A Sonnet of Thoughts & Dreams
(Previously Published by Fourth & Sycamore)
In the garden where I often dream,
And watch sparrow hawks flit and fly
Far above my beloved dog’s sigh;
Feelings from the verdant hills do teem
Into my questioning mind, so unforeseen:
And, over the dark loam, so soft and dry,
White clouds scud quickly high up in the sky,
While bees dart swiftly to a flowery dream:
My happy feelings persist and wander
To and fro, from thought to thought,
Finally arriving, upon some distant shore:
My searching mind has but to ponder,
The happy feelings that are brought,
From garden images and forgotten lore.
Old Memories
Drop of brackish water from a falling leaf,
a darkened cloud filled with wringing grief,
a ghost’s harsh and wailing moan,
a fallen log, a philosopher’s stone,
an oil tablecloth with pieces of broken glass,
an old melted candle sitting in tarnished brass,
a cold cup of bitter tea,
a wounded whale swimming in the open sea,
a mourner walking behind a pine coffin,
all awakened in memories far too often.
Soothing Songs
(Previously published by JOEY)
In a daffodil tinted twilight,
The soothing songs of
Downy birds as calm as a
Dream suspended in a
Misty atmosphere, creates
Memories in my mind that
Cover the strident hours of a
Harsh day.
The White Stone
Dark winds curled around eternity
as I neared a forked trail in the woods
where I found a white stone on the
side. I placed it into the hand of a
beautiful lady, which I saw in one of
my uncommon dreams.
I was halfway into the tunnel of lost
dreams when my steps lead me to
memories of the untranslatable past
where the aroma of herbs and red
roses climbed up stairs to where the
lady was smiling and painting
metaphors on the white stone.
My Sweet Love
The sea’s roaring waves come and go,
Containing dreams from inside my soul,
Like a happy memory flitting in the air,
Floating down a hallway and up a stair:
I sat across from a soft voice so low,
She was someone I loved; I was her beau,
My mind quickly opened when she smiled,
Her loving countenance softly beguiled:
Then suddenly in a trice her image disappeared,
Leaving me with sadness and salty tears.
She is but a stored memory, a glimmer now,
A beautiful being with whom I made a vow:
She is that beautiful girl I once embraced,
Years ago when time and space interlaced,
Her auburn hair became a lovely shade of grey,
Her beautiful face was open soft, and gay.
Bionote
James has had several poems nominated for both Pushcart and Best of Web awards, and his poems have been published in the last four of the
The 100 Best Poems Anthologies. He has won several poetry awards, and was interviewed as a featured poet in numerous magazines. He has had three poetry books: “The Silent Pond” (2012), “Ancient Rhythms” (2014), and “Light” (2016), four novels, 35 short stories and over 1100 poems published in over 205 different magazine, anthologies, and poetry books. He earned his BS and MA from California State Polytechnic University, and his doctorate from BYU.
