wesparham - Hello Poetry

Within, that eye holds future, Past. Memories surrendered, once held, Fast. First time travelers, home, At last.

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Mar 27

Mar 27, 2026 at 10:05 PM UTC

Within, that eye holds future, Past. Memories surrendered, once held, Fast. First time travelers, home, At last.

God, in his (or her!) infinite grace, Brought a pointy, tri-color treat to this place, Keep those peanuts away, Candy Corn wins the day, Waxy treat that I stuff in my face.

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Mar 3

Mar 3, 2026 at 5:42 PM UTC

Candy Corn (a limerick)

God, in his (or her!) infinite grace, Brought a pointy, tri-color treat to this place, Keep those peanuts away, Candy Corn wins the day, Waxy treat that I stuff in my face.

5

To some Holy Land, now, gather ye, There, to spend the night in Gethsemane. Entreat with the father or maybe the son, Perhaps they can tell you when a war is won. For another parent, another child, Their once ancestral home defiled. Did it help, the blood you spilled? Your mark of Cain; your curse fulfilled? Run to your God and pretend he hears, Believe in lies and dark new fears, Deny to others their right to live… We saw what you did and will not forgive. Where two or more are gathered, The result is anyone’s game. But make it many thousands, And often it is just a shame, How Gods remain suspiciously quiet, When the killing is in their name.

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Nov 17, 2023

Nov 17, 2023 at 11:08 PM UTC

Two Or More Are Gathered

To some Holy Land, now, gather ye, There, to spend the night in Gethsemane. Entreat with the father or maybe the son, Perhaps they can tell you when a war is won. For another parent, another child, Their once ancestral home defiled. Did it help, the blood you spilled? Your mark of Cain; your curse fulfilled? Run to your God and pretend he hears, Believe in lies and dark new fears, Deny to others their right to live… We saw what you did and will not forgive. Where two or more are gathered, The result is anyone’s game. But make it many thousands, And often it is just a shame, How Gods remain suspiciously quiet, When the killing is in their name.

18

The wheel of fortune turns for me, And always, revolves at its own leisure. Time is curved where the future will be, But always flat when it is measured. The rest is a serpent, in every direction, Forever consuming the end of its tail. Self contained death and resurrection, Superluminal ship, without wind or sail. Will you safekeep our knowledge when it is done? Humanity’s worst as well as its best? Will you mind if it’s turtles, all the way down? A stable foundation on which to rest? Where will you fall, at the teeth or the tail? Destroying or rebuilding anew? If All is cyclic, then we’ll meet once more, Eternal versions of me and of you.

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Aug 11, 2023

Aug 11, 2023 at 10:18 PM UTC

Ouroboros, All the Way Down

The wheel of fortune turns for me, And always, revolves at its own leisure. Time is curved where the future will be, But always flat when it is measured. The rest is a serpent, in every direction, Forever consuming the end of its tail. Self contained death and resurrection, Superluminal ship, without wind or sail. Will you safekeep our knowledge when it is done? Humanity’s worst as well as its best? Will you mind if it’s turtles, all the way down? A stable foundation on which to rest? Where will you fall, at the teeth or the tail? Destroying or rebuilding anew? If All is cyclic, then we’ll meet once more, Eternal versions of me and of you.

16

Never did I try to guess, Or ever pretend to know, The places you would retreat to, The places I could never go. Silent, you would disappear, And, silent, you'd return. No questions asked, no trust betrayed, I simply had to learn. It never was… personal. It never was… yours to tell. It never was… my place to ask, It never was, but it’s just as well. It never passed from between our lips, Or a friendly, reassuring touch. “And that's ok”, you told me once. “Don’t be afraid”, “You worry too much”. Never did I fault your wishes, And my loyalty was never a whim. I never doubted your kind heart, And never did I falter, my friend.

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Jul 22, 2023

Jul 22, 2023 at 2:34 PM UTC

Never Did I

Never did I try to guess, Or ever pretend to know, The places you would retreat to, The places I could never go. Silent, you would disappear, And, silent, you'd return. No questions asked, no trust betrayed, I simply had to learn. It never was… personal. It never was… yours to tell. It never was… my place to ask, It never was, but it’s just as well. It never passed from between our lips, Or a friendly, reassuring touch. “And that's ok”, you told me once. “Don’t be afraid”, “You worry too much”. Never did I fault your wishes, And my loyalty was never a whim. I never doubted your kind heart, And never did I falter, my friend.

