The Road Taken: For Better Or Worse?

For Better or Worse
(for those poets who are less humorous and more philosophical)

he dips his mind
deep
deeper
deeps
into his home-made philosophical sauce

in the hell
o burning thoughts
the truth-seeker has his head inflamed
lips blistered
tongue scotched
eyes blurred

totally
lost
in sophisticated words
the disastrous poet turns
this joyful world
into
nightmares

2013-04-27

For Better or Worse
Road More Traveled By

on the path more traveled by
he has less danger
but
often
he has his toes soiled
by dog
poo

what else could he expect
for taking less risk
in life

2013-04-27

Screw Frost?
Ah ... no! I actually like the guy.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

~ Robert Frost, End of the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, June, 1922

I lov'im too. Robert Frost was an amazing/inspiring poet. His poem "The Road Not Taken" is a strong message for creative people who are scare of the concept of "thinking out of the box"

He truly was.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful poem..

Hello Poe...what a nice surprise...a new thread of art and poetry. Just followed the path less travelled.....a new route around the neighbourhood...6km! Found a lake, a golf course too! Obviously this path was only less travelled by me.

My Robert Frost Poem.

I have Acquainted with the Night
BY ROBERT FROST


I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain—and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night

I agree Philip...i've never seen it from one perspective...doesn't help that I'm a procrastinator more often than not.

Great thread POE to start with a Robert Frost poem!

Hope you like this addition I stumbled


Road wrongly traveled

For at the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,

and I have seen among the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense,

passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house

in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.

And behold, the woman meets him,
dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

She is loud and wayward;
her feet do not stay at home;

now in the street, now in the market,
and at every corner she lies in wait.

She seizes him and kisses him,
and with bold face she says to him,

I had to offer sacrifices,
and today I have paid my vows;

so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

Proverbs 7:6-15

Poe,

Thanks for posting my Feral Coot drawing....I now have it color:

Using my other page( R Allen Swezey) I posted a thread on another Robert Frost poem, namely "Mending Wall" with two opposite citations from the poem...along.with 2 photos I've taken.

1."Good fences make good neighbors"



2. "Something there is that doesn't love a wall"




Funny, how people differ on what Mr. Frost wanted to say

So - you got married - for better or worse?

Good day and night to Maria, Philip, James, Mr Swezey, and Roy. Thank you all for your thoughts

Maria. I like the poem. I love your straightforward style in communication. I appreciate your input
FYI: You might think that it is another “art and poetry thread”. It is NOT. This thread means for me to learn how creative people think out of the box. It is not ONLY for poets to post their poems –but for all artists, poets, writers to put some of their THOUGHTS in any form of writing. In addition, this thread is also for fun as I prefer to add some black humours whenever I can.

Sr. Swezey. I always love your humors both in drawings and in writings

"So - you got married - for better or worse?" Roy.

Your question is extremely tricky to answer. The married dares not answer it for fear of retaliation, the single has no glue for the right answer, the divorced is too tired and likely prefers to put the matter behind their backs.


For Better or Worse
Love and Marriage

deep in love
he fell
with her
easing his loneliness
he was desperate to secure his cozy relationship forever
looking for better
from her
the sweet companionship
delicious meals
warm bed
endless love
and exotic sex

but life could never be perfect as one would expect
he's ending up
doubling his workload
more loneliness
severe headache
in the so-called
marriage


2013-04-28

Description: This colorful abstract is based on a long dead 'live oak' tree. the wood is so strong and hard that the major limbs hold up longer after the smaller twigs and leaves are gone. "The 4th of July" because of the color, "the Happy Tree", well, don't you think it looks exuberant waving to the colorful clouds high in the sky?

The original is on a full sheet, 22 X 30 of Arches 300 lb watercolor paper. painted in 1996. By Roy Erickson


My sundry thought of your beautiful painting. I love your vibrant color and the smooth flow of brushwork. To me, the perception of happiness in a long dead 'live oak' tree was an out of the box thinking.



For Better or Worse
The Fourth of July

fireworks cheerfully lit the sky
bright
at night
eye-blinded
on the nation’s birthday

the artist celebrated in a different way
he painted
a dead ancient gary oak
from its dark and brown barks
into a colourful symbol of his country
on its rise
to the top of the world

it relates to my thought of
the decayed
Roman Empire
on those last days
of its downfall

2013-04-28

Marriage is always for Better & Worse. You just think you know the other person - even if you have lived with them for years - amazing what that piece of 'official paper' brings out and happens. Seldom is life "better" and very often before long it's worse. and it seldom matters which side of the bed you sleep on.

