Stone Sr. - 2011--A Poetic Journey

2011----------APoeticJourneyTroy K. Stone Sr.2011APoeticJourney Copyright 2013 by Troy K. Stone Sr. eISBN: 9781624887383 www.troystone.com Acknowledgments Without these people this would have taken forever: Gerald Warfield and Joseph Dover for proofreading; Jared Stone for help on the first line index; Walt Whitman, John Keats, William Wordsworth and the other great poets who mastered the pen and inspired me; And to my mom, whom I miss dearly, who has always believed in me. The following poems are a result of commitment, perseverance, dedication and stupidity. Troy K. Stone Sr. First Line Index January 1 The new year has arrived! Along with it comes excitement, For I get to start anew. First Line Index January 1 The new year has arrived! Along with it comes excitement, For I get to start anew.

The new year has arrived! I am grateful for this one, Ill long for next years two. It arrived while I was sleeping. I knew not when it came. Last years gone, good riddance. This year wont be so lame. I can do all the things That I might resolute.

Accomplish many wonders And settle old disputes. The new year has arrived! Forty seven now Ive seen. But I feel that this new year may be The best thats ever been. January 2 I wonder how the mountains would be In the middle of a winter storm. Watching the snow fall, covering the trees, Blanketing the ground, whilst Im inside and warm, Isolated from the rest of my race, All alone, if for but a few hours, Fireplace, good book, warm drink, no cares, slow pace. Would I long for warmer weather, flowers? Or, would I be content, be at peace? I have so longed for this isolation! My inner self tells me that I might cease To have dreams if I find such desolation.

I think I will go to this place I need And let fate decide if my soul shall bleed. January 3 I heard a story that made me think; A story about a plastic island, A floating trash heap that would not sink. Like an iceberg, exposed was the highland. If people could live on a place such as this, Eating fish and collecting rain water, The static would surely hinder a kiss, And romance would be, well, much hotter. Saint Elmos fire would flitter around And create an impressive light show. The crunch while you walk would make such a sound As to follow you where ever you go.

The man that wrote the story, I know. And his stories, I enjoy so. January 4 There once was a place far away, Where mythical creatures did play. Where the Pegasus flew, Oer the mermaids deep blue, And the legends still live on today. January 5 I saw Gods splendor today. Hes created so much.

Why, then, am I just noticing Something that I shouldve already seen? I saw Gods love today. It is all around us. Why then am I just noticing The goodness that has loved me? I saw Gods grace today. He gives us so much. Why then do I take for granted Everything he has given me? January 6 As I made my way across the countryside, A song filled my ears and took me away. I found myself in the heavens At the end of a cloudless, wintry day.

An angel guided me with vibrations That rolled off of her heavenly chords And found their way through the emptiness of My day and touched my ears as sweet words. As the stars burned bright before my eyes, The melody of life painted a scene Across the blackness of space and time, An image of a hard life washed clean. Listening and watching, I sang along, Finding comfort and peace from this song. January 6 Who is that in the mirror looking at me? An older man than I, with hard life lines. He knows my every move, and follows. His eyes, they sparkle; his grey, it shines.

I, being young, dont recognize him. Its true: My youth is fading fast. Tell me how someone can change so much, And their mind still clings to the past. I stand staring at one who knows me well. He stares back at the boy who is entranced At this gentleman who shares at his being. This man, me, whose face is aged, carved and enhanced By a hard life, ex-wives and a few years, Smiles at me from the mirror whence he peers.

January 6 The shadow lines slithered across the floor; Footsteps broke the silence of the morning. A cool breeze blows around the front door, To serve as a weather forecast warning. The smell of coffee permeates the room. Its warmth anticipated by all. Tired brings silence like an un-open tomb, And late risers stagger down the hall. Yawns and sounds of un-natural sorts Start filling the silent morning air, And scenes of boys in their sleeping shorts Are replaced by clothes, brushed teeth, combed hair.

Tonight, today will slowly fade away, And tomorrow morning will start the same. January 7 I saw a cloud and thought of you. I heard an angel and there you were. The wind blows soft across the prairie, And the tall grass sways here to there. A lone coyote calls out to his love. An answer I hear from far away.

Day turns to night and the stars appear. In them I see your face. I sleep with the window open So that I might smell the sweetened air, Carrying a promise of never ending love; Whispered by your lips, as I stroked your hair. I saw a cloud and thought of you. I saw the stars and then, I saw you. January 8 There once was a man who was ill, Who tried getting better with pills.

He felt some relief, And twas his belief, That his symptoms are happening still. January 9 As I look out on this blustery winter day, I remember, in July, I longed for this. Now, as I long for winters fading away Into spring, and the taste of its warm kiss, I am reminded of this cycle of life. Every seasons change brings me one day nearer My mortal end and the song of the fife. This fact weighs heavy. It couldnt be clearer.

I must say that time wont wait on your dreams. Time gives you everything when you are young, And as you grow older, time takes, it seems, For Death will whisper your name on his tongue. I think I shall not let this day get me down. I have much to do fore I wear deaths gown. January 10 How much can one body take? What are the limits of health? At what point does it turn around? After all, without health you have no wealth. All the money in the world Wont give you a healthy start.

Happiness wont be had If your body is falling apart. Take care of yourself and eat well. Keep your body in tip top shape. Enjoy the life that you have now, Because no one outlives fate. January 11 The coolness in a breath from the north Tingles my skin as it sways my arm hair. Brisk, sharp, thin and crisp is the night air, As I step out of myself and go forth.

My destination may be unknown, But life, itself, is a mystery, Shrouded by lives lived in history. The future, that to me, has not shown Its face. I can take no one but me Into this darkness, into my winter. The cold pierces my skin like a splinter, But I must not pause, for I might freeze. As the door to my past shuts and lights fade, The darkness of my future I have weighed. January 12 My works are mere ramblings From a man with time to spare.

They do say something though: They say that I might care. If just to me, about what I write, I might really want to know How the thoughts or events I see Might shape the road on which I go. I think that the answers are out there, Floating, waiting to be found. One has to ask to be shown, Before they hit the ground. Once landing, they should be followed, But dont stray, or you will get lost In a complicated world full of deception, And your sanity is what it will cost. I have strayed from my own advice before, And have answered for my sin.

But I have, once again, found my path, And this time will follow it to the end. January 13 There is a time for action. There is a time for love. There is a time to make peace, With the Lord above. The time for action is now. The time for love never ends.