Take It Off!

09 Tuesday Jun 2020

Tags

empowerment, eternal, lonely heart, longing, mystery

Hot lights,
hot music.
You’ve got it now
but, soon you’ll lose it.
Perfumed skin,
leather and lace,
long blonde hair,
an angel’s face

Slow touch,
slow smile,
make me want
to stay awhile.
Take it off!
Grant a guy an eyeful.
Lend me a dream
for the lonely night.

Tough life,
tough city,
take my money,
gotta make it pay.
Shake it slow,
take it easy.
Make it last
for another day.

Lonely crowds,
crowded minds.
I get my coat,
dreams left behind.
Leaving alone,
leaving empty.
Night is cold
when I feel this way.

~~~

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Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
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My Muse

19 Tuesday May 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

compassion, emotion, empathy, empowerment, eternal, forever, kindness, longing, mystery, spirits, spiritual

“Untamed Muse” by Tom Kidd: A great depiction of my vision of a poet.

Sometimes, my words won’t come,
no matter what I try to write.
I softly call upon my muse,
entreat her
to visit me this night.

I feel her warmth within the room,
I’m instantly at ease.
I sense her reading my scribbles,
she knows my thoughts
and hears my longing pleas.

I feel her delicate fingers
upon my clumsy hand;
her words and phrases flood my mind,
things I’ve never seen before
from some far distant land.

I don’t know where she comes from,
(perhaps, from up above)
where ever it is
that she calls home,
she comes to me with love.

~~~

Sample my books for free — To date, $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:

Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
http://buff.ly/1SGzGCY ($2.99 Download)
http://buff.ly/1qLHptc ($.299 Download)
https://buff.ly/2lUfp6Q ($.99 Download)
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They Call Me Red:
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New-mown Hay (1962)

14 Tuesday Apr 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

deep emotion, first love, heavenly touch, longing, mystery, romance, sighs, sweet lips, true devotion, young love, your embrace

In memory is the scent of new-mown hay
wafted softly over moonlit, prairie fields.
Car audio music eased the tensions.
Fingers, hormones and pounding hearts collided.

CKOM Radio’s “Hi-Fi Club” with
“Digger” Dave Palmer spinning the platters
blasted over empty high school stadiums,
riverbank parking lots and secluded fields.

No past or future. There was only present.
Only that one unforgettable moment
forever etched indelibly in memory.
At the time, it seemed, a moment to die for.

Clumsy fingers fumbled with stubborn buttons.
Heaving breasts longed to be released at last.
Guilt, knowing that parents would be home waiting.
Excuses that begged for plausibility.

Many a romance was started or ended
to a favorite beat, harmony or chorus.
The first three bars still stimulate the passion
and bring the past thundering to the foreground.

Where are those unforgettable moments now?
Where are those raging hormones and pounding hearts?
I look back, over years of maturity
and long for the scent of warm, moist new-mown hay.

~~~

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Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
http://buff.ly/1SGzGCY ($2.99 Download)
http://buff.ly/1qLHptc ($.299 Download)
https://buff.ly/2lUfp6Q ($.99 Download)
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Lioness in Heat

13 Friday Mar 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

free, frustration, lions, lust, mating, mystery, nature, romance

I heard her
from a ways off,
the distinctive mewl
of a lioness in heat.
I licked my paws.

She’ll find me.

She found me,
paraded around
with her tail in the air,
leaving her scent
on the breeze.

I was interested
but didn’t show it.
She began licking me
I licked her back —
we licked a lot.

She crouched
belly to the ground,
tail to one side.
I bit her neck
then mounted.

This continued
for five exhausting days.
Eventually, she wandered off.
Perhaps, we’ll meet again,
or not.

~~~

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There Are No Horses Anymore

24 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

animals, compassion, despair, desperation, destiny, dreams, emotion, empathy, eternal, fantasy, fear, forever, free, imagination, lifetimes, longing, loving kindness, mystery, personal, philosophy, spiritual, unconditional love, universe