I'm on the same worn path of Roy's and Brian's

For Better or Worse
A Cozy Marriage

i
often
raise no point
take no stand
and go with the wind
in our conversation

for God’s sake
i
sleep
on neither side of our bed

for Her sex
it depends
whether she’s cold or hot
i am
either on the floor
or all over
her

2013-04-28

For Better or Worse
Caption for Swezey's cartoon

Who Is In Charge

- Ok! OK! I've got your message... Put me down. I swear to God that I'll get rid of that damned abusive cat for good.
- Nah! I won't until you tell me who is really in charge from now on, Master.

Marriage is always for Better & Worse. You just think you know the other person - even if you have lived with them for years - amazing what that piece of 'official paper' brings out and happens. Roy

Those words make me think, Roy.


For Better Or Worse
(Her Thought of Marriage)

he is
no longer
the ideal man
whom she first met and dated

blown away
by the wind of time
under his gentle mask
revealed
an ugly face

now
exposed
on her tranquil bed
foul smell of the brutal Satan snoring
night
by night

is marriage but a trap?

2013-04-28

For Better or Worse

When it takes will
To see the
Love you fell for.
When exotic sex
Falls way to the ease
Of carnal knowledge.
When treasures
Are taken for granted
But not unappreciated.
When buttons pushed
Are weighed before
Consequence thrown.
When silence is comfortable
And emotions are
Telecommunicated.
When sleeping on the sofa
Causes no anxiety.
When it isn't an embarrassment
To say
I have an issue.

Karen. Welcome to the land of better or worse. I like the clarity and simplicity in your writing style.

My thought by the end of the day: "To be optimistic by expecting for the better; but also be realistic by preparing for the worse. So nothing worst could strike the mind unexpectedly"

Dear Poe, I've been with Ben for twenty three years. We never married because we decided from the first day we met we'd simply allow things to take it's course. Last year I began referring to him as my husband, because I realized it was an honor to do so rather than something a certificate could dictate. Greatly, we were never meant to be stitched together by a piece of paper, only love and friendship. All you need is one person to make the world perfect...

Book Review: Dreams 'n Shadows - First Edition published in 02- 2012. A collection of thought-provoking paintings by Neo-expressionist Noredin Morgan and introspective poems by Viet Tran (Thao Chuong)






Political Correctness & Common Toilets

He pulled over
into a rest area
on an interstate freeway
in a hurry
for the call of nature

Inside the men room
filled with acidic air
but he felt
easy
and relieved

His eyes
ran on crowded walls
full of chicken scratched writings entwined with hand drawing images
unsighted mixture of terrible public art
genitals in sexual motion
sexist slurs
graffiti and swastikas
and shocking poetry
racist smears
neo-racism slogans
insulting aphorisms full of brutal hatreds
against
Jews,
Muslims,
Blacks,
Wetbacks,
Illegals...

His lungs
congested with fetid air
his mind fogged by poisonous thoughts

He forgot a vital need of coexistence
between fine art gallery and poetry museum
in every public restroom
for both men and ladies disposing
their body waste
and mind rubbish
in a rush
without
sweat.

Men and ladies rooms
the only
public place left
where US citizens can exercise their constitutional rights
freedom
of expression
from the bottom of their hearts
without any slight fear of being persecuted
by modern political
correctness.

Filthy public toilets
become the most comfortable place
where
Americans
can ease their pain
from current economic downturn
and enjoy the only joyful moment left for their day.

Thao Chuong
2011-08-05

I especially enjoyed Man's Ephemeral Asylum :)) Men's public toilets must be much more interesting than the Ladies! ha ha...

Karen, i don't know about more interesting but i think they're a bit more nasty/slimy...

My good friend and poet extraordinaire Thao Chuong and i were bouncing public toilets echos off of each other in 2011...
here's mine

Hating Public Toilets and Poetry

defensive breathing didn't help
my burning nostrils attacked by acrid air
as i sat in the mens room stall
a museum of
obligatory
badly drawn
over sized
genitalia
with stick figures
in impossible sexual positions
and a who's who
of who to call for a good time

luckily i thought ahead
brought some napkins from the restaurant
no toilet paper
no Nixon Party Hats to cover the stained seat
sat on my hands holding my ass off the seat as long as i could
gave up - tired arms - age will do that
need to drink more water

was in there so long
i read things twice
sexual slurs
who sucks what
kill all the niggers
kill all the jews
take back our country from the illegals
white power
swastikas
etc etc hatred squared
and for a moment i thought
where the hell am i
the bus terminal mens room
or a hate group resort

on the door of the stall
in writing to small and to faraway to read
i leaned forward until my ass left the seat
bent over
pants around ankles and squinting
not a pretty sight

and i read
"he who rights on shit house walls
rolls his turds in little balls
he who reads this bit of wit
eat"...

i stopped reading
i knew what was coming next

and i knew again
why i hate public toilets
and public poetry

Ed Meredith
August 4, 2011

@ Karen. Your comparison seemed very odd. I think I need both. Public toilets could give me some relief and no headache. But I still prefer ladies who would me full headache and no relief (lol)

@ Ed. I really like your provoking poetry, Ed. Who could resist an echo to such temptation. Thanks for posting.

