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Best Poems Written by Joshua Ten Eyck

Below are the all-time best Joshua Ten Eyck poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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For Things Once Counted

A light across a river sways,
where children wasted summer days.
Not near, not far, but in between,
the grass grows soft and tall and green.

The whispers dance among the trees,
where hands once rested on lover’s knees.
And all the flowers last forever,
when fingers slip and lace together.

Now indents in the earth remember,
when days were long and feet were tender.
The sun was high and far away,
and the moon shone bright well into day.

So see the world with a single glance,
the simple things leave up to chance.
Begin at once and last forever,
for things once counted never weather.

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Between Shades

“Alive,” she said,
 “and becoming such a beautifully-
painted picture.”

Where-in you walk wispy
(She said)
through the moon’s light
shinning on the branches
of leafless trees.

Then tomorrow shakes his tired head,
halfway into Autumn’s-
dead middle;
and you stand shaded and colored
(She said)
by the fiery skies.

While down among your feet
the wilted flowers 
wake like a carnival 
and encircle you
(She said)
with forgotten happiness.

And on you trod shyly
into forests of yes and no.
Where all happiness is lost,
and the flowers forget-
to grow.

“Alive,” she said.

Details | Joshua Ten Eyck Poem

Sonnet Three

Scattered across a thousand cities
(After the last window darkens).
The moon speaks hidden fantasies,
and the sleepy sunset sharpens.
	Emerging exactly in the last ludicrous light
	(The dawn of you erects constellations).
	Softly, with strolling lips singing spectrally slight,
	the rumor of your touching exceeds all aspirations.
For blindly, as the nails upon the cross
(A dainty destroyed hero loves you).
Beyond falling for or feeling loss,
your least amazing smile will do.
	So give what gives meaning to meaningful,
	the life inside you undefined beautiful.

Details | Joshua Ten Eyck Poem

Musee Imaginarie

Portuguese-man-of-war,
knocking on the ocean's door.
Making the moon shine in the mist,
of this and that, and that and this.

The seacow and the seaweed meet,
and brush the sand off their feet.
Then sit and watch the waves roll in,
and kiss and kiss the beach's chin.

The sandbar tickles the seacow's toes,
and the white-caps dance on the seaweed's nose.
With too wildly wounded moments-
that close and open, and open and close.

Ave atque vale!
Ave atque vale!
The rest is missing,
with-in the walls.

The first-lady-in-waiting,
eternally feminine, eternally fading.
Felt his voice and nothing more,
in the desperate dunes of nevermore.

Where new fragile blues break into grays,
and the tap, tap, tapping tapestry waves.
To the faces that the wind is making,
behind the dressed-up-girl part par-taking.

Dance into this or that, or that or this,
the dripping drops, drop, and miss-
doe-see-doe here and doe-see-doe there,
spill your tears and let loose your hair.

So she cried:
tears for things,
things in dreams,
little by little,
the meaningless means.

Details | Joshua Ten Eyck Poem

Kitty

KITTY

G.
A cat walked across the street
(After looking both ways).
It was a pretty Kitty.
There were trees across the street.
In the trees there were squirrels.
The squirrels raised families.
They ate acorns,
they made babies,
they slept.

PG.
A cat stepped across the street.
(After looking one way).
It was a pretty stray Kitty.
Across the street there were farmlands.
In the farmlands lived humans.
The humans raised many different plants.
The humans fed these plants to many types of animals.
Then the animals gave the humans “gifts”.
Which the humans ate, drank, and made into money.
Then they had sex (like animals).

PG-13
A cat ran across the street.
(Without looking).
It was a pretty curious stray Kitty.
It was run over by a taxi.
Riding inside the taxi were a Father and Son.
The Father remained unconcerned.
The Son frowned, looked out the window, and wept.
“The poor Kitty,” he said staring down at his hands.
“Why Dad, why did the Kitty have to die?” he asked.
“Son, the Kitty didn’t die; it went to Kitty Heaven.”
He answered almost-smiling at his Son now watching
the traffic consume outside quickly, noiselessly.
 
R.
A cat stumbled across the street.
(At midnight, eyes closed).
Just some Goddamed kitty cat.
The Kitty was crushed by a taxi and by an ambulance
and by a Greyhound bus and by a mini-van.
All tomorrow bound and running a day late.
Thump! Thump-thump! and all Kitty’s bones shattered,
as a car window shatters (into thousands of perfect cubes).
Kitty’s use-to-be head popped like a water balloon;
that some homeless child dropped on a hot sidewalk-
in New York City summertime.
Its lifeless body was vomited up against-
wheel well wheel well wheel well, eventually
spiraling into a drainage ditch off the highway.
Where it laid epileptically twitching.
Yellow eyes now open and looking forever
upward at the hazy stars of almost June
in the Twenty-first century, respectfully.

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Backyard Dreaming

Through the fields of clover,
across the deep blue sea.
Where the people live forever,
and the happiness is free.

There grows a gentle flower,
rocking with the wind.
She blossoms on the hour,
the day all days will end.

She beckons us beside her,
“Come, sit and dream,” she says.
While the ripples in the water,
show the petals of her dress.

We come to her as feathers,
so soft, so small, so free.
And leave her in the Heavens,
where all beautiful things should be.

Details | Joshua Ten Eyck Poem

In the Open Air At Night

April showers, shaking flowers;
`A la belle `etoile. 
Always wishes, almost kisses;
`A la belle `etoile.
Whispering hush, carefully rush;
`A la belle `etoile.
Shadowing near, moonlighted here;
`A la belle `etoile.
Two dark doors down, then out of town;
`A la belle `etoile.
And then you smile, at least a while;
`A la belle `etoile.

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Linger

I think of you-
sometimes dancing;
at sunset in an-
apartment building.
Fragmentally moving-
your internal portrait;
in a crowded room-
of blank expressions.
(Full circle spinning)
while the tambourines
play:  “Say-hey, 
slow motion forever.”
(Slowly) lay your head in my hand; if only
for a moment, don’t give me time to forget again.

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Smoke Over Fire

We do go there, me and her,
when no light meets the ground.
There we swing from rusty chains,
before we fool around.

On a bench, by a lake,
  lust has come and gone.

We burn a fire and watch the sky,
while the half-light wraps around.
And I am brightest where she casts,
her shadow on the ground.

On a bench, by a lake,
  lust has come and gone.

Half-undone we did at least,
in yellow light on grassy ground.
Then and there, with a silent shout,
into the sleepless sound.

On a bench, by a lake,
  We have come and gone.

Details | Joshua Ten Eyck Poem

Sonnet Eight

Flaming rose bush how do you do and (do you see)?
The distance from here to sometimes (is to near)
for exactly according to almost always. (So we)
say to God: "grant us half-smiles," (in the mirror)
above evenings white-bellied bed and (she dancing)
says to me: "God likes to giggle," (do you)?

I say: "he-he," believe me differently (romancing)
you in your world somewhere watching (fire works too)
far to see the shapes of afterwards (clearing)
in yellow puff-puffs of plus or minus (while)
tonight is gargoyling and tomorrow is (nearing)
the distant haze of almost rose smell (you smile)

And say: "look at all the crazies!" (here and there)
And that is how you do it (pretty lady) of everywhere.