the poetry knook :: the poetry of stephen m. james :: indianapolis, indiana » songs

Pandora: the search for a siren

Stephen M. James — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:47:48 +0000

The search for a siren,
the perfect song,
to hold and
to squeeze all along
she silently sings,
bought for a harem,
that would shame Salt Lake–
even Solomon.
She’ll concubine your mind,
with the touch of a note
and the sound of a mime.

Blue and gray battle tunes

Stephen M. James — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:26:58 +0000

Blue and gray battle on line, on screen,
battles of bands, lines after lines sing-
a-long shuffling in anything but civil sighs,
fat lady’s tongue’s been pulled by Gitmo guys,
water / smorgas / boarding / ear popping/budding / flying today
alone in the night sky, all the Stars’ songs on display
cloud the view of divine ear-piecing silence.
yes, eat! the Apple, the pod, the seed, the Tree, since
Steve sounds like Eve to man in a hormonal haze,
yes, the Tree of Knowledge speaks lectures on history,
converses in college-ese, can be a cantata in box beige,
“chicken in every pot,” eternal cacophonous symphony.

Waves of tongues

Stephen M. James — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I want to straddle the waves of tongues,
ride around the sanctuary on
winds of voices that lack skill
but lost in unity
blend polyphony into monophony,
piecing together an unspeakable sound that can only be said by many

Greens go hunting

Stephen M. James — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

greens go hunting
and white glows,
the clouds signal rain,
yet none shows,
the wind carries melody
through screened in windows
to my ear space
sweet and mellow,
books cry “Read me!”
but the music screams, “Go!”

There is no space; time stops

Stephen M. James — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

There is no space; time stops between thoughts of you.
Which is greater? My anxiousness at seeing you or
my disappointment when it is not you?
My happiness for
The scent of your body is my food restoring me
Your hug pulls me along as I plod on my path
“Mercy!” I scream when you look at me.
Thankful you are four seats down from me
For I would never see the chapel speaker,
If you were across the way from me.
It scares me when I imagine spending a month without you.
I’d make it through holding my Father’s hand.