Best Unmoving Poems
While in the moonlit night he stood, his crew below asleep,
the captain gazed with knowing eyes upon the ocean deep.
A sinister tranquility was fleeing in the path
of moaning wind grown resolute in showing forth its wrath.
The moon, a pale pearl paradox, stared calmly down at him.
Then angry clouds obscured its face and everything was dim.
Behind the captain’s knowing eyes, his thoughts had grown astray.
They took him to another place where once he used to play.
He stood among the acres of unmoving solid ground,
where waves became tall stalks of grain the wind blew all around.
The first of many undulations crashed onto the ship.
He pictured rippling golden wheat and felt his vessel dip.
The men, awakened, clamored now. He prayed their deaths be swift
and gripped the wheel to navigate a ghastly forceful lift.
Imagining hot prairie sun, he viewed the huge cold swell
that came to bury them. . . and closed those eyes that knew too well.
Written years before it was posted here at Soup on 6/6/2010
Submitted 8/26/2022
for Mark Toney's 2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 13 Poetry Contest
Categories:
unmoving, death,
Form:
Rhyme
I remember when your laughter
Was a light across the floor—
Sun spilling from your mouth,
Feet dancing through the door.
But now the house is quiet,
And your eyes don’t meet mine.
You sit, unmoving, breathing,
Like a clock that lost its time.
I nudge your hand in silence,
Bring my leash, then bring it back,
But you just stare through windows,
Watching days fade into black.
So I lie beside your shadow,
My nose against your knee,
And listen to your heartbeat
Like it’s whispering to me.
I don’t know all your sorrows,
Just the weight they leave behind.
But I can curl against the ache
You’re too tired now to find.
I’ll guard you through the midnight,
I’ll stay when morning breaks.
Even if you never move,
I'll never walk away.
The bowl sits empty longer,
The walks are few and slow.
I wait beside the doorway
For a world you used to know.
I miss the fields, the laughter,
The trails we used to roam—
But more than all the running,
I just want you to come home.
You feed me though your hands shake,
You speak though words are few.
And though I can't fix broken things,
I’ll share what's left with you.
So take your time, my human.
I'll wait here—soft and still.
For when you're ready to return,
I’ll love you harder still.
Categories:
unmoving, angst, depression, dog, emotions,
Form:
Free verse
You were so tired
You couldn’t wait to go lay down
Mom was standing in the kitchen
I was outside locking things up
As you went through the back door
You hollered, See you soon
Moments later the air began to fill with Dread
Getting thicker with each second of Mom's screams
By the time I got to your side
You laid unmoving, straight as board in your bed
I could hardly bear seeing you that way
As your Grandson dialed 911
My vision blurred and the world disappeared
All I could see and hear were you
Twenty three Chest compression's, Six breaths later
You opened your eyes and looked into mine
I could hardly bear seeing you so helpless
As I held you in my arms
Mom and others began to Pray
I felt each word spoken go through me to you
Flowing through your nephew's Hand that laid upon my shoulder
I couldn’t help but to hold my breath
And wrap myself around you even tighter than before
I could hardly bear seeing you struggle
No one had to tell us how bad you were
To life-flight you to St. Jose’s was the only chance you had
I tried to climbed in with you, but they wouldn’t let me
I knew how terrified of heights you were
As they closed those doors I hollered... See you there
See you there Daddy, I’ll see you there
There were lines and tubes and doctors everywhere
I stayed up for day’s right beside you in a chair
Mom sat across from me and held your hand
The others circled around us in your room
We could hardly bear seeing you that way Daddy
Alyssa sang "Jesus Loves Me" for you in your little Church
There must have been over a mile of cars parked
Family and Friends coming to say Goodbye
You'd think after almost 3 years it wouldn't make me cry
It’s almost like you must’ve known
The night you spoke those words to me
That you’d be heading up to Heaven soon
Not to take a nap
When you closed that door and hollered... See you soon
We'll meet again at those Pearly Gates, Daddy
You have our word..
