by Bob Dougherty
a moment will come
and it is arriving now
do you remember?
a moment will come
and it is arriving now
do you remember?
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by Bob Dougherty
the hike in the woods was refreshing I kicked off my shoes and walked across the hardwood floor to my old desk chair leaning back I rubbed my chilly hands over my face then tilted forward and opened my laptop to capture a fading thought about nature something doesn’t feel right a tickle on the back of my neck an instant itch reaching back and scratching then slapping my neck what is that? flying fingers grabbing combing it’s a bloody fight my fist brings it all into view a tick a tick there in my hand scrambling trying to run to run instinct and me trying to kill to kill instinct began in a woods a tick a human instinct over in seconds By Bob Dougherty
I hate that you came and destroyed my ways before you I did what I wanted to why can’t I stop dwelling on pleasing you just a glint of you sets my mind ablaze and I’m so tired of living in a daze you struck me just like a bolt from the blue and I’m head over heels in love — it’s true without you my life would be dismal grays you have captured all that is good in me and the bad in me will never see light I’ll be true to you love — just wait and see and on cold winter nights I’ll hold you tight our love will blossom like a tulip tree and we will always kiss good night — honest! by Bob Dougherty
the vision of these visages in the class room blooms on pencil stems by Bob Dougherty
first day birthday next day someday another day good day sunny day rainy day warm day today just a plain day sad day bad day damn I’m mad day yesterday a gone day what a fun day son of a gun day I’m going crazy day school day cool day I’m no fool day hey! graduation day! work day shirk day freakin’ berserk day infatuation day wedding day I love every day day an’ night an’ night an’ day spring day summer day autumn day chilly day winter day just a plain day today warm day rainy day sunny day good day another day someday next day birthday last … By Bob Dougherty
rife with lichens — rocks don’t care troweled with lichens — trees don’t care awash with lichens — walls don’t care studded with lichens — even statues don’t care tropics to tundra peaks to plains — lichens are there licking CO2 from the air yet humans who say — they care about the air don’t care about lichens by Bob Dougherty
(an abstract pantoum) we didn’t know the naked impression his lean energy was so distracting I clasped a hand over my foolish smile as his immortal voice spoke of love energy distracting his coarse hands were not confused by beliefs voice of love and pure affection with no malignant bloat not confused as I tried to clutch a brilliant moment pure affection then his majestic triumph uncoiled brilliant moment gesturing with his gray hair he whispered triumph uncoiled as structure crumbled catastrophically gray hair the thorns probed his rubbery flesh structure crumbled his fingers of enchantment had broken thorns probed then muttering bitterly in torn clothes enchantment broken to hordes of reporters with feeble questions torn clothes his legs of bronze and gaze of impotence feeble questions Earth devours desolate spirits gaze of impotence I clasped a hand and began to smile Earth devours didn’t we know the naked impression? By Bob Dougherty
darkly drums the dreary heart alone though wise deny darkness to know day love’s bright light as though no night is shone young while born with love — love must be known touch gentle with love’s hand — don’t betray darkly drums the dreary heart alone old like poems fine metaphors in tone their love just dust or a spring bouquet love’s bright light as though no night is shone rich show love — for love — or to atone wealth can’t buy true love — or so they say darkly drums the dreary heart alone poor give love — for love — it’s all they own love returned is more than they convey love’s bright light as though no night is shone lost is life spent chasing a gravestone love enlightens life and paints the way darkly drums the dreary heart alone love’s bright light as though no night is shone by Bob Dougherty
Epigraph: In 1382 poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Parliament of Fowls, celebrating the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. It contained the line, "For this was on saint Valentine's day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate". This is the first known written reference to St. Valentine's Day as having a romantic social context in society. honor Chaucer for St. Valentine’s Day the day when fowl of fine feather found mates now lovebirds tweet notes or text things risqué ancient Greeks had Eros to whom to pray or they tossed their helpless hearts to the Fates honor Chaucer for St. Valentine’s Day remember this day or your heart will pay the love of your life has a mind for dates now lovebirds tweet notes or text things risqué a poem penned for May now sparks winter play the look touch and words the heart palpitates honor Chaucer for St. Valentine’s Day roses candy diamonds on layaway retailers remind — romance resonates now lovebirds tweet notes or text things risqué how plain without this feathery foray all of February would be — for dates honor Chaucer for St. Valentine’s Day now lovebirds tweet notes or text things risqué by Bob Dougherty
there’s an old man with a walker I pass him every day stooped shoulders steadily shuffles like warp he knows his way thoughts as ever weave together when wisdom’s beam’s aligned my hands are stronger than his — his grasp is stronger I find there’s a young man with a smart phone he passes me each day such steady searching shuttling strides like weft he seeks his way thoughts whenever weave together past hunger pangs remind my thoughts woven by life and time — his still being defined there are millions of people who pass and mingle each day so similar yet unique like threads waiting to inlay thoughts so clever weave together as revelations bind sharing knowledge increases strength through wisdom we’re refined there were countless generations in foundational array infinite individuals aspiring to convey thoughts forever weave together from every mortal mind life’s loom creates this tapestry transcending human kind |
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Bob Dougherty is a poet and writer living in Tiburon, CA Archives
January 2020
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