Best Nourishes Poems


Premium Member I'M Here Because

I'm here because.....
I need you to believe in me
You...Yes, YOU!
My fellow poet..
You who understands
my love for words and their nuances
denotations, but even more...their connotations
their play and interplay of emotions

I need you to believe in me
believe in my voice 
my selection and word choice
believe that I can make a change
with my catalytic composition of rhyme 
in this present time
when the world is in pain
when there is so much to gain
by the prophetic cry of a poet in the wildness
I need you to believe in me

I'm here because...
I need you to empathize with me
you who sees my words dripping
the blood of my lacerated heart
I'm incomplete
scarred
I'm scared
I'm holding on by one last thread
at times overcome by dread
life is hard
I need you to empathize with me
to write a little word
that will lift my heart
and caress my soul
with the balm of poetic love
friendship's bandage
Cover me....
I need your empathy
 
I'm here because...
I need community
others don't understand
this is not just a pastime
a cute little way to occupy my time
It's my heart and soul
my ever present dream...my goal
to live on when I'm gone
in some remembered little song
that you helped we write along
I need community
I need the you and the me
In the communal dance of poetry
They don't see
what words mean 
to you
to me

I'm here because...
I need your wisdom
I fall short
I see only within my vision
my periphery
I cannot keep in store
all the mysteries and more
you bring wisdom daily to me
a feast for my hungry mind
to relish all the truth I find
your wisdom nourishes me
I bloom into what  I'm meant to be:
a writer of sincerity

I'm here because....
When I'm not
I'm so incomplete
the missing parts of me
are here....
they live in my lines
they breathe in your rhymes
you write; I read
I write; you read
and life is born
and I am
whole...

I'm here because....
I belong
Here are people who understand
who help me to stand
who lend me a hand
I'm part of a band
of people like me
who taste the ecstasy
of a life that is blessed 
by sweet
poetry....

For Jerry's Contest (Why are You Here)
December 30, 2015

Premium Member Winter Alchemy

Graced by festive home-made trimmings
On an eve which hails life aglow--
Merry  tears  drift in wonderment
As spark of hope blazes, to flow :
That each dwelling exalts  JOY  JOY
Bright the praise through heaven above ,
For the magical glee this year—
A wintertime brimming with white of frost
Of beningn dusks. a swerve imperial
Kindling what nourishes all… LOVE!


12/4/2016
Shadow Hamilton's A Winter Poem

Premium Member Of Sage Leaves and Sweet Flowers

OF SAGE LEAVES AND SWEET FLOWERS…

While flowers may be deemed
The sweetness of nature and life,
It is the leaves of her trees that are
The essences of life, death, and rising:-

It is the leaves of the tree 
That feeds and nourishes her;
That ensures her branches’ bearings;
Photosynthesizing her peace and love:-

While living flowers are plucked,
Vase-like buried, and housed until death,
They are later thrown away—forgotten.

But fallen leaves reflect resurrection:-

Yes, in nature, trees shed their shading blades
And for a while, stoically stand in nakedness;
Piercing skyward to the coming resurrection
Of their green and rainbow colored leaves.

Thus, I’d rather be a leaf than a flower;
All trees bear leaves; but all don’t flower.
Leaves—nature’s resurrection symbols;
Her saged bristlecone pine allegories:-


Premium Member Bone In Her Back



Oh, how we are poisoned!
The Yonega, the Wasichu, 
a new creature, 
different from us in more than just their 
white skin and sunflower hair.
 How did such a people come
 across the great waters?

They come to our people with gifts of death.
Their ulcers wrapped in calico cloth. 
Their fevers traded to us for our good food.

Oh, they do share these devils, equally,
with all the tribes on mother earth. 

Baskets of evil spirits in jars of glass 
and crockery made by hands not their own. 
Pouring toxins, shame and sloth,
 into our proud warriors. 

Our people are blinded
 by their shiny metals 
and made deaf to the ancient beat
 of our ancestors drums. 

