The Thursday Afternoon Poetry Club

Valentine (Press)

2008-02-15T23:19:00.002-07:00

In love with you the murmured rain I fall.
The diamond droplets crash into your eyes;
I wake but drift away at Saturn's call -
The shrapnel of my soul wears your disguise.
In love with you the steely stars I stay.
They sweetly glint beneath night's velvet lash
as maidens, slumbrous, lovely in the day,
emerge to stud Diane's argentine sash.
In love with you a mermaid's hymn I die.
And Newland's thought for Ellen always knew
the gently whispered waves, the gleaming tide
bring with them lethal subtlety - it's you -
A neck adorned with broken shells is white;
Gold hair wreathèd with weed turns silver night.

No Body (Bless)

2008-02-11T00:23:00.000-07:00

This is from an assignment in AP Lit and Comp. Having not written a poem for a long expanse of time, I wanted to make this one count for more than a grade.

I called you yesterday.

Down in Mort's shed,

we found what we needed to find

and did what we needed to do.

Yeah.

Drink up, drink it in.

There wasn't a flip-flap in your jim-jam

and the window was open.

Oh, dunderbill.

But no body.

I peered--

I poked my head outside.

I could smell the wind.

Dry, soft and warm.

Dirt.

But no body.

I saw where you laid.

It still held your shape,

where you laid

where we burned

ending a summer's night eve.

Tinged, Redding was tinged.

No, marked (opaque).

He had it marked down, pegged, even.

Ah, the meaning he had surmised.

Or was it fear?

No, fearful men never throw themselves.

Just the meaning, just the meaning.

He threw himself down

I wrote something on the wall.

Burned it, really.

There was smoke in the air.

I could taste it in the bottom of my throat.

Like heavy ashes

looming in my body

a heavy reminder of things past.

There will be no ashes for this one.

No coffins, either.

Only a marking.

For he's gone.

No signs of movement or anything else.

Only a marking where he lay.

I lost you.

Just disappeared.

No trace.

No solution.

Gone.

Slate (Press)

2007-12-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes
you are the one in my dark eyes

Autumn (Bless)

2007-10-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Autumn is the smell of pumpkins,
dry leaves, pies.
It's warm scarves and light jackets.
It's walking home instead,
going out of your way
to crunch that extra crackly leaf.
It's raking, and carving,
and ringing doorbells.
It's decorations, costumes,
and tables full of family,
warm food, long chilly nights,
and always, that little hint of
snow.

Magnetic Class Poem Fun (Bless)

2007-10-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

(For those of you that forgot, these are the two poems we created in class at the beginning of the year. Enjoy!)
1
different music is love
whispers for you
we jump and fly believing
every dream is more
to wish by a special thought
at night always together family of friends

2
we are happy together boy and girl talk
blue music winds and butterfly love
always wants summer as a dream garden
different thoughts glow
you are home friend
believe magic wishes bring morning
I see all
but my lightest day is dark
and the moon she is a whisper to every bird
imagine
jump out yellow window

Stained Glass (Press)

2007-10-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

I think
that afternoon
I shattered away
into luminous bits
some flew into your eyes
and glimmer there, shy
when I look at you
I thought I recognized
someone I knew
that night
it flashed within,
as lightning revealing
a tree's slight shadow
I knew
and instantly forgot
consciousness transcended, maybe
up through winking stars
when I glanced
at forgotten fragments
strung together
in your glassy gaze

Wither (Press)

2007-10-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

inside me
lie things unresolved
things unconcluded

let my mind fall
into a forbidden place

land softly in memories
lie quietly on desires

shoved back so far
you cannot convey them to anyone
they prevent you from interacting properly
if you become engrossed in these
you will die

you'll lie there
waiting, wasting, withering away
for something that will never come

these are things you know
you're not supposed to think about
things you're not supposed to want
but they're there

and all you can do is write
meaningless and empty poems that don't come close to explaining anything
words to describe what happens there do not exist

and your frustration at all these dead ends
builds up into an intense fury
that amounts to nothing

all you can do is live your life
with those emotions existing covertly under the surface
constantly, constantly, always there

ripping, gnawing, biting at your soul

Sleep (Press)

2007-10-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Absence
begins to
cry in my
dead
ear, into which sounds
fall, a pit of
gravel, each
He a small note in the
I chord
jangles with
kicking violence
lets
meaning flow
nebulously
out like
platonic blood. The
question
resounds in cacophonous
song,
teetering on
unlawful
voice's
wistful precipice.
Xylophones pound
you out in a
zephyr fallen.

The Guardian

2007-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

I see all that you see. I hear all that you hear. I feel all that you feel. I am the Guardian here to listen and aid you. Finding yourself through my guidance, becoming what you are meant to become.

Debris (Press)

2007-10-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

I see myself floating
on the air's palm
enveloped in still clarity
serene sparkling
nothingness

The rain is the thought
of shining blue
it hangs and yields
to the motion of the sun

Tears remain inarticulate
in my tranquil quiet
they fall like leaves forgotten
to the dead twig of a smile.

Autumn (press)

2007-09-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I've lost my way in a forest of trees
somehow, somewhere, someones chasing after me
the smells so sweet
the air so fine
oh how I wish these all were mine
the dark figure approaches
and I'm just standing there taking it all in
how wonderful it was
in my last moment of life
no sadness, no grieving, not even strife
then as quick as I enter here
I exit
my body stays
but my spirit goes
to even a more beautiful place
as fast as the autumn leaf blows

Silence (press)

2007-09-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

No one listens
to me
it's quiet
I'm screaming
" Somebody hear me! "
silence
somebody needs to hear me
crying
somebody
needs to listen
insted of shutting me out
silence
another day gone
silence

On the wind

2007-09-29T21:49:00.001-07:00

Soft wind blows remembering the past that was once in grasp
Calling on the wind
Come back to me
Come back to my love
Come back for me
In soft words that none can translate
Ancient tongue of old
Riddled in song that only soft voiced of the old posses
Come back come back
And remember the times of old

A Curse

2007-09-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

Lost without hope for the soft touch of death
Consumed by the monster you are
Unable to resist
And then
Nothing
You see nothing
Nothing ahead to look for
No hope for an end Nothing
to stop you from it
Nothing to hold you back
Nothing to make amends for what you have done

It's just a game

2007-09-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

you look at me with deep blue eyes
you stare at me which you can't deny
your eyes shift from me and the wall
your eyes shift to me in the hall
I stare back which I can't deny
you never say anything and I wonder why
I don't know if you like me
I don't want to ask
to tell the truth I want these stares to last
I sometimes I wait in the halls to catch your eye
for this I'm not sure about and I can't tell you why
you of course come right on cue
and me in turn start staring at you
and you look at me with deep blue eyes
the same color as the deep blue sky's

A Whirlwind of nothingness (press)

2007-09-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

as i fall through a whirlwind of nothingness
i fell more heartless with every second of darkness
and i continue to fall down this life draining tunnel
thinking "when will there be and end to this funnel."

but there is no end, i see no way to stay alive
these demons want my body, so my soul can die,
i see my flesh ripped open as i slowly black out
before i die, i hear one more scream, so i shout.

i woke up, i was on the other side
no demons anywhere, so i don't have to hide.
i wipe the blood of my face, and slowly rise,
I'm staggering trying to refocus my eyes.

pain through my body, my joints are aching
I'm in hell, there is no mistaking.
no guessing, and all i see is flames and death
i feel restless, my body has acid breath.

what can i do, i didn't make this decision
this isn''t the way that i want to be living
all i wanted was to be set free
but i can't escape from all of this misery

Freshman (press)

2007-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's like I have a disease
if you come too close
you will catch it too
or something
only my diseased comrades come to say something to me
I sit in a corner
against the wall
no one says anything
to me
they live in their own world
and us with freshman-itious
are not welcome

