Poet Laureate?? Quoi?
Soooooo yeah.. the county that I live in has this poet Laureate competition every year. Every year I've said I'm going to participate but have backed out every time, mostly for fear of rejection. I'm not usually one to fear rejection but when it comes to something so close to the heart it can be a different story.
Basically I have to submit 10 poems of my choice, any length, any subject matter, and they have nationally recognized poets judge them anonymously. The winner gets $500 and is the official poet Laureate of Bucks County for a year.
So I'm doing it. I filled everything out and I'm mailing it today. I go through phases with my poetry. Sometimes I think its good; sometimes I think its shit. Above all its never been something meant to garner any measure of attention or acclaim. Its purely inspired and simply a means of expression. But who knows.. I'd take $500. hahaha..
These are my entries:
"home"
home finally welcomed me with great green gardens
shafts of light spattering flecks of gold on the mossy ground
the air escaping your lips making a glorious sound
and voices echoing "yes" through stone and marble pathways
at some point every day before became prelude to bright days
the bricks and mortar, old, but so new to me
your world unwrapping itself to see
maybe they were grandparents or just ghosts of loves lost
paying their debts but approving the cost
wrists of wrought iron holding fast, embracing my past
this new love standing before me with no shadow to cast
sipping, gripping, sliding, a slow show,
yet letting it go... this is it, I know...
the feeling of leaning back with the air holding me up
life pouring out slowly from a different cup
writing, being, remembering how it started
eyes slowly closing, lips barely parted... I am home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"shooting star" 6/30/08
we tilted our gaze upwards through the creases in the trees
where wispy leaves wilted but still greeted the warm breeze
funny how we asked for a shooting star and got it
who knows what crazy cosmic being shot it
it scraped a white line in the skies, reflected in our eyes
and all the heavens put together could never disguise
skin and space, your beautiful face
barely visible in shapes of shadow and layers of light
How I loved you on this calm summer night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wedding Day"
we spoke of satin and lace and I imagined the October sun painting your face
something you'd imagined, without the man, but in this place
but then there's me... there's me..
the scene of trees and leaves, the contrast of white on bronze, gold and red
the background rising up and and the heavens holding every word that was said
platinum and diamonds sent light everywhere
the veil placed perfectly in your hair
i lose my breath thinking of this
thinking of that kiss
forever would not seem long enough
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"the announcement"
i need mountaintops and megaphones
signs hung high and wide
brightly lit, we're wild-eyed
like me, like what you to to me,
for all to realize and see
such brand new waves of poetry
come cascading out of me
sweet rivulets of words ring on
especially when you are gone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"the fall"
I love this time of year
When life becomes a movie
And every instant replay is a leaf falling from a tree
the air on my face, the bouncing of light, causes me to write
And I see my childhood feet walking down that childhood street
kicking leaves and shuffling by
wasting time under a painted sky
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"august with dreams and time"
i dreamt i heard a piano from the porch
the perfect music for when love held its torch
when colors grow, and colors fade
the summer outside providing me with breezes and trees for shade
and you in your dress came laughing to my lap
just coming to be after an unannounced nap
your hair glowing red in the sweet sun
[such a pairing, your face and the sun]
we sat there as the sky drew the curtains on another day
and we kissed as the darkness slowly faded faces to gray
it felt real and i awoke smiling
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"changing lights"
changing lights
roadsides cloaked in violet sights
a gully gathers mist
a memory holds a kiss
my wheels trace the curves
like my hands chase yours
i found it where my engine cools
whatever it was i was looking for
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"trip to heaven"
the scent of life passed him by
it went right through him to the sky
and played with long gone relatives
dripping with superlatives
the air felt soft and the clouds beckoned him
with lilting songs of seraphim
and he went..
he left us gathered around a bed
while hidden angels held his head
and carried his broken body up
with wings stretched wide to shade his face
from the sun above this place
and his eyes opened to the glow
of the place we dream to know
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"loves full bloom" (I did a little editing on this one, as much as I didn't want to. Oh no, I compromised my art! haha)
i disappeared in you
and reappeared in love.
what i've been thinking of:
this wanting. this desire.
lust that served as slick fuel for fire.
i. could. i. will. fuck. you. t i r e l e s s l y
and we can-and-will come together collapsing together
believing together. one breathing animal
a tumbling heap of flesh. skin. bones. souls sweat covered.
the scent of sex sits in the room.
love's full bloom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"dreams"
dreams in crimson, gold, and white
i hope to dream of her tonight
[off to bed, alone, a trembling stone, a king sits on his crooked throne]
with this vacancy amongst my sheets
a chariot of flesh on empty streets
to dream along side her, her hips against mine
a fine design, our spines align
to rise against morning with the subtle warning
of her smile shining back at me
we stretch in this skin tapestry
our art is our love, our love is our art,
and it spins quick inspiration when we are apart
Soooooo yeah.. the county that I live in has this poet Laureate competition every year. Every year I've said I'm going to participate but have backed out every time, mostly for fear of rejection. I'm not usually one to fear rejection but when it comes to something so close to the heart it can be a different story.
