"veni" poems
3
“Sic transit gloria mundi,”
“How doth the busy bee,”
“Dum vivimus vivamus,”
I stay mine enemy!
Oh “veni, vidi, vici!”
Oh caput cap-a-pie!
And oh “memento mori”
When I am far from thee!
Hurrah for Peter Parley!
Hurrah for Daniel Boone!
Three cheers, sir, for the gentleman
Who first observed the moon!
Peter, put up the sunshine;
Patti, arrange the stars;
Tell Luna, tea is waiting,
And call your brother Mars!
Put down the apple, Adam,
And come away with me,
So shalt thou have a pippin
From off my father’s tree!
I climb the “Hill of Science,”
I “view the landscape o’er;”
Such transcendental prospect,
I ne’er beheld before!
Unto the Legislature
My country bids me go;
I’ll take my india rubbers,
In case the wind should blow!
During my education,
It was announced to me
That gravitation, stumbling,
Fell from an apple tree!
The earth upon an axis
Was once supposed to turn,
By way of a gymnastic
In honor of the sun!
It was the brave Columbus,
A sailing o’er the tide,
Who notified the nations
Of where I would reside!
Mortality is fatal—
Gentility is fine,
Rascality, heroic,
Insolvency, sublime!
Our Fathers being weary,
Laid down on Bunker Hill;
And tho’ full many a morning,
Yet they are sleeping still,—
The trumpet, sir, shall wake them,
In dreams I see them rise,
Each with a solemn musket
A marching to the skies!
A coward will remain, Sir,
Until the fight is done;
But an immortal hero
Will take his hat, and run!
Good bye, Sir, I am going;
My country calleth me;
Allow me, Sir, at parting,
To wipe my weeping e’e.
In token of our friendship
Accept this “Bonnie Doon,”
And when the hand that plucked it
Hath passed beyond the moon,
The memory of my ashes
Will consolation be;
Then, farewell, Tuscarora,
And farewell, Sir, to thee!
2.6k
the curling smoke
from warming fires
rise into the slate
gray sky of the
Beqaa Valley
sheaves of
rising prayers
expire in twisted plumes
dissipating into the
gloom of an ever
looming winter
overcast
refugees from
the Arab Spring's
uncivil wars
gather for warmth
around waning embers,
smoldering in the underbelly
of the lowliest bottom of rusted
steel drums, tended
with scavenged debris
some thought better
suited to fortify the
faltering hovels of
last resort
the fires
join us in
communal rings
straining the
tenuous links of
brotherhood, the
politics of men
assiduously tear
asunder
we count ourselves
among the fortunate,
blessed exiles recused
from the acrimony
of desecrated cities,
welcoming the
residencies of
bewailing lullabies
of colic infants, the
searing hunger of
stunted children and the
incomprehensible babble
the elderly eloquently
speak in tongues
of a desperate
exasperation
our nagging impotence
swaddle us in ambivalent
inabilities to master circumstances
profanely denigrating our humanity
privation is
our daily bread
the bitter manna
feasting on the
animosity the banquet
of rancor generously
prepares for
peace starved
pilgrims
in these
refugee camps
the cold cuts deeper
hunger pangs
grow sharper
our blighted dignity,
vanished livelihoods,
and the presence of
recently interred
loved ones trudge
through our mean
encampment as
fully enfranchised
citizens in our
distressed
kingdom
what was lost can
never be recovered
our homeland leveled
yet doors still stand open
silently pleading all
to cross a new
threshold
the full restoration
of our hope,
the reconstitution
of our flagging
humanity, the
spark of the
holy spirit
willfully uniting us
in the salvation
of reconciliation
is nigh
we are
the divine children
stoking the embers
tending the fire
that light pathways
through the cold
darkness of a
broken world
Oh come
Emmanuel,
dwell among us
Oh come
Emmanuel
ransom once
again the
poor captives
of Israel….