Dandelion (Press)

2007-09-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

the blue music of my thoughts
swishes you back in its
crescendo toward the breeze
and in a sea of grassy whispers
you sing hushed melodies
we sway along
detached
in a current of unconsciousness
together
infinitely distant
and word by word
you float from me
like wishes in the wind

Rain of an empty heart ( Press)

2007-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

by: Foxy Lady

tragic life
will always contain a jewel
that is your heart
Strong
Loving
Beautiful

without you I live in a lonely street
where the day passes
and gives me no sun
Where I am left in the dark of the night
my life halts
graceful singing of rain yet
storm drains
Remain Empty
Along with my heart

A path that we must go on (Bless)

2007-09-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

By:Foxy Lady

What is one to do when they are stuck at a cross road and each path takes them somewhere that they might want to be?
Should they take the road that they see as the better one?
Should they take the road they know the world wants them to take?
Do we know what road to take?
Or?
Are we just guessing and hoping that we choose right?
Is there a right or wrong way for us to go?
Is it the road that we were intended to take?
Is the road we choose correct?
Did we fail in our expectations?
When we pick a road is there any going back?
Or are we stuck on the road we chose even if it is wrong?
Will we ever know what the correct road is?
Or will we just wander on the paths that we choose?

Will we even know?

Wind (Press)

2007-04-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

notes of an ephemeral tune
fall ceaselessly to the ground
in an inaudible melodious cascade
a lonely forgotten elegy
You enter
Your presence swells like waves
under the sonorous stream
of consciousness
and the chords dance a ballet
of melancholy affectation
in an Impressionist swirl
onto the infinite canvas
of memory

Flight // Press

2006-12-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

As I stumble into sleep, my mind is whirling round,
throwing reason to the ground
and to truth no longer bound
and the sound

of a muted passion rising to the faded skies
writing out our daydream lives
or mechanics of demise
and my eyes

do not question the abruptness of the flight
stealing me to starless night
painting shades of dark delight
and tonight

neurons reconstruct the patterns woven by today
cortex musings on display
my subconsciousness buffet
and I play

soaring diving twisting in this clouded air
shielded hatreds are ripped bare
and desires will declare
and I care

not for modesty or judgments by those left outside
for my swooping screaming ride
flies these skies where I can hide
and I glide,

panting, to the earth; adventure can no more extend,
flight of fancy, quickly penned,
finds itself drawn to an end.
I descend.

Gone (Press)

2006-12-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

it sweeps me away
on high, heaving swells,
and I'm nothing
but icy limbs

Ode to Paper (press)

2006-11-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Crisp Whiteness,
Inviting
Ideas, offering
Promises
Of inspiration.
Expectant.
The scribe of
History
And recorder of
Story.
Never have I seen
Paper
As a device for
Papercuts,
But always as a
Breath
of excitement, of nearby
Ideas,
Enmeshed in a
Simple,
Plain and lovely
Garment,
Of vibrant words
Woven
Into the fabric of
Brilliance.
Oh beautiful paper, I am
Honored
By your invitation.
I
Accept its promise
Eagerly
And wait for the
Day
When I can return the
Favor
With my own humble
Pencil.

Mundos Mios

2006-11-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

La noche es patria mía y como sale la luna salen las estrellas.
A dormir sol, que día se va, aun veo los últimos rayos.
La luna relumbra la oscuridad, y como lámpara fría y blanca cay sobre la tierra.
Como quisiera ser parte de eso
y tu no quieres compartir en lo mismo.
Noche de noche, luna de mi luna, ahora veo las estrellas salir--

A Night

2006-11-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

I:
i look out into the open night
and see the moon gazing back at me
it's a full moon tonight
full of potential
for the creation of my greatest desire
for the realization of my deepest and most unsettling fear
that's why i sit here at the window sill
dark figures, dark sillohuetes, dark waves mix to form a tranquil spectacle
occasional cars cut through the darkness with their bright lights

i wait

II:
And as the minutes dwindle by
a sick feeling twists and writhes its way into your stomach
as you slowly begin to realize
your hope is dead
those idle minutes
spent peering out at the night
wasted
you thought it would happen
but you were wrong
and you knew you'd be wrong
that's why this particularl monster
sinisterly winding up through your body is so disturbing

nobody called.

Mourning Elm // Press

2006-11-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

The winter claims trees’ dawning purity:
ignored, as screaming branches shattersplit,
and noble leaves blur to obscurity
(for to the bitter snow they must submit).
Or analyze these brittle, tortured clouds,
each tiny piece hacked from avenging air
and banished to the brief and blood-stained ground.
Could transient self-pity ever compare?
Your jaundiced glares and grandiose demands,
excuses for your egocentric pleas,
will crack when juxtaposed with wintered lands
and destinies of lacerated trees.
These sterling ones were stolen in your stead.
Your snowing soul should be the shameless dead.

Ode to the Floor // Press

2006-11-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

I mean--
how would you feel?
Does anyone ever thank the floor?
They decorate themselves
to please us--
fuzzy carpet, cold concrete,
slick hardwood--
but all too often, they are ignored.
What would we do
without a floor?
If it finally snapped--
one too many muddy bootprints
trampling indiscriminately
without so much as a
"thanks"--
if one day it just got up and left,
where would we be then?
So thank you, floor,
for all you've done.
I apologize for our
neglect of your feelings.
Make sure to thank the floor,
or one day it might just leave.

I Remember [parts 1 and 2] (Press)

2006-11-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have already posted the first I Remember poem up here but I thought that I would include it when I posted the second one so that you could see the similarities//differences. Enjoy!

I Remember [part 1]
I remember...
smiles in the hallway,
eyes locking, then
tearing away.
"Secret" notes
passed through
twenty people,
ten second
conversations at
lunch, blushing
nervous, sweaty
conversations.
I remember
middle school
drama, tears
and sighs.
I remember.

I remember...
joking, laughing
blowing off tests,
singing
during passing period
fighting, crying
screaming
during passing period.
Hateful glares
and friendly hugs.
I remember.

I Remember [part 2]
I remember...
playful hugs and angry stares,
the silly language of high-school courtship,
the cold silence of a break up,
broken pencils, lost textbooks
and missing assignments,
half-empty classrooms and
all day field trips.
I remember.

I remember...
hour-long exams, mile-long runs
lunch table giggles and
heartwrenching sobs,
the nights spent staring at the cieling
early morning texts,
unfinished homework, extra credit projects,
too-long pep assemblies
lunchtime anthem rehearsals.
I remember.

I remember...
final exams, ice cream labs,
passing notes with half of Chem class
teachers' lectures, Valentines Day blues,
jealous looks
and cheesy pickup lines,
fancy dresses, loud music, 3-inch heels
flag football, locker room gossip.
I remember.

The Scientist (Bless/Press)

2006-10-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

She seems to pervade into all my thoughts

I can see her
Standing, peering over my mind
Ready to make her next drop
Of perfectly mixed intelligence
Onto my easily permeable mind

The soft watery sound of the drop
Clear and translucent
Causes a pleased, warm smile to come to her lips

The white environment
Clear blue sky
Seem to radiate
With a soft glow
That so becomingly
Accents the soothing skin of the beholder

I lie there
Looking up at her,
Restrained
By both my curiousity
And her evident power

Her mind
(so superior
as the scientist she is)
Avidly watches the effects take place
With a fervour only matched by love

The delicate strands of my mind
Work constantly to deal with the new
And confusing intelligence
So professionally supplied
And adequately confounding

I drown.

