Poetry Potpourri

These Things

We are so drawn into ourselves,
That life around us nearly fades.
We place these things in hidden shelves,
When daily cares the mind invades.

But when we buy the time to see,
Enjoy what we for granted take,
Appreciative we come to be,
For gifted things that we forsake.

A lofty tree along a lake,
A single cloud in bluish skies;
The sun when evening starts to wake,
An early dawn as darkness flies.

The scent of flowers sprayed by spring,
The lengthened days that summer shares;
The reds that fall to trees will bring,
The gown of down that winter wears.

The moon in stages till it smiles,
The stars applauding twilight plays;
The chorus night performs for miles,
When heaven slowly curtains raise.

The sand that plays with flirting seas,
The spray of crashing waves on rocks;
The soothing touch of ocean breeze,
The joy derived from lengthy walks.

A brightly colored butterfly,
A hummingbird in flawless flight;
A dragonfly that hovers high,
A purple finch that eyes delight.

A hermit thrush of lilting songs,
The precious air that lifts its wings;
The rain that falls where it belongs,
A wondrous home that holds these things.

The Book of Motherhood

Remember now, in these your later years,
The book inside your heart of happy days.
When you first felt the fruits within your womb;
When you first held them close with love ablaze.

When they with widened eyes first took their steps,
As you held out your arms and called at them.
The giggles drawn from lips that played like songs;
The smiles they shared like flowers on a stem.

Those seeds have grown to trees with mighty roots,
Because of all the love you showered them.
Then they in turn one day will plant new trees,
And grant you greatest joy, a priceless gem.

Inside you now are stored your happy years,
So turn to them to rid your heart of fears.

Fleeting Peace

Afar are heard the screams of rattling guns,
As some hold out that peace will end the war;
A war where death has gathered many sons,
And still returns with grave to gather more.

The soldiers pray for strength to battle on,
And forge ahead despite the dead around,
While death begins to walk in early dawn,
Collecting scarlet trophies from the ground.

This ghastly scene has played in all the wars,
When nations ravage nations they abhor.
Yet men of peace will strive to shut the doors,
Before rapacious death returns for more.

From dawn to dusk the sun observes the pain
Of countless men who reach for peace in vain.

Their Lyrics Live On

This night I pause to rest a weary pen,
Then close my eyes to dream of early days;
The days of lyrics penned by Yeats and Frost,
But drowned today by verses lacking blaze.

Awakened sorrow grips my searching mind,
For rhyming lines antique to many seem.
Contemporary verse composed in prose,
Has shunned the rhythmic lyrics I esteem.

The lack of meter seen in modern verse
Deprives the heart of ballads lit aflame.
But I delight in works of Dunbar, Keats;
Their rhythmic poems rising lines of fame.

Do not believe their songs have seen their day,
For even now their lilting lines I breathe.
The words within my heart won't be restrained;
Like roaring ocean waves they start to seethe.

Write Your Dreams

Of what are you afraid this night;
A chambered room of doubt and fright?
Of thoughts you've lost in darkened halls,
A pen whose ink has taken flight?

Perhaps your muse has gone to sleep,
In search of dreams that it may reap;
Above a cove where oceans breathe,
And waves on sand then crash and weep.

A walk on fields where flowers smile,
As sunshine bathes them near the Nile.
In flight with birds as they sing songs,
While soaring high above each isle.

Or maybe stands as couples walk,
While sharing kisses as they talk;
Observing children while they play,
And scribbling names on top a rock.

In silence deep then close your eyes
To see yourself above the skies,
And spy the dreams you want to write,
When you decide your muse can rise.

Long Is A Poet's Night

Return, my muse, my voice give back,
For night has yet to settle down.
As sundown dims to shades of black,
My thoughts in fading ink now drown.

My fleeting words are barely there,
Unnoticed, lines that crave the light.
So please, my friend, see my despair,
And grant me words that I may write.

This darkness hides the world outside;
It veils my eyes so I can't see.
Rich colors daylight had supplied,
But now my words will not pour free.

Beside the window, dressed in black,
I sit, and frown, for night has won.
My coffee cools, my pen holds back,
My muse has left me, like the sun.

A Healing In The Woods

I pause, somewhat perplexed by what I feel,
An ache that has withdrawn to secret halls.
A chamber where my thoughts do not reveal
A saddened heart that cries behind old walls.

A final act has played as curtains fall,
And memories begin to slowly fade.
It seems that life has answered my last call
To grant me time before my grave is made.

From trees I hear the songs of morning birds,
Distracting me from musing years gone by.
Their lovely ballads are like healing words,
The type that balms and pain dares to defy.

These woods applaud my walk of beaming cheer,
For I at last have shed my one last tear.

Florence

From far away she slowly walks,
Her shrieks of anger rise and climb.
She rides the ocean as she stalks,
And traps the day in lightless time.

