Sky Sailing [poem]

Smooth sailing on days like this one
When the rains beckon me

To climb

I climb aboard and climb so high as

Swift high winds kiss my neck

And cheek

I ride this gallant mare through the sun,

Silver cloud gliding o'er

Sand dunes

The burning wasteland far below me,

Such a golden city,

Hidden

Away from the world, from prying eyes

By they who built it long

Ago

I descend from my silver steed to

Put my boot on the rock,

Painted

Bright crimson by the warriors who built

These pyramids of gold,

Altars

Ladders of wood ascending into

The mountainous caverns,

Hiding

The treasure I seek that lays concealed

In gold stone pyramids,

Waiting.

I can almost see her lying in wait,

Beckoning me ever

Louder

I see her in my mind's eye, the key!

Jewels of turquoise quartz

Illuminated by smooth skin

Of fine bronze and alabaster,

Hair in long braids covering

Her breasts as she waits

To be discovered,
Discovered

For in discovering her she holds

The key to happiness

Lifelong

My frantic footsteps bring me closer,

Closer to her, to the

Chamber

The door opens, El Dorado at last!

I sought her so long, but

Alas!

I see only a mirror...

* * *

Arizona desert Native American photo by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is in the public domain. Pyramid of the Moon photo by Diego Delso and used via CC BY SA 3.0 license. Both images were obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Poem: Chillin' in the Afternoon (in California)

Chillin’ in the afternoon

I lean back and

Forget the clock’s rhythmic ticking,

Ticking away the minutes

And hours of lonely

Vigils on a lover’s island outpost.

The swift summer breeze

Caresses my hair and

Protests the stillness of palm leaves,

Rouses wind chimes from sleep

And sings in the

Hollow of my snow-cold bottle.

Losing myself in history books

And Cuban cigars

Whose smoke dances is my delight.

I pay no mind to outside worries

While the weather’s mild

In my Californio tropical paradise.

They say summer don’t last forever,

But neither do draughts,

And each passing hour of the clock

I ignore is one moment closer

To action,

Charging bulls,

Ringing bells,

Salty tears,

Laughter and wine,

And then my heavy heart
Is free to fly

In search of El Dorado.

* * *

Tropical island graphic from the game 0 A.D. and used via CC BY-SA 3.0 license. San Juan Capistrano image by "Lordkinbote" and used via CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Both images obtained from Wikimedia Commons

Poem: Silence

Silence

The specter haunting my door
Hovers o’er my shoulder as
Vultures to the wanderer or
Death to the ill

Silence
The absence of speaking
Lingers in my head as
Dust on an old path
Deep shadows at twilight

Shadows
A sentry waits for word which
Will not come this snowy eve
It never does...
It only ever brings
Deep silence

Damn silence
Sweet words fall to the soul as
Drops of honey on tongue’s tip
But silence causes yearning
And in starving the yearning soul
Causes

Hunger
Hunger for words
Hunger for knowledge
Hunger for wisdom
No hunger for games
Raw hunger

Not to be alone.
Would that I knew
When up became down
Down became up
Right and wrong changed
Places

Empty places
Do I brave another night
In the cold, waiting for
Word whose messenger may
Split the silence and
Break my

Solitude?
Or will I take again my
Sword and armor
Pen and paper
Cut my losses and
Move on?

Silence
So cruelly imposes 
Longing, though in doing so
Builds strength, and in
Strength may I find
Clarity

* * *

Silence poem by Zach Foster. Snowy night in Athens photo courtesy of "Badseed" via CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Image obtained from Wikimedia Commons.