Then Human

then human
or so wanting
of broken moments remains
erased in a cruel instant
then when the light comes final
too late to see the reaching hand
touch the racing heart
or me then more
or less human retreats invisible
you certain of one thing know
I cannot hold a candle
in this flickering light
a window opens curtains whisper sins extinguished
with barely moon or star or
ghostly birds dreamt
I know what I have become
it is not me chanting loudly
a maddeningly oblivious apparition
a lurking monster
or poor excuse
for one
then un-
deserving
human
again

jppestana
Then Human
4.26.2020

Reason

brush away
what is left of the sun
the make believe
the things you said
the undone shapeless brilliance
and you have me

dance wildly if you wish
in the shining circle
of my mindless lies
quickly name me in the memory
of these meaningless things
of this runaway dream
that surrounds us

I have forgotten now
in the time there was
for everything
now there is no time
no clock unwinding
no clamor to be heard
no willows waving their
final goodbyes
for the time being
now no reason
at all

jppestana
Reason
4.18.2020

Bohemia

the wind is the scream
of all these wings
a grateful rain racing
into open arms bohemia
the river of her is part of this
all of this
she waves with envies
the joy of gulls
traces herself in a slipper of cloud
close to her men with dark eyes
burnt skin farm
turn the earth
the slow moving current wander
of his mostly dulled
senses

JPPestana
Bohemia
3. 31. 2020

The Robin In Holly

is this mist living silver
drifting weakly in these distant greening fields
searching for itself
hoping to find its way
back to her creation her
and the mist settles
and a branch heavy with berries moves
a robin bouncing low
in holly

JPPestana
The Robin In the Holly
3.3.2020

Line By Line

crow frozen in cornrows sway

slowly lift in the rawboned wind

line by crooked line they leave

wind their way through the dusty fragments

specks of a sunless day

he hums whistles sings crazily

the shouting wind grins joins in

as one they listen to the gathering husks

stalks silk

remnants of men

telling stories

without

end

Line By Line
JP Pestana
2.25.2020

Crossing the I

in this otherwise soundless hour
under the hum of the crumbling bridge
take me away to the daring racing clouds
the far off finish line
of our whispered
lives

Crossing the I
JPPestana
2.16.2020

Songbird

buried deep in the troubled

most tangled brambles

threatened loudly unexpectedly

by the deeper scratches proud welts

of time

a faint song from a tiny heart bleeding

carries him along in the wind

for a moment he soars a smile unforced

he believes this is all too small for him in light

of a wintering withering sun

he listens for a songbird feather falling in

a field of feathers

by now he is certain

there is nothing left

for him to

become

Songbird
2.9.2019
JPPestana