Old Poetry Archive

I had all the poetry from the previous incarnation of Whispers lying around, so I figured I might as well post it.

______________

Repetition

Time

....And Time

........And Time Again

...And I...
...But I...
...So I...

Depending on my whims.

Depending on my true desire

Each of these is False
And True

And depending on the situation

...And I...
...So I...

...But You...

Could very well be a liar.

What kind? Well that depends...

Who?
What?
Where?
When?
And Why?

I take each single answer

...And I...

To your cutout, append.

What is the point in this, you ask?

How?

How what?
How who?
How why?

How where?
How when...

Did I decide that this was the answer?

Well...

That answer is your task.

For this game of life of mine now ends

...And I...
...But I...
...So I...

Die

Time

And Time....

And Time Again........

__________________ 

Art

Fleeting, floating specks of dust
That haunt the place
Where I lost
my Trust
I
Can't say
For sure what
I did to deserve
This, but I can only
Hope, and I can sit and pray

Smudges of oil, ink, and paint
That line the stairs
To my special
Attic space
I
Don't know
For sure how
Long you've been
Sitting here alone, but
Finally, again, I'll do a show

Bucket of pencils, of colorful pens
With which I draw
To my heart's
Content
I
Know more
Now than ever
before which makes
Me want to truly live
See the world, and then explore

Canvas, white, and charcoal, black
You have managed
To erase my sad
Soul's crack
I
Concede
That I once
Doubted your power
But now, I know, with
Absolute faith, that it's you I need

__________________

The Return

I see it in the morning
When the sun peaks over the trees

I see it in the evening
When the stars come out to please

I see it in the afternoon
When joyously I dance

For I see it is returning
And all I think is "At last!"

I hear it whispering in the wind
Beckoning me to smile

I hear it singing in the air
And I laugh all the while

I hear it murmur in the creek
And I say to myself

"I hear it cheering me on,
For I've won with it's help."

I feel it on the grass outdoors
While I lay on my side

I feel it in the sunshine's grin
And all my tears are dried

I feel it in the steps I take
As all my things, I bring

To sit upon my little hill
And watch the return of Spring

__________________ 

The Window

Dusty little pane of glass
Where all my dreams fail
To reflect

The day that I watched through you
All my emotions
Did defect

Because I saw, through all your dirt
My loved one walk out of
That door

He got into his blurry car, and
Drove away to come
No more

Dust little pane of glass,
where I draw hearts that are
My own

They are broken, smudged away
And with that idea, seeds
Are sown

I get up from you, and walk away
Forsaking your memories of
My youth

And I pray you keep the secrets
That I wrote on you to hide
The truth

Eighty years and I rise again
For the last time I sit
Beside

I doodle whispers of my life
No longer do my fears
I hide

Because in time, I learned
All that I needed
To survive

And thinking of you, window pane,
Is what allowed for me
To thrive

Dusty little pane of glass,
I sit beside you, my time
Is past

And finally, you shatter now
As I whisper 'Thank you,' this time,
The last

__________________ 

Failure

The winds that calm
The rains that clean
The tides that wash
The sun that beams

The snow that drifts
The ice that bites
The bitter howls
Of gales at night

I sit upon a
Little hill
Nestled on
A little space
Inside a little
Bubble world
In which my
Heart pours
All my days

The grass that moves
The trees that shudder
The flowers that wither
When we see each other

The water that runs
Down muddy slides
And pools in mush
That blurs my eyes

I live inside
Another world
Where I deceive
My own desires
And in this
World I wish
That I was
Nothing but
A liar

Why?

The truth that speaks
The brain that thinks
The heart that pounds
The blood, I think

The muscles that ache
From my lost hopes
The bones that rattle
How will I cope?

The truth is
That I'm nothing
More than a
Shadow of the
Truth, I lied
And the weather
Has worn me
Down and
Now revealed
How hard
I tried

__________________ 

The Fort

In this lonely season where all hope dies at sunset
Where all the things I love are things I soon forget
I can't help but consider all of the goals that I'll set
When at some point in time, my feelings will beget
Hope that forms a fort for me to fend off my threat

In this solemn hour where all my love was scorned
I sit upon a throne that hides all life's many thorns
And I can't help but to consider that what I mourn
Is nothing but a paper dream that my life has torn
And tossed as a cannon ball at my fort's wall worn

In the morning of the day when I did first realize
That what I wept for, what caused my teary eyes
Was nothing but a hardship from a life that tries
To break me down; It was then I climbed, wise
Up to my fort's tower and said 'Pain, you, I defy'

__________________ 

Hourglass

I
Am like
An hourglass
With each grain adding
To the last, and when the final
Grain has fallen, when the last dream
Has heard me calling, and when it has decided
To come to fruition, showing me that I have finally
Completed my mission, that I have at last succeeded at
My goals, that I have at last flown past the lands that my old
Forefathers foretold, then and only then will I look up toward the sky
And smile with glee, for above my full bottom of sand there is not a single
Grain left waiting to fall for me, for I am, after all this time has passed, complete

__________________ 

Countdown

My life is a war and I sit in the trenches, wondering if I'll even survive to the end
My life is a battle of wit and emotion, a struggle inside of me fighting to win
My life is a flight across the four hemispheres, where I explore my heart
My heart beats with four just like the Earth, a rhythm of long lost art
My life is a car ride riddled with anger, road-raging and stressed
My life is a bike ride on a dirt road, admiring nature's best
My life is a walk down memory lane, losing all I admire
My mind is a forgotten place; it hides my desires
My life is a whisper, once heard then gone
My life is a second, a once-sang song
My life is a word, a single sound
My life is nothing more
Than a countdown

__________________ 

The Pianist

A key, a chord
A nod to life
A lively dance
of finger strikes...

