She was born straddling a pair of ruby-eyed dice
weaned on black alleys and salty blue smiles-
Wild cat coaxing greenbacks from denim-lined crags
riding hard-driving far-diving high-screaming brass-
Climbing steely mountains capped with pyrite hearts
she thanked a lost lord for tears that didn't glow in the dark-
For a time, she walked for miles along sunlit paths
which demanded pinches of patience and flakes of faith
neither of which her dream catcher could ever catch-
She died alone draped across a bent bottle cap thrown
trilobites and mad dogs marched out her Marlboro red throat-
Leaving stiletto scars on virgin faces of hope and eternity
that creamy queen of damnation with cherry-stained knees-
(2008)
Two men walk into a bar one night
Hurt like hell, punched out their lights
When they awoke
Strange words they spoke
Sounded like a couple of ancient trilobites
Two men walk into a bar one night
Hurt like hell, punched out their lights
When they awoke
Strange words they spoke
Sounded like a couple of ancient trilobites
The rushing rivers falling fast
With fury born on high,
Cut deeply into ages past
Where fossil forests lie.
Their life and death transformed to stone
Yet titan trees are proud
To lie together yet alone;
A stone-honed silent shroud.
The arthropods like trilobites
Once flourished until fate
Sent them to depths devoid of light
As salt beds turned to slate.
Today they stay with limb and root,
Their pose a righteous crown;
Pre-cambrian volcanic soot
Would mark trees soon to drown.
Illusion of great time will flee
When first one's gaze is cast
Upon eternal eulogy
To whispered grandeur past.
As trees of stone succumbed to sea
No human soul was there
To witness somber majesty
Become majestic prayer.
A primal wisdom speaks from youth
To minds that realign
Their comfort with the blended truth
Hard bound inside this shrine.
Two men walk into a bar one night
Hurt like hell, punched out their lights
When they awoke
Strange words they spoke
Sounded like a couple of ancient trilobites
Two men walk into a bar one night
Hurt like hell, punched out their lights
When they awoke
Strange words they spoke
Sounded like a couple of ancient trilobites
© Jack Ellison 2016
Eagle flies alone
Sparrows join in a flock
But it’s tough always to be alone
Especially if your soul is on fire
Fire that can be vanquished only in depth of her eyes
As lightning crosses the skies
Whether eagle full of pride
Or humble hermit trying to do Gods will
We all have to sometimes crawl in dust
I’m tired of crawling like that
I want to rise my head up proudly like an eagle
With my spirit set on blaze carrying me
Give me courage
Unique like tiger among kittens
And wisdom
Unique like dolphin among trilobites
I want to be ultimate consciousness
I want to be in control
I want to see beauty that will leave me breathless
I want to find mate of my soul
Tom tickles the trilobites while you and I talk
The man stalks after his prey by walking the walk
Painting the walls, setting the stage for a great assault
Asking questions that will lead him to the greatest and most worthy remark
That replaces it all with a new face altogether
The atmosphere has an eerie presence, as if a column were approaching
Sky green, mind on better things
The grass is always greener when there's no divide
Remain spiteful and feel the spike of a damaged pride
I lost myself in the forest the other night,
And still haven't recovered my sides
All cause I left the aviatrix to ride...
The rushing rivers falling fast
With fury born on high,
Cut deeply into ages past
Where fossil forests lie,
Their life and death transformed to stone
Yet titan trees are proud
To lie together yet alone
A stone-honed silent shroud.
The arthropods like trilobites
Once flourished until fate
Sent them to depths devoid of light
As sea salt beds turned slate.
Today they stay with limb and root,
Their pose a righteous crown;
Pre-cambrian volcanic soot
Would mark stones soon to drown.
Illusion of great time will flee
When first one's gaze is cast
Upon eternal eulogy
To whispered grandeur past.
As trees of stone succumbed to sea
No human soul was there
To witness somber majesty
Become majestic prayer.
A primal wisdom speaks from youth
To minds who realign
False comfort for the blended truth
Hard bound inside this shrine.
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.