Short Citadel Poems

distant citadel
bright lamp gilds destination
shadows rimming flanks...

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peregrine falcon

                                    scout upon the citadel

                                    pigeons kept in check







***...

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Mayhem
Reigns above hills,
Behind city wall lies
Fortified dreams in chaotic
Order.

Languish
In confusion
Of emperor’s torment
Levy madness, out of control
Refrains....

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The embered clock chimes
Mother time palls a migraine
The momentary instinct tells
Welcome to the Citadel
answering the question
AM I the TIDE
lapping along
the uncertainty of time
chilled me to the bone







...

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Love and loss are a heaven and a hell;
     a purgatory and limbo, a place
of sorting out: a place where lovers fell;
     and entered a reflective, lonely space,
a realm that's not a lover's citadel,
     but still a place where souls may yet embrace....

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Across horizons
From skies to Earth

Serenading within
Ancient wood

Enduring blossoms
Whisper abound

Time is trivial  
Sunlight reigns

To time everlasting 
Resonating life

A fullness of peace
In silence of shadows

A symbiotic citadel
Life undisturbed...

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Filter through barrage...

Drawer bridge select...

Silent comment...

Complainers (common denominator) 

Quantrum retreat...

Climb into the mind unaccompanied...

Delve the walls fortress...

Quiet Solice Serene...

For the time inside my citadel...

Quiet Solice Serene......

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Cerulean welkin milieu in
The billows lies a citadel 
That is the abode of a
Prince and his vast kingdom 
Waiting patiently 
For his princess
Charming heart
For aye
Tied 







For Imagination Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Shadow Hamilton
Sixth Place
1-30-2016...

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I am so quaint on the edge
to my honor shall I pledge
walking the thin rope
in a shallow disarray of hope
feigning the lose of ability to cope
my emotional charade is only a facade
the american citadel fell to inform
shall I now tow the norm
in this fluffy buttered pan of notoriety
that all my ego tastes of buttersilk....

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Wet furrows slowly churn,
his plough horse snorts,
a farmer walks,
lost to his morning world.

Clay sticks yellow to the disc,
he kicks at it,
the dawn sky is his citadel.

Harsh days, like summer, 
blaze in his memory;
confined to this land,
 his earthly flesh has made a pact.

 His arms are held like tree boughs....

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(“Citadel of Light Merit Badge”, 2016, original pen and ink)

The Birth of Light

Spirit and flesh 
Two in one
Are the definition
Of beauty itself
For apart they are inert
While together there is dance
And where there is dance
There is joy
And freedom
And the discharge 
Of something the mystics
Fondly call light.

(11/4/24)...

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Ah! but where is there to run to my love?
When our moon comes crashing down 
What edifice will shelter us?
Or find a citadel indestructible 
We feel apart at the seams 
And what happened, happened 
Beyond our worst dreams 
So come swim in the rising tides 
And sing our final goodbyes 
Here comes the moon 
This time to darken
Not to light...

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Locust of green
       Swarm of yellow
       Procession,
       Snakish march along
       The snaking path
       Obeisance!

       Mother,
       Dark fertile mother of
              Ijesa-isu Land
       Giant potter of thousand fingers
       Meek moulder of Midas touch
       Age-long furnace of golden embers
       Behold a citadel
       Alas!...

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“There,” said he,
“Observe the rat —
It makes its nest within the shell
of this, the ancient Citadel.
“Note that many greater souls
who once did walk these gath’ring grounds
have died, and are again born, and
that very rat now hears their sounds!”
I asked “What sounds?”
He cackled, “These:
On the rat, a thousand fleas.”

(Dedicated to Edgar A. Poe)...

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Glacial blue dawn;
Slender pink whiskers of warmth
touch frozen ruins

Icebergs sailing by
scatter rubble in their wake;
Sharp winds cleave hard rock

Jagged shards melting
slowly in shallow sunbeams;
Chill pebble strewn pools

Icy continents; 
Light glancing on still waters
mirrors frosted skies

Long days and short nights; 
Winter rules this citadel
in crisp white mantle...

