At the Side of the Years

"At the Side of the Years"

  and Other Poems

  by Daniel Hargrove

  Copyright 2015 Daniel Hargrove

  Cover art copyright 2015 Daniel Hargrove

  This book is published for anyone's enjoyment. Authors retain the copyright to their work. Users may read, copy and distribute the work in any medium or format for non-commercial purposes, provided the authors and the journal are appropriately credited. The users are not allowed to remix, transform or build upon the published material.

  Table of Contents

  1) At the Side of the Years

  2) One Morning

  3) Mollusk

  4) Always gone

  5) Gold Mine

  6) The Day That Made the Rain

  7) The Day the Rain Made

  8) Under Sky

  9) Departure

  10) Fly Paper

  11) Moments

  12) Crybaby

  13) Tell Me Why

  14) No One There

  15) On My Lap

  16) Everybody Sleeps

  17) Ode to a Lemon

  18) Though I Believe

  19) Falling Page

  20) The Passage

  21) A Tough Nut to Crack

  22) In Shine and Shadow

  23) No.

  24) Never

  25) People

  26) Dirt's Genie

  27) Nobody, You Know

  28) Outing

  29) Pride

  30) Shower

  31) The Offer

  32) To Joshua

  33) Parcel

  34) (untitled love poem)

  At the Side of the Years

  Don't stand in judgment of the young

  for they learn faster than a bird flies South;

  they, unlike the fossil stem,

  vine, spring and twining, into breach...

  and what, unknown to hatchling chick

  is known to crusty hen and hay,

  but crowing rooster's strut and comb

  who pecks so surely at the toss of feed?

  What fire is this, that catches, but

  at the splash of wave, and the bite of gold?

  And what heaven, cold, has swallowed me up,

  as my body has warmed to the winter snows?

  Lay the years 'neath a loamy bed,

  and wet, to sing, to the sun's warm touch,

  in the early months of the wild green bloom

  fed by the glacier's trickling rush.

  What of the ice after harvest moon?

  And what of the reaper's hollow swath?

  Know we all, that always has every wrought?

  And all, that never has fetched to the loom?

  One Morning

  Elegant lace birds

  drawing sun-up's sweetness

  from the morning air...

  the moon is down, you see,

  they joke.

  The dawn is studying

  a passage from their melody

  and grows glad

  as their words grow lighter

  and float upward,

  you know.

  A blue more buoyant

  with each passing moment

  I see

  fills the deep sky,

  or so we should presume.

  Dark green leafy dew

  joining tips of grass

  spills the secrets of the equinox

  into the quiet drink

  of sparrows

  Always Gone

  Eternally hidden, always in shadow

  Never heard, never felt, never seen

  She is so far, far away

  that she disappears in the distance

  A tear for what has been lost

  What is always kept in darkness

  will wither and die

  She never comes home to me

  will never have a home

  Home is where the heart is

  and hearts are just empty sky

  When she left, she left herself

  hanging on a hatrack

  and now I can't find her

  to give her herself back

  Who hunts for red roses?

  Who shines at the approach of tears?

  Who counts treasure still buried?

  Who has found what is already lost?

  Mollusk

  I sit on a rock

  in the sun

  waves crashing

  I wonder

  What is the hand of man

  is it shallow or deep

  are his eyes like a harp

  in the hands of a mermaid?

  Gold Mine

  After I had my tracheotomy

  I had to have my tonsils out.

  That was just before my appendectomy.

  Then I had a major heart attack

  and had to have a quadruple bypass.

  They found twenty-three gallstones

  when I had my gall bladder removed,

  and I passed a kidney stone

  on the twentieth of July.

  I have to watch my diet

  because of my diabetes

  and test my sugar level daily

  along with the insulin shots.

  I take five different psyche meds

  for my manic-depression,

  my schizo-affective disorder,

  and for my obsessive-compulsive disorder.

  My doctor ordered me to quit smoking

  because of my emphysema,

  but I don't know if it's worth it

  because I just got the tests back from the lab

  and the lung cancer is getting more advanced.