20

We assembled a modest telescope, To find what sights there were to see. I stared, transfixed, at the moon and stars, In the driveway with all of my family. I know exactly where I stood, The moment I would find, The infinite nature of time and space, And how it all unwinds. I asked about the size of the moon, The distance of its arcing track. I asked about the space beyond, The nothing in the black. I asked my family how big it is. I asked if anyone knows, The moon, the stars, and all of it. I asked how far it goes. “My son, our curious little one…”, My parents said to me, “It has no end”, “It just keeps going”, “Outward, eternally”. I stared up into a southern sky, Ominous, dark as the sea. And I swear, at that moment, Looking up, Something departed from me. It flew into the dark of space, And hasn’t slowed in all this time, As far and as fast as information can. The speed of light, I hear… Which is not so much a speed… Hitched, perhaps, to the Voyager probe… By these new thoughts inside of my head. But I digress. This thing began a journey that, Must bring it face to face, With everything that ever was, Every corner of time and space. Everything that is yet to come, Everything that has ever been. Repeating every history, It’s trek would never end. That thought has always stayed with me. It anchors me, somehow. A line cast from a sailing ship, Where I stand upon the bow. In the oblivion of the infinite, It grounds me to the “now”.

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Jul 5, 2023

Jul 5, 2023 at 12:02 AM UTC

Telescope

We assembled a modest telescope, To find what sights there were to see. I stared, transfixed, at the moon and stars, In the driveway with all of my family. I know exactly where I stood, The moment I would find, The infinite nature of time and space, And how it all unwinds. I asked about the size of the moon, The distance of its arcing track. I asked about the space beyond, The nothing in the black. I asked my family how big it is. I asked if anyone knows, The moon, the stars, and all of it. I asked how far it goes. “My son, our curious little one…”, My parents said to me, “It has no end”, “It just keeps going”, “Outward, eternally”. I stared up into a southern sky, Ominous, dark as the sea. And I swear, at that moment, Looking up, Something departed from me. It flew into the dark of space, And hasn’t slowed in all this time, As far and as fast as information can. The speed of light, I hear… Which is not so much a speed… Hitched, perhaps, to the Voyager probe… By these new thoughts inside of my head. But I digress. This thing began a journey that, Must bring it face to face, With everything that ever was, Every corner of time and space. Everything that is yet to come, Everything that has ever been. Repeating every history, It’s trek would never end. That thought has always stayed with me. It anchors me, somehow. A line cast from a sailing ship, Where I stand upon the bow. In the oblivion of the infinite, It grounds me to the “now”.

47

Listen. This is good stuff that you need to know, I’ve been writing it all in my head for a while. Because ever since we went toe to toe, There are things that I now have to reconcile. I recall... I recall a camel-hair trench coat, green knit gloves and unfamiliar but smiling people. It was 1988. I remember papers wind-strewn in a high school parking lot, oil and grit smudging the corners of awful artwork and poetry. (I hope I thanked you for the ride home after missing the bus on my first day at a new school). It was good to have met you in those formative years. It was nothing magical, we just became friends and I needed one more than I could have known. I learned… I learned that a friend will nod patiently to interminable tales of obsession and unrequited love. (You poor ******* I thank you for this, if I never did before.) I learned that a friend will patiently read your hack teenage poetry, advising sparingly. (Thanks for that, too.) I learned that someone might potentially be able to crash only “my side of the car”. ( I’m grateful that this "nuclear option" was never invoked!) I learned about music bands that would become the soundtrack for the best years in my young life. (I still listen to pretty much anything by xtc, over 25 years later.) I learned that a cast iron skillet may very well shatter if dropped onto concrete. I learned that the best cornbread is a simple recipe and that you must pre-heat the pan. (My wife insists that I prepare it anytime we make chili.) 1989, our senior year of high school… I remember an overnight bike tour I took of our hometown. On a whim, I stopped by your house at 1AM. Unable to knock, I opted instead to get your attention by tapping at the window when I noticed you were awake and playing a computer game. ( sorry for the scare… ) 1991. I remember sitting, spellbound, to see “A Tour of Heaven and Hell” at the Center for Puppetry Arts. (The first inspiration in a longer journey that would later have me working with it’s creator on five new shows.) In college, I remember “our little ant farm”, the apartments across from our rental house on Milburn Avenue in Athens. I remember climbing onto the roof to lounge, take photos and, of course, leap off. (Thanks for a Pulitzer-worthy freeze frame of my youth in flight) For that matter, thanks for some great camping excursions, a cast-iron pan cooking potatoes and, what- onion? on the fire. This is how I come to realize: The darkness cannot outshine the light, since life will always throw reminders my way that when we were young, you were important to me. I can not discard, too easily, that which is already an indelible part of me.