It’s like you’ve been reading Dostoevsky
and your mind is heavy,
so you go for a walk.
You haven’t eaten,
but instead of soup,
you order two glasses of beer.
You know how Rodion felt,
because you’re him.
You walk into the street
and a dark horse is being beaten,
but, that can’t be,
because there are no horses anymore —

that was only a dream;
only in the book.
You think you’re going mad,
but, it’s alright,
you don’t have to worry.
Someone has just closed the cover —
you’re tucked away, safe inside.
Everything is alright.

~~~

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They Call Me Red:
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Morning Star

17 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

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Tags

compassion, destiny, dreams, eternal, fantasy, imagination, lifetimes, love, mystery, romance, sighs

Morning Star, Evening Star
North guides the sailors
count us our blessings
long into the night

weave me a blanket
made out of moments
dreams of discovery
adventures now past

will me, be still me
arms be my cradle
comfort and kindness
within your caress

sing me forever
that place far away
close as a heartbeat
our home where we’ll stay

~~~

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They Call Me Red:
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Careful With That Axe, Eugene

13 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Buddhism, Christianity, compassion, despair, desperation, emotion, empathy, loving kindness, mental health, music, mystery

Eugene had a mind of his own,
not, as some would say, a sound mind,
but his own mind, nevertheless.

“It’s awfully considerate of you
to think of me here.
And I’m most obliged to you
for making it clear
that I’m not here.”

Eugene was a great musician,
taking music to the limit;
his songs will always survive.
Eugene took drugs to the limit;
he’s now in Interstellar Overdrive.

When we observed him with an axe,
you may understand our concern.
Was he in danger, or were we?

Eugene had already left us in spirit,
but he wandered away that day
and was lost to us forever.

~~~

This poem is dedicated to the memory of “Syd Barrett (born Roger Keith Barrett; 6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) who was an English singer, songwriter, guitarist and artist. He is most remembered as a founding member of band Pink Floyd, providing major musical and stylistic direction in their early work, although he left the group in 1968 amidst speculations of mental illness exacerbated by heavy drug use.”

Axe is also British slang for guitar. Pink Floyd’s use of the title Careful With That Axe, Eugene may refer to “Barrett’s behavior (which) became increasingly unpredictable, partly as a consequence of frequent experimentation with psychedelic drugs such as LSD. Many report having seen him on stage with the group, strumming on one chord through the entire concert, or not playing at all. At a show at The Fillmore West in San Francisco, during a performance of “Interstellar Overdrive”, Barrett slowly detuned his guitar. The audience seemed to enjoy such antics, unaware of the rest of the band’s consternation.” (Source: Wikipedia)

~~~

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unobserved

25 Saturday Jan 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

dreams, erotic, fantasy, free, imagination, longing, mystery, nature, romance, sighs, spells

unobserved
i gaze upon you
lost in the world of a book.
i wonder which poet,
which author
holds your wrapt attention
to the exclusion
of all else.

Is it Burroughs?
Aristophanes?
or is it lighter reading,
a novel perhaps?
erotic historical romance?
i could ask you
but hesitate
to break their spell.

…

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Shadrak

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Song Lyrics

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

danger, death, destiny, fighting, love, lust, mystery, romance, sighs, vengeance

Saturday found me at the Shadrak,
a downstairs club that had it all.
A woman took the floor in glad rags.
I felt I was in for a fall.

She spied me lounging in the corner.
My eyes caressed her every move.
She beckoned me over to the dance floor,
sleazy blues held us in the groove.

She was a tall sleek woman with a class act,
slummin’ and feeling so high.
Knew this was wrong, her legs were so long,
dress was cut up to her thigh.
She had to be a wife or a girlfriend,
no man would let this woman slip by.

Soft fingers stole away my reason,
for her I’d do right or wrong.
Flash of a thigh, wink of an eye,
she played that dress just like a song.
Maybe her lips, or the sway of her hips,
she had my number all along.

The scene couldn’t have been sweeter,
‘till Johnny sauntered through that door.
Cursed us a while, said we were vile,
reputations trampled to the floor.
Should have walked away, that isn’t my way,
his accusations cut to my core.

No backing down for right or for wrong,
for her I had to settle the score.
Glint of a knife, the end of a life,
Johnny lay dying on the floor.

Built to tantalize, she knew she was a prize;
she was a tall sleek woman with a class act,
slummin’ and feeling so high.
Knew this was wrong, her legs were so long,
I couldn’t let this woman slip by.
I wouldn’t let this woman slip by.

