Submissions by Tallquietguy
POEMS AND SHORT STORIES
Poet Introduction
Can you call yourself a poet if you only write when the muse beckons? Sometimes I feel as if someone else is writing the words & I'm just the one putting them on paper. Schizophrenic or just plain weird?
SONG LYRICS
Published
28th Mar 2022 9:52am
28th Mar 2022 9:52am
Long Ago and Far Away
The hometown looks the same
It's the faces that have changed ... (seems)
Everyone I know has died or gone away
The old house looks the same
but only ghosts remain
in the shadows of the corners of my mind
As I walk beside the memories, I find it hard to breathe
Reliving all those years I've left behind
Long ago and far away
I was young forever and a day
Then time moved on and dreams crumbled into dust
Long ago and far away ...
It's the faces that have changed ... (seems)
Everyone I know has died or gone away
The old house looks the same
but only ghosts remain
in the shadows of the corners of my mind
As I walk beside the memories, I find it hard to breathe
Reliving all those years I've left behind
Long ago and far away
I was young forever and a day
Then time moved on and dreams crumbled into dust
Long ago and far away ...
#sadness
#TimeHeals
#aging
#nostalgia
#bittersweet
346 reads
2 Comments
OBSERVATIONAL POEM
Published
23rd Mar 2022 1:39am
23rd Mar 2022 1:39am
Are Raindrops Ever Lonely?
Surely raindrops are never lonely,
Being that they always travel with family and friends
Though perhaps they lose their personality
As their droppiness merges
Into a puddle in the grass
Surely raindrops are never sad
One can't imagine they ponder much on
Death and taxes and unjust war
(If there were such thing as a just war)
Though they probably fight to breathe
Being all squished together
In their little puddle in the grass
Do raindrops notice when they're dying? --
When the sun warms the earth
And the...
Being that they always travel with family and friends
Though perhaps they lose their personality
As their droppiness merges
Into a puddle in the grass
Surely raindrops are never sad
One can't imagine they ponder much on
Death and taxes and unjust war
(If there were such thing as a just war)
Though they probably fight to breathe
Being all squished together
In their little puddle in the grass
Do raindrops notice when they're dying? --
When the sun warms the earth
And the...
#rain
#storm
#water
266 reads
2 Comments
SELF POEM
Published
13th Mar 2022 8:46pm
13th Mar 2022 8:46pm
At What Cost Do I Live?
My life is not my own
I am the culmination of a thousand generations,
the intersecting interplay of the efforts
of a million laboring hands
What do I give, what do I contribute in turn
for the opportunity to simply be alive?
Subtracting cost from revenue,
am I merely an expense?
As I venture into the world each day,
I send out ripples,
like the bow of a boat
skimming through the ocean,
crests and troughs gently (sometimes not so gently)
jostling other travelers
I poison...
I am the culmination of a thousand generations,
the intersecting interplay of the efforts
of a million laboring hands
What do I give, what do I contribute in turn
for the opportunity to simply be alive?
Subtracting cost from revenue,
am I merely an expense?
As I venture into the world each day,
I send out ripples,
like the bow of a boat
skimming through the ocean,
crests and troughs gently (sometimes not so gently)
jostling other travelers
I poison...
#universe
#fate
#TruthOfLife
#morality
#karma
305 reads
3 Comments
UPBEAT INSPIRATIONAL POEM
Published
25th Dec 2021 6:01pm
25th Dec 2021 6:01pm
Gratitude
Bright blue skies and dazzling sun
Greet the late December morn;
White Christmas and 'winter wonderland'
are not to be this year
As I sit alone in my empty house
And reflect on Yuletides past,
I should be overcome with sadness
For loved ones and good times long gone
There is a certain heaviness
As I breathe in and breathe out,
As my mind roams through the years,
Walking roads not traveled since a child
Yet as the memories file by
In a silent holiday parade,
A sense...
