Overtones Poems

Dream-Drunk Love

You’ve lived through loss—
you’ve battled unuttered shame—
yet you hold onto Love like it is more 
than a Delusion—it is Honor—precious 
and rainbow-like—shimmery and 
shadowy all in one. 

You speak to her with Soul, 
truths that seem simple—
truths that survive in warm hands,
in melodies, 
in cadences, 
in overtones, 
in steady Voice.

You are creased at the edges
like a letter read too many times,
but your words—
your words are both 
soft lanterns and sunlight—
lit from somewhere deeper than breath.

Some people are put here
to hold others when they cry,
to remind them that they are still real—
still seen, still envisioned, still worth
writhing, weaving weights of 
Dream-drunk Love. 





3.3.25

A GOLDEN AGE

A GOLDEN AGE

It was the early Sixties when music changed
Rock Around The Clock had paved the way
But many previous styles had seen their day
As modern songs were differently arranged

The Mersey Sound burst out upon the scene
The Beatles in particular, led that revolution
Then almost very year adding a new solution
Along with many others, all young and keen

Of course there was always the U.S influence
And Motown lasted longer than was expected
Loyalty to the favourite radio station selected
But soon, instrumental tracks made less sense

Electric guitars earned their permanent place
But distortion spawned so many a new effect
And much studio tech that helped to correct
But the Pop TV shows filled a popular space

Much music of that era did sound simplistic
But with classic songs and arrangements too
Yet committed to embracing what was new
Despite some Hippy overtones of the mystic

But that memorable decade drew to a close
Whilst colour replaced old black and white
A beat generation was mostly treated right
It shall return and be welcomed, as it goes

Jews Harp - A Reflection On Turmoil

I take my pain to where ragers rage and writhe
in their self-absorbed gluttony on all-winter days
their tea cups are only for them
interspersed with silence and solitude
the streets are buildings without them
  who are the signposts talking too?

I could have been one of them
  I was one of them
and still am if hills facing the sun are cloud covered
and I don’t look out of the window to notice
then, in those un-costumed days, I am

but, and it has taken rotations of earth
backpacking through antonyms, through tropics
I have conquered tinnitus, now a comfort blanket
aiding sleep as a heart monitor line crossing a screen
I have conquered deep wells, now jews harps
jaw harps if you prefer, gewgaws, yes I have conquered
the cave of crawling space days
goblins are only a light switch and their rising finger away
but my rising finger plucks at overtones and distances
between neurons, between stars, between mees 
its sound soothing, rubbing balm on a restive chest
the vibrations are fizzing and feeding me
I take my white noise and float away
  sound, my therapy

Jaw Harp Man

see my hand it has a gewgaw in
and to my lips I kiss the day
with her sounds I repeat back
in overtones and harmonics 
of a heart whose breath is wide
horizonal, for scope, there is scope
and much to fill with a beauty
of song and call and secretness 
yet do I not keep the outside out
these harp filled moments
allow my alone to distant inwards
solitary in an openness of voyage
among this voice of many voices
for it is here in this everywhere
that soothes, that steals, that builds
and my direction honed, renewed
oh these moments pass too quickly
once I’m out of the eternity
but the whet and drive has thirst
see my hand it has a gewgaw in
and to my lips I kiss the day

The Jews Harp

if aromatic, can your sound
adrift on wings like strings to sing
by tongue and some from lighted tops
of cloud aloud let fly, let fly
o solitary eagle soaring high
these aromatic overtones
of demon groans to bees abuzz
on petal roams and onto tombs
of night in flight to morning’s dew
harmonic rhythms meditate 
the late, the new, the cycle through
sweet realm of realms, mine avenue
and though her breath is my breath too
the key, like she, can bloom

Overtones

Life has no end goal
Savor the moment you're here
Or think not exist.

