An Old Wood Pile [a poem with notes]

Old skin, once held tight
Against her skeleton-
Rose no more, just draped
Loosely over unpadded flesh;
Un-tightened muscles, and tissue,
Lost its courage, no-fortitude-,
Gone are the days and years
That stood against the
Indomitable elements;
The skeleton, now a landmark
Hidden under flesh and blood
Guts and moral fiber, backbone?
Collapsed from drudgery
Time, time: cascading inside-.
Bones now leaving impressions
Accepting fate
Like tarnished silver!...
Hands look like autumn leaves
Fallen from a tree
Winter's around the corner
The door of time is closing
Like an old wood pile
Being burnet up-
Hard to open things
Hard to do anything
Precariously balanced-
Painfully slow?

She hears my feet
Cross the room-her pale
Sweet blue eyes, flicker
Like butterflies?

Tilting her face
To catch her breath
She says:
"Who wants to live like this?"

#793 [8/11/05]

Notes by the author: "I think of myself as an old wood pile you might say, and so I use that analogy here: in my poem "An Old Wood Pile," not out of disrespect. My mother had her mission, I was part of it. She was part of mine. I think I have learned to do one thing, if anything, in life, which is to examine it; otherwise, for me it would not be worth living. For this is where the truth of the matter is. Why do we do what we do; my mother said, "Who wants to live like this??" and I had to make a choice for her, after she made her choice. We live in a world where most people, willing or unwilling live in a pretense, when my mother said want she said, there was no more deception for her, if there ever was any. She wanted to go to the next level, and said goodbye in her own way. As we will in time."

Dennis Siluk see his books at http://www.bn.com or http://www.abe.com

---

Two Poems, with Figurative Language

Says Mr. Dennis Siluk, when asked to review his poetry somewhat, for he hesitates all the time when I ask him to so; I can tell you. Anyhow, he said to me (responding... Read More

Feelings, O How Glorious!

Sometimes we feel hard-pressed, Our backs against the wall; Sometimes we feel lightheaded, As if we are going to fall.Sometimes we feel fierce anger At those who misuse guns; ... Read More

Spell of the Andes: (in English and Spanish)

Note: written 4-15-05, while driving through the Andes of Peru, from Huancayo to Lima. I sensed I was but an ant, among the mass of stone, earth and foliage of this enchanting, and... Read More

Beautiful Dreamer, Stephen Foster, Americas First Folk Song Writer

"Beautiful Dreamer" was written by Stephen Foster just before his death in 1864 at age 37. The song became one of his most famous and most popular. However, as with the approximately 200... Read More

In Poetry: Meaning of Words [And ...Rocket-belt]

In Poetry: Meaning of WordsWhen I write poetry, I check out the meaning of words for too often they sound the same, but once written, and if spelled wrong, in consequence, give a... Read More

Tale of the Brick Maker, of San Jeronimo, Peru [In English and Spanish]

Tale of the Brick Maker, Of San Jer?nimo, Peru [A Cup of Sorrow]-1In the Andean mountains, within theMantaro Valley region of Peru, Isolated, secluded, tranquil, is the littlevillage of San Jer?nimo.... Read More

Ole Bulky Jeeps & Paper, Ink and Rain [two Peoms]

Ole Bulky JeepsThrough late summer's heat These bulky shaped jeeps Ride by house and farm City and barn-Hungry for Spring-again, hoping to avoid The Slipping and sliding Of winter's ice and wind?[s]Their weighty... Read More

Rules for Writing Poetry

You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your high school writing class. You know the rules about writing poetry, right? Are there rules? Well, if you frequent the poetry forums across... Read More

The Plane from Iquitos [1959-Part One]

Iquitos & the Amazon Part OneIt was December 2, l959, I was sitting on a small prop-plane leaving Iquitos, Peru for a trip down the Amazon toward the opening, the mouth of the... Read More

Four Poems: Grendels Nature...the Racetrack...Counting days...[Now in English and Spanish]

English Version1) Grendel's DivorceYou must know that I do not hateAnd that I hate you, Because everything dead has twoSides; A sound is one arm of the quiet, Ice has its warm half.I... Read More

Ode to: The Ice Maiden of Ampatos Summit [now in: English and Spanish]

