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Matthew Anish
Arms and Legs
Shining Visions
Let us taste
the waters
of the hidden fountain
move in time
to the year\'s heartbeat
Only one dance
only one dancer
Let\'s not forget
what we once
knew
Have you seen the
lights from our rooftop?
They are dancing in
the sky
We are all creatures
moving about on a
small planet
Before we perish
Let us drink in
joy from the fountain
of life
Let us learn what
we must know
Before we go
on that journey
from which there is
no return
Leaving behind
only small footprints
in the sand
which are soon washed
away by the waves
First published in Poetry Soup
Movements as a Distant Sun
Far out in the cosmos
A cloud of gas
Has become a sun
On earth we watch it's movement
We consider the distant star
Have civilizations grown up there?
Have other voices lifted in song?
Light - years seperate us
From that distant system
What can we know of them?
Travelers on another sprhere
And what do they know of us?
Are they peering out at our world?
Through the immense darkness
What do they think of our creations?
Are they indifferent?
Content to be observed
And never casting an eye
Upon our precarious
Home
(first published on the Poetrysoup.com website)
Electrical Dream
Songs arise from
the ground
Eyes which have
known sorrow
are quite delighted
by the waves of white
billowing forth from
the earth
You can touch these
songs
as they wrap themselves
around you
Didn't seem to know
which way to turn
for a while there
But the earth itself
holds answers
Shining moon above
provides all the light we
need
We can read the runes
which have been carved
into the mountainside
Eerie feeling
when the ancient world
comes to life
Our ancestor won't forsake us
Lift up your head!
Sing the electrical dream!
There is nothing herewhich will prevent you
from moving
towards the sky
as you voice cuts through
the clouds above
you'll be lfted into an
electrical dream
Don't worry about the consequences!
Dim Glow in the Distance
the night
plays its tune
as we experience
the darkness
But then a dim glow in the
distance
catches our eyes
What are we to make of
this vision?
Does it mean we will
be released from the zombie grip
we have known?
We walk towards the dim
light
with faltering steps
The night doesn't seem so
cold now
the glow of a lantern
warms us
Every dark night
comes to an end
look towards the light
however dim it may seem
You will be guided homeward
at long last
From the
most remote corners
of the Milky Way
cosmic friends greet
us
Let the stars continue to
shine
We know now that we have friends in distant solar systems
All we have to do
is look up at the night sky
and open our minds and
hearts to the universe
Starlight at night
Brings joy
Knowing we are not alone
Brings comfort
Reach out to your
brothers and sister on different planets
Don't miss your opportunities
A kiss on the solar wind
speaks volumes
Our paths will intersect soon
We travel with hope
Ours is not the
only orb
blessed with life
When the
dreams of our race
meet the dreams of
another civilization
then wonders can occur
leaving behind the petty
problems we now face
we shall send our ships
to greet
those visitors
learn(and perhaps teach)
what we must
Untitled
Angel on my shoulder
The city is full
of lights at night
Red - blue - white
Before sleep - reach out
and touch the sky
above the asphalt homeland
Winter has spread her mantle
of white on the metropolis
Yet the people still keep
moving and striving
Moving along highways and
even along backstreets
Striving to keep their
"heads above water"
No easy exsistence here
the urban scene requires great
effort on the part
of
it's
dwellers
The struggles we know and
have known
Offer hints as to what
the struggles of the future
will be
Let yourself be swept away
by the city's rhythms
A million eyes peer out
into the shadows
A million voices raised in song
RESOUND
the clear sweet voices
chase the ghosts of night
back to their lairs
We will have peace
Arms and Legs
Walking
through
the crowds
on the city streets
life streaming by in the
heart of the metropolis
Your limbs must
move
if you are to
learn the ways
of freedom
Others will come to
you
and the dance will
continue
but now we can chant
and now we can sing
because we know
morning always comes again
and lights the way
for the urban masses
No Apologies
Rumor has it
that you write
There are many
amateur critics ready
to put you down
You don't have to
apologize
for your life style,
for your work
for anything you do
When the summer begins
to die
Feel the winds of
September in your bones
Let your creativity
grow like a late blooming
flower
Now you feel
only the wind
It doesn't judge
you
It frees your spirit
from the stifling heat
Let the sound of
trumpets
Reach your soul
Pick up a pen
Tell them your hopes,
wishes, dreams
Let the critics talk
You are the
flowing river
of magic words
Flowering Gardens
Walk amidst
The flowers
Waves of bright
Color overwhelm you
The air is redolent with their scent
The sun sends
It's smile down to greet us
Here in the garden one can
Know peace
Here in the garden
Life takes on a different hue
The air is vibrant
With
Anticipation
We meet
In this
Flowering
Grove
Let's hope it's
Not
For the
Last time
Left Behind
Colors of the
day
bleed into the landscape
the sun rises blood red
the day's tapestry unravels
we are caught unaware
by the ever changing
natural scenario
Let's taste the delicous
wine
Before we are left behind
and the moon's face
appears once more
challenging our assumptions
about life and
and a thousand
other
similar questions
Peaceful Resolution
Now we see
how the
light
changes when
we dance by the
water
a symbol of
something that we should learn more
about
Doesn't it seem as if our lives
are fleshed out
by the change of seasons
by the winds - by the
pounding of the sea
Psychic Song
A third eye will illuminate the path you\'ll follow
before you say good - bye
to the cascading waters
of life
and face
the inevitable darkness
let your psyche
be touched
by the effervescent
flame
at the core
of eternal
reality
From the Shores of Evermore
As the light
fades
on Tolkiens
Middle Earth
A well - known
thespian steps
forward
We dance underneath
starry skies
Statesman
ply their wares
dreamers
wait below
"What lovely maid awaits thee"
as an elder of my family once said
Dawn is here
and dawn remains
let us know what we shall know
"Incense and Peppermints"
The Dawn is Here
The dawn is
coming
Let's move into
the future
and walk by
the sea
Sexual Games
Behind the
mask?
