Best Tectonic Poems
Coral life forms in copious swarms
feast in the Cambrian chyme,
dividing their cells and forming their shells
to end on the seafloor as lime.
Tectonic churning and magma upturning
renders marble whiter than bone.
The marble is mined, but the cutters are blind
to the angel confined in the stone.
A young sculptor arose, with a bend in his nose
and a transcendent creative spark,
charged with ambition to fulfill a commission,
an angel for St. Dominic's Ark.
An artist sublime who will live for all time,
his genius is to see things not shown.
For an angel to achieve he first has to perceive
its splendor enclosed in the stone.
At dawning's first glow he surveys the tableau
of the blocks the stone cutters supplied.
In some he sees dreams of potential themes,
but only one holds an angel inside.
“A beautiful thing never gives so much pain
as does failing to hear it and see it.”
The block that he chose was rejected by those
who then lied and claimed to foresee it.
With talent and skill he falls to with a will,
surrounded by rubble and relic.
His method you see, for the angel to free
is to remove all the bits not angelic.
Michelangelo’s art for all time stands apart
but there's something further to heed.
For there's a bit more to the fine metaphor
in the tale of the angel he freed.
“A beautiful thing never gives so much pain
as does failing to hear it and see it.”
For in all our insides a bright angel abides
and is just waiting for something to free it:
to remove all the parts which harden our hearts,
to chip out the darkness and pride,
to smooth the rough patches, to polish the scratches
and unshackle the angel inside.
© January 26, 2013
Categories:
tectonic, allegory, angel, art, beautiful,
Form:
Rhyme
I've been watching you
Since your beginning
Whispering to you
A thousand subtle ways
Throughout all your days
You picked me up as a leaf
You were only three
Clutching my stem in your tiny hand
Long time you stared at me
Gazing at my veins, amber colors
Other leaves rustled in my fall winds
My songs to you, thousands of them
You couldn't listen then
At twenty three with your friend
You laid on your backs one clear night
In a grassy field peering starry lights
My voice was that galactic silence
Too low a whisper for you to hear
Only crickets caught your ear
Now you did hear
In your thirty third year
When your first child was born
And you heard my primal cry
Shook your illusions, you asked why
Your deceptions re emerged over time
Forty years later, no longer aware
Of the cosmic cycle we all share
Still my voice too quiet, too low
My greater voice in a single clap
Disintegrates humanity into smithereens
Think tectonic plate shifts are epic?
My full voice explodes a supernova
A sound no human has ever heard
A mere hiccup for me
I speak through this fragile human
Something of a poet, his intent is fine
Make no mistake, his thoughts are mine
Oh, I have many stories and wisdoms
I could have shared, had you only cared
At your end, we will finally embrace
As your dust clears
And leaves no trace
Listen
Be aware
4/6/18
Nature Contest
Sponsor: Regina McIntosh 5/6/21
Categories:
tectonic, humanity, introspection, nature, perspective,
Form:
Free verse
Tidal Waves
Brackish debris filled surf retreats
depositing into hard sand graves
pictures stolen from post cards
Shards of a city strewn disjointedly
still ticking clocks idled in the moment
streets awash in decorative disarray
liquid mud roiling through the streets
ravenous pain stalking its victims
cold shock of sunshine’s failure
hands clutching grabbing
carried on the crust of fear
waving in silent farewell
luxury and comfort crushed
wild furor of seismic waves
expending tectonic energy
John G. Lawless
5/12/2015
submitted to - Show but Don’t Tell – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Thomas Martin
Categories:
tectonic, horror, natural disasters,
Form:
Free verse
Traversing Iceland's National Park, a timeless place, where daylight fills each passing hour
and twilights ever brief. While volcanoes stand by sentinel, amidst dark lava fields.
Amazing geysers so magnificent, vent angry clouds of steam. Our route wlnds through
wild landscapes, laid down by ice and fire. Breathtaking scenes see lustrous skies, change
colour constantly. To marvel as wild reindeer herds migrate, in seeking pastures new.
We rest awhile to take respite beside a waterfall, avoiding midday's heat. And bathe in ice
cool waters crystalline, refreshing tired feet. The time soon comes for us to climb to high
plateaus,where vast glaciers with melting ice, cascade torrents down below. From this
vantage point we sight, the coastal waters where we aim to spend the night. Eventually, we
make our descent, crisscrossing mountain streams, and wend our way carefully, to stroll
through pastures green. Wild ponies graze as we pass by, observing us with watchful eye.
