in a dream -
Mississippi, the 50's
lone hike on a sweltry spring-tide day
rolling fields of cotton and wheat
cauliflower clouds like lazy old men
creeping across a buttery haze …
as I walk, I tickle the tops of the grasses
hands open, palms down
blessing them
like mischievous children …
strolling a rise
in no hurry but oddly compelled
ball cap and short sleeves
skin rosy from the midday shine -
naked, dazzling sun, yet …
an odd trepidation as I round the hilltop -
below is a peach grove
in glorious, pregnant bloom
such strange fruit, these southern trees bear
burnished, dark, twisted
slowly spinning in the cruel heat -
and flies … darting
then …
realization
hits me like a doubled fist
and I retch into the beautiful snowy
blossoms at my knees
turning away from the bloat in
abject horror and shame …
for my skin is white -
the fetor, overwhelming
and he ...
was but a boy.
~ For Billie Holiday and Abel Meeropol ~
Copyright © 2019 Gregory Richard Barden
( photographic art created copyright-free by the poet with GALA AI software )
Soft and filled with petals of roses,
I’m dizzy as lingerie falls to the floor.
One door opens as the other closes,
delighted now I am free to explore.
Silk sheet origami such sensual art.
Let us disrupt it, take off my dress.
Are you ready for heat sweetheart?
I already feel more than a little listless.
So gentle yet hard on my insides,
your mouth on my neck I may retch.
An internal flame full of elevated tides,
we’re a vision I could never sketch.
Allowing my silence to take control,
something only you could teach me.
I swore my pen wasn’t on your payroll.
I’m left to give up, give in completely.
Internal debate whether I can stand,
as I fight with falling so hard for you.
Possessing a T.K.O with your left hand,
I’m out cold a victim of our rendezvous.
This is delicious!
What is it?
Chocolate covered ants, she told me.
I have now taken my last bite.
I feel like I want to retch.
I have always loved Mexican foods.
This time is the exception.
Chaos
Into the maelstrom of blood flinging and flooded diarrhea
Swirling amidst a vortex of needle and .
There I stand at the middle of it all.
The central point of this orbit of noxious madness.
The nucleus at the heart of rotten insanity.
A whirlpool of hot garbage circling around me, the core.
An iris in fusion vomiting molten liquid metal upon its refuse eyelashes.
The bowels of filth and swill spinning revolution.
Vacuumed in a retch of putrid detritus.
And expelled atop an excess of foetid sewage dysentery.
A repulsive pandemonium of regurgitated toxic sludge.
Thrown up haphazardly from the innards of turmoil.
One stomach-churning havoc, repulsive and distressing.
The never ending upheaval of sickening nonsense.
Bounded by sadness, grief and failures.
Folks who make life out of Vetch,
For their farms heading on ketch,
Their future they sometimes sketch;
None thinks he’s the truest wretch,
For labor does some hope fetch,
Though, Vetch would their choosers stretch…
Now, Hot Debates in the ketch!
“I can with Vetch accounts stretch,
Farther move from being a wretch.”
“But in Gold some their names etch
And Vetch can’t such nice dreams sketch”
“No! Vetch can the Big Name fetch
Quit the wretch that makes one retch”
So, say no more against Vetch…
Their food was clearly salty
But their drinks sweetly malty,
Their service rather faulty,
But they weren't at all haughty;
Yes, Owner's son was bossy,
Yet, had sounded not saucy,
In the end, meals not a wretch,
Since, we aren't likely to retch
And all we'd asked for they did fetch,
Sure making hands they did stretch
Therefore, let's not cruelly try
To their victorious looks fry
With either angering coughs
Or seeming The much Pissed - Off...
For another hoped Food Call.
When it's a much smart hall.
The barnyard was filled with the most notorious cliques.
I was tired of trying to out-think these cheap little chicks.
They were forever making trouble with their feed and chews.
Wringing their necks might make them sit up and choose…..
Something better to do with their time, for they were cheap.
I followed one around who was bullied into losing his cheep.
I followed him into garden rows where there was a pink rose.
He tried to hide underneath it, but you know how that goes.
Don’t be a wretch I told that chick. Ignore the bully ring.
He did not understand and was arguing. His neck I wanted to wring.
An apple left by a deer was lying there, smoothly cored.
Ants were wound all around it like a ebony cord.
