He said that you were playing games
But I and you both know better:
Through passion heart on life makes claim
And makes false manacles to shatter
He said that you were playing games,
But I know wicked game he's playing
Which racket without stop or shame
The people played for three millenia:
Of treating you most terribly
Until, in anguish, you be tempted
Or broken; which would prove the lie
That women are to be mistreated -
He said that you were playing games
But I'm not playing; I am willing
To love you and you to defend
Until he stops, or else he kills me.
Let's play this game, this game of life,
Let's play this game while we're still here:
Love cuts like spear - like a knife -
And by it overcome is fear
Let's play, sweet love! In air and sun
And by the ocean iridescent:
You're strong and beautiful and young
And your soul shimmers incandescent
And when the people can espy
This game of love - this game of beauty -
Let their spirits also fly
And see all rackets stand refuted.
Upon the hallowed ground past midnight sighs
'Neath trembling yews and tombstones cold and sere
Did I espy, as the tempest began to rise
A maiden clothed in spectral white appears
Her ghostly raiment danced upon the restless air
Her visage pale with sorrow finely drawn
Betwixt the graves she glided into our ghastly affair
Her presence enthralling as the coming dawn
Within her hand a missive she pressed
Gloved fingers clad in evening’s formal hue
She whispered with the wind, she, a soul distressed
“Seek thou the attic there thy fate is due”
Anon the gale did whisk her form away
(Formerly known as Mrs. Emily)
And left me alone to ponder till the day
Epilogue:
After this wraithlike wedding of our souls
I cannot abjure this vision
In my mind it rolls and rolls as it goes
after Privilege of Being by Robert Haas
A tipping point of too many
are talking harshly. Down below,
demon-dead in the unstirred inferno
and perdition of animal thirsting
are coiling one another's tails in response.
They are honeyed vermillion and covered
in trim the texture of hot picamar.
They espy up all the time
at the graceless rapture—
it must sound to them like cold butter
dancing across a cast iron skillet.
Then one voice—she is about to shout—
takes the man's rigid hand and says,
listen to me, and he does.
Or is it the man caressing loose
the gravelly noose of anger?
Anyway, they do,
they listen to each other:
two minds with matured mediums,
hungry to be heard, to be fed by the frisson
of recognition, their skin sizzling with it—
brutal words turned into kindness
by well-intended touches,
and the gossiping, nosy dead are derelict
and growing deaf. They hate it.
They scream a chivvy about injustice
that breaks no skin, but frays the veil
between
what's bone and broth—
a warning, a dirge, a hiss of envy
worse than silence.
Lavinia will watch the tall grass grow
Instinctively she gently mocks the rain and wind
yet admire the moorhens
as the sunlight hoovers amongst the rivers side
She will circumference the moon
and ask you no questions why
reclusive to herself
she espy no tomorrows on the wherewithal
VANTASTICAL VERSE
hum
ty
dum
ty
pudding
&pie
o me
o my
a poem
in
my eye
to
try
& try
o why
o why
did I
espy
this rime
vanta -
sy
What do I see here? Is it something to fear?
It looks like a pie in the sky which I espy
Or is it a UFO which would be a blow
Out of the blue from a planet new
Could an alien be episcopalian
And in a state of grace though straight from space ?
Would my abduction lead to intelligent instruction
No ,it's just a black cloud amongst a white crowd
Is that line racist or more likely spacist?
Should I that line use?It is up to you to choose
Whether white or classic-chocolate bunny,
Enjoy Spring’s hop-a-long of polyzygotic mirth.
Two floppy and expressive ears, so funny.
Toddlers cheer, and tenderly espy, life’s rebirth.
Grownups, too, giggle at the shattered hush,
The repopulation of carrot and lettuce noshing,
The shivering and shaking softness of plush,
A wriggling nose after a long Winter’s washing.
Wink at me and melt my heart
Like only you can do
Add your smile to it
And I'll belong to you
Indirectly I espy,
Your presence what I seek
And when I see you walking in
I'm rendered without speech
However that is not the case
With what goes on inside
No indication on my face
Excitement's what I hide
A momentary passing glance
The locking of our eyes
Will give my spirit cause to dance
Desire to arise
The little things are what I love
The bookmarks that you give
I'll treasure always, all my life
As long as I shall live
two wings and a spirit of grace
aerial ventures, I better brace
portals venues open space
time slows down we embrace
suddenly ascending a staircase
I espy an Angel, made of lace.
Melts to a smooth touch that norms Autumn's eve,
eyes calm swans ballet, glissades silhouette,
faint lights pair, a porcelain minuet.
A curio stand, well placed, best achieve.
Nice culled singles tryst, pond sides by vast knoll,
balters few burbled matches. Grasped sunset
prompts a quietude, occasions beset
whilst espy eyes pry, as through a peephole.
Selenophiles resplendent moored grandeur
supine visages, prompt smeared tattooed rouge
amongst enthused pristine hearts, fused refuge
sonder renaissance ere night's prism, savior
flame, epoch pairs euphoric dulcet swoon
per drawn orphic sight, a ringed rainbow moon.
Noontide cordial sun immerse golden spheres
Birch and aspen leaves rhythmically quake
Susurrate deep in quietness appears
Timidly on soft earth shadow path wake
There, where nesting birds await safely perch,
While conceal sweet are their audible waft.
Cool breeze twine spider's web and bees who search
Stunning modest simple-ness echoes soft.
Lone senior British oak outstretch thick arm
Grasp weathered fraying pendulous tire swing;
Mid saffron blaze whilst it mingles off charm
Espy hushed cries for mortal yielding wings.
Lush meadow pigments an emerald green
Self quenching natures pulsing rapture scene.
11/19/2023
We see each other as the day passes by
Down aisles apart as ones laughter throws
Customers chattering colleagues nattering
Melding the days business in hourly grow
Then its the next day, like the day before
The same attributes, others I'm sure espy
For every other day, we know what's in store
She's the Lady with the Smile in her Eyes
We are the withdrawal
on a dappled day
White Vultures Swarm
bone dry is the day,
Now our lives are hasten
We are cheek by Jowl
Giant lies interlude
Secret tunes of cabbages and Kings
burgled routes to strawn away
In the last peek of love
A giant hope glistens to espy
Foxglove faeries flitting freely,
tiny little ethereal sweeties;
picking blossoms to make hats,
faerie boys make themselves spats.
Mice, moths and butterflies,
are there strictly to apprise,
they're tiny judges of latest styles,
those faerie designs are really wild!
Among the flowers faeries flutter,
flying smoothly as hot butter;
wispy wings transparent be,
lovelier than the dogwood trees.
Fading blossoms made into clothes,
are fitting for the likes of those;
elementals craft some lovely things,
of colors fit for queens and kings.
If these faeries you ever espy,
say nothing and just pass on by;
disturb them not amid their duties,
just be pleased you glimpsed these cuties.
How
lucky
am I
So close
to the sky
Nearer the
Moon
than the
Earth
am I
I watch
from my
balcony
way up high
Espy
planets
and stars
in a clear
night sky
Saturn’s rings
so magical
Really
seem so
close to me
Jupiter’s moons
so many has she
But my
favourite
by far
is a
sparkling
star
glistening like a
million
precious
diamonds
She lights up
the sky
like no other
I espy
How lucky
am I
Venus
shines
upon me
Exquisitely
I see her
from my
balcony
Written 4th June 2023
A Brian Strand Premiere No 1221 Poetry
Sponsor Brian Strand
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