Best Pushed Poems
Yet Pushed, Ever Onward, I Dare Tread
BEHOLD, I wade into darkening mists,
My journey, clarification of Fate
When I balked, black ghost said, I insist
Hurry destiny cries it is too late,
Strolling deep within, horrific the sounds
So strangely pungent the circling winds
In distant valleys, baying of the hounds-
I fear what that hideous sign portends.
Now so afraid, through weeping years I trod
Searching, ever onward, I did thus tread.
My shield, simply faith in Light and my God
And bushels of truth, to me, life has fed.
I pray for salvation of divine light.
Blessed ending of this courageous flight.
Robert J. Lindley, 9-02-2021
Sonnet(dark)
Yet Pushed, Ever Onward, I Dare Tread
BEHOLD, I wade into darkening mists,
My journey, clarification of Fate
When I balked, black ghost said, I insist
Hurry destiny cries, it is too late,
Strolling deep within, horrific the sounds
So strangely pungent the circling winds
In distant valleys, baying of the hounds-
I fear what that hideous sign portends.
Now so afraid, through weeping years I trod
Yet pushed, ever onward, I dare tread
My shield, simply faith in Light and my God
And bushels of truth, to me, life has fed
I pray for salvation of divine light
Blessed ending of this courageous flight.
Robert J. Lindley, 9-02-2021
Sonnet(dark)
Copyright © Robert Lindley | Year Posted 2021
I've been doing my current job for 32 years; lots of travel, places and people. A few memories stick out; my own Book of Hours, it would be almost one per year.
The first job I was on was Four Corners Power Plant, near Farmington, New Mexico, on Navajo Nation land, where the turbines brought electricity to the people, and the smokestacks brought death to the indigo plants in the area. Shiprock, the volcanic mountain, stands to the west. I was working the nightshift, and one day went to see it. After sleeping in the morning, I drove west along US Highway 64, toward the mountain. On the way, I passed a slower moving vehicle, a red pickup truck with lots of people in it, four in the cab, five or six sitting in the back. Locals, Native Americans, Navajos.
The mountain was superb in shadowed relief as the afternoon sun went lower. I got good pictures in the clear air, under nothing but blue sky. At 8 p.m. I'd have to be back in to work, so the time came to return east toward the hotel. After a few miles there were flashing lights in the distance; as I got closer I saw they were Navajo Tribal Police vehicles.
There had been an accident - the pickup truck I had passed had run off the road. It was where the highway went through a cut in the hills, red rock walls rising on either side, red sand and dust below. Bodies wrapped in white sheets, out of place against the red; blindingly white, impossibly white, shouldn't be.
I drove past the scene very slowly, and now I don't know if the three Navajo Police officers were moving or not. I see them standing stone still, burdened, slightly bent over, heads looking at the ground, with that big, beautiful blue sky above them. Shock and sadness stepping down from above, grief being born. Navajos are quiet mourners, and I wonder if in the great cycle of all things, of which death is a part, the spirits were then walking away, softly, across their hearts. Law enforcement is no stranger to traffic accidents, and tragic loss of life is sometimes seen, but this was more - this was their people.
Hear me, hear me, sound me out,
I don’t understand what you’re about.
Euphoric drugs to boost your brain?
Why they're dragging your senses down the drain.
They mask your mind and make you doubt,
at the slightest word, you’re prone shout.
Oh oh ohhhh, how they tear you apart.
A false embrace to numb your heart.
But why won't you see, that they can kill?
As they choke out your spirit and shatter your will.
They can turn a goal into the ultimate reason,
while your soul screams out at this unjust treason.
True ecstasy doesn’t come from a pill.
It’s an innate feeling, with a costless bill.
A weed is something that grows wild and free,
Not a joint that you roll up, upon your knee.
And crystal, a long mineral process, as in rock?
But now I’m hearing, it’s made around the clock.
Man oh man…...will you please wake up?
You’re drinking serenity from a broken cup.
The dealers will treat you as though you were swine,
for money always feeds, their greedy jowl minds.
And they don’t seek just money, but power as well,
as they man the controls of this highway to hell.
Oh yeah, I'm mean to tighten my grip,
to speak out my mind as I watch you trip.
You aren't the cog of a wheel at a county fair,
turning around aimlessly, but going nowhere.
I know you can kick this, and make out just fine,
but how about the others, the ones waiting in line?