Selah
Music Selection:
L'Accorche-Choeur, Ensemble vocal Fribourg
Veni Veni Emmanuel
Everywhere
Christmas
2013
jbm
Dec 24, 2013
Dec 24, 2013 at 10:48 AM UTC
i'm walking down the street
bare feet, without a care
**** uber, metro, I hate public transportation,
i'm dirtying up this sidewalk, for a few years already
i'm writing down a will, in my mind, close to my eyelids,
because i'm on the wrong side of my mind
i feel sick, tasting the bitterness of humanity
when I wipe mankind on the side of the pavement,
at the very deep, there's masculinity mixed with *****
i'm walking down a bridge full of empty shells
i pass hordes of girls who are smiling insincerely
and again, i feel a boost in my veins
and again, i'm louder than mirrors
and as in the mirrors, voidness space,
and it is me, who takes the best from it
i absorb this poisoned air.
In the ears of mine, i can hear electro heat,
i feel like one man one Jean-Michel Jarre,
rain is pouring through me, sticks to me like fog,
i wrap myself in the warmth of two MDMA's,
someone glances surreptitiously and steals my soul,
you have a backpack full of cash, i have a suitcase full of emotions,
i'm going on a journey through the cursed city
like a hermaphrodite with a broken rod,
streets, like stigmas, cry with hollow screams,
in front of clubs content abortions on the sidewalk,
let's leave this lie, like the walking dead
assertiveness and pride to the gutter washed away.
And again, this booster is kindling my veins
i'm dirtier than a new jerusalem
and similar to it, i'm sticking to everything
and so I'm taking the most out of my heart
and I absorb this poisoned air once again.
and so the booster flows through the aorta
it is flooding my tarred heart,
destination reached.
and my wallet is shimmering with bitter crystal
nothing will change the course of this chemistry,
betrayed. betrayed by their own bodies
vidi, no vici, veni on its own,
and i'm catching a laugh, standing still in the subway
i am still absorbing poisoned air.
hatred.
jealousy.
i've seen enough.
today, in my city, sun rises in the morning.
you will remember this day forever or forget it for eternity.
Jan 4, 2019
Jan 4, 2019 at 4:43 PM UTC
I came, I saw
but I did not conquer
it wasn't my goal at the outset
to win a battle --only to wonder
what the whole wide world
to me held in store
I returned a little wiser
and am eager to venture out for more.
Jan 29, 2016
Jan 29, 2016 at 8:10 PM UTC
Your words bang hard against the unwritten Wind,
Uncontrolled souls explode; destroying others within
Una voce. With one voice.
Searching frantically, identity lost in the Air
Your tongue slaps the stranger; now all gather there
Vinculum unitatis. The bond of unity.
In anger the Angel spits streams of Fire
She swings at the world; opportunity tires
Status quo ante bellum. State before the war.
Unbridled words; foundations lay Earth
Reasoning lost. The war is now birthed.
Vae victis! Woe to the conquered!
Feb 10, 2011
Feb 10, 2011 at 9:40 PM UTC
Title: “I came, I saw, I conquered”.
(A familiar quote by Julius Caesar after victory in a short war.)
More than the standard reference this sentence is also a delightful representation in the first person. Thus, the drama begins in the title, itself. The title is meant to emphasize the beginning; one person speaking of himself in the first person. A person in need of power and victory.
1st Stanza: With one voice
With one voice he strikes in anger with effective words. He desires for all things to uplift his need for approval. With glorious speeches he calls for others to join him. He becomes more encouraged as he calls out his grandiose ideas and philosophy of things to come.
2nd Stanza: The Bond of Unity
The uncontrolled need of the power-hungry ruler requires even more to satisfy his ego and personal needs. Without this step, he would fail. He succeeds however, as his call to strangers is heard and they eagerly gather to be controlled and commit to fight for the cause they now believe in.
3rd Stanza: State before the War
The “Angel” represents either (or both) of the opposing sides preparing for battle. Both sides now feel they are doing the right thing for the right reasons; pure intentions. At this point, actions begin, testing the opponent as the drama heightens and preparations ensue.
4th Stanza: Woe to the conquered!