The chick began pecking the long black ring of the ants.
His throat began to retch as his beak did this dance.
Bury my ideas, I told him, but you better not be less merry.
The next thing that chick found to eat was a fallen rasp-berry.
Spoiled soy burgers
and marshmallow spam
Find all the worms
in the uncured ham
Mustard stew a la mode
pistachio-flavored tongue of toad
Dandelion roots in stuffing of turkey
makes digestion extra-perky
Fancy diets? - Gain weight and kvetch
Eat this stuff! Shed pounds ~ just retch
I remember that well
The poisoned water within
My stomach churns at the thought of its drink
It's been cleaned, or so I'm told.
I can taste its metallic memory
Involuntarily I retch
Shudder.
Can I drink blissfully again
When each glass brings suspicion of death?
Would I chose ignorance?
Is fear so unreasonable?
Shall I suffer instead my thirst?
Parched, shall I instead choose sand?
Licking the dust from my teeth whilst I watch
Ice clinking, water cold and refreshing as it's
Poured, generously, freely, without cost...
But is it a trap? A mirage?
A cruel trick?
Can you ever enjoy the cool, clear water
Once you've tasted the poisoned well?
Reapers visit
Warm salty tears dripping down my reddened cheeks.
Sadness and depression fill my barely beating heart, thudding so slowly I can't feel my own pulse.
Told I now Repulse, causes me to convulse tremoring violently, retch so much nothing but anger and disillusion come out, just a disgrace.
An entire life I have had happiness love and joy till my love my life twinflame died holding in bed sometime during the night.
Chest compressions only caused black blood to splatter my face.
The cold stiffness that once was warm and soft his red skin now blue and lifeless this more than a crisis. Our love always limitless that once armored us licit love replaced with bitterness and bereavement.
Bestfriend died.
Suddenly taken away
Forever
sponsor
Regina Riddle
Standing there
Arms outstretched
The haggard pasty washed up
Kewpie doll
Of a soon to be ex
Awaited his oxytocin fix
As the dutiful wench
Swallowed the stench
Of his distillery fermented fat
She thought
This puts the retch in wretched
And that was that
A good sense of humour
Is only embraced so far
5.31.2020
Reds and purples swirling in my brain
My neck hurts now and I am irritated
Ha! So much farther than that.
I can taste all the foods I despise the most
In my mouth is a slimy mushroom
Ugh! Is that liver? I see the red blackness and I retch.
My back is aching. I am a wreck.
Anger is coming out of my head in waves.
Why did they have to come? I have never liked them.
Today I may do something I will regret.
May? Ha! I am going to do something I regret
Thanks to the taste of mercury and anger in my mouth.
Dismay
I heard a splendid, discontent grumbling
And the cries never scaring
The tittering trepidation taunting
I channel not my displeasure my hurts and pain yet I remain DISMAY
Suddenly, I heard some retching
The flaunting and the fetching
My mind always strays to yells
Of the confusion's that is stretching my blood spills
I channel not my displeasure my hurts and pain yet I remain DISMAY
I crave the cree, complainant cry
I oft, guess I died
So do warn me about the fury
Life's is in no hurry...
I channel not my displeasure my hurts and pain yet I remain DISMAY
And its eyes have all the booing
Death shall bring howls demons chewing
The crouches came cooing
And the retch was wooing
Roaches in their aftermath yet still alive
After the atomic blast
I am shore of my doing, in doing
Death shall bring howls demons reaching and booing
I channel not my displeasure my hurts and pain yet I remain DISMAY
11/25/19
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2019©
War's canvass: pockmarked earth, blood-stained sky
Paint youths white as ghosts -- retch and die
why here?
why this way ... is it a message just for me??
no note, no signs of impending doom ...
you were all smiles this morning, mundane habits adhered to
"have a good day, Sweetness - I love you"
nose rub and a kiss, (the kiss WAS deeper than usual)
and in your eyes ... something ... odd
a touch of darkness, distance, chill ...
it didn't strike me then, but now ... a sick feeling deep-down
oh, dear God, did I miss something?!?
not like me ... not at ALL ...
I'm usually so perceptive, so attuned - especially to you ... to US
your cold skin, shiny porcelain in the moonlight
so horridly beautiful, so exquisitely horrid, (I retch)
they place you tenderly in a plastic bag, zipping it slowly
I will hate that sound now ... forever.
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