(Results)Poetry Contest - Reminsce of the Days of Old

When I find peace
between the crease
of a morning dawn
and fields of wheat,

I will retire
by a family fire,
to hear the ‘pop!’
as the wood expires.

Yet once alone,
I have come home
To the place I owe
The life I own,

Though I wish for days
I felt dismayed,
I could trade my grief
For a newborn gaze;

By far-gone are these ways
And I relive the words
I meant to say,

the barn dog larks
sing and bark,
as the shadows shift
nearing dark,
as the blacksmith pounds
spits, and sparks,

I release the quill
and split my mark;

For days gone by
I'll see again,
I can only hope
for the return
of a long lost friend;

on a brick path
in a sticky thicket,
behind an emerald lawn
and a fence picket,

on a covered bridge
or an unknown road,
where only two like-minds
knew the secret code,

At the fishing hole
we used to sing soul,
until a hungry trout
hit hook and pole,

Although I admit;

afraid of being jumped
or being ignored,
I hesitated moving
on the checkerboard,

I stood and watched
the pieces move,
too young to notice
I had nothing to lose.

And as we stand
in the shadows of
penetrating dark,

let our memories
be lanterns,
and our friendship
the spark,

for wasted is the life
with no ups and downs,

and I'll always hear you out,
no matter how deafening
the sound.

[edit on 3-3-2009 by JipStix]

Here is entry one:

Nothing Useful

The supple eggshell breeze
grows slumberous,
through the giant
Acacia un-
furling shadow
daggers on the rust green
sea, grasses
crooked rigid in the daylight.
Were we once here
in this palm meadow,
our memories
lost on crinkled
cicada wings and
the dreaming sun rays?

And all at once,
returning
we find nothing useful
and stay outside
the margins of
gloried purpose.

Lover's Fall:

I recall, my lover's eyes gleamed stark last I saw
breathing life into my soul, beneath the moon last fall.
"Tomorrow," I reluctantly said, and bid farewell with just a kiss.
Now, with regret, I'll forever miss...
And've been alone ever since.
Tragedy struck when we departed.
Now, and forever, am I brokenhearted.

A Love Poem


From the corner of slitted eyes
I watch you
as I glide across
the space of our room.

For an eternity
I am
a frozen soul
with feet of clay.

Then quietly I pass by you
over broken shards
of faithless love
both ancient and new.

I am the most unlucky of two-leggeds,
waiting for my soul to join me
at the threshold
of the human beings.



[edit on 3-3-2009 by LeelaSavage]

[edit on 3-3-2009 by LeelaSavage]

reply to post by worldwatcher


History repeats itself time and time again
I wish this fact would change.
As a child, fear of War, Bombs, and acid rain
As we rode bikes on the military range.
Knowing too much about nuclear war
as a kid is just not right
Fear itself is at the core
And makes it hard to sleep at night.
The music screamed 'we want peace'
from a generation wanting change
Civility restored and Vietnam ceased.
But lives had been rearanged.
Sex drugs and rock and roll
became the things to do
Turbulance gave way to those
And you know, we never knew,
all these years would pass to see
the same things come again
War, Bombs and money this time
I think I would prefer the acid rain!
And again, we scream for change.



edit to add: I hope ya'll like it!

[edit on 3-3-2009 by space cadet]

[edit on 3-3-2009 by space cadet]

Waves of Oblivion



Remember the time
When you almost knew
Where a melon sky
Bore lavender sea,
Then consider me.

I'll still be there.

I will still be there
between warp and woof
through parallax clouds
As crapy whitecaps,
And fortunate winds.

And you'll be where?

And you will be where
Ordinary time
Thrusts wide from the world
In shimmering sleeve,
To buttery Sol.

And we'll not care.

Untitled (A hard topic considering i'm only 21, so mine is not about times of old, but about how circumstances change when you age).




I was always told to value my time.
Childhood is the best part of your life.
I had my doubts.

Chris put my Frisbee in the tree.
Tears.
Me and Roy, we had a falling out too.
And then there was James,
Who used to always poke fun.

As I saw it, life was rough.
But now, I want Chris back.
Put my mortgage in a tree, where banks can’t get to it.
I want Roy back, so we can finally agree on something and save this country.
James, who would still poke fun, not at me, but at those still asleep.

