Best Pearce Poems
For Mother's Day -
Sometimes, we forget -
A Mother is human.
Sometimes, we forget -
That she has fears of failure
As a wife,
As a parent,
As a human.
Sometimes, we forget -
She is not infallible,
That she does not have superhuman strength,
That she cannot leap mountains in a single bound,
Sometimes, we forget -
She is not allowed second guesses,
Uninterrupted time of her own,
Or human frailty in times of weakness.
Sometimes, we forget -
She must carry a shield of iron
To protect those frail beings trailing behind
Who seek her shelter in any uncertain situation.
Sometimes, we forget -
That she cries in the dark
For mistakes she may have made,
Or shortcomings that have gotten the best of her.
Sometimes, we forget -
That she is still learning like we are,
Guarding each step as we carefully go.
Sometimes, we forget -
That it is a daily challenge
Just to know when to be strong,
Or when to be soft as the time is right.
She is the guardian,
The caretaker,
The nurturer,
The strength in our core.
Sometimes we forget -
She is afraid, after all –
That she is merely the naive student
Learning how to become the Master.
By jb pearce
05-06-16
Categories:
pearce, children, mom, mother,
Form:
Free verse
“I’m Still Here”
When you see me now,
I’m the same person inside
That I was when I gave birth to you
Oh, so many years ago.
I don’t hear what you say sometime.
I don’t understand your meanings sometime.
I don’t see the same things that you see sometime.
I don’t articulate as well as I once did,
But I’m still here.
My legs are not as steady as they once were
When I chased after you on a sunny day in the park.
My hands are not as strong,
As when they bandaged and kissed your adolescent scrapes.
My resolve is not as great as when I clutched you to my breast
When you were crying and afraid.
Whether you recognize it or not,
I’m still here – the same Me inside,
Not as vibrant, not as self-assured, not as sure of herself,
But the same person…inside,
The same person who would be first at your door
If you needed me for as long as I could.
Yes, I’m still here,
The same woman who still clutches to those far-away memories
That renew my joy when I see you now.
You are, and always will be, a severed part of me
That is moving now in a different direction.
I forget some things that are important to you now,
But I remember trivial little things that we shared years and years ago.
I reside now mostly in our past preparing for that time when you
Will no longer be within my reach, nor I in yours.
I shelter the memories now of when you were a child,
And you were the light of my life, and I was yours.
Yes, I am still the same person inside –
A little less vibrant,
A little slower, perhaps,
A little more distant,
A little more far removed.
But I’m still here…
with the same depth of love still beating inside,
And I will always be with you.
05-29-17
j. b. pearce
Categories:
pearce, birth, child, childhood, children,
Form:
Free verse
“I Never Danced The Tango”
I have more than a few
Regrets in life…
I wish I’d loved my children…
Much more,
Much longer,
Much stronger.
I would wish to be
Much wiser,
Much gentler,
Much more compassionate.
I have worked on my failings
With some success,
And forgave myself
For what I could not achieve.
The Scales of Life
Sometimes tipped my way
But on occasion left me aggrieved.
I have been gifted
Many times over
But often had not known
When Fortune smiled down on me
Or left me on my own.
I have not traveled far abroad
Or dined on foreign cuisine,
Or been enthralled by distant lands
That others have likely seen.
But I have held my new born babe
And kissed a grandchild’s cheek
And helped a little boy reel in his pole
By a favorite fishing creek.
I’ve tasted life and spat some back
That sat bitter on my tongue.
I’ve harmonized a few new tunes
That were better left unsung.
I’ve marked my scores
And I know for sure
- that so attentively has He,
And I pray I receive His passing marks,
But I know of no guarantee.
So I’ll leave this plain with a minor regret
That I know I’ll never achieve -
That I never danced the Tango
On a dazzling summer's eve.
11-12-19
By jb pearce
Categories:
pearce, dance, life, loss,
Form:
Rhyme
“Shell Shock”
(for my father J. D. Bowles
U.S. Navy Seabees- World War II)
I can remember, at an early age,
Hearing him cry out in the night.