Well just look at beauty
Only a page in a magazine
but fantasys
ignite like flame
on a hot stove
Even as we force ourselves
out of bed in the
morning
We see where the dance lands
us
but really - we must prepare ourselves
for a dance
which will be performed
in a circle
amidst shouting
and tears
Molto Allegro
The music
died
we were
lost for a moment
Then
we saw someone
singing
a tune
Whistling........
A long while
ago
I saw the sun turn blood red
Then.......
Before Dawn
Passing by
the junkyard
we stop for
a moment and then
proceed onto a
hidden street
You won't catch me with my eyes full of
tears
Joy may eclipse
the sorrow we've known
we'll see if
the dark angel
has something in store for
us
We
will
keep
our
eyes
open
let the deep recesses of our
hearts
capture golden
moments
before we
are blown away
by the winds
Sunny Climes in the Distance
Down the
road of time
many vistas
come into view
Many kingdoms
rise and fall
Yet the urge
to seek a sunny,
peaceful realm
remains
constant
throughout the
years
We all seek
utopia
But the past
teaches us
that distant, beckoning realms
seem less peaceful
as we near them
Yet we travel
on
Our eyes have
not lost their
sparkle
and our small castle of hope
stands despite
the rough tide
which constantly
threatens it's existence
Echoing through
the years
Our shouts and tears
are blown away
by the winds
of forever
Distant realms
call us down
the road
The journey is
the reality
which we all face
The path is for our small steps
Against the odds
we march
Against doubt and
fear
Our trip continues
A thousand dancers
watch us
and rejoice
The Beginning
As questions
rise from smoky
embers
we wait
for
answers
as we watch
clouds form over the
mountains
Where one million
teardrops have
fallen
Yet the dawn
always comes
again
This time - after the rain
Rainbows dance
in the aftermath
of the storm
A prism
lights our
way
to a newer,
better life
somewhere
near
fields of golden grain
and our path
becomes clear
revealed
in the multi - colored
gift from the sky
Towards the Sun
Watch the clouds
dance overhead
feel the cool air
on your body
see the mountains and valleys
below
let's not miss the new
conjunction of the moon and stars
Move like a comet hurtling through space!
See the verdant earth for what it is!
a home for the
flora and fauna
of our time
you'll find that the darker
angel
is something to
contend with
if the seasons
are to change
perhaps - just perhaps
we'll ride the tide safely
and feel the touch of fire
Ghosts of Another Age
Just a moment
just a hint
of what has been
lost
Just a song
just a tune on the wind
if you wish to
recapture it
you'll find it will
slide like sand through your fingers
taste the mystic night
feel it in your bones
Can you
penetrate
the mystery?
if you search long
and hard
in the hidden places
of the world
you may find the
solution
to your questions
No easy road ahead
of you press on, stranger
through the mists
of time itself
and watch as it changes
"frame by frame"
poetess
The Dying Poetess
Her laughter
is barely heard
in all the
commotion
she will take her poems
to a better place
The autumn night
is cool and clear
somehow
she has
managed to eke out a few lines
the moonlight shows
the lines of age
on her face
but strength remains
in her eyes
this then is the
last we will hear from her
in the distance a
melody sounds
and the music morphs into words
in our minds
what will be the last word she utters?
