AMAZING GRACE AGAIN POEM AND RECORDING OF ME

Voo · AMAZING GRACE AGAIN

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♥Amazing Grace Again♥

I don’t know why I come here, I think

And sit down on the bench, in the rain

Umbrella-ed people hurrying by with their lovers

Look at me like a person insane.

I don’t care, I sniff, caring a lot

And pull up my collared shawl

People with lovers are always so smug

Oh, the heck with the lot of them all!

I watch a drunk man crossing the street

Kicking an old beer can along

Cursing and fussing and fuming at God

And then he suddenly breaks out into song.

Will you look at that? I say to myself

As I watch his whiskered face

Why is it all these drunks all know

Every word of “Amazing Grace”?

A bus roars by and splatters him

And before it’s fumes are gone

He gives them the finger with both dirty hands

And then loudly goes on with his song.

My hair is plastered down on my head

And I’m sure I look a fright

But nobody seems to be watching me now

As they race to beat the fall of night.

The neon signs start flashing on

And the street lamps blink as well

I smile at the broken Oh, Hello bar sign

That appropriately flashes Oh, Hell.

I really should be getting on home

The family will be looking for me

It wouldn’t  be good to miss dinner now

Since I’ve already missed my scones and tea.

The husband will soon be coming from work

The children, from ball games and school

I really shouldn’t be in this park after dark

With the weather so wet and so cool.

Still, I sit and think some more

As the rain falls heavily down

I really like this spot of green

In the pavement gray blight of downtown.

Perhaps I’ll pop into the Bistro, I think

And have a hot cup of latte′

And maybe a roll and a nice piece of pie

Just as soon as the crowds go away.

The maids have lit the fireplaces now

And they’re setting the table, I’m sure

Tess in the kitchen is polishing some silver

And stirring up her soup du jour.

I really should be getting on home

And yet I continue to linger

I look down and see that the cold rain has washed

The diamonds right off of my finger.

No bother, I shrug, I have more diamonds at home

A chest full of jewels and pearls

Bought by past beaus and the one that I chose

When I was a beautiful girl.

Still, life can be trifling and long, I suppose

And money can’t buy happiness

Homes full of fireplaces, they still can be cold

And silver can tarnish, I guess.

I sigh and open up my purse

To take my photos out

And running my hands over them,

I hear a familiar shout.

My Lady, what are you doing here

Sitting in the rain?

Don’t you know you’ll catch your death

What’s this? Are you in pain?

And he takes my arm and lifts me up

And wipes my dripping brow

Don’t look at those pictures, they’ll just make you sad

Come, darling, come on with me now.

And I let him take my tired arm

And lead me tenderly

And off we go as twilight darkens

The whiskered drunk and me.

I’ve  found a nice box for you to sleep in tonight

He tells me with a grin

And I thank him but tell him as nice as you please

That I really can’t ask him in.

That’s alright, My Lady, he says

I’ve a duplex that’s just down the way

And here is a part of a roll that I’ve saved

That will hold you until break of day.

He smells of dirt and turpentine

He smells of death and gin

He looks an old and homeless bum

But he’s my only friend.

I close the box as best I can

And the roll is gone in three bites

The rain on the cardboard is so very loud

But this is one of my better nights.

I don’t know how I came to this

I think as the memories come

Losing my children and losing my mind

My husband and lastly, my home.

The streets are long and lonely now

The friendly faces are few

My coat is threadbare but it was nice

Back when it was new.

I pull the rags close to my chest

And will myself to sleep

Falling now into the dreams

Where love lies ever deep.

I hear a knock upon the door

And wake to find my friend

He hands me a flower and then we take a drink

And sing “Amazing Grace” again.

©By Voo

April 20, 2011

9:50 p.m.

   

THE HOUSE THAT CHIMED MIDNIGHT

The House That Chimed Midnight

I have escaped the clock again

You know the one............

The gingerbready thing

Carved in the black forests of Germany

And copycatted by the Renoirs of Resin.

The clock

Hanging on every grandmama's wall,

In every dark wall-papered dining room,

Over the polished buffet,

Beside the Norman Rockwell collector plates

And the oval photographs of old people.

The cuckoo clock..........

My prison

The noisy condo I share with Bavarian boys

And pigtailed girls who dance in circles

And never sleep, for it is their job

To rouse me from my comas

And thrust me forth on springs to sing the hours.

Damn them with their plastic smiles!

