Best Not Able Poems
This river of melody plays in my soul,
When I awake, I feel emerged in it whole.
In the calm of night, when I'm all alone,
It raises me with every euphoric tone.
But lately my song I have failed to hear,
No longer its sweetness caressing my ear.
I plead to the gods in the heavens up high,
Not to abandon me also and my quest deny.
For what shall be without the beating of a drum?
Or the flutter of a flute, what will become?
The sounds of my soul take not from me,
A soundless soul I shall never learn to be.
Instead, carve a single note with my awkward tongue,
One that shall carry the tune I once sung.
And if I'm not able I'll start over again,
Because the harder I try my strength will sustain.
A fledgling poet round two thousand three,
I found some friends who mentored me; they led
me to a site called Shadow Poetry.
By mental challenges there, I was fed.
I learned to better write according to
specific forms or themes, and I was thrilled
by all the many things that would ensue
the more time there I spent; I was fulfilled!
The annual big contest, Shadow Ink,
gave not just money, but a chapbook deal.
I paid to enter it and did not think
I stood a chance. How good I soon would feel!
My best friend and I tied. We HAD to call
our chapbook “Friendship Garden.” That said it all!
Note: Shadowpoetry.com was not able to be maintained as an interactive poetry community and after several wonderful years, the owner had to pull out. All our chapbooks were removed from the bookstore and the contests are no longer done. Today it is a website for writers' development only.
When life is this tough, you may long to die.
The Grim Reaper beckons, like he's your friend.
Try to remember, dead people don't cry.
A bad beginning, may look like the end.
Your soul is anguished, every night and day.
The Grim Reaper beckons, like he is your friend.
Try not to listen, he'll lead you astray.
It's hard not to follow, his dark allure.
Your soul is anguished, every night and day.
Death's not the answer, it offers no cure.
Filled with sadness, you're not able to think.
It's hard not to follow, his dark allure.
Fill your cup with love, it can be your drink.
Refreshing of mind, dancing with the light.
Pouring out sadness, now able to think.
You have the power, you're able to fight.
Refreshing of mind, dancing with the light.
You thought life was tough, you wanted to die.
Still you remembered, dead people don't cry.
Angels Above
A. W. Nutter
At fifteen, I was to young to become a father
At fourteen, she didn’t need to be a mother
We were old enough to have sexual relations
Unable to understand the implications
We cried out in anguish to the angels above
Pleading for their mercy and their love
Parents abusing us for this sinful union
Adolescents fearful and full of confusion
Not able to cope with the adult pressure
The mothers young body goes into labor
We cried out in anguish to the angels above
Pleading for their mercy and their love
My son struggled between life and death
I held his hand as he took his last breath
From my hands his little body was pried
The tears falling like rain from my eyes
We cried out in anguish to the angels above
Pleading for their mercy and their love.
Occasionally the mother and my path will cross
Seldom do we mention or discuss our loss
But every year at nine, on the sixteenth of May
We both agreed, to light a candle and silently pray
To the angels watching from heaven above
Shower our son with mercy, show him your love
Who is this man laying beside me?
You’re not my lover and I’m not your enemy
Searching and hoping for a familiar touch
Wanting and needing it just a little too much
Where is the man I married prior to this war?
I want him back entirely as I had him once before
They tell me he’s changed and it will never be
But loving him so much; I tend to disagree
Heroically fighting for our freedom abound
Risking his life for a cause to be unfound
Solitude and silence is one of his demands
And as for our family; we’re not under your command
Shelled and mortared each and every night
Not able to sleep for the fear of needing to fight
Hot, sweaty and exhausted; feeling all alone
Feeling as though you’re invincible; wanting to come home
Exploring and probing for the man you used to be
Trying to find similarities; trying to remember me
I’ve been with you this entire time; all the while you were gone
I never left your side my husband, even though you have withdrawn
What is it going to take for this stranger to up and leave?
How long must you isolate yourself, how long must we grieve?
Our children need you desperately as so do I
Don’t let them destroy you; don’t you dare die
Come home again my best-friend and thrust this stranger out
He’s been residing here too long and he’s reign is over no doubt
You’ve served this country honorably without any remorse
Now serve your family faithfully and let our marriage run its course
I will not give up and abandon you nor will I give in
You will fight for this family adamantly as you did so back then
I’m tired of sleeping alone with this stranger in our bed
I want that loving, caring man; I want my husband back instead
(The news of the death of dear and near ones reaching us on a daily basis has left me thinking of the transitoriness of life and hence this poem)
Is not our life a wave of energy coursing through ether
Just like flickering flames or fleeting gleams that fly
Which when stopped, like a weed scorched by the sun
Or a tree felled down by a merciless axe, we will die
Is not our life a theatrical performance,
Where we don the roles we are assigned
Some, playing the roles of tyrants or kings
While some act as meek minions consigned
Is not our life a voyage through rough seas
Where we paddle on and on over billowing tide
Never asking where we are heading to
Nor knowing through what currents we ride
Is not our life the footprints left on sandy shores
Washed away instantly by the incoming wave
Not able to measure their length or width
Or be traced as they immediately cave
Is not our life as illusory as the mirage of the desert
Staying beyond our grasp and endlessly deluding
Soothing like an oasis among the dunes of sand
Sometimes like a nightmare awfully distressing
Is not our life a little space lying somewhere
Between our infant cradle and our grave
Where we have struggled to secure our slot
But soon ousted by others who for our place crave
Still we live on, never in despair but in hope
That beyond this mortal life and its tangled ties
Somewhere for us, eternity’s mighty portals await
To harbor our souls when from deep slumber we rise!
