fruit.
As a child I listened
to the almond trees clack
their naked limbs all winter long
until late august when the first
blossoms broke into the chilly air
with their white whispers
and perfumed breath hushed out
of pink throats. It was my eucharist,
trees donning their green vestments
plump with promises.
I must make space in myself
to receive the sacraments of creation,
have a reverence for what comes
forth to speak a name
in all that is born, lives and dies
and reflects a beauty
to which I can be blind to
in the bloat of myself.
-rearranging the stars-
How could we agree to separation?
If you were destined to be my soulmate,
Why would we allow the stars to change our fate?
They've written in a fresh verse
Sewing in a new song, soon to be sung
The Stars are not to blame
The fault lies deep within our hearts
Like earthquakes wondering through the years
separating silicone valley of tears.
Sweeping sweet dreams far away
What has become of my day?
Today the sun sets holding on to old hope
Tears fall down a sudden slope
Now my dreams are drowning down another road
Tonight I sit under the aspen cold
Alone, no longer in search of gold
Naming nights you whispered words of love to my soul
Your love no longer speaks
Without warning, the Midas touch slowly fades
In my chest - I find fault
The sound of heartache echoes every day
Rejuvenating every crack from display
In plain sight, I search for thee
The sun -The moon -The madness -The Salton Sea
My heart no longer speaks
Everything I dream of sinks like the night
Stuck in quicksand -- the aftermath
Healing scars the aftershock left behind
Finding ways to fill the gloom
Alas bridal curtains sit silently in my room
Setting boundaries between Earth's poetic plates
Like an earthquake passing through my heart
You left like the moon, moving mountains apart
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU forgot TO TELL Me, dear
Suddenly, San Andreas Fault looks tragic from here
Until then I will hold my breath
In hopes, our Plates will meet again
By: PD
6/29/15
(For my friend Aisling: da'iman 'amal)
In the night that runs on fear, smile at me.
When nightmares haunt, laugh at me.
When demons show their ugly masks, beam at me.
And always, ever have hope.
When your head is so full it cascades, stare at stars.
As thoughts spill ferociously, softly seek them.
Forget thousands of misplaced words, see glimmers
Of hope, always have hope.
Days where you can't hear your thoughts, listen to music.
Minutes failing to making sense, immerse in singing.
'Seconds' a word without meaning, tune in harmony.
Believe in hope, there always is hope.
When nothing rhymes, you almost lose it,
In darker days, you cannot meet it,
In doubt, despair, or anger, it will elope,
But it will return, not ever lose hope!
***
January 21, 2017
Dear humans, do you read me, I live in space,
Merely a being, sent by God, I'm all over the place.
I circle the world, live among debris,
You leave behind, you ruined your planet,
Now you want to go to Mars, so that you can
Pollute that planet in a few thousand years,
I have shed enough tears,
A millennium has gone by, and yet my fears,
Are much the same, not only the land you destroy,
But what of your beautiful oceans, you have caused
Global destruction, ice is melting, oceans rising
Lands worldwide are drowning, farms are flooding,
Mudslides send houses into never-never land,
We must do something, you all say the same,
Well do it.
Have you absolutely lost your sanity,
Your complete mentality in irreversible totality,
First think of your ocean life, ban plastic bags,
Deforestation must stop, this must be immediate
All trees are life giving, sustaining an all encompassing
Balance, animals lose their forests and move into
Suburbs, confused, looking for food.
You overpopulate,
Why three or four children, be grateful have one
Others so sad, as they have none.
Unemployment on the rise,
The poor have no chance of winning first prize.
You have brought about division between
Colors, creeds and nations, stop it, we are all
Brothers and sisters, please help the poor
Who come to ask for food at your door
Disparity of wealth crazy, billionaires now more
Than before, whilst the poor live under bridges
Or scavenge in garbage, shame on us, shame on us,
Shame on our governments, access to water is
Humanitarian, all should have access.
I therefore beseech you to do the right thing, be kind,
Be mindful, allow love to seep into your heart,
Don't risk becoming an inevitable mortal fatality,
Nurture your planets ozone deficiency, begin,
with healing your unhinged mental capacity
The beginning starts with you,
But of course, that you knew.
help mrs. muse is gone and my mind is shooting blanks
my friend called inspiration is trying to walk the plank
motivation just married mr lazy
and confidence started acting really crazy
cousin common sense is on vacation out of town
and aunt intelligence is nowhere to be found
uncle rational is at the casino gambling his life away
and my best friend happiness never wants to stay
my neighbor opportunity doesnt knock on my door anymore
and my girlfriend love is really just a whore
my partner pride is always full of himself
and sister sympathy is busy with someone else
grandpa wisdom is smart enough not to say a word
and grandma compassion is seen but never heard
the only friends that ever come to town
is anger and disgust and they always hang around
my high school sweat heart infatuation doesnt really call
and my childhood friend imagination doesnt exist at all
Have You Ever
Stood in a field of ripened gold grain
Lifted your face to be kissed by the rain
Felt in your heart the anguish of pain?
