lithedark

Making rhymes a world apart
They’re torn so fast from poet’s heart
I sit and dream away the days
And plot my diction driven art
Penning phrase with which I part
Create a boxing wordy maze

I struggle seeing through the haze
Of choppy words that seem to faze
My sense of artist’s urgency
To put down words in many ways
Writing just to quell the blaze
And set these captive words so free

But as I free these words of me
A sense of dire need to flee
This art that mends the holes in soul
And gives me reason just to be
Not friend of verse nor enemy
But just a slave to poem’s toll

Would that I could rove the waves
In a large hollow black ship
To scuddle over the ocean’s back
And give my skulking foes the slip!

My hosts outfit me rather well
With a rich new set of gifts
Cloak and sandals, a blade of bronze
Just sent me out like this!

Sailing over the wine-dark sea
Avoiding all the traps
Charydbis and Scylla know
My men were made to last!

Through clashing rocks and Siren song
Go past Aeaea Isle
Don’t stop for the Laestrygonians
Their tastes are rather vile!

Cannibal giants, those terrible men
They match the Cyclops’ hate
Ripping ships and sails asunder
Dooming guests to ghastly fate!

Row around the House of Dead
Pay those specters not a glance
Stray far from Helios’ prized cattle
When facing gods, take not a chance!

At last we reach the sandy beach
Of Ithaca’s welcoming shores
Suitors holed up in our houses
Reaping of our stores!

Death to one and death to all
As arrows fly so fast
And mighty spears to help the cause
To kill those suitors to the last!

Thanks we owe to Zeus’ daughter
The pale-eyed one, to note
Resting now on safe home soil
No more burdens must we tote!

I love this poem. Turns out, I wrote it on Kambrie’s birthday years before we met. Thanks for reading.

To sit at night and chase your thoughts
Regret your past and goals you’ve sought
And seek to understand your life
With angst filled poems of your strife

You mock the art with common prose
Write poems of the bloody rows
That roll down arms and seem to shout
A cry of help to pick you out

You throw about such genius words
To try and stand out from the herd
But when you turn around and look
It seems your friends have read your book

They stand around and cause their pain
To steal your guarded looks again
They loathe themselves from head to toe
And, oh! Do they put on a show

Attention seeking human leeches
Sucking life and surely each-is
Doomed to go home to their life
As normal as are yours and mine

Burning lights and burning rights
That singe my eyes and ruin nights
And tear apart the starry skies
Because of horrid imaged lies

Nightmares borne from dreams of hate
Of leading loves toward ghastly fate
To make a point to break my soul
And punch a hole in living’s lull

Sleeping each eve with the lights
Terror-trained through sleepless nights
The mocking bright and glaring hiss
Parade each night til sunlight’s bliss

Hand over hand, and heart over heart
Tempted oh so, to steal just a glance
Brimming with fear, topping with fright
Chasing our feelings with looks all askance

Skipping so gaily down warm summer lanes
She bubbles with laughter and overfilled mirth
Soft pastel petals pour down from above
Look deep in her eyes for love and life’s worth

Bend and drink from the shallow pool
Swirling slowly, purely glowing
Kneel down now and tend the cruel
Churning waters, all but slowing

Swirling slowly, purely glowing
Breathy mists that drench the skin
Churning waters, all but slowing
Passion waters twist within

Breathy mists that drench the skin
Bend and drink from the shallow pool
Passion waters twist within
Kneel down now and tend the cruel

This format was shown to me by my dear friend Ashley Marie. Thanks for reading.

Sleepless pains that wrack my brain
And break and riddle nights with pain
A ceaseless torture comes to pass
In moonlight’s secret silver mask

Darkened panes and drawn-tight blinds
That close out light and shut in minds
In hopes a simple remedy
Might come to save myself from me
I duck and smother under covers
Heated dark that’s hatred’s lover

Empty whispers fill my ears
A sound I know to quench my fears
And even now in pain of shame
Brought to me by source so tame
Avert the eyes and shift the blame

Grasp a simple concept, this
Even in the fist of bliss
A subtle hint of hate can stir
A heart so hard and wrath incur

Sleep gently now, don’t wake the beast
And bring on pain to cease the peace
But rest so well in place so snug
Ignore the unjust wants that tug

…and back to the darkness. Still couplets, though formatted oddly. This is a throwback to older things. Thanks for reading.

Raindrops clash against the window pane,
Playing softly, sweet notes and such a melody.
Oh, but for life to hold such a beauty as rain,
To drown out somber songs of despondency.

Sitting and waiting, late at night, for clouds
To part and show a glimpse of silver moon,
My eyes upon that ghostly night-time shroud
That dances always, always, to the raindrop tune.

I close my book, tucking pen in page, making
A mark with which to return to simple rhyme,
Listening to that musical pane, its breaking
Halting melody that beats with the passing of time.

Wow, my first piece in iambic pentameter. It isn’t perfect, but it’ll do. Thanks for reading.

And so the sun does yield to stars, bowing to their gleam.
Bringing forth the blinking points, sparkles in the sky.
Quenching rays from near to far, tearing sunlight’s silver screen.
Binding heavens at their joints, rainsbows in your eyes.

Pinkish clusters paint the sky and tell a simple tale.
Solemn streaks of lurid blue dart across the page.
Speech begins to grow too slow and turn a deathly pale.
Glaring stars make empty threats by twisting fists in rage.

Sinking quick and shows no slowing, sunlight seeps away.
Hopeful glimmers start to shimmer, mapping out the sky.
Stars dart up and all around by coming out to play.
Darkness swallows life below and clouds begin to cry.

Dawn and dusk dance on and off, giving us no warning.
Revel in these glory days, there’s no time for mourning.

Wow, this is surely a turning point; my format remains somewhat undeveloped, but the subject matter is surely more interesting. Thanks for reading.

There once was a man with no shame.
His parents received all the blame.
They coddled their son;
‘Twas all in good fun,
And now he just chases the dames.

Could be better. Thanks for reading.