Wriging

That was good. Damn good. I'll see if I can come up with one, but I haven't written a poem in about 8 years I would say.

Thank you Scrivs.

8 years brewing has got to be right. There's a poem in there I'm sure.

Any more 9rulers
who would love to come school us
For we know that you're writing
and we're here and inviting
So come lay down your lines
with your rapture entwined
and . . . . . .

Well, erm, you get the idea. The more the merrier.

That is good. Nice to see someone write poetry the, shall I say, classic way. These words sway, it's passionate. I do like contemporary poetry, but sometimes it just looks like someone reading a boarding pass out loud. This is nice. Good ending too, exactly what you promised you delivered.

Nils,

When I wrote it I had a John Barry violin piece on to get in the mood, so I guess the emotion comes partly from what I was feeling with the music. I'm glad the passion comes across as I felt that way when writing it, so thank you for noticing.

Clarkey, very genuine and sincere, yet simple and direct in a good way. I like and really relate to it.

I will add to the thread too. Here is In Thou Eyes, source.

In Thou Eyes

Before in golden frames of divine
mother’s gift is open to find

Trees shading, vines draping the stride
to reveal the steps and will to shine

In this route, a glimpse of light
pulling like gravity upon the sight

In thou eyes, glistening divine
the tint of the hills springing to life

Color washed of the hazel gleam
longing with natures gracious seeds

Shall we walk, shall we see,
together stepping beyond the stream

Take thy hand and giveth to thee,
for this walk is beyond the need

I will prevail.
The Sun is a merciless Queen Divine
As She burns with tireless light
Against my bent and beaten spine.
I am Hers. No place escapes her sight.
And so I bend to Her intense will,
Yet stare upon Her boldly from yon highest hill.
I am Hers, and yet still my own—
Her slave, yet my soul—blood, and bone.
One day, though, to Her I will not pale.
No longer Hers, I shall be my own.
In the end, I will prevail.

Her selfish power will surely decline,
Then beneath Her fire, there will be no fright.
And I, so weary, will drink Freedom as wine,
Soothed by my life’s ended plight.
There will be no more bending to Her will,
In my heart no contradiction, resentment, or ill.
Freedom will take me where only birds have flown
When merciless Queen Divine has no throne.
And I will stand tall, no longer a slave so frail.
This will be my soul—blood, and bone.
In the end, I will prevail.
“Aut vincere aut mori.*

*Latin for “Either conquer or die.” / “Conquer or be conquered.”

Leliathamos, you really motivated me. In addition, I love the line, "bent and beaten spine"

@joelsimone: A beautiful piece. "Colour washed of the hazel gleam" really earthy and yet still conspiring in it's purpose to produce such a delicate piece. I like it and can imagine taking that walk. Heck, I'm even smelling the grass now.

@Leliathomas: I agree with Joelsimone, this is very inspiring and motivating. The sun is an excellent metaphor, it is pervasive like so many of the things that we find ourselves fighting against. An excellent reminder to keep possession of who we are.

These responses are really encouraging and it would be great to hear from more of you out there. It really doesn't matter what style you write in, just feel it and put it on the page.

As an example:

Writer's Block

With this paper that's blank
I'm as tough as a tank
I could say all the things that I choose
With Saintly devotion
and pent up emotion
I'll place on this page all my views

But it seems that I've stopped
before leaving the blocks
with no words for the things I would say
So, I'll shorten my lecturre
and save this conjecture
for some other, philosophical day.

---------------------------------------------

Scrivs, you did say . . . . . . . . . . . .

I write pretty bad poetry, ask my readers, they have suffered through much of it kindly. I love to read it though.

I'll have to find my last big hit. lol

Love Lelia's, but you all would make fine poets.

Clarkey, thanks! This is a fun thread; it has longevity.

