Ode To Neptune by Phillis Wheatley

On Mrs. W—–‘s Voyage to England. I. WHILE raging tempests shake the shore, While AElus’ thunders round us roar, And sweep impetuous o’er the plain Be still, O tyrant of the main; Nor let thy brow contracted frowns betray, While my Susanna skims the wat’ry way. II. The Pow’r propitious hears the lay, The blue-ey’d […]

Niobe in Distress by Phillis Wheatley

Apollo’s wrath to man the dreadful spring Of ills innum’rous, tuneful goddess, sing! Thou who did’st first th’ ideal pencil give, And taught’st the painter in his works to live, Inspire with glowing energy of thought, What Wilson painted, and what Ovid wrote. Muse! lend thy aid, nor let me sue in vain, Tho’ last […]

Isaiah LXIII by Phillis Wheatley

Say, heav’nly muse, what king or mighty God, That moves sublime from Idumea’s road? In Bosrah’s dies, with martial glories join’d, His purple vesture waves upon the wind. Why thus enrob’d delights he to appear In the dread image of the Pow’r of war? Compres’d in wrath the swelling wine-press groan’d, It bled, and pour’d […]

Goliath Of Gath by Phillis Wheatley

SAMUEL, Chap. xvii. YE martial pow’rs, and all ye tuneful nine, Inspire my song, and aid my high design. The dreadful scenes and toils of war I write, The ardent warriors, and the fields of fight: You best remember, and you best can sing The acts of heroes to the vocal string: Resume the lays […]

An Hymn To The Morning by Phillis Wheatley

ATTEND my lays, ye ever honour’d nine, Assist my labours, and my strains refine; In smoothest numbers pour the notes along, For bright Aurora now demands my song. Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies, Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies: The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays, On ev’ry leaf the […]

An Hymn To The Evening by Phillis Wheatley

Soon as the sun forsook the eastern main The pealing thunder shook the heav’nly plain; Majestic grandeur! From the zephyr’s wing, Exhales the incense of the blooming spring. Soft purl the streams, the birds renew their notes, And through the air their mingled music floats. Through all the heav’ns what beauteous dies are spread! But […]

An Hymn To Humanity by Phillis Wheatley

O! for this dark terrestrial ball Forsakes his azure-paved hall A prince of heav’nly birth! Divine Humanity behold, What wonders rise, what charms unfold At his descent to earth! II. The bosoms of the great and good With wonder and delight he view’d, And fix’d his empire there: Him, close compressing to his breast, The […]

An Answer To The Rebus, By The Author Of These Poems by Phillis Wheatley

The poet asks, and Phillis can’t refuse To show th’ obedience of the Infant muse. She knows the Quail of most inviting taste Fed Israel’s army in the dreary waste; And what’s on Britain’s royal standard borne, But the tall, graceful, rampant Unicorn? The Emerald with a vivid verdure glows Among the gems which regal […]

A Rebus, By I. B. by Phillis Wheatley

I. A BIRD delicious to the taste, On which an army once did feast, Sent by an hand unseen; A creature of the horned race, Which Britain’s royal standards grace; A gem of vivid green; II. A town of gaiety and sport, Where beaux and beauteous nymphs resort, And gallantry doth reign; A Dardan hero […]

A Funeral Poem on the Death of C.E. by Phillis Wheatley

Through airy roads he wings his instant flight To purer regions of celestial light; Enlarg’d he sees unnumber’d systems roll, Beneath him sees the universal whole, Planets on planets run their destin’d round, And circling wonders fill the vast profound. Th’ ethereal now, and now th’ empyreal skies With growing splendors strike his wond’ring eyes: […]

A Farewel To America to Mrs. S. W. by Phillis Wheatley

I. ADIEU, New-England’s smiling meads, Adieu, the flow’ry plain: I leave thine op’ning charms, O spring, And tempt the roaring main. II. In vain for me the flow’rets rise, And boast their gaudy pride, While here beneath the northern skies I mourn for health deny’d. III. Celestial maid of rosy hue, O let me feel […]

wonder life by PALLAVI SINGH

It is just a scenery,  changing with a blink or a dream ,  which has no real link leading and working ,as i m involved sometimes i m out ,and mysteries are solved many aspects of each happening many phases of game we playing loving and fearing , which is no where lost and a […]

