Sunday, February 13, 2011

Strawberry Preserve Sky

It was a hot, but pleasant day,
The front porch was cool in the shade,
Inside the house I heard her weep,
And so help me God, I was afraid.

'Neath a strawberry preserve sky,
Me and my woman shared our pain.
All alone, with no one around,
We walked, side by side, down the lane.

It was in the morn's early hour,
The sun just peeking o'er the trees,
We spoke not a word as we trod,
The two of us and one made three.

A rusty gate opened for us,
We walked past it toward the grave,
I dug with my hands yesterday,
Sun was hot, woman called brave.

A wooden casket that I'd made,
Sat by the grave for sweet, sweet Sue.
She's gone from us, she went away,
Died two days ago with the flu.

I'm on the porch; I've no more tears,
Don't know when my woman will rest
Her crying, I doubt that she will,
Life looks bleak if this is God's test.

©February 4, 2011 / Jerry Pat Bolton

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Our Love


it was spring
our hearts
burning with love
windswept desire
thunderous passion
our arms reaching
into forevermore
and then . . .
deceptive lightning
blazed a course
of deceits and lies

trivial at first

a germ of deception
on many fronts
infection set in
a pox on our house
slept with eyes open
trust gone
love collapsed
into and upon itself
we never understood
how angry we were
until the shouting began
the crying
shattering of thrown things
crying
you tried to cut me once
I stopped you
we hugged
we made lust
looking for the sun
to send shafts of light
back into our souls
we hung on
didn't want it to end
closed our eyes
to everything
far too long
after awhile
I snorted
began to wonder
about transmigrating
still, our arms reached out again
searching for lost passion
we'd lost the map
anyway
our thoughts
too dark to see
what was right in front of us
finally
tearfully
with shame and regret kicking in
we understood
we didn't matter
it was the "we" part
we'd failed to see

I'm here
on the banks of the bayou
watching my reflection
staring back at me
trying
in my own way
to come to an understanding
of love

I've grown to hate
the word
my reflection
nods in agreement

©January 4, 2011 / Jerry Pat Bolton

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Year's Day 2011 Poem



he looked me in the eye
I'm an intellectually curious atheist
a portrait of guilt breached his face
I'm in constant search of a God I don't believe in
when I looked confused
his laughter shattered my eardrums
pay me no mind
he sputtered through the mirth
I'm really looking for a girl with a beautiful body
and a sick mind


I walked away

wait, kemo sabe
he caught up with me
it's the new year
will this be the year we find world-wide
everlasting peace?

someone told me a while back
peace is overrated I said
what'd you tell him?
nothing
I punched him in the mouth

©January 1, 2011 / Jerry Pat Bolton