Defending himself again against some
Threatening encounter,
there on the beach of that foreign shore.
It was as if all protection had vanished,
And he was there, alone,
Quivering in the dark.
Momentarily, he became a whimpering child,
Retreating at night, and struggling by day
To retain some semblance of a manhood
That had been battered and stripped away
By the savagery of War.
He was lost to us…forever,
Destined to battle his own private demons,
As best he could,
All alone.
No entity could reach that deeply inside him
And extract that gnawing orb of anguish that welled within.
It was a pain he must bear alone.
He fought the good fight,
So many, many years ago,
But we,
As his family,
Failed to win his War.
Bj pearce
jan@jsmagic.net
05-01-2012
Categories:
pearce, war, world war ii,
Form:
Free verse
Baby steps
Reaching hands
Exploring anything new
Learning what is pleasant, what is pain
Nurturing a new baby doll
Being smothered in puppy kisses
Clinging to the chains of a soaring swing
Frolicking at a family picnic
A mother’s hands tucking me in at night
Counting an ocean of stars with a grandfather
Building a snowman with sisters
Walking in a Spring rain with no umbrella
Discovery of shyness at a boy’s secret smile
New clothes that release the young woman in you
High heels that raise your awareness of self
That first kiss that sends unfamiliar tingles down your spine
Your first car that enhances your freedom
Body changes that move you toward womanhood
College courses that sharpen your mind
A new job that amplifies your confidence
First love that envelopes your every thought
First heartbreak that releases self doubt
Exploring Life with guarded choices
Marriage with insecurity at what is expected
Childbirth with overwhelming love
Being an inexperienced parent with uncertainty
Being a single parent with intense trepidation
Balancing a career with parenthood
Questioning your life choices
Running from life’s insecurities
Seeking solace in any form
Realistically looking in the mirror
Finding contentment with who you are
Rising again to a standing position
Starting over late in life
Baby steps
Baby steps
Baby steps…..
JB Pearce
4-24-16
Categories:
pearce, angst, childhood, depression, encouraging,
Form:
Free verse
Flirting With Madness
Who is Kevin Pearce?
Did he go deep undercover?
What is he, some sort of rogue?
Is he abusing sedatives again?
Is he the hunter or the hunted?
Is his heart breaking on the instalment plan?
What kind of debauchery is this?
Are we supposed to believe him
when he has so many secrets?
The mind shivers at the thought
Too late for mistakes
Too early for the song and dance
His soul stabilized by death threats in dreamland
The telephone will be today’s chosen weapon
Paranoid cults, drugs in the food
Roaming scared in dangerous foreign lands
Coded blasphemy for a noisy world
Some days my brain is on fire
The executioner is off today
Give him a break
He has the same sickness as the rest of us
Give him your last words
Wrap up your entire life in a sentence
Keep visiting that gravesite until
the guilt becomes manageable
Useless memory bringing up a past
I can’t quite handle right now
Keep that cyanide tab in your shoe
Some people can’t stomach the violence
Their ignorance is what keeps them alive
Put your fast food flag away for another day
Burn your favourite book, consume the ashes
I wonder, how much of your hatred is self-taught?
Ancient sorrows dragged through the mud
How much chaos can you handle?
The greatest danger was believing your lies
Although your nightmares showed great promise
It seems nobody knows what an innocent world looks like
It’s the slaves that make the best dancers…
Categories:
pearce, anxiety, conflict, dark, identity,
Form:
Free verse
Oh Ireland i have seen your beauty
I have seen your hatred too
I have heard the songs of rebellion
The war of words,the words of death.
You remember Pearce,Connolly and Mcbride
You forget the children who have died
Died because of your ignorance
Died,because of you,the people
Who stand and watch,then turn away
When will you learn that no-one wins
In the game of war and hate
But everybody loses
For you, is it too late ??