Thinking back to the day
I thought we would never part
Then suddenly my life would change
Going through a terrible time
My mind would drift away
Parts of life I needed to rearrange
Although my mind was not alert
By my side you would always stay
Even as my heart slowly drifted away
I chose false friends over true love
A love I will never find again
During this time feeling so far away
I made this world my world
Only caring about myself
Thinking I wanted to be alone
You never gave up on our love
A love that I did not show
Again you stayed at my side
I continued to push our love away
For this I will always pay
Pay with this terrible pain
It has been so long
I realize the mistakes made
I Never meant to hurt you
I was consumed with myself
I Know that I was wrong
Still you mean so much to me
Now I see you with someone else
I pretend that I don't care
Inside I'm hiding every tear
Sitting by myself
Thinking of you and the times we had
Our song is played on the radio
"And if I can't have you right now
I'll wait, dear"
My life is filled with regret
I pushed true love away
Everyday I look to the sky
A tear is cried and I ask myself, why?
I'm Afraid of being played... (Before)
I’m so afraid of being played…
You have been here before…
So afraid of being betrayed…
So You kept one foot out the door…
I’m so afraid of letting go…
You paid very close attention…
So afraid of what I know…
To Some things I didn’t mention…
I’m so afraid of what I feel…
So You have never been surprised…
So afraid you are not real…
You thought You knew a lie in disguise…
*****************************************************************************
So I pushed you away... (After)
I’m so afraid but I tried…
I never gave You a real chance…
So afraid You thought I lied…
I thought I knew You at first glance…
I’m so afraid You were wrong…
I know I made myself doubt…
So afraid but You brought this on…
I even tried to block You out…
I’m so afraid You made me run…
But You were here to stay…
So afraid I thought I was the one...
Now I've pushed you away…
Lay
As far as I was concerned I was pushed throughout my life.
Pushed by people who thought they were harder than me.
YOU PUSH ME, I PUSH BACK.
I was an angry kid. Coming from 4 children and a single
Mother made matters a bit worst.
The anger caused a fearlessness in me.
I nearly took my LAST breath after being pushed into a
swimming pool at 5years old.
LUCKILY I had a guardian angel who rescued me.
NEXT EPISODE:
I had a BAD fight on the SCHOOL BUS.
Saw BLOOD didn't even care.
She provoked the FIGHT. Well I was SUSPENDED
OR EXPELLED. I didn't miss that school, at all.
Survived that episode.
NOW, to a 13 year old what was better than being a GANG MEMBER.
NOTHING!!
We had occasional conflicts with other gangs.
YEAH, graduated from eigth grade and moved on.
Well, high school was a blur.
I developed a few CRUSHES, then graduated and moved on.
C STUDENT.
JOINED the NAVY directly after ward's.
Went into BOOT CAMP TRAINING.
GOT IN GOT OUT.
'TIL this day I STILL CAN'T SWIM.
the NAVAL TRAINING grounds had an Olympic sized
Swimming POOL 12 ft. Deep.
Had a difficult time preventing my own DROWNING.
The instructors forced everybody to jump into the cold water early in
The #!@#= MOURNING.
Well I was in the reserves after I graduated.
YEAH, so i GOT OUT,
a few years afterwards
Now, I'm here writing and DISCOVERING MYSELF.
My brain is totally tapped
Something in me finally snapped
My blood pressures on the rise
Flames are shooting from my eyes
Getting feverish and hot
Tightness is about to start
In my hands as fists are closing
Signs of anger surely showing
Veins in my head fastly thumping
Stress is furiously pumping
Through every inch and every space
Redness on my cheeks and face
Tremors causing me to shake
Like a dangerous earthquake
That will do a lot of damage
I can not control or manage
These emotions so watch out
Smoke is coming from my "snout"
I'm a bull about to charge
Painful sharp horns big and large
So stay clear out of my path
At full force I will attack
Everyone who's been a jerk
In my life causing the hurt
Making me go this insane
Revenge is such a deadly game
I am a gentle man, and I try with all my heart to love my fellow man and do all that I
can, to help out and get along. However, there are some men that no matter what
you do will try to hurt and take advantage of you.
I am very patient, I give them every chance, I try to endure and show them love. I
try to check my anger, turn the other cheek strive to be humble and meek.
There comes a time when all efforts have failed, when I've been pushed far too long
and too hard. They think they can keep pushinig and never let up.