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Acrostic on LAUGH & CRY


L-ike to laugh I would in well and woe
A-cross all aim in life step forward too
U-pon my urging I am wondering not
G-et one gist of hope from coming pot
H-oist I’m hold everything as humane true

*****

C-radle to citadel of death a drop of tears
R-oam for relieving every grief of futile cheers
Y-et howling yawns in wounded pain for intact layers...

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So engulfed by perturbation
The inner cry was enormous
My heart cracked and sank
Why has she been so unfair?
The courage thinned down

The renowned citadel
Not did I ever apply
The enrolment was unquestionable
A vast place yet crowded
Why has she been so unfair?

The knack to learn unfolded
A citadel without classroom
Yet you tutor by seconds
Oh! You duly engage all
Why has she been so unfair?...

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Failures` hiding place 

I have done a lot of work even been an officer
With shiny buttons but never succeeded in the world
Of practical work ended up on my personal skid-row 
Sleeping rough people look at you with contempt some
Ignore you other shouts hurtful remarks 
Poetry is a good place for losers of the race here they
Dream, write words on paper build a shiny citadel and
Have the key to unlocking wonders....

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PETITION OF THE POWERLESS

Citadel of my inner strength
Crushed by your colossal ambuscade
My pain like carpet spread to length
To receive your cruel cavalcade

My Fountain of dreams fade like bubble
Pushed by your power’s barricade
In my platter serving toil and trouble 
You walk away with unfair accolade!


9th November 2016
For Brian Strand's Contest
Any form theme max 14 lines...

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I knew my heart had been set alight with passion,
that memorable day I cast my very eyes on thee.
Your slightest rebuff to my endless advances
would pose a more formidable challenge to me
than Europe's invincible combined vast army.
The day you unlocked the sealed entrance to thine heart,
was like opening the world's palatial epicentre.
The access you gave me to your love's citadel,
was like the lofty achievement of a world conquest....

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by singing to you Songs of what "Is"
or by telling you Stories of the "Ought" 
you thought 
I sowed seeds of Wisdom 
to enrich your languishing Soul--

but I tricked you
I sneaked a message
--a Trojan Horse--

that I dumped on your gate
my weapon of the weak

that you pulled in 
in the middle of the night 
into the fortified citadel of your mind

as if this is by irony of fate-- 

no escape,
i trick you again--

I'm a Poet!...

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In the citadel the plans were made
The dynasty set was not to fade;
Plans to enforce the ruling hand
And gods were set across the land.

Then came a warning loud and clear
It rang across for all to hear;
“Approaching enemy, the army of Light
A call to arms, prepare to fight.”

“Bring out the prisoners who live for our cause
Arm the accusers who fight in our wars;
Fight to death despite the cost
And destroy the prisoners if all seems lost.”...

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AUTO,  PLANE  AND  OMNIBUS


Auto, Plane and Omnibus-
what a marvelous fuss,
that stupor'd man creates with you.

Ladies, Gentlemen and Nom De Plumes-
what frolic,
just yesterday unknown;
is reality tomorrow ?

That which is up, that which is down,
how can we tell right from wrong-
when covered with technology ?

It takes the roses essence
and be-little it to nothingness-
until Poet and Philosopher,
re-erects it on a citadel of Love !...

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The King there in His beauty,
Without a veil is seen;
It were a well spent journey,
Though deaths lay between.

We have troubles on every hand
The Lamb with His powerful army
On the top of Mt Zion stand,
in the citadel of Immanuel's glory.

The elders' praise is reminiscent. 
of the universe in rapturous praise 
the king regal and resplendent
upon him the world fixes their gaze.

Conclusion which is of the future
And he shall reign forever....

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Beautiful,  tall clouds hidden behind lower lying drizzle-makers;
Grand, expansive spires of nature's great conveyer;
hidden behind a mist of weary half-carriers. 
Great pillars of the sky looking down;
the view lost, thwarted by aborted weather-child.
These majestic lakes of the sky;
hidden by the puddles from earth bound eye.
Drowned out by; 
And then one...two,
drops;
as even the heavens cry.
In knowledge they weep, in puzzlement keep:
searching for that spire......

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