Best Two Poems
I came upon two empty chairs atop a hillside green
They beckoned me to pause and think upon this verdant scene
Their canvas stripes of blue and white adorned a wooden frame
They rested sweetly side by side while calling me by name
I wondered who had brought them there, wherever did they go
And would it be ok for me to sit, I didn’t know
But then a gentle breeze began to guide me sure and true
And from my seat, I saw the world, yet from another’s view
Amazed to gaze upon the earth yet see it differently
Familiar in its landmarked bounds but not the same for me
Forever now to understand before one places blame
That from another’s chair, the view is not always the same
I have the rhythm of a winding road
how do I consign myself to being confined...
rows of poplar pillars prop
rendezvous canopies beneath we meet
—I self-cajole on ooh-la-la afternoon
yellow eyes; daffodils watching
lean into gossip groups nodding
a prodding breeze instigating deep-freeze—
I am a sweet weed in this place of sway and betray
with a stranger I stroll my arranged betrothed
height of his black top hat challenges trees
much like Corinthian columns
guards of an aisle I must walk —dear God! must walk
trepidation trips down my bridal spinal column
tiger eyes; lilies watching wish they were me
dare they dream they could uproot their roots like me
wish they could wedding waltz like I must —like I must
but their envy-leaves remain embrace-less
—I secretly envy lilies’ arms empty of yet unmet love
daffodils; empty-headed —laugh
they try to read my mind to fill their own
what do I care of their curdled thoughts lemon tart
and orange lilies’ with their brocade brimstone
what do I fear of fire-breathers burn of words
undergrowth feels the square heels of my lace-up boots
post impression grows more expressive than first—
beware French tongues of sundew and burdock burr
marriage-carriage rolls in ruts to Versailles
where my coerced corset of hooks and ties lie
rhythm of a winding road dies in minuet strangle-hold
Two pairs of shoes beside the bed.
Mine are tiny, his large instead.
His are steel toed, sandals are mine.
His dull and dark, but mine have shine.
Opposites yes, just like our shoes.
When I'm happy, he has the blues.
My secret to brighten his mood...
A large rare steak, his kind of food.
I like the soaps, he likes the news.
When I watch mine, he takes a snooze.
I can't stand to see people die...
Watching his news just makes me cry.
Even though, we might have a fight
Love keeps us together all night.
And each night when we go to sleep.
Two pairs of shoes, company keep!
11-17-17
Poem of the day August 4, 2017
"Tease for Two"
“Ein bisschen Zucker
mit Ihrer Sahne, Sir?“
German accent
smoky toned
she purred
Periwinkles suavely winked,
then played with his -
cufflinks
“Not now Schvee Tart”
he said holding his attache tight
looking across the room
grinning Lupine Blues
a slight smile on his lips,
bemused,
“Service calls,
her name is
"Q”
Across the dance floor
all eyes turned
Parting tall bus boys, handsome waiters
matrons with their peach blinis, their tart apple martinis
flustered debutantes
all poetic unsure
first time daters
dilettantes
rubbed their -
eyes again, they blinked
made way, made room,
for Q's
sashaying soliloquy
serious multi tasking
sensual stiletto Hell-on-High Heels
slick Scarlet lip-glossed
VaVaVoom
As it should be
entertaining control,
further into the room
across the dazzling polished dance floor
no pastie tasselling girls
on well-oiled silver poles
The Special Agent
slinked
The Old Boys
raised their drinks
He stands
She sits
"Ist das eine Waffe
in deiner Tasche,
Special Agt Schmidt?"
She glances at her
Bulgari Serpenti Incantati
and in English says,
"This better be good,
Now is not the time to quit"
Like a wolf
Periwinkles
grins
"Q," he low growl says,
"I propose a change in destination,
I've taken the liberty to buy you
feathers for your wings -
tickets Q...."