…

The Hollies: https://buff.ly/2snWAzr
Image: http://ow.ly/TwlRS

…

Sample my books for free — To date, $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:

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Fairies

06 Monday Jan 2020

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

dreams, eternal, fairies, fantasy, folk tales, lifetimes, love, mystery, nature, romance, spirits

If you wander into the woods
stealthily peek behind the trees.
Fairies may be in hiding there;
they’ll vanish, quick as you please.

The fairies are a friendly folk,
at least, they may appear that way.
They’ll lure you with their fairy wiles;
siren-like, they’ll lead you astray.

Timid, beautiful woodland nymphs
swathed in soft diaphanous gowns.
In subtle shades of nature’s hues
bright leafy greens and somber browns.

Whispers in the rustle of leaves
will lead you to their secret glade.
They’ll gently soothe away your cares.
Why would you need to be afraid?

Fairy maids will wine and dine you.
They’ll whisper that they love you so.
You’ll think that you’re in paradise.
They’ll never, ever let you go.

Weeks and months will pass unnoticed.
What seems a day maybe a year.
The world outside continues on,
while you remain in limbo here.

Fairy mists will envelop you
so you can never see your way.
Memories are, but long lost dreams.
From Fairyland you cannot stray.

…

Image: http://ow.ly/U5zcU

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Concrete Box

08 Friday Nov 2019

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

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Tags

blues, dreams, entertainment, fantasy, free, imagination, longing, love, music, mystery, universe

I work in a corporate, concrete box;
no windows, only a computer terminal
to link me to the outside world.
Only second-hand accounts
of weather, traffic,
whether it is day or night.

I sometimes go to work in darkness,
return in darkness.
I don’t know if the sun
remembered to rise at all.
Like the light in a refrigerator.
Does it really turn off
when I close the door?

At a keyboard, my fingers type numbers,
millions of numbers.
My mind wanders woodland paths.
I watch birds flitting from limb to limb,
chipmunks scurrying, stopping,
looking around, then scurrying again.

My mind plays tricks on me.
I imagine that just 26 floors down
I could exit on Beale or Bourbon Street.
Hear sounds of the South,
guitars, saxophones and raspy voices
that rule the rhythm of my body and soul.

Take me on a blues ride.
Let me wander with the lyrics
down Highway 61, “The Blues Highway”.
Let me smell the sweat and the booze,
the jostling at the bar,
the waitress who will smile for a tip.

Let me smell magnolia, bougainvillea,
where Spanish moss hangs below the branches,
see the darkest eyes and brightest smile,
hear that special whisper, “Come with me.”
We’ll walk for miles, be holding hands,
and never want for any more
than our window to a dream.

…

Sample my books for free — To date, $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:

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http://buff.ly/1qLHptc ($.299 Download)
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Image: http://www.neworleans.com/nightlife/bourbon-heat/

Tennessee Honey

04 Monday Nov 2019

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

destiny, dreams, emotion, fantasy, imagination, longing, love, lust, mystery, romance, sighs

Thoughts drift south,
Jack Daniel’s country
where the weather
suits my mood.

On a barstool
I park my bones
Inhale the Jack, magnolia–
sweet, sweet surrender.

A woman alone
at a corner table–
darkest eyes,
brightest smile,
auburn hair
to her shoulders.

I think, Why not?
Our eyes meet,
I saunter towards her
and know, from the look she gives,
she’s heard it all before.

“Ma’am, It would give me
the greatest pleasure
to buy you a drink
and share your table for a while.
If I can’t keep you smilin’
I promise,
I’ll take my conversation elsewhere.”

She said with the utmost
southern grace, charm
and hospitality,
“You’ve got ten minutes.
I don’t like to be disappointed.”

I fell into her raven pools,
somewhere, I got lost there.
I don’t know my way too well
around these parts
but, I’d swear she lured me
with some kind of mojo.

My eyes refused to look away
from ruby lips (so sensual)
as they spoke words of love
in a voice
of the sweetest, southern honey,
words…dripping…
tantalizing.

The evening passed,
holding hands across the table.
I was enthralled and enchanted.
Where it went from there
I refuse to say
(gentleman’s code of honor).

Such beauty
I have never known.
It keeps coming back
to haunt me.

My thoughts
were only passing through
but, in my dreams I see
the darkest eyes,
brightest smile,
hear her voice–
Tennessee honey.