Protective Equipment Must be Worn (Press)

2006-10-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

Watch out.
Don't pass that line.
If you go over that line,
Something bad might happen.
You might bet hurt.
Or someone might hurt you,
You might suddenly fined you're ill,
And need to go home.
Does it mean what's dispensed out of a bathroom?
Does it mean a hard hat?
Who knows....
They should be more specific:
"No Man Not Wearing a Condom Will Not be Allowed"
Or,
"Hard Hats and Construction Equipment Must be Worn"
Who's to say how someone will interpret it?
A boozer could come in,
Looking for some action.
This is what is destroying America.
The unspecificness of every day life.
Next left, Denver.
How does someone know that they have to go off
The next exit ramp?
They could suddenly turn left
Into the wall.

To much though goes into signs.
This poem is a proof.
I've spent ten minutes writing about
Signs.
I think
They should be abolished.
The president could put up signs saying,
"NO MORE SIGNS!!!"
You know he would.
Look at the mess he's gotten us into.
The generals probably interpreted a sign outside the
White house.
It didn't say "lets go to war with Iraq"
It said,
"Lets go out and play hackysack"
The generals were so bloodthirsty,
they just glanced at it and
Soiled themselves with joy.
I saw it myself.
I stood waiting outside
To talk to the president ,
And all these generals marched up
And soiled themselves.
I could see it and smell it.
It was crazy.
The next day, Bush comes out and says
"we're going to war with Iraq"
Insanity.

Another Opnin' Another Show (Press)

2006-10-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

People are running to and fro.
The sharp sounds of drilling echoes through the room.
Costumes are flying everywhere.
Boxes are being rifled through,
people begin screaming for things that aren't there.
A loud slam is emitted when gravity pries a couch from the hands of two.
Actors shout, battling over the noise.
The director waves her hands, desperate to get everyone's attention.
The sour notes of the unprepared band float through the auditorium bringing hands fast to unprotected ears.
The light flicker on and off, demands are yelled across the stage and frustrated responses yelled back.
A bewildered girl stands over tables piled with props, a notebook with scribbles clutched in her hands.
A cry of warning is sounded as a bucket filled to the brim with orange paint crashes to the floor and people with paint brushes find that they've been painted on themselves.
The stage manager runs frantically, trying to find actors who are supposed to be onstage.
People with cameras snap pictures of the ongoing havoc, smiling as they imagine the pictures in the yearbook.
Cues are whispered loudly to actors who haven't exactly learned their lines.
And a slightly out of tune piano plays notes over and over trying to engrave them in a troubled singer's mind.

But in the midst of this pandemonium, I smile.
Because it's just another opnin' of another show.

Caution: Tiffany's Room (Press)

2006-10-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

The click-clack of a keyboard,
The rustling of goldfish bags,
The twang of a fake guitar,
The words spoken on a new cellphone,
The music from the latest ipod,
The excitement of a challenging video game,
The swish of textbook pages being turned,
The chattering of an animated TV show,
The laughter of cousins playing,
The barking of a family pet,
And the silence that keeps me guessing.
Caution, this is Tiffany's room.

Expression (Press)

2006-10-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

I try, I try so hard for complete individuality,
like total independence will cure me of everything -
it seems radical, extreme, like it might work
if I only follow it for a little while longer,
but truly, my ills are only worsened by
the absence of others, for without them,
I soak up all the sorrow and it stays there,
invading my spirit perpetually;
we must purge from time to time,
expel our misery and suffering
through our words or our tears,
and lay the burden down for others to comtemplate,
because without friendship we wilt,
and without love we can never grow.

Melancholy(bless)

2006-10-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

(It's one of my new favorites, I hope you like it cause I sure do!)

Tears falling

Taste salt

Bittersweet feelings of remorse and regret.

My memories burn my face away into a decaying matter that one should not see.

Torrets of sadness

OVERCOME

They take hold of me and tighten their grasp

They make me feel like

the l o n e l y e s t person on this earth

And the worst part,

I still love him

I missed her

He remembers me

She hasn't changed

Life goes on

even if it's hard.

No one cares.

They just keep moving on.

Because that's what life is.

We move on.

Never looking back again.

It is our burden as mortals to wistfully remeber our happiness

and to wish for more.

We never pray for the same hapiness

Just the same feeling

Keep memories close

And your love

even closer

For it may one day

leave.

Bless, Press or Address?

2006-10-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

Note to all new members of the blog:

Please remember to indicate what kind of feedback you are seeking with either Bless, Press or Address in parentheses next to your poem's title. Otherwise, we aren't sure what kind of comments to offer.

Thanks.

Night Owl (press)

2006-10-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here I sit…
Pen ready…
Waiting for the words
To come soaring out of night
On silence-tipped wings;
Eyes glistening with the expectation of wet ink,
Stories clamped firmly in eloquent beaks.
I can hear them knocking
On the window of inspiration,
Cooing to each other
In a half-understood language
Hinting of adventure.

I flick open the latch and they swarm in…

Where is Beauty?

2006-10-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

We see beauty in the people we call beautiful.

We say that we find beauty every day,

In a warm embrace, or the grace of a hand,

The outer beauty of a rose, or in a mural of art.

Yet we see beauty as we are, and not how it is.

Beauty is what keeps the moon sailing in the night sky.

Beauty helps the river run until it naturally descends the waterfall.

Beauty is the time given to a rose before it withers and dies.

End Up Coming True (Press)

2006-10-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Open up your eyes and look around
Not everything you see is real
Not everything you tell yourself will come true
Not everything that happens makes you feel
The way you think you should
And sometimes things don't end up right
I would tell you if I could
Whats going to happen

If you don't take a chance

And if you can't see the light
Don't be afraid
To take a risk and jump
Things you think impossible just might
End up coming true

The way it once was

2006-10-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

You have no idea what you mean to me
You have no idea how much
How much I look up to you
And out of everything you have done,
It is my heart that you have touched

I can't explain how happy I am
When I get to see your smiling face
Or when I get to talk to you
And we can chat about anything
What ever may be the case

I can't stand not being with you
As much as I once was
I can't stand missing you
And missing the way it once was

Forever I will be there
And in my heart you will stay
You have been there through the smiles, And the tears
And that is why I love you
I will every single day

Teen Poetry Cafe at the Lafayette Library

2006-09-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

La Maestra and die Lehrerin will offer extra credit to student poets who attend the next poetry slam at the Lafayette Library. (Teens only, no adults admitted.) Click here for more information.

New Frost Poem Discovered

2006-09-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Click on this link to go to the NPR website and read about a newly discovered poem written in 1918 by American poet Robert Frost.

Broken Hearts are Broken Souls(press)

2006-09-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

(Wow this is old. I wrote it when I had just got out of my old middle school, but I still like it so...why not?! Hope you like it!)(p.s. yay first post!)

My memory will never fade
For what you did to me I cannot erase
I cried for you
I lived for you
I wanted to be with you
but no

For what is done is done
and we must move on
but my scars
you gave to me
will never go away
I would've died for you, and yet you threw me away
Do you know what I went through
or do even care
Please hold me close
one last time
so I can see your eyes so blue...

Because I still love you
And I always will

No Title (Bless)

2006-09-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Small, errant puffs of wind rustle the leaves softly
and cause the blue plastic-covered chains of the swings to creak.
The short, stubby green stems of grass, and weeds, growing between
the cracks in the pavement are faded and worn,
like the pieces of wood used to create the twists and turns
of the rickety old swingset.
There's someone sitting, far away, across the acres of waving prairie grasses,
on the scorching metal bench, but I can't see their face.
It's quiet here, you could say, no laughing, screaming,
crying
though every once in awhile short blasts of music
sound from passing cars.
I'm not really here to play or write or anything.
Just to sit and stare out at the clouds, the trees
and imagine I'm somewhere else
somewhere magical, somewhere crazy.

the Lake and I

2006-09-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

IN a saburban golf coarse lies
far from the winding road
where golfers travel from hole, to hole.

but in the middle of all this golf caos is a Lake.
not a Swan but a
duck floats along
the waters surface.
A duck acting as graceful as a Swan.

