I’ve left it on rock ledges
elevators and bars
Taxicabs, backpacks
and motorcycles far
It sat on the Great Wall
as I walked away
And fell out of the raft
in Wyoming that day
It flew on the airplane
after I’d gotten off
Spending two days in Key West
Fedex as the cost
It’s kept me in touch
that’s important I know
But the voice it records into words
— much more so
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2018)
My Cell Phone Voice Recorder
I’ve left it on rock ledges
in elevators and bars
Taxicabs, backpacks,
motorcycles near and far
It’s laid on the Great Wall,
as I started to walk away
And fell out of the raft
in Wyoming that day
It flew on the airplane
after I had gotten off
And spent two days in Key West
with Fedex as the cost
It’s kept me in touch,
that’s important I know
But the voice it records
into words
—much more so
(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2018)
The building tops are shrouded
By a thick persistent fog.
The sun, despite his name day,
Must be sleeping like a log.
I watch the darkness lifting
Very slowly, from my perch
Twenty-seven stories higher
Than the steeple of a church.
A gull swoops by; some taxicabs
Glide slowly down the street.
The flags on poles sway side to side,
Perhaps to Sousa's beat.
It's early morning in this city
Nestled by the bay.
My view is of the buildings, though,
Varieties of gray.
The clouds hang low, so thick that you
Could cut them with a knife.
I hope the sun breaks through before
The city comes to life.
Sit here and watch
Buzz of bazaar crowd;
Adrenaline rush
Chinatown fragrance
Odd and strange;
Familiar nostalgia
Old men staring
Blank faces recite;
Long forgotten tales
Age brings unrest
Reflections on mirrors;
Stagnant marshes
When you see me
Do I see you;
Familiar shadows mingle
One by one
You pass me by;
Solitary shadow
Lonely scarecrow
Straw marionette;
Harvest leftover
Day turns to night
Day flushes night;
Royal flush again
So many empty
Taxicabs on prowl;
Missing passengers
Tourist visitor centre
Instant information;
Chinatown hotspot
Evening strollers
Dog leading owner;
Free spirited sprints
News flash: why and how
Who and where;
What happened when?
Leon Enriquez
16 June 2014
Singapore
Late late hours
Moonbeams glimmer;
Magic moments
Sky canopy
Stardust sensations;
Flight of fancy
Joyous rapture
Stars come out to play;
Moonlight sonata
Drizzle trickles
Windy howling;
Change of weather
Empty taxicabs
Ply deserted streets;
No soul stirs
Dimly lit alley
Old shophouses;
Winding like centipedes
Late night movie
Dessert offerings;
Fond delight frames
Touch of ecstasy
Private sensations;
Elegant feel
Waiting for feelings
Hurl of sure words;
Rhymes do not come
Leon Enriquez
04 May 2014
Singapore
Evening cascades
Distant bright lights --
Sleepless I write
Bedtime stories
Adult word play;
Curious mind stalking
Wee hours conspire
Sleepy world drifts;
Double espresso
My darling sleeps
Glimpses of nirvana;
Haikus converge
Empty taxicabs
Ply lonely routes;
No one in sight
13 Feb 2014
Singapore
The mercury reached 104 degrees farenheit today
The masses swelter and it becomes difficult
evne to walk down the street
Yet the city lives on since New Yorkers always stand tall
when it comes to emergencies
A little sun cam't destroy "Baghdad on the Hudson"
Children laugh and play as a man sells flavored ice
Cars pass by in a dizzying display
Workers lift up concrete to build our city
A lone bird flying overhead looks down with pity
at those that cannot fly
Young lovers kiss under the azure sky
Taxicabs race through the avenues
Each statue of a famous man or woman gleams in the afternoon
At the beaches swimmers dive under waves
and try to avoice the rip tide which can overcome their resistance
Let's rejoice
We should be glad to live in a town with eight million others
All taking in the joys of summer
and chasing the urban dream
Once Upon a Law
Long lines at midnight bring cheers
to the cathedrals, immune to forgotten laws.
Circles in the sand, circles in the air, around
and around, laws are thrown against the sky, but no
one can see them, the sky has no limits on suffering,
and daylight brings more laws.
Well-intentioned aristocrats send money and
celebrities, where law has vanished.
Wanderers know the sunshine needs laws to survive,
their wandering searches for light.
Now, the airplanes fly faster, and taxicabs ignore all
the traffic laws….people talk faster….. walk faster,
something is about to happen, I hope it’s tomorrow,
I hope
…… It’s tomorrow
The door slammed - they walked out
They had had enough
Bright beams of sunlight
Made it difficult to see where they were going
Yellow taxicabs
Hurried by on a busy street
Even this early
In the morning
They couldn't stop arguing
Which words had been exchanged?
Why did their dad rush out?
Don't bother asking - you won't get a straight answer
They continue to rush away
As morning evolves into afternoon
MAYBE THERE ARE NO ANSWERS
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