We'll see you there.. We'll see you there
Categories:
unmoving, angst, cry, dad, death,
Form:
Lyric
The Burning
It was seven days and seven nights
Or there abouts, I was not so sure
Life was shrouded in the darkness not at all pure
I lost track of dawn, of dusk, of realities fight
To keep me conscious
To keep me right
Comatose, delirious, unmoving slumber
In this dream like state
My desires still existed
Thirsts to be quenched
Passions flared
She was seductively dressed
I, with the eye of a tiger
Wishing to devour her being
To be with her, in her, be her
To taste her very soul
I smelled her nectars inviting scent
The bed sheets become drenched in sweat
The heat of the night ensconced me
A thousand candles and yet one more burned
The heat of passion mixed with the heat of the night
Flames rose from the desires within and without
My subconscious has played evil tricks and fooled me again
Lighting the candles that shall bring me to the beyond
The sheets became brimstone, the fire engulfed me
My mind in hazy confusion smelled roast flock of some sort
A meal after the passions was a succulent dessert
I became dizzy with the lust and the love intermixed
Somehow I am sleepy, dreamy, so very tired
The heat blankets me and I feel a strange foreboding
The reaper is grinning, staring down on my face
I try to wake, but I haven’t the wherewithal
I feel the burning
Painful for but a moment as the smokey flames take me
For one last dance
Burning, burning, searing heat
Blackened and burnt
Dreams
No more
Sunday, at 24 minutes past midnight, firetrucks arrived at an apartment in Dublin, Ireland 24 O’Connell street, and above Murrays pub, a lone tenant was found burnt to a crisp, apparently by a fire cause by candles, the remains have not been identified, and the building is a total loss.
Arthur’s Day in Dublin
Posted on September 24, 2009
To celebrate Arthur’s Day, From 17:59 to 22:00 All Pints of draft beers were €2.50
Categories:
unmoving, angel, angst, goodbye, suicide,
Form:
Verse
blank-faced the page calls
each pounded pore of rice waits
brush tips dance on pointed toe
or fall like curtains
stark poser of questioned light
much more is left than finished
softer surface calls
needle prick the skin of white
adorning torsos and limbs
shaded dragon roil
as biceps flex and uncurl
much more is left unfinished
sea green stones of jade
shade and shadowed by chisel
leaves and limbs of trees precise
form rows dark and light
frozen forests unmoving
much more is left unfinished
First Published in Eunoia Fall of 2014
Categories:
unmoving, art,
Form:
Free verse
Mute
but immutable.
Unmoving, unmoveable;
timeless, yet tireless.
Solitary stalwart sentinel
surveils undulating horizon.
Aberrant, achromatic clouds
pock-mark the skies, as distant
rumblings herald his adversary's
latest gambit in their age-old conflict.
The wrath of a thousand crashing,
clashing, thrashing fists batter
against the beleaguered sentry.
Ceaselessly, remorselessly,
the maelstrom assails him.
But the foundations are firm and
noble gatekeeper stands steadfast.
Single-minded of purpose, placid
custodian morphs into combatant as
his luminous, voluminous blade carves
luminescent arcs through chthonic cloak.
Tenebrous tendrils wither and dissipate,
impotent under intense lambent onslaught.
His victory is only fleeting, as vanquished
foes are summarily supplanted by more of
their ilk in a seemingly continual surge.
Again and again, over and over, tormentor
presses the attack, exploiting any weakness.
Over and over, again and again, valiant warden
repels the barrage and despatches his enemies.
And so the pattern repeats endlessly, unabated,
as these eternal opponents jostle for position
in a perpetual cycle of aggression and defence.
Until eventually, finally, ultimately, the stale-mate
is broken; when Tempest's tantrum is tamed and
Blizzard's battalions have been banished, all is calm.
Tranquillity is able to reassert herself and order has
finally been restored; at least for the foreseeable future.
Obligations fulfilled, the triumphant Guardian can now rest.
Until the need arises again, until he's called upon once more,
he will wait patiently, watch diligently, in unflagging vigilance.
Forever resolute, a beacon of sanctuary, a symbol of hope, his is a
thankless task, but the Protector of Mariners will always be needed.
-----------------------------------
(C) John C Michaels, 27 July 2017
For Eve Roper's "Lighthouse" Contest.
(1st Place)
Categories:
unmoving, light, metaphor, ocean, sea,
Form:
Free verse
Then, he knew why he must hew
old memories from marble-
emotions quarried from heart's slew-
Oblique fight with his faith's garble
Cut block unfolds Christ, enthroned
on mother's lap- death sleep supine...
Sculptor's concepts cast in stone,
art wrestles with thoughts divine.
And sorrow, stilled in her young face,
speaks truth of words kept in her heart-
mother, son, distilled in saving grace,
sacred words saved in graven art.
A pity, the piety
so few true onlookers saw...
Revealed in society-
few look on In devoted awe.
II
Now she knows why she must express
emotions whittled away, and smoothed
from quarried heart's deep distress-
The process leaves her soothed...
