Sometimes Memories Are
Just Things You Can't
Have Anymore.
Spin Spin Spin...
Why Be So
Possessive?
Spin Spin Spin...
Maybe The Stars
Store Memories
In Vast Singularities.
Black Holes From
Here Though,
Darlings.
The 'Engine' Is Always On.
Spin...
-Gray Squirrel
09-30-2025
Trees of powder,
Delicate and firm.
They conceal my feathers of frost.
I perch myself by all that glitters
All that warms, and all that flickers.
I perch myself by candlelight
Snug in my nest of yarn.
My dearest deer is lost today.
The other starlings fly away.
Drifting off, a state of slumber
Filling me with fear, but wonder.
My nest of yarn, it cradles me
Despondent, I've become.
My woollen retreat, it comforts me
But chilled air bites my bones.
Beyond me waltzing are deer and starlings.
The others, romancing, like dears and darlings.
These shards of ice are carving, carving
And I know I should be out there, dancing, bombarding.
Glaciers, ponds, shining, sparkling
So stunning, so sinister for one who's so wanting
But no. Instead, in my head, I've been trying
To rid my thoughts of these paths I'm embarking.
I wished to be there, filled by warmth and by sympathy,
And in return, I was gifted immunity.
So instead, I laid here. I filled up with wonder
Drifting, and lulling a state of slumber,
Despondent and desperate, melting candlelight;
Found dead when my deer galloped into my sight.
Two dazzling dainty darlings,
Delightful flowers on a tree,
Fancy pretence funny role-play,
Sing alluring songs, no worry!
Favourite choice playing house,
Invite friends to flavoured tea,
Decorative cups and pots as well,
Welcoming hosts, amazing to see!
Decked gracefully, embellished hair,
Blushing cheeks, gorgeous smile,
Angelic beauty of innocence,
Oh my, what a captivating style!
Picture 2
The neighbor brought her weirdo kids in today.
Why would she? We have nothing kid-like to do or play.
They ran right over to my Christmas tree and said look at this.
One was holding my treasured tiny doll named Little Miss.
Put that back immediately! I said in my meanest oldest way.
Her mother said “sorry,” but why did she bring them this day?
Hey! This ornament is GLASS! The little one said. It broke in his hand.
He began crying to beat the Tommy Dorsey Original band.
Do you have a band-aide? The mother asked. My husband got up.
I wanted him to say no as I watched one of them grab for my pup.
That’s it I said to the mother. Please take your little darlings home.
My husband handed them a band-aide as I finished my tome.
I met her in a bar in Trinidad,
a mother to the sisterhood was she -
three little girls what merry fun we had
and what sweet memories of you and me.
Madame Estrella, a tongue like a sword,
and Miss Heidi glamour puss in turn rolled
tumbling dice on the ludo game board
in pigtails and smiles and hearts of gold.
I will return and roll again the dice
for the girls sweet as sugar and full of spice.
I will be back to let the games begin
and for the last call at Pelican Inn.
And sweet shy Gypsy up on Cotton Hill
wise beyond early years on me impress,
little barmaids my glass and soul did fill -
I miss your grace, joy, and youthfulness.
I met Christine in a bar in Trinidad
but had met her many years before -
she spoke of old days and the girls she had
so we drank a Carib and spoke some more.
I will return and roll again the dice
for the girls sweet as sugar and full of spice.
I will be back to let the games begin
and for the last call at Pelican Inn.
Written: March 1993
they were
written
upon this very page
beautiful souls
so little warning
trimmed, cut,
and killed them-
my Darlings
can't see
dead words
they've
gone
animated
shining
brilliantly
executed
As we breathed, we stood apart,
Rocks fall, our world crumbling...
I feel trapped like a conjuring charm...
Loving you is an existence...
Losing you is a solicitous ardent.
A prick in my breath is our amulet,
Inlet borders our souls, my starlet...
As we died, we stood in cahoots.
Jack Segal (who wrote the lyrics for the song “Scarlet Ribbons”), whose songwriting workshop I attended way back in the 80's, used to say, “sometimes we have to murder our darlings”. What he meant by this was, sometimes, as writers, we have to cut out the parts that we're personally in the most love with for the sake of the whole work. That's the concept on which this poem is based.