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May 29, 2023

May 29, 2023 at 12:12 PM UTC

A Tradgity of Errors

Listen. This is good stuff that you need to know, I’ve been writing it all in my head for a while. Because ever since we went toe to toe, There are things that I now have to reconcile. I recall... I recall a camel-hair trench coat, green knit gloves and unfamiliar but smiling people. It was 1988. I remember papers wind-strewn in a high school parking lot, oil and grit smudging the corners of awful artwork and poetry. (I hope I thanked you for the ride home after missing the bus on my first day at a new school). It was good to have met you in those formative years. It was nothing magical, we just became friends and I needed one more than I could have known. I learned… I learned that a friend will nod patiently to interminable tales of obsession and unrequited love. (You poor ******* I thank you for this, if I never did before.) I learned that a friend will patiently read your hack teenage poetry, advising sparingly. (Thanks for that, too.) I learned that someone might potentially be able to crash only “my side of the car”. ( I’m grateful that this "nuclear option" was never invoked!) I learned about music bands that would become the soundtrack for the best years in my young life. (I still listen to pretty much anything by xtc, over 25 years later.) I learned that a cast iron skillet may very well shatter if dropped onto concrete. I learned that the best cornbread is a simple recipe and that you must pre-heat the pan. (My wife insists that I prepare it anytime we make chili.) 1989, our senior year of high school… I remember an overnight bike tour I took of our hometown. On a whim, I stopped by your house at 1AM. Unable to knock, I opted instead to get your attention by tapping at the window when I noticed you were awake and playing a computer game. ( sorry for the scare… ) 1991. I remember sitting, spellbound, to see “A Tour of Heaven and Hell” at the Center for Puppetry Arts. (The first inspiration in a longer journey that would later have me working with it’s creator on five new shows.) In college, I remember “our little ant farm”, the apartments across from our rental house on Milburn Avenue in Athens. I remember climbing onto the roof to lounge, take photos and, of course, leap off. (Thanks for a Pulitzer-worthy freeze frame of my youth in flight) For that matter, thanks for some great camping excursions, a cast-iron pan cooking potatoes and, what- onion? on the fire. This is how I come to realize: The darkness cannot outshine the light, since life will always throw reminders my way that when we were young, you were important to me. I can not discard, too easily, that which is already an indelible part of me.

28

You worked with words wrapped tightly round, This secret life of thought. You sorely want to win, by hand, Each battle that was brought. But how can someone understand, What every stranger knows? You placed a bleak reminder note, where your integrity goes. You put it off and tried to smile, But waiting made it hard to live. You'd seek for her forgiveness but, There’s hardly any left to give. Come back to life, my dearest friend, You’ve had more than enough. That inner voice, with strength to lend, Is your best ally when things get rough.

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May 12, 2023

May 12, 2023 at 11:29 PM UTC

stop it. just... cut it out

You worked with words wrapped tightly round, This secret life of thought. You sorely want to win, by hand, Each battle that was brought. But how can someone understand, What every stranger knows? You placed a bleak reminder note, where your integrity goes. You put it off and tried to smile, But waiting made it hard to live. You'd seek for her forgiveness but, There’s hardly any left to give. Come back to life, my dearest friend, You’ve had more than enough. That inner voice, with strength to lend, Is your best ally when things get rough.

