#bryantplowman

[bryantplowman-blog]

King of Hearts

Reach into my chest and pull my spirit out

Throw my body into the ocean and watch me drown

Through a thousand miles of water I see the piercing sapphires

And I am chilled

The pressure of gazing jewels

Creates the king of diamonds

I shatter into the sand

[bryantplowman-blog]

Mirrors

Mirrors will tell you the cruelest of lies

Shatter your hopes and dreams

Just look right into that mirror’s eyes

And let out your loudest screams

Tell yourself that you’re beautiful

Whether you believe it or not

I want your ears to be full

Of compliments you’ve never forgot

The man down the street likes your shoes

The woman in your class thinks you’re wise

Just be prepared for the day the mirror

Is gone, replaced by eyes.

[bryantplowman-blog]

The Leaves are Changing

The air is dry, cold, and bitter

I’m seeing the signs of the dreaded winter

The leaves are falling from the trees,

They drift to the ground with the slightest breeze

I can feel my lips as they begin to break,

They grow thirstier and thirstier and begin to ache

These signs of winter are like disease

But once the spring is here, we’ll be put back at ease.

With moist air for our lips, and sun for our heart

New inspiration is made for the makers of art

New leaves will grow upon the wise elder trees

Born again they are strong and now withstand the breeze.

[bryantplowman-blog]

Year After Year

Can I overcome the flowers

the smell of springtime air

endure summers’ storms

and evade the sun’s burning glare?

when fall comes around

the leaves all on the ground

—with me.

Standing or fallen,

frozen through the bitter winter

will I be sustained until spring

when the world thaws

and is a beautiful thing.

[bryantplowman-blog]

Carefully Crafted

Pour water between cracks

Freeze it into ice

Then shatter the frame

Lightning jolt through emptiness

Take up the sky with light

Fill the area by equal distribution

Stitch up the parts that split

Heal over with scar kleenex

Thread spare materials together

Carefully craft a solid form

Break it into shards and gas

Then liquefy the remaining bits

[bryantplowman-blog]

J-14

The Dickinsonian great poems Fly

In Paper Planes—that Buzz right by the Eye

But in One ear—the Other ear has cleared

Each message Flees—as soon as they arrive

The Letters disappear—with sentiment

Reflections left behind for mirrors Spent

All poets—folded—each one—tucked—in right

In wrinkled rage an Emily is sent

A student mocking Birds in poetry

Has come to the attention of Me

It is my Job to not let You be Feared

No more shall planes in Classrooms here take Flight!

[bryantplowman-blog]

The Keeper of Death’s Door

On Death’s front door I wait to see

If Death has destiny for me,

Inside his house all grey and bleak

The mansion of the reaper

The door has taunted me for days

I know that he deserves no praise

Though I desire to give my gaze

To Hades’ dear gatekeeper

When at last the knob does turn

My eyes they swell and gently burn

And then I witness him so stern

My faithlessness went deeper

Oh death I beg that you forgive

When I have nothing left to give

Oh please Death just let me live

“You now will be my speaker”

Then I did feel the black come over

No more would there be green on clover

And I shall be another rover

Slaving for the creeper

This curse has fitted onto me

For years I wandered to break free

And now I ask you pay a fee

“You now will be the reaper”.

My ship has sailed at last I’m free

I do not wish to look at thee

I leave you with a chain of greed

Slaving for the creeper

You do not wish to live on so?

You wish to die and let go?

You think I never had thought so?

You, Hades’ dear gatekeeper.

I blister in the sun again

I smell and listen to the rain

Without a body or a brain

I’m an eternal sleeper

My soul has floated round the earth

I existed at Jesus’ birth

And I say for what it’s worth

No sympathy is given, weeper.

[bryantplowman-blog]

Red Sea

a wound is wound around

tumbling falls of red

wine--sweet smoking weeds

vapors slither venomously through veins

organs and orifices

slurring words and images

into developing imagination

whirling in a silent picture show

each slide flutters forward and

back again

the plot lost in seasick brake-checks

red waves of sheets slap any

intelligible inklings away

heavy thuds of frames sliding in progression and retrogression

blacking out

everything but the red sea beneath the vessel

ocean drops boiled individually leave

salt deposited in deep chasms

of man-made oil spills--

jellyfish--once paralyzed

bring a stinging pain to the walls of underwater caverns

slowly sleep seeps into crackled consciousness

as sandpaper grinds under the scalp

leaving the brain feeling freshly peeled