Strength in the Darkness

The second poem of the week. I originally wrote this poem to the metrics of Elliott Smith's song, 'Between the Bars.' To that end, I sacrificed a natural flow for a mimicked one, and now regret it, especially in the brief third interim verse. On the other hand, it's a fun little demonstration of the extent to which music grants an almost artificial structure to lyrics.


Strength in the Darkness

Speak to me ever so soft in my ear,
gently and close, that no one may hear,
telling me that I have nothing to fear
as I slip into the night.

Stay here beside me and speak once again.
walk with me all the way through to the end,
for I fear that I have no other friend.
Help me make all of this right.

Close my ears
to the sound
Of the demons
around,

As I wait and I pray
For the light of the day,
Help me to stay...

Keep up your courage and wait in the wings.
Soon we will see so much happier things:
The rise of the sun and the changes it brings,
Down upon us from such height.

The Mime

Another week and another poem, or rather, another two, as I was delinquent in my posting last week. Here's a bit more humor to help keep the spirits up through these last few wet days of winter.


The Mime

What if a mime,
when in an act,
quite suddenly had
a heart-attack?

Would the audience
comprehend
that this mime
was near his end?

Or would they nod
their heads and say:
“His acting is
quite good today.”