Unbroken and unbowed by man, a force of nature, likens them to this rugged land.
At journey's end we reach the fjord, this tranquil scene gains our accord for
camping wild. Waiting patiently until the midnight hour to take some photographs.
All panoramic landscapes, and taking centre stage this star, still shining bright our sun.
Waking early to the strident sounds of seabirds raucous calls. Our experience seems
so surreal, without the break of dawn. Today our destination will end our brief sojourn.
Eventfully we stand beside where continents divide, Eurasia and North America's
tectonic plates collide.
arctic midnight sun
shows creations finest hour
land of ice and fire
6/ 24/ 2018.
Categories:
tectonic, fire, summer, sun,
Form:
Haibun
…the greatest poet who ever lived
…our Lord Jesus Christ
Wishes that wash upon the shallow shore,
Lacrimal lesions of the holographic whore…
Tectonic temptations, the lava shall pour,
Unleashing emotions, entombed we gore.
Mangled monuments of ruins regurgitate,
Surfacing megalomania of demons dominate…
Demonic destruction encroaches to infiltrate,
Demigods of desire will position to penetrate.
Distant horizons dissipating within plain sight,
Frigid frustrations amidst fore playing frostbite…
Detestation distortions of Hell’s agape appetite,
Antagonizing warring Angels take feverous flight.
Falling into oblivion within the blink of an eye,
Idempotent illusions making macabre to justify…
But there stands one soul, whose words do magnify,
Their love spreading thru asphyxiating air to clarify.
...background music by 'The Metal Heroes'
A tool tribute band... copy of 'Sinkfist'
Using a male virtual voiceover
June.24.2019
More To Me Poetry
Sponsored by: William Kekaula
Placed 1'st...
Premiere Contest...
Thank You
Categories:
tectonic, jesus, judgement, spoken word,
Form:
Rhyme
Firstly, one has to take into account their scientific peers’ remarks,
As to the likely cause of how an Earthquake starts.
Some forums say it is caused by the shift in tectonic plates,
Others seem to doubt, seem to hesitate.
Some believe a government conspiracy of a machine that causes the devastation,
Their conspiracy being at the cost of the suffering of another nation.
The layman believe, if all the people in China, at the same time jump,
It would cause worldwide earthquakes as their feet come down with a thump.
Nevertheless, to conduct such a feat would be a difficult task
Therefore it has never been tested and is considered a farce
I have read the theories from all these schools of thought,
And collated the facts that backs my theory which is now widely taught.
Take some time to cogitate the facts
Sit back and take the time to chew on the fat
You will see the simplicity in my theory
And say to your self it’s all true how eerie
The Earthquakes are caused by, you guessed it me and you
From the sexual experiences we all go through
Example:
“I felt the Earth move, how was it for you?”
And she would say “I felt it tremble and saw fireworks too”
Or:
I saw Jane today, you know, the one that makes me go weak by the knees
She’s a real knee trembler a real sex tease
Now imagine these experiences on a grand scale,
No think bigger than me misses; I know she’s bigger than a whale
They say there is a couple having naughties every second of the day
That’s many earth moving experiences I have to say
These minor trembles are absorbed by the earths crust from these sensations
That occur in every town, country, and among diverse nations
So when you lie in bed savouring the tasty aftermath
Before you decide to take a bath
When you think how he or she made you feel the earth move
You have contributed to the making of earthquakes and there’s the proof.
Good night
Categories:
tectonic, funnyme, time, earth, me,
Form:
Rhyme
On the twelfth of August in nineteen fifty three
Tectonic plates moved in the Ionian sea
A massive earthquake bringing destruction and death
Caused kefalonia to draw her last breath.
Buildings were flattened and many lives were lost
It has since been rebuilt at an enormous cost
Fiskcardo in the north was the only town spared
A cry for help was answered because the world cared.
British and Israelis' were the first to arrive
Helped all those poor souls who managed to survive
Bringing medical care and much needed supplies
Helped the search for those buried, listening for their cries.
