Long Satchel Poems

THE INNER CHAMBER

Please.  Stop holding back on me.

Like a child standing at the neighborhood ice cream truck, arm outstretched, eyes huge, mouth watering.

I stand here longing to slip underneath your decades of cold-rolled steel...

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“I do not know if he still lives in that cave or if he is even alive, but I can tell you where it is.  I have never shared this with anyone but Jessica,...

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“Now, if we can get these proceedings under way,” began Seileach.
     “No,” exhorted Rian!  “I demand to have more information about what is occurring here before we proceed.  It...

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“You may be right, Rian.”  Joulupukki started again, “If you look at the door you will see letters that are inscribed into movable tiles.”  They all stepped closer to get a better look....

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alas, until that fateful day when strange events arose around him
The uncontrolled powers he felt within
Growing stronger as his fight to hide them grew ever more dim
At last bursting forth to be revealed once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



For...

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(Fictional, but based on the real experience of one of my close friends who lost her daughter in an accident)

 As I sat on my desk,
Hurrying with my pent up work,
A scrap of paper, left...

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ZEN DEATH HAIKU X

These are my modern English translations of Japanese Zen Death Haiku. 

Forbearing the night
with its growing brilliance: 
the summer moon.
—Tsukioka Yooshi (1839-1892) , loose translation/interpretation of his jisei (death poem)  by...

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Watching her board bathed in fog at the station
Spectacles slide down the bridge of his nose
Usually a blur, not in this situation
Smudges can’t hide every beauty she shows

Lugging a satchel in high heels and cotton
In...

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ADAPTABILITY:  God seemed to have programmed life, in general, to be indiscriminate, allowing all of its good, bad, and ugly to rain upon His creation. God is an equal opportunity employer. Some entities receive...

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As the ‘tick-tock’ sound falls in my ears, and its incessant refrain drops like a thud,
My memory unwinds to years fled when we grew up under our parental roof.

Plodding miles through country lanes, with the...

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I
A queue to a doorway
No-one knows what´s
On sale there
It could be washing powder
Almonds or diamonds
You think this was some
Yesterday
Look out your
Ghost smeared
Window
This is now

II
Throw stones at the
Motorcade 
The pin pricked
Giant will barely
Pause
At banners & petitions
Faded...

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A Song With no Name
From my grandfather and my dad and performed by their son and grandson, me.
It was an old melody with no name of a ballad my grandfather wrote a long time ago.
The...

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They called it school
I called it hell 
From the huge imposing prison like doors
To the doom like toll of the bell
Everyday the same
Running for the school bus
Full of uncivilized Wild kids
Being pushed and shoved
Countless kids...

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In Dreamland's dazzling domain, where fairytales unfurl, A youth yonder yearned, with heart that hoped to hurl, Himself into the hinterland, a hero's journey to embark, To chase the chimeras of change, to leave a...

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WONDERS OF IX A (2019)
Millennium is a box of wonders which crave
To get knowledge, values, principle and love.
In my satchel I have eight wonders that drive
Me crazy, frenzied, rabid. But lo how I love
All of...

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Daylight fades, a city pulsates, and traffic is reflected in store windows.  
Hurrying headlights come out of the darkness. 
They crisscross like dueling knights.  People in the crosswalk scamper 
as if squirrels and...

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George W. Towne

1847 – 1899

From Iowa I came by restless wagon train.
From the mid-west I arrived 
With satchel and silken scalp still intact.
I read Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to pass the time.
I read the Gospels of...

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“You knew not which pain would be worse-
you living with a bleeding broken heart, 
                    ...

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Let me recount of the mirrored alcoves galleries of brands
Whiskeys deep gold many types of bottles into optic feeds
Highly polished bar timbertops rich shining deep.' Varied
Paper coasters to keep it pristene, bowls of cheese squares...

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Strewn to the floor he collected his marbles and memories

Had played for hours as a child with his friends in the flat

Passed innumerable hours never bored always enthralled

Abraded by wear of near instant replay nostalgia...

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It’s Saturday morning. I’m at the acorn, my favorite coffee shop, on my iPad and deep in concentration. I’m time traveling back, to things seen and said, trying to create a story poem about recent...

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We walked slowly along the busy road
My tiny hand slipped into yours 
I clung tightly on to you
Whilst my sister skipped off with her friends

My brown leather satchel hung from my shoulder
We arrived at the...

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Our paths did cross and that journey we took

The scenic route along the whispering brook

We stopped to smell the roses bloom

And see the birds with colored plumes

 

Life hast not spoken a life so serene

To...

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Please dear Sir
you have tutored me and known me for years
as have all other teachers and your peers,
we get along like silver knife and fork!
these past semester has been full of cheers
my school work has...

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"Can you feel the soul of an abandoned house;
        can you hear the whispering? " 
            ...

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