Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Harlem, Sonnet #493

Harlem (Sonnet #493)

Summer Harlem heat melts plastic lawn chairs
To my body. Relief, just a notion,
Wishful thinking in this urban motion
Endless streaming people, no time to spare.
Seated on these brownstone steps, do I wait
For you in vain? Frankie next door crack’d op’
The fire hydrant and kids now dance it up
Soak’d wet. Wish my relief were not so late.
Street band members arrive, set up, and play,
Salsa bluesy street riff, to which we dance
It’s smooth as silk, my feet do want to prance
Marie asked me to join, but here I stay
Without my love I’m lost, and just defer
Do you miss us? My eyes tear up and blur.

© 2017 David W. Palmer

Inspired by Carlos Santana (featuring Rob Thomas), “Smooth”
https://youtu.be/6Whgn_iE5uc



Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Paradigm (French)

Alors
Ensemble,
Motifs
De penser,
Vision du monde, perception;
Qui suis-je dans la collection
De stardust, et l'un des sept milliards de demandeurs de vérité
Former la tapisserie de ce que nous connaissons comme la vie sur ce caillou humide, en train de faire des rondes?
Certains, regardant dans les cieux, trouvent une beauté étonnante; D'autres, cherchant un sens, trouvent Dieu.
Et puis il y a ceux qui se contemplent et se sentent si petits.
Mais qui je suis et pourquoi je suis là
Chang'd le jour où nous nous sommes rencontrés.
J'existe
Aimer
Votre
Âme.

(C) 20l7 David W. Palmer

Paradigm (A Double Fibonacci Sequence)

Paradigm

So
Set,
Patterns
Of thinking,
Worldview, perception;
Who am I in the collection
Of stardust, and one of seven billion truth seekers
Forming the tapestry of what we know as life on this wet pebble, going in circles?
Some, gazing into the heavens find stunning beauty; others, seeking meaning, find God.
And then there are those who contemplate and feel so small.
But who I am and why I’m here
Chang’d the day we met.
I exist
To love
Your
Soul.

© 2017 David W. Palmer



Phosphenes (A Fibonacci)

PHOSPHENES

Light
Is
Simple
And complex.
It's spectrum
Contains all colors
We can enjoy, possibly see.
And for most of our life, we live
In ignorance of the greatest
Beauty staring us boldly in the face. Refraction,
Dismemberment of the whole, alone reveals the beauty we had always pray'd was there.

(C) 20l7 David W. Palmer



Hedonism (An 8x8)

Hedonism

Is greatest good found in pleasure
Avoiding all that causes pain?
I wish so much this were true. Fain
Pursue this without a measure
But, an easy life, does it build
Character forged in crucibles
Of white hot flame? Deniable
That ease can purify our guild.

(C) 2017 David W. Palmer

My poem for the new prompt. What do you think, Sweetheart?

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Entrance (Sonnet #492)

Entrance (Sonnet #492)

Upon our land, the darkness lay devoid
Of hope or certainty. Groping, aimless
Vast, the dark deep hovers over hopeless
Souls, desperate destruction to avoid.
Allah, the Merciful, within that cave,
Did shed His light, brought forth upon that slope
True light’s entrance we mark in reverent hope
Gaining his Paradise, thus are we saved.
Oh, Holy Sacred Text, we celebrate
Your Wisdom, guidance, justice and all truth
That God should speak to man in glorious light
Bless’d be the one who reads and contemplates
So, feast upon this Word which nourishes.
Rejoice, for He designs you to flourish.

© 2017 David W Palmer
Dedicated lovingly, respectfuly, and reverently to all my friends celebrating
The Holy Month of Ramadan at this time.



