Close Out Poems

Life and Death

Staring down your enemy, conquering your fear,
Shadowed by death, by cruelty and despair.
The sight before you; is the same as before,
Walking alone, down the same dark corridor.

The beauty of the world is reticent to your eyes,
Your worst nightmares are reality; you NOW realize.
Dazed and confused, you make for the tunnels end,
Only to find you’re at the beginning AGAIN.

Again and again, you charge towards the light,
It floats far ahead in the tunnel, just within your sight.
Screaming out in frustration, you drop to your knees,
A deaf world catches your voice and ignores your pleas.

Waking from THE dream? Your reality anew,
Nothing goes as planned, no matter what you do.
Dazed and confused, noticing your life has passed you by,
Left with nothing but the desire to fall down AND cry.

The tears won’t come; your eyes ARE dry and cold,
Inside your heart; YOUR spirit scrambles for a hold.
With a sigh of surrender, you smile one last time,
You shed one tear only, as you close out this rhyme…

PJ Day

  Grey sky,
  Rain and wind.
  Close out the storm,
  Bring sun light in.
  Cheerful music,
  Comfy clothes.
  Occasionally looking out.
  Making soft warm food.
  Munching a bite here and there.
  Lovely warm day,
  Inside,
  Not out!

Peaceful Noise 159

There is a peaceful sound
That comes from a deep place within
When the high desert winds
Blow and ruffle and sting

Stilling the soul becomes an artform
The painting of azure blue
On the hot canvas of trauma
Sealing it's cooling aura in-situ

Centre down, take control
Close out the world acting so scarily 
Remember the deep well of truth
Draw up the fresh water momentarily

Drink deep of the calm crystal clear
To feel the lying hurricane of fear
Lose it's false power
Become free and your true self again

Let Mind Breathe

The mind is a high flyer.
An altitude of any measure
allows it to breathe clearer.
The mind breathes you.

Close out this world
follow the song-cycles
of your land-locked
wind-blown lungs.

Let that singing soar,
let go of all tethers
ride that lighter than air wind
up, up, up.

Hold on to nothing
gravity has no asway upon you,
you can rise forever
dance over any gleaming universe.

Enter that 'cloud of unknowing'
that birthed you; deliver yourself
from all dust of thought

until joy and laugher
boosts you
into that radiant immensity
of inner space, there you arise
as a star that knows no roof, ceiling
nor end.

Gods Surprise

As this sphere spins within my hands,   
I can see and feel billions of people.   
They laugh and work and pray;   
Within and outside my steeples.  

..I've handcrafted them all,   
..Each and every one with love.  
..And for those that are troubled,   
..I comfort with cloud-based gloves.  

....Now I see two unfamiliar souls,  
....That straddle this globe.  
....They stand in the sun,  
....And communicate in ways they know.  

......They will never touch,  
......Or know each other's scent,    
......But both wish to seek...    
......What true love is meant.    

....They challenge each other,   
....With language and riddles.  
....And try to make sense,   
....Even where knowledge is little.    

..So I spin the Earth,   
..To close out the lights.   
..But these two souls   
..Stay up at night!      

And then as day breaks,   
Comes to my surprise to see...   
That at the same time,    
They both stare up at me.

2018

Rainbow Eagles Vs Death Stars

Imagine for a second
      that the entire Afghanistan affair 
were a baseball game between two arch rivals.
The United States Rainbow Eagles and the Taliban death stars
The eagles start the game with their ace pitcher
who is pitching a no hitter for 8 2/3 innings..
but as it were he blows his arm out and can't finish the game. 
Their Coach Joe "the sniffer" Biden (a Likeable but well past his prime sort of fellow)
despite having a great relief picture in the bullpen
decides to go with an untested rookie 
to close out the one-sided game.
To nobody's surprise (but coach sniffer) the Taliban Death Stars rally
getting hit after hit and run after run 
and close the gap rapidly.
Much to everyone's amazement  
coach sniffer sticks with the rattled rookie 
and the Taliban Death Stars surge 
ahead for a stunning victory.

After the game Coach sniffer bleats "c'mon man!" to no one in particular...
Then dips his silver head and takes his battered team out for a consolation ice cream cone....with plenty of crushed nuts to go around.

Christmas Past

The days now, cold and gray
  December passed with less happiness in the fray
   while the quiet and solemn memory of Christmas slips away.
How long we prayed, hoped, and waited
  excited, anticipating, and debated
    the arrival of that joyous day fated.
Christmas carols on the radio stations played
  long before the coming of the happy day
    on Thanksgiving in the rush of living in the virus fray.
Children made lists, precise and intense
  knowing most parents would not spare any expense
    while less fortunate, could only think about their meals and rent.
The age of the 2020 year brought more sadness and tears
  and as the New Year hung in the distant churn of fears
    some found themselves lost in the cold denial of their peers.
Covid-19 and pandemic blues touched every me and you,
  placing a depression on those of us who surely knew,
    it was no hoax, not God's cruel joke, but men in their world view.
Now we close out the Christmas season
  hoping for more common sense and reason
   and 2021 slips in, with the light, wisdom, and blessed believings.