Across the vast expanse she goes,
Her windswept hair of clouds her crown.
Beyond her breath are cries of woes;
Her angry tears small islands drown.

She reaches land in darkened skies,
The trees all shake their heads in fear.
Undressed and scared as waters rise,
They start to moan, for death is near.

Blue Marble

Blue marble dancing with the beaming sun,
Your spin is swift, yet balanced in the void.
A crescent moon awaits the sun to run,
To show how much the dance it has enjoyed.

Your siblings envy your azurean gown,
For none of them your beauty can deny.
Majestic is the shawl of softest down
That soaks your ardent tears to wet the sky.

The smiling glare of falling dusk reveals
A symphony of hues that dye your gown.
Faint amber, gold and scarlet that appeals
To all that view the glory of your crown.

Sleep well, my charming lady, till the dawn,
Then dance again as all the stars look on.

Coffee And Cream

Some days, when dawn arrives anew,
And joyous birds begin to sing,
I sit and watch the blend of two,
Like rain with earth in early spring.

Their marriage is impressive too,
It hides a bitter, raven dye.
A merging sweetness fills my view,
Which makes me smile and softly sigh.

Their room elates with rising steam
As swirling blends the mating pair.
Hypnotic like the sweetest dream,
Their rich bouquet then fills the air.

Inviting me to share their joy,
The cup I lift to buds that scream.
My eyes are closed as I enjoy
A taste of coffee wed with cream.

Know Her Name

Beware of honeyed words that she inflicts
On hardy souls of men whose hearts she seeks.
Her scented body calls with luscious tricks,
And plays her songs of lust with shapely peaks.

Her name was known throughout the eras past,
Yet ever men on knees will bend to her;
Ignoring that her words a spell will cast,
They crave the brew of lust her hand will stir.

But know her name, to guard the heart from traps,
And crave the one whose soul to yours has bound.
For she will shower love and faithful acts,
Her mounds will offer warmth, sweet comfort found.

Temptation is her name, a dark allure,
So know her name, true love to then assure.

Bleu Cheese Blues

Oh, moldy cheese, why do you tempt me so?
Why call at me with rancid bluish lines?
Your piquant bite makes my saliva flow,
Your texture my aversion undermines.

The raiment on your skin and scent belie
The finest food the mouth can hope to dine.
I am enticed to force my lips to try
Your Bleu d’Auvergne to zest with finest wine.

The Stilton’s bluish veins all Britons prize,
And Gorgonzola shows Italian pride.
Delighting in these blues may seem unwise,
Until a piece defies the lips to slide.

Despite the color of its moldy skin,
I crave to try your Roquefort’s pungent sting.
Its wafting scent will tempt my mouth to sin;
Averting eyes as taste buds start to sing.

Pawn

You sneering king atop this lofty ground,
Your army waits to hear your battle cry.
The rooks and queen with might my pawns astound,
As knights dare tread where bishops fight and die.

The battle rages on, your lines advance;
I hear the snorts of horses close to me.
The end seems near despite my bravest stance,
While you behind your queen now start to flee.

But there where you take rest, my pawn has reached,
And thrusts his silver lance aside your queen.
You howl and see that your lines have been breached;
A pawn has aimed a blow that was unseen.

Your prideful laugh has ended at his hand;
A lowly pawn now mates you where you stand.

The Snowy Storm

The snowy storm has slowed my drive
While heading home to my dear love.
The blinding squall my eyes deprive
Of sights of signs on posts above.

I'm lost in this dark night because
The snowy storm has slowed my drive.
Yet I press on without a pause;
I know the storm I will survive.

To my sweet love I will arrive,
To kiss her face and hold her tight.
The snowy storm has slowed my drive,
But I won't fail my love this night.

Ahead of me the road now clears;
A road I know; my hope alive.
And I can tell my love who cheers,
The snowy storm has slowed my drive.

Death's Deceit

The waves of time in haste lap at my feet,
As rising tides submerge my years of life.
Now death demands my breath in its deceit,
With fervent lies it seeks to cause me strife.

My youthful vigor time has cast aside,
And serves me only flashes of the past.
Reflections I hold dear with joyful pride,
Death seeks to wipe away from me at last.

But I will not go down while losing hope!
For love calls out to me yet once again.
The ember in her heart has burned the rope
Which had me fearing death's unholy reign.

True love will break the spell that death has cast;
The waves of time don't fear, to life hold fast.

Near To Death

Face to face with death last night,
Ravens watched while still in flight.
Voices shrilled, "do quake with fear,
Death has come, your end is near."

Night withdrew when dawn arrived,
Flight of death, and I survived.
Fear then howled an angry scream;
Near to death . . . or just a dream?

Darkened Soul

I am what nightly haunts your dreams,
The nights of tears and drenching sweat.
I'm lurking while you cry in streams,
Until the dawn red eyes reset.

I am the ache behind the mask,
What others fail to see in you.
The grief behind your heavy casque,
While smiles you paint to hide your blue.