Ha ha! I meant the men's toilet sounds a lot more scroungy than the ladies room not the ladies as a gender :))

Book Review: Dreams 'n Shadows - First Edition published in 02- 2012. A collection of thought-provoking paintings by Neo-expressionist Noredin Morgan and introspective poems by Viet Tran (Thao Chuong)






"Woman is a mystic world that lures man for his mind, heart, and soul". – collage artist Viet Tran


The Fifth Dimension (Woman)

each time
he hungrily undresses
her for joys
in sex
in response to the heated moment
boiling his blood
arousing desire
in inside
he always rushes for a mate
from his urgent need
the natural instinct of a male animal
without being aware
of what
he’s wadding
into...

fatal dangers
surprisingly
awaits for him
her mystical psyche
in existence
and infinite urge
for love, passion, then sex
in that prefect order
plus more
but not less...
he
miserably
fails to beat his drum at her desirable rhythm
he has developed nightmares
of sex-o-phobia
and caught in the cobwebs
o fifth dimension
forever.

Thao Chuong
2012-02-12

Sorry for the misunderstanding of your thought, Karen.

Adieu

a cold night
Gare de Lyon (*)
hidden in the mist
Paris’ lights
in blurred colours
opaque cloud
floated inside mournful eyes
fallen dews onto trembled hands
no need for millions of words
two lovers
in absolute silence
nothing said
adieu
adieu
adieu
the tempest
flooded sombre hearts

I stood there
‘til you were entirely vanished into dense fog
autumn leaves
buried a lone soul
in Paris

adieu
adieu
adieu mon amour

2013-07-05

(*) Paris Lyon Train Station

Kachina Dreams "K"

Kaleidoscopic visions of
Kimono wearing
Kabbalist singing
Karaoke with
Kangaroos eating
Krispy Kremes with
Keltic Kings and the
Ku Klux Klan of
Kalamazoo at
Kansas U with
Karl Marx and
Kafka too

Kinky
Kismet

Ed Meredith
5 July 2013

Echo's of Poe in the Gare de Lyon

Adieu My Love

lovers lost
to one another
lost in the mist
of the vanishing point
where there are no words
for a love held tight
in the memory of the heart
but the lonely soul
will always have
Paris

5 July 2013

An echo to Ed's Kachina Dreams "K"


Kleenex Poetry

kabobs full of meat and
kedgeree
keep fat on the poet’s big belly
kegs and kegs of wine
kick his mind flat
key up a kaleidoscope of multiple visions
kindle his imagination to ashes
knead his soul into nothing
knit his lost love to empty webs
kneels himself down for his
kept woman - not refusing sex
knee-deep desperation
knuckles are pounding on keyboard
kisses good bye his high
knack
knotty poetry of
kind and soft
Kleenex

2013-07-05

Great poetry in this thread!



"Exotic Dreams"....Artistic and Poetic Journey, an art and poetry book by poet Thao Chuong and Natalie Holland. Poe, it was a real pleasure to work with you! :)

Exotic Dreams | Make Your Own Book

Kindness collected
Kiss of death.
Kaleidoscopic realities colliding
Knowing they shall shatter.
Kachina rising
Kinetic desert dancing.
Karmic dreams of
Kali beating rhythms.
Kinky dirges of death.
Kneel now
Keeper of the flame.

@ Natalie. Thanks for posting the links. I am aware of the fact that it took a lot of time for both the artist and the poet in a collaboration. The final product doesn't reflect much the interesting process in which they have gone through. Not only would the art and poetry collaboration create an understanding but also it would have led to good friendship.



@ Karen. Your echo to Ed has made three K poems. I'd like to add another one to break the three K cycle



KKKs

kingdom of hatred
kaput thought of white supreme
kindred spirit with Satan
knights of shameful faces hidden in hoods
khaki uniforms on horseback
kindle the cross of Jesus
kick up horrified night on fire
kidnap and
kill for the joys of hate
keepers of fear
key up a race war
keep the black, the colored down
kinsmen –neo-Nazi
kings of demons
kkk's troopers of Hooded Order
Ku
Klux
Klan

2013-07-05

Behind Darkness


behind
the twilight of nightfall
was another layer
of darkness
no light
where the sun
drowned
into
a tsunami of tidal waves
came from nowhere
washed everything away
sunken
in quicksand

she was gliding
into the unknown
left
nothing
but her mortal mask of deadly love
and poisonous
romance

