Best Terence Poems
My place
There also is my place, where I explore my understanding
Of words that are said and thoughts revealed, interpretations made;
Intimacy shared and dissected, speculations proffered and discarded,
And wisdom is given and received, the acolyte at the master’s feet.
It is my space and, like another place, is defined
By boundaries that keep us within the precincts of confidentiality;
Although I unspokenly stretch these boundaries to my own ends,
And bring my world into the professional arena of supervision.
I look within, to my past and the life I have lived,
And Terence speaks across the centuries to remind me:
"*****sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto", restatement
That I am human, and live and feel as do those I counsel.
We live in parallel worlds, my client, my supervisor; and me,
Who counsels others yet who explores himself, whose
Understandings of others are but insights into his own
Psyche and his struggles for understanding and closure.
Nothing human is alien to me, and I forget my role, sometimes;
And move into my own spotlight, that I may illuminate
Myself with the insights gained from you, who is here,
Before me, my supervisor and unwitting therapist to me.
And you? You also watch, alert to my half spoken thoughts.
A mirror, that bends and shapes the reflection of myself
To reveal unformed understandings, to give them meaning
And substance; a shaft of sunlight penetrating murky
Waters, that both teaches, and counsels me.
Categories:
terence, care,
Form:
Blank verse
-
Terence a Griffiths of Tyrone or Leitrim!
Did he know but later of 1820 he would be there born
A Flax Grower a renter from landlords of Lord Leitrim's domain
To thresh and sack and cloth and sow by wife and all but slavery go
A brother Bartholemew younger and two rented fields up
They toiled and cut their respective Dromahair tracks for family food and church
Imagined home of limestone scraw and thatch and little more
To Him and Mary had children born but died and died but - James a smile born at last
Year of 42 destined of birth and life much the same
With toil and despair like all the rest of this peopled land
A famine near but river trout and oats and eggs kept going without the potato plant
Blyte and desperation spared on none but those ready those prepared
Not prepared evicted on the lonely green lined road and board of works pittance
For those a fraction better or more a trip to port and bay to look across the sea
Without a family to meet or lodgings to lay
The night before a sorrowful wake of music and porter barrel there
With food and tears and pennies off never to see no more
Terence proud and sad James he sends America to go
And send some money home to mother to lowly sons
She creaks and breaks and steers the stomach
Up and down the drains of hungers pains
The deck to break of wave and sounds and New Amsterdam emerge
Better lands and money sent home to purchase 20 Acres and 2 roods no more
Never to return is not true. A loyal James to Landlord downed and to family too
He roots and spreads and family bear and atained a generation there
But cannot see to bear another ship for those he knows and hates the family split
A neighbour lined up at the poor house and green lane go. He can stand no more
And sacks the postman's bag with others and throws the notice to the ditch
The brutal notice of postman's summons blocks arrests the rabble and gaols the mob
I saw the picture of Limerick gaol a bowler hat not there but pride
Pride in a smile. - James a smile born at last.
Categories:
terence, familyfamily, home, family, food,
Form:
I left the pub one night in a bit of a tizzy
and saw some kind of being like a tin lizzie.
This turned out to be a polite alligator
now on probation for having eaten a waiter.
The police left it tied to a street lamp, it seemed.
It looked so kind. how its joyful face beamed.
It spoke perfect English, quoted Terence and Horace.
I was surprised to learn that its first name was Boris.
"In life,' it confided. 'whatever you do,
apologize profusely and past failures rue.
Then proclaim calmly the past to be past.
Now is the time to move on at last.'
Its sudden jerk made me lose grip of its leash ,
before attacking an old person whom it ate like a quiche.
"I just couldn't resist, so please don't tell the cops,'
it said, tears in eyes. while licking its chops.
The loss of that gentleman causes me pain.
I promise sincerely not to do that again.'
Then two irate policemen appeared on the scene.
One was fat and the other was lean.
Boris polished them off at remarkable speed.
