What’s Before Me

The light snow stayed the light snow

fallen yesterday.  Night added nothing.

Dreams, of course, but nothing I can

put my eyes on like more snow.

I have become more of an eye and ear

kind of a guy; I need to see and hear,

feel and touch before I know what’s 

before me.  I shy away from the abstract,

the intellect that scorns the heart,

language that mocks the soul, exploits

the flesh, enhances our fears.  I can see

the snow and rain, get my eyes and ears

on beauty, the peace that passes understanding,

that love that needs no explanation.

-Byron Hoot

hootnhowlpoetry.com.  

BUT DON'T WORRY.

Little flower in the garden,

you have charmed me with your splendour.

Sweet's the smell which is around you,

given by your splendid odour.

Getting near you makes me wonder

why is life so harsh on livers.

Now, your youth is proud and haughty.

Have you thought about the coming?

Happy flower, do not ponder

on what goes on in my silence

as you cannot change your future

which is imposed on all creatures.

You are happy with the present.

Enjoy it and do not worry.

That, Who gives you all these wonders,

surely tucks away what's better.

BY JOSEPH ZENIEH

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Architect

So many days,

Sleepless nights,

I sat and wondered,

What is wrong with my life?

Why,

Oh why,

Does it get so frustrating,

Why,

Oh why,

Do things so seldom go right,

So I sat there looking at every thing I had done,

What,

Oh what kind of man had I become?

What, oh what changes had to be done?

For too long I had let others guide me,

Mold me shape me

Try and define me,

I had relied on others too much,

With myself I had lost touch..

This, in turn,

Had left my foundations weak..

This in turn,

Had me craving drugs,

Craving drink..

Then one day,

I woke up,

And said to myself,

We have to build our life our way,

With a foundation,

That no criticism of others could decay,

Well, I became my own architect that day,

With a strength and belief in my self no one,

And I mean no one could take away,

Yes it was time to rebuild my life,

Time to live it my way..

For what I, or you, in this life,

Is up to you, or me,

Take control,

And be the architect of your own destiny..

(C) Patrick Daniel Read 11/21/14

Soul Lender

Soul Lender

Come hither let me bind thy heart

Allow me space to enter

I’d wager almost any part

Of all those finer mentions

I’ll rouse the ruse, tighten the noose

Around your lavish craving

And if so wish I’ll serve the dish

All rules were born for bending

Let’s not be quaint and telly forth

God speed my daring slander

I have a gift to share with thee

A tale of the soul lender

From vision starred by ill repute

a ghost of silent tender

emerges from the silky mist

to shed the awkward canter

Arise my memories of late

give life to me once more

for pity take upon this fool

still searching for the exit door

beware of moments hear them squeak

down the old memory lane

for many man has lost their cheek

when dealt a hand by come what may

Be silent now lower thy brow

Humble your proud stride

He keeps a wolf outside thy door

To keep his guests in crosshairs sight.

Vladimir Edward Bass ©

‘I’M A REBORN REVENANT’

I am getting closer, closer to the end

Mentally and physically I am on the mend

When diagnosed with stage three cancer, i must admit I had a cry

I wanted to live, I did not want to die

What motivated me, my partner and my son

They where the ammunition and I was the gun

After my surgery, I was in a bad way

I was grateful to still be alive, thank god that I prayed

The pain was unbelievable, I had to be strong

The cancer thought it beat me, thank god it was wrong

Chemotherapy was brutal, the side effects where horrific

I fought back like a warrior, my performance terrific

Each round of chemo drained my body and mind

It was crucial I stayed in the race, i could not fall behind

No matter how tough things got for me, I gave one hundred and ten percent

I was intricate with each move that I made, my time was not misspent

Each day that passed got tougher for me but my high standards did not drop

Pushing myself I believe was the key, I was the cream that rose to the top

My body was really struggling, my mind had to step up to the plate

The work I put in convinced me that I indeed had a fit mental state

My last round of chemotherapy was three and a half months ago

I’m still making progress but progress is progress no matter how fast or how slow

I cannot be defeated, my refusal to quit is evident

Stage three cancer has now come and gone, I’m a reborn revenant

-Liam Kennedy

Death

Death...

Have you ever wondered what death looks like

An eternal gaze into an infinite black void

That's what death is... A blind endless hike

Is life built only to be destroyed?

Is it as simple as heaven or hell?

Is the afterlife earned or given?

If souls are real, where do they dwell?

Why doesn't anyone listen?

I'm speaking loud and clear

And yet nobody seems to see

No one hears, not a single ear

Not a single soul acknowledges me

Could this be what death is?

To never be seen or heard

Yet be able to see and talk

Hearing my echo with every word

Their footsteps fade as they walk

Alone again in this cold nothingness

My soul is an abandoned house

Desolate, dark and lifeless

Depression is my loving spouse

A broken heart renders me sightless

Life with no love is a living funeral

Pallbearers are thoughts of despair

Mind suffocation no albuterol

A victim of the reapers snare

Am I dead? Is this what death is?

To be invisible to the visible.

Only seen by life's daily stresses

Trapped in a soul that's unlivable

That's what death is…..what I am

Rotting from the inside out

An existence of unwanted spam

Every decision left in doubt

Imprisoned by memories of the past

Shackled by a tainted heart

And all I can do is holdfast

as everything falls apart

Helpless, useless and lifeless

But darkness is priceless

Its where I was reborn

My fresh start per se

Murder is my new porn

Holding my depression at bay

The feeling of their screams

Warms my heart like past loves

Fulfilling my dreams

wearing these murder gloves

Something that finally fits

Providing all I ever need

and the freedom it permits

Death is a way to be free

A way to transfer pain

Releasing what's inside of me

The blood I can't abstain

A river of soothing relief

Their pain is my healing

And yet, I have no grief

It is my way of not feeling

And that is being alive

To not feel or ever care

Death is how I thrive

And there is no prayer

©Target K. Sinner 12/8/21

Rat Sounds

For all of our efforts

our cages clank

all around us

as keys jingle,

trailing off

into the sound

of muffled

high-end parties.

That demonic,

cat-like predator,

pawing at our cage,

roars from the depths

of its homicidal lost soul,

as we hunker down,

holding our fragile ears.

The delusion being,

we’re not permitted

to evolve

beyond the lack of

contemplative silence.

©cmd 2021 [aka o.monger]

Help me, Lord

Help me, Lord…

As they deplete me of my grace…

Help me, Lord…

As they inflict scars upon my face…

Help me, Lord…

As they strip away my natural beauty…

Help me, Lord…

As they shun their Heavenly duty…

Won’t they ever understand…

That the natural balance of existence will shift…

Won’t they ever come to realize…

That they are destroying Your Heavenly Gift…

© 2021 Jeffrey Pipes Guice

The Black Rose Will Find Its Way Home.

A fallen star is a fallen star,

We can think ourselves into

anything,

The sins of the wicked and

all their misdeeds,

The heads of saints and the

blood of Jesus,

A Shaman's smoke will lead

you here,

To all the lies of the human heart,

more constant than the stars and

all their courses,

I am older now and scarred enough

to wake the dead,

And when my sad and tired life

has expired,

You know I've made my bed

With the taste of holy death,

Although we're damaged goods

by the life we've led and part of

us is dead,

As devils steal us away

to fates we cannot comprehend,

There are angels watching over us

for every happiness we've experienced.

Copyright 2001, Alexis Child. All rights reserved until the bones decompose...