A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?


By Edgar Allan Poe

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


By Robert Frost

Do Not Weep

Do not weep, do not weep for me,
Loved women, should I die;
For yourselves alone should you weep!
Poor are ye all, and to be pitied:
Ye women, ye are to be pitied!

I seek, I seek our fallen relations;
I go to revenge, revenge the slain,
Our relations fallen and slain,
And our foes, our foes shall lie
Like them, like them shall they lie;
I go to lay them low, to lay them low!


~ A Chippewa war-party addressing the women
on leaving the village, ca. 1838.

Poetry From Inside

The Cell

I'm a prison cell, 6x9, born in hell. My nickname: the can, slammer, the big-house.

I'm the place many fear because, for some, there's no way out. I'll take away your son and replace him with misery, instead. When you're with me, most folks consider you dead.

I've seen too many convicts fall apart. They cry to the guard at night to let them out when it's dark.

Convicts think that they are all alone, but, if you listen closely, you can hear my groan. All the pictures that you put on your wall; they are stuck to my skin.

I hear your prayers at night even when you are whispering.

I make it hotter in the summer and colder in the winter. Your pain is always my pleasure.

When the Board paroles you, then, in comes yet another con; no remorse for your tears. I see them too often.

When you cry, I make you feel like you live inside a coffin. I watch when you're eating. I play with your mind while you sleep. I'll make you dream that you're free, but you always wake up to me; face to face with a cage.

No matter your age, I can shatter your hopes. I can turn you into a savage rage.

I can change your life, but that's only if you're not doing life. It's sickening to think about bed linens becoming your woman. It's at that very moment when you realize just how much you're suffering.

I'm the one holding all the cards when you're caught up in an uprising.

Maybe one day, I'll open my gates to set you free, but you'll always be my property, for I've left a lifelong scar on your soul.

You may leave me one day, but you will always remember me; the Cell.



Restless

I close my eyes only to find visions of her echoed in my mind. Remembering all the moments we shared, wishing I could reach out and hold her tight as day turns into night.

The comfort of knowing that she cares helps ease my time of despair. She was always there to hold me close. That girl, she keeps it real, but she didn't know how I feel ... I'm crazy about that girl!

Now, as I restlessly open my eyes, I see you. You are the girl who keeps my heart true. From now on, when I close my eyes, visions of you will make me smile.

So, maybe now I will be able to rest ... for a while.



Just A Dream

As I slept, the night was perfectly still. Snow flakes brushed and swirled against my window like dancing maidens, shy and white. They swarmed in sodium-vapor lights as they fell, covering the earth like cotton, absorbing all sound.

Bare trees were black against white; the moon, an indistinct face behind a fog. Illuminated trees filling windows and fires lit. I was dreaming of a white Christmas.

When I woke up and looked out my window, I didn't see these things of beauty. Instead, I saw brick buildings surrounded by high fences topped with razor wire.

It was at that moment when I realized that it was just a dream.



No More Pain

A grown man sits in his cell and cries, yet no one seems to care why. Convicted of a crime he's sentenced to death.

With every new sunrise, he wonders if today will be the day that they come and end his pain.

As the day grows nearer, society prepares a feast while he peaks to a priest.

The time has come. It's the top of the hour and silence runs throughout the prison. The lights, they flicker and everyone starts to pray. You're not alone, brother, we all feel your pain.

Now that the deed is done, society lets out a sigh of relief, but the pain, it doesn't end, there. His family has to grieve for their loss.

Now that the crying's has stopped and the tears are drained, maybe now, there can be no more pain.



Beginning and End

In the beginning, when we first met, we were just kids. We didn't know much about life. We had no worries.

Now, as time passed, we became close. We can talk about anything. You became the only one who was true to me. We shared each other's joy. We shared each other's pain. We never had to worry about tomorrow, life was just a game.

Today, life's not the same. The game has ended. Although we are still really close, we are so far apart. Sitting here in my cell, when I think about you, my heart begins to ache.

I only have one regret, that I was so afraid to tell you that my love for you has grown to be more than just friends. Now that you know how much I love you, we must live on and see how our story will end.


By Edward Moody

Three Poems By Melvin Speight

Queries

What is good without bad
rich without poor
What is hate without love
and things we adore
What is life without death
and dreams without consciousness
What is time without spending
beginnings without endings
What are eyes without sight
sun without shine
What are thoughts
without thinking
that just sit idle
in the mind?