The
L
I
G
H from the west and east, casts along the
T
W A T E R .
dancing across the surface pinpointing to the
BOTTOM-shows its true colors.

the Grass skirting the edge is green, and lush, each blade blending in perfectly.
Cat's tails move as though they are trying to say something.
Secluded, unseen from the rest of the world exept god, and the golfers.
To go to the Lake you must sneak past golfers, and let your mind WoNdEr.
Dreaming, listening is the only way to feel the energy. The Lake is surrounded by trees and Cat's tails, unseen by anyone.
But only I can speak the language of the Lake
Only I can translate the screatches, and voices from the Light and the Lake.
Only I can feel its presance.
Only the Lake can feel my body resting on it's grass skirt.
I am the one who notices the Lake's existance, when golfers drive by.
Without Respect.
I Am one with the lake.

Illumination

2006-09-27T20:56:00.001-07:00

In pensive thought, many have mused,
Why within the way of the world of chaos
Men scientific or ordained religious used.
From end to end, the philosophical and the pious.

The call for raison d'être hungered by humankind
Answering this demand for hope are the entities
Men of genius, men of chastity befall the combined
Each to fight the struggle, the search for remedies.

Methodical to find a resolution by the mathematical
The devout to embrace the spiritual make the decree
Eager by nature, humanity waits in vain all the cynical
To what end will the faithless and ignorant not flee?
In a place as such, who will be the vocation of reason?
Who as malicious could be steadfast in this era of treason?

And yet…they are one in the same,
A familiar face without a name.

Good for the Soul (press)

2006-09-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Its something you do
Without realizing
Its a way to release
Steam, water, or bubbles
It comes and goes
When you don't want it to
It makes you ich
It makes you realize
What would life be without
It looks different
It seems weird
Life knows its joy
Its been here too long
To just leave it behind
So you know what to do
Let it out
Through your pen on to paper
Or through your fingers
To keys
Just do it because its
(insert title here)

Praying (press)

2006-09-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Every night before I sleep
I pray my soul to keep.
Every morning before I help
I pray for my health.
Every after-noon before I eat
I pray before the meat.
Every day before a day
I pray for the one, just one,
Who understands.

First Club Anniversary!

2006-09-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

We are approaching the first anniversary of the poetry club, and as you will notice, our name has changed to reflect this year's weekly schedule. We are now The Thursday Afternoon Poetry Club, but our purpose remains the same as it always was. We come together in person and on the blogosphere to read, write and share original poetry.

Our club membership has expanded from the original twelve female members to a roster of thirty-five students from all four high school classes, equally represented by both sexes. I'm also delighted to see that although some of the original members are no longer enrolled in the club due to scheduling conflicts, they remain virtual members by continuing to post their poetry on the blog.

As of this morning, we've made over 130 posts and had over 2,300 hits on our blog over the last year. The visitors come from all over the world; click on the Sitemeter icon below the Blogger icon on the right to see for yourself who has been reading our work.

New members:
I'm excited to read what you will write this year, and to continue to share feedback that will help us all grow as writers and readers of contemporary poetry. If you haven't turned in your blogging permission forms, do so soon so that I can send you the email invitation to begin posting.

Everyone:
Here's a prompt to play with. See what you get out of it, then post and/or bring your results to the next club meeting.

Yesterday was the first day of autumn and the leaves are beginning to pull out their winter clothes. Write a poem about how you are transforming in some way.

Happy writing!

Grant Me (press)

2006-09-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

All that work
But not complete
How to make whole
Not possible
All that work
But can't make whole
Make me whole
Grant me my work
Give me my work
How can it be
That way
All that work
But can't do it
Grant me my wish
Grant me my spot

Murmurs (Press)

2006-09-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sick
of shifting my eyes
to the door as it opens,
freezing with ice
that tingles my skin
under all of this
heavy, loud air,
and stares
that clear the scene
for only me.
And life
just moves in circles
over my head,
a vulture
waiting.
I can't
get up, my eyes open
and close, and the weight
of my body holds me,
I fall back, and lay here,
in silence, blind.

Freedom Limited (press)

2006-09-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

Freedom is a Scheme
People believe
Freedom equals anything
I think not
Freedom Is limited
Wether it is the
Government or parents
Limits on everything
Limits on anything
It is not a right
It is not a privalge
It is a scheme
Freedom Limited

Something About a Midnight Run (Press)

2006-08-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

I can feel the rough asphalt under my feet,
knees aching from every jarring step,
as I run barefoot down the street.
Skin tears just as I run through a large puddle,
left on the sidewalk by someones late-night sprinklers,
and the footprints trailing behind me
alternate between the muddy grayish-brown
of the wet pavement, already starting to fade,
and a deep, bloody red.
My arms tremble in the cold midnight air as
hundreds of goosebumps spread across my uncovered skin.
Still I feel compelled to run by the same unknown
force that led me to begin this insane action,
barefoot, with only my shorts and tank top.
The heavy darkness surrounding me breaks only
every few houses or so when the muted light of the tall,
old-fashioned latern-like streetlights spills softly over me.
I run distractedly, almost unknowingly, only to
collapse into the large patch of grass behind
the park, four blocks away from my house.
Only now do I notice the pain of my
grit-covered, blood-stained foot and my sore knees.
I realize I'm panting, out of breath,
and I stretch out, trying to slow my runaway heart.
I close my eyes against the overpowering dark,
and ultimately fall asleep, curled up,
holding my legs close to keep from freezing
in the increasingly frigid air.
The purplepinkgoldorange light of the rising sun
caresses my skin and I slowly wake to the
warmth of the morning.
I manage to pull myself upright, and limp the
ten or twelve steps to the shelter of the
covered cement picnic area,
brushing early morning dew from my shivering arms.
Considering the lengthy walk back to my house,
I sit carefully on a plastic and wood bench,
and turn around to see your car pull up near me.
I sit, silently, as you get out and walk right to me,
as if you knew exactly where I was,
and why.
You pick me up gently and set me into the
blanket-covered front seat, and I lean my head
against the smudged glass of the window
as you drive slowly towards my house.

My poetry from third grade (bless)

2006-08-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

I wrote this in third grade and I am now looking beak on my work and diceded to post it.

The Arising Sun
The blinding fire-lighted sun
is arising above the people
of the earth
The sky is watching
night awakening
The owl is aselep

Do You Ever? (press)

2006-08-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Do You Ever?

Feel alone
Left out of things
Invisible
Do You Ever?
Feel non-existent
That no one cares
Angry
Do You Ever?
Feel you need that spot
All alone
Hidden in plain veiw
Do You Ever?
Feel unloved
Non-existent
Invisible

Existence (press)

2006-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Existence

Is it a state of being
Or a state of mind
does it even exist?
Can we touch it
Or even hear it
does it even listen?
We can question it
Or even lecture it
does it even care?
Is it mine
Or is it yours
does it even belong?

Esperar/To Wait (Press)

2006-07-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

esperar significa todo,
con años pasados,
imágenes como pinturas
en el aire,
cosas imaginadas,
que flotan como fantasmas
enfrente de mis ojos
en la oscuridad de la noche,
en la confusión de no saber nada,
y sentarme aquí en el silencio
de esperar.

to wait means everything,
with years past,
images like paintings
in the air,
imagined things,
that float like ghosts
in front of my eyes
in the dark of night,
in the confusion of knowing nothing,
and sitting here in the silence
of waiting.

