Written: August 26, 2026
************
When I lose this lantern, let no mournful cry,
Nor grief-clad wail lament the soul set free;
My ribs release the breath that sought the sky,
And clay-bound chains shall fall away from me.
For I will be free
I am the fire no fetter ever held, or simper crept
The wing that soared beyond the walls that wept;
The dark was shallow, and the veil was frail—
I cast the husk; the cage is empty, pale.
For I will be free
I walk the path that heaven laid for me,
No seam, no parting—only light and grace;
Let not clay-born mourn my flight to foresee,
For dawn awaits beyond this darkened place.
For I will be free
So let no tolling bell or dirge proclaim,
I pass unbarred beyond the body frame;
The body was but a guest; I am the flame,
And dawn unseals the urn, beyond all name.
For I will be free
Don't cry for the heavenly wing or the clay.
I am the light that outlives the fading day;
Grieve not prison; let the soul that lives rise,
The soul lives on; only the husk dies;
For I will be free
Ask no door or tomb to stop my flight,
From dusk to eternity, I am free in light.
I am just sitting here vision casting..
one pirouette in hope
spun out on daydreams
frail pointe shoes
cold tears that stain
guffaws in excess
my board never cracks
I’ve come so far
I’m not ever going back
a leap soars
brand is established
instantly tagged and owned
watched not copied
eye contact
everything crafted
always …ALWAYS…relentless.
THE COMEDIANS’ TRAGEDY
My role is that of the Court Jester
also known as the Tudor Harlequin Clown,
I am much more than just a set of jokes
in front of audience members.
I wish to be a Shakespearean actor
but that is a fact nobody remembers.
To perform in tragedies,
to make the spectators not laugh but frown.
Anything from playing Romeo to Macbeth
while wearing his bloody crown!
The theatre life I want! Not the court life which is
as cold as the air in December.
I have tried time and time again but not prevailed.
I need to succeed by this new September.
I auditioned for many characters,
even Lady Macbeth while wearing her bloody gown!
At last, a new audition has come
up for a new Shakespeare play!
If I fail, what shall
I do hereafter?
After acting my heart out for the audition,
my mouth turned to the taste of morello.
To hear what I had been cast as that day;
am I bound to a life of laughter?
I find myself playing the
Clown from the tragedy of Othello…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bobber, heavy with promise, dips,
while the writer’s pen lingers~
both waiting for the pull below,
the sudden tension of something alive.
The fisherman watches the water’s skin,
its ripples like unread pages,
while the writer stares at the blankness,
a lake of white where shadows move.
Sometimes the line goes slack.
Sometimes the words won’t bite.
You reel in emptiness
or crumple the page,
but you cast again.
Because beneath the stillness,
in the deep where light doesn’t reach,
something shifts~
a flicker, a flash~
and you know it’s there,
even if you never land it.
*If you enjoyed this poem, you may be interested in its companion memoir vignette posted in Poetry Soup: poetrysoup.com/short_stories/fishing_for_words_13581
The unstoppable force keeps coming through
no matter the time with disregard
for place or weather
A matador of barbs grabs horns of bulls
even when they mudsling in
herds together
It's coming together slowly piece by piece
as it does take time to
build a puzzle
The horn will keep blowing like trees in storms
even if it moves in silence
like loosened muzzles
The world is troubled because its people are
& everyone is lost within
broken selves
We need more people that are of use to others
instead of those that hate
& project themselves
Leave that part of you at home on empty shelves
as there's no room for it in this
house of glass
You shouldnt throw rocks as you may hit a neighbor
& that reflection of you
is all you have
Take a look in the mirror before you cock & cast
as you never know what image
you might just shatter
Instead of pointing the finger try giving a hand
to be a solution in
troublesome matters
on the harbour wall thinking about life ~ whilst ripples stirred in the sea
a porpoise swam past never to look back ~ a washed up siren wept free
some voice called out its a sign of the times ~ that she was always a he
as i drowned my life flashed by ~ yet all of the bad bits were new to me
By
David Kavanagh
Casting Off The Bow Line
Goodbye
my unwed darling
I’m married
to this dream
Freedom
calling out to me
betrothal thus