ADORNING FATHER'S DAUGHTER-

I enjoy women but in a Fatherly Heaven way
 I Adorn their nurturing they're caring so I say 
I Adorn a woman the one whom I love 
for both of God daughters casting spirit encased in vessel song
 Light bright brilliant casting overtones thank you Dear Abba Father God

5/5/24
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2024

Infinitude

I, the many
a harlot's realm, betrothed
to the light, each door a seed

yet, eyes 
ever glossed in overtones
of harmonic gaze 
deep within her strings

and enter anew
in silence... 
... raw

It Happened On a Misty Morning Collaboration

Wettened by the mornings dew 
Closely spaced where rows of roses grew 
Footprints stained the cobblestone 
Where my love and I had walked, alone
—Charles Messina

Roses pink as my love’s lips
The remainder of the day predicts
Scented overtones of life
Blue moon will ask Claire to be my wife

Awakening

Stirrings of pleasure,everywhere...
perceptions of imagination
outlined,a coloured conformance
dissolve overtones into a form of words.

Whiz-Bang the Frog

Whiz-bang the Frog

Whiz-bang the frog
 And Toodles the dragonfly
Sit by the pond
 Watching the caddisflies

They sing La Ti Da!
 They sing Fa La La!
And then Wah-Wah Woo!
 A chorus of Doo Wappa Doo!

They sing with the zebra fish,
 Under the moon,
And buzz with the skeeters,
 Staying in tune.

Knats strum the reeds
 Like beats on a bass,
The crickets chirp in
 With tunes from the knotgrass.

Damselflies, water bugs
 Harmonize a tone poem
And hum serenades
 In drowsy overtones.

Skater bugs scat
 All over the pond
While Whiz-bang and Toodles
 Lead the pond sing-a-long.

6-3-23
Contest: W T F
Sponsor: John Lawless

According to www.Positive Words that Start with "W," whiz-bang is one word.

Changing Our Attitude

A foggy morning with dreary overtones
Can cause the spirit to spiral downward
Eliciting slow-moving, guttural groans
A foggy morning with dreary overtones,
It makes us feel like decrepit, old crones
Roadblocks in the way of moving forward,
A foggy morning with dreary overtones
Can rapidly spiral the spirit downward.

Roadblocks in the way of moving forward
Can seem like an insurmountable barrier
Sometimes it’s difficult to look upward
Roadblocks in the way of moving forward
Should make us immediately fast-forward
To see the future through a smile-carrier
Roadblocks in the way of moving forward
Can seem like an insurmountable barrier.

To see the future through a smile-carrier
Ditch the blasé and change your attitude,
Look upward beyond any limiting barrier
To see the future through a smile-carrier,
An attitude like “the more the merrier,”
Instead of carping, face the day in gratitude
To see the future through a smile-carrier,
Ditch the blasé and change your attitude.

Written September 10, 2022
[interlocking triolets dedicated
to our own Panagiota Ramios]

Blue, Purple and Marmalade

A powder-blue sky turns prismatic
     the sun glows marigold
chromatic colors, captivate, so charismatic
     below the horizon an indigo sea glitters boldly

Looming clouds melt into marmalade
     with overtones of a lavender hue
cerulean waves crash against sand the color of suede
     as the setting sun slowly turns the sea sangria instead of blue

Streaks of tangerine reach down to touch the sea
     iredescent lights bend and colors meld
giving way to a violet sky tinted with orange cream
     the sun disappears turning periwinkle waves into midnight-blue swells
as night falls the colors fade
    blue, purple and marmalade

The Night Sky

Under the cover of darkness 
I will show you the way
It’s a lesson I will teach you blind
It’s a sequence that you 
will learn and never forget
To keep my promise 
I will wrap you in my cloak all night!
I will help you escape the chaos 
that consumes you
And cherish you from dusk to dawn
Wandering with you on a path to fill that void
I am the night that engulfs you, 
a roof to your home!
And at dusk, your command I will abide
You can hear me in those dark overtones
Whispers of shadows as they speak
I am the coal that waits to burn in your eyes!
I will hold all of your secrets, wrapped up 
In sparking stars tonight
I will twinkle and wait for you to decide
When you remove those blinds 
At dawn and let in the light!

27.2.22
Contest: The Night Sky
Sponsor: Anna Marie Kaianah

Ensemble of Voices

Her
alto
foundation
adds richness to
soprano's ringing
melody with soaring
obbligato overtones,
while diva gets rousing applause
supportive alto smiles demurely
knowing it takes ensemble of voices.

-OR-

Her
alto
foundation
adds richness to
soprano's ringing
melody with soaring
obbligato overtones,
while diva gets rousing applause
supportive alto smiles demurely
knowing it takes ensemble of voices.

written February 14, 2022

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