Summer Clouds (Press)

2006-07-11T18:35:00.002-07:00

I'm shivering slightly in the chilling breeze
blowing loose pages, tree limbs thick with leaves, my hair.
There's a song playing out there amidst those houses,
I can hear the faint notes of the chorus,
overrun with birds' song, the sweet chirping
blending almost impossibly with the drifting notes.
The grass was mowed and the sharp, prickly smell
of the newly shorn stems tickles my nose.
in the distance, a couple of boys race bikes
across the uneven dirt paths,
but I can't see them,
just as I can't see the swings rocking in the wind
or any of the other newly-installed plyground equipment
crouching two feet in front of me as I lay sprawled
in the lush green grass.
I can see, however, the same scene that has occupied
my mind all day, playing and repeating until I'm fairly
stuck in it's grasp.
You, walking slowly down the sidewalk, surrounded by friends,
tiliting your head to hear some quick, yet witty remark
and tossing it back as you laugh.
I can't see your face, you're walking away from me,
each step taking you farther until you're no longer
there, just an empty pane of glass,
empty of all but my head resting against
the cool, hard surface and
the dull, gray chains of the swing blowing in the breeze.

New Poet Laureate

2006-06-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Click on this New York Times article to read about Donald Hall, the new poet laureate of the United States.

Thunder (Press)

2006-06-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

The sky this evening suffers in its strife;
it seems that broken nails scratch the rim
of that abandoned case that once held life,
as nature's shaking force pervades each limb.
Strange emptiness falls o'er the dark terrain
and as it thinks of death it hears no sound
but loses all perception in the rain,
which waits until it's welcome to fall down.
All ties are severed as the heavens break
and pour their torment onto Earth's hard stones
as mortal beings see their great mistakes
and passions rise, awakened, in lost tones.
The past glows faintly on the path ahead,
but, turning back, we leave it, soaked and dead.

Portrait: Sun Rising Over the Park, in Summer Press

2006-05-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

With your hand pressing against
the small of my back lightly,
I walk slowly, painfully through
the dripping rain.
It's not painful because of you,
your arm, shoulder, against me,
supports my crumbling wall, this flood,
of emotions, helping me keep it all
from tumbling down.
There's so much, threatening, frightening.
I'm lost,
with no way back to me.
You have no idea, no idea,
of why I'm walking quietly, feet dragging,
tears mixing with the almost sweet taste of raindrops
running down my face,
yet you pull me in closer,
hugging your arms around me,
as if to guard, protect me, from
...myself...?
You wipe away tears and now-ruined makeup,
leading me to a lone pair of swings
blending into the misty dark gray scenery.
We sway back and forth,
the gentle movement, and your hand in mine,
helps dry my tears and lays down the
first few squiggly, uncertain lines onto the
map leading me back.
Back to smiling silliness,
back to unrushed days,
and back to my sense
of purpose, of direction.
As my tears dry up, so does the rain,
and the swift movement of the clouds
reveals acres of thick creamy dark midnight black silk,
spotted with pearls, shining bright as stars.
I finally begin to talk, spill, vent,
after you jump from your swing and pull me
from mine to lay in the damp, prickly grass.
You listen silently, yet I know you listen
through your fingertips lightly caressing my arm
and the brush of your lips on my wet, curling hair.
I finish talking, and you raise yourself up,
supported by an elbow lodged in the cool earth,
and begin to speak.
Now it's my turn to listen,
and for the first time
the paint, the finish, is peeled back
and I can see who you really are,
the side you hide so deeply, deliberately,
underneath so much.
You understand me almost completely,
and that shocks me.
I feel you know me better,
more accurately, truly,
than any one of my friends,
who pride themselves on how
"well" they know and understand me.
I feel the cool breeze brush against my
bare arms and shiver involuntarily.
You curl up, closer, blocking out
the cold, the hurt, the pain,
and slowly I slip into sleep,
light as the breeze that chilled me so,
and we both rest, underneath the
gazing eye of the stars and the
invisible, yet inevitably present, moon.
I awake just as the sun slips above the
edge of the earth, the golden-pink rays
touching on my skin, your face,
the intricate, silvery chains of the swings
and we both stand, slowly, reverently,
your arm 'round my waist, hand resting on
my hip and amble back towards our
homes, lives, days,
leaving the fond, mysterious wisps of
memory to follow us closely,
throughout the months, seconds, ages
tying us to that night, and to each other,
with a knot of love and understanding.
The hope of the future guides me,
my map, back into
just exactly who I am.

Betrayed (press)

2006-05-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Betrayed

Say they will
But don't
Trust them
But they tell
Secrets not safe
Gossip spreads
Why is betraying aloud
Want the truth
To know all
People just don't
Know when to stop

Alone

That spot (press)

2006-05-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

That spot
people know about
but don't
ever see
That spot
with dignity
it looks so lonely
but is comforting
That spot
need till eternity
That spot
free of guilt
free of the world
That spot
that all can see
That spot
that doesn't quite exist
That spot
oh how I wish
it could be mine alone
but yet that spot
is a sanctuary
For all who believe
That spot

Homesickness (Press)

2006-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

The sound of the leaves reminds me of the ocean.
I miss it.
The faint taste of salt lingers on my fingertips,
left over from the ice cream we made in Chemistry.
Between these and the cool breeze blowing across the page,
I am homesick.
Not for my house, sitting quietly on my car-lined street,
though that is my "home",
but for the hot sandy beach and the
sound of my friends goofing off among the waves,
which is also a kind of home for me.
The heat here is similar to that which I sat through there,
lost in reflection on the warm, wooden bench,
but the sky there is bluer, the clouds whiter,
or at least, to me, that's what it seems like
though that may be just me, trying to find some reason,
explanation, for this feeling of homesickness
I can't otherwise explain.
The friends I have here are the same ones
that traveled with me there
and the sun, the sky, clouds, are also the same.
Or maybe it's just the ocean,
the soft comings and goings of the waves
as the tide moves farther away,
the birds overhead fighting for some food left behind
or just the knowledge that if I were to look up,
in any direction, anywhere, I would see my friends,
all sharing in the same feeling of awe, wonder, and fear
that I felt then.

Not Really My Thing (Press)

2006-05-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm alone.
You would think that being alone would be difficult,
in a house full of people.
(It's not)
There is one other person I know,
besides you and the person throwing the party.
(He's on the phone)
I stand, alone, in the kitchen.
You, oh. I dunno...
You're somewhere (I guess)
So I just stand, hugging my arms to myself
watching the timer blink slowly down from 30 minutes.
I listen to various cars pull up
and the hurried introductions.
(and I try not to listen as the group of girls
sprawled around the... living room?
talk of which drugs they brought,
how much, and when...)
My ex is outside smoking,
along with another girl whose face I know
(but name I can't recall...)
Somewhere, a cell phone rings,
and is picked up with a giggly hellll-ooh?
She mentions something about bringing alcohol
(something good...)
and I turn away to stare again at the timer,
counting down the final seconds
(3...2...1...)
I search the kitchen blindly before a pair of
arms in dark red silk gloves slips into
view on my right, grabs two floral-printed
hot pads sitting clearly (obviously...) on the
counter and opens up the oven, pulling out the
mottled pink cake.
"Looks like crap." the glove-wearer comments.
"Probably tastes like crap too." I reply.
We giggle, introduce ourselves and poke at the
supposed "birthday cake" with a butcher knife pulled from
the wooden block sitting crookedly on
the crumb-scattered counter.
Someone in that group of girls calls her name though,
and again I'm alone in the kitchen.
You run, or more like bound, down the stairs and
smile as you see me.
The "host" of this party, until now absent-
out somwhere in the front yard I guess-
walks over with even more people
(how many have I met already?)
and runs down the list of names
(I'll never remember them...)
He picks up his camera from the table
and motions for us to pose for a picture
(I try and fake a smile...)
"No! Let's get a 'happy couple' picture...
like... put your arm around her!"
You do, and the camera flashes on my smile.
(no longer fake...)

What Thinking Can Do (bless)

2006-05-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

This poem was written by my sister when she was seventine and bored.