…

Sample my books for free — To date, $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:

Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
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Woodland Spirit

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by DennisCardiff in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

compassion, destiny, empathy, empowerment, eternal, forever, kindness, lifetimes, mystery, spiritual, unconditional love

Along a woodland path, I strolled
of nature’s beauty I extolled:
The dappled trail, a great horned owl,
infrequently, a gray wolf’s howl.

The gentle, scented lake-side breeze
had me completely at my ease.
The midnight hour had come and gone.
Toward a clearing, I was drawn.

Why I went, I’ll never know.
It was my destiny to go.
The Harvest Moon with mystic light
revealed an otherworldly sight.

A shimmering appeared, it seemed,
or, perhaps, I’d only dreamed.
I knelt in supplication to
a spirit who appeared in view.

In beauty, purity and grace,
with love-light shining from her face,
a halo, waves of raven hair.
I was in awe to see her there.

I kissed her hand and softly prayed.
The orchestra of nature played.
The scent of cedar on her skin
enveloped me with warmth within.

The blessing of her touch sublime,
in harmony, our souls entwined.
A world apart, together now —
no question as to where or how.

Conversation through the night.
Her wisdom helped me see the light.
In times of need, like little birds,
they come to me, her precious words.

To me, her message was of love
for man, for nature, God above.
To let me love beyond my fear.
To live in balance through the year.

Awakened at the break of dawn
I found the spirit to be gone.
Perhaps a dream — and then I found
a ring of stones placed on the ground.

I sometimes feel her doeskin dress
against my arm — a sweet caress.
Poetic gifts of love and grace,
soothe my heart, my soul embrace.

Notes: The stones represent: Learning, Respect, Acceptance, Spiritual Sight, Listening, Speaking, Love, Service, Relationship, Creativity, Dynamic Spirituality and Gratitude.

…

Sample my books for free — To date, $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:

Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
http://buff.ly/1SGzGCY ($2.99 Download)
http://buff.ly/1qLHptc ($.299 Download)
https://buff.ly/2lUfp6Q ($.99 Download)
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First Kiss

29 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

dreams, emotion, empowerment, free, imagination, longing, love, mystery, personal, romance, sighs

my first kiss
so long ago
(not yet in high school)
in the back seat of a ’51 Ford
at a drive-in theatre.
I’ll remember ’till I die
my nervousness,
perspiration,
her perfume
(Tigress by Faberge)
her warmth,
angora sweater set
(pastel yellow —
no buttons
to hinder progress)
the sweetness of her kiss.
She knew much more than I
about such things

another world
had opened to me
desire and heartache
go together —
there’s seldom one
without the other
but, would we want it
any other way?
would we want
a safe, yet loveless life
without the up
without the down?
or, take the ecstasy
and risk our hearts
being trampled
to the ground

…

Sample my books for free — To date, $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:

Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
http://buff.ly/1SGzGCY ($2.99 Download)
http://buff.ly/1qLHptc ($.299 Download)
https://buff.ly/2lUfp6Q ($.99 Download)
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They Call Me Red:
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New-mown Hay

30 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

deep emotion, first love, heavenly touch, longing, mystery, romance, sighs, sweet lips, true devotion, young love, your embrace

In memory is the scent of new-mown hay
wafted softly over moonlit, prairie fields.
Car audio music eased the tensions.
Fingers, hormones and pounding hearts collided.

CKOM Radio’s “Hi-Fi Club” with
“Digger” Dave Palmer spinning the platters
blasted over empty high school stadiums,
riverbank parking lots and secluded fields.

No past or future. There was only present.
Only that one unforgettable moment
forever etched indelibly in memory.
At the time, it seemed, a moment to die for.

Clumsy fingers fumbled with stubborn buttons.
Heaving breasts longed to be released at last.
Guilt, knowing that parents would be home waiting.
Excuses that begged for plausibility.

Many a romance was started or ended
to a favorite beat, harmony or chorus.
The first three bars still stimulate the passion
and bring the past thundering to the foreground.

Where are those unforgettable moments now?
Where are those raging hormones and pounding hearts?
I look back, over years of maturity
and long for the scent of warm, moist new-mown hay.

…

Sample my books for free — To date $1945.00 has been donated to the homeless:
Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People
http://buff.ly/1SGzGCY ($.98 Download)
http://buff.ly/1qLHptc ($2.99 Download)
https://buff.ly/2lUfp6Q ($2.99 Download)
https://buff.ly/2Gkoyxj ($2.99 Download)
Podcasts: http://buff.ly/1Pxlf9p
http://www.blunttalk.libsyn.com/
http://buff.ly/1XU368M
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Shadrak

01 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Song Lyrics

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

danger, death, destiny, fighting, love, lust, mystery, romance, sighs, vengeance

Saturday found me at the Shadrak,
a downstairs club that had it all.
A woman took the floor in glad rags.
I felt I was in for a fall.

