Tenancy Poems

I AM

Spark the flame, burning I am energy fire
From heaven lightening down brightly soul shining

 Deliverers spark contained karaoke voice desire
 Thunders blues blazes sound I am resonated winds

reverberate blast I am flame energy voice
 thunder blast heaven birth born light might energy

I am choice energy fire reverberate I am light
how I testify centrally heavens tenancy  
7/20/2024
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. 2024©

Strange News From Florida

The alligators will not stay in the water,
they head for strip malls, for chicken noodle joints
or sports bars for fish taco or spicy wings.
They get their nails done in a Korean salon
paying in Spanish gold.

The two legged; 
the cranes, herons, and humans
edge around the gators.
Occasionally, rowdy boys bounce stones off 
their scaly hides.
The unflappable crocodilians slyly grin 
for they are ecologically moving-in.
Shrewdly, the reptiles are styling 
alligator belts and boots, or sell gator skin handbags 
from wayside stalls and booths.

The Floridians have become inured
to these green interlopers. Some seeing opportunity, 
rent them housings with few tenancy rules
and ‘must have’ pools.
Sadly many furry pets keep going missing;
and not just the Cypress trees are stumped.

It’s a new era, one to be nearer together.
Undocumented or free-range, no longer estranged.
but one shared love for chicken, be it raw, fried 
or grill flamed.

Free To Roam

When devouring a hot chicken pie
An advertised flat caught my eye,
     I would hazard a guess
     Judging from its address
That the asking price wasn’t too high. 

I collapsed in a state of deep gloom
When the landlord denied me that room,
     He said “Nothing’s worse
     Than a chap who writes verse!”
Within minutes I started to fume.

After snatching some six hours of sleep
I thought I should challenge that creep,
     For with scant explanation
     His discrimination
Might cause a young snowflake to weep.

I knew I should counter his crime
With an angry yet passionate rhyme,
     He was powerful and scary
     And so arbitrary,
And his property’s well past its prime.

My letter, dispatched the next day,
Employed words that I’d rather not say
     (They are not in the bible),
     Then he sued me for libel,
So his rent I’m not able to pay.

So the lesson is easy to see -
Do not venture to write poetry.
     It could end in defeat
     Then you’re stuck on the street,
Simply begging for coffee or tea.

Nancy and Necromancy

Many Gentlemen fancy Nancy
But for one Nancy kept her fancy:
Thirty- year old Gilbert Tansi,
Whose meeting with her had been chancy…

The- Interested-in-Necromancy,
Near a cemetery his tenancy;
Now, Nancy wants him “Necromancer”,
Leave his Hotel job as Hot Bouncer;
If Tansi does so, he’s paid her price:
Indeed, from Hollow Cup thrown Best Dice…

Nancy with Cancer might soonest die
But would still want his kisses like Pie:
A Necromancer- Necrophilia
Would match a Deceased Nymphomania.

Spiritual Tenancy

Leasing eternity…
 sorrowful joy
Rent paid in moments
death’s choirboy
Light deeded tenure
sight to regain
Conceptual escrow
—vision’s domain

(The New Room: June, 2022)

-debt Service-

I’m running out of money,
but I’ve still got some time
and only just one question
…can you lend me a dime

My dollars spent on something
that quarters can’t divide
my nickels for what’s come and gone
…can you lend me a dime

Tomorrow comes as landlord,
whose lease you can’t cosign
my place reserved but not in ink
…can you lend me a dime

My tenancy is in arrears,
foreclosing on my mind
last chance to stay evictions sway
…can you lend me a dime

(Dreamsleep: January, 2022)

Muted and Alone

In the poverty of sound
hides a final goodbye
Mortgaging the silence
with debt to decry

A tenancy of sorrow
with melody banned
An orchestra homeless
—foreclosure at hand

(Dreamsleep: December, 2021)

The Butterflies of Turnabout Woods

Turnabout Woods blooms in the beetle plowed pulp.
Living there in the tenancy of the sun
golden butterflies make their home.

At times they visit small cottage gardens
to write romantic novels,
pages that appear sporadically
on the underside of toadstools.
At midday they bathe like turtles on the rocks.

In Spring, Bluebell herds bunch
then on a hunch, breakaway
following fictional trails.

None are sure
if the light sinks deeper than life here.
The butterflies don’t care,

like arboreal Gods, they look down,
as we crawl between
the mulched roots
of our own fairytales.