What thinking Can Do

If you go to a party,
And your friends decide to drink,
Do yourself a favor,
And be the one to think.

If you think they are fine,
With their feet on the ground,
You will know your error,
When they are not around.

Yet you will have your memories,
To get you through the years,
Yet instead of bringing laughter,
Those memories will only bring tears.

Drinking and driving kills people,
Even if they are your best friend,
You can fix some mistakes,
But there are those that you can not mend.

Many lives have been claimed,
By drunks behind the wheel,
So do yourself a favor, be the one to give,
Not the one to steal.

This is what God wants,
Which make's it what I want too,
Don't read this and think it is a possibility,
Read it and know that it's true.

Why Didn't I Take the Numbing Shot ?(Bless)

2006-05-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

No Pain,
No Felling

The tree is okay, but I'm not
It's not too bad untill it turns black

Ski Patrol races me to the hospital

"Your thumb is disloctaed"

Your Name (Press)

2006-05-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

I sit there, in between
thoughts, breathing
gently with the wind
in the hushed music
of this moment,
when a shadow,
a small grain of sand,
a fallen leaf
settles in my mind,
until a person,
a rock,
a growing tree
stands there and blocks the sun
and I am no longer in
that dreamy middle place
as I wake to
loud cars,
rain clouds,
and my cat sitting in the window.
The breeze whispers in my ear,
and simply sighs
your name.

Daydreams (Press)

2006-05-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

I sit,
back leaning against
the smooth, warm tiles,
the sun glaring brightly,
forcing me to squint
as I gaze around the school yard.
I can see cars driving
lazily into the parking lot,
around the circle,
as if the heat of the day
forces them to creep along,
as though driving through syrup.
Not the thin, runny kind you get in
breakfast diners, but
the thick, mapley syrup your
parents always serve with pancakes on
Christmas and Easter,
the kind that practically glues them
together and stops all conversation.
Distant shouts carry over from
the soccer field as the
various members of the track and
soccer teams begin stretching...
One, Two, Three, Four...
Already moving sluggishly in the
sultry weather, barely even
fifteen minutes into practice.
I try and pick my friends out of the
tiny, almost indistinguishable figures
until I feel something brush against
my arm and I turn to see
you
slip next to me on the bench.
I freeze, and words trickle slowly
out of my head, landing
helter-skelter in the mud at the
base of the wall and leaving my mind
blank.
You smile, say "hey," ask how I'm doing
and I reply casually,
trying to mask my nervousness with
a smile, as I twirl strands of
my hair around my fingers restlessly
and cross and uncross my legs.
You notice, and on your face I
can see you making these as
nervous habits as a flash of confusion
precedes a look I take to signify understanding.
So you know now, then?
Know it's all because of my feelings for you?
Our conversatin continues, and
you reach out without thinking and touch
my arm, briefly, emphasizing a point,
hand resting lightly on my sleeve.
You pause, and in your eyes I can
see your feelings, thoughts
a mirror image of mine,
reflecting, as you lean in,
brush the hair from my face,
and kiss me.

A Locked Cabinet (Press)

2006-05-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

It sits staring blankly back at me,
old, slightly wobbly, and larger than I remembered.
Somewhere, sometime, in years long gone,
it sat in the drawing room,
relaxin in the corner, soaking up the light
peeking through half-closed blinds.
Someone moved it.
Now it continues to stare at, or almost
through me, from its new vantage point
at the bottom of the sweeping, or rather
"need to be swept" stairs.
It's out of place.
The entryway furniture was picked purposefully,
to match the paint on the walls and the
bland, if "tasteful," runner inching up those stairs,
it's all light, tan, almost the color of sand.
Not the cabinet.
Dark, cherry wood and at least a hundred years
old, it sits quietly, almost menacingly,
half-covered in shadows and dust.
It's locked.
It always has been.
I remember when I was young,
I made a game out of trying to
figure out what a cabinet that
I thought of as... almost majestic in it's mystery,
could contain.
Now though, all the old guessing games stop,
for I have the key.

Lounge (press)

2006-05-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

The darkness
changes
things.
It's like a mask has been lifted
And everything is naked
still
honest.
The sun, that which makes us
happy and false
by force
retires and leaves us
to be ourselves

Somebody breathes and makes
waves in the air of the night.

The day, bright and cheery
finally faded,
leaves the truth
exposed.

Moments Evaporate

2006-05-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ambling.
No, meandering.
I was sort of wandering
down the empty hallway.
Ambling.
As I reached to open
the door, time froze and
then melted strangely
As though time became a block of ice
and the seconds and minutes
melted off at their leisure.
Yes, time changed phase
as I saw his reflection in the door's glass window
He wore his pair of white pants.
Nothing special
except that they were the most special
Most special because he had
chosen to wear them in that moment.
In that drop of time,
he wore his white pants.
The drop froze and time stopped again
several thoughts passed through my mind before
time began to melt into puddles again.
Do I have a snack for during rehearsal?
What was he doing here?
What was our calc homework?
Time suddenly reverted back to its
ancient pattern
of tick-tock
tick-tock

Cansada/Tired (Bless)

2006-05-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

¿Por qué quieres matarme así?
con tu voz suave y tu música
mi alma está muriendo muy despacio,
y mis ojos oscuros y vacíos sólo miran
a la pelea aquí en mi cuerpo
el viento me asusta por la noche
en mis sueños, no puedo dormir,
no puedo comer, porque estoy tan enferma
por tí, me siento muerta ahora,
caminando por las calles sucias
que nunca terminan.
Antes de que tú llegaste
yo estaba llena, completa
pero pusiste un hueco negro
en mi existencia que tú sólo puedes reparar.
cada día, cada noche, cada vez que pienso en tí,
se hace más profundo y yo cambio más
no puedo ver mi cara por el espejo,
y no voy a regresar.

Why do you want to kill me like this?
with your soft voice and your music
my soul is dying slowly,
and my dark and empty eyes just watch
the fight here in my body
the wind frightens me at night
in my dreams, I cannot sleep,
I can't eat because I am so sick
for you, I feel dead now,
walking through the dirty streets
that never end.
Before you came, I was full and complete,
but you put a black hole
in my existence that only you can repair.
each day, each night, each time I think of you,
it becomes deeper and I change more
I cannot see my face in the mirror,
and I will not return.

screamo

2006-04-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's you, isn't it?
Turmoil inside
and you're the culprit.

I lay prostrate
on the floor in utter darkness.
Sudden insomnia
plagues my existence.
I inch closer to the speaker.
I can't turn it up.
The man inside
screams from his audio prison.
My heart joins in anguish
as my mind replays it over and over

you take her hand,
knowing i am more beautiful
dressed as a man I may be?

He inhales sharply
to scream again;
the full power of his voice
blasts through the speakers
and I strain to hear it.

you spin her into arms
in perfect rhythm
as my heart beat quickens

His lungs have failed and
his heart is way past beating
the song fades
and the speaker dies
and I remain motionless on the floor.

you finally push her away
as choreographed.
Everyone joins the dance.

Dutifully, I crawl into bed
for the last few hours
of the night to carry me away

the green of her dress
matches too perfectly
my mood, like some perverse
mood ring.

Mourning is coming.

Rejuvenated (Press)

2006-04-13T23:17:00.000-07:00

And I lie there
under the gray sky
with a calm life that seems to quietly walk inside it.
And the silence,
the still presence,
allows me to hear things miles away.
The soft, moist grass provides a comfort
not found anywhere else.
I feel replenished
by the silence of the world
as though from this lifelessness
I am rejuvenated.

My eyes can rest in the tranquil gray lighting.
That beautiful unique smell
which comes only from the water in the sky,
fills and clears my nostrils.

And I lie there
relaxed
calm
alive
as soft drops of rain dance their way onto my body.

