Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
 
Sam Temple May 2015
meandering stream of consciousness
flowing this way and that
without substance or context
just fleeting images of fantasy and memory
veritable hodgepodge of indiscriminate
out of the blur solid ideas begin to take shape
formless visions develop hard edges
as I slip deeper into the ether
aided by copious amounts of
ingestible cannabis  
and the belief that I am one
with the universe –
long dead relatives guide me
down pastel paths of cotton
as we float through and past
holographic pyramids
still stained from blood sacrifice
travelling faster and with purpose
tracers elongate
giving the illusion of streaming ribbons of neon
stretching in all directions
geometricizing the skyline
reminding me of the chemtrails
back in reality –
Sam Temple Jun 2016
Fully entrenched in my MFA program. Will start posting again in July. I plan on cleaning up my page and presenting myself slightly more professional.....slightly.

Love you all,

See you soon,


Sam
Less 'cute' and forced, more revision and polish.
Sam Temple Oct 2016
meaningful conversation
                      gestures of compassion

a tribe of cohorts
fades back into the night ~

each on their path
                developing projects

as if we all pretend to be
                       Santa Claus

     lists are checked twice  ~

a swelling to the point
                        of burst
              fills my breastplate
                      

                          goodbye
                           farewell
until we meet
again /
Sam Temple Aug 2015
course and stubbly moustache whiskers brush against my forehead
sending uncontrollable shivers of discontent
through my narcotic addled body
beginning to rouse from my ****** induced slumber
I catch out of my periphery the chubby cheeks
and balding dome of the man who pays to **** my **** –
days to weeks to months…
18 long, despair filled terror
never a moments rest
or a minute of peaceful sleep
despite half a gram a day black tar
intravenously gifted to a bleak and melancholy  
man-***** –
blue eyes following my every movement
ready to pounce like a rascally kitten
except this is not cute
and boarders on ****
as a sleeping / drug induced coma victim
is really unable to say yes –
the mirror holds no lie
and I see the truth each day as I wash my face
no amount of soap
can ever clean away the filth…
guilt and addiction
what a terrible combination for this poor ole chappy –
Sam Temple Mar 2016
my eyes were caught by the midday moon
the gravitational pull grabbed my arteries
and influenced my veins
tugging as if I were part of the ocean
and releasing me back into my body
it were as if my very cells themselves
carried tiny tidal pools
forever driving in and out
by the forces of night
and the power of Luna …..
the moments stretched out
moonbeams elongating over an open field
seeking the shadowy places
within my heart
all the while birds chirped and the sun shown
lawns were being mowed
as grocery carts found themselves emptied and returned
the world traveled as it does
in the sunlit afternoon
and I stood
impressed and motionless
by the influence
of the midday moon –
Sam Temple Jan 2016
I thought I knew the way
But it was not the case
I felt lost the whole day

Looking out the window in dismay
Trapped in my head-space
I thought I knew the way

Clasping hands, pretending to pray
Slapping my own ugly face
I felt lost the whole day

Accused of acting overly gay
Just trying to keep pace
I thought I knew the way

Is there anything left to say
I have abandoned the race
I felt lost the whole day

Perhaps things will get better in May
Fleeting hope, there is a trace
I thought I knew the way
I felt lost the whole day
Sam Temple Aug 2015
tan hair with white spots sway in the passing breeze
black hooves clatter against the asphalt
large blue eyes reflect in the Halogen headlamps
and I try to swerve without killing everyone in the car –
standing above the fallen baby
I can only sigh as my heavy chest heaves
as the sight of my first ****** in near 20 years
sends me reeling.
Bumper be ******!
light fixtures can be replaced through a junk yard
(or refurbished/ new-to-you auto parts center if you prefer)
this was a life!
Somewhere in the trees, she watches me…
the mother who carried this precious angel to term,
suckled and nurtured its tiny body,
taught it to hide and to survive…
all but me and this road –
Picking up pieces of plastic
and scooting the lifeless body to the berm,
I take one last look at my new karmic debt,
…………..
We shoulda ate it. –
Sam Temple Dec 2014
startled by the fight
in a diseased and dying body
I sit over her
looking through fogged eyes
recalling a slice of heaven
on a little tributary
of the raging Santiam –
cheek high pasture weeds
brushes a five year old face
as I nearly tunnel after long tan legs
sunshine and pit bulls
a covey of quail and
the old ****** pelt drying plywood
cut in the shape of a giant stop sign
a bedded down doe crashes through an Oak thicket
as our adventure continues –
lazy afternoons of swimming in the creek
chasing tree frogs
and picking wild flowers
fill my pre pre-school memories
as I stare
and wait for her to take another breath –
Sam Temple Mar 2015
Maynard the Martyr
moored in the marshland
misrepresented
and misinformed
much maligned
melancholy
misfortunate and small-minded
unmotivated
a real Melvin –
macho magpies munch
mangos and marshmallows
in the moonlight
mired in muck and mud
misshapen
mutated
malformed
mushrooms
manifest momentarily
mocking Miss Marple –
marbleized Maples
mobilize
marching to madness
in moccasins
across Morocco
to Monico
or Mexico
perhaps Montana?
Sam Temple Jun 2015
realist, with a degree in sociology
looking at the world through macro glasses
fading empathy blending with budding apathy
watching, eagerly, the self-destruction of the masses –
expressing limited worldviews, and exploiting generalizations
keeping a firm grip on perceived reality, teaching free classes  
operating from a place of conscious co-creativity
helping friends and loved ones experience piece of mind, free passes –
guiding meditations, past-life regression
all the while getting brilliant psychic flashes
reaching deep within the recesses
beginning to tilt on a totally different axis –
envisioning my place as part of the all
knowing the truth will alter the facets
looking into the mirror of creation
recognizing the forest of trees as ***** eye-lashes –
Sam Temple May 2016
she cocked her head

