Poems i think you should read

Bed

 

I dream myself

A cool white bed. It is nothing

Like the bed I sleep in now,

(which is hardly a bed,

Being a futon),

But a huge bed, with

A smooth wood frame.

The headboard

And the footboard curve back, away

From each other.

 

The bed sits in the middle of a room,

A big room,

With sun-streaked wood floors, and

Bare white walls, and open windows.

There is nothing else in the room,

But through the window you can hear

A sound, which could be

Waves breaking on the shore, could be

Winds whistling through the pines.

 

The dream

Isn’t about the bed. Its

Not about sleeping, either, nor

About having sex in the bed (although

That could be imagined) – its really about

Simplicity, about lack of clutter, about

Perfection.

 

  

The bed

 

I dream myself

A cool white bed. Its frame

Is made of smooth,

Light wood. Pale

Silk sheets stretch taut

Against the mattress.

 

The headboard and footboard

Arch back, sweeping

Away from each other.

 

The bed

Rests on a sun-streaked floor.

Through a window, you can hear a sound,

Which could be

Waves breaking

Over rocks.

 

Or wind,

Or the low rush of traffic

On a city street.

 

There is nothing else.

 

It is just the room,

The bed,

The sound,

And the air – a tinge

Of cold – and all of it

Shimmering, shimmering.

 

A poem by Linda Jarkesy – first draft on the left and final on the right. Which do you prefer?

 

 

  

TEA – Carol Ann Duffy

 

I like pouring your tea, lifting

The heavy pot, tipping it up,

So the fragrant liquid steams in your china cup.

 

Or when you're away, or at work,

I like to think of your cupped hands as you sip,

As you sip, of the faint half- smile of your lips.

 

I like the questions – sugar? – milk? –

And the answers I don’t know by heart, yet,

For I see your soul in your eyes, and I forget.

 

Jasmine, Gunpowder, Assam, Earl Grey, Ceylon,

I love tea’s names. Which tea would you like? I say,

But its any tea, for you, please, any time of day,

 

As the woman harvest the slopes,

For the sweetest leaves, on Mount Wu-Yi,

And I am your lover, smitten, straining your tea.

 

He is more than a Hero – Sappho ( 610 -580 B.C.)

 

He is more than a hero

 

He is a god in my eyes –

The man who is allowed

To sit beside you – he

 

Who listens intimately

To the sweet murmur of

Your voice, the enticing

 

Laughter that makes my own

Heart beat fast. If I meet

You suddenly, I cant

 

Speak – my tongue is broken;

A thin flame runs under

My skin; seeing nothing,

 

Hearing only my own ears

Drumming, I drip with sweat:

Trembling shakes my body

 

And I turn paler than

Dry grass. At such times

Death isn’t far from me.

 

 

 

 

These poems I found in the book ‘poetry for dummies’ and ‘ the mature students guide to writing’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pisces

One of the loves of my life is astrology. When I meet a person I like to know their sign so I can analyse them, get to understand them on a level they may not even understand themselves on. I always refer back to my little zodiac type book, when I’m watching an actor on screen, contestants in reality shows and when I observe passers-by. I was recently reading my book; reading my sign (Pisces) and every time I read it I get surprised at how much I am alike to it! So I thought I would do a page on each sign to go on my blog, just to share my love and so you all can get a better understanding of me.

 

PISCES – (19^th Feb – 20^th March)

12^th sign of the zodiac is concerned with:

·        Secrets, fulfilment of life, eternity

·        Sensitivity, intuition, humour, satire

·        Unusual talent, memory, wisdom, versatility

·        Art, drama, poetry, prose, dance

·        Illusions, magic, film, fantasy, make believe

·        Dreams, the psychic, precognition, sixth sense

·        Compassion, sympathy, love, altruism

 

Mutable means changeable and water

can change its form in many ways: rain, hail, snow, mist, frost, clouds

rainbows, warm pools and puddles; thus Pisceans feelings can

change a dozen times a day.

 

Characteristics

Positive: loving, caring, trusting, hospitable and will help all in distress, shy, helpful, romantic, creative, mystical, gentle and kind, compassionate, understanding of others.

Negative: self-pitying, gullible, temperamental, dependant, escapist, sensationalist, depressive, can lose touch with reality, too emotionally involved with the problems of others, tends to blame self for everything.

More than any other sign, Pisces has many talents which may be used to develop their character. Many work hard to improve the lot of humanity. Others bring their talents to film and entertainment, enlivening the lives of thousands.

Pisces needs to turn his/her private,

Mystical dream world of love

& compassion into a reality.