Heartbreaker (Press)

2006-04-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

I know she's done this before
and what's been said of her sort of makes sense,
but it's not really her fault,
things don't quite match up to her agenda,

and she doesn't have the compassion or heartlessness
to go along with things,
and give a well-intentioned lie.

Orphan-press

2006-04-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Big Brown eyes look up at me
Small Brown hands hold mine
While we walk
I think what more can I do?
Harsh worlds surround us
Soft words are used
No communication is needed
I think what more can I do?
So small and wise
So cute and alone
While I sit and look
I think what more can I do?
Brown in White
Hand in Hand
I think
To see so many
To help so little
While I watch
I think what more can I do?
Big Brown eyes look up at me
A look no one can resist
While small brown hand hold mine

Untitled (Press)

2006-04-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

I'm restless.
My feet ache to pace the newly-mowed grass
and I can no longer keep pushing this desire away.
I tuck my small, blue ipod into my front pocket,
arrange my journal, folder, and recently removed flip-flops
underneath my jacket, and tread softly over the grass,
bible in hand, following my feet as they lead me across the park.
I can see the other people there
sprawled out, all alone, sitting, standing...
and yet I ignore them as I cross quickly to
the cloudy water of the lake.
Perching carefully on a rock sitting half submerged in the water,
I dangle my fingers off the edge,
skin lightly trailing through the water.
For some reason, this action has soothed my restlessness,
and I am again able to open up, and explore Your love...
The music changes, song to song, and still I sit,
hands alternately stroking pages, and the murky cold water.
I talk to You as I sit.
Hesitantly at first, scared to open up and acknowledge
myself, my actions, my desires, my thoughts...
but soon discover a borderline-obsessive need to spill-
spill everything, spill thoughtsdesiresactionsself
I'm done and I feel a sense of... peace? acceptance?
as if all I'd told You was nothing new, and You'd already forgiven.
The rock has turned cold, and I jump up and run,
carelessly and without a destination stopping
when I reach my own grassy hill, and throwing
myself down into the grass and staring up at the newly forming clouds.
A need for sharing comes over me so sharply
I gasp slightly and my face is suddenly plunged into darkness
by Your shadow as You tower over me.
As though You can read the half-formed request in my mind-
request, or need, I haven't quite determined-
You lay next to me, on top of that hill,
under the scarcely clouded sky, and together we lay in silence,
a silence in which we share everything,
a silence I am loathe to end, but must break,
as the distant shapes of all the others stand up slowly,
ambling over to chat with one another as
they head back to the bus, back into the present,
and I must follow.

Time (Press)

2006-04-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Much more is needed

She says, as the efforts fall

D'clining, like whispers

Untitled (Press)

2006-04-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

Your footsteps echo mine
as we walk slowly along the sand
and behind us trail two sets
of faint footprints
casually disappearing under the
waves' desperate fight to claim the beach.
The salty water caresses
our bare legs, still pale from the
long winter months, and we both
screech when the occasional over eager
wave splashes our clothes.
You stoop and pick up one of the many
sea-worn rocks and heave it into the tide,
as if with this one motion you rid yourself
of any and all of your worries and fears-
the ones that so frequently replace
you light, carefree laughter with a
silence louder than the oceans own song.
I stop to draw randomly in the sand,
intertwining names, drawings and dreams,
and you take this moment to wade deeper
into the icy, salty water, until it
darkens the bottom of your shorts and
you shiver at its cold, comforting embrace.
I come and stand beside you,
sharing in your quiet reflections.
Moved by the warm tears racing down
to cling to your cheeks, your chin,
I slip my hand slowly into yours,
sqeezing gently, and I turn around
to claim the warmth of the fire,
left to burn indifferently
inside a ring of rough-hewn stones,
and leave you standing there, alone.

The Sad Truth ( bless)

2006-04-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

A sad but hopeful mother sits crying on the bed.

Outside it’s raining with a death upon a bed.

She cries not for her self but for the child she lost on that bed.

While the night unfolds and the stories are told, she will sleep on that

deathbed.

She thinks not of what she’s lost but of the many more because of the

bed.

It’s a hard struggle and she will see her death upon that bed.

Oh my romeo (bless)

2006-04-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

I know you are out there
I miss you where ever.
I spend countless nights crying over you.
When will I see you again?
I wish you could feel me
Feel my heart cry out for you to come to me
I am waithng
I miss you my dear

Life just isn't the same anymore
I went to grocery shopping
and I started crying over the memory of you
Come sve me my romeo
Juliet is crying out for you

We are stuck in the notebook

I will never stop loving you
I can't go to bed anymore without crying 311 tears over you

Reverie (Address)

2006-04-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

Address: Does this poem make any sense? Should it?

thousands of images
pass before my passive eyes
as my mind dreams them up
as only it can
because reality will
never present me with
such hopes as this
restless creature does -
my soul sleeps fitfully,
living in this second
existence, unparalleled,
jumbled, and shrinking
as I surface back to life
and the realization
that my thoughts
will lie dead and useless
but I cannot bury them.

Crazy Lady (press)

2006-03-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Why are you doing this
Oh why are you doing this
You cause me pain with this crazy scheme

All the changes make me want to scream
Why must everything be so clean
Oh I hope I don’t loose my spleen

You make me want to throw cream
Oh yes you make me want to throw cream
To you everything must gleam

Not everything looks as it seems
You made me make up a word like leams
And even a word like cleams

So why don’t you stop being so mean
Oh why don’t you stop being so mean
Maybe you could be more lean

Untitled (Press/Address)

2006-03-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

Address: Title ideas? I had a title, but when I went through and rewrote this poem, the title no longer fit. Any suggestions?

Stubby green grass pokes up warily through the
weather-beaten pieces of my headstone.
These fragments lay mixed with the dry, brittle remnants of
one or two long stem roses, rustling carelessly in a cool breeze.
You lovingly left them in a crystal vase,
originally attached carefully to the side of the stone,
fastened there to reflect every last bit of light until the sun set,
now lying shattered on the ground, still reflecting
tiny shards of the ever-changing light.
These fractured shreds of stone and glass
lay testimony to the fury of that storm, a month or two ago,
and the impact of that 100 year old oak falling recklessly onto my tombstone,
seperating it along the tiny, yet deep cracks formed throughout the years.
They removed the tree weeks ago, but never really bothered
to tidy up the mess. It's your job, they said.
But you haven't come yet, and just as I begin to worry that,
maybe you'd finally forgotten me or were just too wrapped up
in your own pain and sorrow to visit me,
I hear soft footsteps crunching in the gravel
and you slowly come into view,
wearing your nice, although slightly scuffed, black dress shoes
and your one really comfortable old gray suit,
the same one you've worn on every visit, beginning with
the day I first came here.
You're walking deliberatly on that gravel, as if to
preserve the silence, invariably and inevitably present.
This time, you bring not one but
three dozen beautiful white roses, and stop
reverently at the two headstones next to mine,
saying silent prayers and paying your respect
to two of my closest friends, gone such
a short time, only two months, to my ten years,
the dirt on their graves still partially bare of grass.
Then you move on to mine, and begin to
pick up the broken glass, putting the pieces carefully into
an empty plastic grocery bag you pulled from your pocket.
Finally, you kneel in the grass, laying that final bunch of
roses down in front of you, mindful not to dislodge any petals.
I hear you whisper something softly, something about fixing this up,
before you close your eyes slowly, painfully, and
sink down until your head touches the largest fragment,
bearing my name in large badly worn letters,
and I feel your tears lightly strike the stone
and slide off into the growing grass as you mourn
your loss, still as great as that first day, that first time
you sat in front of me, not noticing that I was still there,
if only in spirit, and cried as you do now.