The Carry Over

My thoughts lie
beyond my presence
but are not fixated
on heaven or hell
nor stay stuffed
in a cell
I like to look
within a book
and instantly travel
despite the gavel
that ended my movements
here without stimuli
some men lose it
while others
find it amusing
and although sadness never stops short
keep in mind
wrongs never get righted
without our support.

Replenish

If I could see
the wind
to befriend
its breeze
dive falling forever
into the sea
or lay on golden brown leafs
at ease
counting every cloud
in the sky
I see
I think that birth
a whole new me.


By: Melvin Speight, CC 6923
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370

SOLDIER BURIED ON THE BATTLEFIELD

And when the wind in the tree-tops roared,

The soldier asked from the deep dark grave:

"Did the banner flutter then?"

"Not so, my hero," the wind replied.

"The fight is done, but the banner won,

Thy comrades of old have borne it hence,

Have borne it in triumph hence."

Then the soldier spake from the deep dark grave:

"I am content"

Then he heareth the lovers laughing pass,

and the soldier asks once more:

"Are these not the voices of them that love,

That love--and remember me?"

"Not so, my hero," the lovers say,

"We are those that remember not;

For the spring has come and the earth has smiled,

And the dead must be forgot."

Then the soldier spake from the deep dark grave:

"I am content."


A poem quoted by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. in a Memorial Day speech at Harvard in 1895 entitled "The Soldier's Faith". (Theodore Roosevelt admired that 1895 speech so much that as President he nominated Holmes for the US Supreme Court.) Holmes in the 1895 speech spoke of "part of the soldier's faith: Having known great things, to be content with silence." He cited this poem as "a little song sung by a warlike people on the Danube, which seemed to me fit for a soldier's last word...a song of the sword in its scabbard, a song of oblivion and peace. A Soldier has been buried on the battlefield." (A portion of this poem was recited in the 1950 Hollywood movie about Holmes, "The Magnificent Yankee.")

The Climb

I can feel the sun upon my back

My heart pounding from my exertions

Yet I climb on

_____________________

Further up the mountain I go

The pack of memories carried with me

Until I stop

_____________________

Gazing back from my vantage point

I have an eagle's eye view

Of paths taken

_____________________

The path there I would have chosen

But left to chase another dream

Meant to be

_____________________

I see that trail was a dead end

Thankfully I veered off track after all

To solid ground

_____________________

A path I took in confusion

That led to unparalleled knowledge

And newfound wisdom

_____________________

From here the paths are easily seen

Winding and meeting to form the crossed

Paths of my life

_____________________

Had I not taken that certain road there

I never would have come to that point just there

The road taken

_____________________

The trail of tears where in fear I fell

On the rocks of heartache and desperation

Led to a clearing

_____________________

The way is marked where I started again

A new path to follow that twisted and turned

Leading me on

_____________________

Were the paths my choosing or did they find me

All the intersections fate or of my own doing

To guide me home

_____________________

Each life trail mysteriously combined

Show a path well worn but crystal clear

From here

_____________________

Plainly I see now the paths I needed to take

Finding along each one that one thing

Part of the whole

_____________________

Looking back one last time at the winding trail

My life paths morph solid as pavement

Cause and effect

_____________________

Single stones make up a path short or long

Each step along the path leads to something

No map ever provided

_____________________

Strung all together the trail becomes clear

Each choice or turn leading to others further along

To form the route

_____________________

Adjusting the pack, now much lighter

Glancing up, several paths beckon

To climb higher

_____________________

No matter which one I select going on

I will break through clouds and be able to see

How far I've come


By akirchner

"Life" - A Poem By Marilyn Monroe

Life,
I am of both your directions
Existing more with the cold frost
Strong as a cobweb in the wind
Hanging downward the most
Somehow remaining
Those beaded rays have the colors
I've seen in paintings--ah life
They have cheated you
Thinner than a cobwebs's thread
Sheerer than any-
But it did attach itself
And held fast in strong winds
And singed by the leaping hot fires
Life-of which at singular times
I am both of your directions-
Somehow I remain hanging downward the most
As both of your directions pull me.

Written by Marilyn Monroe

The Power of Love

I believe in the power of love
Because it is the one raw human emotion
That has no limits to it
And it is the greatest feeling in this world
Love holds all the answers
And opens so many locked doors
Love gives me the strength to keep going on


by Keeperofhope

To See Me

For so long...looking into the mirror
I saw only a reflection of an image,
a stranger looking back at me.