We weave their stories
 into the braids of our youth 
who forget the stories 
of our people. 

Oseronni eyes of blue and green
 cannot see the wind that moves the land, 
shaping it and making the soil sing.
Sunlight steals their sight. 

Mother Earth and Father Sky, and Brother River 
nourishes the Three Sisters who sustain us
 with their corn, squash, and beans. 
They are offended and leave us to our folly.

The white man teaches us dishonesty and sloth, 
making of our backs the bow
 that draws the arrows 
that break our hearts. 
The bone in our back bends our faces to mother earth.

The only color left to us is 
the crimson in each salty tear that falls. 
Oh, how we are poisoned!

~Bone in her back,  as named by the Cherokee, her mother's people. Sometimes called Elizabeth Thomas by her father's people. Written by her hand on this day,  January 28, 1812,  New Orleans, Louisiana 
(Fiction)

Interlude

I'm smart, crippled with knowledge I never sought,
things I wish I didn't know.
The song of a kiss so brilliant it's like an x-ray, 
the voice of the red rose, the yellow, the white. 
The whisper sound where the petals meet and overlap, 
the dew that nourishes. 

Listen: This is the difference between an object and an idea,
between love and desire, 
hope and faith. 
This is what's left when there's nothing left,
when the past is soaked up like oxygen 
into the blood of the future. 
This is an image in a mirror, 
imperfect.

When love looks into a mirror and becomes aware of itself 
it becomes bliss. 
Ecstasy becomes rapture, 
sorrow becomes anguish, 
the world turns silver and night never falls. 
This is a song of extremes, of haste, of not looking back. 
These are the words. 
The music is the sound that time makes when you're 
buried beneath an eternity of its ooze,
the voices that come unbidden and unannounced, 
the screams that make you say,  I wish, I hope, and finally, 
I know.

This is the knowledge that maimed me, 
the secret I spread like a contagion with a kiss, 
a whispered word,
a touch.
This is the truth I'd sell my soul to be rid of. 
Believe me, I've tried.
 
This is the truth about being buried alive, about being utterly alone, 
about missing boats. 
And this is how I told it--in a whisper, in a scream, in a song
As a joke in the light of day, 
as a prayer in the darkness.
 
Listen.

Premium Member I Dream


When echoes of nocturnal ricochet over the nights,
Ebony and stardust fill my heart,
Erasing the sun’s gaze, inspiring the moon to blaze
With its tempting song, singing all night long –
I remember the dreams that bring rhythm to my feelings,
Tempt me to believe, even though I can’t quite see
The reality is… struggles and pains, difficulties
Gain impetus, waking the pines, the golden birch,
In hues of longing, they sigh, breathing hope
Through the moments, through the life, like an alibi
A knowing that this is the day when love is blowing
Through the skies, winds alive with insight – 
Braving every distant thunder, even the lightening
Can’t survive the delight, the stirring of a sight far more alive,
Beautiful as the truth, amusing the night with its vision,
Focusing in on the secret treasure, the bold flames
Success in faded feelings, inspirations awakening the embrace
Of promises left to breathe…

This dream, in flavors of wonder and peace,
Melodies rich and brave, focused on feeling – gentling
Darkness, rousing the sensitivity of a light falling soft
On the heart… imagining the source of all hope,
The One who reminds my heart, my soul, each dream
Is alive like the seed He planted inside of me,
A seed who believes… and you see, He nourishes the seed
With grace, kindness, mercy – a inkling of what it means
To love without conditions, love with the conviction
That love is openhanded, like the dream who survives
The darkness of night, the struggle with fear, the reasons…

So many reasons to doubt, yet – the dream lives
And on and on we continue, dreaming like sleep can never keep us
From thinking of this reason for believing – just believe
And, in time, if the dream doesn’t fade, it will become a reality,
The makings of a history…

Dream on… believe, and never leave this dream in the dust,
Where it might fade into the shadows of the past
Dream on… believe, and hearts will soon be fulfilled!