one black eye sized the scenario

……….talon ****** deep
rich soil askew


a low cluck of intimidation
raspy and long
grandma smoker singing a lullaby
to full of fear to fight
sleep
leaning slightly
she beacons for seed
as I shake the grains
in the little plastic bowl –
Sam Temple Jun 2015
Her eyes,

deeper than any artesian well,

capture me

completely.
Sam Temple Jul 2015
it is not my life
just digital code
affixed to cloud storage
floating the interwebs
lost in cyberspace…
gone are the days
of lamenting wordsmiths
huddled in solitude
cleverly crafting expressionistic ramblings
on the hide of a favored sow…
no longer are pompous poets
hobnobbing with royalty
or giving nations a moment of quiet pause
or reflection
as they brilliantly turn the social and cultural
idiosyncrasies of the day
into a new movement or meaning
through masterfully reorganizing the current truths….
No, it is just we few
bent on purging randomness
diligently posting to webpages
in hopes our peers will give us
a little validation. –
Sam Temple Sep 2015
never once
did I stop
and seriously consider
the Lilly…
I am what the kids call
a ‘macro’ thinker
when a school shooting happens
I never think about the victims
or the perpetrators,
instead I contemplate our violet society
and wonder at the surprise of my
fellow countrymen
landslides, floods, forest fries
not once do I stop and worry for the homes
or the individual memories
I reflect on 100 years of industrial pollutants
and the effect they are having on our
fragile ecosystem…
remember the O.J. trial....
I didn’t care if he was guilty or innocent
only that fame and wealth equate
freedom from legality –
from time to time this
attitude gives my closest
friends and family, pause
I was raised in a compassionate household
by near-hippy’s looking to help the community
was given public education and love
the deal is
not all sociopaths
are violent or dangerous,
some of us
just don’t care the same way –
Sam Temple Aug 2015
billowing plumes of combustible grasses
send  nuclear clouds into the stratosphere  
pillow columns stretch into the ether
and expand against the barometric pressure
of high elevation
sending tendrils of smoke sweeping across the evening sky –
near the fence stands a fireman covered in soot
in one hand a pail of water
with a spout
he looks as calm as if he were heading to the garden
gaily, it swings back and forth on a slight breeze
as the daydreaming fireman stands on the edge
of an inferno –
cars slow and passersby gawk at the spectacle
another season comes to pass
as the grass fields are burned
in the early August sunshine --
Sam Temple Feb 2016
All lives matter
the madder I get
At the matter of public opinion
madness of this meteorological  rise
Defies logic and the projects have become project
For white bourgeois hipsters in tight pants
Which maddens me further –
Mothers in moccasins mobilize
In Mobile, Alabama
Misrepresenting the million man march
As a method to success
Monarchic movement
Mitigated by the masses
Is madness –
Medicated and misguided muthafuckers
Maligned and misinformed
Marry in May during the full moon
To better understand Mormon culture
And the issues with lead
In Flint, Michigan –
Sam Temple Mar 2016
spinning to
     infinity
illuminating
     indiscriminate
gently warning
    ships at sea
by mirrored glow
            on steady tree
an old man sits
  hands worn with polish
       waiting, absentminded
loneliness enhanced
by the quiet night
    lost in thought
and carried away
         by the tone
               of crashing waves–
I have a dear friend who does painting and we are going to do some collaborative work. She will be leaving 2 inch wide, 7 inch long washed-out space on the edges of paintings so I can write a poem to fit with the theme. This is the first of these.
Sam Temple Apr 2014
mirco-filtered organisms leak posthumously
drained of essential fluids
they become air born particulars
dancing in the shafts of sunlight
tattered curtains –
breathlessly anticipating the rush of forced air heat
gooseflesh mounts a full body attack
core shiver bursts forth
vibrating body seeking hot tea
and rest –
encompassed in the steamy reality
floating fat, soap-sud fantasy
lips exposed blowing bubbles
hidden joy expressed
through total stillness –
cold razor scrapes softened skin
follicles torn asunder
rose-tinted bath water
slight smile –
motionless, the tepid water looks like kool-aid
discoloration, a perfect match
what was pink flesh in clear water
appears to be a greyish mass
floating like the last ice cube
in a glass of tropical punch –
Sam Temple Feb 2016
deep blue of twilight
fading shades to washed-out green
sea-foam aquamarine
mingling perfect with watercolor splashes
oranges blend with vibrant pinks
opaque vermilion
washing the morning sky
silhouetted, Jefferson stands statuesque
glacial peak steadfast
perfection via shape and form
swerving to regain control
I turn the Kia down Joseph St.
and stop staring in the rearview –
Sam Temple Feb 2017
~




