Dennis S. Martin's Blog, page 38

Charisma

Thereis a power,

     Mostly unnoticed,

Thattouches perception

     Drawing its pleasure,

Feedingoff charm and

     Self-deprecation,

Takingand giving

     In equal measure.

 

Siphoningpressure

     Defusing the tension,

Totalsuspension of

     Fusion and flack.

Takingthe brunt of

     Blunt confrontation,

Turningit inside out,

     Giving it back.

 

Hereis a gift

     Given to but a few,

Humbleand silent,

     Hidden from view.

 

Hoopla

Somuch harping on pretenses,

Cannottake this manic craze.

Hopelessdaze enslaves the senses

Leavinglogic comatose.

 

Somuch cheering, jeering, leering,

Fearingnothing, come what may.

Baskingin the hapless moment,

Takingin a lethal dose.

 

Allthis hoopla dulls the meaning,

Uselessscreening of the facts 

Pepperedwith acute sensations,

Accusations,thoughtlessness.

 

Ridingon such feckless preening,

Truthcareening off the walls

Carryingits weightless favor

Meantto savor sweet success.

 

Reasonenters only after

Allthe hoopla fades to black.

Thankfulwitness to its exit,

Hopingit will not come back.

 

Intrigue

Fascinatedby your swagger

Asyou glide into the room with

Sucha confident demeanor that

Younever touch the ground.

 

Animatedactions flatter

Likethe waft of sweet perfume.

Qualitiesbefit a Queen or

Princess,made without a sound.

 

Istand silent, much in awe,

Wonderingwhat secret mission

Broughtyou to this time and place,

Ledme here to probe and pry.

 

Ican’t find a single flaw,

Nothingto be brought to question,

Noclue in your poker face,

Nota hint of what or why.

 

Letme solve your mystery,

Knowthe depth of your intrigue

Thatcalls you from a different level

Somewherein a higher league.

 

Xanadu

Ido not know you, Xanadu,

Withall your secret mysteries,

Yoursultry siren softly singing,

Strummingon her dulcimer.

 

Steepedin all your grandeur, were you

Meantto be for fools like me?

Standingat your intersect,

Nodirection, no desire.

 

Whowill taste your pleasures now that

Youhave turned to icy stone?

Mustthey strap on spikes of steel

Totrek the tundra you endure?

 

Andwhat of oceans, dark and deep

Beneathyour frozen forestry?

Doyour creatures lurk in stealth

Tobite the hand where once they fed?

 

Timeand trial and so unkind the

Picturesleft to memory.

Ido not know you, Xanadu.

PerhapsI never will.

 

Tommyrot

Whatis all this foolishness?

Theseblatant crude absurdities

Thatbrings the mighty to their knees

Andelevates the masses.

 

Isit nothing more than gossip?

Castingrumor in their lot,

Filledwith useless tommyrot

Toopen bloody gashes.

 

Vigilhidden in the shadows

Waitingwith a sudden flash,

Strikingwith a stinging lash

Tocapture indiscretions.

 

Pausingbarely long enough to

Maketheir presence known to all,

Rushbefore the deadlines fall

Torender their confessions.

 

Wewho listen, wait and watch

Tosee our heroes fall

Aremore the victim in the end;

Tommyrotand all.

 

Understood

Seldomdo we disagree,

     Though we could.

Thathas been our history,

     And it’s good.

Nothingwritten,

     Nothing formal,

Seekingnothing less than normal,

Tryinghard and hoping to be

     Understood.

 

Youdon’t put the blame on me

     When things go wrong.

WhenI’m in your company it’s

     Like a song.

Seasonscome,

     Seasons go.

Stilland all it’s good to know

Westill have each other and it’s

Understood.

 

Voracious

Nothingis safe from the jaws of this tiger

Whoseravenous appetite knows no remorse.

Stalkingthe jungle, the beast knows his quarry.

Daybreakto sunset, no creature secure.

 

Noone approaches, in fear of his vengeance,

Thecatapult swiftness of his fierce attack.

Choosingin deference to cower in silence

Quiveringquietly, deftly unsure.

 

 What makes his hunger abide so voracious?

Whenis enough ever truly enough?

Whenwill the lamb get her chance at the table?

Howmuch injustice can one world endure?

 

Zapped

Separatedfrom the burgeoning tribe,

Trappedinside this vast enclosure,

Flittingand zipping one station to next,

Seekingthe freedom of larger domains.

 

Notunderstanding the wonder of windowpanes,

Trappedby a barrier one cannot see,

Bangingagainst it again and again,

Wonderingwhy my prison remains.

 

Seekingcontentment, not knowing exactly

Whatthat may entail, but knowing enough.

Knowingno purpose except the annoyance of

Creaturesgiganticus swatting in vain.

 

Whocan endure such pervasive perversion?

Mindlessexistence can be such toil

Untilall of the sudden, without any warning,

Zappedto oblivion

Sparingno pain.

 

Quasar

Thecloseness of your distance

Inyour brightly darkened sky

Isthe evidence of witness

Asit offers solitude.

 

Farfrom civilized perfection

Inthe clouds above your halo

Ifind solace and reflection in

Yourpeaceful attitude.

 

Withthe flickering of starlight

Tappinggently on my shoulder

Comesa quiet resolution

Brushingsoftly on my skin.

 

Thoughthe cannons may be rumbling,

Thunderingon the distant hillsides

Youcan still their blundering

Andmake me whole again.

 

Brightestobject in my night

Shineon me your giving light,

Kindlefires in my heart to

Makemy wretched soul take flight.

 

Swirls

Stirthe magic frothing foam to

Soothethe seething cauldron of

Hermystical elliptical

Simmeringupon the pit.

Sendingsignals in the air

Tohither, yon and everywhere.

Passersbyare mystified,

Eyestransfixed to catch the prize.

 

Simpleswirls,

Lovelypearls adorning alabaster skin.

Complexrhyme

Markingtime around in circles, then again.

 

Peaksand valleys never seen,

Mustbe totally serene.

Nosharp angles, tears or tangles,

Shadesof yellow, red and green to

Givedirection, offer pattern.

Norules given or allowed.

Swirling,twirling, billowing

Highabove her anxious crowd.