Such feelings are not cast in stone-
Warmly carved in reflective marble, maybe,
as he wrestled with tempestuous thoughts
burning, guiding hands that draped
unmoving drapes over motionless shapes,
shaping faith that cannot be bought.
And the tenderness on her gentle face
belies the hurt of curse's sword driven
straight through her mother heart...all trace
of ancient prophecy hidden.
Till truth, preserved, be told.
Had he not told them many times
he would return, come back to life?
And that word was kept, unfailing.
And the stone was moved, revealing...
Posted: 22nd April 2019.
Note: I am totally in awe of the stupendous sculptures produced over the centuries.
Miraculous as they are, I believe in greater miracles, the resurrection of Christ being just that.
I am also a mother of two grown up sons.
My little miracles...<3 <3
Luke 2:25-35. Luke 24:1-8
Categories:
unmoving, appreciation, art, devotion, jesus,
Form:
Alliteration
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pass.if.ick
while listening to the Pacific
w)aether(, (woe)ter from eyes
pool into the soul
wanting to gush, saever--
to create a great divide
between memory and heart,
forcing to un-feel
in a dumb attempt
to plunder everything
into nothingness
[Pass all the what-Ifs,
realize the past.Icks]
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
At.Land.Ick
While listening to the Atlantic,
the wind mixes with the waves
moon realizing the gravity
strumming,
then pinning down the heartekestrings
allowing only
the silence of apprehension and suspense
to vibrate
moved, yet at the same time unmoving
refusing to turn, to arrive
and reach land
left only
with the sensation of f.low.ting
feelings.ick
[At land, tick
tick--- tick- - -]
1189102015
thank you, thank you..... sleeping at last
Categories:
unmoving, absence, allusion, feelings, introspection,
Form:
Free verse
My heart is amazed by His boundless compassion
My heart is in awe of the love of the Lord
The hand of His mercy endureth forever
What riches of kindness in heaven are stored!
My heart is amazed at the sight of creation
My heart is in awe of the works of the King
The fountains and river, the depth of the ocean,
The rock and the trees of His greatness shall sing!
My heart is amazed on the height of the mountain
My heart is in awe of the stars in the sky
Unmoving, unchanging, the Lord is eternal
Though years of the mortal so quickly fly by
My heart is amazed by the lamb and the lion
My heart is in awe of the birds in the air
Created for man by the hands of the Master
The heights and the depths of his dwelling to share
My heart is amazed by the King of the nations
My heart is in awe of His death on the tree
The Lamb that was Slain, by the word of the Father
Arose from the grave my Redeemer to be!
-- By Isaiah Zerbst- Feb 9, 2013 - 12.11.12.11. metre --
Categories:
unmoving, christian, god, jesus, nature,
Form:
Quatrain
I forecast: anticyclone set, unmoving
The descending air evaporates and dries
Over Wales and England weather is improving
We predict a full eight eighths of cloudless skies
Or in other words our God had blessed the land
In the field the grass transforms to flaxen chrome
Deep green the oaks surround in margin stand
Bearing up a perfect cerulean dome
On the lake the isle floats on its own reflection
Heron measures steps and swan flotilla glides
The stillness of a painted scene retention
Thus the image ever in our minds resides
Meteorologists may tell what future holds
I will bless the present image that unfolds
Categories:
unmoving, nature,
Form:
Rhyme
I see you bent low
Your head in your hands
Tears dropping on the table cloth
The heavy sighs that no one can hear
Fill my ear
Even past the wall
Between eternity and finite time
I hear
I see
Your guardian angel is near
My orders from the throne
To protect you from harm
Physical….spiritual
To guard your steps
Yet...I see you have not walked
For many an hour
You have been glued to that spot
Unmoving
Only knowing that your universe
Is caving in
Forming a black hole
That is sucking in your soul
The decision is mine to make
I have no time to hesitate…
Overstep my bounds?
Or just hover and watch you drown?
The room fills with light
As I materialize
Hiding my wings
Not wanting to shock you
Not in your present state...
But you are too far gone to see
The gun on the table…ready
So, with one hand I touch your face
With the other under your grizzled chin
I make you look up at me….
Your eyes fill with wonder
You blink away the tears
Trying to focus
Trying to grasp the reality of me
Before you have time to question
I close my lips on yours
And breathe into your mouth
The eternal qualities of heaven
Peace, joy, love and light….