Categories:
pearce, courage, death, freedom, hope,
Form:
“I’ll Take America”
We have our faults and failings;
Our mistakes are quite a few.
Our demigods have disappointed us
And left society askew.
We’ve cleaned up some injustices
And created as many more
To found a sustainable independence
who many might deplore.
We’ve poked our nose in skirmishes
When innocents cried out in pain
Which sometimes found us more wrong than right,
Yet we’d do it all again.
We don’t stand idle to injustice,
At least not for very long
Especially when the battle
Is the weak against the strong.
You see, we are the doers -
Defending those with lesser fights,
So that they have the privilege of
protest as their God given right.
Our forefathers fought and died
For the privileges of a few,
So that they might enjoy the freedoms
That they persistently pursue.
There is no other nation under God
Who grants more liberties
And swings open its doors in welcome relief
To those who demand to be free.
So, we ask for an appreciation
Of where one man’s rights may end,
So as to not infringe on anothers
Where they may lawfully begin.
For you have choices, as do we,
To stay or go from these hallowed shores
And pursue the unfulfilled dreams
That you may wish to explore.
But I’ll take America with all her faults
And all she has yet to discern
Just because I know she is trying
To master the lessons she has yet to learn.
Jb pearce
08/19/17
Copyright.
Categories:
pearce, america, memorial day, patriotic,
Form:
Rhyme
My grandmother’s hands
Were many things to me.
They were the glue
That held our family together
When anguish threatened
To rip us apart.
They were the tools
That lovingly prepared
Years of sumptuous
Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
They were the healing
That soothed and smoothed
Away the cuts and bruises of
Adolescent shenanigans.
They were the tireless bastions
That embraced and soothed us
When we were afraid.
They were the skillful teachers
Who showed us how
To hold our hands in thoughtful prayers.
They were the indefatigable nemises
That were never, too, tired
For one more game
Of late night Canasta.
They were the compassionate care
That pressed a cool, damp cloth
To my forehead when it raged with fever.
My grandmother –
She was many, many things to me,
But mostly, she was
The unselfish expression of Love.
By jb pearce
11/31/18
Categories:
pearce, grandmother, grandparents, love,
Form:
Free verse
A WAlk In The Park
Can I tell you about a couple total strangers, I
Met them on a walk, only introduction wasn't made, however
We shared humid chill, comb gentle Autumn leaves cascading world
Wind, designing the earth. Beautiful dark brown. Touch of Pumpkin.
That's how their happiness arrested my interest, like a gust
of wind flowercent Rainbows. we sat on cold separate sculptures
I couldn't resist the heat; could cheat myself not to
sip tea of affectionate chemistry, radiation compelled attention.
their laughter exploded in a quiet hush, dispersing lustful micro
Atoms of halo above their crowns', as their eyes a
Dam that couldn't hold exploded in silent conversations. Watering solution
of love and youthful joy. Fell heavily on onlooking eyes,
Deep freckled smiles. and in that special moment of another,
spears pearce my broken heart. and in another galaxy it
Departed, escorted by chance, desires that aspire fixing broken shards.
Categories:
pearce, boyfriend, break up, desire,
Form:
Nature calls from under bush.
Rain floods from the sky.
Wet grass soaks my feet.
Wind carry me as the cold
freezes me to the bone.
Branches scratch my limbs.
Thorns pearce my flesh.
Mountains bang against my
knees.
When i cry.
When i cry angels hear my
pain.
Foodless stomach, sleepless
eyes.
Womanless groin
Angels hear when i cry.
Dry thoart, dry tears, cracked
lips, crying spoiled baby
sounds.
Head on the ground
Angels hear when i cry.
Categories:
pearce, natural disasters, black
Form:
“A Date With Destiny”
You will always
Have a piece of me…
Late at night
When you sleep safely in the shadow
Of the dreams w’ve shared…
At the brink of dawn
When the day ponders the prospect
Of the challenges we have faced together,
and are yet to be fulfilled…
In the afternoon
When you go about your busy day
With the hovering cloud
Of my protective love
Standing silent guard over your thoughts
In everything you do,
You say,
You think,
You feel,
Part of me is with you,
Sharing, loving, remembering
The laughter, the tears, the growing
That has intertwined our souls together
For all eternity.