*
Held someone's hand in their hour of sorrow
Brought a new dream to the edge of tomorrow
Leaned on a friend finding strength to borrow?
*
Spent a sweet moment with a child at play
Given a home to a lost lonely stray
Found faces in clouds as they float away?
*
Held a lost moment hidden in time
Sucked on the juice of a tree ripened lime
Whispered a word in transcendant rhyme?
*
Descend in the depths and found yourself lost
Awakend with wonder to windowpane frost
Swallowed a slight despite the high cost?
*
Danced in the wind with a rose in your hair
Cried all alone with no one to care
Hoped for tomorrow with all you can share?
*
These are the moments that make life worthwhile
Knowing that living shares joy with the trial
And so much is solved when a face wears a smile.
With Divining Heart I Could Have Foreseen
With true divining heart I could have seen
little ripples of thy deep discontent.
My heart a meadow, once lush and bright green
now aching from lost days so sadly spent.
If thy heart sought the truth instead of lies
thee would have held, fast and firm loving vows.
These tears would not splash down from dark skies
as I seek anew, fertile fields to plow.
Blame I, ignorance of deception's wiles
trusting in our dear love and happy bliss.
Pray I, for miracle that reconciles
this distance, preventing thy soft-lips kiss.
With divining heart I could have foreseen
how thy lost heart would fail us, sweet Colleen.
R.J. Lindley
4-23 -1977
Syllables Per Line: 10 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 10
Total # Syllables: 140
Total # Words: 108
Note: My ignorance of a friend and his lies once cost me ever so dearly.
Lesson learned in youth, sad but one I suspect a great many others may have learned as well.
To say
I have chocolate
can say
so many things
from you were right
to I was wrong
to I haven’t seen you in so long
it can soften what stings
I am sorry
to don’t you worry
or cue our favourite song
from I’ve had enough
to I call your bluff
to I like it better when we get along
from you’re invited
to they’re near sighted
let’s eat that heartache gone
Since you have washed over me
~
Drifting on a meandering stream
where clover dance and ripples direct my thoughts
to the promises of a new day
I dream I am floating in your arms
as currents gently tug
playing solitaire in wishing hands
among glistening diamonds on the surface
I search for each desire’s realm
while my eyes wander to a place
long of sunrise sparklings
on soft apricot murmurs
Finding your fragrance on a cool wind’s whisper
my heart is drenched,
cleansed in an endless channel
of what your beauty brings to me
I rest in a shady spot among watercolor shadows
writing poetry,
penning my affections in ink traced lines,
renderings of how wonderful my life is
Since you have washed over me
leaving me breathless,
submerged far beneath dew drop shimmers,
saturated by your love
Good night Soupers
Remember that night, one of so many of course
When the waitress asked if we were on our first date
We’d talked for three hours till our voices were hoarse
The laughter we shared no one could create
It must have been the joy in our hearts she saw
For eighteen years there’d been no one who meant more
Never for a moment did our love withdraw
I joked and said it was the cologne you wore
Impotence had rendered you last in some eyes
But there was no man who made me happier
My affection for you never compromised
Of my self-worth, you were the certifier
The last time I saw your 95-pound frame
As you lay smiling in the hospice bed
My adoration I just could not proclaim
Couldn’t look back, still wanted to look ahead
My head on your hand, tears formed a puddle
So much in my heart, but at a loss for words
I waited for your angel as we cuddled
Finally they arrived, not one, they flew in herds
The spirit of contentment shone o’er your face
I swear to this day I saw your spirit rise
You faced your death with such dignity and grace
I could not bring myself to utter goodbyes
But now as I pray, the words finally come
“God blessed me with a special friend always true
And now as I hear heaven’s harps ever strum
I know there’ll never be another like you”
*For my dear friend Chris who died on Christmas Day 2005
Entry for Gareth's "Last Words to a Loved One" Contest
I think of storms I've weathered, and I smile
for those who've sought to break my heart and gain
the pleasure of defaming me with guile
now know the truth: their efforts were in vain
the thunder of their words died down in time
as did the insults hurled against my form
the self same wind of strife cleared all the grime
and pain to peace was able to transform
I withered for a while, that much is true
the pain was deep enough to make me cry
Truth made me strong and helped me to renew
my broken wings on poetry to fly
those who condemn are gone, and I remain
the storms of life have helped my worth to gain
Eileen Manassian