Constrict Poems

Naive Faith

Claustrophobic, saturated white walls constrict,
sucking the oxygen from every molecule of deprived blood.
Hypoxic cells circulate through an increasingly unstable body,
whilst rivulets of sweat flow from clammy palms.

Insomniac reality blurs with insidious shadows,
dancing upon the ceiling.
Naive faith keeps insanity just at bay,
but with each sunrise, hope is chipped away.

How much longer can a soul survive without respite
before it splits open—
spilling into the realms of delicious delusion?

Counting spots of dust in sunlight streams
now becomes the norm.
Two hundred yesterday—
is that two hundred and four today?

Slowly losing grip,
twisted nursery rhymes play out in a fracturing mind:

One, two, no one is going to save you.
Three, four, get ready for the relentless gore.
Five, six, they will play with your bones like sticks.
Seven, eight, for this occasion you better not be late.
Nine, ten, you are now in their sadistic den.

Praying for sleep, it never comes,
as reality dissolves
and this phantasmagorical nightmare commences.

Unbroken

I felt wars break in my heart—
violence my voice could not
bear to fight alone—

and still, despite the lies 
I sometimes believe, I stand 
each day in the strength 
of my creations, weaving hope 
into miracles—thread by doubtful thread,
even as the world screams 
or turns away—

even as my hands
constrict my own throat—
I bear the unfathomable ache
of crafting the unbroken.


8.13.25

The Apple Tree

In a small field by a tower,
Grew a sapling next to flowers.
Its own petals bloomed this day,
A promise of fruits without delay.

A cherry tree young and sweet,
All the other trees it'd greet,
And together sway in the breeze,
Bathing in the rustling of leaves.

A lemon tree young and cynical,
Its branch growth was liminal,
It had begun without a start,
Made yellow stones to never depart.

No further fruits it bore,
Crooked tree now an eyesore,
Floating among the other trees,
Rotten fruit enriched the seas.

Its branches grew full of hope,
They grew down and around,
In the water theyd soak,
Round and constrict the trunk.

It released the creaking bark,
Among company it feared,
Their differences were stark,
Then the sound was seared

Into its roots deep down,
The creaking of its neighbors crown,
As the constrictor claimed
Itself as it strained

To view the cherries once more,
It too had bore.
A memory lost to both,
It was the price of growth.

An apple tree lone and empty,
Produced no fruits for any,
Since its neighbor parted in two,
Had left it without hope to sow.

Spun Gold Crash

Today is broken so I’ll cry,
they say each day’s a new start;
Spray that sunshine on your face,
grey clouds for now I’ll fall apart;

One by one stars light up the gloom,
done with thoughts that constrict me;
Spun gold starts with a comet’s crash
won the battle I choose to be free.

Rising Panic

The heart that beats does scream as my chest tightens,
A sound so sharp it bleeds from me, my every will.
Hath only the mind to break my faith and frightens,
My soul under deep now slaved shall ever be still.
The body does succumb to its own writhing,
I beg this moment cease, the play of such filth,
Like fertile field, every second upon me scything,
It reaps from ground the bounty that blood forth spilth.
The eyes spiral through with sight of mind distorted,
While blind despair does spread as thoughts afflict,
My world falls down, both shapeless and contorted, 
I cannot break the grasp that chains constrict.
	Into my every being it has pervaded,
	The man who weeps as his soul degraded.

Dangers Everglade Animals

in the Everglades there are dangers galore
alligators, crocs, rattlesnakes, and many more….
a cottonmouth aka water moccasin would scare me back to my car
could be bitten by a brown recluse, looking for its violin scar

baby florida panther might entice me with his blue eyes
here comes mama cougar all grown, what an unfortunate surprise!
Burmese python is coming quickly to constrict out my lunch
It is too late to run, I know this is more than a hunch

a red snake, how delightful, uh-oh, I see his fluorescent yellow
I know now he is an eastern coral, a most venomous fellow
where are the black bears? Would they save me? Do you know?
I have heard they only eat plants and garbage litterbugs throw

Is that an alligator or a crocodile? Dare I get near its weird hump?
oh, yes, it’s the big one, so it’s a croc, and they can both jump!
I hear a rattling, and know I am about to be some animal’s lunch
Florida swamps are dangerous. This is more than a hunch.

The Strict Would One Restrict

Please, quit saying that one may be strict
And peoples movements hardly restrict.
The strict could your blood vessels constrict,
A people confine to a district:
Have the rather free into jail tricked
And forgotten while God's Time ticked.

They just have strong links: 'strict' and 'restrict',
Because 'Strict' often says 'Restrict':
A criminal's captured neck constrict...