We are kindred spirits,
You and I,
In one way or another,
Passing through this life,
Or the next,
Always destined to be
Together, again…
Bj pearce
07/24/12
Categories:
pearce, absence, care, death, family,
Form:
Free verse
How can people take a life?
Pearce a rose with a bloody knife,
Take your innocence and make you see,
The horrors that are left to be.
Speaking with a serpents tongue,
To make your barrier come undone,
Spreading filth descizd as glitz,
Unwillingly you know you must submit.
As blood is spilt you must flee,
There laughter is what’s haunting me,
No remorse and no regret,
They take it all till nothings left.
There poison coerces my veins,
I swear if I see them again,
I’ll make them scream and watch them bleed,
And on there deaths I gladly feed.
Categories:
pearce, dark, death, fear, hate,
Form:
"Salad Days"
My days, I find,
Are as full as I choose to make them now.
I may opt to spend the day
Watching the birds at play
In my wobbly old bird bath.
Or pass a smile
Watching the squirrels
Delighting over the treats
I’ve offered them in the ancient pecan tree.
Or trekking out to the back fence
To deliver some welcome indulgence
To the neighboring pups who beckon to me daily.
Some days I spend in indulgence.
Some I spend in chores to earn my keep.
Some I spend bonding in bed with my pups
To keep my heart in good working order.
I am the Queen of my realm.
I am the recipient of a life well earned.
I am one who is ever grateful to God
For the blessings that He has given to me
…..every day
………….for the rest of my life.
Jb pearce
1/6/2022
Categories:
pearce, age, appreciation, beauty, endurance,
Form:
Free verse
“Past Old Strangers”
I met a man with piercing eyes,
Whose cool façade was mere disguise,
Whose soul reflected sadness there,
The like of which I can’t compare.
Whose massive frame seemed somehow small
For one whose stature stood so tall,
Whose glance I felt afraid to meet
For fear of déjà vous’ entreat –
Like past old strangers reunited,
Or some lost love, not yet requited.
He was running, so was I;
We almost passed each other by,
But something gave us moment’s pause
In destiny’s ill-fated cause.
So, we stopped and shared a word, or two,
Like old acquaintances might do.
We passed the time, as best we could,
Both knowing somehow that we should.
And gradually, he made me smile,
As did he, in turn, in a little while,
But underneath I saw the pain
And fear he felt to love, again.
And compassion overtook me then
For all those empty hours we spend
In seeking warmth from someone else
Instead of looking to ourselves.
For all those nameless faces yet,
And all those ghosts we can’t forget;
For all the loves that haunt us still
And rob us of our own free will.
For all those memories that lie
So heavily on heart’s goodbyes;
For all the love that we may miss
Because of nurtured cowardice.
For all the chances we let pass
When stepping through that looking glass,
To let the words we long to say
Fall lost along our appointed way.
Because we fear, in foolish pride,
To let another step inside,
To take a place so deep within
That no one else has ever been.
For fear of feeling human need
In fond fulfillment or lover’s deed,
For giving is that part of love
We find that we’re most fearful of.
And all those things I thought within
That sweet reunion with my old friend,
When glimpsing there beneath those eyes
Midst idle talk and flirting sighs.
But he knew well, as I did too,
The candle’s flame to which we drew,
Like moths who flutter to be free,
But can’t escape Fate’s destiny.
And so it was, we passed the night,
But never touched, as once we might,
For we both feared what we both knew,
As past old strangers often do,
The haunting warmth that we might find,
The kindredship of mirrored minds,
The comfort we would share as friends,
The fear of where it all might end…
J. B. Pearce
Copyright
Categories:
pearce, lost, love hurts,
Form:
Lyric