Monday, July 30, 2007

New Poem - "In Silence"

This is one of the most recent poems I have composed. The original version was written with much more creative spacing, but unfortunately Blogger HTML doesn't support indenting, or tabs.

This piece is written in an experimental style. It blends an abstract sense of thought about the universe with mixed feelings about both the future and the past. I hope you enjoy it.

In Silence
for T.R.

with a shred of hope
my worn being remembers
that in the eternal forest
balance resides
the cycle brings one into another
and the circle is complete
the trunks of great oaks
knotted and tired
wind-caressed
roots morphed into
mouths open wide
but speak no language
human ears may understand

in the dying light of
forlorn incandescents
this cold house breeds ghosts
i write my own obituary
line by line
no sound in my cell, my cage
save for the rushed shallow breathing of the highway
a heartbeat that i know
like all
will one day come to an end

this portrait paints the wrong image
of the future
reflected in shattered glass
the smoke of burned books rising
spelling out each
and every
crucified letter
in ash
so that it may speak again
albeit through a broken and toothless mouth

the skies above offer me no answers
the door ahead offers me one choice
I have been here before in a faded photograph
unkempt thoughts are swarming bees
stingers bared

when the day has ended
when the universe has come to its last and final point
these words shall echo out
spilling into the endless abyss
just as before
their chaos searching for completion
madness, happiness, love, despair, hope
are all pieces of the puzzle
but it seems i will never find the last one: truth

there are two parts of one person
the inside
the outside
one is content to lay beaten into submission
the other is an open mouth greedily devouring
approval
in our world filled with a thousand soundtracks
to a thousand lives
the clash of these two titans
does not go unheard


II.


in the pale quiet of early morning
our bodies content to lay in rest
our minds desiring fulfillment in dreams
with meanings we will never completely understand
and there are so many people out there
this amazing globe of ours
so many voices that
in silence we find
the unspoken words
the hidden deities
the caged soul within us
all come alive

despite such belief
such trust in the unknown
the calculations of doubters
shall always prove me wrong on paper
but in their eyes i was never
pure anyways
i have held up these scars
opened these ears
to the universal heartbeat of humanity
the all-encompassing tongue
a dead language
murdered by
our new ever-changing dialect
of lies and war and greed and money
everything in between what we hoped to be
and what we have become
because of this
we have forgotten
good and evil
light and darkness

as the shadow is cast
and the warmth of the sun
becomes the cold embrace of the night
the statue of destiny weeping
begs us to remember that
this parasite
has written our past
in stone
but our future
in sand


Collage

Published Works

Works themselves may be found by clicking on the title of the publication. However, when a publication features multiple works on separate pages, the links to view the works may be found by clicking on their respective titles. Also, if a poem appears solely in print but not online, the label "Print Issue" should appear by the date. If there are any other exceptions, they will be duly noted as per publication.



Feature Publications

Other Voices International Poetry Project Featured Author - By Invitation
Poem/Story:
The President's Funeral
Mosul
Adam and Eve Pt. I
Adam and Eve Pt. II
All My Reasons
Thoughts at 3 A.M.
July 2007
Roger Humes, Editor
CSU Pomona, California

The Houston Literary Review Featured Artist - By Invitation
Collage Art:
Faces Of The Fallen
Heaven And Hell
Voices
Self-Portrait No. 1
Self-Portrait No. 2
Symphony No. 1 - Prelude
Symphony No. 2 - Interlude
Feburary 2008
Jeff Crouch, Editor
Houston, Texas

The Adroitly Placed Word Project Featured Spoken Word Artist
Poem/Story:
The Jungle
Ichor
Exodus
Spoon
The Obscuration of Intellect
March 2008
John Vick, Editor
California

The Oakland Museum of California Visual Art - By Invitation
Pieces:
Psychedelic
October 2006
Oakland, California
The Official Exhibit Page

Blood and Ink Featured Contributor
Pieces:
The Etymologist's Corner
February 2007 - Continual
Elijah Brubaker, Administrator
Oregon

The Daily Review Featured Editorial
Dig Deeper
February 2008
Kim Santos, Editor
Hayward, California

Munyori Poetry Journal Featured Author - Interview
Poem/Story:
Pacific
Urban Haiku
Grandpa
Every Single Word
Parachutes
November 2007
Immanuel Sigauke, Editor
Sacramento, California

The Catholic Voice Featured Article
Articles:
Around the Schools
October 2007
Monica J. Clark, Editor
Oakland, California



Published Works

Moloch Featured Spoken Word Track
Poem/Story:
Collide
Audio Track:
Collide
April 2008
Ailbhe Darcy and Clodagh Moynan, Editors
Ireland

Drown In My Own Fears
Poem/Story:
Scarcity Begets Necessity
March 2008
Karina Bowman, Editor
North Carolina

Static Movement
Poem/Story:
Truth Or Dare
February 2008
Chris Bartholomew, Editor

Rattlesnake Review
Poem/Story:
The Most Beautiful
December 2007 Print Issue
Kathy Kieth, Editor
Sacramento, California

Clockwise Cat
Poem/Story:
Five Years Later
The Siren Sounds Eternal
Laid To Rest
Mosul
The Second Hand
November 2007
Alison Ross, Editor

Blue Skies Poetry
Poem/Story:
Swimming Lessons
November 2007
Angela Kublik, Editor
Alberta, Canada

The Aggregated Press
Poem/Story:
Again
November 2007

Mad Swirl Magazine Collage Art
Pieces:
Heaven and Hell
Voices
November 2007
Johnny Olson, Editor
Dallas, Texas

Six Sentences
Poem/Story:
Lost and Found
Action is Permanent
Final Answer
It's Time To Do Some Business
Loose Change
November 2007
Robert McEvily, Editor
New York, New York

Six Sentences
Poem/Story:
Numbers
January 2008 First-Ever Print Issue
Robert McEvily, Editor
New York, New York

Illogical Muse
Poem/Story:
The Color of Blood
April 2007
Amber Rothrock, Editor

Flutter Poetry Journal
Poem/Story:
Above City Lights
September 2007
Beth Kehayes, Editor

Poetic Hours
Poem/Story:
Case Closed
November 2007 Print Issue
Nick Clark, Editor
England

Instant Pussy by Invitation
Poem/Story:
In Vain
Anthills and Empires
September/October 2007
Misti Rainwater-Lites, Editor
Dallas, Texas

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