Ded?cate to Antonio Castillo. L. Of. Los Andes UniversitarioOde to:The Ice Maiden Of Ampato's SummitEnglish VersionPart One The ClimbIn the spring of my life, in my villageBy the Andes, I awoke one morningTo... Read More

Ode, to the Mighty Midget Omac [In English and Spanish]

Part One Midget HistoryI am thirty-six inches tall, that is all-Honest to god I am My hair is green, my eyes red, and IHave a very thick neckMy eyebrows are thin, and my... Read More

Caught in the Arms of ED

YOU MIGHT THINK I AM STRONGI THINK YOU GOT IT WRONGI LIVE LIFE DAY TO DAYHOPING IT WILL GO MY WAYI HAVE MY FRIENDS AND MY FOOD PLANMY THERAPIST AND MY THOUGHTSMY EXERCISE... Read More

The Ballad of: Brawling Mad-dog Sergeant Rook [Now in: SPANISH and English]

English VersionA bunch of us guys in the hutIn ?Nam Were playing cards, singing songs; In a solo-room, back of the hut Lay mad-dog, Sergeant Rook;And watching from a distance Was his sidekick,... Read More

Savage Nature: The Life of Ted Hughes

One of the most important poets of the post-war period, Edward James Hughes (1930-1998), was drawn towards the primitive. He was enchanted by the beauty of the natural world, frequently portraying its cruel... Read More

Two Poems and an Analysis [?Witness,? & ?An Old Love?]

Two Poems and an Analysis ['Witness,' & 'An Old Love']WitnessMy face belongs to whoever sees it Everything has a meaning but life Even the bugs strive for existence God saved man, from... Read More

Commuting Hell!

It's dark, it's cold, its' just six thirty,thoughts of sleep still dull my brain,As I huddle down, inside my coat,a commuter clone, just waiting for a train.Insidious rain, just drizzling down,through weak light... Read More

Because of You

You are to me my lifeline my security. That scares me. I never wanted to trust again that much I got hurt too badly the last time. I swore I'd never do it... Read More

Three Poems: Dona Leonors Revenge; The Old Moon; Common Sides [All in Spanish/all in English]

1) Do?a Leonor's Revenge [1627 AD]Rafael Ortiz's fate Was on the plate Of Do?a Leonor'sWhen she arrived In Lima, Peru; To taste revengeFor the beheading Of her husband. And so the plot?was... Read More

Rocks

Take some time to stop and look at nature. Pick up a rock or two and think about where it might have started out and what it might have gone through to end... Read More

House of the Goblin [Part Two of Three/with notes]

House of the Goblin [Part Two of Three]Here is where, where the air is stillAnd the mountains shadows disappear! Here is where, unnumbered spirits dwellWhere harp and memory expire?Where the rainbow-leaps, from itsStoreroom-keep,... Read More

A Different Place...

I wish we had met 20 years ago... A different place, a different time when I actually had a chance for you to be mine...Although we cannot change what brought us together today,... Read More

Article on Poetry and Two Poems

Writing Poetry for TomorrowWhat does a man need to be a poet, or tomorrow's literary giant? Questions many a student has asked, from Harvard all the way to the community college in one's... Read More

The Game of Life

When your life becomes unbearable And the light of promise ceases to glow, When all your dreams and aspirations Lie dormant on ambition's death row.When you feel that all is hopeless,... Read More

Man Unbowed [A poem]

Man UnbowedUnbowed by sin, the world of man, stands Upon his feet he gapes into the sky, The indifference of centuries within his eyes, And in his heart the curse of the old... Read More

Asha of Darfur [A poem with a commentary by the author]

Asha of DarfurCry, cry-oh little Darfur woman For your sister Janjaweed- [in Sudan's merciless region-who was raped to death); Where rape and death run ramped;And Asha prays the Arabs don't' hear Here sobbing... Read More

Mother, I Dont Mind The Pain

I am among those who know that one never recovers from the loss of one deeply loved. We come to accept the death and adjust our lives - rather begrudingly, but we do... Read More

In The Midst Of All

In the midst of darkness, there is light. In the midst of evil, there is virtue. In the midst of war, there is peace. In the midst of agony, there is ecstasy.In... Read More

Poetry in a Nutshell

Poetry is more than just rhyming and prose that is in meters and verse. It is an art form. It is something that can not be judged by its cover and can not... Read More