 

The Pisces female –

·        Does not try to dominate her partner in any way

·        Often appears vague and dreamy

·        Is subtle and, while appearing to be helpless or incapable, gets things organised and manages the finances extremely well

·        Protects her emotional vulnerability with humour or a sophisticated exterior

·        Needs to belong to someone

·        Has a warm, sympathetic heart

 

 

Typical behaviour and abilities

When at a home, a Pisces man or woman:

·         Will often enter a fantasy world

·         Will feel safe to freely explore his or her imagination

·         Will probably have no fixed routine

·         Is likely to be untidy, although he or she may have a sudden urge to tidy everything to avoid confusion

·         Will need a space for personal privacy

·         Should keep a large, clear clock

·         Will make the home itself into a wonderful world of art, music, design and good food and wine

 

Typical occupations

Film, theatre, TV, radio, ballet, music and art will attract Pisces, who is often a good actor. A job that allows travel will be attractive. Helping people solve their problems, charitable and church are also attractive to Pisces.

Pisces and love –

Behaviour when in love:

·        is romantic, eager to please, adapts to the demands of the relationship

·        appears to be helpless, delicate & vulnerable, but being loved enables a Pisces to cope well with a range of difficulties, problems & tragedies.

·        Is emotionally involved, to the point of not recognising when he or she is being deceived or treated badly.

Expectations:

·        To have his or her dreams valued, and to be protected from harsh criticism

·        To be cared for romantically, to have children, to be frequently reassured they are loved

·        All birthdays and anniversaries to be remembered

The end of an affair

Some Pisces tend to drift into another relationship almost without noticing, yet they are surprised when they are accused of unfaithfulness. The self-doubt which haunts many Pisces can only be dispelled by repeated reassurance that they are loveable. Consequently Pisces may sometimes just leave a relationship with no clear reasons and with no regrets. It is not that the Pisces does not love the abandoned partner anymore. On the contrary, Pisces will often show much sympathetic understanding and will try to retain a friendly relationship with the one he/she has left.

The worse possible event for a Pisces is to be rejected by the one who loved them. A partner who wants to end a relationship with a typical Pisces will find this a very difficult thing to do. Pisces will cling convinced that if they can reform in some way, everything will be alright again. The ex-partner of a Pisces may have to go to extremes to extricate him or herself from the emotional mess that a hurt Pisces can produce.

 

When a typical Pisces makes love

It is an act of romance rather than

Of carnal pleasure. Typical Pisces

Is less interested in sexual activity than

In the expressions of love that come before

And afterwards.

To many men, Pisces is the perfectly feminine woman. She may appear to be a helpless, fluffy person but, once married, she will feel secure and her reserve of talents and abilities will pour out in every direction.

 

Pisces are friendly, humorous and caring friends, even if there are long periods of time between meetings. Pisces will always think up something interesting to do and will enjoy any kind of artistic ventures.

Pisces likes:

·        Film, theatre, travelling, entertainers, witches, elves, monsters, gypsies,mystic settings, candles,inscence, background music

·        Romantic places, sunsets, mountain vistas, waterfalls, organic foods, poetry, privacy, colourful food

·        New books, diamonds, being loved, freedom to drift along from time to time, presents wrapped in magical paper, people who need their understanding

Dislikes:

·        Bright, noisy, crowded places, stiff clothing, authorities, people knowing too much about him/her

·        Being told to get a grip on things

·        Dirty, ugly objects

FAMOUS PISCEANS

Joanne Woodward

Elizabeth Taylor

Albert Einstein

Sidney Poitier

Liza Minnelli

Meher baba

Rudolf Nureyev

(source - Collins gem - Zodiac types)

that stone has a personality

Left without even looking at myself in the mirror, very much preoccupied with my mental state to even consider anybody else’s feelings of what I look like. Shading my soul with my big circle sunglasses. They are my security, like a door is to a cat that has agoraphobia. Walking along the trodden pine trails, the undergrowth is teething with miniature bug lives, they solider on with life like little troopers. If Mr ant penetrated his best mate’s wife he just takes it in his ant stride. He will carry on cutting that leaf or collecting that fly. Rigor mortis has set in so much and is too heavy to carry for him so he cuts of one wing to make it lighter. Nothing is impossible for Mr ant, especially when it involves helping out his own. Warmth is in the air, its static, water trickles over the pebbles; spherical ones, Quasimodo like ones, square ones. The fact that they are all so imperfect makes the sound of trickling water immaculately perfect. Like someone gently blowing on hand made panpipes. I really ought to take of my shades but I don’t even want the wildlife to catch a peak at my watering soul, my miserable face might catch. You can get lost in a miniature world like that. Rubbing my nose, I come across a scab… I didn’t look in that shiny thing, the one that tells us we are not perfect, yet I’m still finding out I’m not, maybe I should have looked in the mirror. I picked up a rock, it was heavy, my arm drooped a little. I glared at it for a while, noticing the moss overgrowing on it, taking it over, that’s he’s life goal I said judgingly. Gawking at it. It had little little tiny stones on it, each one looked individual, I pointed at them giving each a name…Cesar, Hank, Gina, Churchill (that was the biggest smallest one of them all), Regina, Summer, Pippin. All these imperfection made the stone perfect, it wasn’t the best looking stone as they go but it meant something, it had depth, the stone had a personality!! Every deposit on that stone was part of its history and the story telling was endless. This one stone washed away my misery. I lugged the stone all the way home with me, smiling every time I looked down at it. Only I knew what it meant, only I understood that stone. I looked at other stone on the way home, perfectly formed ones. I turned my nose up at them, they don’t hold anything special. Not like MY stone, rock, perfectly imperfect object. I put it on my shelf. That scab on my nose? I left it there until it fell off. It was my story.