I am the scar that mars your heart,
That drowns the hope for which you reach.
The voice you hear when bad dreams start,
When nightmares strive your sleep to breach.

I am depression, darkened soul,
Your one companion while you cry.
I'm not your friend, I have a goal,
To steal your light, until you die.

Shades of Gray

My mind in darkness walks alone,
No friend to talk to as I groan,
No words to spur my weakened legs,
No hands to lift my arms of stone.

My eyes are drawn to shades of gray,
No colors, tints, but hues of clay;
No rainbow arch after the rain,
No crimson lips with which to play.

My heart is weak, but wants to fight,
To fend despair and leave this night;
To see tomorrow's dawn arrive,
And kiss a day of colors bright.

The Lonesome Trail

One cold and snowy day, when I was sad,
My friend and I had hiked a lonesome trail.
Deep silence had embraced us as we walked,
Until my lips allowed a soft exhale.

We shared our thoughts as winter listened in;
I sought to find the answers as she danced.
My friend then said to me to stay the path,
That faith is stronger when with love enhanced.

My heavy, saddened heart rejoiced again,
And thankful I then was to this dear friend;
He always has been there to clear my mind,
With healing words to help my heart to mend.

I took a glancing look at where we’d walked,
But found my steps alone had kissed the snow.
A knowing smile began to part my lips,
As winter hid my steps while dancing slow.

A Poet's Plight

O silent soul, your muse abandoned you;
Your words begin to fade in this long night.
Your thoughts are there, but won't come into view;
Denied of light, you struggle to gain sight.

Despair has wrapped its arms around your mind,
And steals the lines your hand wants to compose.
Ensnared within a grip that keeps you blind,
You battle to set free your wondrous prose.

Imagine then, by using your mind's eyes,
Delightful scenes that life has set for you.
Recalling days when words from you would rise,
When life displayed the paintings you most knew.

On quiet nights, when words won't flow as planned,
Allow your life to deftly guide your hand.

A Voice In The Night

When night had set in quiet darkened gray,
He sat upon his bed in startled stare,
For he had heard a voice, a ghastly bray,
Which kept his mind awake in great despair.

He knows not where the voice is in the room,
But feels the words from lips his soul debase.
With burning ears his mind hears words of doom,
Which cause his heart to run a frightful race.

The voice derides his mind with taunting clack,
In fright his eyes engage to find the groan.
He comes upon the mirror staring back,
And sees his lips then move, the voice his own.

Precious Life

Life, unseen, wends a lengthy hall;
It reaches home, behind a wall.
This home, designed to carry life,
Then wraps the gift in a soft shawl.

This gift, a child that thrives within,
On mother's face a smile will pin.
When life inside she starts to feel,
Her heart this precious child will win.

No sacrifice will be too great,
No pain will make her love abate.
Not darkness, sadness, nor despair,
Will keep her from her joyous fate.

She will embrace this growing soul,
Her greatest love will be her goal.
And when at last the child is born,
This precious life, will make her whole.

Puerto Rican Child

The island, Puerto Rico, my sweet home,
Where happy children played with homemade toys,
And ripened mangoes layered smiling lips.
What joyous time for wide-eyed girls and boys!

Our humble house on sturdy stilts was built,
To face the rising floods the rains would bring.
But into brownish waters I would swim,
Not knowing yet of nature's brutal sting.

The stiffened wind would sail my flying kite,
As chicks and ducks had eyed my widened smile.
It seemed they feared that I would fly away,
And meet the kite to play above the isle.

And after play when hungry I would be,
The fruiting trees would samples to me give.
Delightful songs from mother I would hear,
A call to home, in dreams I still relive.

Life's Chapters

Life is a book of many chapters;
Some relate stories of a happy childhood,
Playgrounds, ice cream trucks, and friends,
While others of awkward teenage crushes
When love is but a passing mist.

Yet others tell of unshackled pain
Expressed by sad and broken hearts,
When words on paper are unchained,
And tears of ink then bleed like cuts.

But there are also chapters of true love,
Where hearts entwine and merge as one,
And the words 'lived happily ever after'
A wonderful reality becomes.

Which chapter should I turn to tonight?

The Unknown Path

The early morning fog clouds his vision,
Yet he can make out her outline
Within the shroud of the heavy mist.
Her divine figure entices him to join her,
While she signals with a finger to follow.

He is hesitant to traverse this unknown path,
But her smile, like a beacon welcoming
Weary seafarers, seduces his senses,
And so he complies with her request.

In what seems like hours, he follows her,
His heart craving the delights she promises.
So blinded is he in his singular pursuit,
He does not notice their space never narrows.

Then in the distance he hears the familiar
Wails of a siren, warning him to return.
But he already knows it is too late,
For he is now lost in his dream.

Potpourri

Poetry Potpourri

On this page are poems covering other subjects, like nature, world events, humor and life in general.

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