then flirtatiously adds,
"Simply adore your bling"
(LadyLabyrinth/2019)
1. lupine/wolf
2. lupine/lupinus, genus blue flowering plant
3. Libertango
They whisper their sonnets and surrender their thrones gracefully
Consuming tunes sweetly echoing and crowning a heart with love
Your gentle words, your tender touch, so much divine beauty as
Our two stars sparkle as one soul with one golden smile of eternity
When the sun rises in the east and the sun sets in the west we know
While looking upon a dream holding the deepest vision awestruck
The new sun across the sky passes so the soul can reach its destiny
And you vanquished all doubts of me burning as one flame on fire
Knowing the winds in Heaven mix forever in a powerful divine glory
With one angel standing before our eyes as destiny sparks its promise
That in God’s way it must be the message of love we feel so strongly
Embracing forever the alchemy of two stars blazing hot with emotion
Dreams and fantasies merge with this wonderful bliss ever so gently
As faraway rising is your sunshine holding hands warmly as a regal gift
And a truth filled with blessing, deeply peaceful and complete as we pray
Under a bridge of hope with colors kissing the heart and soul of a dream
Love and devotion pervade our eternal desire of oneness with the Lord God
As His heavenly guard ushers our souls together with purpose before Him
And as a choir of angels sing their majestic paeans honoring this moment
We see now our dreams melding as one as our two stars sparkle as one soul
Anne-Lise Andresen, Liam McDaid, and Gary Bateman – A Collaborated
Poem, Copyright © All Rights Reserved – June 11, 2015 (Unrhymed Quatrain)
Comfort me with the beauty of flowers
where the sunlight beams dance warmly supreme
Devoid of any tears, cruelty or violence
a veil falls away opening petals kiss deeply surrendering
Seasoned between the vertical light and darker clouds
it becomes hard to breathe in your shade breathless sighs
Love does not change even if the earth is frozen over
but as you melt into the mind sweet honey dew springs
This night is all souls night, you can not fail to feel it
residing inside the eyes fountain of forever youth
For the glance of one gentle heart, she will be your bride
radiating warm flames glow anointing preciously the union
To share along the way, feathers from Heaven every day
touching gently the softest satin holds you an angel always divine
A Collaborated Poem 05.12.2015
Anne-Lise Andresen and Liam Mc Daid :)
(Unrymed Couplet )
Who'd have thought words make them react like this,
failing to see my wit, just the unattractiveness.
An eye for crudeness that'll overpower the humorous.
I'm sure within their brain a tumour lives.
Has your face ever felt the force of a fist?
It'll twist your perception like a contortionist,
because offence and pain aint two of the same.
One requires staples so that the blood's contained,
the other's just a thought you'd rather not maintain.
I get that neither are a source used to entertain,
but at the end of the day crudeness aint pain.
Offence is just a nuisance you choose to refuse,
it aint a scar, a cut or a bruise.
Scars are something you can never remove,
but when I got mine I made jokes that amused.
So can you help me now please and give me some clues,
when I'd been hit by a knuckle duster I was less confused.
Do you really feel pain when I'm crude and rude?
Please explain how words upset and leave you offended.
How does it feel and how do you end it?
Is it just simple natural sounds that you can't stand?
Compare that to soldiers losing limbs and can't stand.
If this is you I've just one thing to say my friend,
your life is easy if words drive you around the bend.
POTD
5/7/2018
a
bell tolls
for two souls
crimson red
with passion
they started
at opposite ends
at full-throttle speed
racing to meet halfway
on the rendezvous rubicon
then they collided exploding
into
ONE
Date written and posted: 10/23/2016
On our wedding he gave a crystal rose
Flowering forever, enrobed in glass
Ballerina's grace in delicate pose
Guardianship of tradition, of class
Witness of first years, of paper, cotton
Commitment held, her thorns learn to forgive
Pain polished away, stains dimmed, forgotten
Like love immortal, death she will outlive
Ten years on, he presented me her twin
Silvery spring caught; his honor, my gift
For old promises kept, new ones begin
He is still my rock amid rivers swift
Two roses, bloom in space the heart allows
Two roses, as eternal as our vows.
8/01/18
Darkness Where Now Poe And Raven Reside,
(Part Two)
Song over, Poe told demon band to leave
And then pointed to the now empty stage
Wretched souls, look as thy lost spirit grieves
I present this new contest- all the rage
Blood and gore will flame your dark desires
Giving some respite from thy crying pleas
In dire conflict, comes death and fire
No weak romance, on love, birds and the bees
Suddenly cast there a hero alive!