manicured greenery floats
the swirling mist gives the yard
the feel of a arena rock concert
and at any moment Mic Jagger might pop
up from below       microphone in hand
asking if Saint Louis was indeed
ready to party

instead a black and white Manx trots
in through the fog
looks up at my figure silhouetted in the window
and mouths some feline
morning greeting

if I were the type to drink coffee
now would be the perfect instant for a sip
followed by a nod and a long satisfied “Aaaaahhhhhh”
but this is not my life
so I press my hand against the frigid pane
until the pain becomes all I can think about

and both the cat
and visions of Jagger
fade into to dawn   /
Sam Temple Apr 2016
morning sunlight danced across the concertina
diamonds glittering along the edge
of the prison walls
the prison walls
yellow finches played in the weight pile
chipping and bouncing
among the sweat and grime
sweat and grime
voices echoed down the corridor, shouts and whoops
yard will definitely be open today
all day on the track
on the track
rows of men in blue endlessly circling
some go home, new ones join the march
incarceration as industry
incarceration as industry
the inmates enter the education building and smile
for a few hours a day they are students not numbers
I use their first names
their first names
the sunlight brightens everyone’s mood
as it is the bringer of life
shining down on all of us equally
all of us equally –
poetry month prompt 15
Sam Temple May 2015
the sun shown silver through the morning haze
the slow traffic laden decent from foothills to valley town
left the taste of exhaust and burning garbage
flowing across unwashed taste buds
clicking denture plate free from glue
slapping against the few bottom originals
to the beat of Heart’s great hits
one day CD’s will be like 8-tracks –
catching a glimpse of my greying whiskers
in the rearview mirror
the same silver shines there
as in the sky this morning –
Sam Temple Jan 2016
Looking though opaque curtains
at the fog setting delicate.
Placing gently droplets of condensation
ever so gracefully atop individual
blades of grass.
Barely audible
whistles travel through space
softly capturing my ear
and gifting me with the morning song
of a Lark or Turn.
Breathing deeply,
the surroundings fill me
and a smile passes
over my lips…
thankful and connected
to the land and life around me
on this new day
I experience contentedness.

