Oh beloved poetry ! Entrusted steward of my soul ... by harlon rivers

                                         Oh beloved poetry ! 

... entrusted steward of my soul

Oh beloved poetry !    My blessed confidant ,
entrusted steward of my soul ,
my one and only intimate friend !
You bestow a solacing comfort I cleave to ;
beheld like no other divinity ,
a cathartic salve blended
from flowing ink and mind
      
Together perpetually entwining
an interwoven tapestry ,
the moment’s threads entangled
in an indelible compassionate embrace ;
wholly bequeathed like an old friend’s amity ,
open palms beseechingly beckon
into a sea of ardent sanctuary ,
an asylum for to surrender
wholeheartedly
unto the arms of the soul

Therein lies a soothing acceptance
beheld in the misunderstood
colour of darkness
But cast seeds sown
from a solitary heart ,
where allusions of mighty oaks
from acorns grow
rootlets to leaves

Wherein a restless silence accords
the sweetest breath of new life
like the yearning wind song
breathlessly in search of the lost chord ,
as the winds of change
blow against the untamed tides
tirelessly singing passionately
with the one who writes
with heart on sleeve

Poetry is the endearing epitome
an unconditional loving friend
There is not judgment cast ,
as if thrown stones
upon latent unspoken poesy borne
Only a bona fide comfort in the knowing
there is no longer an inherent need
for merciful surrender
Alas ! leniency to forgive myself
for all I've become

Harlon Rivers ©January 29th, 2015

Yes ... only love can break your heart

Thoughts ring poignantly conscious ,
bestirred amongst the warm summer breeze
brimming over with crickets ' thrumming
seasaw chirrup

Unintentional expectations
seep into the rhythmic sounds ,
unplanned thoughts lingering
like misunderstood life residue

Forgotten or dismissed ,
as if an abandoned vagabond aimlessly adrift
lost on a misbegotten voyage ,
upon a wanton heart’s stormy seas

Alas , weep not within tender heart
for even the simple beauty of perfect bloom
ripening metamorphosis
as seasons do change

Behold .., suddenly taken aback
by a lighter moments frolic
in the brimful breeze ,
giving up their whimsical offerings
in a moment of need

Black capped chickadees
line the rustic grey stone pool
three & twenty wide
free to giggle and splash ,.. turn the tide

Nuthatch flock chatters upside down
the gnarly Oak’s mossy bark
bringing a needed reality back
into this solaced moment’s gravity ;

Their whimsical chit chat
rings sweetly
as if it were children laughing

Descry the conscious moment ;
the way I’m meant to be
knowing all that is wanted
is to feel like I am whole again

Yes ... only love can break your heart
Yet only the spirit nature’s higher love
bequeaths a pathway to healing ...

© harlon rivers ... August 29 , 2014

authors note: 

This is a poem where the moment was just scribbled out in a conscious ramble... some freestyle poetry just goes where it wants to go...free to be what it is ... I can be who I am , livin’ in the heart of the country

It can be amazing how powerfully nature can evoke a metamorphosis of perspective in meditative moments…
turning mien 180 degrees from introspective muddled thoughts into outrospective presence.

Squeezing Blood Out of a Stone

He knew he could never suffer 

from the madness they perceive 

It’s easy to look the other way 

when you’re blinded by what you see , . .

a poem from "The Diary of the Falling Dominoes" anthology by Harlon Rivers

Squeezing Blood Out of a Stone

What is the song the moon sings ?
In the silence of the starry blue night ?
Is it the sound of a heart breaking ?
Or the mournful bemoans
a shadow on bended knees ,
lost in a moment of stress and strife

No one ever thought they would hear
a shadow's screaming echoes
at the sallowed moonlit night !
No one gave it a second thought . . .
Never bothered to ponder
the unknown reasons for the thoughts .

He knew he could never suffer
from the madness they perceive
It’s easy to look the other way
when you’re blinded by what you see
Crawling on faith with eyes barely open ,
through a world of make believe .

Habor no disrespect for honest disbelief ,
when the flame burns brilliantly high
Awakening revelations rise like heat lightning
An impossible unseen illusion
for those who are blocked
by their own light

Just a mysterious inconvenience
waiting for the whole thing to blow apart
A subtle unnoticed interruption
like a shooting star in the foggy twilight
Emerging from the vanishing shadows
absorbed by the fading darkness taking flight

Some days we innocently stumble
Sometimes we trip and fall
      Smash into something good . . .
Hang on until its time to let go
Trying to wipe away the final teardrops
       is like squeezing blood out of a stone . . .

©harlon rivers

Listening for Some Light

A chapter from " Watching a Thinkers Journey”

© 2013 … Harlon Rivers

“Listening for Some Light”

Everybody is looking

for some light; redemption is

deafened by the blinding glare

Squeezing the last drop out 

from within

stunned cold silence

Throwing the dice;

blindly rolling

circle of life roulette

Once there was a way

for wild eyes gone blind,

to learn to see again

Once there was a way

to see beyond

an empty space too big to fill

What will become of love

if we keep it 

hidden?

