Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Poetry

I write poetry for many reasons.  I love words, the sound and feel of them as they roll off my tongue or through my mind.  I write to express emotions and to create pictures of places, moments, people, and experiences.  When I feel something deeply, the words can flow quickly, but of course, sometimes not.  I close my eyes, see the image and write.  I play with the words and phrases and let them dance until the dance is smooth and complete.

Two of my favorite poets are the Irish poet Seamus Heaney for the quality and earthiness of his work and Mary Oliver for the beautiful pictures that she paints.  Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost also move me deeply, along with many more.

I'm going to place four poems in this post.  Some are short, some longer.  The first two come from my love of Ireland.  The River Corrib is written on top of a picture that I took when I was in Galway. To read the poem, please click on the picture. The second comes from my experience in a small cafe in Kinsale - On the Corner.  The third is very short and comes from traveling - The Beautiful Maiden, and the fourth is entitled Of Desire.


The River Corrib
Click on the image below to see a larger view of the poem.

Copyright © Bob Stegner 2013




"On the Corner"

On the corner
In a glass encased rowdiness
Of spirit and light
Infused with sweet, round aromas
That fill the empty place
In me

I notice shards of leaves
Dangling and breathing moisture
In an atmosphere
That clouds the windows
Yet fills the room
Of clatter and craic
With a human warmth and comfort
On the corner

Mid-day arrives and slips by
With an accelerated time-lapse
Of the comings and goings
Of lives
Turned still-life
In a moment
Floating precariously
On the corner

It's now
At this table
Feeling part
Of the bread and tea
And meat and relish
Of the sugared delights
Of meringue and lemon and cream
Mixed with hours of labor
That called me here...

That I realize
In some small way
How this place
Has carried me home
For the season
Though I'm here
On the corner
In Kinsale

12/18/07
Kinsale, Ireland
In a small lunch cafe

Copyright © Bob Stegner 2013



Beautiful Maiden

Cast upon a world unknown and strange
I bounced on the rails of travel and adventure
Pushing myself, exploring, wondering, laughing
Intertwining my life each day with those
I meet along the way

06/22/13
Copyright © Bob Stegner 2013



Of Desire

It begins
On a sunny day
Within a speck of time
At a place of convergence
As two mortals cross paths
And ignite the genesis
The melodic harmony
The evolution
Of Desire

From moments
To seconds
To minutes
To hours...
Soft looks and laughs
Eager smiles and words
Merge and fuse
With touch or unintended caresses
That Linger
And intermingle
And sow the seeds
Of Desire

Hearts hoard memories
And fantasies form and flourish
From the warmth and humor and joy
That fuel and fan
The embers 
Of lust and inquisitive delight
With the chemical
The biological
The physical embrace
The fascination
Of Desire

But then...
It dawns
From all the bits and pieces of days
And hours
And minutes
And seconds
And moments...
It arises and shines
From a look, a sign, a stroke, a word
Catapulting and focusing
The conscious fire
Of Desire

Eyes blaze
Hearts flare
Passion heightens
Lips collide
Neurons fire
Bodies join and entwine
As the embers burn and flash
Crimson, yellow, green, blue, and indigo
In the inferno
Of Desire

That moment
Can singe
And fade
And simply drift away
And dissipate
Like a storm
To a breeze in the night

Or…
That moment
Can spread
And linger
And last
And thrive
In an amalgamation
Of all that was shared
Intensifying and nurturing
Desire's birth and existence
Forever

The magic,
The secret
Of the eternal flame
Of passion
The lasting power
Of Desire
Is rooted
And owned solely
Within the creators
The interwoven pair
Who alone possess
In that moment
The key...

As they look into each other's eyes
And sense in their hearts
The emerging coalescence
The undeniable rich tapestry
Of Time
And Friendship
Of Passion
And Desire
All sewn and meshed
Organically together
With the enduring strength
And the exquisite, warm beauty
Of Love

Bob Stegner
07/06/2009
Copyright © Bob Stegner 2009

No comments:

Post a Comment