Poem: The Fall by Manuel Odeny

I slipped
I felled
and never regained my balance
I grouped frantically for something to save me
And in my confusion I looked
and thought
I was falling in love with you
only to realize I was alone
with a broken heart
to keep me company

Gullibly I offered you my hand
but
you took my heart and life too

You were always there
you smiled, giggled, chuckled, joked and laughed
you listened, understood, comfort and counseled
you advised, sympathized and empathized
we touched, hugged and kissed
all clothed with friendship
to cover the nakedness of love

I’m seated patiently waiting for love
but the man standing is not yet satisfied
how can you talk to the seated
when people standing are still empty-handed?
I’m crawling to love
but some one is running to the alter
how can you run before you even learn to walk?
how can you run to unknown destination?

Silently like falling dust
the smoke rises and floats away
from dying embers of love

Manuel Odeny ©2013

Poem: Alicia by Manuel Odeny

Did I tell you about Alicia
my childhood sweetheart?
her beauty bewitching
the lilt of her laughter
invoking a longing for love
the tilt of her graceful neck
invoking a longing for love
oh
her sweet seraph voice
the wake of her sweet smile
oh
love.

Did I tell you about Alicia
childhood vows broken
hushed, hustled promises
sealed in scented envelopes
all gone
with divide of time

Did I tell you about Alicia
my childhood sweetheart?
yesterday
she died
the big disease wasted her
AIDS emaciated her
before midnight hour
before cock crowing dawn hour
her soul departed here
agonizing
like echoes in a tomb
accentuating the hurt

but

as white shroud silently cover her cadaver
my spirit, soul settles silently
as she's lowered deep in grave
i shed tears of hope, love
raising with the dirge
upward with prayers
for am still in love
true

now

Have I told you about Alicia
my childhood sweet heart?
yesterday
she was buried

Poem: Heart-less love by Manuel Odeny

You nag:
“lover, honey
my heart I gave thee
how dare you break it?
then I cringe
can a piece of meat break?
and imagine, again
holding a thumping, spluttering
lifeless cadaver
blooding my hands, suit
or
worst still
how I loved (all this time)
a genie
an heartless
dead
woman!

Manuel Odeny © 2011

Poem: Love is Something with Feathers by Manuel Odeny

Copyright: Nancy Lee Moran.

Love nestles tenderly, delicately
in your arms, warmly
tickling emotions with light feathers
surely
love is something with feathers.

You hold love tightly, possessively
suffocating love jealously
it wilts, dies
a lump of meat, ruffled feathers
lifeless in your arms-
arching your heart, soul

You hold love carelessly, loosely
tossing love hurtfully
it breaks loose, fly away
like a bird wild
gone
never to perch, often wry
to get hurt on snares
leaving the heart longing
the loss.

You hold love tenderly, delicately
in your arms, warmly
love grows, blossoms
like petals of rose scented
kissed lightly by mornin’ sun
cooled by dawn dew
nourishing your heart, soul

Surely
love is something with feathers
nestling in your arms