Walking away fighting shadows;

while what won’t matter

always remains

What is lost is gone forever;

what is found is

yours to keep

The distance between

what is and what isn't overshadows,

the symmetry you want to feel ...

© 2013 … Harlon Rivers

Destiny ... Merciful Surrender to the Weight of Gravity

This piece is a tribute to a traumatic life lived that could no longer be saved no matter how hard I tried… It has taken a few years to write something about someone I did not know until our fated intersection just upriver from my boat ; that April 21^st day at the river will be a moment never forgotten … A cathartic attempt to walk an understanding  mile in another’s shoes .  Sometimes our life changes so quickly we don’t really even comprehend how drastically a moment changes everything .... This narrative prose poem is based on a true life event .

Major depression is a debilitating illness that lurks below the surface often going undetected by loved ones .  You never know what inner turmoil lies within the outer cover of a book at a casual glace .   This cathartic writing is another attempt to heal from a past moment ; The aftermath of those left behind in the wake of tragedy at that exact spot , at that instant on an April 21st spring day 7 years ago . Changes at so many levels in so many lives, altering my personal journey forevermore …











The Weight of Gravity

Standing on the edge of oblivion
Dark circled eyes span the distant horizon ;
visible signs of an unsettled agony
tremble through the veiled ache within .
Knowing he had tried a lifetime
to cast off  this body’s  cage
Shed the invisible skin only he could feel
 
Racing thoughts suffer
as scrambled search for glimmers of hope’s shining light
fade into an unrecognizable hollow stare
All the while instinctively trying to regain focus
through the distracting fog and haze
of the inevitable price to be paid.
Thoughts of waiting here forever wane
as this haunting loneliness,
won’t abandon like so many before

Struggling for balance,
teetering on the brink of helpless surrender,
vulnerable thoughts of ever belonging faded
with the final concluding memories;
That fated moment when the last rumination
of physical human touch vanished
like a smoldering wick without wax
Smoke rings rising to dissipate,
disappearing into an untouchable broken dream...

Never really understanding
whether destiny carved the pathway
of the long and twisting road
leading to this defining crossroad
Or is it the preordained instant of forgiving submission
Doomed from the very beginning …
There were many rivers to cross
since the age of innocence ;
jumping off cliffs into the soothing summer waters
with the faith to fly like a bird,
soaring into the great abyss.

Now he stood frozen ;
stranded in an awkward moment
of confused trepidation
Daunting indecision overwhelms
a distorted perception
Essence… praying to the spirits of the universe
for the strength to understand the nebulous lines
between destiny and merciful surrender.
Asking for the strength to accept
that which could no longer be changed

At the cusp, high above
a waiting river too wide to cross …
Rolling out to sea …
grasping a precious journey’s completed circle
back to begin where life started
Physically too tired to reach
for another unknown distant shoreline .
Love is a river of tears
better crossed where peaceful waters flow

“ Its only water, I want it washing over me ,
Washing over me ”…

©  2012~2013 … Harlon Rivers  …All Rights Reserved

"That Day at the River"

The following narrative is a more complete description of the events of “That Day At the River” Although not graphic it does talk about what happened in the aftermath and may be triggering if you are prone to the sensitive emotions with an attempt at understanding thoughts of trying to save a passing life…
With those thoughts in mind, it has been removed from this page and is linked below to as a separate chapter of my Diary of the Falling Dominoes journals found here:
http://melancholyrivers.blogspot.com/p/this-piece-is-tribute-to-traumatic-life.html

Thank you for reading...

The Forces of Nature

...the many forces of nature seem to be weaving new threads into it's natural tapestry. It is better to yield to it's forces than to deny what will be Mother Earth's way on this day...

Looks like nature has given this day a theme as 60 mph wind gusts from an unexpected Spring wind storm that has taken its toll on the future...

Forces of Nature

Douglas fir spires
fight back turbulent gusts
Helpless to resist
the inertia of their wild sways 

Dormancy leaned towards
brighter season’s horizons,
stretching out into the southern winter skies
seeking the radiant warmth of surrender

Now the southerly forces of nature
bully them effortlessly
as their statuesque grandeur
arches evergreen  apexes
headed to the north

Snow White Trilliums
hug the shelter within
the mossy forest floor
that lies below

Delicate Tiger Lilies bow
their graceful heads
in prayers of hopeful  survival
Fragile Bleeding Hearts
lay tainted by the raging tempest

Wind battered Forget - me - nots
will not be forgotten
by the nearby Johnny jump-ups
hanging their bright colored faces
under the weight of the fallen wild iris

Petal baron Mountain Ash trunks camber,
arms stripped naked
down to its  lichen covered bark,
while it's nurturing orange berries
are lost for nature’s reasons

Red breasted Robin’s someday flight south
remains fleeting seasons away
That autumn journey to a distant Garden of Eden
where their unending circle began
The very embryo of direction
birthing the wind they love and shall loathe

The evergreen brow's ,
tender bloom of pine-cones ,
steal away to the North
over the abrupt basalt bluff

Nature’s defiled new beginnings
free fall like cremated remains,
ashes drawn in a downward draft
over the boulders
scattered down the  leeward cliff

