June, 2004

OPEN MIC ARCHIVES

June 6, 2004

I’ve watched you grow from boy to man

In which I hope I’ve played a hand

From diapers to tuxes I’ve seen them all

With pictures to prove it hanging on the wall

You have given to me many years of joy

Started when I held that little boy

His scrapes and scratches were always sealed

By little kisses they quickly healed

Fears and doubts your mind would play

But as you grew they went away

Sometimes I would yell sometimes I would shout

To show you the way to remove that doubt

I might have been wrong I might have been right

There was no book to show my plight

Your commencement is not the end

Its merely the beginning you’ll understand

Into the world you must go new problems will abound

But you will handle all them well as I have always found

I have tried to teach you my thoughts on life

Hoping to help with your struggles in life

Some may be wrong some may be right

Its up to you to run or fight

You’ll make mistakes I’ve made my own

But all in all you’ve really grown

Into a man honest and brave

In which I hope a part I’ve played

So excuse me please when they call your name

If I yell and shout and act insane

Tears of joy may fill my eyes

As I finally breathe with one last sigh

My son has graduated and I’m so proud

No other dad there will yell so loud

William R. Lutz

-0-

THE SHELL

LIP SAI LIN

OUTSIDE THE SEA

A BIG SHELL

POLISHED FACES

CURVY FEATURES

THIRSTY MOUTH WIDE OPEN

HOT SUNBATHING

INSIDE THE SHELL

SURF'S GATHERED

TIDE HIGH

WAVES ROARING

FOR A FAN

TO LISTEN TO

THIS LOST PART OF THE SEA

-0-

REFLECTION

Jane Louise Wyckoff

seaweed tangles

purple pink green gold

on white sand

alone I stood watching

a water color of life

-0-

Let's consume and devour this void we call life

hila

I dream of foggy, dewy Frisco dawns

Where everything seems to dissolve into one big conglomeritic bliss

No human intervention could ruin this beast, feast of beauty and perfection

I wish you were alive,

I would intercept your untimely, inexpressibly sweet wisdom and tenderness

I wish I were past,

A stillness of light would catch me and callously destroy my ephemeral being

Let's consume and devour this void we call life.

-0-

MY ART WORK

tritran

I smear indigo with the palms of my hands, onto my life,

Like the paint brushes of Picasso, upon the white board.

Tranquility unfolds its wings within me.

I smear crimson upon my peaceful nights

As I blaze in fury;

My heart, unforgiving.

I smear turquoise on my serene ocean,

Allowing my tears to trickle down my cheeks

As I taste the saltiness of misery, in my heart;

I smear cyan upon my soul,

Naming it joy as the color soaks into my tiny universe.

My past, cremated, my present glittering, my future, dazzling;

I smear lavender upon my heart

And listen to the whisper of love;

A leaf, feathering my face with gentleness and affection.

I smear snow from my head to my toes

And sunlight into my digestive organs;

Now I have the seasons to enjoy.

-0-

Too much love

Prabha Trimurty

My heart aches from too much love.

An ‘absolute’ familiarity is tiresome.

An unconditional love that is unending.

Everyone seems to know when I am hurting.

Everyone wants to take care of me.

Supportive and generous, they all are.

Yet, I am unspoken for, and endlessly amused.

Love does not finally satisfy, or permanently wear.

I accept love as a commodity I stock.

When I should be giving it away.

-0-

PARKINSON'S SYNDROME

By David Lee Ward

A tremor in the members causes shaking,

With paralysis, every step causes quaking!

When both occur together one needs to be alone,

To assume the safest position, that being prone!

Soon this position will be last in the list,

Of having control of how one moves or exists.

Like the Frankenstein monster, slow stiff steps,

No grace, no balance, no coordinated step!

My Neurologist calls it a form of nerve palsy,

I agree with her of course, still it’s lousy!

For someone so young to be afflicted so soon,

Unfortunate for me, which causes my gloom!

There is no cure, so I lie a wake nights,

Or walk the floor, not giving up the fight!

All day I plan to avoid the strife,

At night I know my quality of life!

-0-

I walk amongst them,

But I am not one.

I have to act like someone else for you,

Just to notice me in the hall.

-Damn Kid…just going through phases.

It’s always look like this,

Act like that,

To be one of the group.

A group of mindless cattle going to the slaughterhouse.

-Damn Kid…just wanting to be popular.

