ARCHIVE OF OPEN MIKE
MAY 1996

--*--

Feathering the Nest

The kids are growing fast

and we are off for the first time alone

to places we've gone a hundred times before

but now, alone...

The sounds of children

in their playground

rise above the music

in shrill waves of laughter

punctuated by shrieks

as swings reach high

and balls fly off bats well swung.

all comments and criticisms(+/-)are welcome...

Vince (skiclim@aol.com)

Vincent Scalese (email= skiclim@aol.com)

--*--

She waits

for the clock

to start

The ball to

drop.

Perched

on this widow's walk

hoping to blink or

turn a corner

and see

Her heart's ship

sailing in.

--*--

GROWING OLD

The treasure chest

once full of gold

Now cold and empty

the children have grown.

Bleakness now follows,

shadow footsteps behind.

The darkness is calling,

fading memories of the mind.

Grasping at air

no hand to hold

Growing,growing,

growing old

--*--

scruffy tumbleweeds

scratch on doors, roll by windows

zombie plant parade

--*--

the rain

as my time here
is almost done
i look back
and think of
whatever become
of the rain

we saw each other
back there
no here
and i cried to
you to make them stop
the rain

by jesse f. boutin 4-16-96

--*--

Updated April 15, 1996

BEYOND THE SUNSET

Should you go and I remain,
To walk the road alone,
I'll live in memory's garden, dear
With happy days we've known.

In spring I'll wait for roses red,
When faded the lilacs blue.
In autumn when brown leaves fall,
I'll catch a glimpse of you.

I'll hear your voice, I'll see your smile,
Though blindly I may grope,
Memory of your helping hand,
Will bouy me up with hope.

Should you go first, and I remain
One thing I'll have you do.
Walk slowly down that long, long road
For soon I'll follow you.

I want to know each step you take
So I may take the same.
For someday down that long, long row
You'll hear me call your name.

Blanche Baranosky

--*--

Love,

like a flower

cannot exist

in a dry,

hard-soiled

clay pot.

It's struggle for life,

the survival instinct,

prohibits

new growth.

Turning on itself,

as if to say it's parts

are the reason for the harsh elements,

one leaf

at a time

dies.

No longer resembling a flower-

naked, alone, self-rejected.

With only a hope of water,

It stands.

--*--

Key

By Craig Owens

The man sits there waiting to be noticed,

Finally she opens the door to eternity,

Take this chance for new hopes and memories,

Here is the key to my world.

So come with me and see what I mean,

I promise that you will be pleased.

--*--

As the darkness grows and

the clouds begin to cover

the stars.

The trees begin to sway in the wind.

What then, as the thughts

begin to creep thru your mind.

The thughts you have run from,

hidden away in the back of your mind.

What then?

How do you run now, when

the darkness decends and the lights

grow dim.

There is nowhere to turn.

What then?

Brenda Bowman

--*--

Last Moon Of Summer

Again,

the heart that is the moon,

rises above

the cool shadows

of a summer's sunset.

I look with my eyes,

but see

with my heart.

It illuminates my soul,

to expose the

pain of poetry.

8 / 28 / 93

--*--

PROMISE

Promise yourself that you will care,

be gentle and giving, that you will share.

Promise yourself that you'll forgive,

help others along, live and let live.

Promise yourself that you'll follow your dreams, no matter how hard or difficult it seems.

And if you do follow the words above,

you'll find peace and joy, you'll share in the love.

But most of all when you are through,

you'll find the PROMISE inside of you.

--*--

LULLABY

I SAW A BOY PULLED OUT TO SEA

HE SEEMED SO STRANGELY CALM

AS IF HE'D HEARD HIS MOTHER'S VOICE

CALLING...CALLING

SHE LIVES BEYOND THE CLASP OF TIME

FOR HIDDEN IN HER CHEST

ARE THOUSANDS WHO HAVE HEARD HER CALL

AND NOW ARE LAID TO REST

BENEATH HER VIOLET LULLABY

BENEATH HER VEIL OF FOAM

WHENCE WE CAME SO SHALL WE GO

THE SEA RECLAIMS HER OWN

COPYRIGHT 1996 MELA BUTCHER

--*--

Feelings

I take it unjustly

thinking it's free

Little do I know

it has its rewards and penalties

I wonder WHY?