Mother Earth’s natural respite
shields the drifting remains
swirling into the currents
of the rushing water far below

Peace like a river
awaits the forces of nature
A natural conclusion
brings the elements of life back home ~

© 2013 … Harlon Rivers

" A Bird in the Hand "

A Bird in the Hand

A sound was heard at my

garden door

A feathered smudge found upon it

There she lay in frightened

trembling dismay

A giant knelt... yet still towering above her

He reached out and touched her

pounding heart

Then cupped her warmth in his hand

She stayed awhile until

she could smile

At the gentle human mystery 

This love they shared

is uncommonly rare

She knew she could be freed

Before she flew

she whispered a song she knew

into the giant’s  beard

“I cannot make you happy"

"You're a wounded bird like me"

"be free...you must find the strength to fly”…

A bird in your hand

is worth two in the bush

"Come fly away with me"...

© 2012 Harlon Rivers … All Rights Reserved

Written March 1^st, 2012

" Unstoppable Dawn "

This is a poem written for those of us that suffer from imperfections ...  Never give up no matter how dark your world becomes ...  Look out for the spirit of love shining it's light,  it is always darkest before the dawn ...

Unstoppable Dawn

Caution signs flash a yellow warning light
At the crossroads of an enigma’s individual mind
The secret code is not always vivid
Through the fog of sleepless eyes, feeling all alone

By that time it’s too late to stop the fall
The runaway train has left the tracks
Leaving a path of damage and self destruction
In the wake of the aftermath

A life long vicious circle
Where the record player repeats the same ol’ song
It skips on the same flaw of imperfection
Stuck in a moment ... without playing the music on

The circle spins unbroken
Life teeters on a high wire’s threads
Balance hanging by a shoestring
That often becomes undone

You can push me into cold, turbulent waters
But you cant push me over the brink
You can’t pull me down under
You’ll never see me crawl or hear me beg

There’s a word whispered in my breathe each morning
As darkness fades with the dawning morn
I can still see you watching me from the corner of your eyes,
"See me still standing here ... world !"

" I’m unstoppable as the rising sun "...

Harlon Rivers…January 10th, 2013

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis

enthralled... by the silken warmth

of spontaneous fascination 

Poignant possibilities inspire a metamorphosis,

awakening on the moments threshold~

profound transformation

evolving from an embryo

of new beginnings

transcending hopeful awakenings ~

a step away

from ardent  affection

thriving within the moment’s harmony

believing dreams can come true~

  

enveloped by a womb of sanctuary

alive with compassionate understanding

the hush of surrendering to inner stillness

Placidly graces a tranquil calm of acceptance~  

the seed sprouts~

where it’s been naturally sewn

nurtured... in the essence of shared kindness,

to reap the harvest of the complete metamorphosis~

the true nature of loving hearts and souls

evolving~ into the oneness

of the indivisible spirit

of fact of light…

Harlon Rivers 12/20/2012

Tears are the Heart's Traces

…sometimes I release  emotional tears … others see it and are afraid to be near…they do not realize the tears are about them …

 from another chapter of  "Word Whisperer"... 
"Whispering Moon Beams"

Tears are the Heart's Traces

Tears... from these eyes will never be hidden

No mask of humiliation will cloak a sympathetic mind

Without shame... I’ll weep tears of merciful surrender

Pour out the empathy from a wounded but healing heart 

compassionately onto an unconscious world

Beware of those unwilling to expose 

the essence of their true nature

To shed tears intimately releases traces of the loving spirit within

To give love unconditionally is to love with eternal purpose

Flooding out empathy into a love deprived world …

©  Harlon Rivers  …All Rights Reserved

Hope’s Lighthouse

This poem is something I would like to share here for the holiday season…I dedicate it to the homeless in the hope they may have an opportunity to share a hot meal and find love and respite from their difficulties…I shall remain vigilant advocating for those who are unable to be heard every day ...every single day…

Hope’s Lighthouse

The wave-washed lighthouse towers from rock to sky,

shining brightly over stormy seas

A harbor light marks safe entries enchantment,

pathways into calmer placid peace

Like a beacon of an enlightening  guiding lamp,

it marks a sailor’s journeys end

Safe haven from the storm's wrath at sea,

A tranquil oasis tenable, shielding a place to be free

Hope’s candle burns on wicks in oil

The lighthouse keeper’s master key

will wind the clock that turns the beam

in all directions glowing brilliantly

Come forth inside, rest your soul,

Your journey here is meant to set you free

This vibrant light has caught your sight,

humanities eyes will help shed more light

Inquiring minds and kindred beings

are found inside these halls

Their light gets into the darkest scrolls,

Come within, gather your soul

Hope is near, merciful surrender safe and sound,

waiting for the lost to be found

Come fill dark cracks with hopeful light

The lighthouse lamp will stay in sight

Understanding shared, calming fears

that scare, a troubled worried heart

Lighten burden’s load, share love in the midst of the threadbare,

as hope’s light will shine on through the darkest nights…

© 2012 Harlon Rivers …April 15, 2012