Passing of May

Here goes the hours
Perfumed by blossoms
Spring’s last dawn devoured

Here goes the days
When the sun and rains
Battle in afternoon skies

Here goes the times
When Winter’s tears
Decked the world in green

Here goes the moments
Flora now fleeing
The solstice draws ever closer

Farewell, fair May
Fair may you be well
May you be well and gone

Adue, May’s dew
Doing may cease
So cease doing and go

So long, long May
Longing may still bare
Forebear no more and away

Goodbye, good May
Good may come by and by
But by and by you must leave

How River Stole Rock’s Gold

Rock and River traveled upon the same road, one heading up and the other heading down, when they met one another by and by. Rock carried with him a bag full of gold and thought himself very clever. But River was cunning, and knew Rock’s hubris and so bowing low he spoke and said,

“Oh great Rock, son of Stone, father of Iron, where do you go this day?”

“Where I go is none of your business River! You, whose ancestry and progeny is so vilely mixed! Now let me pass, I am traveling down this road. You must give me the way.”

River smiled solemnly and answered, “Truly great words from such a noble son of Earth. I shall give thee the way. But hark, I have grown fat on these last few weeks of rain and cannot easily pass by. Mayhap if you moved to the side, I can pass on the other?”

Rock replied with curled lips, “Never! I am Rock, a Son of Earth, and I move for no one. I shall not be moved by the mere pleas of such a pathetic creature as you, River. Simply pass on my left.”

So River flowed on Rock’s left side, but truly as he had spoken, he was too large to pass on the left side. So once more he implored Rock,

“I cannot pass on your left side, perhaps if you moved a bit, there would be room to pass.”

But Rock was obstinate and would not move, and commanded instead that River pass on his right side. Again, River tried but Rock’s right side had less room then the left side. Again he pleaded to Rock,

“Please, noble Lord Rock, I too must go up this road and wish to pass you. But neither the left, nor the right, has enough room for me to pass by.” River implored.

“What matters that to me, where you go? Your kind mean nothing to me. If only you were more frigid and cold, you may have been ice, and at least had the solidness of stone. Then I could look you in the eye and have a small measure of respect for you. But instead you choose to be warm, letting all the rain that comes to you in, gathering all unto your wide banks. And now you have become so engorged by it that you cannot pass beside me. That is your own doing and own fault!” Rock declared curtly.

“It is true, I could have been more like you. However what’s done is done, and now, as you say, I cannot pass beside you. However, there is another way… though, no, you would not be able to bear it so I shall say no more of it.” River spoke coyly, turning his face from Rock as if in thought.

“What other way? Speak! There is nothing that the sons of Earth fear! There is nothing that can overcome the mighty Rock!” he boasted to the River.

“Well.” Answered River, “I could pass around and over you at the same time. Part of me would go on your left side and part on your right and part over you completely. However, you probably wouldn’t want to do that. What if you were caught in the current and rushed away to the sea? No, it is far too dangerous.”

“What! The audacity! I am Rock! I cannot be moved by mere puddles of water!” Rock fumed.

“It is fine. I understand that you are scared. It is okay, we will find another way.” River spoke with false remorse.

“Do not dare dishonor me anymore! Pass over and around me! Do it! I shall show you! I am not afraid of anything! I am Rock. I will not move.”

“Well, if you’re sure that’s what you want.” River answered meekly.

“Stop wasting time. I no longer wish to hear your irritating voice!” growled Rock.

Suddenly River grew to his full size, which he had kept hidden in a crack in the ground the whole time. He loomed as a giant over Rock, drawing back as a serpent would, before lunging towards Rock, who gripped the earth with all his might as the cascading waves rushed about him.

Rock’s entire world became shades of blues and greens and shadows, passing over and around him, dragging small hands across him, smoothing his bumpy and rigid form, making him smooth. Giggles and laughter echoed through the rushing torrent, as he heard River’s voice all around him.

“You call me vile for my lack of ancestry and progeny? That is because I supersede your simple minded labels. I come from my own progeny and birth my own ancestry. I am Ice and Rain and Snow and Steam and Mist and River all at the same time. I am Son of Water, and I am Water too. Today you learn that hubris comes at a price. And the lesson will cost you dearly.”

Rock felt his senses fading under the rushing waves. He was running our of air beneath the water, when the next instant, River was gone. Rock slowly turned and could make out the glittering light of the sun dancing on a far off ocean behind him. He looked and saw that his hideously humped, rigged, pock marked skin had been washed smooth and soft. Then he realized to his dismay that he was missing one of his bags of gold.

And that’s why to this day, River still carries a bit of gold he took from Rock and often leaves some of it behind when ever he sleeps in one of his sandy beds.

Sinlamim

Sinlamim

2 year old girl
Calls for her mother
While walking through rubble
Of what was once home

Buildings stay standing
There is no life left
Just the little girl crying
For her lost mother

Is this all worth it?
True loss of innocence.
What gain to be gotten?
Land? Oil? Disgrace.

