Best Pearl Poems
5
I breathe your name in lilac-glazed hues, dazed in butterfly moon’s sighs,
aching for stellar muse to tease and release celestial dust~
there the salt of the sea graces silver traces of the lunar skies.
O precious pearl rose, unfurl restless colors of your midnight gold,
for this nocturnal heart knows and has mastered the cosmic art of trust,
while I let the weight of my ink sink, steering the wind and waves to behold.
I ponder, if dusk and dawn sway to the mystical ray of light~
will we ever soar free, under the spell of psychedelic lust,
lost in the timeless rhythm of rhyme-less runes out of sight?
A Chicago Pearl
She put her dreams on hold but carries them up proudly
as she serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, six days a week
to make ends meet; she’s a realist who doesn’t recoil from pain
or regrets; she faces them head on yet she likes the blues because
they soothe her bruised life that sometimes feels stagnant.
She awaits a new start and the rain in her head is held tight,
she will not be defined, nor resign herself to scattered dreams.
She hangs firm in her mind to these blooming flowers she saw in a terra cotta
pot on her way to work this morning; like them she’s growing stronger
in her voice and in her step. Tonight they’ll light candles
in the dark
“You’re a Chicago Pearl, Rondja!”
he said as she topped his coffee cup;
she briefly held his gaze, and then
let out the broadest of smiles.
"Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan,
hindi makakarating sa paroroonan".
(A person who does not remember where he came from
will never reach his destination).
Filipino proverb.
Gift me wings so I can fly to a blessed land
of emerald isles with an eclectic ecosystem,
admiring an affluence of biodiversity
of tropical exotic fauna and flora,
where turquoise waves wander onto
golden shores of alluring Binitinan,
exploring the coral reefs of Boracay.
A place where childhood dreams fill the air,
where innocence once built sandcastles,
but now all that is left is forgotten footprints -
from ghosts of ancestors.
Let me soar with the Pithecophaga Jefferyi eagle,
through rainforests and Kawasan falls,
where souls are free to roam the motherland's
seven thousand spine-tingling islands,
from Maya bay to Palawan's underground rivers
of enigmatic Puerta Princesa,
until we greet the palm trees of Camiguin -
the valley of volcanoes and the sunken cemetery.
Viewing the Colours of StoBoSa to the
pretty patterns of Ifugao rice terraces,
until we reach the marvels of Luzon,
silently perching upon the zenith of
Mount Pulag's peaks, transcending spiritual
echoes towards Mindanao's Mount Apo,
whispering secretive Tagalog tongues,
in one hundred diasporic dialects,
as iris and marmalade skies welcome sunset,
we'll bathe in the sapphire ripples of Bohol sea.
Then we'll follow radiant night lights,
reaching the bustling streets of Manila,
losing ourselves in the succulent scents
of balut, kwek kwek, taho, halo halo,
as we devour juicy lanzones,
refreshed by a cool breeze,
The pearl of the Orient,
home of Balagtas' Florante at Laura,
dulcet tones of Santiago's Anak Dalita,
where heartfelt hospitality
with rich cultural heritage,
soothe tired eyes gazing at
natural wonders of ancient views,
where vibrant hues leave you breathless.
Dancing with the sunbeams deep sea reflections
so beautiful adoring on cloud nine sitting pretty
upon golden sands shifting salt of the ocean turns
Each wave a blessing in disguise
standing regal one moment in time
looking back captivating starlight was born
Mirrors mist over arched jewels colour radiance
fixing thoughts on an image beholding your word
no diamond ever cut comes close to you
The moon was a pearl -
a large white brilliant pearl of a moon
precious like the one I adored
as it shone down on us from the sky.
The sky was a sea -
a broad expanse of midnight blue
as deep as the love we made deep in a night
swimming with shimmering myriads of stars.
And the stars were fish -
beautiful shimmering star-fish
as bright as the glow in his eyes -
those eyes that gazed into mine
deep into the night of the beautiful sky -
that broad expanse of midnight blue -
the sea into which we gazed so deeply in love
as the moon met our gaze -
the moon that shone down
on me and my love most precious -
Oh, night of the large, white brilliant moon -
the pearl.