But I will resist conformity.

Conformity will make you an empty shell,

With just a black hole of emptiness in your chest,

Nothing is important to you.

-Damn Kid…doesn’t care about anything.

I love her,

But it doesn’t matter,

It’s all about looks.

She might love me back,

But it wouldn’t look good to show it though.

-Damn Kid…mind not on their studies.

All this jungle is sex,

Fitting in,

And looks.

But I have broken free.

I know none of this matters in the long run,

So I say this,

“Never stop acting as who you are!

They will try to break your will,

Resist at all costs!

Express how you feel!

Never stop trying!

Break all social classes.

Break all “normal” states of minds.

Live hard and die old.

Do what you feel like.

And never forget,

We’re all Goddamn Kids.

George Magnuson

-0-

Paused Passing

by Bill Albright

Dame Fortune paused when I hailed her recently

Speeding past me seemed such a shame

As I stood in the shadows where Miss Fortune had placed me

And even I could not recall my name.

This was one try, a last chance

To have a moment center stage in the spotlight

Where even without a name, attention would enhance

A solitary silhouette, frozen with fright.

-0-

Black Frances

Sean Noonan

Journeyman has journeyed far

but still he cannot speak

of what life is about

or how to mend the leak

Sure, he's got some scars

and his skin tells us some truths

but rarely did he ever find

a way to break his roots

And now I think of him

and that I will not end up the same

I'm going to live somehow someday

Break the endless cycle of mundane

I could write and write

and write and write and write and write

but pixels wont tell me much

No, pixels cant tell me much

-0-

Black Life

Howard Trey Cook

It has occurred to me that I no longer exist

I walk through empty rooms of my life

Empty rooms I never filled

I was never happy nor was I needed

Everyone forgot about me as if I were a bubble

When I popped no one noticed I was gone

As my body lied on the ground rotting

No one noticed the smell

As I enter into the last room of my life

I see a cold and forgotten figure lying on a bed of nails

He didn't seem to care

But now I notice that is me

Living in a world of forgotten dreams

-0-

Where's the Love from a father?

Edwina Bien-Aime

This man I know,

He has no heart

This man I know

his soul is dark

He's not been here

for such a long time

My life kind of slacked

I became more rebellious

as he was jealous of me

I'm not to blame, He once

was a father but not no mo

In my own house I feel at war

They say I'm a child and not to

talk back but I don't give a crap

In this country of mine citizens have

the right to have freedom of speech

and much more, so I cannot hold back

on what I gotta say.

-0-

My Journey

By John Bender

To myself I will follow my lead

Bring down the walls that I build

Come with me to feel the feelings that circle my life

I look down that road that I slowly travel down

Far into the distance I start to see a shadow emerge

A figure of disbelief and hatred

Yet I wait to see two of them the other much nicer

The empty blue sky shall await my company

Combined with many souls waiting to be released

They shall have another try, another walk down this road

This time they will pick different paths

Many roads have street signs yet many don’t

My way is followed by luck and trial

That will eventually come to end

May this road T off into another that is filled with joy and happiness

But for now I shall keep walking and forget some things and remember others

I shall pray that I will walk down the right path and never stray

As for the other will guide me to my restful peace

-0-

STATISTICS

EBONY S. BEAUFORD

WHO EVER SAID THAT LIFE IS EASY.

LET TAKE A ONE ON ONE GUESS.

LIFE CAN BE FUN OR IT CAN BE CRAZY.

WHEN PRESSURE RISE IF TURNS OUT TO BE A BIG MESS.

LET'S PUT LIFE TO THE TEST.

RESEARCH THE OUTCOME

FIGHT THE TEMPTATIONS AND BE THE BEST.

YOUR COURAGEOUSNESS IS THE HEART OF THE DRUM.

YOU ARE THE STATISTIC, SEARCH, AND SOUL SURVIVOR.

YOUR PRIDE BUBBLES HIGHER.

LIFE IS WHAT YOU CRAVE.

SHAKE OFF THE BAD THE GOOD IS WHAT YOU SAVE.

THE TEST IS DONE.

NOW EVALUATE YOUR LIFE IT HAS JUST BEGUN.

