Poetry

Current Issue- Posted December 24, 2008

Adrift on the Lake at Mountain Top

By John Grey

Prividence, Rhode Island

After a good hour

or so of rowing, there is no lake,

no hills rising up on that far shore.

A breath beyond the aluminum edge

of our canoe, landscape blurs,

too far from the heart's center

to sustain its shape, out of hearing range

of the instructions of its beating.

My hunger is a mere crack in the door

but you rush to close it

with an apple from the knapsack,

the small round fruit telling that old story

of paradise and banishment

in beautiful reverse

as I touch its tender skin.

There's a small shiver as teeth

break through to its sweet meat,

taste, present company tumbling back and forth

between the splashing nectar

and the rocking bottom of this vessel.

And then, under orders from midday,

we stop.

You lie back against the wooden seat,

a ripple of a smile to your mouth

like an anchor rope

slipping across a deck,

gentle heaves and sighs

strumming your stretching body

as if the slight, bobbing current

is me carrying you.

I sit tall, oar dangling in the water,

work this profile of myself

into the flesh of light.

I Remember

By Wyatt Mentzinger

East Norwich, New York

I remember, I remember
the dingy snows of those Decembers
being tree-bark, mud brown,
Gilded silver from the moon -
A pauper's crown.

I remember feeling tall,
Telling mom that, one day soon,
We'd go to warm and golden Mexico.
No. But she would smile and say
"Sure"; she'd hold me close.

I remember. I remember
how she'd take me to my grandpa's
as a special shelter from the cold.
He owned so many frozen soldiers;
He'd make them fake a battle on some board.
And his telescope was always tilted
towards the Sun.

I remember wanting to explore.
Venturing around, I saw,
in the bathroom,
two wall-sized mirrors, face to face,
Playing patty-cake with
images
Forever.

I saw myself ten-thousand times:
A window to my soul:
the routing of ten-thousand lies:
I was never tall.
I felt unsure, as each reflection grew small
To the size of those frozen soldiers.
I felt unnatural - like a broken clone.

I remember - I remember I
Remember I remember!
How my heart had broke that day.
It was in fleeing to the front-door's window,
Searching for the way Home
And seeing my barrier:
The endless walls of generic trees,
And the sea of pauper snow.
My mother was calling to me,
About to speak again
of another lie like Mexico.

Waves

By Phil

Bangalore, India

I stood in the shore
Waves came and went
Some wet my legs
Some dragged me along
Some carried the sand
And scratched my skin
Leaving some marks on
My unmarred skin

One wave was huge and
it washed over me
wetting my body
and wetting my soul

It remained with me for eternity
and I though that it would stay for ever
I relished the wetness for some time
Then I was choked for breath
Though I had breaths in between
I started hating it
Then the wave just left

and I stood alone
time dried my body and
dried my soul..

but no wave came after that
and I am still
standing in the shore...

The Highwire

By Danny P. Barbare

Greenville, SC

When

can

outwit

myself

between

the

shadows

doubt

having

walked

the

tight

wire

the

mind

there

has

always

been

net

and

I'm

not

the

fool

afraid

dream

and

fall.

Dream Lord

By CM Kessler

New Bern, North Carolina

Dream Lord (Intro)

words foreign yet meaning understood

simply to the left, to the right

exaggerated tales tell lies

confronting emblems of sainthood

exaggerated components of machine like

reality

lost minds

shouting names bent on hate

shouting names

shouting...

names...

lost in forsaken woods

dark lonely woods leaves drop like stone

heads big from concrete ... empty dwellings

they are

tempting all not ... to whom they call

make - die without dinner in the meantime

suffice a destroyer of

Dreams

& they call him Lord

NIGHTMARE ; DESTROYER (DREAMLORD PART 1)