  To top it all off,

  the Dr. said I'm pregnant,

  and I guess I'll have the child

  since I don't believe in abortion.

  It's all covered by medicaid, fortunately.

  The Day That Made the Rain

  The world had whispered

  thick dark clouds

  into winds, walking

  through the forest of my sorrows...

  all my maybes had slipped softly

  away, floating fast on the breeze.

  I think the air is wet

  for the wrong reasons;

  all my anger small and captured,

  now infused with dark, dark blue...

  I taste the sweetness of a high crackle,

  but still the world waits for drowning.

  Where is the high moon

  in this dark dilemma of blankets?

  She is fooled, and yet to up and silver

  over and off the world's edge.

  Still and yet, she is here,

  under my feet, and

  dusty, and dry.

  No hawks will dare to wheel

  in this dynamite sky,

  and that is why I can sleep.

  Jan. 15, 2002

  The Day the Rain Made

  ...and all the drowning world

  had escaped into a beginning dusk,

  orange and wet,

  reflecting the sky's touch of shadow

  in a soaking bath inches deep.

  Good day, and no,

  I have not met my shadow

  yet, the clouds I embraced

  in the folds of my satisfaction

  now lay like smoke in front of sinking sun.

  Will you know me, damp snake

  of storm, that had slithered away?

  You have wrapped me in your arms,

  and now leave, gone and off, and where?

  Now the thick mud fills

  my downcast eyes;

  I remember you, though vaguely,

  which matters some

  though sinking deep in someone's
footprint,

  I have lost a shoe,

  which I'd rather leave than dig for.

  Now, and still, I am walking

  past and over and through

  the spaces that water left.

  Jan. 15th, 2002

  Under Sky

  Far-fetched consequence

  of astral collisions

  Spanning the void,

  the starry heavens

  I take my life

  a sky at a time

  Limitless space

  empty like a gourd

  In a hundred-million years

  the sky has changed

  but for the moment

  the pattern is constant

  Over the aeons

  under the stars

  around the sun

  who knows where

  As luck would have it

  I've found my home

  this watery world

  where fire walks

  Departure

  Where the moon is pushed aside

  and the ins become the outs

  a corner squares that easy curve

  and the light hardens like wet cement

  You poses are admired by the angels

  as your what and wherefore gently vanish

  The light has found its shining

  but can never find its way

  I am perched on a branch

  Shrill sweetness of singing

  brings over to wide

  and the too far to further

  Oh, and is it falling down?

  Rain falls down

  and if it is like rain

  then it may be falling down

  I rain, I rain!

  and the wind around and through

  I freeze on your doorstep

  and weaken your coffee

  In this prism is a fool's paradise

  more outside than the fleeciest of cloudy

  Outside inwardly and out again from there

  In a bamboo slip we slide between the reeds

  Fly Paper

  I stuck around

  for a long time...

  not by choice

  I often wonder

  what it is

  that makes me stay

  I guess it could be

  this sticky stuff

  Sure as hell

  If I leave

  will they miss me?

  Oh, I forgot

  I guess I'll stay

  After all,

  what's the difference?

  Bear with me

  for a minute

  while I figure this out

  If I stay

  I'm stucker

  than if I go

  Moments

  And love for them turned stale

  after a few months of quarrels

  and that special something

  began to be outweighed by something else

  Mostly they were just bored

  What had been so high and fine

  now seemed overly dramatic

  for their small apartment

  Were they not true enough?

  Didn't they share everything?

  Were their hearts on fire?

  Did they swear to love's dominion?

  Her kisses were the sweet taste of nearness

  The touch of his hand was the gentle touch of the dove

  They had found, for a while, the secret place of whispers

  and their warm embraces enjoined the closest love

  What they had, had seemed so real

  They both had really believed in each other

  He was into her body, she was into his

  Now they were wondering why they had bothered

  Nothing else had really mattered

  Those moments had been truly golden

  Now they lay rusting and forgotten

  Now their adoring had become as tin

  Crybaby

  Cold sleet, a thin blanket

  victims dying one by one

  Wet dream, a small reward

  Why are the children so quiet?

