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Best Poems Written by Leighton J Rees

Below are the all-time best Leighton J Rees poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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12
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Blow Your Trumpet Gabriel

The trumpet will play
a sweet prelude, to earth's last tired breath
but Gabriel shall not call me
I shall leave long before his dance of death

The distant drums are what I hear playing
across the sea and through the storm
a calm rumbling surrender
like the two kings that went before

If I could just lay down in my killer's blood
then I may see hope for what it is
Revenge sometimes loses out to cowardice
the weak of heart are tricked to feel dismissed

Long ago when we were so green
we wished away the day
not realizing we were the lucky ones
like sand in hands all seeped away

Yet these things all come to an end
even for them who ignore the faintly call
or those who wait around, joining one of many
who fear the first melody of the horn

Then it's too late and dance you shall
to the rhythm of panic and real fright
you've prayed for the first and last time
yet you still succumb to the light

A world sat wrapped in blue, while red takes rest
oh how it once could save you
One card staining black the entire deck
just carry on, try to play through

It means nothing now or when you wish
for the sun to shine like it did before
Burn and press, never rest
confusing the remedy with the cure

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2018



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The King of Whales

Red ants march militantly through the streets
Under the brutal sun a pig corpse heats and a thousand flies have made their church inside 

In the tower a raven stands alone in a cell
A futile stay, his wings have long been broken

Further along under the clear sky, upon one of many dead buildings and boarded view hotels stands a stick thin man, almost naked and dripping crimson
He stands on the edge, looks across the town and begins to shout
 
“I am The King of Whales, I do not rest, I cannot be defeated. One day I shall return to the sea and my scars and troubles will wash away.”

The words fall upon his ghost audience
If people heard they would only disregard them as the ramblings of a mad man

On silk draped horses the guards arrive, two toothless men so fat with sin they will never be reborn again with a chance
Yet they hold a speck of power so for the moment they can laugh

They are only here to check upon the raven
To make sure he remains mute
To make sure he keeps breathing until his punishment is through

The bulls storm through the town and disappear as quickly as they arrive

Everything shakes

The people wake,
they remain in their rooms

Each room contains a soul that fear stole
and a body not yet wise enough to die
Hope barely breathes beneath the sheets
aware and already missing the safety net of dreams that promised tomorrow would be different

She woke and it’s all the same

The only voice brave enough to speak 
The stick man continues his speech
He knows he’s never been silenced because they decided long ago he was insane

“follow me, follow me
We can return to the sea together,
run away
Run! or stay and remain broken”

Stopping inside his mind he remembers
How he used to wear a crown 
How he used to float above the clouds upon a whale of blue
He sits
He sighs and wonders when the worms will turn


The raven who once sang so sweetly
turns away and closes his eyes

A hundred miles away the sea waits
cool
calm and patient
to be used as a home,
a stage

It’s been a long time,
the wait will go on

all that is needed is an open mind, courage
and for you to be ready

The sea glistens and remains patient

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2018

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The Devil, Big Billy and Sog

Big Billy and his dog named Sog were walking around the Forest of Fog 
When all of a sudden The Devil appears from behind a tree
The Devil says “OK which one of you is coming with me? And don’t say neither because I won’t agree, now make your minds up fast, whose new home will be in hell? ”
Now Sog barks loud and The Devil just sighs and Big Billy thinks ‘I know lets run and hide’ but as he looks down he notices together both his shoelaces are tied.
The Devil laughs “Ha! Do you think I’m thick? I’m wise to every silly trick, now make your mind up fool which one of you is coming with me? ”
Big Billy says “what if I give you silver and gold instead of either of us two, we’re both tired and old, wouldn’t you prefer gifts of jewellery? ”
The Devil roars “I’m The Devil son, why would I need silver and gold from anyone, now for the last time which one of you is coming with me? ”
Big Billy drops to his knees to pray, The Devil scoffs “too late it’s your judgement day, God owes me one soul and sadly for you I’m calling the favour in”.
“OK take Sog” Big Billy says “I offer you my one true loyal friend, take him he can live with you forever in hell”.
“You’re not much of a friend” The Devil hisses “now quickly with the last hugs and kisses, then climb that tall tree and hang Sog from it by his own lead”
Big Billy does as The Devil says and as he does somebody notices, it’s a passing policeman and he’s marching towards the tree.
The policeman yells “what the hell have you done? You’ve killed your dog, you’re an evil one, now explain yourself then I’m taking you with me”.
Big Billy cries “The Devil made me do it, he was here a moment ago I swear he made me do it, please believe me I didn’t want to kill my loving Sog”.
Now The Devil took two souls that day, to an insane asylum Big Billy was taken away, spouting Devil tales no one would ever believe.
Now to live with the guilt of killing Sog, his one true friend, his loyal dog, if only he had offered himself to The Devil that day.