I am you worst nightmare

Running throughout you

Visiting you often

Rapidly I come to you

Coming alive when I am

Near is your fear

You wish I would leave

All that I am is misery

& if I was reality

You would be destroyed

I am your destroyer

I am your reality

& we are the dream destroyers

DREAMLORD PART2

To terrified to tremble

To scared to scream

I shall hold thy hand

As we pass through these dreams

I shall take you to safety

I shall keep you from harm

No one will know thy servitude

When you act from now & forever on

It will be in my mask of invisibility

I shall guide

I shall instruct

You do as I say

Live immortally

In these dreams

That are hidden in subconscious cells

Ne'er for you a nightmarish hell

For they will pass by you forever

Yet you only live in nightmares of mortals

You come & pass behind blinking eyes

Doing my deeds

Doing my wants

This I do, this you do

For I am lord

Lord of dreams

DREAMLORD PART 3

We talk amongst ourselves

Speaking in a hidden tongue

As you lay your head to sleep

We will see you there

His hands which do lead

Me to you, victim innocently

Laid upon bed in lands obscure

Dreams dance behind thy eyes

With a touch upon your head

I take everything good

Leaving you only with weakness

Memories of painful days forgotten

With these possessions prized

I have what I need to make you

Work for me for all eternity to

Do whatever deed thy lord needs

After we abuse & use, after each job done

You beg for what is rightfully yours

With rejection then you realize

You are his mortal slave

To do as thy lord wishes

To haunt, steal, or terrorize

Dreams of young or old

To make them fear their sleep

Until the day you bring a precious gift

A soul so innocently alive

A soul so close to heart

It bleeds your own blood

The Lotus Reader

Literary Magazine

A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled. *- Raymond Chandler*		Poetry Current Issue- Posted December 24, 2008 Adrift on the Lake at Mountain Top By John Grey Prividence, Rhode Island After a good hour or so of rowing, there is no lake, no hills rising up on that far shore. A breath beyond the aluminum edge of our canoe, landscape blurs, too far from the heart's center to sustain its shape, out of hearing range of the instructions of its beating. My hunger is a mere crack in the door but you rush to close it with an apple from the knapsack, the small round fruit telling that old story of paradise and banishment in beautiful reverse as I touch its tender skin. There's a small shiver as teeth break through to its sweet meat, taste, present company tumbling back and forth between the splashing nectar and the rocking bottom of this vessel. And then, under orders from midday, we stop. You lie back against the wooden seat, a ripple of a smile to your mouth like an anchor rope slipping across a deck, gentle heaves and sighs strumming your stretching body as if the slight, bobbing current is me carrying you. I sit tall, oar dangling in the water, work this profile of myself into the flesh of light. I Remember By Wyatt Mentzinger East Norwich, New York I remember, I remember the dingy snows of those Decembers being tree-bark, mud brown, Gilded silver from the moon - A pauper's crown. I remember feeling tall, Telling mom that, one day soon, We'd go to warm and golden Mexico. No. But she would smile and say "Sure"; she'd hold me close. I remember. I remember how she'd take me to my grandpa's as a special shelter from the cold. He owned so many frozen soldiers; He'd make them fake a battle on some board. And his telescope was always tilted towards the Sun. I remember wanting to explore. Venturing around, I saw, in the bathroom, two wall-sized mirrors, face to face, Playing patty-cake with images Forever. I saw myself ten-thousand times: A window to my soul: the routing of ten-thousand lies: I was never tall. I felt unsure, as each reflection grew small To the size of those frozen soldiers. I felt unnatural - like a broken clone. I remember - I remember I Remember I remember! How my heart had broke that day. It was in fleeing to the front-door's window, Searching for the way Home And seeing my barrier: The endless walls of generic trees, And the sea of pauper snow. My mother was calling to me, About to speak again of another lie like Mexico. Waves By Phil Bangalore, India I stood in the shore Waves came and went Some wet my legs Some dragged me along Some carried the sand And scratched my skin Leaving some marks on My unmarred skin One wave was huge and it washed over me wetting my body and wetting my soul It remained with me for eternity and I though that it would stay for ever I relished the wetness for some time Then I was choked for breath Though I had breaths in between I started hating it Then the wave just left and I stood alone time dried my body and dried my soul.. but no wave came after that and I am still standing in the shore... The Highwire By Danny P. Barbare Greenville, SC When I can outwit myself between the shadows of doubt having walked the tight wire of the mind there has always been a net and I'm not the fool afraid to dream and fall. Dream Lord By CM Kessler New Bern, North Carolina Dream Lord (Intro) words foreign yet meaning understood simply to the left, to the right exaggerated tales tell lies confronting emblems of sainthood exaggerated components of machine like reality lost minds shouting names bent on hate shouting names shouting... names... lost in forsaken woods dark lonely woods leaves drop like stone on heads big from concrete ... empty dwellings they are tempting all not ... to whom they call make - die without dinner in the meantime suffice a destroyer of Dreams & they call him Lord NIGHTMARE ; DESTROYER (DREAMLORD PART 1) I am you worst nightmare Running throughout you Visiting you often Rapidly I come to you Coming alive when I am Near is your fear You wish I would leave All that I am is misery & if I was reality You would be destroyed I am your destroyer I am your reality & we are the dream destroyers DREAMLORD PART2 To terrified to tremble To scared to scream I shall hold thy hand As we pass through these dreams I shall take you to safety I shall keep you from harm No one will know thy servitude When you act from now & forever on It will be in my mask of invisibility I shall guide I shall instruct You do as I say Live immortally In these dreams That are hidden in subconscious cells Ne'er for you a nightmarish hell For they will pass by you forever Yet you only live in nightmares of mortals You come & pass behind blinking eyes Doing my deeds Doing my wants This I do, this you do For I am lord Lord of dreams DREAMLORD PART 3 We talk amongst ourselves Speaking in a hidden tongue As you lay your head to sleep We will see you there His hands which do lead Me to you, victim innocently Laid upon bed in lands obscure Dreams dance behind thy eyes With a touch upon your head I take everything good Leaving you only with weakness Memories of painful days forgotten With these possessions prized I have what I need to make you Work for me for all eternity to Do whatever deed thy lord needs After we abuse & use, after each job done You beg for what is rightfully yours With rejection then you realize You are his mortal slave To do as thy lord wishes To haunt, steal, or terrorize Dreams of young or old To make them fear their sleep Until the day you bring a precious gift A soul so innocently alive A soul so close to heart It bleeds your own blood

	The Lotus Reader *Literary Magazine*