Many emigrated and they moved far away
Couldn't cope with the horrors they witnessed that day
But some did remain and with help rebuilt their lives
Now a bustling destination, tourism thrives.
The film Captain Corelli brought the island fame
Now everyone has heard of this Greek islands name
Drive up the mountain amongst the tall green pine trees
And below see the view of crystal clear seas.
With its uncrowded beaches of white dazzling sand
It is a beautiful place so fine and so grand
Visit the island if you ever get a chance
Enjoy their cuisine and wine and join in the dance.
Some ruins of the buildings stand like a shrine
Reminds you that this island is on a fault line.
Greek's are proud people; will never admit defeat
And will dance in defiance at what lies at their feet.
Written 4th June 2019.
Categories:
tectonic, holiday, mountains, natural disasters,
Form:
Narrative
“If you cannot be yourself, do not take away the identity of another.” -D.J.E.
Why do you return in another form,
Another residual voice?
Did you forget the palpable scar you left
Through your romantic coercions?
We believed you.
We trusted you.
We even kind of liked you.
You knew this,
You cherished this.
Yet, with enamoring backhands
You crossed the boundary of someone else's heart
While you forgot to rediscover
Your own independent territory
All in the name of co-dependent epiphanies.
Blame the shameful animosities around you
As you hide behind atmospheric rainbows
And tectonic miseries
You reach for the loins of those in disdain
As your smile falsely proclaims
That it will stop their rain
Your stalker’s reign,
The only truth behind your crooked swagger
Verbally, your conjugated kiss could never complete my sentences…
…for I’ve already been sentenced to a lifetime of paradoxical complexities.
And no matter how many profile pics you lay claim to,
You malicious self-worth will always be defaulted.
©D.J.E. – July 5th, 2018
Categories:
tectonic, betrayal, identity, trust,
Form:
Free verse
Why Can’t We?
Are we not all mere music notes sprinkled
on the grand staff of time, alterations
between sharp and flat spanning a few chords
looking for some thoughtful orchestration?
Are we not but specks from the dust of stars,
all equal in breath and design, fleeting
sounds still striving to be heard from afar
signs hoping to be harmonized, waiting?
Why then do we thrive on friction, battling
like giant tectonic plates colliding
in the dark never to be reconciled?
Why by so much division are we plagued?
Why can’t we look up and greet a new day,
make a new friend without always asking
dividing questions and wanting to weigh
what so brightly stands before us, shining?
Categories:
tectonic, humanity, life,
Form:
Quatrain
born under the sea, an irresistible force
two bodies reluctantly embrace, shunting, shifting, tectonic drifting
alongside the southern Iapetus Ocean
equatorial deep-time child of Laurentia and Avalonia
journey northward, surfacing, submerging
surfing the waves again, a colder Hibernian dalliance
precariously perched on Eurasian plate
old bedrock confused, youthful erosion above the ancient order
darkness entombed around channelled winter light
early New Grange civilisation, the Boyne valley before the blood
river mouth vikings, raiding, assimilating
birth of the coming capital, eastern stronghold, Baile Atha Cliath
chain-mail Norman conquerors castle-building
appointing pious supplicants with sword, cloth, crook and cross
wholly unholy alliances unravel
rival hierarchies sharing ill-gotten earthly reward from overseas
saintliness, brutality, men and women
expanding Christendom, pagan kingdoms adjusting to defeat
Patrick, Brigid, Columba, Columbanus
Irish civilising roman catholic conduits, Dalriata to Lindisfarne
outreaching, a strand of Irish character
yet to encounter future revisionary metaphysical thought
protestant rebellion, mainland overspill
praying elites competing, preying on the island's god-fearing people
avian watchers on Skellig pinnacles
warm ocean currents well-up, catching the southwestern gale
enduring the ill-will of nature and man
supplanting, subjugating, saving souls, the power of might and fear
treachery within or well beyond the pale
fair and dark hair, ginger genetics existing on the edge of life
tossed thin people hanging on, many leaving
scraping blighted ground, returning to the sea, promise of the unknown
Categories:
tectonic, community, history, ireland, time,
Form:
Narrative
10/17/19
"Brand New"
I'd be damned to quit
Putting out some brand new s***
With a brand new drip
