OF LEAVES OF GRASS AND SUCH

Of me!
Of Life!
Of these questions recurring;

Of the endless trains of the faithless
wondering about existence with persistence
and resolve, trying to solve the mysteries, failing;

Of myself,
mired in thoughts profound, that surround
in a confused fog, a lone dog chewing on life’s flavored bone. Alone;

Of eyes that crave the light
of each new day, of each new idea,
of every struggle, the brilliance of wisdom glowing;

Of every poor result left to fester,
of the sullied crowds plotting
allotting me to surrender without recourse;

Of the empty useless years, no rest
on this life quest when I acquiesce to this folly,
no jolly expression left unpunished, unfinished;

Of the terrible doubt
that lingers with words left to languish in these fingers
poetic verses worsen as time passes, thoughts amassed and sequestered;

Of the uncertainty of what life remains
to offer to fill the coffers of one left bankrupt of ideas,
of ideals, of the feeling of relevance and some semblance of honor;

Of day and night awash in memories lost
of doubtless apparitions holding answers to questions unasked
or pondered, wonders of the world we possess and caress with our words;

Of course, nothing comes from nothing
and should nothing become something, we will dream and fly,
an eye on future tomorrows, of joys and sorrows;

Of the visages of things that bring into focus
what hearts envision; of piercing through every heaven,
every hell and the ability to tell the difference;

Of the ugliness of men to cast aspersions one upon the other,
making sister and brother enemies of that hated state.
Return to the sacred plate of communion, a blessed union of souls;

Of me?
Of life recurring?
Of Leaves of Grass and such!

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2020

Inspiration drawn from Walt Whitman’s works – Leaves of Grass, O Me! Oh Life!, Of the Terrible Doubt of Appearances, Of the Visage of Things

A LOVE AS SUCH

The day we had connected
I knew that I was smitten,
your gentle grace – perfection,
a love so purely written.

And in these words, poetic
(although they were not quoted),
would sound a bit prophetic,
but still they were not noted.

Your words of love, handwritten,
a love that was quite lawless,
affections once unwritten
now read as truly flawless.

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

Poetic Asides Poetic Form Challenge – Ae Freislighe

FIRE!

The number of fires kept escalating,
even an ocean of water didn’t seem enough
to snuff this crisis. The climate was uncooperative,
there was no end to the heat’s impact. In fact, the lies
of greed and ignorance held no solution to nature’s ire.

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

The Sunday Whirl – Wordle #418

 

THE DIP THAT KEEPS ON DROPPING

A case of the “I can’t hold on any longer”.,
The stronger the grip is on me
I seem to be losing my own grip,
a slip of whatever I’ve in hand.
The thing can stand on whatever
surface it will occupy, but when I try
to take hold of it, it slips.
The hand that grips loosely play
loosey-goosey with possession.
It’s an obsession of mine. I’ve come to find
I am the dip that keeps on dropping!

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/wednesday-june-19__swings/

IMPORTANT PLAN INFORMATION INSIDE

So, here’s the plan!
We’re going over the wall.
Or under it. I’m not quite sure.
We’re doing it Tuesday night!
Or maybe Thursday morning
if the weather cooperates.
If it doesn’t then the following
Sunday. Meet us near the rear
of the guard shack.
Or the back of the garage,
I’m still not sure.
We’ll need a code word
easy to remember, like…
um, um, I forgot but I’ll
get back to you on it.
Our signal will be a whistle,
the Brandenburg Concerto.
Or we can shout, “Hey, over here!”
It’s not quite clear.
Ok, got it?
That’s the plan!

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

Quickly’s Imprompt Poetry – tuesday_june_4

IRA’S LUNCH

Welcome to our Bistro!
We hope you will enjoy
the menu Ira has prepared.
We’ve spared no expense…
Aw, who are we kidding?
Ira’s just learning to cook.
Her soups are like spackle
it makes Mrs. Wilton cackle.
There she is staring
at the coffee pot on the counter.
12 hours old, I’m told.
But our “chef” can screw up
a ham sandwich on rye.
And while you’re at it,
Do not try the BLT!
Don’t ask why, just don’t.
It won’t kill you, but it might
make your stomach rumble.
You say you’re feeling brave?
You want to know what
Ira’s Lunch looks like.
See for yourself. It’s over there,
and over there, and some
over there on Mrs. Wilton’s shoe.
Thanks for stopping anyway!

© Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

Quickly’s Imprompt Poetry – june_2_tasty-sunday/

LIVINGSTON

In the auburn sky, a lone gull flies
seeking perfection and heights yet attained
no matter how hard he tried and strained.
In the auburn sky a lone gull flies

seeking perfection and heights yet attained,
he was shunned by his feathered peers,
and it became one of his greatest fears –
seeking perfection, heights yet attained.

He was shunned by his feathered peers,
so, he flew off to find the Great Gull above
and the lesson he learned was to work on love.
He was shunned by his feathered peers

so, he flew to find the Great Gull above.
He kept working on love with the hope to uncover
the secret that he wished to discover.
So, he flew in search of the Great Gull above.

He kept working on love with the hope to uncover
the purest love. Deserved respect. Forgiveness.
A life well lived, never settling for less.
He kept working on love with the hope to uncover.

In the auburn sky, a lone gull flies.
Seeking perfection and heights yet attained
no matter how hard he tried and strained.
In the auburn sky, a lone gull flies.

(C) Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

A Top Ten poem for the Catena Rondo Challenge at Poetic Asides

BEG, BORROW AND STEAL

Please, don’t make me ask again,
don’t make me beg and plead.
I need you as a lover, a friend.
Please, don’t make me ask again.
Those mixed signals that you send
won’t fulfill my needs.
Please, don’t make me ask again,
don’t make me beg and plead.

I don’t want to borrow your heart,
I know I’ll need it for a while,
as I have right from the start,
I don’t want to borrow your heart.
I’ve been hit by cupid’s dart,
launched from your sweet smile.
I don’t want to borrow your heart,
I know I’ll need it for a while.

But if I must, I’ll steal it,
that fact is undeniable.
and when it’s gone, you’ll feel it,
But if I must, I’ll steal it.
I hope you won’t repeal it,
my love is quite reliable.
But if I must, I’ll steal it,
That fact is undeniable.

(C) Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

Poetic Asides April Poem-a-Day Challenge 2019 – Day 5: Steal

IN THE HEADACHE CLINIC

It’s all inside my head
they said,
They may be correct.
Who’d expect
headache issues to last
well past
a year’s duration.
No elation
comes from this condition,
my suspicions
rise to a new low.
I know
all things take time,
but I’m
at my wits end.
Send
these pains away,
say
I’m cured.
It’s absurd
to live in this cloud
for crying out loud.
(C) Walter J Wojtanik – 2019

Written for Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer – Poetic Forms: Echo Verse