I'm not sure if this is the right place for this topic, but I thought it would be nice to place some self-written poems here...I'll start (of course):

Dreaming of you
made me wonder
I made myself say no
You leaving
Made me think again
Thinking of your kiss
Thinking of your touch
And I knew
I love you

Who's next?

A time not long ago
the shadow still upon my heart.
I came to you one sunny day,
and you told me we must part.

Harsh words spoken in anger,
barbs cast in heated exchange.
I spoke before I realized.
If I lost you, what of me would remain.

Was it unbridled arrogance,
or just my foolish pride.
That left the words unspoken.
That would have kept you at my side.

But you chose another,
to share with you, your life.
Although my heart longs for you still
you are another's wife.

Regardless of what you share with others.
There is one truth I still know
That for one brief moment within your life
I was the one who could touch your soul.

I couldn't choose between these two of my favourites. The first one is "serious" poetry - the second one I just wrote for fun!

A Flower in My Garden

I planted a flower in my garden
And watched it grow.
It looked at my one day and asked,
"Why does it rain when I want sun?"
I took it inside and laid it on the sill,
Where it's always sunny and never rains.
And my flower died.

I planted a flower in my garden
And watched it grow.
It looked at me one day and asked,
"Why is the soil dry when I want it wet?"
I took it inside and laid it in the sink,
Where its soil was always wet and never dry.
And my flower died.

I planted a flower in my garden
And watched it grow.
I gave it rain, I gave it sun.
Its soil was never too wet nor too dry.
It looked at me one day and asked,
"Why am I here?"

I planted a flower in my garden
And watched it grow.
It survived floods and droughts,
Harsh winds and humidity.
Indeed my flower grew, and made others of its kind.
They asked of each other, "Why are we here?"

I planted a flower in my garden
And from my window, I watch it grow.

Epic Poem - Untitled (as of yet)

Alone she sits in virgin bliss,
Alone, with twilight high above.
Hers is life without distress;
No troubling thoughts of labourèd love.
She sits here in the orchard green,
Her slumber with the darkness creeps;
More lovely than any queen
Or goddess. Trance-like here she sleeps
Alone: would that it were so!
But darkness has a thousand eyes
That with dismal, evil flow
Shroud themselves with silent lies.
O, what a wicked choice the Fates
Made for this one so young!-
In the shadows, Hecate waits
In jealous rage, these words she wrung
From the deepest Abyss of her soul:
"Wherefore in grace does such a one sleep;
Poor, innocent, insolent foal?
Before daylight comes, ye shall weep
A thousand tears for my disgrace!
Look down on her, ye gods of hate,
On she who earnèd my distaste!
No more she'll run with carefree gait
Among the flowers, through the trees;
Her fairness is forfeit here tonight!"
The leaves moved not in the magicked breeze
While blacker still became the night.
And Hecate with all her power
Determined, in her love of hate,
To desecrate this winsome flower;
Her own pride her aim to sate.
The girl awoke with screams of pain
Echoing from her ruby lips
Which, ne'ermore to be seen again,
Hide from laughter. O, what many ships
Would cast her form before
To watch for angels, guard from reefs;
But O, alas!- this is no more!
Because vain Hecate did decree:
"Would that it will not be so!"
The girl, in her distorted form,
Ran, with tears of anguish aflow,
Trusting the night and fearing the morn.
Thus she lived out many a year:
Alone in the forest, day after day;
Away from people who would fear
The very sight of her: "Away!
Outcast! Unclean! Away from here-
Your kind is not welcome!" they said
She'd turn and she'd walk, aware of their leers;
Uncompromising, unafraid.
Hecate watched, but did not believe
How this girl suffered with never a sigh:
She never complained, she did not grieve.
"This girl is strong- much stronger than I!"
Hecate feared- the first in her life-
This girl whose beauty never strayed.
She lived and loved devoid of strife
In a world that she, herself, had made.
The girl is average; in her mind
No mark of beauty e'er touched her face!
By some standards she might be blind,
But she sees more than the whole human race.

I'm in the middle of making a poem to express my gradatude, best-wishes, and support to a friend who is moving away-so far away . I'll be working on it the whole weekend and I'll post it immediatly.

Thank you all for posting! It's nice to see some fellow-poets here...