From one with power and angry words – to the veracious battle. Reasoning is lost. Only winning counts now. The ground has been laid for treacherous harm. Emotions unparalleled. All crimes now justified. Destruction inevitable.
The poem itself is meant to increase in intensity with each stanza.
Latin phrases are used for drama, depth, and intensity.
Lastly, the hidden natural elements of Wind, Air, Fire, and Earth represent man’s nature.
Inevitably present and capable of fierce and volatile chaos.
You will find one of each of these elements in the first line; last word, of each stanza.
Feb 13, 2011
Feb 13, 2011 at 9:34 PM UTC
Benedictine Warlords
Hold ceremonies in ballrooms
Tie knots in dying children’s hair
Demarking havoc to succumb
Red X-es on trees
Placating these
Monsters
These scumbags
These treasons
Against a muck they scoured
A much maligned superfluity
Of words, of thoughts
Of feelings
Of devotion
Sympathy
What of it?
You’ve heard my ideas on living
You’ve killed my attempts
Superavero
Veni
Superavero
Now go, before you learn what life is
Jul 10, 2010
Jul 10, 2010 at 7:12 PM UTC
The fall of Rome is upon us.
I have spied it from my window,
i dare not intrude.
venimus
vidimus
vicimus
(ourselves)
The slaves are in revolt;
the Colliseum burns,
flames tenderly licking
destruction and freedom,
a beacon in the
dark autumn night;
Carthage has embraced
its high sodium diet,
it now seeks equality;
the Senate lies in ruin,
much as it always has,
now bereft of contributors.
Ego autem relictus solus devius,
faciamus nobis effugium.
Come, fair plebian lady,
get in my chariot,
i will 'Billy Ocean' you
all the way
to the end of the world,
because some things never change.
veni
vidi
vici
NOTHING
per memet
ita reliqui,
empty-handed
my new fair plebian in tow.
Roma victa.
Oct 10, 2013
Oct 10, 2013 at 6:19 PM UTC
J'ai bien assez vécu, puisque dans mes douleurs
Je marche, sans trouver de bras qui me secourent,
Puisque je ris à peine aux enfants qui m'entourent,
Puisque je ne suis plus réjoui par les fleurs ;
Puisqu'au printemps, quand Dieu met la nature en fête,
J'assiste, esprit sans joie, à ce splendide amour ;
Puisque je suis à l'heure où l'homme fuit le jour,
Hélas ! et sent de tout la tristesse secrète ;
Puisque l'espoir serein dans mon âme est vaincu ;
Puisqu'en cette saison des parfums et des roses,
Ô ma fille ! j'aspire à l'ombre où tu reposes,
Puisque mon coeur est mort, j'ai bien assez vécu.
Je n'ai pas refusé ma tâche sur la terre.
Mon sillon ? Le voilà. Ma gerbe ? La voici.
J'ai vécu souriant, toujours plus adouci,
Debout, mais incliné du côté du mystère.
J'ai fait ce que j'ai pu ; j'ai servi, j'ai veillé,
Et j'ai vu bien souvent qu'on riait de ma peine.
Je me suis étonné d'être un objet de haine,
Ayant beaucoup souffert et beaucoup travaillé.
Dans ce bagne terrestre où ne s'ouvre aucune aile,
Sans me plaindre, saignant, et tombant sur les mains,
Morne, épuisé, raillé par les forçats humains,
J'ai porté mon chaînon de la chaîne éternelle.
Maintenant, mon regard ne s'ouvre qu'à demi ;
Je ne me tourne plus même quand on me nomme ;
Je suis plein de stupeur et d'ennui, comme un homme
Qui se lève avant l'aube et qui n'a pas dormi.
Je ne daigne plus même, en ma sombre paresse,
Répondre à l'envieux dont la bouche me nuit.
Ô Seigneur ! ouvrez-moi les portes de la nuit,
Afin que je m'en aille et que je disparaisse !
