Morning daubs my bedroom walls with pale colour
and I awaken to the pristine promise of a new day.
Soon there will be the aroma of fresh coffee,
the sharp intake of the day's first cigarette.
I lie awhile, contemplating the quotidian comforts
of the kitchen, the daily newspaper and the mail.
Such is the solace of the recently retired:
the newly acquired time to be self-indulgent.
No more involvement in the petty intrigues
of colleagues or the manic bullying of bosses.
The imperatives of labour no longer apply
and I do not miss them. I rejoice
in the saving grace of small acts;
the early stroll through drowsy back-streets
to the local park; listening to the arguments
of querulous birds and watching excited dogs,
unleashed, panting from exertion and joyful.
Small things, magnified by available time.
Time available, but not unlimited. I am aware
also of goals not attained, castles unbuilt
and the body's slow decay. No sense of urgency,
however, attends. The unfinished work that is
my life still thrills to the possibilities
of poetry, music, language and love.
Every life is a poem, I believe; sometimes badly written
and unskilled, sometimes soaring and magnificent.
The verbs and nouns of existence rarely constitute
a coherent narrative or linear progression.
Life, as we live it, contains rough passages--
mine, of course, is no exception.
Which brings me back to now, this bright morning,
the quiet coda to my song. Gone, the fantasy
of epic grandeur, the aspiration toward Homeric sweep.
Instead, the lesser lyrics of the pastoral
are more in keeping with these later years--
for my lost youth I do not weep.
A contest entry
- my muse is suffering - GIVE ME INSPIRATION! by ellipsist.
1100 points, ended November 3, 2007, 60 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - There's nothing Nietzche couldn't teach ya 'bout the 'raising of the wrist' by Glasyalabolas.
900 points, ended December 31, 2007, 23 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Introspection: a series-- auditions by unraveled.
700 points, ended August 25, 2009, 20 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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yes
this is excellent. a little more prose than poem, but incredibly straightforward. a welcome respite amid all of the over-imaged teenage love/addiction poems around this site.
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My vote for Introspection is yes. I found this insightful and creative. It lacks what a lot of contemporary writers do with abstractions but makes up for it in a mature and organized detailing of daily life from your eyes. I quite enjoyed this.
-Cassidy -
Amazing!
As the seasons in your life have progressed so has the wisdom obtained
Your skill in relating the message is coherent with the flare of poetic wonder to be savored in gentle sweeps
Wishing you much success in all of your endeavors
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sounds nice...
something to look forward to... I feel as though I better get my ass in gear or I will never know such pleasures!
thank you for sharing this piece... there is a lot of poetic merit to a subject that could have been given a very simple and bland treatment... I appreciate the effort that you put into this and thank you for sharing it in my contest!
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A wonderful write Bill. I figure you captured all you needed to with thisvery true to life piece..Excellent my friend.The last line I can relate to very well...Good luck with this one bill...mal
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