Yeah, being a kid is rough alright.
But remembering how easy it was is harder.

reply to post by worldwatcher


Title: We All Fall Down

I will always remember the green dollar bill
and of my house I had on the hill
working paycheck to paycheck and paying my bills
so I could have a big TV with all the frills

then it all came down
like a smile turned to frown
we were suckered by bunch of banker clowns



[edit on 3-3-2009 by Wormwood Squirm]

False Dawn

Into the dark, not a place, a desire
this is the essence of a soul, remembrance
the smoke that drifts past slowly in the night
in the orange light of streetlamps
in the gray dawn of what was.
Slumped at the wheel and dreaming
are we lost here forever?
Smoke drifting down alleyways in the cold night
taken as the wind blows, taken far away
from the hot summer days of our freedom.
Laughing in the yard, how the sun always shone
even as the rains fell, the morning so bright
the hopes for tomorrow soon to become
wilted flowers of days past.
The breath of thought, forgotten
slumped at the wheel and keening
knowing that there will never be
bridges spanning to those worlds ethereal.
Trembling hands pushing through silvering strands
the porch light is off, the winds do not blow
the vanished never return
and the child does not come home
just smoke drifting in the night
and as I kiss you goodbye
can you taste it?

Where was I when the dawn was bright
and many could look although not many could see
because darkness drew on in their hearts

Where was I when the day was long
and perilous through dusk that collapsed into darkness
like static dreams disrupted by reality

Where was I when the eve was ominous
and sentience wept upon its own counterfit zenith
while iniquitous zephyrs pushed on and on

Where was I when the twilight was timid
and long the way walked in tremulous luminosity
with gates and shadows to tend the flame

Where was I when the night was vast
and in the firmament past intertwined with future perception
direction of sights and sound, lights compound indefinitely
into continual midnight sculptures that beckon placidly and
exhibit intricate pattern changes that bring equilibrium to
contemplation function; forming crystal cumulonimbus
transcendence that incites rapid synthesis of unconscious
consciousness, mingling esoteric designs via nirvana vernacular
murmuring gently with the leaves in the vespertine gardens
where grandiflora foliage emits subharmonic intonations
And it tells me
Regret is a lane long
Wandered like a dance
And postured to pretend
A bad stand-in
So stand in
Not out
standing in the frozen rain

for ever it falls
it falls for ever
ever it falls
falls it ever
it ever
falls
for
it

Just got done watching 1984 and popped on here to see what was up.

Awesome thread! Couldn't help myself:


Yesteryear and yesternaught
Battles won, and battles fought
Sharp crusades and bold brigades
For a golden age of which they sought
Uproar hangs in the air
Mingled with the blood of old affairs
Boasters boasting of yesteryears

Simpler times of which we never knew
Erased by men and born anew
Birthed like locusts within a spire
of dirty deeds they once conspired
A flash in the pan
Bursting, dispensing, growing, aging, failing
Echoes the boasts of yesteryears

But day after day
Week upon week
Year after year
The machine soldiers on
Bellowing fire and brimstone
Success in love
dispensable love
The machine is forever

&

my heart light burns vindictive cinders
my head mind finds a place adjacent
all fractals act as an actual example
raise my hands lucid infusion
color the latent faded ageless
when the time comes i will be ready
steady measure the leisure gesture
invest your time in spirit
can you hear it
he speaks in a secret frequency
open your heart to love light
dove flight
some sight is meant to be hidden
you cannot hear if you cannot listen
this is a world of much beauty rudely awakened
men as creatures must be trained for the remainder
where do i stand in this land of abandon
i am a culture shock product document
a monument to the last days of a failing fabric
weave the trees with a new fusion of leaves
i've seen a great fractal spiral light the night sky
it explodes from the center of my spine chakra
i imagine a tangible thing and manifest catalyst
drown the foundation and cement your intention
learn your lesson in this lifetime and move to the next vector
stage two becomes phase three for the fourth quarter horse
grab the reins and proclaim the son of man tour de force
align the planetary defiance righteous assignment
find it within and tear it out shouting valiant
i've made this place so that i may erase it
face it

\\\

You may ask yourself how does this have anything to do with reminiscing upon the days of old? These days the are the oldest I have seen, but in between those days I have seen live and green. Lush. Fetid. How does one man draw lines within angles? Tangential mentor vetted his pence. Are you so dense that the fence binds our movement? On the day I became constricted I set out for improvement. Exuded the movement from the depths of his trachea. I don't fake it i shake from the anger the stranger is nigh wild and.