I Want You

I want you
I want you to hold me
To be ensconced in your arms
just to be bonded for that time
to make me feel like a woman, once more

Let's close out everything
just you and me
tight together against the world
as nothing else matters
when i am laying with you

In the silence of the night I need you
I ache for you
hold me tight in your arms
until morning comes

Kiss away my tears
and make everything seem right
as I just want you to hold me
today, tomorrow and forever...

Surrcomming Sours Salads Wishes-

Smelly zucchini 
Disappears like Houdini 
Only this 
And crawfish 
And my mind straight to potatoes 
As I'm stepping on tomatoes 
I discovered artichokes 
Swallowing carp fish bones makes my throat hurt
 I wash it down with muddy dirt 
Cycling stewing over beef steak 
I tripped a d fell off tossed salad
You warned me about the salad hoax 
As I know plummet puke and throw up close out my throat Take this eggplant
 and let us out of my heart 
Succumb so-so I vent sour salad



5/28/20
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr  2020

Long Thursday Wait

LONG   THURSDAY  WAIT



Thursday end of work way home.	 
Next bus ten minutes far under the elevated railway.
Wait in the dark and turn up collar :
Tolerate this solitude of evening  grey.


Worse was waiting as she arrived at length  -
Suddenly I felt the deep sea of weakness.
Faced by her, I became an empty sack of strength,
Listening unwilling to her prattling problems.


Until the hour hand struggled up to my door. 
Rattling voice ceased to offend the silent street.
Turn the well-oiled key in smooth lock once more;
Close out the empty sack;  breathe in the  bright solitude.

31  March  2020

Memorial Tribute To My Pup Cale

Memorial tribute to my pup Cale 17 October 2014 to 5 June 2015

The scar that’s cut inside of me, sucks the living life from me.  Just one more moment spent with you, that’s all I’m living for.

I know that it can never be, but hope I do and hope is free.  Just one more moment spent with you, that’s all I’m living for.

My constant yearn to have you close, out of all I’ve lost, I miss you most.  An unmet wish for one last kiss, that’s all I’m longing for.

What gifts you gave in your short life, unconditional love, pure and true, helped me through much trouble and strife. Just one more moment spent with you, that’s all I’m living for.

Music All Around

I am whiling away the hours.
Doing nothing, feeling so serene.
I breathe in the fragrance of flowers.
Letting myself go, just to dream.

I look up into the blue sky and see,
the many patterns of clouds so white.
This is a time to let my thoughts run free.
Close out all darkness, welcome the light.

I feel one with all that is around me.
The breeze, the sun, the endless sky.
I look, allowing myself to really see.
I don't want this moment to pass me by.  

I listen, hearing music all around.
It plays so softly, but my heart can hear.
I continue to search, but not lose what I have found.
These times are to hold on to, keeping them near.

Hostage of One Night

HOSTAGE OF ONE NIGHT

what is his name she asks
but i refuse to tax my mind
though the memory of him
hovers, the one who stole
my virginity, caused my shame

what is his name she asks
for in the beginning i did not tell
sheltered in my deepest mind
divulged when a loved one died

what is his name, will it pop up tonight
in my dreams...i’ve long ago closed the door
but now this monstrous thing hovers
closing in once more...i almost see him
and his sister too and the darkest night
wants to preside in the daylight

through fog and wandering nerves
i still remember clearly...where,
when, what, why.  there’s no goodbye

clothing ruthlessly thrown on stairs,
stained, a yellow bodice unsnapped
the scintilla of a window open
my eyes close out the “no” i screamed

in the end i remember
and can’t forget
afterall

9/29/2018

The Christmas Spirit

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Outside snow is falling on the ground,
And the temperature is tumbling down,
It's that wonderful time of year,
When family and friends gather
To close out the year,
There's a magical feeling in the air,
You can feel its presence everywhere,
It puts a sparkle in a little child's eyes,
As they look around in
Wonderment and surprise,
It twinkles on the Christmas tree
And shines in Santa's eyes,
It fills our hearts with wonder,
Excitement and surprise,
It shimmies down the chimney,
It sparkles in the air,
The Christmas spirit spreads,
Its special magic everywhere.

An Impromptu Wake

A homeless man
hangs himself from a tree
at night in the city 

to close out the year.
At dawn a passerby uses
a cell phone to post 

his body on social media.
By noon 83,000 people 
attend his wake.


Donal Mahoney

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