A soft voice whispers:
you'll find
peace - peace
at journey's end
such are the
last words of our esteemed poetess
While you Watch the Dance
It seems that
the
fresh taste of water
is about all we can expect
in
this
dying year
No new hopes
They've all been
still born
Let the old year
out
with the
wind
Don't worry
about
any
of
this
for very long
For there's a new year in the offing
Filled with sex and candy
magic and spices
from
far
distant
lands
Reflections of a City
Late at night
traffic moves on
the expressway
auto lights refracted
into a million slivers
Crescent moon in the sky
Our mood
changes with the weather
At night, before sleep
questions arise
look up at that crescent
moon - imagine Diana in
her glory
We moderns don't
think like that
When you consider what
we've gained - remember what we've lost
traffic rushes
by
throughout the entire
night
as we wait for dawn
to extend her bright
finger
Spilled Wine
Touch the magic wand
be transformed into something new
Feel the lights
enter your brain
No, I don't ask for much
join me briefly, on this wine - fueled journey
One thousand dances
one thousand lights
Let the fires give off smoke
it needn't bother us
Let the moonlight
dance across your visage
Don't stop the rainbow
until you've seen the other side
Catch dawn and feel cool winds
blowing, blowing - just for you
A Time of Wonder
Memories
suggest
a change
on the pattern
of life
easy winds in
the A.M.
bring
new hope
the gray days
are fading
clouds
are blown away
Sunlight
heats the land
Green grass beneath
your feet
"the stuff
of might legends"
as the professor
once remarked
A bird flying overhead
gazes down
on the village
the village
becomes a shrine
and early morning
shrine
Through our prism
we gaze happily on
the tranquil scene
Let's not forget
to see what we
must
and experience
this day
each of us in his
or own unique way
Second-Hand Solution
easy to rely on precise measurements
Much more difficult to grasp the unknown
Much more difficult to feel the darkness in your very bones
In the distance
small lights
pierce the shadows
Where does the wasteland end?
Poetry gives one power to "deny the things"
Is there poetry in your heart today?
Let it come forth!
before we are ruled
my cold unfeeling metal
and before the wheel of time
grinds out poetic selves
to dust and we are caught
between the "taxicabs of absolute reality"
And the hard stone
Of the asphalt homeland
Watching and Waiting
Carrying a
dying torch
to the end
she makes her
plans
the weather
outside is
cold and rainy
but she feels
she must go on
if there is even
a chance
of the fire
glowing again
she feels she must not betray
her friend
But the rain
lasts a long time
And the wind
chills her bones
Facing loss she
cannot decide
which way to turn
The dream has
become the dreamer
Another night
will pass
a whiff of smoke
rises in the air
Golden Visions
kalidescopes
show us
reality
as it should be
Cascading colors
and
circling clouds
full of life
Join us on
our magic carpet
we\'re leaving
for
the golden shores
Come with us on
this adventure
a million snowflakes falling
and a light
to steer our way
Together we walk on golden shores
We ask
for little
but we\'re
being
given
so
much
A cornucopia
awaits us at
the end of the
road
we continue
to live in the present
But our eyes are ever turned
towards the glorious
future
Surging Energies
Late at night
something grips me
no, I won't ask for relief
not until morning comes
with it's bird calls, smell of coffee and
gleaming sunlight
Night flies
away
and the days turn - calendar real
let the ashes of the fire smolder for
a little while longer
perhaps, just
perhaps
we'll see them
glow again
The clouds above
form patterns as
they are blown
by the wind
Can we once
more feel the
warmth of a crackling fire?
With hope in our eyes
we stir the embers
as our ancestors did
in ancient
woods long ago
The Stone Man
Carved out of the
red rocks
Almost seems alive!
The Stone Man
seems to arise from sleep
tens of thousands of years ago
he walked the earth
made flint knives, killed saber - tooth tigers
now he's immortalized in a stone foundation
The tide of years
presses foward relentlessly
and it seems that the sculpture will soon be washed away
Yet this sculpture remains
and
tells
the
tale
of our forebearers
The wind, sun and rain
have joined together
to create
the likeness
of someone who departed
years ago
Shall we be preserved in this way?
Will we be rememberd ages hence?
The wind howls through
the cracks in the rock
and it speaks of the future
in a tongue the earth understands
Master of the New Game
Over the city
a bright winter sun
but under the clouds
things happen
Yes, beneath snowy clouds - pedestrians,
cars, cats and dogs
move in time
to their own rhythms
the sunlight is dancing on the clouds
Below we all move in space
Frosty air brings out the
best in us
Millions seek warmth
It's a long trip home
but while the sun shines
we still have time to make it
let's not give in
to the dark ages
we'll fly more freely
when the time comes
if we listen to
what dances in our hearts
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