Why do ye torture me? by Patrick Pearse

Why do ye torture me? by Patrick Pearse Why are ye torturing me, O desires of my heart ? Torturing me and paining me by day and by night? Hunting me as a poor deer would be hunted on a hill, A poor long-wearied deer with the hound-pack after him There’s no ease to my […]

When I Looked At You by Patrick Neo Mabiletsa

When i look at you, I see someone who is willing to live for God, I see a human being, hungry to one day be with the king, When i look at you, i see a soldier for Christ, and for many years i looked at you, My eyes told me you were strong and […]

What I Love by Pamela L. Laskin

What I Love Bones singing over them, dancing when they are on the forest floor. Imah the light of her eyes the lightening of her voice she has taught me to be strong but in Abba’s presence she is quiet, but he is a wolf. I love the wolf the way he cares for his […]

Twelve Years by Paul Celan

The line that remained, that became true: . . . your house in Paris — become the alterpiece of your hands. Breathed through thrice, shone through thrice. ………………. It’s turning dumb, turning deaf behind our eyes. I see the poison flower in all manner of words and shapes. Go. Come. Love blots out its name: […]

Total Recount by Pamela Griffiths

Counting the years as they have gone by I need a recount, I need to know why Where have they gone? What happened, and when? I used to be young and I had a life then Lost in confusion, I live while I can The total years of life have a short span Life can […]

To a Beloved Child by Patrick Pearse

To a Beloved Child by Patrick Pearse Laughing mouth, what tortures me is That thou shalt be weeping; Lovely face, it is my pity That thy brightness shall grow grey. Noble head, thou art proud, But thou shalt bow with sorrow; And it is a pitiful thing I forbode for thee Whenever I kiss thee. […]

The Uses of the Eye by Paul Blackburn

When the door of the next truck is open it reads toward the cab —Z E N T A B L E S, the black dog leaps on the man in pure friendliness—he only wants to leave. . 8 seats to a table except one side of one table, only 3 the cigarette machine sits […]

The Undeniable Pressure of Existence by Patricia Fargnoli

The Undeniable Pressure of Existence by Patricia Fargnoli I saw the fox running by the side of the road past the turned-away brick faces of the condominiums past the Citco gas station with its line of cars and trucks and he ran, limping, gaunt, matted dull haired past Jim’s Pizza, past the Wash-O-Mat, past the […]

The Triumph Of Achilles by Paul Celan

In the story of Patroclus no one survives, not even Achilles who was nearly a god. Patroclus resembled him; they wore the same armor. Always in these friendships one serves the other, one is less than the other: the hierarchy is always apparant, though the legends cannot be trusted– their source is the survivor, the […]

The Rising and Falling of Trees by Patricia Fargnoli

The Rising and Falling of Trees by Patricia Fargnoli They rose up from the riverbank bending their dark shapes over the water like pillars that had been leaning too long in the sun and wanted to rest. And yes the river was lovely in its long feline flowing over and around the river stones. But […]

The One Night Stand : An Approach to the Bridge by Paul Blackburn

Migod, a picture window, both of us sitting there on the too-narrow couch variously unclothed watching sky lighten over the city You compile your list of noes it is incomplete I add another there is no anger we keep it open trying shying away, your all too-solid body melts, revives, stif- fens, clears and dis- […]

The Mother by Patrick Pearse

The Mother by Patrick Pearse I do not grudge them: Lord, I do not grudge My two strong sons that I have seen go out To break their strength and die, they and a few, In bloody protest for a glorious thing, They shall be spoken of among their people, The generations shall remember them, […]

The Choice of Trees by P.J.Reed

The Choice of Trees by P.J.Reed The silver birch ripples As soft shadows race; Leave dark footprints Through its hidden soul. Timid, trembling leaves, Confetti sprinkled On swaying brown tendrils Flowing softly in the breeze. The birch stands tall, Straining over rooftops, Silently watching The people pass by. From seed inception Fated to become A […]