In scant armor and flesh soaked in red blood
How this mere mortal had fought to survive
His legs covered in fresh, battlefield mud
Slow to rise, but so defiantly proud
His eyes gleaming with courage Heaven sent
Then yet another crash so very loud
From lightning, its power blasted and spent.
From that flash came a monstrous beast so great
With power from fangs and dagger-like claws
Dragon of massive scale, thick armor plate
Able to spew fire from massive jaws
At first glance it sighted the hero there
Bellowing out with its accursed breath
From thy flesh my claws will now rip and tear
Until that mortal body meets thy death.
Alas! Thy foul breath has no greater foe
Its effects are horrendous unto me...
Yet there is more than even you beast know-
Stronger are roots from my ancestral tree
Send forth thy evil, hottest flaming blast
As my great shield in its glory holds true
Thy fate, thy end has now came at long last
This brighter new dawn, shall be your end too!
Master Poe laughed with his booming voice
Stepping back, giving their battle more room
Announcing this is my gift, my first choice
Entertaining you, pleasure seeing sweet doom
This hero, with mercy I gave his shield
And his scant armor to give him a chance
Battling to the death, neither can yield
Here comes blood and guts, no feeble romance!
Robert J. Lindley, 4-30-2019
Dark Rhymes, ( As Raven And Poe Both Survive Below )
Part Two... Part Three to be written soon.
Syllables Per Line:
0 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
0 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
0 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
0 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
0 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Total # Syllables:400
Total # Words:306
For Timothy Lee
When your hand holds my hand
we stand a complete one
as only two true hearts can do.
Let the strongest of winds come –
Our hand hold will never end.
Even when our bodies are past mend,
our hand hold will never end.
Let thundering rains saturate us
with all mercurial skies can pour
as our entwined fingers embrace.
United our pieces shall endure –
Our hand hold will never end.
Even when our flesh does ground blend,
our hand hold will never end.
No matter the fickleness of our weather
soulmate love is its own conclusion
as fate’s tapestry stitched together.
Despite the bruising dealt by intrusion –
Our hand hold will never end.
Even when comes our final ascend,
our hand hold will never end.
Love Was Sent, Treasure That Healed Two Crushed Hearts,
A Collaboration with Susan Ashley
Life shattered, soul crushed, another one has perished
once gone from this world was all she ever cherished
No amazing and joyful tales to tell the kids
just naked silence, from raging of black rapids
From heavens above, truest of gifts handed down
romance sent, from He that wears faith's eternal crown.
In that gloom and doom came our Spring's resplendent morn
Love, joyful sound of Living, thus we were reborn
Love, its Lights flamed, happiness needs no explaining
summer warmth came from darkness rapidly waning
O' what glory, shall your heart forever hold mine
our sweet blessing, came from angelic hands divine
Within nights, kisses that sated our hot desires
came oaths of eternal love that never expires.
In that gloom and doom came our Spring's resplendent morn
Love, joyful sound of Living, thus we were reborn
Our soaring passions’ pure as nightingale’s song
enrapturing seduction righted what was wrong
upon our heartstrings’ twilight music we did fly
as supernova lusts did unfurl ‘cross the sky -
scintillating stardust showered us with magic
our souls’ kissed in sparkling bliss since events tragic.
In that gloom and doom came our Spring's resplendent morn
Love, joyful sound of Living, thus we were reborn
Dreamy nectar - ripened wine, whetted revival
as I sipped upon your essence for survival
rousing the wild-honey luscious look in your eyes
behind ambrosial mist passionate beauty lies
on thirsty tongues of fire we burned ‘till morning’s light
melting past the pain in moonflower swirls of night
In that gloom and doom came our Spring's resplendent morn
Love, joyful sound of Living, thus we were reborn
Robert J. Lindley and Susan Ashley
(a collaboration), April 24, 2019
Poet’s note: My dear friend, it always a great honor for me to be able to collaborate with you and truly enjoy your inspirational verses! Such a blessing is to me a very precious gift you give me and my appreciation is sincere and honest in this my admiration for both your great friendship and your magnificent poetry talents!
