Author: poetryfest

Time faded like yesterday’s flowers in the vase,
but our love only knows how to bloom
When you said you’d cherish me forever,
I thought you reckless
Your eagerness, disconcerting
You undressed this derelict rose of her harrowed petals
and kissed the thorns with seasoned tenderness
You rolled up your sleeves and weeded through unruly terrain
Now my heart is a garden of Elysian bliss
When the darkness threatens to steal my breath
When the moon extorts barbarous screams from my weary soul
You pull me into the cocoon of your benevolence,
blinding me with the brilliance of compassion
You sow layers of love into my pores
Now we both reap the fruits of undying passion
Let’s always stay this way
Blissfully suspended in the rapture of love
Sweet caretaker of my heart,
Never stop changing for growth becomes you
But never stop tending to this volatile garden
Never let the flowers die
Keep planting those eager kisses on my wanting forehead
and assume my thoughts
Because darling
It is so easy to see
Love becomes me because you love me

There’s a ring on my left finger,
My father questioned it when he saw it,
“The left ring finger is for marriage”,
I remember him saying.

Of course I knew that,
But since when did I care about meanings?

But as I stare,
At the ring on my left finger,
I begin to see things,
I never noticed before.

I notice the leaves are engraved,
Some deeper than others,
Some are filled in,
While others are just an outline.

I notice the love,
The love that went into picking this ring,
The love that went into creating this ring,
And the love that my partner feels for me.

It’s just a ring,
Isn’t it?

It’s a ring, on my left finger,
And I like it there,
Would I ever change it?
And what would replace it.

Perhaps a ring of gold,
With gems studded on top,
Or intricate lines carved all around,
With initials hidden inside.

What would I give in return,
If I were to receive that ring of gold?

A ring of silver, purple, and blue,
A ring with diamonds, or opals, whatever they prefer,
I’d give a ring that expressed my love,
And a ring that matched the gold of my own.
For now, my own ring is silver,
But I hope that is to change.

In a few years time,
I’ll have that moment.

The time will come,
I’m sure it will,
But for now I just stare,
At the ring on my left finger

I fall in love with a Scottish lass,
One who lives in a bonnie glen.

I feel quite happy, bodiless,
Freed from terror,
Forbidden by the world in a full circle.

I clench my grip to his,
Singing the song of auld:

“O you’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road,
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye.
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.”

Yet all the time I had,
I loved, I loved
Until I was dead,
But my soul remains yours.

My heart is wanting
Thy dust to green.

I was alive again
To go for another round of ale with him.

The sky yields snow
For the bonnie brown lassie so braw.

Dancing, chanting, and drumming,
She runs towards her other soul.

The candle flame is flickering
As the wooden windowsill cracks.

The candle flame died as the two,
White horses danced in the snow

There the cool breeze
The clouds then
Some calness as loons
Lift on the water

From where did it stem? A soul full of love and passion but tormented by his demons. Demons that lingered and came with many faces. Even the shadows would look back at him with the faces of those who hurt him most. Reminding him that they were not going anywhere.

He wanted to give it up, but that want was never quite enough. Never filling him, always empty. Leaving just enough space for him to come back for more. A liquid poison that chose him. A river of demons swimming in his ocean of black. He accepted his fate and letting go seemed like the right choice.

Until…

When all was lost to him-leaving him in complete darkness. She finally arrived. Oh, and what she did for him, no other could. She was an expert in her craft-breathing life back into him. Slowly he began to see the world and its beauty in entirety again. Just as he began to live again, his life started to depart. A diagnosis so advanced-he was closest to the end he did not mind before her.

His father-feelings that kept him distant. Now, as close as a father can be, by his side. Like magnets they held each other in a beautiful embrace that could only be described as God. A love so pure, it takes away all fear. His father, absorbing all his sons’ fears so in his last moments all he felt was love. Love for her. Love for him. Love for himself. A bond mended and unbreakable.

His last moments…

With her and his father by his side-they cried, smiled, and came to peace knowing he was going to the better place we all strive to get to one day. As he looked into her eyes and repeated “I Love You,” he surrendered to the good Lord and went home.