1.2k
How marvelous is the view
Even when its cloudy and it may rain
Just a few minute or hours from now
But still im grateful of this ministering skies
It so wide that no one can measure it up
T square cant, steel tape looses its grips
They were bemused thinking of such things
How to chase the width of each corner
As I watch this heavenly body moving
Though lying in this bed made of string
The moon is like an eyes that staring at me
And Im so blessed that the empty head turns to fun filled
In this moment of soft delicate air
Machines suddenly stop their vibration
Gaze at whole beauty and take a time
To open their utmost beings
And the cloudy atmosphere has gone by
It really enlightens my new year eve, as I observe
The falling rain has postponed its delicacies
And i feel the warm touch of the season
May 14, 2010
May 14, 2010 at 6:01 AM UTC
If we had never done the deed
and soiled the sheets together,
Lesbia we might have had
a love that lasts forever.
Instead, you lay back, wantonly,
inviting me to sin.
Our cries and whispers mingled
as I spent myself within.
Lust comes with an expiration date
and I was cast aside;
Some other noble Roman
now mounts my favorite ride.
Caesar too, will come and go ;
Veni, Vidi, Vici.
Some label you promiscuous
your morals are thought dicey.
Yet you're not indiscriminate
in choosing your next partner;
The distinction is that you lie down
and do not stoop to conquer.
Aug 4, 2012
Aug 4, 2012 at 8:01 AM UTC
It's as if a photograph is the most valuable thing one can own;
That sepia tone, that time and date stamp,
What a friend,
What an ode to memories of a time long past,
A year ago today it went- **** Just. Like. That.
And just like that, you're back there with all your fears and trepidations
And slight ponderings on the habits of water snakes and devils' babies.
**** just like that you're brought back to the present,
Wondering about the future;
Will it all work out outside of this moment? Which like that one,
Is so perfect and complete, a puzzle not missing a piece or having a hair out of place,
Here, in this rose garden amongst garbage heaps of relative affluence.
**** you're gone away unto the Future,
A mystical, magical unfamiliar place... because there is not like here,
Where you are so sure of everything, and the complete certainty of infinite possibility
Canoodling with your youth cries out to you in exhilaration
And apathy
For your autumn years;
You know these city streets and ally walls and University halls,
You know these faces and those places and the box
Which you have built yourself out of recycled materials- opinions, quotes, and ideas
You're only borrowing,
Like a sweater with multi-coloured buttons from an old friend that you might just decide to keep,
Or give away to charity
If that happy interlude between lending and returning has long ago expired.
**** Here you are! Right now! This instant!
A vast infinite collection of empty spaces and visited places,
Held by bonds no tighter than your weakest ties.
And all those times you said you were going to carpe diem,
You let it veni vidi vici you instead.
So, holding this photograph, I ask you now:
In the puff of smoke lit from the flash of the camera,
Is this the way you want to live, or is the meaning of alive simply to die?
Sep 8, 2013
Sep 8, 2013 at 3:02 AM UTC
I came. I saw. I conquered
You came into my life
Like the flash of lightning
- fast, ephemeral
You saw me
Like I was just a stardust
- beautiful and ugly
You conquered
- my life, my heart
and it was lasting
May 25, 2016
May 25, 2016 at 11:04 AM UTC
Sometimes
my crush for the world fantasy
Becomes impulsive
My instincts
Keeps driving me
To the things of pleasure
Sometimes,
I wish I ve all she has
Guess who I mean?
Sometimes
The world is ever near
I see the sight that dazzle
The tempting sounds I hear
The world is ever calling
But still my ego shy
In all this,
I remember
My mirrors lay pride on me
Sitting consciously for my breakthrough
out of the tempting world
His advice
becomes a watchword
That the tempting sounds faintly fade
The breeze blew off
The dazzling sights
And sometimes
Out of the struggle
Of fighting temptations
out of the hustles the world throws
Without straying from the pathway
I Had chosen with at most caution
That with no doubt
Victory lies ahead
And my future
Encapsulated with pure luxuries
Without blemish of any sort
My crown awaits me...
With much comfort
And outright satisfaction
That indeed I overthrown the worlds gaze
Saying this repeatedly
I came, I saw and I conquer....