3/11/13
For Mark Toney's '2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 12' Poetry Contest
The heat on the street more than I can take
hem hiked high above my bony knees
spread slightly apart so I can breathe
I sit in the stifling air on a stony stoop
there’s no relief from the panting
my face stained with sweat and bad luck
the heave of my heavy breaths work
against the sticky cling of my spandex dress
my ribs confined by the constrict of fabric
or maybe it’s the feeling of my shrinking skin
—yes it’s hard to breathe
I lick a salty trickle falling on my lips
teary eyes swollen from the violence of a trick
a john who didn’t see the beauty beyond
vivid blue and red against white skin—
my body like the American flag for Christ’s sake!
but in the back-alley filth nobody’s patriotic
scabs and bruises distract from needle tracks
people only see what’s on the surface
afraid to see a trembling girl
hidden beneath the grime of shame
and the crime of syringes and burnt spoons —
I’m afraid too — to see the girl in the mirror
a veiled child jailed behind the glass
no I only see the next knot tied around a pulse
I avoid myself— the addict in the mirror
my dope sick eyes haunted decades older
oh older than nineteen years of beaten misery
hollow dope sick eyes once long ago large
lustrous like black pearls
until found by furious fists
Between the trees tall figures
Sisters hidden by perfect mirrors
Behind shivering trees pale and drawn
Shadows snicker at glories dawn
Fairies draw near flickering sheer petal wings
By quivering glimmer perfect mirrors swing
A verdant sea of cushion ferns and bushes
Admiring absolute spring beauty wishes
A magical playful fairy
Crowning grace
Streaming lace
Clustering ferns trace
Gossamer wings case
A shadow that goes in and out a pearl of merry
11/15/2016
When harlequin herbs bask in jeweled forests, do you hear me?
ferrying upon pearl-prayers, seeking warmth in doe's walnut eyes,
I'm the last of seven souls ~ before heaven's hyacinth gates.
That pensive look on her sweet face
Just like a child of mine.
Her eyes seem to follow you with
Dominion that's divine.
Northwest light on soft blush hued cheeks
Her grey-green eyes lay bare
Perhaps a secret rendezvous
In enigmatic stare.
Wet lips stained as if with cherries
Delft blue scarf hides her hair...
In penchant blossom of her youth
Portrait of beauty rare.
From her left ear hangs gracefully
One solitary pearl.
Melancholy hints, she may be
A woman, yet a girl.
May 3, 2017
Note:
Johannes Vermeer's 'Girl with a pearl earring'
c.1665 Mauritius Museum, The Hague.
The Dutch artist was born in Delft in 1632-1675.
One of the key paintings in Vermeer's oeuvre,
this portrait resists all attempts at the precise
identification of the sitter. It's charm, perhaps,
lies in the fact that it is an evocative expression
of timeless female beauty. I viewed this masterpiece
in 2009. She has the entire wall to herself.
My pearl of great price,
Will not be a sacrifice,
The love of my life,
My sacred wife,
Her named is Pearl,
She will have nothing to do with Earl,
Of the carnal world,
For she is strictly, My Pearl!
She is my wife ,
The wife of my life,
I married her when I divorced my youthful wife,
Of my mind’s strife!
She is the wife of my old age,
She has let my soul out of mind’s cage,
I didn’t meet her in my tender age,
I was not ready to hear her page!
When you personally find,
One of this kind,
A pearl of great price,
Pursue her for your wife,
By giving up your mind’s strife!
For she will not mate,
With an ego's persona of hate,
Neither will you enter into her narrow gate!
She is preserved,
For love, that deserves,
A husband named Freddy,
A soul in love that is ready,
So sweep your floor,
And weep no more,
Your pearl will open her door,
When she is totally shore,
You’re not looking back,
Toward the sack,
Of the mind’s scarlet,
Harlot!
Personally, I’ll do my part,
From my heart,
From the inner world,
Of my pearl,
For she is my Girl!
For the outer girl,
Of the world,
Is no pearl,
For she is a pigeon pouter,
Of the outer,
And thinks she is stouter,
In the outer,
World with Earl!
While the pearl of great price,
Has no vice
And she is meek,
But certainly not weak,
Very able to keep,
The soul of her man,
Within God’s plan!
Pearl’s inner meekness,
Does not mean weakness,
For it is the band,
without which a man,
Would not have substance of love,
From above!
Now when the mind learns to be meek,
Within his soul, he will seek,
Pearl's,
Inner world!
Time will,
Stand still,
Inside Pearl's real,
Deal,
And love will be fulfilled,
Within my Pearl’s inner world!
4-27-09 [email protected]
Donning splendiferous landscapes stretching for miles,
A culture that aptly prides, in bold, welcoming smiles;
A thriving land of islands~ an archipelago evincing awe,
A resplendence of nature, an exclamation of hurrah.
Sandy beaches embrace realms of pristine coastline,
Harboring lush foliage, embodying sublimity divine,
Of marine life, corals, reveling warmth of idyllic clime,
Reminiscent of paradise, of placidity, stilled in time.