But I have escaped

As I often do

On Monday mornings at precisely 1 till 3

Between the oom-pa-pa of the polka

And the minute hand stumbling

Over the bump on the defect on the face of the clock.

I have escaped

And here I sit on a telephone wire

Surrounded by other birds

Who stare at me suspiciously

And spread rumors that I am not alive

And that I cannot sing or fly or pick up refuse

With my beak.

But neither can they fit into the tiny hole

From which I escaped.......

So there!

I am free

I am wooden and I am mechanical

And my eyes are painted white blobs

But I am free!

And unlike them, I cannot die

No matter how I long to

No matter how sick I am

 Of Wagner and Valkyries

And German Chocolate cake.

On the other hand........

I cannot sleep out here

Insomnia haunts my every bird step,

My raven clawed nightmare,

My moment of respite in the cave of a tree

For if I close my eyes for a minute

There will be a woodpecker knocking on my door.

"Come on," he will say, "Say "Cuckoo!" for me."

"Pop outta there and make me say "Ooh" and "Aaah",

Give the kiddies a thrill and make Grandpa throw a shoe

And curse and bellow for disturbing his dreams

Come on, Cuckoo, come on, Cuckoo, come on, Cuckoo."

Damn all Woodpeckers with their obscene appetites!

I can't wait for the day when all trees are made of concrete

And all poles are made of steel

Let him peck his stupid little beak off!

Let him torment me then when his face is shredded

And his teeth are hanging by threads!

But he is the least of my worries..........

You probably don't think that a bird has hands

But in my mind, I do, and I cover my face with them

And I sigh like this:  s-s-s- i- g- h

And I think of waltzes and little Cuckoo girls

With big pretty wings and songs that are silly

And real Cuckoo eyes that look only at me.

I am an angry bird

I should have been born a dog....or a cat

Or a piece of carpet

For they don't have to do anything but lie there

While I have to pop in and out, in and out

All the damned day long!

Before I go back this time

I'm going to do what I've always wanted to do:

I'm going to sing Beatles' songs!

"Michelle, ma belle," "Yesterday,"

A few choruses of "I Wanna Hold Your Haannaanndd."

And end it with "The Long and Winding Road."

You know the one......that leads me back to the clock.

Look at them staring at me!

Lined up for miles on every live wire in the county!

Watch that, will you?

They're selling popcorn now and filming me for YouTube!

"Why don't you fly north for the winter?" I shout.......

"Like maybe, Siberia!"

Stupid real-life birds!!  Who needs 'em?

I am too noble for this crap.

I begin my solo

Mentally thumbing through the songbook

That someone left on Grandmama's buffet years ago

The one I perused every time I popped out of the clock

And memorized and recognized

When the songs came on the radio.

My fowl audience is silent, expectant,

Not a feather stirring, not a peck from a beak

I raise my voice to soar above the traffic....

"Cuckoo-ka-choo....I am the Walrus!"

And the birdbrains erupt in laughter, sneering and jeering.

Someone throws a tomato

Wounded, I bravely try again

"I am the Walrus; I am the Cuckoo...

I am the........."

Aww, the hell with it!

    

©by Voo

(For Poet Man

On the occasion of his birthday, Dec 03)

written on

Nov 30, 09

6:15 p.m.

PIANO, PLAY ME

             Piano,  Play Me

            Piano, play me

            With wordless tune

            Through breezeless desert

            And 'round the moon.

            Piano, play me

            On black and white

            Pale ivory chords

            That gleam in night.

            Piano, play me

            Forgotten songs

            Like footprints, written

            To guide me on.

            Oh, let me hear

            Your thunderous roar

            Your soft, sweet ebb

            Upon the shore.

            Like starlight falling

            From skies above

            Raise me up high

            To fall in love.

            Your keys have glory

            And notes of gold

            Soothe newborn tantrums

            And hearts grown old.

            How many masters

            Composed and wept

            Upon your keyboards

            While dreamers slept.

            Piano, play me

            Let me draw near

            To music's kingdom   

            Within my ear.

            Piano, play me

            Like rain falls down

            In hands of rapture

            Oh, let me drown.

          

   ©By Voo

   May 3, 09 

7:08 p.m.

Beloved by Dax Johnson

Dancing To A Slow Death

Incredible song that they are dancing to.....

In Line by Robert Skoros

Dancing To a Slow Death

Darkness falls

And with it........