So Many Darlings
I have murdered so many “darlings”
that I should be in prison for 10 thousand lives
As a novelist I have killed men, women, and children.
Given my blood thirsty nature it's amazing that any survived.
All things bright and beautiful.
All creatures great and small.
All things wise and wonderful.
The Lord God made them all.
Cecil Frances Alexander
DARLINGS
darlings you have my attention
your convention in the pines
starlings in numeration
after sunrise...after sunrise
your whirling murmuration
has my adoration
my ears incline...they incline
i open my door’s habitation
an invitation to see you glide
why hide my smile inside
2/23/2021
Oh, love each and everyone
Love everybody my darling
Above all love, yes love each and everyone
Love thine enemy, love thy mother, father, sister, brother
just love each other love deeply, sweetly, completely
Why? love why only love because love covers a multitude
A many a major multitudes of sins
Love thine enemy love thy mother father, sister, brother
Just love each other for love deeply sweetly completely
Why? love why only because love covers a multitude
A multitude of many a major sins
Amen and Amen
My Little darlings love each other and everyone always again and Amen
10/30/20
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr © 2020
1 Peter 4:8
In a kingdom full of darlings
I awoke and flung the sweetness;
And its eyes have all the sophistication;
You warned me about the meekness;
And the blessedness never cultivating flying fling domination;
Take thy highlight from out my heart's heat;
Ah, distinctly I was cooling with my sweet;
7/16/20
written words by James Edward Lee Sr.© 2020
MY DEAREST DARLINGS
A
Rhyming Wave
Poem
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dearest Darling, my true love, you!
My true love, true love, true love, you!
Our hearts forever will be true.
Our hearts oft beat as one.
Each day the flowers, blooming, fun.
All blooming, blooming, blooming fun.
Natures gifts, the first, our son!
Natures gifts, two more girls.
Life now full of fun, laughter, twirls!
Much laughter, laughter, laughter, twirls!
A happy boy, two happy girls!
A happy mum and dad!
Dearest Darling, my true love, you!
A happy mum and dad!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, my Children; how thee I neglect!
Self-absorbed in Percocet
Mired in pain, I should like to explain-
That I am far from perfect
A better father you deserve:
Better-tempered, kinder moods
One not so consumed by nerves
And left to bitter broods
Oh, my Children, how you Sorrow
For your father, and his affections
Hope, my darlings, for the morrow
That he will find a new direction
*Portrait of a Poet Contest Entry*
~JustThatArchaicPoet aka Chan
9-1-13
Drowning in my raging sin,
My seven deadly darlings.
Do I urge her heart to break?
Do urge her soul to take
The wooded path, the bloody lake,
The wolf awake and snarling?
Drowning in my angry sin,
In envy, lust and sorrow.
She will not release his hand,
She insists that he's her man.
Though she doesn't love him as I can
She'll still be there tomorrow.
Drowning in my sleepy sin,
My darling deadly dear.
The world is crushing, killing me
And I can't move or feel or see
And I can't ever want to be free
When his eyes can watch me here.
Drowning in my greedy sin
I stuff my heart with him.
I cannot help but memorize
His face, his nose, his liquid eyes,
His lips that whisper pretty lies,
His alabastor skin.
Drowning in my dreaming sin
That gives me loving signs.
I deserve his love, you see.
He can't help but to love me
And someday soon, he's gonna see
He was no one's if not mine.
Drowning in my scented sin,
My bubbles hug my chest.
I dream of faces, voices, lips,
Of princesses and pirate ships,
Of stealing him away to live
Forever at once, to drink, to sip
To love and lust and our courtship,
And stay forever in my grip.
We'll figure out the rest.
Those little darlings
With their angelic eyes
Look harmless enough
But beneath their disguise
They’re nothing but thugs
With pure evil intent
These spawn of Satan
Are not heaven sent
These foul blackguards
Going about their sport
They say “Trick or treat”
As they happily extort
They squirt fake blood
On my front door
They egg my new car
I can’t take any more
I sit counting the minutes
Am I the only one?
Who just can’t wait
Till Halloween is done
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.