I’m
somewhat
hopeless
awaiting for the sun
to come back
maybe
for another day
or never
again

2013-07-05

Eternal Rest

does it really matter?
whether
you’re
the good
offering a kind heart
the bad
hiding a sinful soul
the ugly
concealing the Satanic spirit
or
you’re
an emperor on the throne controlling the whole world
a homeless on city streets begging for a living

in the end
same destiny for everyone
the eternal rest
in absolute
silence


2013-07-06

Resting eternally
having lived without loving
Resting eternally
Having lived without giving
resting eternally
having lived without hating
Resting eternally
having lived without sharing
Resting eternally
Having never been true to yourself.

An echo to Maria's untitled poem


In Peace

rest
in peace
the desire for controlling the universe
the urge of fame, glory, authority, money, et al
the sun of blazing hate
the moon of mourning love
the planet of raging wars

rest
in peace
the troublesome mind
the crying heart
the sinful soul
the hopeless life

rest in peace
the most disastrous
human
race

for
this planet
being in eternal peace

2013-07-06

The moon lies horizontal
at rest, on the earth
abandoning the sky
which has folded itself up
like a deck chair
and gone walkabout
the earth,
sleeps, all energy sapped,
the sun absconded into the path of oncoming comets
for a change of scenery,
instead of dizzily watching the earth and moon run circles around each other.
Its all over!
Time for a rest.
No light,
No life
No mess.
Just soundless, peaceful rest.

An echo..


Moon Night

in the wild
our backs rested
on a grassy area
away from the campsite

scattered
bright light
from the silver moon
pushing the dim milky way
to further
distance

a sudden strike of fire
from a shooting
star
lit
the sapphire sky

at rest
by side by side
in silence
at the most wonderful moment
we almost forgot
our existence

2013-07-06

a sudden strike of fire
from a shooting
star
lit
the sapphire sky


Wonderful!! :)

Its messy
its noisy
its hurtful
its elusive
its exhausting
its empty, at times
its lonely,
its unfair
its generous,
its fathomless
its complex
its too big
its getting smaller
its painful
but it keeps me alive
stops me from closing my eyes.

An echo to Maria's and Poe's string of "Darkness - Resting - Eternally 'n' Peace…


Reunion

at the end of twilight
where darkness begins
a comforting hand
of the abandon boy
long lost to me
took mine
and we strolled
as we did
in the beginning
hand in hand
inseparable


Ed Meredith
6 July 2013

Beautiful and tender,
an echo,

A spoonful
A curved spoon
dipped into something
desirable
delicious
so that my lips
smoothed its cold content
into my warm mouth
and there
melted
Ahh!
like a sweet memory
of all childhood
of all sensations
all life

@ED. Your wonderful echo is soft and easy to digest (lol). Have a good night.
@Maria. You have gained poetic momentum with good thought and excellent poems on this thread as well as your poetry thread. I'm busy and also I have just started working on a new project. Otherwise, I would echo them. Have a great day.

PS: I am thinking of closing this thread to focus my time on my new project.







Winter Romance

it flurried
over gloomy sky
gusty wind threw soft flakes
against frosty glass
in the yard
two abandoned lawn chairs
the leftover of our romance from last summer
now fully covered in snow

inside
it was warm
and cozy
fragrance of burnt cedar
and hot coffee
filled in the room
light from the fire flickered on the walls
we sat by the woodstove
her head rested on my shoulder
all was quiet
except
the cracking sounds of firebugs
and our heartbeats
in rhythms

2013-07-06

Love the poem and the image :))
So, another project!! Wonder what it is this time? You must go off and be creative and then return with your show and tell :)) We will miss you. Now that is two of you off somewhere...I have a couple of projects too...but will stick around until too many tomatoes begin to get thrown :))

Thanks Maria. I have not had any collective collaboration with artists in the art of photography and digital art. I think it is the right time to start one. You are a good anchor poet to keep the dead-art of poetry alive here. Don't worry about the rotten eggs and tomatoes. Send them to me, I need good compost for my garden (lol).

Thanks to you - all artists and poets for posting your art, poetry, and comments on this thread, especially to my friend poets Ed, Karen, Maria, Xoanxo for poetic exchanges and echoes.

And last but not least, my heart goes to my buddy- cartoonist Roger Swezey for what he has gone through the Sandy's aftermath. I originally created this thread to provide him with some emotional support and promotion of his cartoons. However, as time has gone by, this thread has been strayed away from its original intended purpose. Roger Swezey is a smart man of high spirit, positive thinking, and practical course of action. Good luck to you in your new venture.

Enjoy a good time with your creative process. Good health to all.