                                     A cold nose shocks my finger tip……

The old lab looks up,
near smiles,
and we share
the moment.
Sam Temple Apr 2016
beginning like any other day I took my two feet and placed them on the cold floor
tongue and grove faux oak laid north to south in a diagonal house, pre-dawn quiet
flittering dust bunnies darted in every direction seeking the perfect hiding spot
a place with the ability to avoid the wild, free-range vacuum known for destroying whole families
toes stretched reaching for the opposite walls as if I might grow eight extra legs
and then I would really never know where I am going
the Pisces in me I suppose….
she slightly shifted her breathing patterns as my weight redistributed the mattress foam
inaudible mumbles and a soft sigh passed lips on the very edge of slumber’s embrace
the corners of my own turned up as hers is the voice my ears were destined to hear
straightening the comforter so as to snuggle her in tight until the snooze button
the blood within my veins seemed to speed up and flush my cheeks with rose
overcome with gratefulness and peace I cast watery eyes to the window
just in time to see a large red-headed woodpecker eyeballing our scene
hopping from post to post to seemingly get a better view, he cocked his head slightly
giving me a nod of approval….
at least that was my interpretation –
poetry month prompt #27
Sam Temple Jul 2015
I close my eyes to pray
“Dear God,” I say
instantly mental images
of cartoon facebook God meld
with visions of alien scientists
splicing ape genes
with themselves
to create slaves and humanity
I pause
and think to myself,
“great spirit of my grandfather”
internal pictures of natives on hilltops
tranced in a peyote vision quest
drums and dancing
small pieces of flesh lay crimson
on the dusty ground..
shaking free I start again
“Universal force that is creation”
Star Trek warp speed
as my mind flashes though Hubble images
and whizzes past unknown galaxies
crashing though nebulae clouds
I begin to forget what it was
I was going to ask in the first place
and instead focus on the idea
that in my attempt
to circumvent western religion dogma
I have inadvertently
created my own version
of a holy trinity
to which I pray
…but only for the ability to create
as it or they do,
because as part of,
I also am.
Sam Temple Jul 2015
distant loon cries sullen
voice carrying through the mist
dawn breaking in the warm valley
as the quiet of night gives way –
barely audible cooing
travels the entire length of the campground
as weary and barely rested travelers yawn and stretch
nature giving them the alarm siren
while also placing on faces, smiles and contentment –
three long low whistles
signify the time for feeding has arrived
as delicate legs
poke gently into the soft mud
‘S’ curved neck ready to strike
any unsuspecting fish that may be stirred
from its resting place
by those same long loon legs –
perched with a perch
the majestic dinosaur stands tall above its prey
feathers, soft shades of blue and grey
hide the heart of a killer
bent on feeding its dear sweet babies
for one more day –
Sam Temple Mar 2016
sitting in the dampness
like an extra coat of high gloss
the leftover remnants
of heat dissipation, remain
catching the rising sunlight
and sending refracted prisms
to capture my eyes
and send my imagination soaring
wings of marshmallow fluff
send me gliding
above an alien landscape
of my own creation
neon pyramids
flash by in a torrential
my pulse matches the current
and the acceleration becomes exponential
blurred images careen
mish-mash of memories
and future dreams
collision of past guilt
and joy explosions
fireworks on a new year’s celebration
elation follows
and the trickling dew
slides down the metal plow
its motion bringing me back
leaving me safely,
once again,
in my quiet yard --
Sam Temple Mar 2017
~


pasture grass warm and sticky complete
with distant goats chewing and
kicking up in play
from the creek side a flash of black
just enough residual periphery to startle the herd
square pupils dart and scan
while floppy jowls with stringy drool watches from the pampas

first sprinting left then
darting back to the right and circling around
the 2 year old Lab pup pretends to Collie
attempting to direct the herd
without any human direction

from the faded red door a farmer appears
straw between lips
hands deep in overall pockets
quietly surveying all that is his when at once
a disturbance is noticed
goats darting around in frantic worry
being chased by one hundred pounds of Labrador fury
reaching just inside of the doorjamb
the old farmer pulled forth a 243 Remington
took steady aim
and shot the menace attacking the bleaters


when we got back from the Country Fair the Thomas house had a funny air
and only Jimmy came to greet us
Roy was nowhere to be found
after a few hours of searching the forest and questioning
neighbors we were handed a red dog collar from the Dairy farmer
2 miles up the drive
they shot my dog for playing with goats on a Holstein farm
and so we gave up milk and though about revenge     /
Sam Temple Aug 2014
slight motion causes distant fog to swirl
as grey becomes blue
highlighting the green field
in the pre-sunrise morn
watery eyes look across dew covered grass blades
individually
weaving a tapestry of braids
soft chipping symphony
thrushes abound
startled hooves crash through unseen underbrush
and the first light at first blinds
then offers the tree line a perfect outline
refraction action dances through
millions of mirrors glisten
diamond style
and vaporize instantaneously
flameless fire engulfs
my peaceful meadow  
claustrophobia grips me
as natures’ noises and notions
envelope me
frantic squabbling of scrub jays
elk whistle too near
branches crash as the wind storm
tears the mountain away
I lay still as a soft white light emerges
a beacon in the sky
signifying reality
home base
something to focus on
as the fog clears and blue replaces insanity
I slowly stumble across the shiny green
filling my hat
with enough fungus
to share with the community
some seek spiritualty through preachers and pastors... bishops and books...monks and magic....not, I.
Sam Temple May 2014
melodic memories momentarily move me
gently swaying to inconceivable beats
imperceptibly
feeling the motion
insides swim
cool breeze moves conditioned hair
Sid Barret beckons me down untraveled hiways
grass littered
rabbits dash
washed out sun fades to white light
surrounded
Morrsion, drunk, leans over as if to whisper
but only soft ghostly lips breathe warm air
against disturbed skin
red and swollen—
silver flash across the sky opens a flood of possibilities
fixated, I stare into the blue
seeking connections
a sense of belonging
to be a part of
universal love
truth
understanding –
shadow slips quietly into the fold
expressing want and discontent
stringing doubt through prairies of hopeful exuberance
sobbing children who have forgotten the joys of fresh cut grass
hold their heads in their hands
partly to hide from the lies
perpetuated by the indoctrination machine—
a low hum begins to grow
rumbling
shaking foundations and creating pause
eyes dart, worried
was the elder Zappa right?
broken records skip
and a toe taps absentmindedly --
Sam Temple Mar 2016
she slid across the bubbles
placing no weight on my body
but still offering the arousal of proximity
leaning in
she softly kisses my cheek –
gracefully floating
from the kitchen
to the dining room
her effortless motions captivate me
as she lights delicately on the couch
and kisses my cheek –
angels sing from the patio
I peer out to see only her
smiling in the afternoon sun
she glances over and offers a wider grin
and spins in my direction
sweetly placing a kiss
upon my cheek –
I felt a warmth
cascading down my neck and back
slowly turning
I found myself face to face
with my lovely wife
a smile passed her lips momentarily
before she kissed me
upon the cheek—
Sam Temple Aug 2015
somewhere over two packs a day
budget smokes
tobacco and chemicals swept up off the plant floor
combines with well over one thousand gallons of Jim Beam
hate-fest on the liver and lungs –
from under twenty the ******* and LSD
sherm’s with the break dancers
in the Frisco Bay
years of **** abuse
both via the nose,
and also from a foil tube
………….
and then the ****** –

