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207 · Jul 2020
FRIENDSHIP
William Marr Jul 2020
you wave your hand
without glancing back
walk towards the horizon
becoming a tiny dot
and disappear

with a heavy heart I turn around
yet find you right there

by my side
207 · Feb 2020
MIDNIGHT
William Marr Feb 2020
with its constant stirring
the long pendulum
of the grandfather clock
finally thickened the time
and hypnotized grandfather to sleep

then at zero hour
it started to beat the war drum
**** **** **** **** .....
on a sleepless young man's chest
206 · Jan 2020
AT THE MOUNTAINSIDE
William Marr Jan 2020
I met a little boy at a mountainside
who was quick to laugh and cry
tears had hardly rolled down his cheeks
when a sweet smile bloomed at his mouth

there was nothing purer than his sparkling tears
nothing more beautiful than his angelic face
I understood the intention of the Creator
and was moved by the child’s innocence

I stared at him with a deep feeling
warmth flooded my heart
tears of gratitude welled up in my eyes
when I looked again    he was gone
My very first poem, written in 1956 in Taiwan
William Marr Jul 2020
from hearing the word flying
to
thinking of flying
to
longing to fly
to
learning to fly
to
flapping her wings

she finally
soared high into the sky
amid the applause and cheers

that was when she realized
the immensity
of the universe
198 · Mar 2018
MIDNIGHT MASS
William Marr Mar 2018
We then drove to the greenhouse
to see if the Cross was in bloom
the Cross that was planted 2000 years ago
the Cross that was once watered
with blood

When the pipe ***** became the first one
to break down crying
we all picked up our coats and headed for the door
knowing it was another hopeless year

Only the stubborn caretaker refused to give up
he kept muttering something to himself
while sprinkling the air with water
196 · May 2018
DENSITY OF LOVE
William Marr May 2018
the intense sunbeam
from your eyes
shines on my thin body
making it even thinner

that’s fine with me
I can claim I possess
the densest shadow
in the world
195 · Nov 2017
SMART & DUMB
William Marr Nov 2017
sometimes
the smart
are dumber than
dumb

dare not utter
even a simple
"I"
195 · Mar 2020
AUTUMN LEAVES
William Marr Mar 2020
Every leaf
helps
thicken
the carpet
&
soften
   (
   )
   (
the
   )
   (
fall
194 · Oct 2018
APRIL FOOLS DAY
William Marr Oct 2018
April arrived
with a message on my desk
“Call Mr. Lyon—
Urgent !!!”

I dialed the number
“Sorry Mr. Lion can’t come to the phone right now
He is in the CAGE!”

Before I could put down my phone
her irrepressible laugh jumped out of the line
and bit off my ear, splashing blood
all over my face

It then attacked my innocent officemate
I stood by helplessly and watched him
roll about and eventually die
of laughter
190 · Jan 2018
Autumn
William Marr Jan 2018
puzzled by a falling leaf
he quietly put away
his guitar
and pictures of legs
in miniskirts

love it or leave it
what a choice
190 · Mar 2020
PAINTING
William Marr Mar 2020
pin you down like a butterfly
on a sheet of paper
with the tip of the pen
of reality

see if you can still smile
Mona Lisa
189 · Jan 2018
A TIRED DRIFTER
William Marr Jan 2018
stars fly
when he hits his nose
with his own clenched fist

even the rise of such a brilliant sky
can no longer excite him
185 · Jan 2020
SHADOW
William Marr Jan 2020
it never favors one over the other
regardless of skin colors --
white, yellow, brown or black
  
not even the most discriminating eye
can find any bone
to pick with
183 · Aug 2018
WHITE ORCHIDS
William Marr Aug 2018
WHITE ORCHIDS



1

under bright sunshine

white wings

flap lightly

in the gentle wind



such a happy day

nobody is willing

to fly away



under the heavy storm

white wings

cling tightly

to mother's *****



such a dreadful day

nobody has the heart

to fly away



2

white wings

open and close

open and close



do you smell

the fragrance

of her breath
175 · Jan 2020
YOU ARE A HERO
William Marr Jan 2020
-- in memory of Senator John McCain

after surviving a POW camp in Vietnam
you return to your country

YES! YOU ARE A HERO

after surviving the prison
of endless human hatred and conflicts  
you return to Heaven

YES! YOU ARE A HERO
169 · Mar 2020
SONG OF A RAINDROP
William Marr Mar 2020
SONG OF A RAINDROP

the closer to the ground
the faster my heart beats
life has barely begun
it now has to end

even if the wind suddenly changes
or there comes a hurricane
I am sure I won't be blown far

no glow of fire
no howling
no ground-shaking explosions
the world
with a tearful eye
watches me
descend
169 · May 2018
OUTSIDE THE WINDOW
William Marr May 2018
snow falls quietly

I don't expect
any birds
in such weather

but there's the shadow of a bird
flashing by
pulling my sight
to a familiar
yet strange field afar
where
birds are singing
and clamoring
in the celebration  
of a long-awaited
new birth

snow
falls quietly
outside my window
168 · Jan 2020
2020
William Marr Jan 2020
during this year
you'd better not
think one thing
say another
do something else

we all can see right through you
with our perfect vision --
20/20
160 · Jan 2020
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
William Marr Jan 2020
all old resolutions
fall with the crystal ball
during the Times Square countdown
----5--4--3--2--1--
0

YES

0
the best number
to start the new year

a shiny newborn balloon
pure and innocent
rises with joy amid magnificent fireworks
carrying no new prejudices
or old hatred
139 · Jan 2020
NEW AND OLD
William Marr Jan 2020
with every step
the pretentious
new shoes
jeer
at the memory
of
the old
78 · Sep 2024
NEW AND OLD
William Marr Sep 2024
with every step
the pretentious
new shoes
jeer
at the memory
of
the old
William Marr Sep 2024
a broken refugee boat appears
like a ghost
on the tired sleepless eyelids
jolting and rolling
toward the ever-narrowing harbor
of humanity
toward the shore
where lights die out
one after another
68 · Sep 2024
INFLATION
William Marr Sep 2024
A bundle of bills
could buy
a flattering
smile
not long ago

Now
a bundle of bills
can buy
more than
one flattering
smile
57 · Aug 2024
FLOOD
William Marr Aug 2024
as torrents of water
roll and crush
and the sky
stiffens its dark face
the narrow-minded dam knows
it's time to shut its gate

behind the flood
there will be gushing waves
of human tears
56 · Aug 2024
Yuanji Dance
William Marr Aug 2024
rushing up through the feet
a steady flow of fresh vitality
coming from Mother Earth
eventually pushes out of the body
the stagnant air
-- stale, insipid, musty, mildewy, and stinking
that has accumulated overnight
no, over the entire life

look
in the melodious music
bright smiles are blooming
one after another
on the faces of the dancers
who are getting younger
and younger
with every poetic move
A mixture of martial arts, physical therapy, meditation, dance, and qigong exercises.
48 · Aug 2024
ROBOTS UNION
William Marr Aug 2024
seeing the industrious, restless robots
take away their jobs
smart human beings
finally come up with a smart plan

working from 9 to 9
including Saturdays
(this is only a beginning)

see who is more robotic
Note: A big company in China is asking its employees to work from 9 to 9 every day, including Saturdays.

— The End —