When looking into my eyes,
I saw only an emptiness, a void.

Beneath those eyes were many fears,
fears of pain,
fears of sorrow,
feelings of no hope.

How could I not know this face before me,
as I stood looking at the image in the mirror?

Where was this person that I used to be,
why couldn't I see?

Turning again looking into the mirror,
I saw my life,
one that had gone out
like a candle being extinguished.

All my pride,
my joy,
my hopes,
my desires,
my passion,
all was gone.

What reflected back from that mirror
was a stranger looking back at me.

Standing there feeling so alone,
lost and confused,
the fear set in, where was this person
I called ME?

Walking away from that image,
never wanting to look again,
my life continued on.

Over time I found myself looking in
that mirror again.
Yet this time when I looked,
what reflected back to me
was a face, my face,
my eyes filled with hope,
a burning love,
a pride of being me,
a passion for living.
No longer a darkness did I see,
for out of my eyes a light was shining,
a reflection of ME!

For you see
I was no longer a stranger
to Me!

Yet there still is that pain deep within,
that pain has taken on
a new meaning in my life.

Through the tears
and
countless hours of feeling alone,
those hours I screamed out and no one heard
slowly through that pain and confusion
emerged the real me.

It took all those disappointments and life hurts
to make me stop
and look at the real Me!!

No longer am I just an image in a mirror
I am a reflection of my life,
those hurts,
those joys,
that hope,
that burning passion,
that endless love.

I see now the true image
the image of Me!

By Deb Montgomery

Published in "On Top Of The Mountain"

Silent Samurai

silent samurai wind warriors
stand on many mountains
facing the dying sun
slivers of sun skewered
on their swirling swords
their dance at the death of day
silent sentinels
they fight for the spoils of wind
the blood of birds
drips from their blades
as they fill the sky
nowhere for them to go
above or below around or behind
only battle the blades
marvellous and majestic they are
intruders
invaders

By Drax

It Is

It's the little bit of sunshine
Lighting up the dullest day,
That brings a glow of pleasure
As we journey on Life's way.
It's the simple things that please us
Like a willing kindness done,
That son blow away each storm-cloud
'Till once more we see the sun.

-John McLeod

Influence

Drop a pebble in the water,
And its ripples reach out far;
And the sunbeams dancing on them
May reflect them to a star.

Give a smile to someone passing,
Thereby making his morning glad;
It may greet you in the evening
When your own heart may be sad.

Do a deed of simple kindness;
Though its end you may not see,
It may reach, like widening ripples,
Down a long eternity.

-Joseph Norris

Awakening

Awakening to the fresh dawn of the morning
Not knowing what new paths this day will bring,
But trusting in his gentle hands to guide you
Just as he cares for every mortal thing,
And stumbling forth find strength you lacked so badly
Stream in to give a sense of fullness through,
To me, (one fails to count, the kindest people:
Samaritans whose names you never knew.

With dusk the toil of day brings healthy tiredness,
And climbing stairs one wonders all the more
How many friends perhaps you'll meet tomorrow
And what life's traveling onwards has in store.
How often, then, to lie as sleep steals over
And count the blessings that he brings to you,
Through people who are happy just to serve him:
Samaritans whose names you never knew!

-John McLeod

Very Good Teachers

A child does not have to be taught
How to be happy
Or the ways of Love

It is fear, hatred, and prejudice
That have to be taught

And from the condition of the World
We can see
That unfortunately
There are some very good teachers

-Javan

"Goodbye"

Where will I go
When there's no where to go
But away from you

What will I say
When everything's been said
But we're through

What lies ahead
When it all lies behind
But the memories

Will I have the strength
To wipe the tear from my eye
To give one last hug
And whisper "goodbye"

-Javan

Someone Special

There is Someone Special
In this World for me
For that's the way I believe
It was meant to be

So I search every face
In the crowd I see
For there is Someone Special
In this World for me

And the only reason I can think of
That she's not here with me
Is she must have turned left
At Albuquerque

-Javan

Life Is A Time For Learning

Life is a time for learning.
We must learn that our Life is as important
as that of any other person on Earth,
but never more important. We must learn
that we have every right to Happiness,
yet it is up to us to find and recognize it.
We must learn that Life is not easy
nor is it permanent, others will come and go,
and often their departure will cause us
pain. We must learn to develop a positive
attitude that can handle Life's
disappointments. And we must learn that
in order to find Love, we must look
inside our own Heart. For if we can't find
it within, we will never find it without.