  Red is just a color

  One is just a number

  Tears are just a wetting

  A story just the telling

  No sharing with the sharks

  No fondness for the fondle

  No kindness for the kindred

  No willing for the willows

  Don't ask me shattered questions

  if you don't want pieces of answers

  It's that all those broken lies

  are seen through eyes of glass

  No supper for you, young man

  and none of your useless crying

  Your pride will make you hungry

  and your hunger will break you

  Tell Me Why

  Try logic

  or shouting

  Study

  or entertain them

  preach

  woo them

  be polite

  sing it to them

  inform them

  get angry

  pray

  cry about it

  you can try

  and try

  but they just won't be persuaded

  consider

  how obvious

  no question

  do you wonder?

  what the hell

  is wrong with people

  where they won't

  clean up the environment?

  No One There

  'Twas not a smile that crossed my lover's face...

  there was no honest glow within her heart...

  she wore no dresses, nor a flowered lace...

  we did not whisper vows to never part.

  I will not promise all the stars in space...

  I did not feel the point of Cupid's dart...

  my beating heart did not so wildly race...

  I did not love her long; I did not start.

  No one could here upset the apple cart...

  I did not woo her, did not long give chase...

  I will not stay forever in this place.

  I did not, with her, from the winter, brace...

  her fondest touch was neither sweet nor tart...

  her parting words will neither sting nor smart.

  On My Lap

  I'd go fight your war

  shed my blood for my country

  defend the honor of the flag

  but for this cat on my lap

  I'd invest in the market

  make a million dollars

  fine cars and fancy women

  but my cat is sleeping

  I'd ask for your hand in marriage

  beg on my hands and knees

  slip a ring on your finger

  but I don't want to disturb my cat

  I'd go to church

  pray for forgiveness and redemption

  study the words of Christ

  but my cat is comfortable

  I'd stand and salute the flag

  say the pledge of allegiance

  sing the national anthem

  but my cat is dreaming

  Everybody Sleeps

  Talking softly to my pillow

  I found the words to explain

  what I had seen while sleeping...

  I can't hold on to the world

  You are part of my nodding

  Your will like a prowling cat

  and the quiet shine of the moon

  I'll follow you to the mouse's burrow

  Sun and sweat and hard labor

  Hook and crook of questions

  At the bottom of a high staircase

  lies a man dressed in black

  I've only a few crayons

  that are not broken

  but I'll share them with you

  and dogs can be blue

  The sky is so deep

  and the night so long

  The stars are so bright

  and the creeping so cold

  Oh, you soft, sad pris
oner

  Linked with paper dolls

  You've more locks than keys

  More red than roses

  Ode to a Lemon

  Yes, I have seen their lemon frowns

  besmirch your sour taste,

  their not-so-friendly, friendly smiles

  that cross their squeaky face...

  but I do know your glory bright

  and though they judge in haste,

  I know they really, truly love

  the lemons they have chased.

  A lemon dress, a lemon car

  I heed the lemon rules...

  I recall the lemon lessons

  taught in the lemon schools.

  A lemon kiss, a lemon smirk,

  for the lemon we are fools

  and though you know it sounds absurd

  for the lemon, ladies drool.

  She will find to wed one day

  a fine and lemon gent...

  and she will tell her lemon friends

  how the lemon is heaven sent.

  A lemon job, a lemon boss

  to pay the lemon rent...

  when I get older, I will be

  the lemon president!

  I have heard their lemon laughs

  and felt their lemon stares...

  and on high mount, far up above

  the place the lemon shares...

  the lemon thunder, lemon god

  and all his lemon dares...

  lemons, lemons everywhere!

  forget your lemon cares!

  Now let up put diff'rence aside

  and toast the lemon gay.

  The say the lemon won't prevail

  but that the lemon may.

  Now you have heard my lemon words,

  the lemon has a lot to say.

  Thank you for your lemon patience

  and have a lemon day!

  Though I Believe

  I had played the game all wrong,

  broken rules right and left,

  and now, I'm afraid

  that I will pay dearly for it.

  It seems such a small chance

  that she will follow through,