Here's my poem that has been published and copyrighted in the yearly book by The National Poets Society:

I called it 'A Tiger's Prayer':

I am an endangered species, can't you see?
I need to be protected to live free.
In the forest of the land, I try to do the best that I can.
The only enemy that I have is a beast, known as man.
My young ones and I do our best,
But the people who care have to do the rest.
If the habitat I live in goes away,
I shall be nothing but a stray.
Please don't let this be my fate.
I can't live in a little crate.
God made me to hunt and kill,
Not to stand there and be still.
So please don't let them tear us apart,
If you can find it in your heart.

Copyright ©2002 Lisa Henderson

I also have another one that was published and copyrighted by the National Poets Society:

It's called 'The Cougar Mother':

Deep in Yellowstone National Park,
Coming out when it's dark.
She hunts the herd of the Whitetail Deer,
Doing so without any fear.
What she catches she eats in a hurry,
Saving some for which to bury.
Heading back toward her cave,
Her cubs need her milk for which they crave.
As a hunter and mother she's one of the best,
With sharp fangs and a deep broad chest.
There is nothing she fears,
But of man she stays clear.
Living near the Pacific West Coast,
She's known as the Rocky Mountain ghost.

Copyright ©2002 Lisa Henderson

Okay, here are my contributions:

VAMPIRE KITTENS

I have vampire kittens. They
Purr, and push their
Velvety-soft faces against my throat,
Soft and warm, stroking and rubbing, giving
Affection, loving me. Then they
Bite.

UNTITLED

Once I thought I saw God
In the night sky but
No they said that's a falling star.
And after a time they told me
No the stars never fall,
They are what we mistake comets to be.
A frozen ball of gas,
Glowing in the radiance of the
Sun.

MY GRANDMOTHER'S BACK PORCH

The hills rumble deep within their chests, the
Thunder filling the late-afternoon sky.
Lightening flickers at the very corners of vision,
Like hot/cool trickles of peppermint down a
parched throat.
The blue-green of the early summer hills
Blurs gently into the green-blue,
Stormy, sulky, summer sky. Twilight
Approaches rapidly, as sheets
Of slate-gray rain march steadily,
Like giants,
Across the valley.

Here are a couple of poems that I wrote for Creative Writing class which I had with aprilshower! And yes the second one is a sonnet. We had to write one.

Kristallnacht

The sound of screams
Filled the air
As the little boy
Was hiding there
In his bed
Beneath the sheets
Listening for
The sound of feet
Where was his father?
Where had he gone?
Was his mother with him
Or completely alone?
Windows were breaking
Scaring him more
Then the soft sound of someone
Opening his door
It was his mother
Now they must hide
He understood then
That his father had died
Now the boy's an old man
But he'll always feel shock
When he thinks of the terror
That was Kristallnacht

The Angel's Mercy

The angel's wings made not a sound
As slowly she walked to his door
The baby's toys were on the ground
This little one would hurt no more
The baby slept a peaceful sleep
His small smile gave nothing away
This almost made the angel weep
How much had he been hurt today?

The angel took him in her arms
As she carried him far away
The baby's smile was full of charms
He trusted her in every way
The baby is in his new Home
A place where he won't be alone

*My sonnet gave my teacher goosebumps!!(I thought that was pretty cool!)

[ June 06, 2002, 07:01 AM: Message edited by: SillyLily ]

I write really dodgy poetry, but we're all friends here, right?

Here is a link to my page that has most of my stuff on it. There are still a few to go, but dammit, it makes my fingers hurt!!

Anyways, here it is...

I wrote this one at work last night!

Poetry for Dummies

It takes no skill to write a sonnet --
If one's thoughts are duly on it.
(Just this evening, in mid-tread,
A couplet popped into my head:
"Ah! these are the greatest lines
To any scripture yet contrived!"
I murmured to my self in glee;
For I have had ill luck, you see,
These months gone by, to write a thing
That close reflects my own feeling.)
The middle's got me in a bind --
I've got the start; the end's in mind --
And I but want some fuelling wit
To write the part that needs be writ.
Dear me! while in my thoughts I delved
This poem's gone and wrote itself!
And I need now but add the end
(The couplet that I thought so grand).
And so, to beg your kind indulgence --
La pièce de résistance: --
Darn*! now where'd I write it down?
Screw it all -- I'm going home.

* Not the original exclamation.

