Poetry competition CLOSED 5th April 2012 2:48pm
WINNER
braggman (Steve Bragg)
braggman (Steve Bragg)
RUNNER-UP:
MrAlptraum
The Long Sleep
Life feels nothing like it should
Where are the medals that I fought the great war for?
Where are those sweet grandchildren I'm supposed to adore?
Where are my children I fed, clothed and bathed?
Where is my sweet wife that abandoned the carwreck, and to this day
I wonder when the love for my brothers shyed?
And where in germany my fathers remains hide?
Why cancer strikes those so young, and I've made it to 92.
I wonder who I could have died for to save them from the painful truth.
I know there is nothing beyond this, no fear, no care, nothing to lose.
My religion died when my darling left me to go on.
At 55 she'd done less no wrong.
I wish I were there to comfort her that noon.
And though I know I will be with her soon,
Life feels nothing like it should.
Where are the medals that I fought the great war for?
Where are those sweet grandchildren I'm supposed to adore?
Where are my children I fed, clothed and bathed?
Where is my sweet wife that abandoned the carwreck, and to this day
I wonder when the love for my brothers shyed?
And where in germany my fathers remains hide?
Why cancer strikes those so young, and I've made it to 92.
I wonder who I could have died for to save them from the painful truth.
I know there is nothing beyond this, no fear, no care, nothing to lose.
My religion died when my darling left me to go on.
At 55 she'd done less no wrong.
I wish I were there to comfort her that noon.
And though I know I will be with her soon,
Life feels nothing like it should.
Anonymous
[font=Verdana]Thanks for all your entries so far. One week left.
a lifetime of debt
unfinished masterpieces
and could of beens
but
i cant shake this heroes welcome
forgot is nearly every experience
but you cant take from me
this warmth
as
ive seen her dance
on hillsides and infinity
and at least once she
reached out her hand to me
unfinished masterpieces
and could of beens
but
i cant shake this heroes welcome
forgot is nearly every experience
but you cant take from me
this warmth
as
ive seen her dance
on hillsides and infinity
and at least once she
reached out her hand to me
Anonymous
[font=Verdana]Three days left.
I feel it washing over me
Breathing down my back
I ask god to forgive me
and satan to cut me some slack..
The icey chill
running down my spine
I know its time to go
I know I am out of time..
But please don't let my grand kids think
I died as a drunk
Let them believe I went down,
Like the titanic had sunk..
I can see it now, here comes the light..
wait it's just on coming traffic, what a way to end the night!
Breathing down my back
I ask god to forgive me
and satan to cut me some slack..
The icey chill
running down my spine
I know its time to go
I know I am out of time..
But please don't let my grand kids think
I died as a drunk
Let them believe I went down,
Like the titanic had sunk..
I can see it now, here comes the light..
wait it's just on coming traffic, what a way to end the night!
The longest slumber
Time went by too fast for me.
I couldn't see everything to see.
But now I close my eyes forever.
There were so many things I didn't want to do.
There were so many times I just couldn't stay true.
But now I'm gonna set this right, I will come to you.
I see my hands, they tremble out of fear.
My mind goes blank, when I think of you my dear.
I hear your footsteps, you are near.
I take a breath and stand up tall.
There will be a time when I will fall.
The wait seems like forever.
Time went by too fast for me.
I couldn't see everything to see.
But now I close my eyes forever.
There were so many things I didn't want to do.
There were so many times I just couldn't stay true.
But now I'm gonna set this right, I will come to you.
I see my hands, they tremble out of fear.
My mind goes blank, when I think of you my dear.
I hear your footsteps, you are near.
I take a breath and stand up tall.
There will be a time when I will fall.
The wait seems like forever.
The Wish to go Home
I've been here for decades yet still remain
Remaining a burden
To my youthful children who believe I'm insane
Sorrow and hopelessly forbidden
I am locked away in this painful place
I weep and I tear
Hoping to see my wife's face
Longing for the day I can have another beer
Mourning in this place with many others
The last of my family I am here to rack my brain
I've lost them all including my brothers
Lost in a sea of tables, nurses, folks who share this pain
Locked away - I wrote you this poem
I wish for death to take me home.
I've been here for decades yet still remain
Remaining a burden
To my youthful children who believe I'm insane
Sorrow and hopelessly forbidden
I am locked away in this painful place
I weep and I tear
Hoping to see my wife's face
Longing for the day I can have another beer
Mourning in this place with many others
The last of my family I am here to rack my brain
I've lost them all including my brothers
Lost in a sea of tables, nurses, folks who share this pain
Locked away - I wrote you this poem
I wish for death to take me home.
Anonymous
[font=Verdana]Thanks for your entries. One day left.