50 plus years old in an emergency room
looking at pictures
of  10% heart function
fuzzy, grainy, distorted,
and true…
major life changes ensue
through with smoking and eating garbage
afraid of road rage
and defibrillation
sitting in a basement
thinking about my cannabis oil
and a November trip to Colorado. –

phone calls to friends expressing a new version
telling the youth the lifestyle isn’t always the way
living fast and dying young
doesn’t always work
rarely leaves a pretty corpse
and won’t make you any more of a badass….
to live one’s life to the fullest
each and every day
with no consideration for the outcome
sometimes has you looking at pictures
of healthy lungs
plaque free arteries
a clean liver
and only 10% heart function –

Images I have never seen
waltz through my mind
slowly turning and moving to and fro
one, two, three
one, two, three
the rhythm matching the unevenness
of his most important muscle
I sit quietly on the edge of my bed
thinking over a lifetime and my best dear friend
I hope we make it to November. –
Sam Temple Sep 2015
I was born in the United States of America
register as a democrat… but just so I have access
to primary voting.
In this land touted for opportunity and freedoms
mostly, I find myself lamenting the choices
my government makes on my behalf.
I would not purposefully donate six percent
of my daily earnings
on drone bombing civilian Muslims
if it were up to me…
I would generally look to my own neighborhood
and those in the surrounding areas
when deciding where to offer my services and aid
as opposed to installing and maintaining
coup after coup on foreign soil…
Everyone I met who needed medical assistance
would have the ability to speak with a doctor
or at the very least a therapist…
My mind is so weary my body has become tired
watching my nation attempt to maintain empire
while the masses refuse to believe
that concept exists in the 21st century,
but for me, like a dagger in the eyeball
twisted and rusty, its
infecting me constantly with the reality
we are morons….
There is an adage I believe comes from the hillbilly’s
regarding one’s love for a land
and if the lack of that love shows itself,
then the individual must leave said land
well,
I have a second option:
You go………
You go to Iraq and wait for the drones
You go to Okinawa and get ***** by the American military
You go to any of the 600 places not in the United States
harboring military instillations of all types
You sit on the beach at Fukushima
while our advisors watch quietly the Pacific die.
Me, I will stay here
and see what I can learn from any still living
native peoples….
Sam Temple Nov 2015
towing the party line
telling me that for the 51 years
of his life
it gets warm in the summer
cold in the winter and Barack
just put ground troops in Syria
did you see the latest poles
the local election results
I cringe
you liberals sure took a beating
and now when Trump wins
there will be nothing to hold back
the policies that made this country great
I almost feel like crying
a tightness fills my chest
as, personally, on an individual basis
I like this guy…
but this insanity
makes me question my judgement –
from my cold dead hands
abortion a sin
gay agenda ruining ‘merikkka
and those **** Kardashians..
whom he also loves
telling me the hotness of Kim’s ***
and how ****** up it is what Jenner did
to the family…
I shake my head some more
as I see my car in the parking lot
only 71 more steps
and I can be free
of Bob and his crazy propaganda --
Sam Temple Aug 2015
I watch the dogs roll in the grass
watch them eat new shoots.
I watch the thrush on the fence post
watch it peck at something in its talons.
I watch the sunrise over the Cascade foothills
watch rays of morning light pass through distance fir trees.
I watch the leaves burst forth, elongate, turn green
watch them fade to brown, fall, and slowly make their way to the forest floor.
I watch the rise and fall of my lover’s chest
watch her sleep peacefully in the bed next to me.
I watch the second hand
watch it strain for each new minute.
I watch my eyes in the mirror
watch wrinkles form on the outer edges.

