the speedometer that measures the
acceleration and deceleration of
time in our lives journey is
remarkably similar to the one
we employ in our vehicles

intra moment we can move from
slowness to rapidity in minuscule
amounts of seconds, all the while,
those few bursts of being high, are
parcel of a longer cross country trip
that could be calculated in years,
decades, even life-spans

though we lack the visual imprimatur
upon our eyes of our exact speed most
times, we always have in our possess
a notional beginning and ending

we take a trip to grocery store, up/down
to NYC, fly to Paris just because, and return
home to bury and burn loved ones,
witnesses and fellow travelers to the
longer segments of our irregularly
configured continuum

here, you sigh, why, do you trouble us
with this obvious observation when
we have so much to do, so many roles
to don, and the kids need milk for cereal,
which is a thirty minute round trip that
should have not been necessary had
we “organized our moments of movement
far better organized!

perspicacity.

this word has been mindful for me for a
days, while bits and bobs, of a poem’s
composition blurted up and out, in  
some disarray, while the mind, tries
to collect them all, all for one, for
later collation and an unknown
destination

the wisdom to see down the road.
to plan accordingly, when we can oft
not* see around the next corner,
or even the next single steps we “plan”
to take, made without any thought
thereof

is there a poem in here, somewhere, Oh Sinner-man?
perhaps…or, just an indifferent end?

do not write much
life is hard, daytime
is usually 10 hours,
a lot mouths to feed
but that ain’t what
I got a bed to write
about

somehow my woman
did some thinking,
a hefty any of scraping
and secret saving, a buck
here, spare change squeezed
from a secret budget, in a jar
very,very well hid from being
accidentally discovered and lost
to too many little exploring fingers

we’ll never wanted and needed
a cell phone, just wasn’t need
enough, when you buying so
many little shoes l, but there
she went and bit me a watch,
used, not too fancy, and made
me feel like one million dollars

this watch, ya gotta wear to
bed, no biggie, cause it’ll tell
you how ya feeling, and how
ya sleeping and if I can, find
the time, speak my poems
into it, so they get kept for
what they call posterity

this watch informed that I was
a woken man from the hours
between 1am to bout 4am,
which zi already knew but
come daylight, man birthed
three new poems, and this
even ain’t one of them

this is more of a story, bout
the who, what and a little why,
bout me, so maybe you might
just hang round and read some


that’s all for now, that **** watch
wakes me at 6 am, though my body
does it for free, I’ll be gone in thirty
with a kiss if the good women is
still asleep, and some of the kids
will be in the upper window
to wave poppa good morning and
goodbye, which is worth double,
that’s what I tell them and it gives
me the knowledge why I exist,
what my purpose be, and a chance
to pray to Gid to keep them all safe
till I get home and squeeze the living
daylights out of them with arms that
we’re made to the heavy lifting to keep
then we’ll and happy, fed and clothed,
and give me reasons to write some more

My love of the morning
my love dressed in dawn
My love early risen
and risen, so still
My love whom only
the noonday could ****

My love of an hour
my love in the dust
My love who only
does what she must
with a folded lily in folded hands
my love whom the afternoon reprimands

My love of the dusk
my love of the evening
My love barely listening
my love barely breathing
Who is my love whose love only leaves her
and lingers in shadows where no one receives her

My love of the night
who desires the moon
and the stars all gleaming
through tired trees leaning
My love of the earth, my love of the grave
my love of the sky, the blaze, the wave.

When I Think Of You

I think of you all the time
I think of you everywhere
I think of you whenever I'm in despair
I want her hugs
I want her kisses
Just seeing her face and hearing her voice would help.
I love her.
I think of you when I get a drink from the kitchen
Did she want anything?
Would she?
She might like some sweet tea
I love her
I think of you when I start my car
Is it warm enough to sit down and you be okay?
I know you get cold.
Is the seat reclined comfortably at the right position?
I love her.
I think of you when I go to the grocery store
Remember when we did it together?
That was so nice.
I wonder if she would like these flowers
She would like these cups.
I should buy her this, it looks cute.
I'm going to get her snacks. She loves snacks.
Does she have her Moscato?
Does she need diapers or anything for the child?
I love her.
I think of you when I'm alone
I wonder how she's feeling
She's gonna text me later, it's okay
I stare at my phone all-day
She didn't text me
He yelled at her again
She texted
I listened
I want her to feel better
I love her
I think of you when I'm happy
I want her to feel this
I want to see her smile
This is our future
I promise to take care of her this way
I love her
I think of you when I'm angry
Everything is so unfair
I just want everything to be okay
Oh no
If I'm feeling this way, imagine her.
There must be so much in her mind
I should check on her, even though she needs space it's more important to know she's okay.
I love her
I think of you when I'm walking
I wish her footsteps were next to mine
My hand misses her hand
She would like that cool yellow leaf I just saw
There's a cute dog.
I love her
I think of you when I'm breathing
Her breathing feels like this
I try to imitate it based on memory
I miss feeling that on my chest
I want to hold her
I love her
I think of you when it's cold
This is cuddle weather
I wish she was here
Maybe hot chocolate, I know she likes it
Sit by the fireplace, be romantic
No, idiot, take it slow
You love her.
I think of you when I'm watching tv
She would love this show
That would be her favorite character
Oh she would love that plot twist
I love her
I think of you when everything in the world looks like it's about to fall apart
Suddenly everything is okay
Suddenly I'm not scared
I'm not worried
I'm okay
I feel safe
It's warm
I love her so much
I think of her when I do everything.
I think of her all the time
I love her with everything I am
And one day she'll be mine.