17

If I told you I had seen it already, You’d have told me I was full of **** The joy, the future for each of you, And the secret that there was more to it. In a vision, you held an infant child, A happy but confusing sight. Confusing in stillness , nothing said, And happy because it was obviously right. Another vision, and you were at risk, I slept on your floor to keep you from harm. Just a glance on waking, still nothing said, A smile before leaving, as you touched my arm. In one surreal vision, you actually killed me. (I never really understood that one…) I even loved you for what you had done, Maybe it was some kind of metaphor, Some kind of mercy? I honestly couldn’t say and, trust me, I love a good metaphor. You know what was really frightening, though? How clear the next vision was. It was light and joy, it was love itself, fulfilled. And it horrified me to see it, Right in the palm of my hand. An old familiar face looked down and laughed. She told me, “they are all in trouble now…” “Precarious balance, and one is in real danger…” “Best not **** it up…!” And she laughed so hard I thought she’d **** herself. If those kind of creatures even do that… I honestly couldn’t say and, trust me, I’m not afraid to ask her. But one vision shook me when it proved true. So many visions from the smallest of clues. I didn’t mean to get close, or look for connections, I just wanted to learn and seek the reflection. To know, and to laugh, With someone like you. Share a table, a cup, and a secret or two. But the seer would see how our lines became crossed, She spoke much of love, of a life and it’s loss. She spoke of how my role, Would be monumental, Expendable, Trivial, but still… Instrumental. I grew angry at how she manipulates me, One alien and his hard-won humanity. But the seer was right, I would have to go, Leave the scene and assure that No one could know. I created the door that it may be sealed, And retreated to the opposite side, Where I would be hated or feared, maybe both, And none could ever know, How, quietly, I cried.

0

Apr 28, 2023

Apr 28, 2023 at 11:03 PM UTC

Se • er (n)

If I told you I had seen it already, You’d have told me I was full of **** The joy, the future for each of you, And the secret that there was more to it. In a vision, you held an infant child, A happy but confusing sight. Confusing in stillness , nothing said, And happy because it was obviously right. Another vision, and you were at risk, I slept on your floor to keep you from harm. Just a glance on waking, still nothing said, A smile before leaving, as you touched my arm. In one surreal vision, you actually killed me. (I never really understood that one…) I even loved you for what you had done, Maybe it was some kind of metaphor, Some kind of mercy? I honestly couldn’t say and, trust me, I love a good metaphor. You know what was really frightening, though? How clear the next vision was. It was light and joy, it was love itself, fulfilled. And it horrified me to see it, Right in the palm of my hand. An old familiar face looked down and laughed. She told me, “they are all in trouble now…” “Precarious balance, and one is in real danger…” “Best not **** it up…!” And she laughed so hard I thought she’d **** herself. If those kind of creatures even do that… I honestly couldn’t say and, trust me, I’m not afraid to ask her. But one vision shook me when it proved true. So many visions from the smallest of clues. I didn’t mean to get close, or look for connections, I just wanted to learn and seek the reflection. To know, and to laugh, With someone like you. Share a table, a cup, and a secret or two. But the seer would see how our lines became crossed, She spoke much of love, of a life and it’s loss. She spoke of how my role, Would be monumental, Expendable, Trivial, but still… Instrumental. I grew angry at how she manipulates me, One alien and his hard-won humanity. But the seer was right, I would have to go, Leave the scene and assure that No one could know. I created the door that it may be sealed, And retreated to the opposite side, Where I would be hated or feared, maybe both, And none could ever know, How, quietly, I cried.

56

If I wanted to take a little time, If I wanted to share my inner mind, If someone said it had to rhyme, I got no time for that **** Paint for me, in your chosen words, The lines are branches; the letters, birds. Sing to me songs sublime; absurd, Just don’t tell me it has to rhyme… Settle the bitter, ancient scores, Make the audience seek for more, Make the shoes I stand in yours, Do not make me repeat myself… Write me a letter, I long to hear, Your poet’s voice in my mental ear, Till the world does shed a collective tear, I think I’ve made myself perfectly- uh… Clear.

0

Feb 24, 2023

Feb 24, 2023 at 11:47 PM UTC

Uniquely undefinable, Universally defined

If I wanted to take a little time, If I wanted to share my inner mind, If someone said it had to rhyme, I got no time for that **** Paint for me, in your chosen words, The lines are branches; the letters, birds. Sing to me songs sublime; absurd, Just don’t tell me it has to rhyme… Settle the bitter, ancient scores, Make the audience seek for more, Make the shoes I stand in yours, Do not make me repeat myself… Write me a letter, I long to hear, Your poet’s voice in my mental ear, Till the world does shed a collective tear, I think I’ve made myself perfectly- uh… Clear.

17