Weekly Poems: Mlk Day, Valentine’s Day, Love, Sadness, Teens, Religion, Animals
Nicholas Gordon asked:
E HAD THOUGHT I HOPED TOO MUCH
Maybe some had thought I hoped too much
And dreamed a dream that never would come true,
Reasoning from what they saw and such
Trends as might confirm their points of view.
In dreams, however, one creates what is –
Not from what one sees but what one wills:
Like light, from the Lord’s dream sprung, now All, as His
Undying Word the void unending fills.
Then look! Look! What miracles occur!
Here we have a black man judged upon –
Exactly as I dreamed – his character,
Regardless of his skin! And he has won!
Know, then, that the dream for which I fought
In time became the ground for what I sought.
New realities require dreams
Given to us not as ends but means.
YOU ARE MY HEART, MY HOPE, MY HELP
You are my heart, my hope, my help,
The passion that is me,
The whole of which I am a part,
My peace, my ecstasy.
You are my future, present, past,
My ship, my sail, my ocean,
The wind that brings me home again,
The home for every motion.
You live within me, yet I am
Without you all alone.
With you I am full of light;
Without you I am stone.
Is this foolish? Yes, perhaps,
But also it is true.
I think of life as something I
Can spend with only you.
Ah, my love! Love longs for such
Sweet celebrants as this!
Love is a burden and a joy,
Slavery and bliss.
This day of love come love with me,
Come sing with me my song.
Come be my Valentine, and I
Will love you my life long, my love,
Will love you my life long.
I NEVER THOUGHT I’D FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU
I never thought I’d fall in love with you.
I thought someday, of course, I’d fall in love.
But what it felt like, I just never knew;
I’d no idea what I was thinking of.
And then, somewhere between my need and pleasure,
Walking neither overjoyed nor sad,
I looked into my heart and saw a treasure
Worth more than anything I’d ever had.
Ah! This is love! I thought. And then I wanted
To give my life to see your happiness.
Suddenly, from nowhere, I was haunted,
Needy, joyful, tearful, glad, obsessed.
My love for you has brought me out of me.
The beauty in your heart has set me free.
I WANT YOU BACK NOW THAT YOU’RE GONE
I want you back now that you’re gone.
My heart’s a pit no love can fill.
I stumble through my days of stone
Bereft of joy, bereft of will.
I could not tell myself I loved
You as I did for fear of pain.
Far easier not to be moved,
Than moved to love, and hurt again.
How stupid! I loved anyway,
And now the blame is all my own.
Please rescue me, this torture stay,
And for my sin I will atone.
FIE ON THESE EARTHLINGS
Fie on these earthlings, who think equal
Is the same! Illogical. I’m
Fifteen, will never be their dreams,
Though they paint me into nightmares.
Eat a whole stackpack and die! Even
E.T. would think twice about home!
No! I’m equal–but not at all the same!
MARGARITA
Margarita is an angel,
Awakening as life recedes,
Riding high the Lenten light.
Grace abounds both day and night,
Alive in those who know their needs,
Restoring joy to those who tremble.
In death she dons the angel’s mantle,
Touching love that weeps and bleeds,
As in life she found delight.
REMY
Remy loves to let me know it’s morning.
Each dawn she cuffs my cheek till I’m awake.
Mid-dream I tumble upwards for her sake,
Yet find her not long after curled up yawning.
Online Dating!
E HAD THOUGHT I HOPED TOO MUCH
Maybe some had thought I hoped too much
And dreamed a dream that never would come true,
Reasoning from what they saw and such
Trends as might confirm their points of view.
In dreams, however, one creates what is –
Not from what one sees but what one wills:
Like light, from the Lord’s dream sprung, now All, as His
Undying Word the void unending fills.
Then look! Look! What miracles occur!
Here we have a black man judged upon –
Exactly as I dreamed – his character,
Regardless of his skin! And he has won!
Know, then, that the dream for which I fought
In time became the ground for what I sought.
New realities require dreams
Given to us not as ends but means.
YOU ARE MY HEART, MY HOPE, MY HELP
You are my heart, my hope, my help,
The passion that is me,
The whole of which I am a part,
My peace, my ecstasy.
You are my future, present, past,
My ship, my sail, my ocean,
The wind that brings me home again,
The home for every motion.
You live within me, yet I am
Without you all alone.
With you I am full of light;
Without you I am stone.
Is this foolish? Yes, perhaps,
But also it is true.
I think of life as something I
Can spend with only you.
Ah, my love! Love longs for such
Sweet celebrants as this!
Love is a burden and a joy,
Slavery and bliss.
This day of love come love with me,
Come sing with me my song.
Come be my Valentine, and I
Will love you my life long, my love,
Will love you my life long.
I NEVER THOUGHT I’D FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU
I never thought I’d fall in love with you.
I thought someday, of course, I’d fall in love.
But what it felt like, I just never knew;
I’d no idea what I was thinking of.
And then, somewhere between my need and pleasure,
Walking neither overjoyed nor sad,
I looked into my heart and saw a treasure
Worth more than anything I’d ever had.
Ah! This is love! I thought. And then I wanted
To give my life to see your happiness.
Suddenly, from nowhere, I was haunted,
Needy, joyful, tearful, glad, obsessed.
My love for you has brought me out of me.
The beauty in your heart has set me free.
I WANT YOU BACK NOW THAT YOU’RE GONE
I want you back now that you’re gone.
My heart’s a pit no love can fill.
I stumble through my days of stone
Bereft of joy, bereft of will.
I could not tell myself I loved
You as I did for fear of pain.
Far easier not to be moved,
Than moved to love, and hurt again.
How stupid! I loved anyway,
And now the blame is all my own.
Please rescue me, this torture stay,
And for my sin I will atone.
FIE ON THESE EARTHLINGS
Fie on these earthlings, who think equal
Is the same! Illogical. I’m
Fifteen, will never be their dreams,
Though they paint me into nightmares.
Eat a whole stackpack and die! Even
E.T. would think twice about home!
No! I’m equal–but not at all the same!
MARGARITA
Margarita is an angel,
Awakening as life recedes,
Riding high the Lenten light.
Grace abounds both day and night,
Alive in those who know their needs,
Restoring joy to those who tremble.
In death she dons the angel’s mantle,
Touching love that weeps and bleeds,
As in life she found delight.
REMY
Remy loves to let me know it’s morning.
Each dawn she cuffs my cheek till I’m awake.
Mid-dream I tumble upwards for her sake,
Yet find her not long after curled up yawning.
Online Dating!