Premium Member Lift Your Eyes - 1

His sun falls across my bare shoulders
Seeking a tender thought
Breathing light along the hopes
That gentle my mind and my heart

His moon pours a wispy affection
Across the music of my soul
Coloring me in hues of acceptance
Simple joy to my sight

His stars reflect all the shimmer
Beyond the seas and waves
Where azure laughter sinks deeper
Than the silence that fascinates

His voice caresses my spirit
With faith flowing in my veins
Creating crimson whispers
Bright as the fire’s flames

His vision keeps me focused
On kindness that soothes and sustains
Capturing the dreams of forever
Inside the blazing firefly dance

His grace cascades like a waterfall
Gushing with gladness and peace
Arousing soft feelings of pleasure
Grown famous by the unending mercy

His inspiration nourishes my soul
In angel’s hymns that raise my thoughts
Of joy, peace and sacred prayers
Sweet sighs of faith painting warm praises

His light guides me through the storms
Lifting the shadows that might harm
Giving my mind a chance to grow strong
With the rays of love falling from His spirit

His is a love that knows no bounds
He sends it down from the highest heavens
Illuminating and reflecting all the joy
Caught up in the soul who knows His worth

His is a grace that appeals to the senses
Guides hearts from the worst
And reveals the truth about giving unconditionally
From a heart who knows that love is the greatest gift

Lift your eyes to the highest stars
See the moon, the glow of heaven’s hope
Whispering insight through your thoughts
And know that love is alive on the inside

Premium Member This Fury-Fiery Moment of Hot Sensual Love

This Fury-Fiery Moment of Hot Sensual Love

This fury-fiery moment of hot sensual love nourishes us now,
As we move from a caress to razor-close, then to lover-close,
Intertwined as one in a true tempestuous storm sparkling afire!

We share such a white-hot passion with a boundless fiery desire,
Blending us deeply in a fury-fiery emotion of love’s true inspire;
Bringing us to this apex with lust as love and love in lust’s hour!

This magic moment melds our passion into a true alchemy of love.
This prized-perfect passion purrs us now into satiated contentment,
As our hearts bask-bright in a fury-fiery moment of sensual desire! 

Gary Bateman, Copyright © All Rights Reserved – May 19, 2016
(Rhyme)

My Better Half

Accepts me for what I am.
Believes me for what I can.
Cares for me all the time.
Drives me crazy.
Encourages me to do my best.
Follows up and follows me through.
Guides me when I am lost.
Honors my feelings and decisions.
Informs me when I don't know.
Judges me not so quickly.
Kissess me everyday.
Loves me unconditionally.
Marries me only.
Nourishes my relationship to God.
Plays with me ocassionally.
Quickly forgives my mistakes.
Reminds of me of my greatness.
Saves me from everything.
Teaches me the life's lessons.
Understands my shortcomings.
Value everything what I share.
Wakes me up every morning.
Xperiencees ups and downs with me.
Yearns to stay with me.
Zest to live, love, and laugh with me 'till the end

May 26, 2017

The Beauty of It All

Pure beauty is eternal bliss.
It permeates our existence
And lightens a burdened soul.
The most beautiful thing is love
(Without judgment or assumption)
Fostering acceptance that—
Nourishes the famished 
And empowers the meek. 

Aesthetics make a pleasing world
They personify lasting trends,
Stimulate creative minds, 
And entertain world consciousness.
Delight embraces desire,
Passionate words inspire,
Art refutes retire,
All get to admire.

To be of beautiful spirit
Unleashes outward radiance--
A gratifying notion
To be of a beautiful mind
Fetches cognitive recognition--
An honorary triumph
Loving your own beauty
Transcends all other thought. 




