reconsideration…

there are spirits here
she said as they laughed aloud
an open door slammed

 

diametrically different from the twelve days of christmas…

rise now the spirits
thirteen ghosts’ words of darkness
sleep well if you can

ghost # 1…

i am quite near you
look into the bathroom mirror
just behind your eyes

diagnosis code r41.84…

now
i’m not saying
there’s
any truth
to this
but
when
i was young
the
old folks
talked about
being
born
with a veil
over
your eyes
meaning
you could
see
spirits
and such
but
i’ve
never
bought into
the
i see dead people
kind
of thought
but
i must admit
i did have
a few
things happen
that
well
rattled
my cage
but
being
an educated fellow
i knew that
any mental door
to
spirits
or
anything else
could be closed
employing
freud
or
some other
psychological guru’s
mumble-jumble
and
i could
become
like
everyone else
in
this nation
denying
the death
and
destruction
before me

 

cause of uncoordinated movements…

ancient bones
beneath
your feet
step
carefully
for
i am
told
some spirits
resent
your intrusions
and
have been known
to reach up
and
grasp
the heel
of a soul
and
drag it down
just
far enough
to make one
lose
their balance
for
no reason
it would seem
but
it is
for this
reason

i beseech thee..

great bird
holding up
the sky
smile upon
the dead
lift their spirits
with you
into the sky
so that god
might grasp
their hand
and pull them
from this misery
called earth
blend them
with the stars
so they might
light the way
for those
left behind

lost…

the uncles
would say
that the spirits
walked upon
the earth at night
touching you
when your fears
became too great
they said
you could tell
when they were near
for the hounds
would cry
with voices not their own
voices of men
or women
who had been
prisoners upon this earth
chained to their days
in the fields of fear
beaten with whips
of promises of things to come
in the afterlife
streets of gold
virgin brides
eternal peace
but none
are real
they are but
passing glances
from an unrequited love
glances that led these souls
into the darkness of belief
where the only light
is from the embers of their souls
an embers
not bright enough
to show the way
home

unsolicited denial…

A Classic Art Challenge:  Just as I had recovered from my last challenge with Jade, a new writing adventure has been embarked upon..Jade has sent me five paintings which are to serve as the prompts for this challenge.  Since I substituted an extra Philosophy course for Art Appreciation, this may prove to be far more difficult for me than the previous challenges.  However, I have accepted her challenge and managed to find five paintings to send her in return.  We hope you enjoy our poetry.

 

The Disquieting Muses (1918) by Giorgio De Chirico

my muse
grasps my hand
pulling me
away from the plaza
saying
these muses
are not of the nine
we must leave
before we lose our song
for they are the spirits
of the lost souls
who stared into the abyss
they were born
long before time began
before men counted
their fleeting moments
on this earth
given form again by the drums of war
and the insatiable greed of men
they have returned
to claim their place
among us
as we turned
to leave
one of the muses spoke
saying
here is your
holy roman empire
an empty plaza
filled with muses
that inspire
the nothingness of the abyss
here your glowing expectations
are mere embers
lying outside
the gates of hades
your change-the-world attitude
has become quiet acceptance
but
before I could hear more
my muse had pulled
me safely
into my dreams

 

lone wolf’s lament…

this is not the place
that was your father’s
these woods hold
bones older than
your history
each tree marks
a fallen warrior
black elk knew of them
calling upon the spirits
to receive their brothers
and sisters in death
to guide them safely
to a land of peace
not one of war
nor into stolen mountains
flowing with streams of tears
nor torched prairie villages
now no more than smoke
carried away in the night
only brother wolf
was left
to lament
as the funeral
procession
passed by
to an unwanted
desert
away from
this sacred
and
holy
place

armageddon…

dawning of the new day
let the battle drums
proclaim this day
that hope shall not be denied
today in the armor of truth
hope shall stand
before the gates of hell
and deny death
its rewards for deception
standing as a man
who will not bow before
the arrogance of inhumanity
nor bleed tears of despair
hope shall march into
the spiritual realm of evil
and free the tortured souls
lingering with self-doubt
on their crosses of fear
it shall raise its banner of faith
high in the air
regaining all that was lost
to spirits of greed
and hate
letting no man
nor beast
stand in its way
for this day
victory
will not be
a dream

This poem represents my second response to  the third challenge series between Jade and I.  This challenge is somewhat different in that the prompt is now an audio prompt.  Each poet provides the other with five instrumental songs (so that the song’s words do not interefere with the poet’s) from which the poet is to write a poem.  Jade has written her first response which can be found here.