I look across the garden
look at all the medicine growing.
I look down at my hands
look at the roughness of a lifetime of toiling in the soil.
I look at my little black and white cat
look at the patches of missing fur.
I look back over my shoulder
look at what I have left behind.
I look at the stars in the quiet of night
look at the vastness of our galaxy.
I look into the coy pond I dug by hand
look at the fish still swimming the same circles five years later.
I look at the bamboo I planted to give them shade
look at the disaster of an invasive species taking over.

I see her in the window
see her looking back at me.
I see the sun high in the sky
see little droplets of sweat form along my forearm.
I see the faces of children in magazines
see them with flies on their eyeballs.
I see the shapes of divinity in the flower pedals
see the Mandelbrot’s in crashing waves.
I see my reflection in the pool
see concern and worry upon my brow.
I see my mother barely breathing in the Hospice home
see the last moments of her physical life.
I see the future
see it in blurry visions of death and despair.
Sam Temple May 2016
It really is the little things…
catching her watching me watching t.v.
our fingers bumping under rich dark soil
simultaneously saying “I love you”
and smiling... –
I lay in bed last night
listening to you breathe
thinking about your story
and you knew
at a kiss…
I thought a lot about my moment
about when I knew –
you stood in the doorway
stunning and aglow
and said the words,
“when I get back you can have me
any way you want me.”
I lay there thinking
“I want you every way
for the rest of my life.” –
Sam Temple Feb 2014
Looking through barred windows at a razor-wire fenced yard
I am taken aback by my choices
willfully sharing my life with rapists and murders
for the chance to bring them the light of education
a light that can signify so much
for an individual living a life void of success
and acceptance
offering guidance, and occasionally my shoulder or hand
I become - a leaning post
-a listening ear
-a safe place in horrorland
- part of their journey
It is in these many roles that I find my peace
knowing the world as an inconsiderate and uninvolved
hater
I relate, in my small way
symbolizing what can be
to those who never thought to try
Sam Temple Aug 2015
a low grumble and a hard thud
as I walk into my abode
old man jimmy rolls on his back
greeting me after my time on the road—

his thick floppy jowls hang free
as he looks up me upside-down
a bit of the tail wagging ensues
and there is no way to maintain my frown –

more guttural vocalizations
followed by pressing all his weight against my legs
looking up into my face
wishing I had something to try and beg—

I give a few sharp pats on his head
and command him to get outta my face
more grumbles as he slowly walks to his station
even an old crotchety lab has the ability to learn his place –
Sam Temple Sep 2015
The email reads,
“you mean the world to me
I am the luckiest woman alive
thank you for sharing this experience with me”
I sit re-reading the words
understanding the meaning
but struggling to believe
I am this man now –
She looks at me with a soft smile
and an excited twinkle
checking this six foot five inch frame out
a warmth fills me
as I know she desires me
…. the desire is mutual
her delicate fingers
caress my neck at the hairline
sending a shiver through my body
I sit amazed that after 13 years
we can still share lovely moments
like it was the first day –
Sam Temple Sep 2015
a loud click rings through my head
two teeth meet where once
fingernail lived
as if I were a ******
tiny little gnawing nibbles
travel 72% across the plain of my nail
when at once a slip
pulling tear…
upon inspection and to my horror
what was a clean cut
has become jagged and frayed
looking like an oak bough
with long hanging moss
but this moss is attached to the nail at large
gripping the offender tightly
and with a quick jerking motion
an attempt is made to remove the blight
without pain or fanfare
to my dismay it breaks free
just at the edge of the nail
I can see the reddening start…
immediately those same to teeth go to work
biting and twisting the tiny attached shard
drool trickles to the second knuckle
as I, totally engrossed, do my best cannibal impression
removing my finger from my mouth
a deep sadness cross my face
there will be no way to avoid bleeding….
with a renewed vigor akin to feverish
I once again attack my own hand
teeth gleaming, ready to savagely destroy
the surrounding flesh
I feel myself clamp down
frozen with fear I slowly pull my head back
tearing skin makes a slight squeak
and an iceberg emerges from my nail crotch
instantly I smash the now bleeding hole
into my tee-shirt
the stain a small price to pay
for the relief I will feel in a few days
once the swelling goes down –
Sam Temple May 2016
Truly my pleasure,

                             Like the spring sun on my face,

Writing with you all. –
this has been fun, thanks for letting me play along :)
Sam Temple Feb 2016
considering Native medicine
and our overriding connection
to the all that lives within

not really knowing how to begin
outside of quiet reflection
considering Native medicine

no desire to just go ‘there and back again’
while being conscious of my lack of protection
to the all that lives within

longing to understand the purpose of Juniper, outside of making Gin
does it help headaches or aid with an *******?
Considering Native medicine

