Monday, June 18, 2012

Poems For Your Perusal: The (Better?) Half Of An Alpha Poetry Cycle I Started Last Week

Never learn, do I?
Always saying "yes"
And never "no"
Even when "no"
Is what I know
Is best. Yes
Of course I can
Say it when
It doesn't matter.
But when it counts –
When best interests
Are at stake, and
The question's asked
Do I say "no"? No.
Do I know better?
Yes. But I can't say so.


Of all people
I should be the likeliest
To keep my mouth shut
To keep my thoughts in
To keep a secret.
And yet I find
That it's the hardest thing
I've ever had to do.


Past the point
Of no return
We turn and watch
You crash and burn.
We told you so –
We knew you would.
But telling, knowing
Does no good
If you refuse to
Heed advice.
But then again
You never did.
Some things don't
Need to be said twice
But then again
You're just a kid.


Quick, act like you're asleep
Maybe they'll go away.
Or maybe you'll remain
Invisible, untouchable.
Life's less scary with eyes closed
Heads bowed, and thoughts
Turned upward. But someone
Is always watching, and waiting.


Right about now
You're probably
Wondering when
The other shoe
Is going to drop.
Soon! Gravity
Got in the way
For just a bit.
But you can't
Stop forward
Momentum
That easily.


Spotted it from a mile away
The solution to the problem.
I never thought it was that simple
But there it is, plain as day.
I wish I'd known this years ago.
But perhaps I had to go through
All of that then, to get to this now.
Funny, isn't it? And sad, too.


Taken by surprise
I put on my best "whoa!" face.
And the funny thing is
I'm not even acting!
How is this even possible?
I'm still in shock, weeks later.
They say seeing is believing –
Well, I will, and I will.
Hearing helps too – that comes sooner.
But knowing it to be true
Unseen and unheard, just knowing
Is still enough to blow me away.


Under the bus
Sucking in my gut (easier said than done)
Wondering how I ended up under here
Hoping the tires don't crush my legs
Knowing this too will pass, but at what cost?
You're standing on the curb, grinning
Like you know something, or like
You did something to make this happen.
I'll just bet you did. Thanks a lot.


Vain pursuits consume my mind
Wishing that I had more time
To do the things I want to do
And not just things I have to do.
If I had time for everything
I'd probably never do anything.
That's something I don't understand
But sometimes ignorance is grand.


What do you do when
Everything changes?
What do you do when
Your mind is blown?
What do you say when
Things are strangest?
What do you say when
Facing the known?
I'll tell you when I find out.


X-ray my brain and you will see
Jumbled thoughts and memories
Pieces of this, and chunks of that
Simmering in a steaming vat
Of consciousness, or lack thereof
Bits of hate, and bits of love
I wonder how all this can fit
But this is normal – isn't it?


You thought you saw a pattern
And I tried to make you think
That what you saw was nothing
'Least not much of anything.
But you're too clever, aren't you?
And you can do the math –
You put up all the markers
After I had cleared the path.
I should have known you'd know it
You've always been that smart.
Suppose I shouldn't try too hard
To only tell you part.
I might have guessed you'd guess it
Though I'd left subtle hints
I could be disappointed
But that would make no sense.
Instead I'll give you credit
Where credit's often due
You said you'd solve the mystery
And somehow you always knew.


Zealously I persevere
But I'm the only person here
Who never chose to disappear
So what am I still doing here?
My motivation is unclear.
I LOVE being a volunteer!

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