WOULD THAT I KNEW

Would That I Knew

Would that I knew
Where to look

In this world

For love

For love has kept it's shining face

Far from the embrace of my eyes

Far from the circle of my arms

Far from the warm hearth of my heart

My pillow holds no head but mine

Catches no tears but mine

Witnesses no dreams but mine

And rarely sees them come true.

There was a time when hope was young

And innocence had not been tarnished

I felt love calling my name in halls of light

And running just ahead of me in fields of flowers.

But that was then, when days were new

And nights were magic and full of promise

Nights when love twirled in velvet cloaks

And beckoned me with eyes of bliss.

I cannot find it now

The magic......

Nor the candlelight glows in joyless nights

The touch of satin on hungry skin

The fountain of love has gone to dust

And the stars have all gone dark

Is this the destiny of broken hearts?

This shattered vase that holds no rose?

This empty room unkissed by sun?

This poemlessness that knows no prose?

What I would give to get it back

Even only to lose it yet again

For loss loses meaning without a gain

Like days lack definition without the night.

Walking through this life with empty heart

Is worse than death

Is worse than war

Is worse than prison.

Would that I knew where to look

In this world

For love..........

For I would run on broken glass

Through snow and rain

And hurricane

To the place where it waits

And calls my name

For I would fly on feet of fire
Down darkened alleys and fields of fools

Holding out these empty arms

To welcome it home here in my heart.

©by Voo

November 3, 2010

12:27 a.m.

REMEMBER THE KISSING PLACE

"Remember the Kissing Place"

Somewhere out west of here......

Close to the river back in the woods

Out of sight but not impossible to find

There is a place that holds memories

That will never be erased by time or death.

You and I were the best of friends.......

Had been so long, I don't remember meeting you

We had been through a lot together

Life, death, relationships

The crazy ups and downs of everyday living.

But suddenly one day we were both free

At the same time, for the first time

And we went for a ride to celebrate that freedom

And to let out some decades old pent up angst.

Wasn't it peach wine coolers we were downing?

I don't remember

I just remember one of us was driving

And both of us were buzzing.

The car stereo was turned up high enough

To hear on Mars

And we were singing along and getting stares

From passersby who shook their heads.

We drove and drove until the sun began to fall

(We got lost in all honesty) but we didn't care

Pulling that souped up yellow Monte Carlo off the highway

We found a doorway in the trees and we flew in.

The tape in the deck was The Native Americans

(Because we were half native, half american)

And because it was the perfect soundtrack

For the way that we were feeling.

We sang and we laughed and we drowned

In that sicky sweet peach stuff until it ran out

And we opened the car doors to get some air

And put the seats back as far as they would go.

Robbie Robertson was singing that song we loved

"I gave my love a golden feather, I gave my love a heart of stone"

And before I knew it, you had pulled me into your arms

And kissed me like no man had ever kissed me before.

Three hours later, we were still kissing

We couldn't stop

It was like somebody had declared a contest

And we were the only contestants.

In the growing darkness, we pulled back

And looked at one another, questioning fate

We're insane, I said and you nodded

And your eyes burned into me like the sun.

Finally, we decided we had better leave

Because we didn't know where we were

(Plus, it was getting late and a state trooper

Had pulled in and given us the evil eye.)

We were silent on the way home

Holding hands and revelling in that unfamiliar tingle

I'm sure people noticed the glow on our faces

When they saw us but nobody knew why we glowed.

For two years we were more than friends

And you filled my life with more laughter 

Than one human being should be allowed

Marathon kisses and guitar solos and songs.

Drinking champagne in candlelight

We danced sometimes for eight hours straight

Sometimes we didn't say a word

Just held each other while the music filled the room.

"Do you remember the Kissing Place?" I asked one day

And you knew exactly where I meant

And we drove there and we found it and we kissed,

Took photographs and preserved them in our hearts.

But..........................

I don't know what happened

One day I didn't want to kiss you anymore

Though your kisses were still filled with passion and fire

And you still looked at me with eyes full of romance.

Maybe it was because I had met someone

That I thought was Mr. Right

Someone I could trust and love and give myself to

Wrong! (He was the devil in disguise.)

I knew you could not understand

And that your gentle heart was puzzled

I didn't know how to tell you goodbye

So I just stopped talking.

And I ran away with the devil in disguise

Who left me discarded by the roadside of love

Who shattered me more than I had ever been shattered

And undid all of the healing you'd done.

I guess it's true what they say:

You only love those that don't love you

You only want what you know is wrong

You only need what you think you don't have.

I wonder tonight if you're wondering 'bout me

I wonder if you're happy and if you ever came to terms

With the terrible thing I did, the unexplainable thing I did

And if you ever drive out to the place by the river.

I could never go there with anyone else.......

It's been ten years now and I've tried to erase the memories

Erase you and me and the best day of my life

But tonight, it all came back and I had to write this down

Maybe it will help me to forgive myself and someday I may ask you again:

            "Do you remember the Kissing Place?"

©by Voo

Aug 21, 17

Golden Feather by Robbie Robertson

PRINCESS

Princess

She stands there in her slinky green silk

Her 4" stilettos and her head in the air

Breathing contempt on me and all that dare

To share that air

Purse full of credit cards and red lipsticks

She waits for a limo and a rich man's party

"Champagne, honey?" I ask and offer her

A paper cup spilling it's sparkling wine

On the pavement

She sneers

"How dare you speak to me, you dirty man!"

And backs away like I have a disease

"Excuse me, darling, I thought you looked thirsty."

I say in the Boston accent acquired attending 

The hallowed halls of Harvard

"I know you, " she bellows and hisses like a cat

"You're that despicable lawyer that won the case

In favor of  my eleventh husband in court! 