-0-
Sleep
John f. conley

Sleep is a woven blanket of

suspended consciousness my mind

pulls up around itself each night,

and under the cover of abstraction I dream

Sleep is laundered each morning,folded

neatly,and set on my mind's shelf until

next time

Once, I accidentally misplaced sleep in

my underwear drawer, I had a headache for

two days that felt like an elastic waistband

tied around my brain

-0-

With These Eyes

Edwin Flores

I've seen the Sun bathe in the sea

setting to dusk , slipping with ease

as if the salt and surf would cure

tired this star, the day endured

Shadows arrived and spent some time

relaxed moments as we'd unwind

sipping green tea to soothe and bring

peace, tranquil, it's offering

The path it laid and stayed the course

for feet that followed with no remorse

to ease their sole of steps it took

to cool their jets wading in brook

Eyelids did close that needed rest

their day was long as was the tests

where sight became what so did tie

all that you've read seen with these eyes

-0-

Everything in Vein

Dave Hugs

Each second

At Einstein’s speed

I steer the mind ship

Across timeless waste

Between the stars

I am swept up

Into high adventure

Thrilling and saving

The girls

And the globe

On stage

I sing and dance

With words and song

That give the kids

An even break

Tracked and checked

On someone’s screen

I am a missile

Warm and hungry

For impact

Taken

By the arm

I am riding high

With the master

Of illusion

-0-

Dreams are our sonata

Each night a composer’s stage

Every moment is its own aria

Free of sadness and of age.

A world is treated as clay

When sleep washes us clean

Constraints of reality, slip away,

But lucid memories are all we glean

So we do recall awkwardly, all day,

Beautiful things we haven’t seen.

By DC Whitehall

-0-

APOLOGIES? RESTITUTION?

SANDRA GRANT

I DON’T WANT APOLOGIES, GIVE ME RESTITUTION

FOR OUR ANCESTORS BEING SNATCHED FROM THEIR HOMELAND

NEVER TO BE SEEN BY THEIR FAMILIES AGAIN

PUT ON A BOAT GOING WHO KNOWS WHERE

LET’S BE FOR REAL, YOU DIDN’T CARE

ON THE BOAT SOME OF US, GOT SICK, GAVE BIRTH, AND EVEN DIED

NO MEDICAL CARE, AND JUST ENOUGH FOOD TO SURVIVE

SOLD ON THE AUCTION BLOCK LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT

THEN TAKEN AWAY WITH CHAINS ON OUR FEET

TORTURED, BEATEN, AND EVEN RAPED

OH, WHAT A HARSH REALITY WE FACED

I DON’T WANT APOLOGIES, GIVE ME RESTITUTION

FOR ALL THE DRUGS YOU DROPPED IN OUR HOODS

WE FELL FOR YOUR TRAP AND THERE YOU STOOD

-0-

My Life As It Stands

Austin Tatlor

My life as it stands, astray, and amiss,

My life as it stands, a ball thrown into emptiness,

Happy as it may seem, my life turns into steam, every day,

My brothers and I may never be the same.

As teen years go by I isolate myself from my once frame of shame,

Humiliation takes over and controlled my life.

I try to pry away from that shame not by getting high, or being

Mr. Tough guy, but to be friendly,

trying to be understood, not to be overthrown by some undertaken

school bullies.

As time goes by, to the retreat of my home full of tender loving people

and animals,

I live knowing I will be bullied through my extended school years, and

maybe

some day, understood by those who misunderstand my true feelings about

life.

But until then, bring it on!

-0-

Rhythm and Blues

Kelly Ann Malone

Born from adversity. Gifted declarations of hurt.

Gritty riffs that bleed anguish into delicious sorrow.

Chords that pull at the heart, peeling torment layer by layer.

Exposing their deepest, rawest pain to the cadent beat.

Revealing to all their shame, neglect and rhythm.

Throbbing chords, healing, mending, and forgiving with every stroke.

Pulsating notes of blue and deep purple, in the lamented squall.

Openly scarred, vulnerable and naked.

Fresh anguish soothed by slow, cleansing respirations into a harmonica.

Silken guitar strings, plucked by remorseful fingers, pleading forgiveness,

accepting defeat. Groans of regret channeled into these bodies by God.

Smooth, liquid, melancholy lyrics spike the tone like bourbon on ice in August.

It wakes the spirit, challenges our defenses. It is the purest form of reflection.

Salve for the soul. Close your eyes and look inward. Feel your suffering in the music.

There’s glory in percussion, redemption in the bass, credence in the piano.