redeemed
Bachelorhood
a Siren’s calling
Feted tween
the sails
Truant winds
to act upon
Legends
tell the tale
Setting off
this final time
Rudder
in my hand
Truth when hoisted
up the mast
Liberty
— commands
(Dreamsleep: February, 2024)
So Imbued
Crime without sanction
honor among thieves
Tomatoes tomattos
prudish obscene
Rules as their written
intention entwined
Good becomes bad
sight becomes blind
Credence engendered
by those so imbued
A prince or a pauper
depends on your view
The world in a tailspin
no two think the same
the baby the bathwater
— praising the blame
(The New Room: February, 2024)
Time Awaits
Not connected to
the dollar
Courted
never wed
Engaged to no one
but himself
Making
his own bed
All fame and fortune
lost to fate
Constancy
of mind
Whose future readers
time awaits
His legacy
— to find
(The New Room: February, 2024)
casting winds forging
blistering bitter colds breathe
winter’s whispering
~
falling flakes of snow
fidget drops of whiten dust
snow storm rains on us
1/18/24
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2024©
In the river of dreams I will swim along
hoping to live on a wing and a song
gracing the moment with hope for the day
leaving behind all my sorrows, at bay;
In the river of dreams I will know I belong
to an ocean of love that will help me be
be strong...
Immersed like the dolphin I'll swim happily
gathering salt from a tasty blue sea
With the sun in my eyes I will rise (pause)
when I rise...
embracing the sunlight that glows in my eyes
In the river of dreams I will swim along
hoping to live on a wing and a song
gracing the moment with hope for the day
leaving behind all my sorrows, I'll pray;
casting the shadows away, I will stay.
Lyrics by Mystic Rose
it was Halloween, the moon was full
I saw someone dressed as a witch
she cackled as she passed by
I told her to jump on her broom and fly
she said some words as she walked on
I saw others in monster masks,
zombies roamed the streets searching for prey
all the ghouls had come out to play
then I saw something flying above,
it looked like the witch I saw before
I could hardly believe my eyes
as her cackle echoed in the sky
I realized something was wrong
When my body began to shake
and then I began to morph
The witch had turned me into a goblin!
10-18-2022
His winds vaporized my sins
Casting them away from me once again
I am leaving myself those my sins
placing them in the ocean turning to the mist
When they disappeared blowing soapy water bubbles rise
Children rise to the air to find them
So He separates our sins as far as the East is from the West
He is my virtue He is my test
I am blessed His wings vaporized my sins
And as I catch them off the heavenly compassionately
He ever loves me always is the wind He vaporized my sin
Castings from me them in the ocean
Where they dissipate turning to the myth
Vapors rise children ride blowing soapy water bubbles rise children
Come out from amongst them
10/2/22
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr © 2022
If you must rub shoulders of swine,
a gentle smoke lofts fragrance divine.
He was casting lots determining the will of God
And holy times in mid Eastern Bible times
Allocating lands, determining duties, assigning guilt
Select the individuals for responsibilities
Cleromancy
Cleromancy
He was casting lots, casting lots
Cleromancy
Is it modern day man's comfort in psychology
A materialistic dependency leading him to clemency
Or is it a form and fashion of idolatry
Cast out lots let's say so humble spirits where in heart buy into something dig up evil
this we must not negative modern day cleromancy casting lots?
5/19/08
Written words by Carmen Lee Brown Lee & James Edward Lee Sr © 2008-2022
priming for takeoff, preparing for flight
timing is touch and go, let's make it tight
climbing the mountains and soaring the heights
rhyming is sonorous, sounding just right
cruising at altitude, floating on air
choosing to wander without any care
musing so merrily, flourishing flair
fusing the forms in a fun-filled affair
thriving, lush scenery, everywhere found
striving serenely, selecting sweet sounds
driving the engines, we're now homeward bound
arriving back safely, wheels on the ground
lasting enchantments are there for the tell
contrasting oddities, things we know well
blasting bright images, conjuring smells
casting our magic with poetic spells
----------
THIRD PLACE WINNER
for the "Magical Spell" Poetry Contest
sponsored by Robert James Ligouri
written 03/14/2022
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