"Anger, love

Sadness, despair
Excitement flowing
Everywhere"

"All joys of life
All woes of death"
Fingers prancing
Singing it

"It's a wonder
Of all life
Why music can
Relieve our strife"

We sit, we stare
We clap, we cry
It moves our souls
Until we die

"Then it becomes
Our final march
As we cross
That deathly arch"

"From birth it is
Our reverie
Present in every
Entity"

It is that
Which we adore
Always with something
New in store

"A rising war
A falling star"
It encompasses
All that we are

A soft, high pitch
"To single pain"
A low grumble
"All in vain"

A battle of skills
Of muscle, bone
Of pressure and
Talent honed

...And in the end
All has been said
The pianist rises
And goes to bed.

__________________ 

Time

Time is never on my side, nor is it ever kind
It's this thing that always loves
To all my hopes deride
It is a ticking
Clock
It's
Nailed onto
My wall, and it
Mocks me every second
That I attempt to prevent my impending fall

Time never tries to go my way or to reverse its tide
It's this pendulum of mockery
Of all my loves that died
It is a blinking
Clock
It's
Sitting on
My desk, and it
Screams at me at 6:30
And thwarts my every attempt to acquire rest

Time never slows, stops, never bothers to look back
It's this fast-forwarding DVD
Of memories of my past
It is a rushing
Watch
It's
Fastened to
My arm, and it
Giggles as I jog today
In an attempt to avoid lethargy-induced harm

Time never assures me of peace or puts my fears to rest
It's a figure cloaked all in black
That to my fears attest
It is the fading
Sun
It's
Dying in
The west, and it
Mourns its death with
A veil of darkness that covers me in my final rest

__________________ 

Tinkertoy

In a little dream of mine, on a cold blue winter's day
I had a small idea in mind
That blew all of
My fears
Away
____

This little thought, that seed did sprout
It taught me things, told me about
The world I lived in
Tried and true
But mostly
things that
Spoke of
You

And with this thought, I built a place
A world of magic, just a taste
This other simple universe
Gave me strength so I
Could simply live to
See your face and
What you'd
Give
____

I took my dying, shaking hands, picked up a single building stick
And made a tinkertoy galaxy
With just you and me
And our love
In it
____

My world still stands on that little shelf
A toy-like memorial of myself
This world you live in
Tried and true
Tried you hard
And lost me
You

And with this loss, I built a stone
Engraved with my name alone
The magic gone, my life
Displaced, as you
Walked off with
All your
Grace
____

From my bed beneath the ground, where I no longer make a plea
My tinkertoy world came
Crashing down as you
Took your love to
Flee

And from this I know the truth, long buried inside
That my life is gone, my light
Burnt out, and your heart
Has long since
Cried

 __________________ 

Your Last Cigar

My innocent eyes
Looked up at you
Reading a book
Meant only for you
But with a puff of smoke
And a pat on your knee
You took that book
And read it to me

My learning eyes
Watched you cough
While writing your research
So strenuous and tough
But with a quick wink
And a beckoning smile
You stopped all your work
And played with me a while

My defiant eyes
Watched you struggle to breathe
While cooking outside
In the cool autumn breeze
But with a hearty laugh
And the clanking of plates
You gave us all the food
You cooked, and we ate

My knowing eyes
Watched you give your last breath
While walking outside
You succumbed to quick death
With a sigh you dropped down
And refused to live more
You could give nothing else
As you stepped out that door

My now-mature eyes
Watch down on your grave
On a warm spring morning
I remember all you gave
I remember your smiles
And that damned puff of tar
But I still place on your stone
Your one last cigar

__________________  

Love

Flickering in the coldest nights
Cracking in the worst of fights

Steady in all my content
Firm it wanders, circumvents

Around my mind and
In my soul and

Strong are its beats that
I cannot control, at

The darkest place, in
The darkest hour, in

The coldest winters, it's
The mightiest power, it's

The only thing that I
Cannot see past, I

Rest all my cases on
It's lack of wrath; Dawn

Peaks over the trees, the end
Is nowhere near my heart's content

A dove lands on my windowsill
It's love I speak of with my will

__________________  

Tonight

In the shadows of the night
I watch the stars as they shine bright
I hold your hand and wish aloud
To be someone that makes you proud

In the darkness of the night
I watch your fingers move like light
Swiftly, softly, you tap the keys
The entire world is what you please