A lingering kiss of life
The moment where heaven and earth collide
And I unfold my wings and envelope you
In a cocoon of heavenly wonder
I enfold you
I feel your strength returning
I will not let you fall
I have heard the unspoken call
Of your bleeding heart…
And as you reach your arms around me…
In that moment…I’m gone
Clothing myself with invisibility
Yet…. just as near
Unseen to your mortal eyes
But as real
As the erratic beating of your heart
I hover near
You exhale slowly
Your breath is on my cheek
The light dims
And you open your eyes
Wondering what delirium
Has come over you
Yet there….there in your hand
A token of the encounter
A white feather
That glimmers in the night
Against orders….
I will stand before the throne
And try to find the words to explain
This strange act...
I could not keep back
I had to guard your life
In the only way I knew how
In that unearthly moment in time
I will find the grace to answer
My reward… the look in your eyes
The radiance of your face
The knowing smile that reveals
You are worthy enough
On a dark and hopeless night
To be kissed….
By the lips of an angel
A guardian angel of light
For Skat's Angel Contest
Categories:
unmoving, angel, universe,
Form:
Free verse
I wore fear
like a winding sheet,
leaving behind trails
of dead dreams
I held hope in my hands
and weeping, it slid
through my fingers
evaporating to naught
I undulated to music
praying for redemption
within the passage,
I was left bereft, still, taciturn
but by relinquishing velleity
into the firmament,
and smashing my glass heart
for the loves' of my life
I've begun to believe
in miracles again,
I am finding the way
that comforts my soul
A shimmering
lavender light,
shines with serenity
burns out the fear
and builds a blaze of hope,
by loving without doubt
the whips of regret
are now unmoving
fires have been stoked,
this mystery now has élan
I am flesh, reborn out
and into this life, once again.
Categories:
unmoving, hope, light,
Form:
Free verse
Proudly she stands on slopes covered in snow
One graceful woodland deer her eyes aglow
She strikes a pose unmoving, head held high
Twitching her ears as flapping birds go by.
Catching the light of early morning sun
Across the stream reflected colours run.
Right by the lake the drifting mist lies low
Deliberating: should it stay or go?
Voraciously I feast on nature’s fare
Intense the bliss which fills my heart and soul
Ethereal the mood that tempts to share
With my obliging muse...she makes me whole.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Contest: Winter-Related Acrostic
Sponsor: Janice Canerdy
© 29th December 2016
Categories:
unmoving, beauty, nature, winter,
Form:
Acrostic
Lament of my life.
Destined life i lived but unfulfilled,
Much had to do,my tears spilled,
Down in white ,peaceful my body lies
Happy to meet God, invisible,my soul flies,
Earth,a stage,different roles to play on,
Multiple opportunities,life was a unique platform,
In responsibilities ,i was good enough,
To balance ,right wrong was indeed tough,
No regrets for family,money and claims,
Bad luck,unstable life my illness to blame,
To beat it, i was in armature , my second aim,
Hope for fellow sufferers,the damn disease i'll tame,
Like a bolt from the blue,unexpectedly it struck,
Trapped in the whirlpool,my mental energy to suck,
Family and friendship bonds anchored for support,
Still,for what reason, my forte got more to thwart?
Much for good,i would have given to the world,
A life of normalcy,a gift,if i had unfurled,
Alas! I could not explore galore,
My potential in the dark void did allure,
Missed the epic moment when i could be more than me,
My purpose in life would have got a meaning to be,
At the edge of life i did meet poetry soup,
Rare of a place,solely an encouraging,friendly group,
In dust,my body is unmoving, not frail,peaceful,it has no pains,
But on earth,personal vacuum haunts and fighting spirit remains.
Contest:Lament of my life.
Sponsor:Casarah Nance.
17 March 2016
Categories:
unmoving, earth, emotions, encouraging, health,
Form:
Rhyme
He walked on stage, the puppet in one hand
as the audience was clapping, for they knew
the act of this ventriloquist was grand!
His puppet was a sailor dressed in blue,
and quite a sailor’s mouth that puppet had.
As long as his “sailor boy” had a joke,
the puppet master’s show could not go bad.
Such ribald words his lips, unmoving, spoke;
however, the ventriloquist was shy!
Without the “boy,” he had no words to say.
One night a lady winked and then said hi.
He said, “Let’s get together the next day.”
The gal fast came to the realization -
sans puppet, he had no conversation!
June 21, 2018 for Anthony Slausen's Ventriloquist Contest
Categories:
unmoving, light,
Form:
Sonnet