Greet the late December morn;
White Christmas and 'winter wonderland'
are not to be this year
As I sit alone in my empty house
And reflect on Yuletides past,
I should be overcome with sadness
For loved ones and good times long gone
There is a certain heaviness
As I breathe in and breathe out,
As my mind roams through the years,
Walking roads not traveled since a child
Yet as the memories file by
In a silent holiday parade,
A sense...
#love
#strength
#courage
#TimeHeals
#gratitude
301 reads
2 Comments
UPBEAT INSPIRATIONAL POEM
Published
30th Nov 2021 4:27pm
30th Nov 2021 4:27pm
I Am a Tree
I am a tree in autumn;
For each leaf that falls,
Another week has passed;
When my branches are bare,
This life will have reached an end
And yet not in death
But rather, like the tree,
A state of suspended animation,
To be reborn in the cosmic spring,
Brightly verdant & full of energy
Fear not the winter,
For it is followed by spring
And the warmth of summer;
Energy being always conserved,
Perhaps to be transformed into variations
Of which we...
For each leaf that falls,
Another week has passed;
When my branches are bare,
This life will have reached an end
And yet not in death
But rather, like the tree,
A state of suspended animation,
To be reborn in the cosmic spring,
Brightly verdant & full of energy
Fear not the winter,
For it is followed by spring
And the warmth of summer;
Energy being always conserved,
Perhaps to be transformed into variations
Of which we...
#faith
#rebirth
#spiritual
#TruthOfLife
#redemption
342 reads
12 Comments
SELF POEM
Published
29th Nov 2021 1:36am
29th Nov 2021 1:36am
Lady Inspiration
Lady Inspiration, you lead me to
say the strangest things -
talk of heart & soul & passion
& dreams & love & yearning -
words not to be broached
in this, our "civilized" society
How dare you lead me astray
from the banal monotony
that is my day-to-day existence!
I cultivate apathy & self-centeredness
with a dedication which
you could never understand
I remain steadfast & defiant
against your...
say the strangest things -
talk of heart & soul & passion
& dreams & love & yearning -
words not to be broached
in this, our "civilized" society
How dare you lead me astray
from the banal monotony
that is my day-to-day existence!
I cultivate apathy & self-centeredness
with a dedication which
you could never understand
I remain steadfast & defiant
against your...
#rebirth
#fairies
#TruthOfLife
#WritingPoetry
#DeepUndergroundPoetry
377 reads
0 Comments
UPBEAT INSPIRATIONAL POEM
Published
27th Nov 2021 4:16pm
27th Nov 2021 4:16pm
Cannonball
I laughingly take a running jump
And execute a perfect cannonball
Into the raging torrents
Of the river of life
Actions and consequences
Explode in all directions
Drenching unsuspecting victims
With karmic abandon
And execute a perfect cannonball
Into the raging torrents
Of the river of life
Actions and consequences
Explode in all directions
Drenching unsuspecting victims
With karmic abandon
#hope
#courage
#birth
#inspirational
#fate
235 reads
1 Comment
DARK POEM
Published
24th Nov 2021 6:42am
24th Nov 2021 6:42am
Memories
Memories are demons hiding in the closet,
Under the bed, in the attic,
Waiting in ambush with a lifetime store
Of sorrow, anger, regret, & forgotten longing.
They prey on our moments of loneliness
With a tenacity that borders on obsession;
The very shadows come to life with ghosts
We thought we'd long ago fought & banished.
What profit is there in recalling the past
With anything beyond a passing notion?
Good memories only remind us what we've lost,
Bad ones only make us fear the fragility of life.
Perhaps...
Under the bed, in the attic,
Waiting in ambush with a lifetime store
Of sorrow, anger, regret, & forgotten longing.
They prey on our moments of loneliness
With a tenacity that borders on obsession;
The very shadows come to life with ghosts
We thought we'd long ago fought & banished.
What profit is there in recalling the past
With anything beyond a passing notion?
Good memories only remind us what we've lost,
Bad ones only make us fear the fragility of life.
Perhaps...