I had a dream that, to this day, lingers
fingers through the pages of my mind like it's somehow intriguing
though i know, only to well, how it is not
And in this frightening fog, that has somehow carried on into morning
and each adorning day of my frightening decay,
I walked hand in hand with the death of my days
along emptying streets and darkening stones that led far beyond and before the unknown
And within this dream i spent near a lifetime,
clutching palms with the bearer of doom until it seemed to fit perfectly inside mine
Until the essence of an old friend began to bloom amongst us
But with the sun came a thickening gloom, for i had awaken only minutes too soon
And as my aged and blurry eyes roamed the contours of mine own wrinkles
My young soul ached for the freedom of it’s mind
To stride freely beside time along the everlasting cobblestones of my dreams
fingers through the pages of my mind like it's somehow intriguing
though i know, only to well, how it is not
And in this frightening fog, that has somehow carried on into morning
and each adorning day of my frightening decay,
I walked hand in hand with the death of my days
along emptying streets and darkening stones that led far beyond and before the unknown
And within this dream i spent near a lifetime,
clutching palms with the bearer of doom until it seemed to fit perfectly inside mine
Until the essence of an old friend began to bloom amongst us
But with the sun came a thickening gloom, for i had awaken only minutes too soon
And as my aged and blurry eyes roamed the contours of mine own wrinkles
My young soul ached for the freedom of it’s mind
To stride freely beside time along the everlasting cobblestones of my dreams
Bargain
I’d planned my escapes, made my secret pacts since boyhood
bargains to abstain from the whims of time and pain.
These looks on your faces, weak with grief and anticipation
frighten me. Please leave. I’ve done nothing to deserve this.
I recalculate the deals. This mistake just can’t be real.
Does the mind lose itself in age
or does it become too much more
of its own world for experience
to justify?
This is how I will remain. This is how I choose,
lost, locked in that same backroad cabin of the mind
I’ve been building on for years.
Poetry grows there, a fir tree by the door
where you and where death can never follow.
I’d planned my escapes, made my secret pacts since boyhood
bargains to abstain from the whims of time and pain.
These looks on your faces, weak with grief and anticipation
frighten me. Please leave. I’ve done nothing to deserve this.
I recalculate the deals. This mistake just can’t be real.
Does the mind lose itself in age
or does it become too much more
of its own world for experience
to justify?
This is how I will remain. This is how I choose,
lost, locked in that same backroad cabin of the mind
I’ve been building on for years.
Poetry grows there, a fir tree by the door
where you and where death can never follow.
Anonymous
Each night, breath held
My heart skipped beats.
I knew you heard me coming
although you could not see.
In shadowed eyes, and hazy light
You'd exclaim-My Angel, alright!
My heart full of gratitude
That you were okay
I would brush your hair
and listen, as you talked about your day.
Bedtime rituals, lotion soaked hands
I massaged your legs-
As you spoke of your plans
We pick out your gown-
The softest, of course...
I assure you again, just like before
That this is your home-
and we cry once more.
I let you know that I'll be around
Visit you each night, help you get through it.
Till one day, I came in and right away I knew.
I had given up, but stayed there for you.
Boss said you were gone, I gave her my badge-
Stood in your room-knew you had peace at last.
Sitting with my old friends night after night-
was so heartbreaking-I no longer wear white
To Work.
((R.I.P. @ the patients who shared last moments as I was their nurse and friend))))))
My heart skipped beats.
I knew you heard me coming
although you could not see.
In shadowed eyes, and hazy light
You'd exclaim-My Angel, alright!
My heart full of gratitude
That you were okay
I would brush your hair
and listen, as you talked about your day.
Bedtime rituals, lotion soaked hands
I massaged your legs-
As you spoke of your plans
We pick out your gown-
The softest, of course...
I assure you again, just like before
That this is your home-
and we cry once more.
I let you know that I'll be around
Visit you each night, help you get through it.
Till one day, I came in and right away I knew.
I had given up, but stayed there for you.
Boss said you were gone, I gave her my badge-
Stood in your room-knew you had peace at last.
Sitting with my old friends night after night-
was so heartbreaking-I no longer wear white
To Work.
((R.I.P. @ the patients who shared last moments as I was their nurse and friend))))))
Anonymous
[font=Verdana]Thank you for the entry, milkmoondancer, but the poem has to be from the perspective of the dying person, not someone near them.
Anonymous
Give me the champagne
=======
God i was a dick
should have been nicer to insects
at least they can fly
wish i could feel this blanket on my knees
but nerves are first to go, i know
the ceiling is bare
God i was nice too much
should have knocked the fuckers cold
like i always said to myself in my own head
Man it was cold some winters
i always thought about your ears
red and ready to hear all my bullshit
how quickly i would go
if you just stood by the bed, watch me
go
=======
God i was a dick
should have been nicer to insects
at least they can fly
wish i could feel this blanket on my knees
but nerves are first to go, i know
the ceiling is bare
God i was nice too much
should have knocked the fuckers cold
like i always said to myself in my own head
Man it was cold some winters
i always thought about your ears
red and ready to hear all my bullshit
how quickly i would go
if you just stood by the bed, watch me
go