Polarized Planets

Contrived is how it is
incessantly demanding
jaw snap and tantrum
its alarming attention
offers but greedy promises
fulfilled by drooling idiots

The bubble bursting
in miming smashed flowers and peoples heads
extension cables attached
to connect their errant souls

In high rise windows
hides the ecstasy of open skies

Each component all of use
and no use, to use, or not use at all
states its claim of necessity
all those things of slavery
but must function

My toes scraped at earth
cushions on the blades of grass
did these eyes eat at bark
and of mornings petal
expand my blood

As if waking from a perfect nights sigh
I have lost my way
being of gypsy
but a life time of nature tenancy
and all this tiny little world is enough for me

Drowsy
lazy
silence comes naturally 
and in such flippant garb
a spindles thread of destiny
weaves some pertinent web

Rest upon the Dandelions head
orthopteran chirping    
as I slip the clouds
and ponderously ponder nothing
the sun is talking to my skin

Life's Tenancy

Was that dollar Sunday morning
  a twenty Saturday night

Is that empty bottle you can barely see
  the excuse that started the fight

Is that torn and tattered jacket
  what was once your Sunday best

Is your life worth more than nineteen dollars
   eyes blackened—never to rest

(Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2018)

Rob Davies

Rob played semi-professional rugby, 
From when he was 4 until the age of 21, 
When he got a serious spinal cord injury, 
Whilst playing that rough game spun. 

As part of his rehabilitation sessions, 
At Rookwood Hospital, exists in Cardiff, 
He played table tennis for his arms, 
Which he continued thereafter, his quiff. 

That was from 2005, but by ’11’s Euros, 
He qualified for London’s Games 2012,
The Paras of tremendous meme flows, 
About disability sport, now off the shelf.

But he left lonely and without a medal, 
Which made him determined, craving, 
So he increased the work and the mile,
He sweat each day, a medal engraving. 

He was World No. 6 in 2012, not good, 
For him, so he worked on consistency, 
And became the Euro Champ good, 
In Italy with singles and team tenancy. 

In 2015 at the Euros again, in Vejle, 
In Denmark, he did the same thing - 
Topped the charts with his angle, 
In both events - it was plain sailing. 

Then, the major victory came in Rio, 
The crowd erupted wildly at his win, 
Because the tension had been audible, 
When he’d wrangled to win gold vin.

Apologize

An apology is a letter we write with our hearts to those that we know we’ve wronged so that we will be able to make the situation a little less hurtful than it was when it started.  They don’t always work, but those that do have a tenancy to make us a bit better, although the emotion still remains even after. 

And, when it doesn’t work, we continue to sit by and let the emotions fester and boil into a soup of metabolic fuel called anger. We let is metastasize within us, staying there and whispering little things into our ears, and becoming the thing we call a grudge. And when we finally do see the light, we either had enough confidence and morality to even bother to forgive, or we were the same cowards that walk away every time there’s a scrape or a fight instead of standing up for themselves as they should.

We can’t always control what goes up or down in the roller coaster we’re forced to ride on a daily basis.  But what we can do is forgive.  We can’t always forget when we should or remember what we must when we need to, but the least we can do is forgive.  Because sometimes forgiveness has less to do with the pain of the heart and more to do with the pain of the mind.

Parents

I found a treasure
That does not give me pleasure
My parents are far away
I realize what a treasure I gave away
They provided everything, 
But I didn’t give anything
Supported me, took care of me
You know who did bad thing to them?
I left them, yeah it’s me!
I traded my parents’ love
I thought it was well above
Let’s say I didn’t have a love
How do I repay? 
Nine months of pregnancy
Around twenty year of tenancy
I may travel around the world
Become richest one in the world
But, don’t think I can give the world
As a payback to my parents
That I used to be so cold
Average life is seventy or eighty 
But our plans are placed in infinity 
Selfishness takes away from parents
Egotism makes a way out of parents
Don’t set the currency first
Hence put the parents first
Just before smashing with a wall
Well before children become tall
Call, call your mother, tell your father
Tell nobody replaces them, no one other  
Chain of my words may seem to you 
Nothing at all…
Remember my words parents are reason
 We exist at all…
 I found a treasure 
I’ll hold it with my pleasure
Parents are Priceless Treasure…

Beyond

In a horizon of miles
And miles
as a mingle
of mist in mist
In a doom square
Silence
in crowd
Emptiness
in full cup
But may you glow
some times in darkest
of alleys
In sails of doubt
beyond the smiles
of gloom
gleams out of dims
In clouds tenancy
In glance I avail
But the glory
Of heaven
in a night

Words Are Not Enough

Words are not enough,
Alphabets strung in uncertainty,
Speech slurred in disbelief,
Love endlessly professed,
Lacking in action or substance,
Intentions of the heart,
Inexpressible by vocabulary,
Pledges frustrated by timelines,
Lofty dreams built with bricks of vapour,
Visions written on sand,
Children of promise orphaned by unfulfillment,
In foster care of compromise,
Doubt takes up tenancy,
Sin, its landlord.

Grace grants clemency,
Faith offers a new lease,
Adopted by rectitude,
Shut doors avert imminent destruction,
Redirecting the path to destiny,
Visions conceptualized begin to materialize,
Pipe dreams turn reality,
Old debts reconciled,
The hearts intent,
Superseded by divine counsel,
Love endures its rule,
Substantiated by fidelity,
After all said and undone,
Words alone are not enough.

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