-Javan

The Pain We Feel

The pain we feel
When someone leaves our life
Is in direct proportion
To the joy they bring
While a part of our life

-Javan

A Part Of Your Journey

I thought it funny when they asked
If I felt cheated now that I've lost you
For I could have lost you
Only if I had owned you
The way I might own a coin

But you are another person
Traveling through life
And I was lucky just to have shared
A part of your journey

So how could I feel cheated
When there are so many
Who have never known you
At all

-Javan

A Giant Jigsaw Puzzle

Kryptonite from ne033x on Vimeo.

It seems that Life
Could be compared to a giant jigsaw puzzle
With each person like each piece
Having a place where they fit perfectly
Yet so many in there need to belong
Grab the first place they come to
Then try to make it fit

And because of this
They are never quite in harmony
With their adjoining pieces
Thus they never get to know
The way it was truly
Meant to be

-Javan

Touched By You

I've been touched by the morning sun
That chases the night away
And I've been touched by the gentle words
That love-struck poets say
And I've been touched by the morning mist
Everyone calls the dew
But it all seems more beautiful
Now that I've been touched by you

-Javan

"Silence"

As the moon floated across the sky
And twinkled in the ripples in the lake
I sat silently beside you
And tossed pebbles into the water
>From time to time you would squeeze my hand
And rest your head on my shoulder
There was no radio
No television
No pennies for you thoughts

Funny how quickly the hours passed
And how much closer I felt to you
Maybe more often
We should sit down together
And have a good, long "Silence"

-Javan

"Slow Music"

I've noticed a paradox
In this cold world where strangers seldom speak
And Heaven forbid should they ever touch
But on a dance floor when slow music plays
Two strangers can come together
Without questions
Without lies
And while the music is playing
They can express a basic human need
To hold
And be held

And somehow I can't help but believe
That the whole world
Should learn to play
A little more
"Slow Music"

-Javan

This Thing Called Life

It's not easy
This thing called Life
With its broken dreams
And lonely nights
And all the things
That don't work out right

It would be easier
If it came with a script
Of who we were to meet
And the right things to say
And nothing but sunshine
Filling each day

Yes, it would be easier
But it wouldn't be Life

-Javan

Worthwhile

So often Life
Is not filled
With Love and Laughter
As much as
With Loneliness and Disappointment

But there will be enough
Of those beautiful moments
With very special people
To make it all
Seem worthwhile

-Javan

Touch Gently The Life

Touch gently the Life
Of your fellow man
For the human heart
Shapes as easily
As clay upon
The potter's Wheel

-Javan

What I Am

I am a collection of characteristics
Both physical and mental
That makes me completely unique
No one else anywhere
Is exactly like me
And I realize that not everyone
Who crosses my path
Will be interested
In what I have to offer

But my strength comes
From the belief
That Someone
Somewhere

Can and Will
Appreciate me
For what I am

-Javan

Masterpiece

We are born into the World
Like a blank canvas
And each person that crosses our path
Takes up the brush
And makes his mark
Upon our surface

So it is that we develop

But we must realize there comes a day
That we must take up the brush
And finish the work
For only we can determine
If we are to be
Just another painting
Or a Masterpiece

-Javan

Solitude

One day as I walked
Alone in the park
Watching the ducks in the water
And the birds in the air
Enjoying the blissful solitude

I noticed a young couple
Walking together hand in hand
And when he stopped
And touched her face
Then kissed her gently

My solitude turned to loneliness

-Javan

We'll Just Never Know

I've never met you
And yet I know you
At least I know much about you
I know you need food
When you are hungry
I know you need shelter
To protect you from the elements
I know you need things to do
To keep you sane
And I know that especially
You need someone

I can't say that I am that Someone
But I am Someone
And if you choose to turn away
Then I guess
We'll just never know

-Javan

I Am An Idea

Redemption Song from ne033x on Vimeo.