Τριλογία της αυγής












-----


        

Θέλω


α
Την ζωή που κανείς
πριν από μένα δεν διάβηκε.
β
Την σιωπή που μιλάει
και στάζει μόνο για μένα,
σε αφώτιστα ακόμα αστέρια.
γ
Το σπασμένο κομμάτι γυαλί
που περιμένει τη γυμνή μου πατούσα,
να το θραύσει,
να το συνθλίψει,
να το κάνει κομμάτια.
δ
Την ίσκα που μου τρώει τα σωθικά,
και το φιλί μου για ένα φυτίλι,
που ανάβει και σβήνει σαν τις ελπίδες.
ε
Εσύ και εγώ,
σαν μια θνητότητα που αναβάλλεται,
σα.... να... μην ήμασταν ποτέ εδώ,
και όμως ήμασταν,
σαν εκείνες τις στιγμές που γλιστρούν
σαν αμμόλοφοι στη θύμηση.

ζ
Σαν ένα φυτό που αναρριχάται
σε συστροφή αιώνια,
σπρώχνοντας τον χρόνο και τον τόπο
εκτός από την αρχή και το τέλος.
η
Το Νάμα που με λούζει
νερό σε κάθε δείλι και χάραμα,
μια αίσθηση αόριστη και παρούσα,
σαν όνειρο που περνά δίπλα σου.
θ
Κορμί δικό μου λένε πως είναι,
μα η σκιά του ποτέ δεν συμφωνεί.
Δεν είναι το σώμα που με καθορίζει,
είναι το κενό που γεμίζει.
ι
Τρυγώ την κάθε φλαμουριά που βρίσκω,
και γύρω από το σπίτι σπέρνω φλόμους,
για να σκεπάσουν τις αλήθειες
που ξεφεύγουν σαν φωτιά.







--------




   Μη με παρεξηγείτε





ανήκω σε ένα άλλο είδος,
μια άλλη γενιά.
Πείτε πως δεν υπάρχω,
πείτε πως ήδη έχω φύγει.
Μαζί μου παίρνω
όλους τους μύθους,
τα παραμύθια της Χαλιμάς.
Και αόρατη από πριν,
χάνονται τα ίχνη,
όπως κρύβεται το φίδι
βαθιά μες στην άμμο.
Μόνο να...
η δική μου κρυψώνα
είναι υγρή και σκοτεινή,
ροζ... ροζ... ροζ... ροζ,
γλιστερό ροζ...
υγρό ροζ...
το ροζ μονοπάτι,
εκεί που όλα αρχίζουν
και όλα τελειώνουν.
"Μα δεν θα με θάψετε κιόλας"
εκεί που θα είναι κενό,

θα φυτρώνουν πικραλίδες και  νούφαρα
σε  στεριά και ....λίμνες
βουνά ..... πεδιάδες  
ακροποταμιές .......χαράδρες
έτσι  θα πορευτούμε   -και πάλι μαζί.




















---------



Μήπως και βρέξει




Εικόνα πρώτη:

Έχουμε πεθαμένους,
ζωντανούς νεκρούς, για ποικιλία.

Εικόνα δεύτερη:

Όσοι ονειρεύονται ακόμη λευτεριά,
θυμούνται στιγμές ζωής,
μα δεν θρηνούν φανερά,
ντρέπονται που δεν τα κατάφεραν.

Εικόνα τρίτη:

Στο πέλαγος, εκεί που πλέναν τα πόδια τους κάποτε,
πλέουν φωτογραφίες προγόνων,
όμως δεν θρηνούν και πάλι.

Εικόνα τέταρτη:

Εκεί έξω, κάποιοι κλέβουν ό,τι άφησαν οι τελευταίοι,
και οι διαθήκες πετσοκομμένα κορμιά... κι αυτές.
Εικόνα πέμπτη:

Η γη  δεν συμμετέχει.

Επίλογος:

Θυμήθηκα πως κάθε φορά που έβρεχε,
έκανα μια ευχή, ευχή χωρίς όνομα
όχι συγκεκριμένη —
απλά έβγαινε ένα «αχ».
Και αμέσως η μνήμη απολάμβανε στιγμές,
ενώ εγώ, παρατηρητής,
ανήμπορος ακολουθούσα.





Μαρία Πανούτσου
All rights reserved
Ποιήματα σε εξέλιξη 2025

We’re drowning in internet people
who’re usually live-in-regret people
saying, “get in the net people”
so we can easily dissect people
into the right or the left people
until discourse is dead people
and the rest of us have to wade through the filth
of the loudest cretins looking for attention to milk
making the world seem full of their tedious ilk
cascading complaining onto our heads like it’s raining
with conversations unproductive but instead draining
using inflammatory words that has our rhetoric straining
to survive the constant bickering and blaming
when this country starts aiming
to cater to the most toxic aspect of our culture
because internet people amplify messaging best
so we reward obnoxious grifters and vultures
politicians cracked the code but failed the test
becoming internet people, just better dressed.

That quiet-ness,
middle of the night,
insomniac,
sleep as it gets bright
toss turn sides & back....
drift to afternoon wake,
stomach rumbles,
to an oven that bakes,
and is humbling.
The fall is a mind's wrap
of how the co-existence
leaves us in scrambles,
Our mother gave us our names,
and euphoria is always the blame.
Scrambling in dirt and even worse,
Limo carries another hearse

The donkey swayed through fading light, dust rose, laughter lingered,
a memory carried farther than the road.

you’re the only one you can fully rely on,
only you can make a change.
people come, people go,
you will have yourself forever.
don’t stress over others,
friends or lovers too much.
if someone leaves,
grieve them as much as you please,
but don’t let it take over your life.
their presence will not save you.