She spied me lounging in the corner.
My eyes caressed her every move.
She beckoned me over to the dance floor,
sleazy blues had us in the groove.

She was a tall sleek woman with a class act,
slumming and feeling so high.
Knew this was wrong — her legs were so long,
dress was cut up to her thigh.
She had to be a wife or a girlfriend,
no man would let this woman slip by.

No backing down for right or for wrong,
for her I had to settle the score.
Glint of a knife, the end of a life,
Johnny lay dying on the floor.

Built to tantalize, she knew she was a prize;
she was a tall sleek woman with a class act,
slumming and feeling so high.
Knew this was wrong, her legs were so long,
I couldn’t let this woman slip by.
I wouldn’t let this woman slip by.

…

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…

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Concrete Box

28 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

blues, dreams, entertainment, fantasy, free, imagination, longing, love, music, mystery, universe

I work in a corporate, concrete box;
no windows, only a computer terminal
to link me to the outside world.
Only second-hand accounts
of weather, traffic,
whether it is day or night.

I sometimes go to work in darkness,
return in darkness.
I don’t know if the sun
remembered to rise at all.
Like the light in a refrigerator.
Does it really turn off
when I close the door?

Take me on a blues ride.
Let me wander with the lyrics
down Highway 61, “The Blues Highway”.
Let me smell the sweat and the booze,
the jostling at the bar,
the waitress who will smile for a tip.

…

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Morning Star

13 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

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Tags

compassion, destiny, dreams, eternal, fantasy, imagination, lifetimes, love, mystery, romance, sighs

Morning Star, Evening Star
North guides the sailors
count us our blessings
long into the night

weave me a blanket
made out of moments
dreams of discovery
adventures now past

will me, be still me
arms be my cradle
comfort and kindness
within your caress

sing me forever
that place far away
close as a heartbeat
our home where we’ll stay

…

Prairie Crocus

11 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Buddhism, Christianity, flowers, mystery, nature, personal, philosophy, spiritual

After the snow moves north
the prairie crocus,
native anemone,
ears of the earth
listens
for the rustle of summer.

Gently she sways
to moments of truth.
In her petals
the purple blue mist
of far distant mountains;
a small golden sun
close to her heart.

Eternity
folds close around her,
warms her
from the cold winds
of spring.

…

Hunter Spirits

05 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

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Tags

compassion, destiny, empathy, empowerment, forever, lifetimes, loving kindness, mystery, nature, spirits, spiritual

“We planted you, we nurtured you, we protected you
until you became a mighty tree that spread through our
hunting grounds. With its branches you now lash us.”
– Mississauga Chief

Steps used by the Rideau Lakes Mississauga
Band of the Ojibwe or Anishinaabe Nation, for
traditional Sun Dance and other ceremonies.

…

I sit on ancient steps of stone
by myself, but not alone.
The presence of ten thousand souls
imbues me with their joys and goals.

The steps lead to a sacred place;
for Mississauga prayers and grace.
They danced to celebrate the sun
before the white man and the gun.

I seek what they sought; love and peace ~
for wars around the world to cease.
To live a life of nature’s plan
in harmony with fellow man.

In harmony with living things
and everything that nature brings.
I sit on ancient steps of stone
with souls to guide me on my own.

…

Playful Spirit

03 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

compassion, destiny, empathy, empowerment, eternal, forever, kindness, lifetimes, mystery, spiritual, unconditional love

Playful spirit behind an oak
laughed and flirted but never spoke.
Eyes of onyx, raven hair,
I marveled at her standing there.

Brilliant sunshine — could barely see.
Had my eyes played tricks on me?
I stood in reverence and awe
not sure of what I thought I saw.

Fluttering soft, the poplar leaves
perhaps, had caused me to believe
I’d seen someone who wasn’t there —
eyes of onyx, raven hair.

The nimble spirit deftly danced
from tree to tree and lightly pranced.
I didn’t know quite what to do
about this vision in my view.