To discourage this act no plea could succeed.
I wagged a finger to show disapproval
at such a violent and hasty removal.
'I am so sorry,' said Boris 'That's the last time
I shall ever commit such a base crime.
As I said before, it's time to move on.
The past is past. what's gone has gone.'
Who then should appear but Lord James Murray,
whom Boris devoured in rather a hurry.
'Boris,' I cried. 'That's enough. I'm perplexed.'
'In that case,' said Boris, you are the next.'
I ran like a hare for all I was worth
as never I ran from the day of my birth.
I got to my home, rushed in, locked the door.
I hid under the bedclothes, struck to the core.
What a hangover I had on the following day.
I saw no sign of Boris, I'm so glad to say.
Categories:
terence, anxiety, dream, violence,
Form:
Burlesque
Bullets and Bars
There goes another one
Shot or put behind bars
Put behind bars with battle scars
Scars from protests
Ones from which whites try to contest
These white cops try to put us to rest
But we just raise one fist to show who’s best
Bullets and Bars
These whites try to define who us black men are
How many more will be shot
How about those we say are guilty but the jury says is not
Do all lives matter?
Like chocolate chips in pancake batter?
Some say our race is a disgrace
Or just by the look on that white cops face
When he pulls the trigger to decide another black person’s fate
A fate a black man can’t decide because there’s a gun to his face
Bullets and bars
We ask, when will it stop
But at the end of the day we all know that decision is up to the cop
Bullets and bars
We look for leaders, not dealers
We want to drive down the street in Lambos and Ferraris
Without being pulled over to ask
“Where’d u get it”
Without hesitation, next thing you know you’re put behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit
Bullets and bars
One shot after another
Now there’s a sad mother
Are whites favored over blacks
Like dogs are liked more than cats
Keith Scott, Alton Sterling, and Terence Crutcher
All of them shot dead, now sons don’t have fathers
Bullets and Bars
Be careful of how you look and who you are
Because you can be shot with a bullet or put behind bars
Now listen to these bars
Categories:
terence, america, anger, black african
Form:
ABC
I go to bed with troubled sighs,
And hopes of a new tomorrow
That brings your lips, your smile your eyes
And a day with no more sorrow.
The soul rests easy with you in mind
And when night time dreams have ended
I wake with dawn,
Euphoric inside, with a heart that’s newly mended.
And I forever in your debt
For you have shown that love can be
When all that’s left is zealous regret,
It’s you who made the blind eyes see.
Categories:
terence, love
Form:
Free verse
If there is such a thing as reincarnation
you're born again after your death,
dear Lord can I make my requirements now
in advance of taking my last breath.
Since you can control how we all will be born
can I please at least have my own choice,
namely when I have finally reached puberty
can I talk with Richard Burton's voice.
Some bits of Dave Gandy would come in quite handy,
especially that chest with no hair,
Terence Stamp's eyes, Arnold Schwarzenegger's thighs
and a good thatch of Tom Cruise's hair.
Don't let me come back as this same sad old sack
like a teddy bear with too much stuffing,
all wrinkles and creases defining my features
on a face like an over-thumped muffin.
Categories:
terence, beauty, humor,
Form:
Rhyme
We commemorate the death of our love ones
We don't celebrate the death of our love ones
Today is not a great day
Today is a very sad day
We don't care about wealth, avarice, money and cupidity
We abhor hate, greed, hatred, racism, and police brutality
Today, we don't care about the economy
Today, we want to eradicate greed, bigotry
Racism, division, lies, deceit and hypocrisy
We care tremendously about our health
Not about wealth. We care about over 100,000 deaths
We commemorate the death of George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Jamar Clark
Jeremy McDole, Breonna Taylor, Sean Bell, David MacAtee, Stephon Clark
Adam Atraore, William Josma, Steve Biko, Kalief Browder, William Chapman
Sean Reed, Sean Monterrosa, Antwon Rose Alton Sterling, Michael Ferguson
Philando Castile, Amadou Diallo, De'von Bailey, Samuel DuBose, Redel Jones
Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Michelle Shirley, Tony McDade, Deb Danner, Ken Watkins
Laquan McDonald, Ahmaud Arbery, Terence Crutcher, Manuel Ellis, Korryn Gaines
Many Native Americans and many other brothers and sisters. We are out of breath
We have been suffering, hurting, in pain and crying too much. Enough is enough
We can't breathe. Get off our necks. Black lives matter. No justice, no peace
We celebrate life and love. Black lives matter. We want to live a long life
We commemorate death. We can't breathe. No justice, no peace.
