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Noble Collins Poem
The Ziggurat
So.
I am completed now,
and what have you learned
that you did not already know?
Closer to the gods, I suppose,
who seem somewhat indifferent
if you ask me.
You are the ones making all the noise.
I have no complaint.
You treat me well.
You lavished millions of man-hours
to forge and lay my bricks.
You commissioned the finest work of artisans
to inscribe my walls.
I am admired,
worshiped perhaps, by many
(not all, I notice - I will keep their secret).
I do stand tall and imposing,
and the view is quite nice.
The birds, in particular, seem to be appreciative,
catching soft thermals from my sloped sides.
They glide without effort at the pinnacle;
some even daring to land.
And that’s about it for me.
What did YOU have in mind?
Copyright © Noble Collins | Year Posted 2025
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Noble Collins Poem
Of Cairns and Kivas
The cairn went together without effort -
each stone calling out to be next
to take a seamless place among the others,
and when they were all in place,
each making their willing sacrifice,
they were one; a monument,
an offering place
.
Surely you noticed
The kiva was another thing entirely -
designed for ancient rituals’
I merely borrowed it for a while.
It was a quiet dark shelter with no corners,
no place for unwelcome spirits to hide -
I re-arranged the fire rocks slightly
and made the prayers rather quickly.
as Mesquite flames began to produce billows of pungent smoke.
As I crawled out to leave,
I watched black smoke spiral high into an azure sky.
Surely the escaping black ribbon could be seen for miles.
Perhaps you were faced in a different direction.
Cairns and kivas -
reminders of my barren inability to cause
even a tiny reaction in the Universe.
Copyright © Noble Collins | Year Posted 2025
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Noble Collins Poem
Night on The Seine
1939
Silver and gold from city lights
daub the black river
like brush strokes from VanGogh.
The Seine
murmurs against La Rive Gauche
where dreams of artists linger,
then turns to glide obediently against La Rive Droite
where politicians drink cognac
and talk of war.
We are in the middle of Time
in a small boat.
“You cannot leave me!” she commands.
“Of course not,” is my assurance.
“I shall neither be called nor needed."
"We have built the great Maginot Line,
and The Ardennes is too wooded to cross.
It is all talk, anyway."
The city drifts slowly by -
Le Grand Palias and Le Concorde
Champs Elysees,Notre Dame,
Swifter now - like the time,
"It would be madness to destroy such beauty."
“Besides, the British have pledged to come.”
Copyright © Noble Collins | Year Posted 2025
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Noble Collins Poem
Time Moves Along
Gabriel Saunders gave me a call.
I haven't seen her in years.
She said, "Don't forget the reunion this fall.
RSVP when it nears."
I thanked her, and asked about Charlie and Phil.
And what about Janice and Fred?
"Freddie and Philip are lovers," she answered
"Janice and Charlie are dead."
I mildly inquired of her fight for equality
no bra for Gabriel Saunders.
She said it appeared it was all for frivolity,
and one less item she launders.
Everything changes with time we are told.
I surely hope I can remember.
A reunion visit with great friends of old.
Did she say June or December?
Copyright © Noble Collins | Year Posted 2025
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Noble Collins Poem
Emerald Dreams
"We should run off to Ireland,” she said.
“Really, we should."
"We could live by the sea,
talk into the rainy nights,
and wake with the screeching of sea birds."
“We could buy fresh bread and cheeses from the little markets,
and brew strong tea for our breakfasts.”
“I could buy a loom and make sweaters,” she smiled.
“And I could learn to row a dingy and catch fish,” he replied,
''We would build fires by the sea and cook the fish",
she offered brightly
"But I would always be home with you when the weather was bad.”
He assured her
And so they talked into the rainy night
in Chicago, where it was cold.
Copyright © Noble Collins | Year Posted 2025
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Noble Collins Poem
Rain in the Desert
The desert sems quietly tolerant of rain -
not really indifferent,
but resigned to brief intrusions,
allowing for a brief change of scenery
from time to time.
It has learned to live without water,
and cloaks itself in browns and greys-
asking no compassion for its permanent appearance
It has existed a long arid time without pretense.
Within its bosom, though
are thirsty yearnings –
quivering with anticipation
as dark clouds form over the mountains,
and a cool vanguard breeze
reveals a coming storm.
The parched land relents,
allowing a robust encounter
as storms release their deluge-
erasing old trails and rushing through dry arroyos,
in a frenzied dance.
Venerable old desert has seen it all before
and rides it out like a veteran,
then yields for a while
as bright colors appear across once-barren land
Yucca, Saguaro, Desert Rose and Poppies
joyfully take their places
as they transform a wan stage into a Monet garden
Free for a while in the fresh bathed air
they offer allure to the weary scene
but they remain wary of arbitrary monsoons.
and cannot endure a long wait for clouds to turn dark again
So, like hurried dancers
leaving the stage as the curtain drops,
they make their reluctant exit
yielding once again to the rigid world of sand and stone
under a burning sun
.
***
As evening arrives,
the desert makes its bed once again -
nods to a star- filled sky,
and smiles at the stubborn foolishness of roots and flowers
Copyright © Noble Collins | Year Posted 2025
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