Do you feel you must really say sorry,
Or are you flippant, don’t give it much worry,
Do you feel out of obligation you must
Say sorry, believe me, that’s not very brainy,
Does your heart want to break if you don’t,
Or do you simply think, why should I, I won’t,
Have you been taught as a child to regret
Do others feel bad, as this idea you reject,
Try to never let sorry linger,
And have a blaming finger
Pointed at you, do you maybe
Have a secret to share,
But think, how would I dare,
Have you have had an affair as you could
Not resist temptation,
Then my friend you surely need redemption,
Are you not able to sleep at night,
Feeling guilty,
Are your parents to blame, did
They not give you a much needed
Loving home with stability,
One needs this this caring and sharing,
Otherwise making any decision
Becomes somewhat blurred,
Maybe to others you have been unkind,
Remember that night you forgot to feed
Your blind dog Lassie,
And in a moment of anger triggered by guilt,
You swore at your neighbour next door,
Or stole money from your best friend
And hid it under your carpet tiles
On the floor,
Did not speak to your mom or maybe dad
For six months, and she or he cried,
As a little of them died,
But you were too stubborn and too angry
To end this disagreement,
They have all their life tried,
Good or bad you may think,
But always on your side.
Whatever you have done or said,
It is important that this drama should end,
Say sorry to those you have emotionally,
Hurt, and with your heart and soul, ask to be
Forgiven, cuddle and love your blind dog,
Do all of this during today or tonight
Before you go to sleep in your bed,
Experience a watershed moment,
Make your choice count,
For we have been given the gift of choice,
We have a free will and have been granted
Logic, our omnipresent God is ever so kind
But don’t let him loose his cool,
He knows who you are,
You know what to do, you are no fool.
The night is long, the minutes creep
I can’t remember, is there something they call sleep
The curtain’s drawn, there is no sound
Save for my heart
I count the beats, the rhythm flows
There is one thing, one thing only that it knows
Without your love, I don’t exist
You are my heart
Empty arms are not meant to be
Empty eyes are not able to see
Empty beds are for no one who reaches for love
Without you, I just cannot be me
Empty chairs sit alone in the room
Empty tables serve nothing but gloom
Empty bottles of wine are my fair weather friends
Even flowers can no longer bloom
I hear your voice, could this be true
Do I hear footsteps, is this vision really you
Is this a dream, yes, it must be
I’ve lost my heart
Robot
Tin-can man.
Input, circuit, and overdrive.
Shadow of the future and the past.
Movement hidden, you are not alive.
Programs burned and running fast.
What else can you do?
Wakening up every morning,
and not able to read the news.
Passing a breeze God gave you.
Barely feeling the I love you~s.
Your data has been set to self destruct!
Walking around all confused.
While your memory is set on stuck.
A heart not made to rust.
Hanging laundry out in the rain.
Lazy technician you can't trust.
Look what he's made out of you.
Ready to blow your thrust!
Compute- abort- system to self destroy.
Restoring the joy sucked out of you.
Input: input: information .
Wipe out the old, store in new.
Delete all files to recycle bin.
System reboot to life again.
With a new program that reads:
Feeling like a human once again.
(This robot is on)
.(self shut down!)
P.D. was here!
I’m tired of trying to tame her
Of needing to blame her
Of trying to keep her colors
Locked within the lines
The sad confines
Of this life
She is there
Always pushing my limits
She’s there
The real woman that I am
The real me
Wild and free
Untamed
Uncontained
Unafraid
Wanting to BE…
To tempt and tease
To possess and please
A beauty flaunter
A good girl taunter
She’s there
She has the walk
She has the talk
She has the eyes to beguile
She has that wicked smile
And yet I keep her locked away
I keep her every need at bay
She’s in disguise
From prying eyes
Dormant, she lies
She cries
Misjudged and misunderstood
Ashamed of sensual womanhood
Veiled in culture's restrictive norms
She abides in her roles, the forms
Hidden away
Made to play
The domestic game
Tame
Tame
Ashamed
Of the fires within
Made to believe… it’s a S I N
To give in and to taste
T’would be unchaste…unchaste
And so passion consumes
And the whole world assumes
She’s docile and demure
But this I know for sure
She lies in wait
To satiate
Her desire
With wanton fire
She waits…
And so she lives a secret life
Her mind in turmoil and in strife
And I, and I???