The Café Filtre by Paul Blackburn

Slowly and with persistence he eats away at the big steak, gobbles up the asparagus, its butter & salt & root taste, drinks at a glass of red wine, and carefully taking his time, mops up the gravy with bread— The top of the café filtre is copper, passively shines back, & between mouthfuls of […]

The Blue Guitar by P. K. Page

They said, ‘You have a blue guitar, You do not play things as they are.’ The man replied, ‘Things as they are are changed upon the blue guitar.’ – The Blue Guitar (Wallace Stevens) I do my best to tell it true a thing exceeding hard to do or tell it slant as Emily advises […]

That Light by Paul Hostovsky

That Light by Paul Hostovsky Everything is interesting if you’re of a mind to see it in that light. Claude Monet probably understood this. The stoners back in high school definitely understood that everything is intoxicatingly interesting if you’re of a mind to see it in that light. My grandmother in the emergency room surrounded […]

Teenager by Patrick Connors

Teenager by Patrick Connors Look out the wind-blown window Through the evergreen tree gone bare Sun unseen lights the grey sky Of air so cold even time is slowed Until a bitter, vengeful gust Threatens to take down the tree The snow-covered roof of the house – All which is on the horizon; Try to […]

Teasing by Pamela Griffiths

Teasing by Pamela Griffiths As I walked into the club I saw the woman of my dreams She was dancing on the stage around the spotlight beams Her long blond hair swayed with rhythmic harmony She awakened such desire and warmth inside of me So gracefully she danced with her body gyrating She was looking […]

Summon Me by Walid Saba

Like a little boy, Waiting to un-wrap his gift, I feel when you call for me Like a proud eagle, Soaring in the endless sky, I feel when you hold me Like an emperor, Alexander and Caesar would envy, I feel when you embrace me Like a God, In need of nothing, I feel when […]

Stony Grey Soil by Patrick Kavanagh

Stony Grey Soil by Patrick Kavanagh O stony grey soil of Monaghan The laugh from my love you thieved; You took the gay child of my passion And gave me your clod-conceived. You clogged the feet of my boyhood And I believed that my stumble Had the poise and stride of Apollo And his voice […]

Single Traveller by P. K. Page

What is this love that is my life’s companion? Shape-changer, sometimes faceless, this companion. Single traveller, I wander a wasting world awaiting the much anticipated Companion. A trillium covered wood one April day served as a nearly consummate companion. A horse, two dogs, some cats, a blue macaw each in its turn became a loyal […]

Shancoduff by Patrick Kavanagh

Shancoduff by Patrick Kavanagh My black hills have never seen the sun rising, Eternally they look north towards Armagh. Lot’s wife would not be salt if she had been Incurious as my black hills that are happy When dawn whitens Glassdrummond chapel. My hills hoard the bright shillings of March While the sun searches in […]

Scoring Highly on the Psychopathy Scale by P.J.Reed

Scoring Highly on the Psychopathy Scale by P.J.Reed I am worried about the Career aspirations of my cat; The nightly stalking and the Dismemberments on our mat. She distains from human contact Ignores commands to sit or stay; In quest for isolation Sleeping in her box all day. Loving me in purring tones Seducing every […]

Primrose by Patrick Kavanagh

Primrose by Patrick Kavanagh Upon a bank I sat, a child made seer Of one small primrose flowering in my mind. Better than wealth it is, I said, to find One small page of Truth’s manuscript made clear. I looked at Christ transfigured without fear– The light was very beautiful and kind, And where the […]

Pollination by Pamela L. Laskin

I dig for words in dungeons of darkness- murky oceans where sentences swim among barnacles algae sponges and anemones; sometimes the water stinks like sewers from which I scrape the rust of my mother away. Your seeds grow abundantly fermented in rich soils begonias bloom, pollinated in faraway landscapes: Namibian nuances, Jerusalem juices, irises from […]

This Evening Also by Paul Celan

more fully, since snow fell even on this sun-drifted, sun-drenched sea, blossoms the ice in those baskets you carry into town. sand you demand in return, for the last rose back at home this evening also wants to be fed out of the trickling hour. End of the poem 15 random poems   Poetry by […]