Yesterday is only a memory
Haunting me, blown away on a summer breeze.
He was so close to me, but don't you see
He's gone.

Lying there in the warmth of the summer sand
He'd take my hand and I knew that he'd understand
How close he was to me, but don't you see
He's gone.

All of the time that we spent together means nothing now,
And I don't know how
I let him go but now
He's just a memory, don't you see
He's gone.

Years have passed but these memories fill me yet.
I can't forget all the beautiful days we spent
Lost in Eternity, but don't you see
He's gone.

.......These are actually lyrics to a song I created when I was much younger. I keep resurrecting it from time to time, changing a line here and there as suits my fancy. I'm not too pleased with the last stanza as it is. I know I had a bright idea to change the words, but I've forgotten what it was! Don't worry - it'll come to me......

I'll be back ... I'll have to look up some of the poems I've written over the years ... and, I'll post some of those that I consider to be the best here as soon as I get a chance to do so.

Great idea, Arwen Undomiel

I have one or two, but I'm shy!

Lady C, I like your sonnet -- ended up just the way I would have written it!

Wow Blue thats beatiful...I love when poems engender feelings in me...its like eating lol...everything tastes different

I thought I might brave it all and submit my poetry but wanted to read everybody's contributions before i did so and just wanted to say how moving and clever everybody's poems are.

I was a little apprehensive initially but we are all family aren't we, so I'm going to risk it. Lefois, obviously I would not dream of pushing you to post your own poetry if you felt too vulnerable to do so, but I would LOVE to read your poems!

The Bitter Irony Of Love (07.07.88)

I stand before you
Bare, naked
Stripped of all pretensions and conventions
The truth revealed in all its glory
And I feel as vulnerable as a baby,
Defenceless like a sacrificial lamb,
And still like a monk ot his God,
I offer myself ot you body and soul -
Eat my bread, drink my wine
I am yours for the taking,
A rag doll moving to your command
And yet - you cannot see it.......



Untitled (12.02.90)

Word were uttered
Apologies muttered
And he departed
Leaving her there
Broken-hearted
And full of despair.
Love lost that was borne
Confidence torn,
A game of facade
With modesty's mask
She waits for the wounds to heal ..


The Chip(12.08.91)

It is bold on your shoulder
Waiting to exercise
It's freedom of speech -
Hold the sauce!


Since my poetry tends to be quite morbid at times, my last poem is my favourite one as it is certainly on the lighter side. I am trying to write some about the nicer side of life, but so far it's not been forthcoming.

Anyway, thank you for giving me the space to do this, I feel a bit vulnerable as this is the first time I have ever shown my poetry apart from to some very close friends, but I'm glad that I have done it - it's been quite cathartic for me

This is my first post, and I wanted it to be something special. First I'd like to say that ALL OF THESE poems are wonderful! Really!!!
Now let me have my turn...

Implore the mightiest force to make you see
That I would go across the deepest sea
You'll burn my mind if only they decree
And I can't die for there's still hope in me

Your soul is pure and your intentions true
And you just don't know why your eyes are blue
You've come and still you haven't got a clue
And I will die for I'm not breathing you

Your weapons and defenses will all burst
And also all about me that you've cursed
You don't do anything to quench my thirst
And I have died the day I met you first

(January 20th, 2000)


I was a little love-sick when I wrote this...
Further, I want to agree to allynellie (sorry if I misspelled it) - I'd love to read some more, so don't be too shy to post your poems. I did it, too...

This is the last in a series of poems, written in tribute to a here-unnamed gentleman who captured my fancy (and broke my heart) about five years ago.

The Final Stanzas: Curtain Closed

One brief, shining moment,
On a night with many stars,
To rush my blood and heal my heart,
Wherein were many scars.
It is a secret pleasure
And a comfort in the night,
And that is why I hide it, now,
Safely from my sight.
I close the lid and lock it tight;
I place it high with care,
And take my comfort simply, now,
In knowing it was there.

Why that's beautiful, LadyCaitriona! I have a similar place within, but I see it as a corral, of sorts, and I can open the gate when I chose, and let the feelings run. For many years I couldn't get them in the corral! Beautiful! Thank you.

We wake the worlds and see the stars.
We destroy what is closest to our hearts,
and weep the tears unshed.