Pleased to meet you.

FEAR

Fear.

Fear that I will end up in the same trailer I began.
The kind with the cinder block steps and open light bulbs; rust stains trailing.

Fear that I will bring upon myself the very end I long despised.
An old man, misunderstood and alone.

I remember the carpets, the ones that join to the floor, inseparable.
The plastic in the kitchen and the bathroom provides little relief.

A dark, dank smell that never leaves.
When light does filter in, dust refuses to settle.

A brown glow, colored by the faded wood paneling.
A couch sits next to the door, low slung and beaten by time.

reply to post by fooffstarr


Awesome poem! Honestly, I've only read a few so far, but yours is brilliant! It really gives me that simple, honest, humble type of feeling. I liken it to cooking and indeed all the arts: "If its simple, but still cooked well, the results are more often than not, outstanding; That's not to say your poem is without depth, often times the most simple of objectionable arrangement can be the most challenging, think japanese rock garden. Again, well done, I especially enjoyed the frisbee device.

Mister Bland

I knew a man who was happy
he never cried
he just thought of rivers
and he was so bland

He met a woman
who swung like a gate
opening and closing
everything she could
because it felt so good

One day she looked at him
and said "Jim, let's move out of here
lets go to the city!"
and the rains came
and it brought them a child

and the man learned to hate
and the woman learned to fear
and the child learned to bring
out the worst in both of them
and the rivers turned to tears

gary heffern

We will see you in our past.

"We walk through ancient columns, shaped by tools we cannot cast.
And if the works reflect the maker,
We Will See You in our Past."

Poem done for illustration.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/c8c3d03eeab8d9a0.jpg[/atsimg]

I may be outside the parameters of this contest. If so, just enjoy. I prefer short poems, and a picture is worth a 1000 word poem.


ZG


[edit on 3/3/2009 by ZeroGhost]

i am not in the mood for a
poem tonight
there have been too many
bombs on the radio
and things just dont feel right
acid rain and children in pain
for monetary gain..
take me back to when life
was simpler
when a day lasted forever
and i understood the pain of life
like children do
when we ate blueberries
and swung from a tree
and the world made sense to me.

I just washed my long red underwear,

I shaved rough bristles off my skin,

I brush rough bristles on teeth,

Cool water.

I just washed her long red hair,

She felt rough bristles from my skin,

Rough,

Young,

Cool water.



[edit on 3-3-2009 by whiteraven]

I guess I knew it all along.
I guess I knew I could be wrong.

I built a life to let it rot.
I killed the life that i forgot.
I guess i knew and so i thought.
This lifes the love that I forgot.

I guess it finally came to me.
That theres something here for me.
Yet theres nothing here but me.
But that something there...is free.

Words of the past green (eyes)

A snow crystal fell
Into my hand
I saw it melting through my fingers
And flow with the memories
Of those summers
Full of expectations
Where all was allowed and fearless
But nothing ever happen
To be regretted

Dead hours in the night
Dark moonlights and a bright cave
Friends became unknowns
Unknowns became friends
More than today
Shared some common trends
Running across the hills
To find the Milky Way

I smoked the air around
And the green stared at me
So deep, not so cold
That was enough to live with
Got lost in the neighbourhood
Didn't recognize the same places
- Beauty changes perception
But the green was always there
So tempting, not so wise
With promises of other moons
Never reached, only dreamed of
Empty bottles full of laugh
Swimming in the hot sand
And the ocean dried my skin
When the blue hided the green

The clouds were then so near
And yet you pretend not to touch
Me,
I smiled and left the truth
To another day, another year

A drop of sweat
(Or was it a tear?)
Fell into my hand
So cold, not so pure
Broke the magic chain
And I saw it turn
Into a green snow crystal