And because of that I am only a millionaire

And not the Princess

That I deserve to be!"

I smile a thin smile and pour the wine out at her feet

Like a peace offering and bow

"My apologies, my lady, but my sympathies lay with the Prince

Hell, if I had known you better I would have had 

You arrested for impersonating a homo sapien!."

And I walk away and leave her standing there

Open mouthed and fuming

As her limo screeches to a halt.

©by Voo

Jan 12, 07

 8:47 p.m.

DEATH IS NOT AN OUTLAW.........an original myth based on a reality

Death is not an Outlaw

They tell me 

That Death is not a handsome fellow

That he is skeletal and grim

 Favors long hooded robes

And shoes that make no sound

As he shuffles across hardwood floors

 Up creaky stairs

To stand in shadow by your bed.

They tell me

 That he's a thief

Coming to claim lives

And what is not rightfully his

A collector of souls,

Bagging them up 

To sell at market to the highest bidder.

I don't know if that is true

It could be rumor and innuendo

It could be myth and legend,

 A fictionalized character

And stuff pulled from nightmares 

Too many stories

And eating too late.

But I have my ideas

About Death

And what he does

For a living

It's quite the sad tale

To my way of thinking

 Not a career to be envied

Nor a path sweet to walk.

You see

I  believe I met Death

When I was young and foolish

And hadn't yet realized

How precious life was

It was just something 

I wanted to get over 

And be done with.

I had learned to rebel

Not out of spite

But out of necessity

There at the brink 

Of womanhood

Still clothed in childhood

In a world of

Perpetually closed doors.

One night in a starlit field

I lay and cried my sorrow down 

Into a clovered earth

My horse waited nearby

And all the world seemed silent 

To my ears

Except for the horse's nibbling

And the whisper of an owl.

"I wish to die tonight."

I said

And I meant it

Or at least I thought I did

What did I know of dying?

I was a girl who had never known love

Or the taste of a man's mouth,

The rush of passion

Or the sweetness of a touch.

"You don't know what you're saying, girl."

A voice spoke out of the darkness

And I sat up and gasped

And looked around

And saw no one

Just the horse

And the circle of the moon

Peeking behind a blue-white cloud.

"Who's there?" I asked

Afraid to speak

But more afraid to never ask

"Never you mind."

The stranger warned

"And keep your wishes

To yourself."

"What wish?" I wondered

And wished I hadn't.

For there appeared

Before my eyes

In the pool of moonlight

And the twinkling of stars,

A man,

Unlike any man I'd seen

A man

Made of nightmare

Stepping out of a dream.

His eyes were liquid

And full of sadness

His hair was long

And his breath was cold

Tall, he stood

And full of strength

Yet he gave the impression

Of a man

Near to death.

"What do you want?"

I whispered 

Into his beautiful face

And his eyes held mine

Then looked away

"I want you to live."

He softly answered

As the owl screeched 

And flew to a far-away tree.

"But I don't want to."

I shook my head

"There's nothing to live for

And nobody cares."

"I care." he told me

But 

I did not understand.

"I can only take your life

If you don't want it 

Those are the rules, the way it was

And the way it'll always be

I took my life

From the hands of the Giver

For I didn't want it

Till it was no longer mine."

"Who are you?" I shouted

As I ran to my horse

Preparing to gallop

And to never look back

But the horse wouldn't budge

As the man blocked the way

His hand on the bridle

And his eyes, glowing bright.

"Pray you never learn my name

Pray you never know

You are a child and foolish

As was I, eons ago

For my punishment is hard to bear

And my fate, a hated thing

Thankful be for the breath you take,

For every sad song you will sing."

And with that, he turned away to leave

Stoop shouldered, elderly

No longer young and beautiful

But an ancient, awful form 

His steps were slow and silent

And every where his feet touched,

 The grass turned brown.

Before he vanished

From my sight,

He lifted his hand and sadly waved

His eyes sought mine in kind compassion

With the sliver of a smile

Upon his face

It was then I saw 

That he carried two bags

One that was bulging,

Emitting terrible cries.

And one bag of gray

Sewn with threads made of sorrow

Swung from the shoulder

Of his raven black coat

That bag looked so strange

 Yet it looked so familiar,

That bag was empty

And I knew it was mine.

I cannot prove it

But I believe I know

That I met Death

On that star covered field

In the angst of my youth,

Many sad songs ago

My life, now a treasure

Filled with beauty and light

Given meaning and magic

On that terrible night.

And 

Though I offered him my life,

He did not take it

But rebuked me

Like a loving friend

Like a lover of my soul

Not as an outlaw or a villain

But as a hero,

Forever unsung.

So many times I since have wondered

What punishment he bore for that kind act

What fire he walked through

Failing his orders

How many sad souls

He did not deliver

How many empty bags, carried

At the end of the day. 

©by Voo

June 21, 1010

BECAUSE OF YOU

Because of You

There are days when roses seem sweeter

The sun shines brighter

And the roads you walk on

Rise up to meet your feet and glide you along.

There are nights when the moon sings

And silver stars shoot across the celestial canvas

Birds stay up just to croon you lullabies

And the world is a sweet and jubilant place.

I never knew that place before

I never felt like I could touch the heavens

Dance on daylight and run with the rain

Until now, because now, there's you.

All you have to do is smile

All you have to do is reach

All you have to do is be

And Earth becomes Eden.

If I could write you a love song

All the lyrics would be 'you'

If I could paint portraits

All the faces would be yours.

If I could write you a book

All the stories would be unending

If I could inspire you with dreams

All the dreams would come true.

For these are the things

That you've given to me

These are the joys

That now decorate my days.

Because of you

Because of you

The sun shines brighter

Because of you.

©by Voo

Feb 24, 08

Sweet Baby by Prince my fave by him