***Inspired by Catie Lindsey's "Focus on Syllables" Contest***

Premium Member Sheet

Like a sheet blowing in the wind

Your hair flows gently

I feel your embrace with protection

Like the mother sparrow feeding her chick

The embrace nourishes

When the wind dies and goes where it goes

You gently tug my soul

It goes to where it's quiet and lingers

The sheet flattens

In that embrace I wait

Waiting is what matters in life

Premium Member Sarv-E Abarkuh

[“It nourishes the spirit and feeds the imagination” ~ Ryszard Antolak]

In the desert of Abarkuh
this magnificent cedar stands,
a symbol of beauty and happiness,
liberty and justice; the triumph of life.
Was it Zoroaster or Japheth
who planted this sacred Iranian tree
which has withstood the test of time,
defying nature’s most fierce elements?
There it stands, savouring memories
of distant years, witness to the birth 
and growth of modern civilization.
It bears no fruit, but it feeds the spirit
and offers shade to those who seek it.
Age takes its toll. Weary yet defiant
it clings on to stubborn faithful roots
waiting for the master to call its name
while swallows huddle in its welcoming
branches, whispering, as the sun goes down,
keeping her company right till the very end.

--------------------------------------------------

Period of Time ~ a 4,000 year old tree
Contest: Punctuation Personified
Sponsor: Debbie Guzzi

Premium Member Straw Man, the 2012 Presidential Campaign

......a strange color, green

   Become better informed, listen to your teachers,
educate yourself....which branch will the bluejay
survey from? 
The hawk, circling, choose his best option?

   Bleeding soldiers depend on doctors, rich men
depend on accountants, souls depend on preachers,
tap water depends on scientists and engineers,
nourishing the parched vagaries of citizens
and houseplants.

   Words fall like acid-rain, seemingly harmless,
we thought we understood rain, it falls, it
nourishes, fills our reservoirs....then leaves a stain,
a clear outline of abuse, like evaporated salt, clinging
to our shirts after a hard day, sound bite upon bite.

   Still, we wade through flooded streets, hoping the 
tides will descend, rhetoric return to sanity, our lives 
safe, from future floods.

  after the elephants parade through every mind 

        the straw left behind

                               collects promises dumped in the streets

        polled, polished,perfumed

                               ready to sweep it all up on election day
                       
        hit pause... wait four years

                               repeat

                                                wait four years

                                                                           repeat




09/08/12
6:09 pm

She Was Gentle Once

Her gentleness portrays softness, tenderness and humility. 
Her gentleness is the definition of true strength; 
a representation of consistency, 
of determination. 

Her gentleness shows the depth of her soul; 
a soul filled with unconditional love, 
a soul sensitive to treat others with kindness, 
a soul genuine to herself that disseminates tranquility to those around her. 

So alluring! 
She captivates me from within.  
She nourishes beautiful things to grow. 
Her sweet benevolence cultivates my inner peace. 

Nevertheless, this magnificent creature was persecuted. 
There were those who belittled, degraded and disrespected her. 
She was hunted down like an animal. 
The prey of unruly predators. 

Their weapons of hate were loaded with bullets 
of hostility: an intentional intense dislike that thrives 
on an elevated level of anger. 
The barrage of bullets pierced through her heart 
and penetrated the depths of her soul. 
Her body became cold from the absence of her warmth. 

No longer is there a sparkle because of those 
who made her gentleness fade. 
Now she believes her gentleness is a self-inflicted wound; 
a wound shrouded in shame, embarrassment and betrayal. 
However, I know it was her choice. 
She was an embodiment of true courage. 
Her gentleness is framed on the walls 
of my heart for eternity.

Premium Member - The Ruby Of Silence -


 Embrace the silence, listen within
 Respecting others means learning to listen
 Experience being heard is healing
 Listen with your whole self, not just your ears

 Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom
 The words of the inner voice
 are the source of our hidden genius
 The truth of the subconscious
 Let silence grow and blossom

 The senses must be sharpened
 Silence is a powerful force, but don't fear it
 How often do you give yourself quiet time?
 Interrupt the hustle and bustle and focus on your well-being
 - the sound of water gurgling in the stream

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