As we walk along the beach on a moonlit night
I reach for your hand and grasp it
feeling our pulse pounding together
I stop and turn toward you gazing into your eyes
And what I saw travels deep into my soul
Our minds connect together knowing what we wanted
My lips gently touch yours our very first kiss
Softly and tenderly blending our lips together
Produce a wetness like rain from stormy weather
My tongue slowly moves inside
while caressing your lips tenderly
Our bodies start moving like a slow moving raft at sea
Slowly as the storm approaches land
It feels like I am in a raft lost out at sea
But then as the storm moves closer
The waves are moving faster toward land
Pounding and pounding the ocean seas
I can feel the water flowing into the raft
Then lightning hits our raft
Like an explosion out at sea
Then thunder roars out from your mouth
Like the sound of a lions roaring would be
As the sea slowly calms down
The look in your eyes tells this story
Of two lost souls lost out at sea
That came together in harmony
Unequally yoked didn't deny
common grace in an atheistic womb.
Half of the prayers were enough for him.
Blessed in health and time,
but reckless in his early years.
Under other tapestries laid all those fine linens of Egypt.
In each embrace, I placed a wager on just how slow your anger.
The hypocrite damns their own house.
Demons perched on the edge of puberty,
filled my son's eyes hopeless and left his rare word—flat.
Paper towels the papyrus of superficial coping
lines of scabs formed sleeves of braille
as the wages of sin reached for my son's throat mocking
two inpatient stays hanging in a precarious chemical salvation.
Another orphan from faith and repentance disobeyed,
juxtaposed with Job who lost ten.
Fear cultivated the prayers that grew
the humility that put your Son on the Cross,
and wouldn't gamble with mine.
Your general call turned effectual
A new volition has moved my son to gather
with those that feed the hunger
from the table of the Word.
When the hand of Grace shakes the elect
from their own slumber
in The Storm on the Sea of Galilee.
Taken back from Rembrandt's thieves,
no longer hidden away.
Beyond Jonah's anger that killed the vine,
and desecrated memories of seized temples
roam those ghosts of the giants of Lebanon.
Every idle word winnows the threshing floor
forever the wheat from the tare.
The solace that the chosen
are given in this life's labor
under The Cross that the world must hate,
divine regeneration gives the measures
of reverence and gratitude
for every thorn on this side,
and your Heaven full of treasures.
A Trek Into A Forest Wonderfully Deep,
(New Dawn- Second Battle, Part Two)
This vista, newfound view image of divine scene
fertile virgin ground, pretty as a peacock's preen
born of inked splashes, and poet's bleeding blood
flow from deep gashes, paints virgin soil as red-mud.
Nature's true beauty sent to poet's beating heart
illuminated glory at dawn's gifted start
gurgling brook, waters racing into crystal clear lake
sad weeping soul inhales, as much as one can take.
Morning trek, my how such a change the mind renews
once a train wreck, now healing beneath sky blue
All aghast, miracle that comes as divine gift
life changing wonders sent so fast, sent to uplift.
This vista, newfound view image of divine scene.
Fertile virgin ground, pretty as a peacock's preen.
Robert J. Lindley, 10-19-2019
Sonnet, ( The Second Battle-- Part Two)
Note: I rose from bed early. By 6 am I was 8 miles away,
walking into the deep woods. Therapy for a soul that was
in deep blues, seeking an answer to how to fight this dark
and its beasts that it so uses. Mother Nature spoke, saying-
to poet soldier, this such savages can never truly see. Watch
as I gift you such deeper sight. As I saw images that I never
had seen before. I realized, my deep blues were trivial and
a temporary lapse on my part. As once I knew we mortals
too oft fall pray to the destructive voices of the minions of
darkness and its infinitely wicked rage. Arriving home,
mere minutes later sipping hot coffee on my front porch.
Nature spoke from my front yard as a squirrel climbed down
from an oak tree fifteen feet away-- looked at me and chattered
away for about three minutes! Then I understood, too oft we
forget to fight! Coffee drank, into my den , my sword ,sharpened
anew. This the second battle commenced and ink splashed to defeat
an enemy that never ever sleeps, and never ever gives any mercy
to its foes... And so the cycle continues.......