In the dimness of the night
I step forward into the spotlight
I sit down and take a breath
Scared of failing like I'm scared of death

In the great hopes of the night
I wished that I'd do well tonight
And as you clapped and shed your tears
Your love assuaged all of my fears

__________________  

Little Doll

Little bright doll
On my shelf
Whose pretty face
I painted myself
Tell me what
You think of me
Now
With nimble fingers
And tell me
How
You believe that
In five years
I will sound to
Your fair ears

Little shining doll
On my desk
Where you teeter
With much risk
Tell me what
You think of me
Today
With stiffening joints
And tell me
To say
What you believe
That I will
Look like
Long after this day

Little dull doll
On my nightstand
Whose polish has worn
Off in my hands
Tell me what
You think of me
Tonight
With wrinkled fingers
And tell me
That my
Plight
Will be over
Not too long
After this night

Little faded doll
Left on my floor
Trapped in shadows
Behind my door
Tell me what
You thought of me
Yesterday
Garbed in black
And silent in my
Coffin gray
And promise
Me that you
Will watch over
Our home forever

__________________ 

 Winter

when it is
that winter season
all your hopes
are crushed with treason

your dreams are
lost to the abyss
you're frozen through
something's amiss

but there is that
one, spark of light
that kindles fires
in darkest night

it burns right
through that frozen land
rebuilding all
that it possibly can

and life comes
back from defeat
health from sickness
joy from deceit

and then, the
clock ticks slowly
and all things bloom
both lush and lowly

and all things
reach up to the sky
and plead their cases
by and by

but not for long
their hopes are lost
they wither fully
and pay their cost

because as their dreams
fall to the barren earth
their prayers on deaf
ears keep the dearth

but fear not, they
do for their dreams sweet
rekindle once more
as the year is complete

__________________  

Good and Evil

Good and Evil
Wrong and Right
One's in darkness
One's in light

But what are they
If really true
But no more than
Thoughts by me and you

___*___
*
Good can be saving, killing
Pain, Worship, and Blood that's spilling

Good can be sitting, thinking, loving
Friendship, harmony, and suffering

Evil can be power, prayer, and
Equality, acceptance, no demands

Evil can be crushing, hitting, smacking
Soft and sexy, morally lacking

___*___
*

But in the space our real life
These two thoughts cause too much strife
We strive to force all to see one way
"Good and evil are only these things," they say

"Good is God, Christian, Straight."
"Good is Islam, Modest," they debate
"Good is No God, Crushing faith."
"Good is being of the United States."

"Evil is Islam, China, Gay."
"Evil is Christian, Sexual," they say
"Evil is God and all these verses."
"Evil is speaking any curses."

___*___
*

And it strikes upon me to ponder
"Why argue of these things?" I wonder
Because in all of these dominions
You argue nothing but opinion

And I shake my head and wonder why
Constant disagreement is what you try
And in the end, I have to say
That none are right in any way

You all in this are totally wrong
In your endless bickering throng
Because-truthfully-in the end
Good and Evil are just trends

__________________ 

Gray

Black and White
Dark and Light
Death and Life
Fun and Strife

What is balance?
Work and Play
What is living?
Night and Day

Red and Blue
Me and You
Love and Loss
Gain and Cost

What is mercy?
Give, Receive
What is mourning?
Pray and Grieve

Knowing all
And knowing None
Are extremes
That suit no one

What we are
And what we say
Are nothing more
Than shades of Gray

__________________  

Truth Be Told

From my birth, I was confused
I felt betrayed, and I felt used
Before my time, I felt too old
I felt destroyed
If truth be told

From my adolescence, I was lost
I paid my tithe, I paid my cost
Before my time, it was foretold
I'd be abused
If truth be told

From my adulthood, I was left
I walked alone, I walked bereft
Before my time, I was always cold
I felt broken down
If truth be told

From my seniority, I was a shell
I had no warmth, yet I lived in hell
Before my time, I lost my hold
I lost my grip
If truth be told

From my death, They finally know
How I was wronged, why I lie below
Before my time, I faced terrors untold
I died aged ten
If truth be told

__________________  

Lost

Once upon a time
In a far away land
I walked with my mother
Hand in hand

Once in a fairytale
A long while from today
I had myself a great hero
That showed me the way

Whether horseback on concrete
Or carriages on cement
I always had a prince
To prevent my lament

But as time passed me by
And the tales faded down
I realized in horror
The truths of my town

My diamonds ceased their sparkle
My voice stopped its singing
And the only thing left
Was the incessant ringing

As I sat on the corner
Amidst all the frost
And realized that in life
I was totally lost

__________________  

The Final Farewell

Broken bricks
Fractured tiles
Flooded floors
All the while

Shattered windows
Crackling wires
Damaged doors
Unkempt fires

What is left
Is not enough
What is gone
Is far too much

We've rebuilt
From gales long past
From winds that wreck
And rains that last

But now the final hour comes
When all our toils are lost in vain
We've succumbed to nature's rage
To leave is only to be sane

So we look upon our home
Now a hollow, empty shell
We take our bags and walk about
Whispering our final farewell