Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
 
Here I stand
I'm paralyzed

Not by terror
But by grief

I am a captor
Of the past

Until it fades
Into the dark

There you are
Alive and dead

I see you breathe
I hear you speak

And yet already
You are gone

I lost you, friend
And soon enough

The only thing
Uniting us

Will be our mutual silence
Cantando vas, riendo por el agua,
por el aire silbando vas, riendo,
en ronda azul y oro, plata y verde,
dichoso de pasar y repasar
entre el rojo primer brotar de abril,
¡forma distinta, de instantáneas
igualdades de luz, vida, color,
con nosotros, orillas inflamadas!

¡Qué alegre eres tú, ser,
con qué alegría universal eterna!
¡Rompes feliz el ondear del aire,
bogas contrario el ondular del agua!
¿No tienes que comer ni que dormir?
¿Toda la primavera es tu lugar?
¿Lo verde todo, lo azul todo,
lo floreciente todo es tuyo?
¡No hay temor en tu gloria;
tu destino es volver, volver, volver,
en ronda plata y verde, azul y oro,
por una eternidad de eternidades!

Nos das la mano, en un momento
de afinidad posible, de amor súbito,
de concesión radiante;
y, a tu contacto cálido,
en loca vibración de carne y alma,
nos encendemos de armonía,
nos olvidamos, nuevos, de lo mismo,
lucimos, un instante, alegres de oro.
¡Parece que también vamos a ser
perennes como tú,
que vamos a volar del mar al monte,
que vamos a saltar del cielo al mar,
que vamos a volver, volver, volver
por una eternidad de eternidades!
¡Y cantamos, reímos por el aire,
por el agua reímos y silbamos!

¡Pero tú no te tienes que olvidar,
tú eres presencia casual perpetua,
eres la criatura afortunada,
el májico ser solo, el ser insombre,
el adorado por calor y gracia,
el libre, el embriagante robador,
que, en ronda azul y oro, plata y verde,
riendo vas, silbando por el aire,
por el agua cantando vas, riendo!
 Apr 28 James Ignotus
Isla
i am not a poet,

nor am i a poem.

i am not a writer,

nor a book.

i am not a painter,

nor a painting.

i am not a sculptor,

nor a sculpture,

i  am not the artist,

nor the muse.

i am an idea,

that exists

only

in your imagination
I wrote this on a total whim, I quite like it.
 Apr 28 James Ignotus
Liana
“Are you okay?”

Sweetheart, I write poetry
And some kindhearted people said I write it well

That can only mean one thing
My mind is an unescapable hell

“Yeah, just tired”
Random thought
The Norns weren't kind
When they wove our fate
You were gone too soon
While I was left behind
To slowly fade
In memory of a dear friend...
 Apr 26 James Ignotus
Jill
Of all my travails
Tryouts, dry runs, and run-ins
This one changed my path

Tension, danger, tears
escapes, hijinks, burns, and blood
Love in there somewhere

Detailed and hazy
True and unreliable
Funny and awful

My event record
Muddy origin story
Memory-flashed tale

Told and re-told to others
To learn more about myself
©2025

BLT Webster’s Word of the Day challenge (travail) date 26 April 2025. Travail is a formal word, usually used in plural, that refers to a difficult experience or situation.
 Apr 26 James Ignotus
Tyler
lover in the grass
looking up at the tree
wonders what it means
for them to be free

Sky.
I love that name.
She giggles bubbles
from her breast,
she's a toe slug,
a kitty named Dog.

I wanna go on a trip with you,
sell plants by the highway.
carry mischief,
Kerry Feather.
golden flower,
golden head hair.

loose pants,
silky rayon.
She lies on
her stomach,
we're a
blanket picnic.
In the stillness of long, lonely nights,  
Love's shadow dances, dimming the lights.  
A kiss once so sweet,  
Now a bittersweet feat,  
As I dream of you, missing the heights.
 Apr 26 James Ignotus
Mariah
You don't have to believe me when I say
They might just love you anyway

What do I even know
But they may notice if you don't show

I know it really isn't my place
To ask if you checked just in case

Knocked on the door
They slammed into my face

At least
The olive branch is free
Please,
Take it with you when you leave
I hope you don't regret it.
Next page