Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Emotion of Disgust - by Bob Atkinson

Emotion of Disgust
(c)2013 Bob Atkinson


softly settled to my ears
those words I wished to hear
brought me to a higher level
when written well, so treasured

waiting patiently among
the throng of citizens, no guns
a gentle lot of doers well
those who praise art and tales

standing up to do their best
to settle for all the rest of us
a trumpet sound of sculpted tones
ones with meaning held upon

a field of life, pages open
emotional tags, sometimes spoken
carry me to advanced nirvana
please read good words, not trivia

when they speak these honored verses
so well received and prizes awarded
my hand reaches for the door
so I might escape these awful chords

no, they don't speak for me
blank faces in the audience
form so simply irrelevant
purpose one's only good intent
 
when sung accolades flow quickly
a million sold six months a pittance
poetry had come of age
yet nobody knew or accepted change

Chandos lamented openly
no quotes from us, our poetry
were made outside our borders
were not champions of language order

thought about this for a while
remembered friends in distant lands
who spoke Germanic languages different
no English were they aware of meanings

yet sung our tunes with impassioned voices
wildly swinging arms to chorus
the words meant nothing to their minds
but beat with rythyms to their hearts timed     

Friday, April 5, 2013

18 Stoic Faces by Bob Atkinson

18 Stoic Faces
(c)2013 Bob Atkinson

eighteen stoic faces
faced four who had come
to read the erudite refrains
of poets both dead and gone
readings were in earnest spoken
for respect for some who had
garnered from the establishment
accolades, awards, well sanctioned

yes, eighteen stoic faces
faced four who read so good
those meaningless diatribes
of useless linguistic words

significance became not evident
for similes provided here
metaphors vaguely crafted caused
me not them to revere

this didn't change my attitude
my demeanor didn't rise
waiting for an end to it
was my only real desire

so I couldn't clap and whistle
and be smiling in my face
that would not have been sincere
became just a little bit ashamed

whistle I didn't do at all
felt not much real emotion
gave a polite nod to those speaking
headed quickly out the door

save me from disjointed thoughts
can't those people see the truth
senseless disorganization
does not good poetry produce
 
of those thoughts not poetry 
I firmly do believe
the fireplace requires cellulose
for bright flames to feed

listless words written poorly
carried my imagination not
was frozen in my dreamy state
rusted any worthwhile thoughts 

next week went to Vegas
to see the eagle band
and watch as pure emotion
rocked that audience grand

ten thousand had paid apiece
a couple hundred bucks
to see those wordly masters
like Henley, Frey and such

they told of the situation
which emotion played upon
a woman's real life choices
why she'd become despondent

ten thousand cheered upon
recognition of great words
displayed while coddled with sounds
soft guitars and drums beat purrs
I thought "now here lies real poetry"
not those prissy kind of words
that speak only of the unimportant
with wispy mindless verbs

some lock credentials grand
for that which moves us not
and laugh at the suggestion
that song is our greatest art

me, I have a vision
that we shall all enjoy
songs we've grown up with
as emotional literal tomes