Silence is golden (press)

2006-03-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Preposterous, I say.
The witty fellow who
first spoke these is a
fool. None can truly
know the quality of silence;
for silence only descends
on deaf ears,
those that take
it for granted

Sweet Dreams My Love

2006-03-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

You are all around me,
Every where I go.
Your beautiful picture
Haunts me. The beautiful
Eyes following me, where
Ever I go. I see me
And I used to look
So happy but in the mirror it is different.
I’m angry, cold, and alone.

I love you, for being the best thing that
Has ever happened to me.
I hate you for being my only love; forever.

I wish I could kiss you but the poisonous touch of your skin, will kill
Me inside and out.

I cry tears tonight and
Forever more. I will always
Wait for you to love me again.

I am happy in the dark
, and angry, oh so angry, in
The sun. I will always
Be forever the lone wolf
In the night; crying to
The moon.

I hang my head, lifted high.
I cry only when I’m alive.
Depression and love are splitting me
Over and over, into a million
Pieces. Pieces that I use, to cut
out the pain in my arm. Where I show myself to you on
my sleeve.

So steel my heart and put it on
a silver platter. Hang my heart over
a cliff and toss it into the water
to be drowned by the public interruptions.

Kiss me goodnight. For now it is
time truly for my mind to leave
my warm heart, and sink into
my own dark corner, where I am invisible.
Your memory hugs my body, sweetly till I die.

Sad and Cold (press)

2006-03-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

It’s cold and gray outside!
That’s just the way I feel inside!
I fight back those tears I’m trying to hide.
I try to smile to hide the way I feel inside.
It’s hard to do to myself.
I lye to myself and don’t ask for help.
I cry all night and wait it out.
I hate this feeling I want to die.
It’s time I call out for some help.
I talk to her, she’s my friend.
It’s better now time to end .

Removing Mascara (Press)

2006-03-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Black tears
slide down my cheeks
as my false identity
drips into the sink.

A Lifeguard moment (press)

2006-03-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

Splish splash the children are playing,
In the pool someone is drowning,
A scream is heard a wistle blows,
My heart is racing its going to blow,
I jump right on in to stop the show,
I hear the cry the plea for help,
I'm not to late to help her out,
It's over now the stories done,
The people are gone and I am shunned.

Branching Out

2006-03-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

Check out these opportunities for teen writers at local area libraries. Click on the library link that's closest to your house and look for poetry clubs, writers' workshops and much more. Most of the events are free, and it's a great way to meet and share your work with other teen writers.

Mamie D. Eisenhower Library Teen Zone in Broomfield

Lafayette Public Library Teen Zone

Boulder Public Library Teen Zone

Time (Press)

2006-03-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

Time runs its own path
Here and there
Every day every second time runs its allotted course

Entire civilizations crumble under its pressure
Language is forgotten
Emerging with new ideas
Merging from what was
Every new world flourishes for a time
Not earth, wind, water, nor fire matter
Triumph is but momentary
Seclusion is the key.

IMPORTANT REMINDER from La Maestra

2006-03-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

NOTE TO ALL WHO COMMENT ON THIS BLOG:

Please remember that you may not use any identifying names in your comments. I have to delete any comments that use the names of any students, even if they are only first names. What's more, if you post a comment while logged in to a blogger account that uses your name as the display name, I have to delete those comments, too. In those cases, it's best to comment as "anonymous".

Please be mindful that the rules are all in the best interest of the school and the members of this blog community. Thanks for following them and making my job easier.

Winter Magic (press)

2006-03-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Winter Magic

I look at the glistening snow
Oh how it beckons me so
It cries a wonderful song
To have me come join along
As it crunches beneath my feet
Oh how I wish it was heat
I fall down and look around
Then make a snow angel on the ground
I whisper into the snow
"I wish all could know
The joys of being outside
In natures mysterious tide"

Welcome New Club Members!

2006-02-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to welcome the newest members of the Wednesday Afternoon Poetry Club to the world of blogging poetry. As you will learn at today's meeting, blogging is a great way to share your work and read what others are writing, even in the middle of the night! Below is some introductory information from our very first post back in October. Once you've read through it, feel free to browse through the previous posts on the blog, and comment on the poets' requests for pressing, blessing or addressing their work. (Remember to always use your slam names when you comment or post.)

In order to post your poems, you need to get your parent/guardian's signature on the permission form, and return it to La Maestra in her classroom. You do not need to wait until the next Wednesday meeting to return the signed form. Once La Maestra receives your form, she will send you an invitation at your email address.

In your email invitation, you will see a link. Click on it, and it will take you to a window asking you to sign in to join the blog. Before you may sign in, you will need to click on the "Create an Account" button. You will choose a user name, a password, and a display name. Your display name will be seen every time you post a poem or comment on someone else's post. Your display name must protect your identity and all your personal information. It should not reveal anything about you. This is your chance to choose your slam poet name. Be creative. In addition to creating a slam name, you may also create a user profile that anyone reading the blog will see by clicking on your slam name. Again, for your own protection, you may not share any identifying information in your profile.

Once you create your account and sign in, you will be able to post your poetry on our blog.

Nocturne (Press)

2006-02-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

I hope that you can find me in the stars
just like I always see you in the sun,
for then the universe will know what's ours
and we'll exist there - tranquil, quiet, one.
Perhaps someday I'll sparkle in your eyes
as brightly as you shine each day through mine,
and then we'll both be innocent and wise,
complete and with conviction, for all time.
But we walk not in heaven, here on Earth:
and I cannot fulfill this need in me,
and empty, maybe, I'll forever be,
falsely feeling outcast, without worth.
And every day, I'll tread on this ground, blind,
the thought of lost sight always on my mind.

Solitude (Press)

2006-02-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

The wind rustling the limbs on the

bent, leafless trees

pushes the swing I sit on gently

as my feet trail lightly through

the loose, powdery snow.

It's a cold wind,

forcing me to unclamp my frozen hands from

the slightly rusted metal chains

and wrap them tightly around myself,

keeping the biting wind from sneaking

into my jacket through the broken zipper.

I hear flocks of geese calling overhead as they fly,

traveling northeast towards the snow-covered

grassy fields stuck haphazardly between

the housing developments spreading rapidly

like some contagious, yet fatal, disease.

The swing next to me rocks emptily

as the wind continues to blow-

driving tiny, pale flakes off of neighboring

rooftops and causing the old, worn out

wooden playground equipment to creak loudly,

drowning out the calls of the geese.

My fingers, red and numb from the

icy metal have begun to thaw inside

my pockets, occasionally braving the

wind to brush stray brown hairs

away from my face.

The wind begins to blow even more fiercely,

causing the swings to rattle sharply

as I jump off into the soft, white powder.

It crunches under my feet as I walk hurridly

home, trying to escape the increasingly frigid air.

Truth (press)

2006-02-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Truth

What tells the truth
Do eyes?
Do hands?
Do mouths?
Does anything?
Of all the things
That may tell the truth
Could it be blood
It boils in anger
it freezes when scared
It is blue in the body
But red in the air
Blood seeps
Blood flows
Blood reveals all
If anything tells the truth
Blood will

It's Real

2006-02-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

my hair sways slowly
as I walk
to my room
the tears are dripping
bringing with them faded remembrance
of the day's makeup.

I change
into my pajamas
throw my hair up into a ponytail
and turn the water on
hot and get out the soap
to drown out
my faded face.

My tears fade
as the hot water
sweeps them away.
But the pain
that caused them
stays, even as I wipe my
damp face
with a towel.

This is real
is what I tell myself
over and
over again
as I sit down
on my bed
with
a magazine
and some hot tea.

Blood (press)

2006-02-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Blood

Blood,blood seeps
As I sit feeling
REVEALED
Christ is that sensation
No more blood
No more seeping
The blood drips no more
Only a scar
Where it seeped through
Once before