I need to be sure, I will not just pretend
though I must practice some discretion
to the all that lives within

one with the natural world, no envy or sin
just thoughtfulness while making a selection
considering Native medicine
to the all that lives within
Sam Temple Jun 2016
we all rise and fall with the calling
long after lives are lived and ambition becomes compost
the vibration continues
energy mingles with the surrounding atmosphere
giving ghostly haunts a place to reside
on the edge of sanity and the shoreline
when the tide is out far enough
and the stars shine without moonlight
from the precipice of an river inlet
one can see the flat earth
and spin infinitely, a cosmic dot
recognizing itself as forever
part of everything –
we lost a poet today, but he is with us still, musing and inspiring
Sam Temple Mar 2016
I knew we would never, ever be blue
When I looked into those eyes
Shoo-be-doobie-shoobie-doo

Our love was so pure and true
Filled with long gazes and loving sighs
I knew we would never, ever be blue

Her words of love rung, oh, so true
Puffy clouds float by in the bluest skies
Shoo-be-doobie-shoobie-doo

Each day together this love just grew
The type of love that never dies
I knew we would never, ever be blue

And the compatibility when we would *****
All up in those luscious creamy thighs
Shoo-be-doobie-shoobie-doo

Never a time I didn’t know what to do
It’s easy when you live free of mistrust and lies
I knew we would never, ever be blue
Shoo-be-doobie-shoobie-do
Sam Temple Jun 2015
you think I don’t live
hip hop
in my drop top
boy, I’ll slap a cop
for messin wit my
organic crop
I got’s hogs to slop
fruit is starting to drop
rabbits ears are lopped
still, I got time to rock
see I
write rhymes all the time
mostly in my mind
helps me to unwind
when I smoke the kind
like a real balla
dog don’t need a
shock colla
he listens when I holla
I like to gives the bums a dolla
that **** makes me feel bangin
while my ******* swangin
Am I entertaining? –

Cause I‘ll never be mainstream
never learned to silk screen
5th wheel, Slipstream
Pajamas on, a *******
I’ll never be mainstream –

See I
don’t own a gun
shoot my mouth off
just for fun
never eat a wheat bun
not a celiac,
just don’t want none
****’s come undone
solar flare
from the sun
life weighin like a ton
smashed flat on the ground, son
but I
get back up ya’ll
no time to fall
harvest in the Fall
watch the water-fall
like the politicians ya’ll –

I will never be mainstream
wont listen to yo kids scream
buy those ******* ice cream
all up in the sun beam
I’m never bein mainstream –

Ya’ll, I cant wait to own
acreage and a home
space for my dogs to roam
hide those muthafukka’s bones
or maybe I will buy a cow
work with a horse and plow
homeboy’s, the time is now
gotta get a loan somehow
so I pay off all my back debt
save some cash for
a down pay-ment
so I don’t got’s to pay no rent
life will be so different --

and I will never be mainstream
create power with my own stream
use my cow to get milk and cream
this **** isn’t just a dream
boy, I will never be mainstream --
Sam Temple Jul 2015
startling images of earthquake destruction
mangled bodies strewn hitherto
charred flesh of orphaned infants
lie motionless on the partially uplifted
hospital/ monastery floor
trying to lift and remove rubble
in a desperate attempt to locate
the sobbing baby
which I can hear, but not see –
34 train cars piled
twisted metal sitting
in an oil and chemical spill
hazmat teams stare blankly
at the massive carnage
overwhelmed by the mayhem
and poisoned by their presence
within hours the first responders
have passed,
the last moments..
chocking and gurgling on their own blood
creeping up from internal damage –
wide-eyed militants stand armed
at the entrances to FEMA camps
angrily shouting and pushing American citizens
into places of detainment
while laughing about failed democracy –
night after night
I wake from terrible dreams….
Mt. Hood major eruption
ending Portland
and impacting the Columbia,
Juan De Fucca slippage
Oregon and Washington coastline in shambles
thousands dead and bodies lost,
rogue asteroid smashing headlong
into the Atlantic seaboard
leaving near ½ of our 308 million
washed away
like the Atlanteans
or the Egyptian Kings of old,
sweat coated sheets have become the norm….
nightly visitations of misshapen faces
poking and prodding,
looking at the Cascades
as harbingers of radioactive derbies
and witnessing the physical decline
of its natural inhabitants,
the ever propagandized
deadly threat of extremists
bent on killing innocents,
my tired eyes only wish for peace –
It is not kosher to refer
to oneself as a prophet or
seer or the future,
but those of you who choose
to blindly accept that everything remains
the same
will only be remembered
through songs and tales
yet unwritten –
Sam Temple Mar 2016
T’is nobler, said,
to be a humble man
penitent and patient
with forethought of plan  
to be well read
and a steward of the land
assured when posing a statement
strong in the conviction he stands