#sadness
#regret
#disappointment
#bittersweet
#fear
391 reads
3 Comments
UPBEAT INSPIRATIONAL POEM
Published
19th Nov 2021 4:19pm
19th Nov 2021 4:19pm
Words
Life is meant to be lived
Not merely written about
The most beautiful words
Can never capture
The softest breeze,
A loving touch,
The warmth of early spring sunshine,
Evergreen freshness
In an alpine meadow
Concepts are a poor substitute
For the experiences they encompass
Lay down your pen
Abandon the safety of your poet's lair
Go out and live
Today
Tomorrow is only a promise ...
Not merely written about
The most beautiful words
Can never capture
The softest breeze,
A loving touch,
The warmth of early spring sunshine,
Evergreen freshness
In an alpine meadow
Concepts are a poor substitute
For the experiences they encompass
Lay down your pen
Abandon the safety of your poet's lair
Go out and live
Today
Tomorrow is only a promise ...
#TruthOfLife
#LifeCycle
#philosophical
325 reads
1 Comment
SELF POEM
Published
14th Nov 2021 3:34am
14th Nov 2021 3:34am
A Table Set for One
The trees are almost bare,
The skies cloudy and gray
The air is crisp and cool
Winter can't be too far away
It seems the holidays are upon us,
times of tidings and good cheer
Families gather together to feast
with all their loved ones near
My table is set for one,
my feast a frozen dinner tray
I solemnly raise my glass to toast
treasured times and younger days
In the silence, mom's calling out
as she rings the dinner bell
Dad bows his head to bless our food
and our family, to wish the...
The skies cloudy and gray
The air is crisp and cool
Winter can't be too far away
It seems the holidays are upon us,
times of tidings and good cheer
Families gather together to feast
with all their loved ones near
My table is set for one,
my feast a frozen dinner tray
I solemnly raise my glass to toast
treasured times and younger days
In the silence, mom's calling out
as she rings the dinner bell
Dad bows his head to bless our food
and our family, to wish the...
#sadness
#loneliness
#memories
#aging
#separation
355 reads
1 Comment
OBSERVATIONAL POEM
Published
19th Sep 2021 9:09am
19th Sep 2021 9:09am
Redemption
As another summer wanes
And cool autumn winds begin to stir,
We pause to say a prayer
As if the gods are even still listening
Unexpected reminders of mortality
Are never sought, nor welcome
They leave gaping wounds and empty space
In hearts that were born to be happy and whole
A man will never feel life so deeply
As when he stands at the edge of eternity
And sighs a reluctant goodbye
To a mother, father, sister, brother, friend,
A...
And cool autumn winds begin to stir,
We pause to say a prayer
As if the gods are even still listening
Unexpected reminders of mortality
Are never sought, nor welcome
They leave gaping wounds and empty space
In hearts that were born to be happy and whole
A man will never feel life so deeply
As when he stands at the edge of eternity
And sighs a reluctant goodbye
To a mother, father, sister, brother, friend,
A...
#hope
#death
#redemption
461 reads
1 Comment
DARK POEM
Published
14th Sep 2021 9:29am
14th Sep 2021 9:29am
If I Fail to Wake
If I fail to wake,
Why would it even matter?
Few thoughts would drift my way,
Few tears would fall in vain
A life of such inconsequence
Merits hardly a moment's sentience
A passing shadow on the wall
Rates even less, maybe none at all
I dreamed a dream of being real
I felt, I cried, I laughed, I sang
In the end, I was merely the shadow --
Fading away as the sun sinks low
If I fail to wake,
To whom would it ever matter?
Don't mind me, I'm just
A transitory manifestation of dancing light.
Why would it even matter?
Few thoughts would drift my way,
Few tears would fall in vain
A life of such inconsequence
Merits hardly a moment's sentience
A passing shadow on the wall
Rates even less, maybe none at all
I dreamed a dream of being real
I felt, I cried, I laughed, I sang
In the end, I was merely the shadow --
Fading away as the sun sinks low
If I fail to wake,
To whom would it ever matter?
Don't mind me, I'm just
A transitory manifestation of dancing light.
#loneliness
#dark
#disappointment #apathy
#disappointment #apathy
313 reads
2 Comments
DU Poetry : Submissions by Tallquietguy
