"Poems by jkl"

Poems by jkl

[wolfrnr@hotmail.com]

Into The Night

Adrift upon the silent streets
one dark and lonesome eve,
accompanied by fractured thoughts
of fears, of things, of dreams;

chaotic whispers through my soul
that wonder, always: why?
That question that shall e'er remain
unanswered till we die.

The shattered night around me thick,
it presses, smothers close
to seep within my aching heart,
my agonies to stoke

from smoldering embers hidden deep
into a roaring flare:
a wretched sob escapes my lips
from truths too harsh to bear.

The darkened lane grows hazy, dim,
a veil across my sight
as onward do I blindly drift,
alone, into the night.

The Sea

Beneath the docks one wintry day,
the cold and blustery morn
did fit my mood so perfectly
before the coming storm.

The wind was chill, and brisk, and damp,
the clouds were thick and low.
So full of worry were my thoughts
I scarce knew where to go.

And thus I found myself upon
the shore beneath the quay,
my world entire gone into
a queasy shade of gray.

I wandered, as if in a daze
along the pebbled strand
unheeding of the driving spray
from wind-tossed waves was fanned.

Perchance from anxious solitude
my eyes a ship did spy:
a lonely boat with single sail
was slowly plodding by.

Oh, me! I cried unto myself,
but to be in yon boat!
To trim the sail and man the helm
and with the wind Id float

away! And down this cursed shore
to fairer climes, by far!
To sail by compass, sail by map,
to sail by glim'ring star!

To be upon that simple ship,
so brave upon the sea,
to be a different person, yes?
To live, to love, to be!

I did not know my thoughts were spoke
aloud into the air,
nor did I know t'was not alone,
that someone else was there

until a kindly, gruff old voice
did break my reverie:
I could not help but overhear
your longing to be free.

I jumped! And with a frightened shout
I spun myself around
and stood there, gaping, at the man
fore whom myself I found:

an ancient pair of stiff, old boots,
of work, they'd seen their share.
A knotted rope about his girth
held pants the worse for wear.

A heavy coat, the seaman's style
draped o'er his shoulders broad;
from bristly beard emerged a pipe
on which he gently gnawed.

The faded cap on unknown shape
rode high and proud atop
a wild, gray, unruly mass
I'll simply call a mop.

But nay, the thing that caught my gaze:
his sparkling, piercing eyes
that looked with kindness on myself,
yet stern: would brook no lies.

And why, me lad, he said to me,
his pipe he took to hand,
would ye be wanting on yon skiff
to leave this...cursed land?

Ye seek escape, me brave young boy,
your fortune? Maidens fair?
Your destiny? Perhaps it lies
around yon bend! Look there!

he cried, and thrust his pipe towards
the lighthouse isle
that lay beyond the edge of town,
not quite a single mile.

Ye seek escape? Ye crave release?
Ye seek to flee thy lot
within a coastal sailing barge?
My boy, t'would be for naught!

A friendly word, now, from a salt,
and take it as ye would:
unless ye brave the open sea,
t'will gain ye not fer good.

For up and down this shore yell find
some things will never change.
Contentment ye shall always lack,
no matter where ye range.

Nay, only on the open sea,
with wind and wave and spray,
with storms the like ye've never seen,
with each new breaking day:

now...that, me lad, is where ye'll find
the peace within thy soul:
for if you sink amidst the brine
or gain thy foreign goal

at least, me lad, ye sallied forth
unto thy destiny.
For Life is not lived near the shore:
'tis lived upon the Sea!

Poems © 2001 Kirk Lowry, all rights reserved
appear here by permission

Author Notes

"Into the Night"
Hit me one day while driving...obviously!
"The Sea"
Inspired by a poem by Edgar Lee Masters (Spoon River Anthology: "George Gray") and a deeply abiding love for all things old and classic (cars, planes, sailing ships, swords, etc), it all just sorta spilled out one day.

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