Vellichor (Sonnet #491)

Vellichor (Sonnet #491)

On an island horseshoe kingdom, e’en more,
Upon the firth Eastsound, I found magic;
I knew at once upon entrance, tragic
‘Twould be should I resist its vellichor.
In my mind’s eye a book is grand transport
Castles, maidens, dragons, battles, brav’ry
Heroes, villains lock in mortal combat
Certain outcome? Never! Should we abort?
Old books contain in mystic musty smells
Such an aromatic ambiance
iPads, Kindles and Nooks will never spell
The joy weighted in print’s etched permanence.
So lost in vellichor I would spend hours
Touching, browsing, exhaust financial pow’rs

© 2017 David W. Palmer

Disco (Sonnet #490)

DISCO (Sonnet #490)

Bright ball spinning light, polyester white
Dressed up to the nines with your girl in tow
Gyrate to the bass beat, raise hands in flow
Sister, this is disco dancing dream night
Dance in desperation with all your might
Syncopation, yes, but stress every beat.
Machines blow smoke, laser lines look neat
Sweetheart is so pretty this magic flight.
Something draws you closer in the slow dance
Then draw apart in fast to watch her move
Baby you have got this one down so smooth
‘Tis my heaven just to see you spin, prance
Alive, alive, I move with you in power
With love’s desire, entrance me in this hour.

© 2017 David W. Palmer


Precious (A Naani)

Precious

Precious promises, pictures
Stored in mental albums
Making real distant events
Visualize them now.

© 20l7 David W. Palmer

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Memorial Day 2017 (Sonnet #489)

Memorial Day 2017 (Sonnet #489)

White stone rows like sentinels stand so mute
Stretch up this hill and o’er the crest. They tell
Of those heroes who paid the price full well
That we live free from threat and fear’s pursuit.
And now, service complete they rest in peace
While yet loved ones do pay that price seering
Branding blisters, their souls’ white heat grieving
Comfort so slight knowing their brave release.
“Your Dad fought brave, my son, and with passion
He gave his all, he did love you so much.
One day, you’ll stand like him bravely to touch
And serve with skill the needs of your nation.”
A man must have a cause greater than he
Sometimes that costs him all that he must be.

© 2017 David W Palmer




Lines in the Sand (Sonnet #488)

Lines In The Sand (Sonnet #488)

Your peace, today, it seemed to be shattered
The world crumbled with such striking swiftness
Contrast the way the day began with now
Sorrow shadows your eyes as loss looms large.
We frame our pain with lines, our faith discharge,
Better? Never ever we wail and how
We draw those lines, enshrine current bleakness
When they’re towers of sand that will be smashed.
Focus your eyes upon bigger pictures
Remove limits of trust you drew ‘gainst God
For He was there before this came about
And will be still despite your fears and doubt
You’re not by this buried beneath the sod
Blue hues will add beauty to life’s mixture.


© 2017 David W. Palmer

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Elysian (Sonnet #487)

Elysian (Sonnet #487)

O peace of permanence, all things at rest
The passions, worries, cares of life below
Which caused duress, distant shadows in flow
I walk in light t’ward joy’s enchanting crest
The barley and the wheat waving serene
Lone oak against a burnished blazing sky
To shade beneath branches my spirit flies
And she whom I once lost there welcomes me.
How sweet our love transcends this mortal dread
That sad morning she blazed this trail, the first.
Longing, sighing, my soul in tears disbursed
She cries for joy our last goodbye was said
Were she not here could peace truly be mine?
But hand in hand we walk in love sublime.

© 2017 David W. Palmer






Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Preposterous (Sonnet #478)

Preposterous (Sonnet #479)

What good is prayer? Would he, His Universe
Disrupt solely for you? Preposterous,
Might Reason speak her mind! You’re just a speck
Upon a stardust speck, an accident.
Be mechanistic, if you wish, my friend.
Consider what experience conveys
You perceive that sunbow simply because
The focus of appearance shines on you.
And line from sun through mist to you passes.
None sees the bow from its periphery
Only at the center do you receive
Visions of light’s spectrum reveal’d to you.
Skeptics scoff where I see illustration
When needed most, God has His eye on you.