Copyright © June 2020, Hébert Logerie, all rights reserved.
Hébert Logerie is the author of several collections of poems.
Categories:
terence, courage, cry, eulogy, farewell,
Form:
Rhyme
I go to bed with troubled sighs,
And hopes of a new tomorrow
That brings your lips, your smile your eyes
And a day with no more sorrow.
The soul rests easy with you in mind
And when night time dreams have ended
I wake with dawn,
Euphoric inside, with a heart that’s newly mended.
And I forever in your debt
For you have shown that love can be
When all that’s left is zealous regret,
It’s you who made the blind eyes see.
Categories:
terence, love,
Form:
Free verse
I was attracted by your beauty, but I fell in love with your aura
On a lust-filled journey, I stumbled over some thing that means a lot more; you
Your youth and apparent innocence, drew me to you, but when I got closer
As I got to know you, I realised that under a glossy, youthful veneer
Lay a mature, grounded soul which would leave an imprint on this world
In my eyes, you were to be my porcelain doll, that I would forever protect
I soon found out that, your looks were nothing but a distraction
Your substance would protect you and your intelligence would break down barriers
Indeed, many doors would be opened to you in this life
You did not need me to protect you and, sadly, you did not need me at all
I gave you my love, you initially gave back in equal measure, then you rebuffed me
But you left me with poetry
I gave you my time and you did the same and then, when you left me
Time stood still and so did everything else in my life
But with my words, I eventually found my flow
You left without a trace, but there are traces of you in every word I write
You may be hidden from my sight but the words that you unwittingly left me
Allow me to see you clearly, they allow me to pause and zoom in on you
I enjoyed every moment that I spent with you and, if I have any regrets
My regrets are few, coz you left me with the gift of poetry
My regrets are few, coz the moments of joy and the sweet memories
Far outweigh any pain I may have felt
My regrets are few, coz moments spent with you were cathartic
They were light-hearted. Besides, you left me with poetry
Our episode exemplifies life itself. We embark on a journey full of hope
In the beginning we haven't a clue how it will end, but we remain hopeful
Now that our earthly adventure has ended, I cease to be hopeful of a reunion
However, I look forward to communing with you in another life
Once our earthly journeys are over
Your soul mate
© Terence Msuku
Categories:
terence, lost love, love, soulmate,
Form:
Prose Poetry
As I write
I think deeply as I write, even though some of the my characters may be shallow
I write with love, even though the personnages portayed may be hateful
I write joyfully even if the subject matter may be tainted with sadness
I write with great hope for the future even though, the souls in my stories
May live in an increasingly cruel and hopeless world
As I write, my pen is my needle and the words are the thread
With which I stitch together pieces of humanity
Which, patched up, will make our lives livable
Less hateful, less scornful, less insufferable
As I write, I attempt to keep my language clean even when our environs are foul
I write with humilty as I describe a place where arrogance abounds
I hope that my words will revive dreams that have been put on hold
I pray that they will be the currency used to pay the ransoms of souls
That have been sold, warm the hearts that have gone cold, fill the pockets
of the poor with gold (and silver)
Drop nuggets of wisdom in the minds of those who seek to learn
Fill the bellies of the famished so for sustenance, they cease to yearn
Bring comfort to those who are grieving
Calmness to those who are seething with anger
© Terence Msuku 2015
Categories:
terence, poetry, uplifting, write,
Form:
Prose Poetry
It was just past midnight. Another sleepless might. Wide awake, sifting through the memories, I felt an aching deep in my heart and soul. As I listened to the you tube playlist I had created for you.