The time comes when I've seen the light I put on my war face and prepare for the
fight. I give them fair warning they can clealy see the war paint on my face.
I may not win the battle this might surely be, but I will stand my ground, take their
best and give back what they deal out twice. I may not win today or the next, but
eventually I will win the war.
Listen to me brother and keep it in your mind, if you keep pushing people it could
turn out to be your end.
Some say im clever for the things i know
But its been only through my failures
That my life has grown
Ive been heartbroken more than i care to count
And trials and struggles just seem to mount
Ive hung my head ready to pack it all in
At times when ive lost everything
and never seem to win.
My family has abandoned me
because they believed a lie
Another lost prodigal with a home denied
But ive learned through it all
to trust only in God above
He is my refuge and my tower of love.
So im not really clever cause
the world shaped me this way
They pushed me into the arms
of my savior and there ill stay.
I tried to be strong, tried to be good
But staggering through hell
I’ve seen things that nobody should
I see the evil radiate and warm many souls
I turned my heart to stone
Thinking it was enough to keep me pure
But evil creeps, hunts me out, I’m sure
Happy and carefree I use to be
Love in my heart, overflowing for all to see
Hateful world, despair is all I now see
Putrefying piece of cold dead meat
Joy there was, now becoming obsolete
We should each keep to our own
I say to those, who turn on me
The pain and hurt you unleashed on me
Keep it afar do not further infect me
Or wrath unknown, you will set me free
You will experience fury like no other
The deepest depths of my inhumanity
Will drive you into infinite insanity
I will have nothing to lose
Retribution to gain
Blackness will be my soul
I will let darkness rain...
(another dark one :-) ...)
I was pushed to the limits
my thoughts were disturbing
was i orchestrating a path of distruction
i had no mercy for folks who crossed me
were folk so confused about me
had i been keeping a score card all these years
was i a ticking time bomb
was i planing a suicide mission
or did i just want to out shine them one more time
was i dead serious or just burned out of life
would this be a bad scene or the worst
scene you have ever scene
was i indulging my depraved mind
or was it i am a ticking time bomb
was i out of my mind was i completely
out of control
would you ever think of me again
would i go to heaven or hell
Bang it was over
folks were crying and asking why
what went wrong with me
folks say i was a loner and a outcast
always keeping to his self
i left a note that they read
no one going to push me around no more!
When They Pushed
Poem was pathetic and ended up rotten
When received wished you hadn't gotten
Grammar was mixed up in a big mess
How horrible things were have to confess.
Should have seen usage of each italic
Looked like symbol similar to a phallic
Being awkwardly stuck up in the air
And do it again, you wouldn't dare.
We finally came to the realization
Never knew nothing about punctuation
Thought to capitalize was a capital crime
So she avoided using it all of the time.
She even thought sentence diagraming
Were atomic charts and used in spamming
Entire English Department we did chastise
When recommending poem for Pulitzer Prize.
James Thomas Horn
Retired Veteran and Poet
RiverSea Plantationm
Bolivia, NC
Push aside, confused and lonely
Is ennui for I and me only
Wanna feel needed, nowhere to turn
Affiliation, I have to earn?
Unique or weird, really don’t know
Johari Window, how do I show?
Goals on the plate, not an issue
Motivationlessly crying inside, where’s tissue
No one contacts me, saying I miss you
But I was pushed aside from the very beginning
Maybe this is just a phase I appear to be winning
Just gotta have faith, only time will tell?
It needs to speak up because I am going through hell.
Your attitude has got to go
My top is about to blow
Not liking what you will see
As the other side of me
Brings a fury large and wide
A tremor from deep inside
Will not stop and get more violent
There's no way to keep it silent
Once it builds up from the depth
Where it's been quietly kept
Until someone like you makes
Rude comments causing me to break
And the anger just explodes
Until all the heavy loads
That have been laying so dormant
Years of your abuse and torment
Are making me go insane
There is no one you should blame
When my sweetness turns to evil
Your the one who has to deal
With the monster you created
Every time you have inflated
My mind with your words of hate
Learning it is much too late
For your false apologies
And your lying I'm sorrys
That do not mean anything
As your words of meanness rings
Every day inside my mind
Allowing me never to find
Any forgiveness or care
So you better just beware
Not to cross me anymore
Or you will be on the floor
With my wrath keeping you down
And no kindness to be found