I had no knowledge of such things.
What does one do when nature brings
such beauty, grace and winsome mold
who, I could see but could not hold?

I could have watched her all day long
her movements sang just like a song.
She beckoned me with backward glance
down flowered pathway of romance.

I had no choice, I was entranced;
induced to follow where she danced.
The woods had changed, were foreign now,
colors brighter, surreal somehow.

I saw some spirits on the way.
They went about their normal day.
They took no notice of my form
contrary to their spirit norm.

They were at home among the trees;
conversely, I felt ill at ease.
Abandoned, then just like a snare —
eyes of onyx, raven hair.

She drew me close and hugged me tight;
we kissed, caressed throughout the night.
Not a wisp of evanescence,
but a real woman’s presence.

Wood smoke, sweet-grass, musk and cedar —
I took her hand, she let me lead her.
Beneath the boughs we made our bed
while stars shone brightly overhead.

…

Woodland Spirit

02 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Uncategorized

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Tags

compassion, destiny, empathy, empowerment, eternal, forever, kindness, lifetimes, mystery, spiritual, unconditional love

Along a woodland path, I strolled
of nature’s beauty I extolled:
The dappled trail, a great horned owl,
infrequently, a gray wolf’s howl.

The gentle, scented lake-side breeze
had me completely at my ease.
The midnight hour had come and gone.
Toward a clearing, I was drawn.

Why I went, I’ll never know.
It was my destiny to go.
The Harvest Moon with mystic light
revealed an otherworldly sight.

A shimmering appeared, it seemed,
or, perhaps, I’d only dreamed.
I knelt in supplication to
a spirit who appeared in view.

In beauty, purity and grace,
with love-light shining from her face,
a halo, waves of raven hair.
I was in awe to see her there.

I kissed her hand and softly prayed.
The orchestra of nature played.
The scent of cedar on her skin
enveloped me with warmth within.

The blessing of her touch sublime,
in harmony our souls entwined.
A world apart, together now —
no question as to where or how.

Conversation through the night.
Her wisdom helped me see the light.
In times of need, like little birds,
they come to me, her precious words.

To me, her message was of love
for man, for nature, God above.
To let me love beyond my fear.
To live in balance through the year.

Awakened at the break of dawn
I found the spirit to be gone.
Perhaps a dream — and then I found
a ring of stones placed on the ground.

I sometimes feel her doeskin dress
against my arm — a sweet caress.
Poetic gifts of love and grace,
soothe my heart, my soul embrace.

Notes: The stones represent: Learning, Respect, Acceptance, Spiritual Sight, Listening, Speaking, Love, Service, Relationship, Creativity, Dynamic Spirituality and Gratitude.

…

Borderlands

31 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Buddhism, destiny, dreams, emotion, empathy, fantasy, mystery, personal, philosophy, romance, sighs

2e5eddccdbb0b5510a1ae1c1e48e6a81

I live in the borderlands,
between reality and imagination,
just this side of fantasy.

Reality is okay.
I visit there
to check my mail,
earn a few dollars,
pay some bills,
buy groceries.

Reality is an okay place to visit
but, I wouldn’t want to live there.

I’m happiest in my mind
where I filter my thoughts
like an answering machine.
I delete the negative,
dwell on the positive.

People may see me walking alone.
They don’t see the beautiful woman,
with her hand in mine, beside me.

I may be seen sitting at a table, alone.
Nobody sees the delicate hand,
with the magic fingers,
sliding up my thigh.

Or, the passionate kiss
being planted on my throat,
the fingers running through my hair.

Where I work
people see me smile.
They think I enjoy my job.
They don’t know me.

…

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unobserved

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

dreams, erotic, fantasy, free, imagination, longing, mystery, nature, romance, sighs, spells

unobserved
i gaze upon you
lost in the world of a book.
i wonder which poet,
which author
holds your wrapt attention
to the exclusion
of all else.

Is it Burroughs?
Aristophanes?
or is it lighter reading,
a novel perhaps?
erotic historical romance?
i could ask you
but hesitate
to break their spell.

…

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The Letter

23 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

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Tags

destiny, emotion, eternal, forever, imagination, longing, mystery, nature, romance, sighs, spirits

I wanted to write
you a letter.
I didn’t know
just what to say.
So much has happened
little has happened
it’s happening every day.

You talked to me
of forever
so far away
yet, not so far.
You whispered
we’d be together
united as a single star.