First came Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" not so common transitory reflection of what was your life. Sped quickly by in those last pain filled brief moments that still impact mine.
Play Evanescence "My Immortal" how ingrained was your life embraced by mine.
The unheard solemn cry of Terence Stamp singing Billy Joel's "Goodnight My Angel." It was here the tears did exude and inundate my eyes with sobbing whispers of our final goodbye.
The haunting melodies and words resounded a song sung with innocence by Libera and the hope to be held once more by "I Am the Day" followed hypnotically be Mary Fahl's "Going Home."
Let the songs play.
Let the tears flows.
Let your memory return.
Let me dream of what we had.
Let life continue although it be without you.
Close the book, end the poetry, let it rest as I give in.
Dan Schutte's "Here I Am Lord".
Categories:
terence, missing you, song,
Form:
Narrative
Damn she pretty
Pretty don't pay no bills
Don't cure no ills
Pretty is nothing but thrills
Frills
Pretty is no surety
When you need a loan
Pretty won't keep you company
When you're all alone
Pretty is here today
Wrinkly tomorrow
Pretty is ephemereal
Elusive
© Terence Msuku 2016
Categories:
terence, girl, relationship, vanity,
Form:
Prose Poetry
Keep the Lid On
There is no reason to throw away years of progress for a momentary,
fit of anger,
you will not obtain a profit from rioting in the street,
Do not play into the hands who would like to turn the situation,
to their means,
and roll good laws retrograde.
Keep the lid on for your own good as well,
I have no snake oil to sell,
acting in your own interest keeps your freedom free.
So far you have shown great restraint,
that's more than I can say for the Memphis police,
indictments have been made the guilty will pay.
a time for calm and reason © 10 mins ago, Terence Cummings Smith justice
Categories:
terence, america,
Form:
Blank verse
When love becomes heavy
When the weight of commitment is too much to bear
When the wait for a time when things are easier
Seems too distant
When its easier to give in to carnal temptations
As no matter what you do the end result will be the same
When even your folks feel that you would be better apart
When the cracks in the relationship become too big to hide
When things have gone so wrong for so long that you cease to care
When former lovers are always on your mind
When rumours abound about an imminent separation
When the naysayers rub their hands in elation
When you no longer fight because there is nothing left to fight for
When the rare moments spent together
Are spent in cold silence as you both contemplate
A future lived separately, when the truth be told
You once loved each other desperately
But no longer know how to
When you both have one foot out of the door
A miracle happens and you dig deep within you
To find the strength to hold onto something that
You fought so hard to build
When you realize that it would take a lifetime
To reach this level of intimacy with someone new
When the feelings that you felt twenty years prior
Come flooding back
When the very love whose weight you could
No longer carry
Ably carries you into a lifetime of bliss
When you remember why you fell in love in the first place
When you remember why former lovers are best forgotten
When the embers of a love that was moribund
Are ignited once more and the fire burns like never before
© Terence Msuku 2015
Categories:
terence, love, marriage,
Form:
Prose Poetry
Earthbound Paradise
Ruby red sapphire blue blossoms stand,
in the diamond stream,
little silver fishes play.
on a sky of robin's shell,
Cotton puffs of cloud,
golden gobs of sunlight glow.
Jade jewels of verdant green,
along broad banks,
of mink made, grow.
Ermine blasts of petals,
lie beneath the shadowed shade,
of tawny trees.
The pulchritude of paradise on earth,
in my mind's eye clearly seen,
since birth.
visited only in a dream.
sometimes no what the time words
flow. © 30 mins ago, Terence Cummings Smith nature
Categories:
terence, nature,
Form:
Rhyme