Mar 18, 2014
Mar 18, 2014 at 12:55 PM UTC
You are my favourite poet
You inspire me
It goes without saying that I love you
And even more so
When you breathe your words into me
And pierce my soul with your ink
Never stop writing your phrases on my heart
Always tell me in abstract
How my chameleon eyes remind you of calm streams
And brighter days served in a history of torment
We are two lost pieces to the puzzle
pushed under the couch
Vidi vici veni
I love it because you said it and I believed you
Because it is one thing
to say one thing is another
But it takes a poet to analyse it to it's full potential
So analyse me
Talk me into your amazing mind
And you can with ease
Because you are my favourite poet
May 20, 2015
May 20, 2015 at 6:38 PM UTC
Buono Beauty, dive by your Roman Name
And turn my Doubts into Confidence will Vote
That your Honours cash to this Humble Fame
Yet Gorgeous Shoulders brace its Good Promote
Which even though these Motifs prove suspend
To miss one Valued yet Golden Event
Your Heart be blown; More would my Files amend
And Smiles gleam forward with your best Consent
Which even I, the Flap-Jacked Admirer be
Prompt which even Shredded Feathers beseech
Are your own Accords; Such promote Witness plead
How High your Five-Ringed Swan could ever Reach.
Still you came - with Toes knotted in-sense
To Label me FRIEND; By your own Expense.
May 28, 2013
May 28, 2013 at 2:12 AM UTC
ILLE QVI VNICVS DEBELLATOR PROSTRATO REGE VNIVERSI
HARVM IGITVR ENTIVM IGNEA CELEBRANTVR SYMBOLA
VLTIO EXTRAMVNDANI VIRI VENI MIHI ALTA EREBO
DVM BELLI LIBER SCVTO IMPERAVIT IPSE TEMPLVM
MALA FVLMINE INFAMIA PERIT MVNDI VICTA
VINDEX XYSTO DÆMON ΞIΦEI
AVSONIÆ TENENS ROSAM CHALYBE RVBRAM.
Mar 12, 2024
Mar 12, 2024 at 8:48 AM UTC
The taxi dropped me off
as the bell for Compline tolled,
veni creátor Spíritus,
best go to the church
because that's where
the monks'll be
a guy said
so I went into the church
February 68 that was
first time,
la casa di Dio,
red lamp at altar end
and a few lights
by the choir stalls
and a monk walked by
genuflected
and walked on by
to ring the bells again,
she had that sway of hips
and a nice ****
and I swam
into her deep seas,
Dom Joe said
have you eaten?
no I said
so he took me
to the refectory
and got me macaroni cheese
and hot cocoa
and sat talking
about the monastic life,
Dio chiama ma pochi risposta,
smell of incense
and hot bread
and smell of flowers
from the cloisters,
kiss me she said
there there so I did,
non introíbo
in tabernáculum
domus meæ,
listen and attend
with the ear of your heart
said Benedict
(saint that is),
Hugh folded the napkins
with the carefulness
of a maiden
with the deep set eyes
of a ******
prier pour Dieu
dans la vérité
the French monk said
as he walked with me
to the chapter house,
moonlight and stars
and shadows
where the clositer walls
on the outside
allowed in light,
it is not enough
to have a good mind
the main thing is
to use it well
said Gareth
quoting Descartes
as we sat in the novice's room
awaiting Dom James,
plough my field
she said
sow seeds,
the bell tolled
over the cloisters
and it was getting dark
and Compline was ending,
making the sign
of the cross
as we entered church,
but that was later
in 71,
seeking through darkness
and felt all done.