I cry
I cry
Her every fantasy…deny
And I comply
To every single man made rule
And force her to be some silly fool
And I lie
I try
To forget
I’m made to fly
I wear the smile
But it’s not worthwhile
My mind unstable
For I’m not able
To set her free
To be
To be
Oh, can’t you see?
The hidden woman
Is me
Is ME!!!!
Eileen Manassian Ghali
Form:
The perfect way to avoid overeating this Thanksgiving is to put super glue on your lips.
If you're not able to eat your Thanksgiving dinner, it can't go straight to your hips.
That's the perfect way to avoid overeating this Thanksgiving.
But if you can't get your lips unstuck, one week later you'll no longer be living.
Every hour , every minute , every second of the day, my heart's filled with pain,
I need to know when you'll be back, tomorrow ? today?
It's like there's a dark cloud following be around soaking me with rain,
All I can do right now is pray.
The distance between us is driving me insane,
There's a puzzle of questions forming in my brain,
Missing the moments we were together,
I should've known , somehow , you'd run away.
Fake smile on the outside,
Fire burning on the inside,
chaos going on in my head,
Can't sleep , can't go to bed.
Whenever a soul mentions your name,
my heart skips a beat,
My mouth shut , not able to speak,
depression taking over me,
wishing you're right here.
I miss you , at the thought of you I shed a tear,
I need you , to make me feel safe and forget my fears.
You might be taken away,
but the next time I see you, I'll make sure you'll stay,
Maybe not today or tomorrow , One day.
A man like this,
Who sacrifices his entire life
for the betterment of our country
uniting whole nation.
Who reached his goal
digesting every tension.
India become independent
without any war,
without any aggression.
It is only possible due to such a great son
He is our ‘Bapuji’ , father of our nation.
A man like this
Who spent his life
wearing a six feet ‘dhoti’,
eating food of a common man,
walking miles & miles by foot,
talking the secret of non-violence,
brought our independence
spending life in the prison,
defeated our enemy without any gun.
He is our ‘Bapuji’ , father of our nation.
A man like this,
Who was a man dressed god.
Didn’t need any post
Even after our freedom.
Still, we could not able to feel
the heart of a sacred idol.
Could not able to read
the message of a sacrosanct soul.
Who struggled entire life for our freedom,
he was shot dead by a blind Indian son ,
He is our ‘Bapuji’ , father of our nation.
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This poem is written to commemorate our great freedom fighter & father of our nation ‘Mahatma Gandhi’.
An old man's crumbles........
I am an old man and no matter I say or do.
But still I am living with my stubbornness heart
I have complications with health history
and hospitals always welcome me
Sometime, my heart beats so hard and my veins are twisting me mad
But still I manage to do my work on my own
My walking stick is great support for me
If not, I would not able to stand on the road
Sleep brings me nightmares with forecast scenarios
but when I wake up in the morning I feel nothing but freezing body and feet
My memory is failing and my soul is falling
My head is turning and my life is shortening
How do I spent my youthful life all these days?
Well, nothing much to tell about it because I am not married either.
I really love to recollect my good old days
but my memory of tears kept them away
Youth become major and old become gold. So they say
But sometimes I wonder where do I find my way around
Before I go to bed, I keep my ears in the drawer,
my teeth in a glass of water and my both eyes on the side table
When my sleep overtakes me, I don't hear anything,
my teeth don't feel cold and I don't see anything either
I get up each morning and reset my bones from my sleepy body
Later I pick up the news paper to read world news and sad news these days
If my name is missing in the obituary column, thanks God I am not dead
So I continue to do my work as usual till the day ends.
Ravi Sathasivam / Sri Lanka
Copyright @Sept,2010 Ravi Sathasivam
Why is it when you go out of your way
To help someone brighten their day
Or solve a problem that has things in disarray
They want to play you as if to say
You owe them in some superficial way
Putting on some kind of poor me display
Overshadowing the kindness you portray
Some are not able to see the good deed
That some people give so freely
They do it because they are able to see
What a difference this would be
For them to help make your day stay in play
Some people lack the ability to foresee
People go out of their way, not for praise
Or to be a standout who wants you to obey
Not to create a cushion for some far off distant day
We do it because we care
When we see someone in dispare
Or life seems to be unfair
When someone is down on their luck
Because everything has run a muck
Feeling like lightning has struck
Then being able to help someone become unstuck
It's just good karma that is our choice to send their way
It doesn't require money
Or a promise you will make it right someday
It simply requires a sincere thank you
A genuine reply without asking why
Understanding that everyone
Has not just left you standing
When your day became way to demanding
Knowing someone went out of their way
To keep your day underway
It's not how we repay the kindness
But rather how we display
All the goodwill that came into play
To help make it through your day