Where i leave my fingerprints

I leave my fingerprints so you know where I have been.
They’re on the crystal glass door knob, impeccably formed. Snug like Sophia Loren’s undergarments.
I left them on the glass cabinets that hold the priceless diamonds and pearls at Tiffany’s so you know where I am when you’ve given me the mean reds.

 I wanted to leave them on the Mona Lisa to evoke your memory of my smile, but they wouldn’t let me. Instead I left them on the Eiffel tower so you remember my fear, if you can hark back to the small things like that?

I went to that ice cream cart that sells those ridiculous ice cream flavours. Sazzleberry…peewee…& inkleberry? You remember when we both got an ice cream and we were standing there, all those police came out of nowhere and raided that shop? We looked back at our ice creams and they were sliding down our arms. I left my fingerprints there because that day we laughed away our shadows.

I left my fingerprints on her panties so you would remember me, they were satin pink; pretty little things. Covered in stains. On the inside and out…

 The last thing I left my fingerprints on was dire,  you didn’t know that as you were too busy discovering my fingerprints on her satin panties. The pill pot was perfectly rounded; my fingerprints felt they were where they rightly belonged. They looked most at home there, felt most at peace. Although they knew it was right, the fingerprints were bizarrely smudged. They looked like a ghost being sucked in to a vacuum. On the pills there were partials, palm prints, finger prints and imprints of my lips. Even though I’m certain they disappeared when they were swallowed.  

 The last limp fingerprints would be on your hands…..with no real feeling or conviction.

 

 

that hawaiian shirt

that Hawaiian shirt you had hanging over your bed.
palm trees, the ocean, sun and sand.
I went up to it, buried my nose and my heart stopped.
after I took an inhale of the shirt my cerebrum pumped and pumped.
my body was shut off, all senses stopped, for a split second.
it jump started certain memories.
I smelt sand, I smelt sweat, I smelt love.
I saw flickers of holidays, a young me, an old you, people I had never seen before.
like I had lived a previous life, it was all black and white, maybe sepia.
had my life flashed before my eyes? one I had never seen before.
one I have been before? my feet were buried in the sand, I saw a sand castle.
I saw your smile.
it felt like I was in this place for a day or two, yet reality told me it was point 5 of a second.
I was naked when I picked up your Hawaiian shirt, I felt it caress my skin.
I put it on, it was huge, I resembled Tom Hanks from that film we loved, "Big".
the whole room was a glow, the image on the shirt was mirrored on the walls.
I sat and I smiled for a bit, I rubbed my shoulder against my chin.
it was a soft spot in "a place in the sun", warming my bare legs.
blues, oranges, yellows, greens and reds,
not the mean reds,
not the moody blues,
I took the shirt off, it was cold, it was silent.
I put it back over your bed and pulled the covers up close.
I thought of Monty and Liz.

Thanks to Marilyn

Her platinum blonde hair,

Thanks to Max Faktor,

Her new nose + chin,

Thanks to Johnny Hyde,

Her new outlook on life,

Thanks to Joe DiMaggio. 

Her immaculate body + curves,

Thanks to her love of food,

Her glorious gowns,

Thanks to Jean Louis, Will Travilla,

Her beautiful face,

Thanks to Gladys Baker. 

Her acting, singing, dancing skills,

Thanks to Strasburg, Hal Schaefer,

Her endless beauty,

Thanks to Norma Jeane, Aunt Ana. 

Thanks for your personality,

Although your beauty is out of this world,

Your personality stands the test of time. 

Thanks for your innocence,

Thanks for the comfort you bring,

Thanks for the good you see in everyone around you,

Thanks for your endless love,

Thanks for your understanding,

Your patience and your self-respect. 

You never stopped trying, you never gave up,

For you Marilyn made who you are and kept it true.

 

Thank you Marilyn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photo not owned by me)

Poor little shoebill

Poor little shoebill,

Mommy has no food for you,

She’s gone to get water,

Poor little shoebill left to fend with your sibling. 

But when mommies back’s turned,

You peck, peck, peck at your sibling,

He is now weak and you strong.

Mommy comes back and sees what went on,

Helpless little shoebill,

Runs to mommy for comfort,
Her beak filled with water,
Just enough for one.

She picks ‘poor’ little shoebill,

The stronger one.

 

You evil little shoebill.