Suite: Your Awakening

Eleven short poems composed on 4/12/11.

The Theft

The water stole some sand from the beach today.
Witnesses say it roared in like a wave,
Like an army of renegades, perpendicular to the shore,
And took, amid the horrified crowd, all the grains
Which weren't bolted down.  Divers are out
Looking for the stolen sand while Detectives
Are questioning the Atlantic Ocean.

Spellcheck

I remember when it was my spelling
That you used to correct;
"There is more than one F in Affection
And only one in Fling!"
And you laughed at my inability
To correctly place my F's;
But I stood there with my misspelled words like
A patient child, and I
Hoped you might understand them anyway.

Independence Day

Nothing screams summer like fireworks;
Blaring in the sky like young Icarus,
Trivial, in the background, all while
We close the gates of my father's office
In a mahogany box, for the last time.

Its a Lovely Day for a Funeral

The last time I was here I got to see
How decrepit they have all become;
The relatives who once babysat
Now stingy with canes and apparatuses
Dangling off their favorite suits and dresses;
The end purpose of such purchases:
Their eternal clothing.

Even Muse's Lack Judgment Sometimes

My muse took me aside today and asked
If I remember that time when I was jogging
By the Bay and she made me stop
And stare into the water and think,
Think deeply about my routine and how
It would be going nowhere, how nothing
Could return me to what I once was.
She grabbed my hand and insisted
I go for an eternal swim in the reeds,
She offered to help me stay in the water
And I thought about her offer for a brief moment
Before continuing my jog.  She asked
"Do you remember that moment,
The only time I let my true heart sing
To my client?" And I said I did,
But then I reminded the muse that said water
Was far too shallow to drown in.

Processions

As you stand there in your beauty
Your eyes collide-a-scopes of brown,
Your bangs scattered gingerly
Across your forehead, your smile
Still shining after all this time;
You're doing some big things now
Without me, and here I remain
Picturing myself still there
Beside you, in our best attire
Holding this coffin.

Astray

And looking back on your life
I could see where I went wrong;
The morning sun is rising
Like the chorus to a song.
When I tried to hit the high note
I swear it wouldn't play,
My fingers hit the fretboard
In a thousand different ways;
I had wanted to be someone,
But I guess that fell astray.

12 Months of Revelry

One year later
I find that I
Cannot help but
Regret your beauty
As if I made you
Everything you are;
Although I did
And I guess I
Lied to myself.

Title Poem

Every time the song comes on
That once described us well
You cloud my mind, mistakes
I made loving you for
All this time after you left.
Good bye to melodies of
Fingers moving patterns
On the fretboard of your
Body. The tune has changed,
And your favorite novel,
Which I have just finished,
Explains all of your motives,
In our life's retrospect.

My Ex Girlfriend's Pillow

This is my ex girlfriend's pillow
I sleep upon it every night
It is plump and soft and fluffy
And stained, though that part's out of sight.
"What happened to your ex?" You ask,
Well now she's seeing someone new,
I flared up when I heard of him
And split our union into two.
And now she's just a memory,
Somebody that I used to know,
I'm looking for another now
To lay her head upon this pillow.

April 12, 2015 (5 years after we met)

My uncle killed himself in '94
They say, he walked into the ocean clear
Left a suitcase with a will and a note
And into the horizon, disappeared.
He must have been dead for about five years
When a call was placed into our home
My dad was thrilled to hear his brother's voice
Which played in such delightful baritone.
-And now I stand by the bay all alone
Thinking how long it takes five years to pass
And wondering if you, too, will return;
My phone blaring with your playful laugh.
I think about you on your current path
The memory of you in bathing suits,
Plus Kate Chopin, V. Wolff, Sylvia Plath,
And the calmness of the ocean blue.

Author's Note

This is the first time I'm trying a "suite," of poetry so I'm not all that confident. I think it came out more morbid than I'd envisioned but otherwise its okay....let me know what you think! Thanks.

I wonder what kinds of interpretations this work would get if I revealed that there is no suicide taking place in the lives of the narrator or the girl opposite to him, there is merely Kate Chopin.

Reviews

[Ruth]

Beautifully mastered love! A salute is a fabulous idea and unique! Indeed a journey that has left me reeling, seriously so! xx

[Jennifer Lenhardt]

that's a lot of poetry in one day, Mike, I'm impressed. You've got some really great ones here and am inspired myself to try and write some shorter pieces. Some of my favorites: Spellcheck, It's a lovely Day For a Funeral, Even the Muse Lacks Judgement Sometimes (loved that one especially!) and 12 Months of Revelry.

great writes, Mike! glad I stopped by to catch up!

[JelliFyshKissUs]

And that lack of confidence is the one think you should not have. My favorite were "Spellcheck" and "Even Muses Lack Judgment Sometimes". The latter made me laugh when you reminded your muse that the waters were too shallow to drown in. This is simply superb. I love when my mind is taken on a rollercoaster of thought. Free to just enjoy the ride. Bravo, my friend.

[Linear]

For someone so young you have deeper thoughts than many older, I did'nt find it morbid at all, you express yourself with clarity of thought...........though I dont quite need to use an appliance to move around just yet lol

[Misty Blue Eyes]

WOW. GREAT POEM!!!!!!

[LA Lorena]

I've never seen nor heard of a suite of poems before. What a novel concept. I like it! But for heaven's sake, get the pillow dry cleaned would you! ;)

[Midnight_Mystery]

this is turned out great! nicely done once again

[emmajoy]

What at extraordinary collection of poems, a great idea and superbly carried out. I thought at first they were interwoven, not so but no less appreciated. You use words wisely and create great images - there are many here but this is the cream, 'The water stole some sand from the beach today. ~ Witnesses say it roared in like a wave, ~ Like an army of renegades, perpendicular to the shore, ~ And took, amid the horrified crowd, all the grains ~ Which weren't bolted down'

[Celeste21]

Yes, any mention of Sylvia Plath definitely adds a heavy tone of morbidity... And also the fact you ended with the uncle that killed himself by drowning in the ocean.. And also, the ex that left the pillow you still slept on. Excellent reminiscing though... Plenty of tales and visuals to keep your interest. I enjoyed this.

[Ashley]

i love them, almost as much as i love you!