© 2017 David W. Palmer

Monday, May 15, 2017

One Needed Thing (Sonnet #455)

One Needed Thing (Sonnet #455)

I sat to write sonnets on gilded leaf,
Gold-edge paper. Lofty my sentiments
For she deserved Byron and Shelley,
Marlowe, John Donne, Shakespeare, even Sidney.
But I of pretense born cannot compete
With these of greater honed skill and craft
Where they can make the sun stand still and catch
Sweet Breath in moments frill, ne’er so can I.
I sought to speak in hushed, rev'rent tones
But frivolous they sounded lead on lead.
But should verse fail to reach her heart, what then?
I have one recourse left, "I love you, Dear!"
These lips were kissed so urgently, she cried,
It wasn’t them she wanted, it was I.

© 2017 David W. Palmer

Aurora (Sonnet #476 - Experimental)

Written originally for Maricris Cabrera's #WordPrompt #Aurora on Canvas to My Soul

Aurora (Sonnet #476 – Experimental)

Let play the luminescent streaks of light
High o’er all shades of darkest, gloomy night
The grace of God at play transforms delight
Declares sorrow shall not subsume hope bright.
Return your gaze, my Love to soaring heights
The angels dance on pinpricks ‘fore your sight
Aurora’s kiss upon your cheek indicts
A morning dawn’s sweet joy, O blessed Sprite.
Your love cascades in glorious flow above me
Through wave on wave that gift o’erwhelms, I see
And infinite your written patterns be
My lot, to be amazed a what I read.
Tis Grace alone, I’m standing on this sod
To see at play through you fingers of God.

© 2017 David Palmer



Sunday, May 14, 2017

Mother (A Tribute)

Mother (A Tribute)

Mid-May sunlight lingers in soft pastels 
Yellow chiffon, cream gold and marmalade 
We do approach my favorite time of year
Yet deep, those sighs escape me, saudade.
The world has celebrated Mother's Day 
Yet in its waning light, one figure stands
To speak tribute to she whose sacrifice
Made possible the man you know today.
How did you balance full time work and me,
And never did I feel neglect or loss?
Fit words, precious counsel ne’er steered me wrong
Insistently detained me from errors;
And faithful faith did model through my soul
That pathway clear unto eternity.

© 20l7 David W Palmer


Mom and Dad married later in life and she was 40 when I was born.

Friday, May 12, 2017

Written originally for Maricris Cabrera's Beautiful Word Prompt on Beautiful Minds Community in Google+

Penumbra

Neither shadow nor light dominates here
Which way are we headed, toward darkness
Or is it past, and cheery light
Breaks once again upon us?
Shadows lacking substance
Life lived on hold
So weary
Without
You..

Yet,
I know
Hope lives here
For all things change
Darkness surrenders
To life re-imagin’d
Tis only the penumbra
Through which we are passing right now.
Even the dandelion breaks through
Solid concrete. Our beautiful love reigns.

© 20l7 David W Palmer


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Sophistry

Sophistry

How
I
Weary;
Contentious
Argumentative
People never seem to agree.
For a moment they seem to speak convincing wisdom
But they could just as easily argue the other side; it all comes down to sophistry.


© 20l7 David W Palmer


Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Pas de Deux (Fibonacci Sequence)

Pas de Deux

Please
Dear
Sweetheart
Dance with me
For all days to come
Let's create choreography
That amazes the world how in sync our souls have become
As one we embrace, extend, stretch, pull down the very stars above in our Pas de deux.


(C) 20l7 David W Palmer


Monday, May 8, 2017

Runnels (Fibonacci Sequence)

Runnels

My
Mind 
Is fill'd
With runnels
Memory channels
Of precious scenes we have shared;
Really they are instant access of recall when we
Are apart. All I have to do is tap into one, let the first tear fall; you are there


(C) 20l7 David W. Palmer


Thursday, May 4, 2017

Star Wars Day, May 4 (A Musette Attempt)

For Star Wars Day
(May the Fourth Be With You)

Resistance

Able?
Impossible
Fight On

Dark Lords
Drawn laser swords
Resist

New day
Win through the fray
Stand tall

Clone-bots
Battles be fought
Courage

(C) 20l7 David W. Palmer