Judgement

Judgemental faces stare with hurtful gazes
I feel their eyes scanning my life
Poking and prodding, heads shaking and nodding
Whispering in the low lights
But even in darkness I hear voices, careless
Spilling assumptions and grins
Convinced of themselves that I'm just a sad shell
Of a woman that once lived within
Though remaining benign, shooting factitious smiles
I notice disquieted tones
So serpentine, I'm not blind to the scene
In their crowd I stand ravished to bone
They'd send me to gallows, inorganic and shallow
Not learning one thing of my past
I'm naked and blemished; inspirationally famished
But far from disastrous trash
I have a long story of my fights and my glories
Of moments when life was all mine
But perplexity danced in the palms of my hands
And these days I've been less survived
There's way more to me than this pitiful scene
Than this silent and blank faced mirage
Than this desolate frame of my head hung in shame
Than this destructive, delinquent collage
Surely they'd see I'm not all I could be
And believe me- I FEEL only half
Crawling out of a hole life dug straight to my soul
Still bathed in its grave aftermath
You laugh and make jokes of what you think I chose
But don't think this was ever my plan
I had dreams and beliefs of a life still not seen
And your rudeness lends less of a hand
I sift through the wreckage and all of my damage
Each day, each hour, each breath
Always ringing out pain from yesterday's rain
Battling worries as weighted as lead
Being deprived of the touch from my child
Is an absence so feeble and cruel
Not hearing his voice is the lonliest of noise
It's a nightmare I live through and through
So don't think for one day that I like it this way
And quit with your smirks and your sneers
I'd much rather be hugged than emotionally mugged
So please-take my hand, not my tears
Heavy hearts only stain fabrics soaking in pain
No need to pour salt in raw wounds
Embarassing me till' it's all my friends see
Is a song that has sung its last tune
Truth is, I am more than a girl weak or poor
I am more than this rut that I'm in
I'm a wonderful mother with a heart fierce as thunder
I'm a faith and a strength that won't quit
And I'll climb my way out of descent's hungered mouth
Trafficking hardship for power
Always hoarding away that resentment and blame
I'll make up for each time I fell, cowered
I will show these last years that I'm fighting back fierce
Been withdrawn in a labrynth of fear
Just want to alleviate all that self-suffocates
Breath into fresh atmosphere
But people like them bellyache to be shrude
Contaminate hard times much worse
Embellish my faults and all that's gone wrong
Just to gain a quick laugh at this curse
Been awhile since I've polished all that was once demolished
But remember what it feels like to shine
Don't believe in me, fine-my watch doesn't tell time
For those who don't care to know me
I'll come out of life's cage with a positive rage
And I'll end my life calamity
But don't think for once that I won't hold the grudge
They grew on me when I was low
These judgemental faces left permanent traces
Of make-believe friends and low blows
At the end of each day, you're the choices you made
And fuck those who ravage your hope.....

"STONE."

We all begin with cushioned hearts untouched by careless skin,

Our smiles sing with happiness, eyes glazed with ignorance;

A single soul has not yet touched our feelings deep inside,

They have not reached in far enough to unveil what we hide;

It's hard to realize how well you had it till' it's gone,

That peacefulness inside of you that used to keep you strong;

So sad to see what flowed like water stiffens as cement,

The hope that ran throughout your blood now laced with dreams gone dead;

It has to make you wonder through years of ending up alone,

That something fragile as the heart couldn't simply turn to stone...

I've watched the hurt from far away-you can spot them in a crowd,

A blankness in their bodies, a hollowed, frozen shell;

I know just what their stories are-exactly how it goes,

I understand how it once felt even though it barely shows;

Battered by what might have been and lost in yesterday,

Tortured by their memories, scarred by what they could not change;

They tried to fight the pain away but pain came back for more,

They let the hurt infect them instead of nursing all their sores;

I made a vow way deep inside that I'd stay tough as bone,

I'd never die inside like them-I'll never turn to stone...

Years passed by my crazy life-holding firmly onto hope,

Still saying prayers and believing that my break's right up the road;

Battling my tears back every time my heart was crushed,

Smiling it off as if it simply never meant that much;

When deep inside a piece of me decreases with each day,

Emotions race inside my head too difficult to say;

I thought back at the ones I've seen whom once I thought misfortuned,

And realized it has helped them to bare tired hearts so frozen;

Instead of feeling way too much they're content to be alone,

For serenity like theirs it makes me wish that I were stone...

Then I fell in love and my heart- it raced and laughed,

It tasted love's perfection, then felt its dreadful aftermath;

How dare love give itself to me then strip me of its grace,

Reveal to me such beauty then just rear its ugly face;

I felt I wasted precious time on nothing more than failure,

A foolish girl who fell so hard she never knew what hit her;

For awhile I was angered, but my heart would still forgive,

Beyond my will I bounced right back to that crazy life I lived;

Bothered by how weak I was, just going back for more,

I prayed so hard for this failed love to let this make me stone...

But determined as I was I knew that I would find someone,

With faith a little smothered I'd keep going till' I won;

I'd beat this wall with bloodied fists my heart had quietly built,

Hid all of my frustration behind the men I settled with;

Ignored the voices in my head saying hurt is in the end,

That happiness just does not lie inside these shallow men;

But something in me chanted "I am not the same",

I looked into my eyes one day and knew somehow I'd changed;

And as the lovers came and went a resentfulness had grown,

My once untouched skin whispering "One day I will be stone..."

I knew right then I only needed shoving to the edge,

Just one more hand to touch my heart then hang it off hurt's ledge;

Granted, we were opposites- you warned me of your ways,

I guess I thought I'd care for you so purely you would stay;

Right when you shoved your kisses and your touches down my heart,

You touched my life so perfectly then mangled it apart;

How could you take away from me what I never asked to keep?

Can't sleep inside my bed without your presence next to me;

So now I'm wasting tears, just doing this all on my own,

Once I wipe my last tear off this will have made me stone...

