Today's poet

[freckle]

Life Love

Life - an exercise in reluctance,
followed by regret?
Haunted by a longed for love
that I was forced to forget.

Now falling into dwindling time,
that solitary certainty left;
an urge to ignite a whirl of rage
but so, so short, on emotional breath.

Seizing tight to fragile dreams
of a life that still may be;
desperate to conjure quiet meaning
from the final tale of you and me.

This is stunning Mossy, I love the line "so, so short, on emotional breath", i know that feeling! you also convey a kind of reluctant longing beautifully...thank you for posting

and thanks for the kind words about my poem all, I is fine, just emoting! but nice to know others are so caring!

[freckle]

Everybody wins.

Standing silent,
Listening to my breath,
A sudden noise,
Of i go legs like pistons,
Scrambling up the peak,
Lungs burning,
And then i'm there free,
Falling down the hill,
A human windmill,
Splashing through the bogs,
Only 100 metres to go,
I pass my rival,
Then fall over the line,
Finishing first,
I'm knackered,
I shake my rivals hand,
Waiting at he finish,
Cheering everyone home,
Knowing we are all winners,
So long as we have the fells to roam.

By Herakles

lovely herakles agree with the sentiment

[freckle]

Just catching up with Freckles "Blowing Bubbles" and Mossy's "Life Love" both really excellent poems. Well done you two

Thanks Alf

[freckle]

Mothering Sunday already. Despite the commercialism argument, one for all those deserved folk.

The Pedestal
T'is only you that thinks your pedestal comes but once a year;
that look, in doting child's eyes knows, no one else is as dear.

Though its never said, your time and love has never been more cherished;
signs of wear, you do not share, when strained and often 'perished'.

As time goes on, your daughter; son; you feel they've had enough.
They may fly but do not cry, that pedestal you've not once stood off.

Chubbs.

lovely chubbs, one of yours?

[Hes]

Just catching up with Freckles "Blowing Bubbles" and Mossy's "Life Love" both really excellent poems. Well done you two

Couldn't have put it better myself Alf. I've been blown away by the original material that has been posted here over the last day or so.

[Hes]

Good one Herakles.

Have been a bit of a stranger to the forum of late - life calls .

Can't believe the pace of this thread. Will take me ages to catch up, but with the quality of contributions I'am sure this will be a treat not a chore — thanks to all.

Quickly glancing through and I'd like to mention Herakles poem of thanks and also Hes your Haiku
really liked this.

Hes can I just mention how beautiful your prints are, I know this has been said before, one more time can't do any harm. A computer cannot do them justice; but even still they seem to lift out of the screen. I will endeavour to see an exhibition to see them in all their glory. Art is a passion of mine and you are truly both a visual and literal poet.

HHH thanks for introducing me to Hamlin Garland.

And not forgetting Boney M .

I too have been a bit of a sranger to the forum of late but I read this and the recent poems posted and I feel totally moved. Thank you so much for your truly lovely comments about my artwork Chubbs, I do appreciate it very much and it just confirms to me that, despite being a little overworked at the moment, I am doing the right thing with my life. I also really enjoyed your two poems posted about running and mums. They are really great. There are so many talented people on this thread, it is such and inspirational place to visit!

[Derby Tup]

River

Down by the river, under the trees, love waits for me
to walk from the journeying years of my time and arrive.
I part the leaves and they tods me a blessing of rain.

The river stirs and turns, consoling and fondling itself
with watery hands, its clear limbs parting and closing.
Grey as a secret, the heron bows its head on the bank.

I drop my past on the grass and open my arms, which ache
as though they held up this heavy sky, or had pressed
against window glass all night as my eyes sieved the stars;

open my mouth, wordless at last meeting love at last, dry
from travelling so long, shy of a prayer. You step from the shade,
and I feel love come to my arms and cover my mouth, feel

my soul swoop and ease itself into my skin, like a bird
threading a river. Then I can look love full in the face, see
who you are I have come this far to find, the love of my life.

Carol Ann Duffy from her book Rapture

[Mossdog]

River

Down by the river, under the trees, love waits for me
to walk from the journeying years of my time and arrive.
I part the leaves and they tods me a blessing of rain.

The river stirs and turns, consoling and fondling itself
with watery hands, its clear limbs parting and closing.
Grey as a secret, the heron bows its head on the bank.

I drop my past on the grass and open my arms, which ache
as though they held up this heavy sky, or had pressed
against window glass all night as my eyes sieved the stars;

open my mouth, wordless at last meeting love at last, dry
from travelling so long, shy of a prayer. You step from the shade,
and I feel love come to my arms and cover my mouth, feel

my soul swoop and ease itself into my skin, like a bird
threading a river. Then I can look love full in the face, see
who you are I have come this far to find, the love of my life.

Carol Ann Duffy from her book Rapture

DT that's an amazing poem. Truly beautiful - many thanks for sharing it..

[Mossdog]

Kahlil Gibran on Love

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

[freckle]

DT and Mossy, two fab poems here, Duffy's very straight to the point (unusually i think, but brill) and Mossy I am not a religious person but took a great deal from that poem, particularly liked this line...

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

brilliant stuff!