-0-

Early Morning Whispers

Terral

I sat in silence when you killed me with your words

Feelings of stupidity left no room for hurt

I caught my dignity as it fell to the dirt

Evil rolled from this tongue and never faded

Too sharp and fierce to be recreated

And I pray to the heavens above that I be redeemed

My crying soul screams to be released

No question my presence wont be seen

But I find myself repeating the same scenes

Whispers in the early morning for my love and affection

And I oblige with no such thought of objection

It pain’s one’s eye’s to look upon their demons

But it must be done because we act with no reasons

The man thinks without him the boy can’t be right

Little does the man know without him the boy still sleeps at night

It’s an understatement to call him a man

He represents something so ignorant

The wisest wouldn’t understand

But what has been done has been done

And with my soul repaired I shall never return

His ignorance is eternal, and he will never learn

-0-

ODE TO A CAT

(Cate Espener - May/04)

Original Cat

My window

Self visitor

With yellow-green eyes

I could never perceive

Of that perfect Arc line

You simply are

My second son as willowy beast

My stippled mind heart

Oracle messenger

Playful musician,

With chimes

your soft hand rings out

once

twice

thrice

notes and lines in harmony

-0-

Shamrock in the Morning

Van G. Garrett

Hot dogs from gas stations

never appealed to me.

No matter how hungry I was,

puffy franks with neon-like mustard

or ultra red ketchup

seemed reserved for more clean air events.

Unhurried moments.

Special occasions.

Where laughter starts and fuels

conversations

that don't end after the swipe of plastic

-0-

ALONE AGAIN.

daniel seamingway

I'm older now and on my own, I live in a remote part of Wales just me , my dog and a phone.

I never see people from day to day unless I go to my nearest village 7 miles away.

Most times of the winter I have no phone, the wind blow's the cable down and thats when I feel really alone.

It's handy having a phone, for a doctor/ vet and hoping maybe a wrong number might just call or to ask if there's any mail for me as I'm always home.

I feed the wild birds no matter how the weather has arrived, the blue tits and sparrows are in the hedge, I like to think I keep my bird friends alive, they come and feast most all the day and the tables empty by darkest time of the day.

I wake in the morning thanks to natures clock 2 rooks tapping on the empty wooden bird table every day spot on 8 o-clock.

There shy and don't like much fuss but they come to visit my dog sam, Yes the two of us, of the winter's harsh nights and day I wouldn't want to change my way of life for city life and company " No way"

There's no waste in any shape or form everything is used, even when it's worn. All my food is good proper grub, that not only fills you up, but it's full of protein that does you good,

Yes I've a small cottage that it's alone, it's painted white and it's got a phone.

-0-

Acrostic

Poem

harlie

There for me

Happy

Always fun

Never a dull moment

Kind

Surprising

-0-

Harsh Words
angela

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;

I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way saying good-bye.

But at home a difference is told,

how we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My son stood beside me very still.

As I turned, I nearly knocked him down.

"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,

God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,

But the children you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,

You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.

He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,

and you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,

and now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;

"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked foe me?"

He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.

I knew you'd like 'em especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh,Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway."

I said , "Son I love you too,

and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for would easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story? Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

-0-

I Remember/I Finally Found You

Hope

I remember when you use to do the worst things,I hated you.

I never wanted to see nor talk to you.

I always thought to myself "Why you did the things you did?"

Now, that you stopped,i realized that we can have fun times together.

I remember we actually had a birthday together,we even cried together.

I think i finally realized what a great and wonderful person you are,

a brother even a friend.

I'm thankful that i finally found you.

-0-

Love Remembered

Kevin Neal

We meet many people as we go through life

The few that are good help us with our strife

Out of the few; certain ones stand alone

They help to make this world a wonderful home

We never thought how much they mean to us all

We never realized how they help us to stand tall

It seems it's always to late to see who was always here

Who was always willing to reach out to dry our tears

But sooner or later we eventually learn

That for which our hearts will forever yearn

That we should open our hearts and let them care

And that with them we should forever share

For those few will eventually go

They will leave behind beautiful things that we come to know

And with this knowledge with others we should share

For that is the best way to show we care

Poems Copyright © designated authors 2004. Page Copyright © AHApoetry.com 2004. Go check out the AHA Archives for more poetry. If you would like to send in your poem to Open Mic. Go to the AHA!POETRY Homepage for new ideas.