I am an idea
Conceived in the mind of the Universe
And interpreted in the minds
of the individuals I meet

Within myself I am constant
Yet I am as ever changing
as the people who interpret me

I can control my actions
But I can not control their thoughts
Therefore, I must do what I think right
And let others --
Think what they will

-Javan

A Heart That Understands

In my lifetime
I hope to develop

Arms that are strong
Hands that are gentle
Ears that will listen
Eyes that are kind
A tongue that will speak softly
A mind full of wisdom
A heart that understands

-Javan

There Are So Many Words

There are so many words
Yet there are no words
For when I look into your eyes
No words need to be spoken
And the warmth of your smile
Is a statement in itself
And how could I ever try to explain
The trembling in my body
When I touch your face

There are no words to explain an emotion
So I open to you my mind
That you might walk
Among my Dreams and Memories
Then...and only then
You might understand my silence

-Javan

Footprints

Footprints
Four footprints in the sand
Waves washing to shore
The moon hiding behind fluorescent clouds
A star for wishing
Indentions in the sand of two people huddled close
Silence -- and yet conversation
The chill of the wind blowing in from the sea
Lights on distant ships
Hands --
Holding --
Touching --
Caressing --
The sun awakening across the horizon

Footprints
Four footprints running in the sand
As if tomorrow could never come
Laughter
A feeling of Happiness -- deep inside
Living Life
Giving
Sharing

Tomorrow
Footprints
Two footprints in the sand
Searching
Remembering


-Javan

I Am An Individual

I am an individual
Completely unique
A composite of everything
And everyone
That ever touched my life
And tho I will not change for you
I cannot be with you
Without being changed by you

-Javan

Will You Love Me Better Tomorrow

Will you love me better tomorrow
Than you have through the night
Or will the early bird of morning
Take you with its flight
Will the sounds of our laughter
With no echo, fade away
Will tomorrow be -- just a memory
Of the love we shared today

-Javan

My Silence

Brothers In Arms from ne033x on Vimeo.

Should I hesitate as I speak
Please don't think me preoccupied
For words don't come easily
When one really cares
And often I evaluate each word
Trying to be anyone
-- but myself
And the fear of rejection
Brings confusion
The confusion brings silence
And my heart prays
That you might hear my silence
-- and understand


-Javan

A Red Letter Day

Many days have come and gone
Since the day you shared with me
It was Our Day
A Red Letter Day for me

We shared much more than just time
Laughter --
Conversation --
Silence --
You gave me reason to smile again
And be excited about tomorrow

Now, when sadness surrounds me
That you were gone so soon
I try to rejoice
That you ever came at all

-Javan

Hanging On

I've seen it before
And I'll see it again
A couple just hanging on
Even though the words
Are no longer gentle
And the caresses
No longer sincere

But the memories
Of what once was beautiful
And the fear and uncertainty
Of loneliness
Make them cling to each other
Long after good bye
Would be appropriate

-Javan

I Haven't Forgotten

Today
Someone asked me
If I had forgotten you
With a moment's thought and a subtle smile
I answered no

No, I haven't forgotten
The years we shared
When you gave to me
And I gave to you
And like everything else in life
Some was good
Some was bad

But to completely forget
Would create a void in my life

So even as I say
I'm over you
I have the strength to choose
Not to forget you

-Javan

Little Things

You look in the mirror
At lines that were not there yesterday
And find a couple more hairs turned grey
With a nervous glance at me
You wonder if I notice "Little Things"

Later, as I lay beside you
And sleep has closed your eyes
I think of the way you stroked my hair
And how, before you hung my jacket
You held it close to you

I reach out and take your hand
And with all the love the world has known
I bring it to my lips
For yes, I notice "Little Things"

-Javan

You Came Into My Life

You came into my life
Unannounced
Uninvited
But not unwanted
You came at a time that I needed
A tender smile
A gentle touch
A woman's company
You came with understanding
For you asked no questions

With loving care
You healed my wounds
And nursed me to health again
Then you watched over me
Till I regained my courage
To face the world again
And in your wisdom you realized
My need to be free
So you tied no bonds

Now each night
Wherever I am
I think of you
Wherever you are
And in my heart I repeat
"Thank you"

-Javan

Haiku (circa 1650 AD)

The butterfly
perfuming its wings
fans the orchid
— Matsuo Basho

Oh, fallen camellias,
if I were you,
I'd leap into the torrent!
— Takaha Shugyo

A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?


by Edgar Allan Poe

A Heart Full of Love

Life is a time for learning.
We must learn that our Life is as important
as that of any other person on Earth,
but never more important. We must learn
that we have every right to Happiness,
yet it is up to us to find and recognize it.
We must learn that Life is not easy
nor is it permanent, other will come and go,
and often their departure will cause us
pain. We must learn to develop a positive
attitude that can handle Life's
disappointments. And we must learn that
in order to find Love, we must look
inside our own Heart. For if we can't find
it within, we will never find it without.

-Javan