May 12, 2016
May 12, 2016 at 12:43 PM UTC
we came.
we saw.
we loved.
we are more than conquerors
see the light in the darkest people
love can transform a realist into a romantic
plant flowers in others gardens
water them daily
they may die
but you were there when they needed it most
don't let them belittle you
you are more than the words spilling out
you are actions
you are passion
love: surround yourself with it
even when there's nothing in return
Jun 15, 2015
Jun 15, 2015 at 4:39 PM UTC
"I am only the maid!"
she will shout at him
then disappear for
a week
hunted down like
lean dog in winter
he always proffered
her a treat
and how could she
refuse? with hatred
she would show up
again to clean his
dishes and make
the bed,
until he got it in
his head, well, he
decided he liked
the maid and not
in the way she was
usually liked
which is to say he
was ***** (no, but
thanks anyway)
a week or two later
he tells her he's in
love and she bursts
out laughing, tells
him she's not 11
years old
but
she did have a lot
of bills, about 800
bucks worth, give
or take
O NO! (you see
it was love and love
is free), three more
weeks and he's
climbing the walls
reconsiders her
circumstances
and his own
another day or two
he has made the maid
on the fresh linens and
all was pretty romantic
until he raised himself
on one elbow and blew
hot air in her face and
a hot load in her ****
he said, "You know
this isn't quid pro quo
..." and she answered
"Veni, vidi, vici...
(whatever gets
you off.")
and what a happy
woman was she
money new minted
in her fat purse
and this little piggy
went wee wee wee
all the way back
to Queens
yup
Jun 15, 2019
Jun 15, 2019 at 8:10 PM UTC
Veni. Vidi. Amavi.
It's ok to be a heart breaker,
To hitchhike on love.
It's the only way to learn a lesson.
You're not my villain,
You're my lesson.
We all have our reasons,
and I know that.
I don't want you to love me.
I want you to love someone who
Will sharpen your mind,
Build your trust.
I am a lone Ranger.
Whether you agree or not.
We came. We saw. We loved.
Jan 18, 2017
Jan 18, 2017 at 1:56 AM UTC
I came.
At the horizon of the battlefield
Which held the armies of the enemies yet to be destroyed
As my own ambitions of which never yield
Arriving sooner to the pass; the stakes have never been higher
But nothing is holding me back this time.
I saw.
Adversity and the odds of the situation
Which were created by my own arrogance
As the enemy lurked like a venomous plague
Arriving closer to the point of chaotic carnage
But the past is irrelevant, and it is merely a splinter in my side.
I conquered.
The enemy that dared to hold me back
Those countless armies that seemed omnipotent
Which never even seemed to exist
As the now cold blood is smeared on my blade
Realizing all of those wasted years living in the shade (has me)
Arriving at the conclusion of the philosophy of power
But business is finished here; we have another foe to vanquish.
Dec 24, 2017
Dec 24, 2017 at 2:11 PM UTC
I saw you
our eyes met
Distance became a barrier
Of a few walks away
You smiled and I saw it
We fell in love
But
We didn't know
That
We saw
We came
We loved
VENI VIDI AMAVI
Meant you and me.
Jun 8, 2018
Jun 8, 2018 at 1:50 AM UTC
I've only met destroyers
on the go, on the low
I've only met them going down
on me, on you
I've only met destroyers
in town, all around
But then I met you
and all that you do
Is love, is love
is love
Apr 20, 2019
Apr 20, 2019 at 9:06 PM UTC
Jul Sezar anısına...
geldin mi. dedi rüzgar
yelesi’nden kavrayıp kır atı
meçhule kanama bu ihtirasların
ilişme. dedi bulut
biraz nefes alsın
biter geri dönünce
çekilir damardan
nevrotik ızdırapların
bir damla bıraktı yağmur
terli dudaklarına
gülüyordu miğferine şimşek
iniverdi yere
baktı yüzüne Sezar’ın
gördün mü. dedi
yeşiller al’a döndü sen gelince
ne kadar üzgün Alesia
duymuyordu Galia fatihi
sürdü atı o hızla
görmüş gibi Getorix’i
parlayan gladiusunda
dur! dedi kasırga
bu kadar kafi
yeter bastığın Zile
geldin
gördün, yendin
oysa
hançer kadar kısa hayat
hançere’nde bileylediğin...
Mar 12, 2019
Mar 12, 2019 at 1:32 PM UTC