Look in the mirror
Face the monster within
Precious life fading
Let all begin

So that no more cries
Of children for mothers
Echo through fields
Of glowing concrete

Alaykum As-Salamu
Shalom aleichem

The Northern Ireland Question by Desmond Egan

I don't normally post other people's poetry, but Desmond Egan is one of my poetic heroes (for his brilliant use of images and strong pacifist message). His poem is only two unrhymed couplets long, but its message is powerful. Try reading it slowly, out loud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Northern Ireland Question
by Desmond Egan


Two wee girls
were playing [tag] near a car...

how many counties would you say
are worth their scattered fingers?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This poem was written around the time when the Irish poeple were voting on the Belfast Agreement, which would mark the end of almost 40 years of civil-ethno-terrorism, in which countless civilians were murdered and innumarable human rights violated, the reprecussions of which are still felt today. The whole Northern Ireland vs. Republic of Ireland conflict itself stems from the most stupid and insignificant root, namely whether or not Ireland should be considered a part of the UK or a unified Irish entity separate from the UK. There are some people in the 6 counties that make up Northern Ireland that think of themselves as Brittish (for social, historical, and ethnical reasons) and some that think themselves Irish (for the exact same reasons). They therefore believe that because of this unresolvable conflict of opinions, they should kill each other's children. Yeah, I agree with Egan, that if we are debasing human life to a currency, in any situation, we should closly evalute what we're buying with it, if its actually worth it.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." - Jesus Christ, God-Incarnate and Reedemer of Mankind.

Eurydice

For life was given to love and hold
Yet cast we away it daily, freely
But now we see the words of old

Men’s actions given strangely, meanly
And woman’s vice’s in pretty faces
Doth wrap as chains, cast so keenly

That drag the lover to unseen places
Two tormentors in eternal struggle
Fighting, wounding, running races

For with daggers sharp we did juggle
Thought we not that wounds would follow
As words and actions became so muddled

Yet on that night, in that hollow
Where danced you did by Phoebe’s light
When cursed adder’s venom did swallow

And you fell into the darkest night
In that moment did all fall away
My soul now penitent with all its might

I found no joy in the breaking of day
Open no flowers, sing no birds
Let no man come to me and say

“Why speak you these lamentful words”
I shall not allow them, will not listen
The air is smoke, the water foul curds

No more let dew or stars ever glisten
Let my poems no more speak of joy
To stop the sun ere he had risen

I find no pleasure with the girls and boys
All my companions fair now forsaken
And words pitter like lost little toys

My breath from my lungs is now taken
The lyre will no longer answer my call
My heart left with flotsam and bracken

Yet who comes here to lift my soul
This dark lord and lady of sorrow
To whom all go both humble and tall

“Hail, Hades, and Persephone Bride-Horror
Take me to shadehood and there let me cry
For ever and ever and not see a morrow

My song and my sadness remain lest I die”
And so I depart for the land of the shade
Where eternally I may sing and sigh

I pluck my lyre as I walk on paths unmade
To the gates of Hades full ashen and dust
Entering darkness to where I am bade

But the shades who stare with eyes of crust
Touch me not, but weep at the song
And the ferryman, old skeleton of rust

Demands no payment for the crossing long
And at the other side I find this land
Where weeping faces of other who were wronged

All point the road with tear wet hands
A road of slick wet tears and stones
All trickling with time’s hardest of sands

When finally I reach the throne of bones
Where sit the lord and lady of the dead
I sing my song of now being alone

And they even shed a tear for what’s said
And Persephone pale and heart ever hard
Has pity upon this poor poet’s head

“Hear, ye all, the words of this bard
For they have moved even Hell’s frigid queen
Now, listen Orpheus, your song now unmared

I grant thee the life of thy dream
But first leave this land of the wasted
Till then fair Eurydice must remain unseen

Once of the sun’s light she has tasted
Then may you turn and behold her again
Have patience and in your way be not hasted”

And so we departed death’s grey den
And walked back through the land of tears
And waded unharmed through Acheron’s fen

My heart now gladdened without fears
But lo as we approached dawn’s gate
What call picks up my music ears

For by some twist of horrid fate
My father’s voice hailed from behind
And my soul and heart could not be sate

And so I could not calm my mind
The greatest error of my short life
For just ere the sun’s light had shined

I turned, beheld my one time wife
A rotting corpse turned to smoke
Sucked back to Hell and all its strife

And the horrid shade my sin provoked
Stood leering with his twisted form
To my shadow whence from invoked

And I alone now lost and forlorn
Lie here upon the stranger’s beach
For the gate is hidden, and I am torn

And no way left for me to breach
Even in death’s unending shade
Her soul dissolved cannot be reached

So what’s left for this poet be made?
To travel lands far and unknown
There die and from the world to fade?

Or reaching Phrygian Cybele’s throne
Enclosed in secret wooden grove
Take Attesian oaths and live alone?

Or now turn from Juno and her Jove
Instead to follow Bacchus’ ways
With Eros and Himeros’ love

For Crete is so beautiful in summer days
Perhaps there Venus can be rejected
And forgotten remain all her ways

Or perhaps no way can be detected
To remain from cruel love’s touch
Pure, unspotted, and uninfected

For life was given to love and hold
Yet cast we away it daily, freely
But now we see the words of old

Men’s actions given strangely, meanly
And woman’s ways in pretty faces
Doth wrap as chains, cast so keenly

That raise the lover to unseen places
Either way remains one act for Orphean me
To sing this song for my Eurydice