long gone is this type day
and the stand-up guy
today we find something else
looking us eye to eye
clam handshake and fashion, gay
unable to think or fly
Versace tie, Abercrombie belts
not sure if I should cry or sigh

conditioned beards and the tightest pants
so far past just sensitive
naming children Tyler and Evan
think they should be given a sedative
or something stronger to end this dance…
and before you all get tentative
I do want them to go to heaven
I just also wish they would cease to live –
Sam Temple Aug 2015
trolling the doldrums for crumbs of gold
selling old caldrons to witless witches
wearing goblin teeth and dragons blood
earrings from Hot Topic
I languish in the Emo village that is the United States –
Self-serving ******* preserving their precious habitats
while habitually encumbering the global ecology
drinking biodegradable Starbucks in Buick Escalades
escapade-ing ***** raiders afraid of Mercury in retrograde
staying clear of the mayhem
and playing fear propagating madman
I stoke wildfires with gasoline
prodding the populace into premature ******* –
poorly formed ideas the norm
the scorn for the figureheads shows on the shoreline
boorish oarsmen, moored, pour their kerosene blood
onto the floor…. Sure,
pure Fuerer fodder,  but newer shoes
were never shod
and the godhead faces west into the sunset –
druidic fluids escape wiccan slits
as the children of the Azure seas never get to be born
Pleaedian starships collide inside Antarctic subterranean dwellings
indiscriminate shelling of uninhabited caverns
as ravenous reptilians eat the jaw muscles
and left eye sockets
of organically fed Dairy cows…
espoused louse houses in Fall fashion blouses
trounce the infirm in clown shaped bounce houses
again, the sin goes unnoticed
as the blood of the innocents grants the elitists
another thousand years of power –
The tower on the hill still shines in the moonlight
on the 5th night of delighting the religious right…
mighty flightless birds self-assured and fed
on bramble burrs
purr at the sight.
bodies strewn all askew;
the moaning few with skin turning blue
true to the stories of old
as lack of oxygen blends with the biblical beast mark
and staving for air the impaired dare not to ask for Jesus aid…
instead they lay, waiting to be saved –
Sam Temple Feb 2016
I watched from my porch, the children
Caught up in the adventure of their play
Absorbing the way everything seemed so fresh
To these people, the future of the world
I remembered a time in which I would get lost in wonder
Everything in my life seemed so vibrant and new

Seems these days it’s very hard to find anything new
Or to feel lost in wonder
This is the way of an adult in the world
When nothing glows fresh
Unable to relate to children
Forget how to play

I used to spend hours lost in play
Discovering all the aspects of my world
Completely engulfed in awe and wonder
Just like so many other children
Gazing about with eyes so new
Amazed at the smells, clean and fresh

After a rain everything looked fresh
To the eyes of children
The age of wonder
Each morning begins anew
The only thing on the list for the day: play
When family is the whole world

This was the way of the world
When we were all children
Free to dance, sing, and play
With no regards to eating fresh
Thought towards what is hip, trendy, or new
Or trying to recapture the concept of wonder

Sometimes I sit, close my eyes, and wonder
Breath deep what is left of air that is fresh
Will they be able to go outside to play
What will be left of this crazy world
Can there ever be anything new
for tomorrow’s children

I awoke to a new dawn and thought about going out to play
The smell of fresh air made me so happy to be part of this world
I instantly began to wonder about the future of our children
Sam Temple Jan 2016
voices came in the night speaking of a coming change    
the birth of new age for all of humanity
an age filled with light
an age of unconditional love
for all the people of the world
and to thank, we have the aliens

messages came from the minds of aliens
to those not afraid of the light
to a segment of humanity
which will be the ones to save the world
offering just one simple change
move from a place of fear and hate to one of love

it is up to us to show the love
to each other and the aliens
those who engineered this world
and all of humanity
we glow in their light
and become the universal change

we must invite the cosmic energy for change
to become a beacon for humanity
forever live in blessed love
with peace on our world
under the direct care of the aliens
there can be only healing light

look up to the sky and bask in the light
one representative of growth and change
a light that holds for all of humanity
a hope of peace and love
co-existence with our brothers, the aliens
harmony surrounding the whole world

this could be the fate of our world
if only we could accept love
and step into the light
remember we, ourselves, are the aliens
and use that knowledge as a catalyst for change
and truly understand the meaning of humanity

there is a change coming for all of humanity
where we have to choose the light in order to know love
pray this world has more hope than just aliens
I have been looking into really breaking this type of poem down...perhaps my first chap book will be a collection of Sestina's
Next page