In my a step a brand new skip
Brand new tint
Steering wheel with a brand new grip
In a brand new whip
With a brand new chick
On my hip a brand new stick
With a brand new clip
The man who's lit
Got a brand new script
Just picked up a brand new zip
And a brand new brick
No better time to make a brand new flip
Never been brand new to it
It was time to get a brand new skiff
So I bought a brand new ship
Blessed with a brand new gift
As well as a brand new shtick
On my shoulder a brand new chip
Ready to take care of this brand new itch
Towing a trailer, in a brand new truck with a brand new lift
And a brand new hitch
Found a brand new niche
Only out for brand new not no kitsch
Accomplished it, and now got a brand new wish
Currently on a brand new mish
While solving a brand new twist
Companies advertising a brand new pitch
She got surgery for some brand new ti**
In a state of brand new bliss
In the air a brand new drift
The tectonic plates near a brand new shift
Soon in the sky a brand new eclipse
Purchased some brand new kicks
About to use some brand new tricks
All these brand new cliques
And brand new pricks
I'm going to handle it
In the dark, don't need no candlestick
It's my problem, so i'm dipping my hand in this
Stunning crafts like amulets
A planet full of inhabitants
Areas full of contaminants
Sitting atop their palaces
People obsessed with extravagance
Others starving and ravenous
Not all became graduates
Some got into accidents
Causing a state of paralysis
Folks so haplessness
This life is nothing short of fabulous
The verdict wasn't always unanimous
Still into cannabis
But not abstinence
Got it done, regardless of short handedness
Near and far from waters with platypus
I'm working on my own analysis
The results shall be nothing short of miraculous
By: Dalton Ogletree
Categories:
tectonic, dark, how i feel,
Form:
Rhyme
Spoke to a cloud today –
the usual conversation
about shape and size,
lows and highs...whether
my need to tote a handy, spring
loaded umbrella...or a better chance
to go without pants, dance
on the beach ~ showing off
thighs, widening sockets
of older generational eyes – he
told me of clouds who gather and
threaten, causing ships to leap into
salty lather, sailors beware!
take battened-down care! – schools
of fishes diving to ocean depths
they share, with ancient vessels (and sewage),
a seafloor covered with sandy
coinage – a diver's delight; when
stormed into sight –
more subjects of our chatter
and debates, were those of tides
and tectonic plates; also of bony-splatter:
living shrapnel, from a well aimed cannon-ball
against a wooden hull, or artillery shell,
man's modern perpetuation, of that never
settling, always heartening seafarer's knell –
I went on to ask, if in all his travels, had
he ever seen anything truly divine?
Like an angel passing...or a saucer
flying...perhaps some mythical dragon
soaring, trying to lasso down a tasty
moon ~ bring him brightly closer,
doing some dragon flips, salivating
for cheesie fondue lips....
Categories:
tectonic, humanity, people, perspective, philosophy,
Form:
Free verse
A quake took place
between my shoulder blades
teeth ground to dust behind my face
the scraping of tectonic plates
scared me to my hiding place
bottles and blankets, a child’s space
it cannot withstand the shakes
that are now all too commonplace.
Categories:
tectonic, addiction, drink, drug, mental
Form:
Rhyme
The sleeping giant stirred
Turned over on one side
The world was engulfed
By an abnormally high tide.
Tectonic plates quivered
The whole world gave a shake
Before finally settling back
With just a few minor quakes.
Now totally relaxed
The sleeping giant sleeps on
And until he next stirs
The state of peril is gone.
Categories:
tectonic, extended metaphor, nature,
Form:
Rhyme
In my quest of life sublime
I face a mountain I must climb
There dwells up inside of me
A growing amount of hostility
My anger is growing day by day
Regardless of the prayers I pray
Like two grinding tectonic plates
One is love and the other is hate
As the plates slowly grind away
Price of hate my love must pay
Like a beautiful exotic dance
Hate is held in dark romance
Like a lone mountain flower
Love shall hold mystic power
The two sides of a single face
Only one can rule this place
Off to hell fallen angels go
Is this the fate of my soul?
Is the meaning of this rhyme?
Bound by the hands of time
For all to hear and all to see
Love and hate each dwell in me
Love and hate each have their goal
I wonder, which shall win my soul
Categories:
tectonic, angst, confusion, introspection, life,
Form:
Couplet