Long Still Poems
Long Still Poems. Below are the most popular long Still by PoetrySoup Members. You can search for long Still poems by poem length and keyword.
In shadowed halls where once the light burned free,
Truth stands accused, her mouth sewn shut with thread
Of fragile labels, spun from fear and dread
A single word can fell the ancient tree.
Speak of immortality’s slow decay,
Of virtues lost to fleeting, twisted fires,
Of hands that reach where sacred lines expire
And “homophobic” brands the truth a crime.
Gay banners wave, feminism’s blade gleams bright,
Abnormal vices dressed in rainbow light;
To question is to hate, to doubt is sin,
And silence falls where honest words begin.
Turn now to crescent moons and minarets tall,
Where veiled commands demand the faithful crawl
Speak of the chains, the blood, the silenced call,
And “intolerant” becomes the final wall.
No room to mourn the daughters lost in sand,
No space to name the sword that rules the land;
One whisper of dissent, one plea for light,
And tolerance itself demands your night.
Correct a woman gentle word, firm hand
And “narcissist” or “abuser” scars the man.
Her tears become the verdict, swift and grand;
His care is cast as cruelty in the sand.
No father’s voice may guide, no brother’s shield,
No husband’s truth allowed to be revealed
For in this age the scales are bent and blind,
And every gentle word is redefined.
The cherished pillars crack, the altars fall:
Faith, family, honour, duty once the all
Now mocked as relics, dusty, quaint, and small,
While chaos wears the crown within the hall.
Society’s soul erodes like cliffs by sea,
Each wave a label, each tide a decree;
What fathers taught, what mothers held in prayer,
Is swept away on currents of despair.
O Truth, once queen upon the marble throne,
Now beggar at the gate, your voice a moan.
The gag grows tighter, woven thread by thread,
Until the final word is left unsaid.
Yet in the quiet heart where courage hides,
A spark still burns unlabelled, undefiled.
One day the gag will tear, the tongue will rise,
And silenced truth reclaims her ancient skies.
Have you ever heard of
A town called Mistake
Folks get things wrong
From the moment they wake
No one's been right
Since the town was first named
And it's not on a map
Though it still is quite famed
To put it on the map
Would have been a mistake
Now hang on one moment
Now give me a break
That means by making
A mistake it'd be there
I'm so damn confused
I'm pulling out my hair
If you've got this thing figured
Then please help me out
My mind's all ferschimmled
What's this all about
Have you ever heard of
A town called Mistake
Please write if you have
Coz my head really aches
© Jack Ellison 2015
Someone into mood
Wave your flag
Wave it to someone
Someone in need
Someone will smile
Smile back
Smile for a while
While you sleep
While you work
Work a little each day
Work toward peace
Peace with coexistence
Peace and gentle kindness
Kindness to yourself
Kindness to your pet
Pet the sand with your toes
Pet someone close
Close to you and me
Close to the Lord
Lord Have mercy
Lord this is long
Long as in forever
Long you are
Are you still with me
Are we still doing this
This is tedious but
This I will finish for you
You are worth it
You deserve attention
Attention to detail
Attention and time
Time is valuable
Time has a limit
Limit your barriers
Limit your excuse
Excuse yourself
Excuse those around
Around your world
Around your head
Head for growth
Head for change
Change your perspective
Change your mind
Mind your manners
Mind the weather
Weather the storm
Weather the mood
Mood of all of it
Mood you made
Made;
It! :)
I loved you with all I could muster.
I loved you with every sinuous strand
Every cell, every heartbeat.
I loved you with all that I am.
I loved you to the point of sacrifice:
Prepared to give you all I have.
A Ferris wheel of fortitude
Spinning, turning into a crazy world,
Always moving, never still, manic
In its pursuit of passionate folly.
Then melancholy, moody, yet
Mellifluous in melody, a merging
Of hearts: sometimes healing,
Often destructive as it wove its
Catastrophic path. In the aftermath
I land, washed up on the beach,
Picking up the pieces like driftwood
Carried by the tide. I loved you.
