Star Bright

Star Bright

In fiery firmament, self sated stars,
late Venus rises below yon moon,
shines forth upon lo dwindling Mars,
t'is cupped to catch this lovers swoon;
Where wanton need breaks through this peace,
and sighs for psyches feathered search,
vexatious greed does find release,
in cupids hidden flighted lurch.
Why hidden loves must suffer so,
in twilight realms so near to thee,
a mothers love, this friendly foe,
remorseless trials, endlessly;
Yet lo, this supple spell unfolds,
and swims this endless night,
for lovers found in times untold,
are rested from their flight;
And swift the arrows make their mark,
as songs do echo out,
sweet psyche searching in the dark,
cries tears, forlorn in doubt;
So heaven open up your doors,
flee rancour and sad fright;
doth make these two doved winged amours,
together one Star Bright.

© Richard Michael Parker 2009

London skyline, 6pm, 27th February, 2009. Thoughts upon a friend, in remembrance of another, in reply to a third.


Bright Star

Bright star! would I were steadfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature’s patient sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
No—yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

John Keats1795 – 1821

Written by Keats in Joseph Severn's copy of The Poetical Works of William Shakespeare opposite the poem 'A Lover's Complaint'

As if in a Dream...

-As If In A Dream-

Today I awoke but my soul stayed asleep,
unwilling to wake from a slumber so deep,
it stayed in my bed and under the covers,
and dreamt for a while of the laughter of lovers;

I watched as it tossed and then turned with a grin,
as I wondered what redolent joy lay within,
it was then that I found what really was lost,
for it giggled a moment, then left me the cost;

As emptiness stood by this bed it did seem
that my soul was enjoined by another in dream
and they slipped over each and the other a while
then salaciously turned, winked, and flicked me a smile;

I turned from that sumptuous halcyon scene,
and emptily trudged with a half hearted mien,
down a dim lit dark hallway that stretched on forever,
and tried to forget those souls spliced together;

Yet this echo of silence without and within,
resounds in my emptiness filled with chagrin,
for no light does shine brightly to warm up that place,
just a forlorn and somnolent vacuous space;

Then off in the distance, I heard two proud lovers,
revelling deeply beneath those sweet covers,
could it be that with Grace my soul will return,
hope in that space, where I currently burn;

So to sleep for a while, I shall cast down my eyes,
and dream that these tears and resonant sighs,
will water a garden, where two souls will meet,
and find what was lost, whole and replete.

Then when we arise from this slumber once more,
and find that our souls are entwined to the core,
we will live out this love as if in a dream,
resplendently risen in Dawns joy supreme.

Or am I still dreaming of you by my side,
and foolishly watching as time turns this tide,
that leaves me forlorn, alone on this shore,
recounting great love that was lost evermore?

© Richard Michael Parker 2009