Fun loving, amiable, proud tradition extolling grace,
Quaint, yet modern, is the vibrant vibe of this place;
Of museums, antiques, art galleries, buzzing cafe,
Of hotels, casinos, of famed sunsets on Manila Bay.
Luzon, the Visayas, Mindanao~ gems of the blue sea,
Living in tranquility, projecting utter beauty and glee;
Islands of hospitality, homeland of a privileged few,
A magnificent portrait, upon sea-canvas nature drew.
Philippines~ an acclaimed, lauded, pearl of the Orient,
Rich in diverse culture, her allure citizens augment,
Pulsating rhythms of hearts and souls, worthy of praise;
A treasure preserved, revered since the ancient days.
My lover is a pearl beneath the sea,
a treasure - hidden - dark and glistening.
I wake inside my midnight dream to see
him always there; he waits, unwavering.
He draws me in with deeply colored eyes
that penetrate the very core of me,
and then we’re swimming, naked, with no lies
to hide from one another, for we’re free!
Beneath the surface of the sea we meet,
for shallow waters were not meant for us.
And it’s in loving him I feel complete.
He warms the depths and makes them luminous.
My precious midnight pearl, who knows my soul,
is mine alone, and he is beautiful.
Each midnight glow is like this fleeting stone
And I, although I cherish, cannot steal
Or thrust on shore to hold until it’s grown
Below the tides of eve that plunge shall reel.
I stand as each crest scoops into the deep
And vanishes like jeweled drops of breath
To lie with mother pearls I couldn’t keep
For tiny are hand stems to grip their depth.
So now and then I wish that I may dip
Into the twirling wavelets with my arms
And haul pink mollusks which slide from my grip;
For in their husks, the pearl of Orient charms.
If midnight enthralls me into her sea
Oh, gems I touch only in memory.
by nette onclaud
for Put Your Best Rhyme Forward Contest
Ow midnight pearl ,On moonless nights
you shine so bright in cobalt skies
through every twinkle I find those eyes
which left behind last said goodbyes
Ow midnight pearl ,on lonely nights
I spread each wish beneath your beams
On shores afar I tread my dreams
as you fade slowly in cascade streams
Ow midnight pearl,On rainy nights
as snowflakes fall on a lone dove
I lay on cold sheets which once knew love
in yearn to see you waltzing above
Ow midnight pearl,On summer nights
you shine so bright in mystic skies
through every twinkle i find those eyes
as his lips whisper,'No more goodbyes'
Not for the contest,but inspired by Russell's contest 'Midnight Pearl' and by the many beautiful poems of each poet partcipating..Goodluck friends!
Surrounded by tranquil turquoise waters,
Guarded on sides by oceans three,
In the east by the Pacific,
On the south by the Celebes Sea,
And on the west by the south China Sea,
There is an archipelago on the blue water crescent,
A group of islands, called Philippines,
Encircled by a girdle of gleaming silver,
With its shores of stretching sandy swell
That lulls the restless waves to sleep;
A land of green vegetation and terraced terrain!
It houses picturesque and breath-taking views.
Vast beaches of ivory sand sprawl before our eyes
Dolphins leap over seafoam, palm fronds wink
Soft breezes waft and cotton clouds float above.
Anyone will fall in love with these tiny strips of land,
Of rugged hills and meandering rivers
Of placid backwaters and blue skies
Of gibbering monkeys and celestial monarch birds,
Of strutting peacocks, pigeons, pheasants, and parrots.
The powdery white sand of Boracay
The Chocolate Hills of Bohol
The Caraballo Mountain ranges,
And the Cordillera Mountain chain of Luzon,
The Rice Terraces of Philippine Cordilleras
All these give the country a solemn investiture.
Volcanic peaks, standing mighty and tall,
Proudly line the landscape, dotted with dense forests
Where birds sing melodies and Tarsiers with bug eyes
The tiny primates, endemic to the Philippines roam and jump
Amid the slumbering hills, there is fecund soil,
Turned into orchards and plantations,
Its population with perseverance and patience
Work in the soil relentlessly and in unison.
Well known for their hospitality, they receive tourists,
And outsiders with warmth and camaraderie.
In this paradise of mixed fortunes, tragedy comes unforeseen,
In the form of natural calamities like typhoons and cyclones,
But nothing can tear the people apart and they prosper,
With resilience, bent on sustaining their tradition,
Adding value to it each day and proud of an identity of their own
This beautiful land of velvet waves and crystal sands
Lying as a pendant in a crescent of emerald cluster
Rightly deserves the title- the 'Pearl of the Orient'