DEPRIVED OF YOUR LOVE
Can I be deprived of your love
If indeed, it ever was truly that
Well, what ever it was, it’s gone
Now, hardly worth dwelling on
Feelings look emaciated, not fat
What’s the use of just one glove
Now you may see me just shrug
Looking like I never really cared
But my heart is only my concern
As deep inside, I still feel it burn
With love, how have others fared
Taken for granted, looking smug
Tell me, just how should I react
By seeking sympathy everywhere
So, don’t be feeling sorry for me
A soul feels what eyes do not see
But all in sharp focus, very aware
Your love’s gone and that’s a fact
The way memories sift through golden leaves
The trees a ring within which rests the sun
Your back against a tree
A hand on my leg
In that moment I wasn't thinking of the future
Full of loveless sunsets
And emotional breakdowns
I wasted my youth thinking tomorrow a given
Only to have everything slowly taken away
And the voices that called out
Became fewer and fewer
In this moment I'm thinking of the past
Full of loving sunrises
And emotional stability
Sometimes I wonder if today is my last day
Wondering what I have achieved
And what my life means
To those around me
In that moment I think of the present
I've slowly given up on love
And perhaps on myself
The golden leaves crunch underneath my foot
After all these years I still stand here
All alone with these memories
Wishing I could go back
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
I may be thought aloof and cold
Maybe even more so, as I’m old
Not dull lead, nor yet shiny gold
Perhaps a weird sense of humour
Yet all along, it may be a tumour
If unsure, I will never just leave it
I’m well educated, that’s for sure
On this, never challenged before
Perhaps I was ever seeking more
But knowledge, it’s not all by far
Self confidence, not being a star
I aimed high and I did achieve it
I feel love, some may say muted
But to superficial I am less suited
As in depths, my mind is rooted
Yet I will still look for inspiration
As life offers so little explanation
Me, lovable, I’d hardly believe it
Confronted with this year's grim virus scare
our spring was lost to common joys we share-
new hope with summer rays?
But summer came, and much remained the same;
death numbers down, but normal, cannot claim-
perhaps by autumn's blaze?
Now heading there- though, little progress made;
most schools and other start-backs, still delayed-
will wintertime amaze?
How many phases must we end and start;
or will poor headway keep our worlds apart-
will then- next spring rephrase?
The cycle of this virus is unknown;
into the realm of guesses, we are thrown-
with this pandemic craze.
Told wearing masks could be for many years;
not good to hear, as true hope disappears.
God, please send brighter days.
August 1, 2020
Premiere Contest: Tail-Rhyme Stanza
Sponsor: Emile Pinet
The dog’s bark alerts you to the mail
and you rush to the door heart in hand.
For you’re hoping you'll get a letter
nervously twirling your wedding band.
The envelope wafts a hint of musk
that transports you back to his parting.
And the fight you had... “Why reenlist?”
you had argued, acid tears smarting.
Your heart's pounding in trepidation
and fueling anxiety's climb.
Yet both the anger and flow of tears
have decreased with the passage of time.
Reading his letter a smile appears
joined by more as his words set them free.
For inked by a soldier in Iraq
a man in pain pens a heartfelt plea.
Sorrowful feelings flow from the page
weeping and beautifully expressed.
And yet in the depths of your being
you’re still hurting and feeling depressed.
You devour every sweet nuance penned
each succulent slice of candied hope.
And though time's something you can’t turn back
borrowing his strength you try to cope.
Yesterday a letter trimmed in black
brought news you dreaded getting for years.
For it said he'd been “killed in action"
its typed message smeared...In pools of tears.
A string of scows lift on a late flux.
Sunset spreads itself along the crests of far hills.
The Ohio plunges into cooling shadows,
then a shimmering pause as the water opens its body.
Ripples fall away from the light,
shape-shift into Shawnee canoes.
There are shadowy natives still doggedly paddling
into the grassy skirts of Kentucky
A late breeze sighs, rattles tall reeds.
Evening slips under her clothes a slow disrobing.
For a long moment, the river shines
while the moon climbs over darkening trees.
I get up from my camp-chair stretching.
Ten years I recall, ten years of emptying out.
I look at my open hands, feeling easy and as fresh
as a rain-washed creek.