The unconditional love he felt from his woman and his father, some people never get in an entire lifetime. Thank you to his loving father and amazing woman for giving my beautiful friend an abundance of love and peace.

His life was so much more than just pain and sadness. He was an amazing human being that helped so many people during his short stay on this earth.

Here is to the funny, talented, loving, awesome saucy man I was so incredibly lucky to have known and call friend.

RIP George

Spider web spit
Right between his teeth

A bridge to cross
Over a ravine of throat

My car is rolling slowly
Panting heavy

Steam hissing off its flank
We’re not going very far

Wherever he wants
There’s no one out at night

Roads climb onto their hutches
And crawl forward

No one notices–
How hot-spittin’ I’m driving

Supposedly all the darkness
Of country roads

Means real danger
Up and down danger

I’ll pull over–
Not up or down

Wherever he wants
Letting clouds roll off his teeth

Damn hot-spittin’ fine
You’re gonna to remember

When I reach over
To touch each one

Coffee-stained yellow
Scum under my nails

Tasting like your teeth
You’re going to remember

The sounds of him panting–
Hissing under my foot

Roads crouching back down
And ducking their heads

Doe-eyed yellow
Catching up in our head-light

Shrunken world
He’s got spiderweb spit

Drooling down
The grapes window

You know how it feels
To walk on two legs

Going nowhere–
Know going nowhere

With me now

Spittin’-hot driving
Right into the sun

Roads arching back
Into straight spines

Headlight-shrunken world
Expanding

Doe-eyed yellow
Dilating

Spider web spit
Detangled

don’t tell me now you are unchanged
your voice clipped blue across the wires
some door inside you clicking shut
the night all seaweed green, cold new.

our secret room all rearranged
he sleeps and you half name desires
my answer speaks in your unsaid
i let you do what you will do.

That handsome man caught my eye.
On the busy street amongst the shops and carts of food.
I dearly hoped we could both say hi.

My friend shot me a question out her eye.
She yanked on my fur collar, trying to tell me what’s good.
That handsome man caught my eye.

I kept feeling my friend’s stare as she sipped her chai.
I looked across the street at the man who worked under the car hood.
I dearly hoped we could both say hi.

My curiosity ran high.
Finally, my friend noticed and she coed.
That handsome man caught my eye.

I decided to let my courage run high.
We both wondered if he was new to Englewood.
I dearly hoped we could both say hi.

I turned to my friend to say bye.
I watched her walk back to the neighborhood.
That handsome man caught my eye,
I dearly hoped we could both say hi.

what if i told you. that i wanted a hug with your
arms that i like hearing your voice that i wait for
you pass me your drink before you walk away
and whisper take sips if you want and i sip just to
appease the god of crushes. if i admitted i hope
you believe me beautiful but your fascination
with my mind is quite enough or that when you
stand next to me i want to slouch only to be
enveloped within your frame.

what if i tried to kiss you. would you pull away.
or would your old football hands settle on my hips
and keep me right there. against you.

what if i told you i’m bad with articulation but
i’m an emperor of words and that i can share
what i am thinking but it’ll probably look like this,
times new roman in eleven-point font with no
capital letters and some intricate roundabout way
of saying what i really want to say which in this
case, in your case, is please look at me and do
not stop.

Your eyes, your eyes,
How kindly were your eyes!
They glistened when you heard me say your name!
And it was clear from that first glance,
A blossoming of new romance
Revealed itself within your radiant eyes.

Your eyes, your eyes,
How fiery were your eyes!
They shone with passion of new love aflame!
Your kisses sweet gave much delight,
But greater still came from the sight
Of joy that danced in your resplendent eyes.

Your eyes, your eyes,
How brilliant were your eyes!
They shimmered when I said that you were mine!
Entwined were we in our embrace—
Yet did I see, perhaps, a trace
Of doubt emerge within those lovely eyes?

Your eyes, your eyes,
How sombre were your eyes!
Your honeyed words, your eyes they did betray!
You glanced away when I leaned in;
But I know not what slight or sin
I did to dim those great, once-radiant eyes.

Your eyes, your eyes,
How absent were your eyes!
How apposite it was to hide your eyes!
Your text was clear that we were through,
And nevermore I’ll see the hue
Of those fine gems—oh how I miss your eyes!