(Before Sentencing.)
They called him ‘Poor Boy’
a victim of life’s promise...
a voice without love
neither percipient of
nor an indulgence in it.
© Harry J Horsman 2010
Crimson river, tide so wide, mucilage aged in thee
Blessed be the one to pray against the raging sea
Pusillanimous feelings, no honor, resting in an ossified wind
Redemption begets the soil destined for sin
Back away, crush the inside mold, break the pattern
Hot iron strikes the furious percipient mind in discern
Distrust the dogmatic absolute, praise be it in me
Fretful art thou, take flight in haunted melodies
“What is this?” you asked with such hateful discontent
A safe haven of admiration and respectful reverence or contempt
Be it may or be it not, it consumes thy heart with ravaged pain
“Does thou have faint of heart with discourse for bloodstain?”
Sanctify, anoint, consecrate or be damned
Haphazardly except the secrets passed on hand to hand
The ambiguity of said consecration only impairs judgment
So beware what you wish for it may arise in malcontent
Rain, like angry teardrops, forges rivulets down the window pane
while threatening gray clouds thunder above,
fat with their delivery
Flickering power dances with the lightning in a contest of shadows
as heavy pressure and dampness seep into the marrow
of my fragile frame
Frantic winds change the relentless direction of the deluge as
miniature rivers form, washing away the residue of the atmosphere
before the storm
Darkness comes, and the bitter intensity becomes palpable
Weary windows shudder in their frames as whispering howls
sneak through timeworn crevices
Daunting years of collective conscience suggest a safe place to hide,
as all of the percipient creatures on the other side of the pane
have already attained
But, numbed by the continuous oblivious walk of humanity, I stay
Even though leaning against the moaning glass is not safe, I stay
…..to watch the rain.
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.