(photography by Ronald Siera )

I`ve been writing poetry since I was 10. This particular poem was written when I was about 16 or 17, but it`s been like a `truth` in all my life. So it will be my first one to share !

I TAKE REST

IN THE PEACE OF THE STONES,

I BREATHE

WITH THE LEAVES OF THE TREES,

I DREAM

IN THE HEART OF THE BEASTS,

BUT

I WAKE UP

IN THE BATTLES OF HUMANITY.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REMORSE

Marrow-freezing demon
getting at me
chilled with fear
gurgled and moaned
and then Silence
thundering through space
gasped ghastly
terror took away
my voice as it cries
phantom like
a melancholy wail
of wildness
rebelling untamed
to the eerie sound
of hushed silence surrounding

 

***********************************

IN THE LAKE OF MY SOUL

In the lake of my soul

you threw a stone

you watch its rings

you watch me close

your eyes never blink.

Dragon asleep in my soul

heard the stone

got awake

you knew all along

it would respond your call.

The face in the lake

blurred by the waves

I cannot forsake

engraved in this soul

hoarsely says my name.

In the lake afire of my soul

no more respite

no more escape

you don`t let me flinch

you are my torment

you are my love

your eyes never blink.

*******************************************************************

Lonely mermaid with translucent smile

you ride in waters not friendly

Legends are past

your world has gone

crossed over to other shores.

But under the rocks of Time

that face

carved in the stone,

under the castle

the anchor,

under your scales

yet unsung a love.

Memories that won’t let you die

still hold you

You remember the song

but the words are no more

The  tune is in the air

harp lost in the stream

No other man but him

would you wish to allure.

*************************************

(1988)

Running up

to the top of the stone steps.

Breathless

I and the temple.

Between our silence

heart beat

drums

the shape of sound

*************************************

(1985)

Go and pick up

all the fallen stars in the ocean.

a big net I need

and a boat to carry them

and gentleness not to break them

and tender heart

to love them.

Fragile they are

and pure as crystals.

They spark and

easily dissolve

and leave me

with my little  dreams

forlorn.

**********************************************************

You and I …

secret is the love

forbidden are the words _

in the unearthly light

of the stars

we cast no shadow.

****************************************************************

These two poems  “LOULAN”  and “TAKLA MAKAN DREAMING” came to life  after reading a book and seeing a documentary on the ancient city of Loulan in the Takla Makan desert and the mummy  just discovered at that time.

LOULAN

If I were a mummy

and you an archaelogist

Would you dig me out

of my grave

Would you treat me anciently

Would you search the past

in my face

conjure up my ghosts for me

Would you touch

my paper skin delicately

imagining ancient loves

and courage never been

Would you feel my weary bones

and dream of a land bygone

Would you call me the Beauty of the Lake

and fall in love with me?

 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RONALD SIERA

 

TAKLA MAKAN DREAMING

Does a plant in the desert

long for a better life,

does it long to live

by a riverside

warm in the daytime

cool at night

with a rainfall every week or so,

and butterflies or bees

visiting her petal brows …..

But can we long for something

we have never seen,

can we complain for having not

something we have never known to exist

Does a plant have

its own world of dreams …….

***************************************

 

 

After my Mother`s passing

December 28, 2006    5.45 am

Spirit, but

Won’t you mourn with us

Won’t you grieve with us

 

Watching from above

The grief, the pain

We bear upon ourselves

 

Watching and pitying the great effort

We Human-Angels make

To survive this earthly plane.

 

 

HAIKU

Below a slice of moon

a spider thread

a hanging star …

an airplane landing

***************************

On a rock in the sun

writing diaries

feeling lizard

******************************

Can a star

hang so low and not fall

alighting

almost on my roof

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