Cat and mouse Tom and Jerry
forever chasing through the library
they’re really true blue best of friends
though both refuse to make amends
Wake up
Chase your dream
Stand up
autumn lingers unfinished
though cold drops november
rain and waits undiminished
'til native summer sun remembers
what could unmake
when days full ache
bloom autumn colors
quick winter all borders
golds greens yellows
reds purples browns
a rusted rainbow frowns
as leaves scoot over meadows
fallen from mountain forest
after fields have given harvest
a father of one teaches his son.
chase catching leaves for fun
they twist turn swivel pirouette
lunge leap slide slice 'til earth is whet
while boy staggers with arms stretched
missing while dad knows misdirect fetched
two and three leaves while son fustrated
cries to quit but egged on infuriated
at last by chance or by experience
claps and traps one in victory dance
Copyright © Cornelius Brantley | Year Posted 2024
my russian blue cat
static like a statue
on the sun-warmed
window ledge
laser-focused eyes
fixate
on the gum tree
leaves tremble
then still
shrewd cat waits
wet nose
smearing the glass
a robin’s fleeting shadow
darts across
a pool of sunlight
diving into
the center of the light
then swooping back again
in a blur of motion
my cat pounces
chasing the robin
around
the carpeted floor
over and over
he paws at
the imaginary catch
but each time
elusive robin
slips away
She Does Not Chase Light
She does not chase light.
She is the myth
the men forgot to write.
The goddess of the long, slow burn —
hips like prophecy,
voice like a key dropped in honey.
She doesn’t beg for warmth.
She remembers the fire.
She is not the muse.
She is the mouth
from which the muses learned.
She does not chase light —
she waits
for it to ask her name.
THAT START OF THE DETERMINED KID
THAT DASH OF THE CURIOUS YOUNG INTERPID
I HAVE COME FAR NOW
NO GOD I FOUND , TO NOBODY'S LOVE I BOW
FROM COUNTLESS EXISTING PATHS WE CAN
TAKE ONLY ONE
I AM HERE, WHERE THERE IS NOONE
CONVERSATIONS ARE NOW FEW
I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO IS NEW
EVEN MY POEMS DON'T RHYME NOW
MAY BE THEY DON'T WANT TO ...
Searching
for his palette
the painter
wanders on
Dreaming
of each color
to visualize
his song
Tubes of paint
lie scattered
unsqueezed
their caps remain
In attics
of blank canvasses
with images
— unframed
(Dreamsleep: July, 2025)
He barks at the intruder
Chases it down the driveway
The creature floats up
Wind carries it swiftly away
Another leaf flies by
Puppy gives chase
No one can keep up with this guy’s pace
He is as excited as he can be
About anything that floats down from that tree
And if today puts a period on forever
I’m glad I got to spend it with you
I’m glad we got to drink in a million golden sunsets
I’m glad we got to dance to our own music in the rain
I’m glad we got to laugh during the birth of a thousand sunrises
I’m glad we got to collect our tears to be used to soothe our pain
I’m glad we got to calculate the destined spaces where stars land
I’m glad we got to position our dreams on clouds suspended in an ocean of blue
I’m glad we got to sip from a delicious cup of honey drizzled silence
And if its time to stop chasing forever-together
I’m glad I get to cross the finish line with you
Don't change your dreams
Just because you don't know
How to make them a reality
Learn to start by seaching
Ways to make it happen
Try to do it your way
Or learn the ways of other
Don't get discourage to err
Better to take 40 times time
Than 40 times doing nothing.
Sky so blue,
grass kissed with dew,
Tiny feet dance on a path brand new.
Chasing a butterfly,
drifting away,
Breathless giggles,
silky hair in sway.
Stops in her tracks,
Let it fly high,
Fascinated, waves goodbye with a smile
Chipmunks playing chase,
Down at my favorite place,
A reminder of your grace,
When sadness fills the space,
Bringing a smile to my face.
Chipmunks playing chase,
I let my thoughts embrace,
Why they're racing around,
Snickering a squeaky sound,
Smiling at the treasure I found.
Chipmunks playing chase,
Racing across the ground,
A frown turned upside down,
A giggle comes bubbling out,
It's so fun to think about.
Chipmunks playing chase,
My sorrows they erase,
For just a moment,
A gift in my Present,
Thankful for the event,
I watch Chipmunks chase,
Enjoying their Present.
taken is the life
we lived and are allowed,
brief respite from desire
to be learned
further the beast
released to run
and have the beast, desire us again
Sun flares, mane ignites,
Roar echoes, muscles tense,
Paws stalk, shadows creep.
©bfa030825
Hey make yourself available to the Lord
He can't bless you if
He has to chase you more and more
Don't ignore His affection
And don't ignore His love
He'll have you sit beside Him
He'll share His thoughts from up above
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