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2017

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Special K

Smoky quartz blink, set the room ablaze
black petals flow, hypnotic midnight waves

this fire light held by another

she is a heatwave
I am the snow

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2017

Details | Leighton J Rees Poem

Burn the Corpse of the Snake

Burn the corpse of the snake
make sure that he's dead
For all the wrongs he did commit
chop him up from tail to head

How brave he was behind your back
his ways were both wicked and q*eer
All the slimy ones that helped him out
give them a reason to now fear

Douse that venomous bastard's hate filled body
with more petrol than you can afford
Light it up and let those flames be seen
across the entire world

The other snakes will slither and hide but it won't do them no good
As karma and fate will hunt them down as we always knew they would

So warm yourself up beside the fire
look up and laugh towards the sky
The traitors will hiss while they still can
as soon they all shall die

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2017



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Washing Machine

I have three personas 
Four voices
Two laughs
One cry

I have a death wish and the antidote is to keep getting by

Pills, potions and a washing machine belly full of poison

Three perpetual loves
Six heart breaks
A bleeding wrist radiator
and a dove who upon his release will get eaten alive

Sliced down the middle
50/50 everything
love, hate
happy, sad
It's both good and bad
it cancels itself out

I feel pride, I feel shame
the guilt will cripple me
I can't boast about mistakes that could ruin lives

I sleep, I no longer dream
I am awake all the time
I know a little of nothing, i'm only here to survive

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2017

Details | Leighton J Rees Poem

Rrest

Face down in the gutter with the stars upon my back
Moonglow presses heavy, the night holds me in black

I'll see you in my dreams
I will escape you in my sleep
The night-time is my friend it is the day in which I weep

Switch off the phone, ignore the door
this hour has no voice or face I need
Shut the windows and bring the curtains together
there could be a world outside but I don't remember

No crying help
Cobwebs unblown
There is no break or timeout, no

This is an end
It's what I need
I'm losing you by losing me

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2017

Details | Leighton J Rees Poem

Calling John Harvey

John holds a towel to his bruised up face
another whisky soaked self inflicted haze

He calls an ambulance, the only number he knows
a prank call just for them to show

He's angry at the world again
the help he called for he starts threatening,

They leave and he calls them right back
a bit more chaos before a nap

To the passerby he yells "I'm dying"
If they knew him they'd know he is lying

Into a cell he shall soon head
some company, a free meal and bed

He's not mad he just wants to waste time
not believing it to be a crime,

and the money that they say he's wasted
is not his, so he's not exactly devastated

Compulsive number dialing, out of hand
a 'menace to society' or just a lonely old man ?

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2018

Details | Leighton J Rees Poem

Fools and Ghouls Hotel

"In this place you will not find God and Jesus will not save,
It's the hotel for the fools and ghouls who went too far in their day.

Mack sits in the flames his feelings have all gone and Tony rests on a bed of nails he was never given long,
Stanley well he has no eyes they were ripped out when he fell in love.
Zeke he just props up the bar drinking bile from a leaking mug,
the bartender his name is Smith he'll shoot at you just for fun, don't ask him how he got here in the first place he doesn't like to talk about his mum.

There is a room saying 'Do Not Enter', outside you can hear bloodcurdling screams,
you can cry, beg and wish all you like but you won't wake it's not a dream.

And me? my name is Lucy Furr, I'm the boss at this hotel, my welcome gift to you is eternal life and a permanent stay as you can tell.

No there are no exits, forever indoors you must now dwell,
there was only one way to avoid this place but you thought that you'd rebel.

Now lastly let me introduce you to your roommate, Rancid Keith,
do your best to ignore his weeping sores and his illuminous gangrene teeth.

Of course, you will have to share a bed, there aren't enough to go around,
but Keith likes to kiss and cuddle and will treat you as a teddy bear for now.

With that I wish you a good night, please do sleep safe and sound,

Tomorrow is another day, just remember there is no way out!."

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2018

Details | Leighton J Rees Poem

Diluted By Poison

Keep swinging Capricorn
when the world's not on your side
He tasted her first, but they all say otherwise

Stand for the teachers
Fall for the Gods
the Devil and Jesus, the same sign
under the stars

Not felled just falling
crush and begin again
Covered in roses
it was us and never them

Diluted by poison
shot down and unknown
let's look to the future and pretend that we don't know

There is one thing that I need
it's more than I deserve
Outside the temple, wondering what it's worth

Look at us shining now, in the midday sun
He caught the birds and set them free
all of them but one

I'll dive out of this world and take with me my wings
I was sorry then and I'm sorry now
an endless offering

I'm warm again and finally, my words are being read
Wash away like letters in the sand

They'll wash away like letters written in the sand

Copyright © Leighton J Rees | Year Posted 2018

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Book: Shattered Sighs