Please if possible can I get a response to this poem. Also you can check out more poetry by The Natural at the Live Poet Society site.

by: The Natural

Copyright (c) Cactus League Production, Inc. 1996

Updated April 7, 1996

--*--

life is fine
if you don't mind
sunshine mixed with rain

life is fine
f you don't mind
losses mixed with gain

life is fine
if you don't mind
ecstasy with grief

--*--

SPELLBOUND

Without words
Or incantations,
you cast your spell,

Mesmerizing me,
Captivating my heart.

I was becharmed
by the gentleness
in your eyes.

I melted in the warmth of your embrace;
I fell hopelessly in love
after our first kiss;
I am forver in your power.

--*--

If indeed God's love is in me

I'll look to Him for all my needs

He teaches me how not to be

Full of hatred, lust, and greed

Bilieve in Christ and you'll soon see

Everything's possible through God's Holy seed Earthly temptations bring those to their knees In search of forgiveness by God's only means How do I know through prayer I'm appeased Christ loved me so much He gave His life on the tree.

Kim Laffey December 3,1995

--*--

Lies, lies, lies

I gave myself a lie-

and so my mind must die.

For all my life I lived a lie

when love itself had died.

So now I sit and cry-

for there is not a sky,

for one as me who lonely be

had learned to love a lie.

--*--

A day and it passes.

The rising of the sun,

it seems, and yet

it is not but the moon,

ever so bright in its darkness.

And so I wait,

again eternally?

No.

Yet close;

--*--

I once wrote a song, but I don't know how to write music.

So everytime I turn on the radio and listen to a song, I think to myself: 'Hey, I might've written that!'

--*--

Some People
by Scott Cannon March 29 1996

Some people give

Some people die

Some people live

Some people cry

Some people are for others

Some people die for their brothers

Some people sin

Some people grin

Some people love

Some people hate

Some people look to the sky above

Some people hesitate

I am only one of these people

Some people are chained down

Some people are free

And one of those people are me.

--*--

HEARTS ON FIRE

We met----

We felt sparks

in the embers of our hearts;

Our kisses made our hearts warmer yet.

We made love----

fullfilling our desires of passion;

Our hearts are on fire!

With each kiss, touch

the falmes burn higher!

Hearts on fire

burning with desire;

Yearning, feeling.

A flame that can't

be tamed.

Hearts on fire

will never me the same.

--*--

"Cancer"

By Karl Knapp

I see you coming, like a raging bull. My heart's surrendered, with thoughts you stole. Grimace in pain, with the chains that bind you.

Walking away, from the thieves that find you.Into your house, you enter alone.Realizing not,that you haven't gone home.A knock at your door, you will not answer.Sending your butler,you are the cancer.

Eating away, at the body of life.Put the ring on the finger,of the Devils' wife!

--*--

Translated from the Yiddish by Murray Wolfe
Originally published in Partisan Review 1989 Vol LVI Issue 1

***

The Wonder happened so naturally:

a poet submerged in a sea--seeking

pearls, shivering and yearning motionlessly.

And with the slightest kiss for the first pearl, his limbs disappeared,

his face ceased to exist--

no tears--

the poet entered his poems.

-Murray Wolfe (banker@sprynet.com)

--*--

Brian

Brian, he was cryin'

Cuz' he couldn't find his mum.

He looked and looked

and looked and looked.

And only found his thumb.

--*--

SHOSHANA ZOHARA BAHT AVRAHAM AVEENU

(for Charlene)

Ducet dahram

Wo ahy nee

Je taime

I will love you always

Ci bene

and always

Ich liebe dich

in all ways

Te quiero

in life and

death and

life again.

Murray Wolfe (banker@sprynet.com)

--*--

I AM GOD

thundered the fly

of what

i asked

EVERYTHING

she answered.

--*--