Revelation Repeated

Awareness floods my veins
The eyes are open now
Truth fills the soul,
Rushes into the hidden corners
Revelations fall into place
Snap to attention
Like dominoes or perfect solitaire

Razors chilled to freezing
Slice my mind,
Galvanize my sight
While ice claws my lungs---
Breath slowing to a ragged rattle,
I can't think,
I can only write my reactions
To my crucifixion
At your unwitting hands---

Sometimes the pain isn't so blatant.
Sometimes it's subtle shadings,
Intricate turnings of pink---
Lace bonds that constrict
Gently, slowly about the heart...
Unnoticed until they've caused pain for some time.
By then they've cut too deeply,
Become too embedded to remove.

Don't get me wrong---
In some veiled, perverse way,
I enjoy it---
I enjoy learning nothing
From my mistakes---

A Strict District

All the folks in the district 
Know that they should walks restrict
Or guards shall restrict their walks:
Make them suspend lengthened talks
Or with lengthened talk send down 
To the valley of the town…

All the folks in the district 
Like human lungs that constrict,
Because bronchitis is strict
And tormenting hour picked…

In an-too-strict district
No lips just funnily licked 
No face with a funny streak
Or prison for a full week;
Legal redress to not seek 
As lawyers have their harsh beak!

So, how like you such, free man!
Three months I’d live there and ran.

Losing the Way

Riding stormy winds to the past
 To find out how we lost our way
 How long did the great ones last
 Mayans left their pyramids where trees sway

 We are left to ponder the whys
 As vines constrict their ruins
 Incas left their calling card in the mountains
 A vast empire now left to the clouds

 Winds take me to the Roman empire
 They were great indeed but now their ruins decay
 Deserted coliseums tell the story
 As they crumbled under wars and strife

 The winds return me to the present
 It journeyed on, it did not stay
 But I heard it whisper before it left;
 'Once again they've lost the way'!

 8-17-2022

Seeking Meaning

on fibers coarse
	with little clay
nibs are stained
	with indigo ink

lines of cursive
	carefully formed
seeking meaning
	to come forth

chrome plated steel
	and laminate wood
plastics cast
	a cage formed

aligned in rows
	of boys and girls
trying to find
	what to know

classroom did form
	a prison dark
locked out the sound
	of the Muses song

warm air to flow
	through wildflowers bright
bees there to hum
	and birds take flight

castles to float
	on scented breeze
grasses to tickle
	bare running feet

through glass so hard
	that kept at bay
what could be seen
	but a world away

beyond the confines
	of what was taught
forms that did constrict
	the youthful mind

beauty unseen
	did fill the thoughts
where wonder did dance
	of what might be

blackboards of chalk
	filled with empty words
to teach of things
	that were not sought

with quills of ink
	in cursive words
seeking the meaning
	of the unknown

String of Life Tensed When Too Far

Why did that lamp lose its light?
Your thoughts taking fancy flight, 
I kept it burning all night….

Why should a fresh flower die?
Pressed close to my bosom nigh, 
Bare could it breathe, nor yet sigh….

What made such a river dead?
Selfish need, growing greed led
Men to build bunds on its bed.…

What snapped the string of sitar?
Tuning tight to my tune’s par,
I tensed it far oh too far….

The extreme ends oh of life,
Yon at excess dwells all strife,
Life’s to walk on edge of knife.  
__________________________________
Musings |12.08.2021|

Poet’s Note: Based on lyricist Gulzar’s Hindi version, Which, I understand was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s Bengali poem. Life sometimes poses very delicate questions. It cries out for freedom and fresh air, which often we fail to let it. We constrict it, stretch it too much. Naturally, the string of life snaps, and its delicate melodious tune gets lost.

Stillness

where stolen breath and sun stuck eyes
when wave bows before the break
in shadow want where lips taste
that insanity break
when all seems well
that silk swallow as rasping sheets constrict
the moment when loss accepted
that drifting talk of self and thought
that eye closed wind caress
in nights of summer haunt
where grasping memories dissipate
from dust crumble fingers
when mist and lake share a kiss
as raven spook meets streetlights gaze
just wai

Withering

Time…
Wilts away 

Memories… 
Fading moments of a better yesterday 

Life…
Constrict in place for your freedom  

Society…
Deterioration of its innocence 

Leaders…
Decay the ability to make a difference  

Friendship…
Shriveled from the distance 

Earth…
Wasting away

My soul…
Disintegrate

Simple Simon

We seek but inner alignment 
That head-heart be not in conflict
Blissful be our hearts contentment 
No fearful desires that constrict

Voice of our conscience clearly heard 
We seek but inner alignment 
Heart awake, nodes within stirred
Automatic is souls ascent

Feeling within, the joy current
False falls away, we vaporise
We seek but inner alignment 
Playfully embracing surprise 

There is no one here, oh hermit
Save vibrant consciousness present
Open heart, ceasing to resist
We seek but inner alignment 

27-May-2021

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