I wandered the woods
lost and alone.
You took my hand
guided and charmed me.
Woodsmoke and cedar
drifted on the breeze.
I wondered if I’d find you
hiding behind our old oak tree.

…

Angel

18 Tuesday Jul 2017

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

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Tags

angel, imagination, lifetimes, longing, love, loving kindness, mystery, refuge, romance, serenity, sighs

there’s a refuge
in my mind
where an Angel abides
floating in
a diaphanous gown
to shed comfort
and love
when i am in need

i needn’t see her
to believe
her presence in my life.
She radiates
all encompassing warmth
that lifts my heart
and soul
to serenity

…

Fairies

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

dreams, eternal, fairies, fantasy, folk tales, lifetimes, love, mystery, nature, romance, spirits

If you wander into the woods
stealthily peek behind the trees.
Fairies may be in hiding there;
they’ll vanish, quick as you please.

The fairies are a friendly folk,
at least, they may appear that way.
They’ll lure you with their fairy wiles;
siren like, they’ll lead you astray.

Timid, beautiful woodland nymphs
swathed in soft diaphanous gowns.
In subtle shades of nature’s hues
bright leafy greens and somber browns.

Whispers in the rustle of leaves
will lead you to their secret glade.
They’ll gently soothe away your cares.
Why would you need to be afraid?

Fairy maids will wine and dine you.
They’ll whisper that they love you so.
You’ll think that you’re in paradise.
They’ll never, ever let you go.

Weeks and months will pass unnoticed.
What seems a day may be a year.
The world outside continues on,
while you remain in limbo here.

Fairy mists will envelop you
so you can never see your way.
Memories are, but long lost dreams.
From Fairyland you cannot stray.

…

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cinnamon

15 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

dreams, fantasy, loneliness, longing, lost love, mystery, sighs

on tropic sands
gazing out to sea
wind ripples your hair
fabric molds to your shape

i see longing
unfulfillable
thirst
unquenchable

to my eyes a vision
of perfection
to my lips and tongue
sweetest confection

…

Image: Getty Images

borderlands

18 Sunday Dec 2016

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

choice, desperation, destiny, empowerment, fantasy, forever, free, mystery, philosophy, psychology, Sociology

i live in the borderlands,
between reality and imagination,
just this side of fantasy.

reality is okay.
i visit there
to check my mail,
earn a few dollars,
pay some bills,
buy groceries.

reality is an okay place to visit
but, i wouldn’t want to live there.

i’m happiest in my mind
where I filter my thoughts
like an answering machine.
i delete the negative,
dwell on the positive.

people may see me walking alone.
they don’t see the beautiful woman
at my side
with her hand in mine.

i may be seen sitting at a table, alone.
nobody sees the delicate hand,
with the magic fingers,
sliding up my thigh.

or, the passionate kiss
being planted on my throat,
the fingers running through my hair.

where i work
people see me smile.
they think I enjoy my job.
they don’t know me.

…

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Butterfly

21 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

compassion, dreams, emotion, fantasy, imagination, mystery, nature, romance, sighs, unconditional love

You say
you’re normal.
You put yourself down —
just one of many,
nothing special.

You’re delicate
and appear fragile
but, fly thousands of miles
buffeted by winds,
inclement weather.

Readers marvel
at your countenance.
Wonderful worlds you create,
inspiring all —
a virtuoso with words.

I marvel also
at your compassion,
consideration, intelligence,
strength and wisdom.
I am enthralled.

…

	loujen haxm'Yor on Beneath the Cedars
	coolestdwarfinthewor… on Beneath the Cedars
	Srishti Garg on Universal Equality
	loujen haxm'Yor on Universal Equality
	Hephzibah on Crisis

Dennis Cardiff

~ Poems & Prose

Tag Archives: mystery

Take It Off!

My Muse

New-mown Hay (1962)

Lioness in Heat

There Are No Horses Anymore

Morning Star

Careful With That Axe, Eugene

unobserved

Shadrak

Fairies

Concrete Box

Tennessee Honey

Woodland Spirit

First Kiss

New-mown Hay

Shadrak

Concrete Box

Morning Star

Prairie Crocus

Hunter Spirits

Playful Spirit

Woodland Spirit

Borderlands

unobserved

The Letter

Angel

Fairies

cinnamon

borderlands

Butterfly