Another piece that came to me at work. It's a short summary of events that shaped my current relationship (written for the SO. As friends, we were separated for two years when I went away to college and lost touch. When I returned to the city, I tracked him from his last known residence and showed up on his doorstep. We started dating two days later).

I Love You, You Know

I feel as though the day we met
You tied a piece of yourself around my heart,
So that when the ebb and tide of Life
Took us on our separate journeys,
You knew,
And I knew:
We could never truly be apart.
Away we went, and experienced Life:
You in my thoughts, and I in yours;
Through the Good and the Bad,
Through Hardship and Plenty,
You knew,
And I knew:
We were never apart.
And so on that wonderful night --
Was it really only a year ago? --
I followed my heart: I closed my eyes
And was guided by that piece of you that never left me.
And you know,
And I know:
We will never be apart.

In a rather different vein, here's a poem I wrote as a tribute to the glorious nation of which I am a part.

"Albion Schmalbion, by W.B. Islingtonian

Idylls of a green and tranquil land
As realistic as fairy dust
This country's green as concrete and
As tranquil as a rush hour bus

In days long past we once were "Great"
But now the name looks out of place
Our sporting giants have shrunk of late
We're at the back in any race

Our beer is warmer than our sun
Our daylight's thinner than ourselves
We'll work from dawn to kingdom come
To keep the teabags on our shelves

It never rains, except on days
Whose name contains the letter Y
We'll do whatever the US says
For a bigger slice of apple pie

But other countries leave me cold
So keep your sun, your sparkling sea
I'll tread these cobbles till I'm old
(Or till the car fumes poison me)

So come what may, I will not go
I'll never sail from these docks
For though all good sense tells me "No"
I love this pointless heap of rocks"

Well, I don't want to post original poetry directly here...copyright issues and such, but if people are interested, you can read some selecitons of mine at:

Skylar's Poetry Page

Skylarb..I have looked at your page and have read some of the poetry there..very good!

And here is one that I made for my best friend." For anyone who does not know who my best friend is....just read my signature line and look at the photo under my user name.

"A Very Special Friend"

My days seem empty and so does my heart
Although you are not with me any longer
I will never forget our time together

You were always there for me, no matter what
I felt so helpless when you became ill,
the vet said I could do no more. It broke my heart
to see you go, but Junior, I know that you
are in a better place

No more suffering do you have,
Now you can run and play all day

The spot where you laid seems so empty
The bed where you slept seems naked and bare
My heart is broken and I don't want it to heal

You were more than a pet, you were my companion,
friend, child and protector. I will never
forget the love that we shared
And I pray that your wings will carry you far

God has you now, my precious baby to watch
and keep you Until we can be together.
I miss you and love, and wait for the day
when we meet yet again.

Love Mommy


~~~~~~~~~
Agnes (JTJ)

Here are a couple pf poems I wrote:

Endless poems,
Through endless streams,
Come to me from endless dreams,
The birds shall not sing,
The bells shall not ring,
Until I’ve come up with my endless dream.
The children laugh,
But then they cry,
You may ask yourself why oh why,
The answer is simple,
If only you’d try,
To find the single good thing in the sky.

I hold in my hand,
trust of love for everyone kind,
a seed for a flower that blooms in the sky,
a bit of water from the magic lagoon,
that can turn animals into pretty loons,
a bit of the magic and heart of the earth,
the mystery of water beyond the surface,
I hold in my hands the questions.

Winter, Winter, oh so bright,
Why can’t you come and light up the night?
Instead you’re always cold,
And make me shiver from my toes, to my nose.
Just one winter, I do wish,
You would give me something I do miss.
As soft as cotton,
But much more fun,
The white glitter that comes instead of the sun.
It glides softly to the ground,
This thing that I truly wish,
It brings laughter,
And happiness,
Wherever it’s missed.

Blue is the color of nightfall,
Blue is the color of a dream,
Blue is the color of a firefly,
Lighted by a dazzling stream,
Blue is the color of an angel,
When it flies out of sight in the night,
Blue is the color of happiness,
When you stare, and dream all night.

A single leaf falling gently to the ground,
Unnoticed by all the people around,
A single leaf floating in the sky,
Wondering what else shall fly by,
Shall it be picked up by a careless child?
Or be caught up in a restless wind that roams wild?
Who knows, but not many care,
For the tired leaf caught up in the air.