The past,
a tattered hymnal,
crumbling praises here,
there and flitting
past another night,
perfect with invisible
beauty just beyond,
a temporary afterlife
breathing beside me,
I join the emptiness,
the merciful emptiness
of One.
How I envy those who
feast upon decadent sorrow.
Such luxury to need no appointment
for pain,
to wear it like shrapnel
deep within,
even give yourself a medal
for all your eloquent
weeping.
The moon is a host in
the hands of an
Olympian priest.
She's always something
and new every night.
Now an orthodox ghost,
half-eaten,
ordained in glass,
bloated with souls too
beautiful for our world,
but still a life force
blessing all the world's pain,
the pain I cannot afford . . .
She's that decomposing
teacher who saved you
in grade school.
Sacred.
And now lost in a swamp of clouds.
Oh, the luxury of being lost.
No need to be seen,
no need for a soul.
Stars, swallowed and spit out
like quantum particles,
here and not here
and always believed in,
scrambled like the dream
the young call love.
Close your curtain,
whimpering zodiac,
let emptiness well up,
drown it all
and be something.
And in something elsewhere
and forgiving
I'll be strong.
Patricia Joan Jones
"Tattered hymnal" and the dog
"Tattered hymnal" and the dog eared ones as well. These are a very familiar and even intimate image, the scratched and smoothened wooden pews that hold us during weekly services. If they could tell their stories. We all had that "decomposing teacher" and the musty, dusty feel of convent education. Brings back memories. Thanks for sharing./Rik.
here is poetry that doesn't always conform
galateus, arkayye, arqios,arquious, crypticbard, excalibard, wordweaver
Thank you so much for your
Thank you so much for your brilliant expression and your understanding of my vision. Coming from such a gifted and insightful poet, it means so much.
I can't thank you enough for
I can't thank you enough for that generous feedback. I was actually thinking about reposting this in the future. I value your opinion and appreciate your support. It means so much.
Wow! Your deft talent with
Wow! Your deft talent with words and images just strikes me with the silence of awe!
J-Called
I accidentally posted my
I accidentally posted my response to your wonderful feedback above instead of using "reply". Didn't want you to think this went unappreciated.