The hunger

The longing for a soft caress,

A tender touch, a hard embrace,

Building to a violent need

And release of what’s inside.

You watch me

From the shadows.........

Breathing

Still as wind that does not blow

And rain that does not fall

Waiting like a cat with prey

Playing with it’s dinner.

And I, with my defenses down

On full alert.......

Dance in the mirror

In candle’s glow

And summer’s rising heat

Pretending I am quite alone

But knowing you are there.

In silks, I twirl

My body......

Like a breeze

Move my hands in beckoning

And my feet in silent pleas

The music swells and I can feel

Your dark eyes touch my skin.

Beyond the room

In midnight’s garden.....

Behind the trees and shining moon,

Your black hair laying 

Upon your shoulders,

Your black eyes glowing,

And tasting me.

I turn at your whisper

And there you are.....

In the doorway like a dream that comes

Before the break of dawn

Clad in black from head to toe

With white touches at your throat

And the sight of you makes me weak.

“Don’t fall yet.” you say

And catch me..........

In arms of steel

“The night is young and so are you,

And the sun is fast asleep.”

And you hold me till I catch my breath

Then you take it away again.

Wetting my mouth with wine

I drink............

Knowing that wine can’t satisfy

The thirst I have, have always had

Since I laid my eyes on you,

Since I put my hands on you,

Since I gave myself to you.

The music commands

And we obey.........

My arms round your shoulders

Your arms round my waist

The room awash in shades of gold,

Like the flickering fire

That’s building between us.

I know you will leave me

Before the sun rises........ 

As you always have

And you always will

But for now, in your eyes

Is all I’ll ever need, is all I’ll ever want

And the sunlight be damned.

Midnight passes

And we stand still as stone.......

Drown in the yearning, die in desire

Lifting my face, I wait for your kiss

Burning with hunger that can never be quenched

The shadows of night put their soft arms around us

And to the music of passion, we slow dance again.

©By Voo

Sept 15, 10

12:32 a.m.

Dawn Breaks On The Dark City

 

Dawn Breaks On The Dark City

Dawn breaks on the dark city

And his eyes open and look straight away

At the golden sun rising in the east

Through the window that only last night

Was washed clean by drenching rain.

His first thought was of her

Her dark eyes, her hair like raven's wings

And the smile that set his heart pounding

Like a battalion of military horses

Marching off to fates yet unknown.

How had he been so foolish?

How had he let her go?

Nay, driven her away with his unspoken love

And manly pride hidden under layers of fear

Fueled by years of boyish rejections.

She had loved him. She had loved him!

How many chances did an ordinary man have

To dance in the arms of a goddess?

Lie in the arms of an angel?

Live in the love of a woman?

If possible, he would challenge himself to a duel

Turn and fire at sun's rising

And obliterate the fool that had ruined his life!

The fool of fools, himself, the King of Fools

Now too sick of lost love to drag himself from bed.

His friends tried to cheer him

But he knew what they secretly thought

He read it in their eyes

As he had read the envy and desire

They could scarcely contain each time they had seen her.

They wanted her like starving men crave food

And he had had her!

He had tasted what few men would ever dare to dream:

The feel of her, the sight of her, the feast of her

Wholly devoted to him and him alone.

Now, she was gone

Gone like the clouds that drift across the sun

And in moments, are blown away

By the gust of a wind

And the sigh of a lonely sky.

Rubbing his hands over his eyes

He tried to prevent the tears that sprang forth

And covered his face like a school boy's

After a reprimanding, but this reprimanding

Came from his own soul and was greatly needed.

Forgiveness is always hard to give

Especially when it is yourself you must forgive

But knowing her soft and gentle heart,

She would probably forgive him and come running back

But he dared not send word. It had been too long now.

Surely, some fortunate and intelligent man had found her,

Swept her off her feet and fallen for her as deeply as had he

Perhaps he had persuaded her to marry him, run away with him.

Turned her broken heart into a virtual vessel of Paradise

And carried her away to a perpetual Garden of Eden.

She deserved it. My God, she deserved it!

She deserved the world on a golden platter

And all he had given her was broken promises and excuses,

Kisses in the dark and early morning escapes

Always turning back to see her sadly watching him.

Standing in that doorway in the rising dawn

Wanting him to turn around,

Wanting him to love her like she loved him,

Wanting him to stay but remaining ever silent

As he walked away.

©by Voo Shining Stone

12/30/2020