It's been a couple of days and I'm smiling to myself,

I'm finally feeling nothing, safe and sound inside myself;

No, I never love you but I'd have given you my world,

Just like any other man who ever caused me hurt;

But none of you deserved me and it took you to help me see,

You never pushed me to the ledge- I jumped off to be free;

So thank you for my freedom, you have numbed me through the bone,

I'm finally amongst a peacefulness-

For this has made me stone....

"Stars In The Sky"

Once upon a time there was a pretty little girl,
Her smile kissed the sun and moon and brightened all the world;
A soul of dreams she layed with, on a bed of patient flowers,
As she gazed up at the stars, until the new days' hours;
With eyes so wide with wonder she stared at every star,
Until those eyes fell heavy and the sun stole all the dark;
A tiny smile on her lips as she made her way back home,
With thoughts of that big sky of stars and the magic they must hold;
Years passed time and the seasons changed,
The little girl grew but her dreams never aged;
A young woman now with a heart full of fire,
Eyes that could trance any man she desired;
But she craved for quite more, so each night she still lay,
Beneath that big sky till' the break of each day;
Fingers tracing each star, till' she found the right one,
"Maybe this wish comes true!" as she pulled the stars down;
But each star she chose stole a piece of her heart,
Never returning the beauty they scarred;
Most seemed uncertain- they flickered and dimmed,
Some shown too bright- too proud to be kissed;
Others too far, and unreachable height,
Then the rest only hurt her in hopes she would cry;
Soon she was lost in galaxies of pain,
Twisted and turned in the comets' scorched rains;
With nothing to show for but a romance burned out,
Her days now spent sifting loves' ashes about;
And that pretty little girl dropped down to the night,
Her smile a frown, and the whole wide world cried;
And the sun and the moon and the sky high above,
Gave her their beauty to remind her of love;
But love was a hopeless, hollowed-out dream,
It's trickery, neglect, lonliness, deceit;
So she cried to get back all she sacrificed,
But her tears turned to puddles and her puddles to ice;
She cursed to the sky, vowed to never return,
To her bed of patient flowers and her dreams overturned;
As she raised up her arms to rid of the pain,
Hope dropped itself inside the palm of her hand;
It twinkled and gleamed on this magical night,
Unlike any she'd seen all her star-gazing life;
And soon she would smile again and again,
Till' her smile embraced no beginning nor end;
And she stood proud again, still bearing all scars,
But learning from each of those brilliant stars;
They weren't wishes come true or wishes gone bad,
Simply roads needed traveling along her life's path;
And it's okay to laugh, it's okay to cry,
It's okay to dance or curse at the sky;
It's alright to be goofy or deserve all the best,
To choose what feels right, to leave behind all the rest;
And her life was lived peaceful, whether alone or with love,
Thanks to all of those stars in the skies high above...

@Joelsimone: Yes, I hope it keeps going as there's some great stuff getting added.

@dieseldelicious: O.k. - Wow what a rush of emotion! I'll be honest and say that when I first saw your post I was in a bit of a rush and nearly put it off 'till later. However, I started reading and I'm glad I did.

I like your work and find it interestingly challenging. By their length your poems almost seem to say "I'm here and I'm big and unapologetic so read me if you can" - so I did. However, if it was simply a rant I would have stopped half way through which I did not. Of the three my favourite is Judgemental - it is angry, emotive and vulnerable. Structurally I also feel it flows better. It just drew me in and I felt the empathy in droves.

For a contemporary piece, that is one of the best end lines I have had the pleasure to read and it reflects my sentiments perfectly.

I would love to see that passion in a poem of change - a new chapter in the same story?

In any case it was raw, edgy and unabashed and I love it. Thanks for sharing.

Phew! Keep it coming people.

Wow, thank you very much for the compliments on the poetry....I wrote "Judgement" one day while working this temporary job at a tanning salon. I had like three customers all day, and somewhere between all the space and time left to think and a good dose of inspirational resentment, I jotted it all down in about half an hour. When I read it back to myself, I didn't recognize it, but it was all inside of me so I must have really been hurting. Poetry is such a cheap and organic way for me to put all necessary band aids on my life where needed so I can keep surviving. :) I'm trying to collaborate five of my poetry journals into a book. I don't know if this dream could become a reality, but it's been in the works since about 2005, entitled "Then My Tears Came Out In Words." Hopefully my dream will come true. :) Thank you for reading, and for posting a subject I could relate with. Poetry is too revealing to go unnoticed.

I love your poetry! Its lovely and really similar to my themes!

My goodness, I have to come back to read Diesel's poems. I thought I would take a quick peek at the thread; however, it looks like this will take a little more then a peek. Glad to see the thread is still alive.

These lines struck me:

And as the lovers came and went a resentfulness had grown,
My once untouched skin whispering "One day I will be stone..."
I knew right then I only needed shoving to the edge,
Just one more hand to touch my heart then hang it off hurt's ledge;

Yes, very emotional poems. Love and romance is a powerful influence, especially to those who feel strongly. Thanks for sharing.