Basically I have to submit 10 poems of my choice, any length, any subject matter, and they have nationally recognized poets judge them anonymously. The winner gets $500 and is the official poet Laureate of Bucks County for a year.
So I'm doing it. I filled everything out and I'm mailing it today. I go through phases with my poetry. Sometimes I think its good; sometimes I think its shit. Above all its never been something meant to garner any measure of attention or acclaim. Its purely inspired and simply a means of expression. But who knows.. I'd take $500. hahaha..
These are my entries:
"home"
home finally welcomed me with great green gardens
shafts of light spattering flecks of gold on the mossy ground
the air escaping your lips making a glorious sound
and voices echoing "yes" through stone and marble pathways
at some point every day before became prelude to bright days
the bricks and mortar, old, but so new to me
your world unwrapping itself to see
maybe they were grandparents or just ghosts of loves lost
paying their debts but approving the cost
wrists of wrought iron holding fast, embracing my past
this new love standing before me with no shadow to cast
sipping, gripping, sliding, a slow show,
yet letting it go... this is it, I know...
the feeling of leaning back with the air holding me up
life pouring out slowly from a different cup
writing, being, remembering how it started
eyes slowly closing, lips barely parted... I am home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"shooting star" 6/30/08
we tilted our gaze upwards through the creases in the trees
where wispy leaves wilted but still greeted the warm breeze
funny how we asked for a shooting star and got it
who knows what crazy cosmic being shot it
it scraped a white line in the skies, reflected in our eyes
and all the heavens put together could never disguise
skin and space, your beautiful face
barely visible in shapes of shadow and layers of light
How I loved you on this calm summer night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Wedding Day"
we spoke of satin and lace and I imagined the October sun painting your face
something you'd imagined, without the man, but in this place
but then there's me... there's me..
the scene of trees and leaves, the contrast of white on bronze, gold and red
the background rising up and and the heavens holding every word that was said
platinum and diamonds sent light everywhere
the veil placed perfectly in your hair
i lose my breath thinking of this
thinking of that kiss
forever would not seem long enough
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"the announcement"
i need mountaintops and megaphones
signs hung high and wide
brightly lit, we're wild-eyed
like me, like what you to to me,
for all to realize and see
such brand new waves of poetry
come cascading out of me
sweet rivulets of words ring on
especially when you are gone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"the fall"
I love this time of year
When life becomes a movie
And every instant replay is a leaf falling from a tree
the air on my face, the bouncing of light, causes me to write
And I see my childhood feet walking down that childhood street
kicking leaves and shuffling by
wasting time under a painted sky
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"august with dreams and time"
i dreamt i heard a piano from the porch
the perfect music for when love held its torch
when colors grow, and colors fade
the summer outside providing me with breezes and trees for shade
and you in your dress came laughing to my lap
just coming to be after an unannounced nap
your hair glowing red in the sweet sun
[such a pairing, your face and the sun]
we sat there as the sky drew the curtains on another day
and we kissed as the darkness slowly faded faces to gray
it felt real and i awoke smiling
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"changing lights"
changing lights
roadsides cloaked in violet sights
a gully gathers mist
a memory holds a kiss
my wheels trace the curves
like my hands chase yours
i found it where my engine cools
whatever it was i was looking for
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"trip to heaven"
the scent of life passed him by
it went right through him to the sky
and played with long gone relatives
dripping with superlatives
the air felt soft and the clouds beckoned him
with lilting songs of seraphim
and he went..
he left us gathered around a bed
while hidden angels held his head
and carried his broken body up
with wings stretched wide to shade his face
from the sun above this place
and his eyes opened to the glow
of the place we dream to know
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"loves full bloom" (I did a little editing on this one, as much as I didn't want to. Oh no, I compromised my art! haha)
i disappeared in you
and reappeared in love.
what i've been thinking of:
this wanting. this desire.
lust that served as slick fuel for fire.
i. could. i. will. fuck. you. t i r e l e s s l y
and we can-and-will come together collapsing together
believing together. one breathing animal
a tumbling heap of flesh. skin. bones. souls sweat covered.
the scent of sex sits in the room.
love's full bloom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"dreams"
dreams in crimson, gold, and white
i hope to dream of her tonight
[off to bed, alone, a trembling stone, a king sits on his crooked throne]
with this vacancy amongst my sheets
a chariot of flesh on empty streets
to dream along side her, her hips against mine
a fine design, our spines align
to rise against morning with the subtle warning
of her smile shining back at me
we stretch in this skin tapestry
our art is our love, our love is our art,
and it spins quick inspiration when we are apart