And the word is...

[firefangled]

The plum wine was hiding in the city.
Glasses from Japan gathered dust since last
May, when the exchange student was here,
with her kimono, fan and ancient grace.
Someday was the promise she gave to us,
our flower of kindness she would repay.
A simple gesture across time and space,
to guide my way unseen to a small shop,
the way moonlight opens the Ghost Orchid.

[ampoule]

Haole Girl

Haole girl on Honolulu street ask
Japanese lady, how you say thank you?
Ah, she say, with slight bow, arigato,
Hai, arigato.
Now you say.
Ah ree gah toe, ahree ga to, arigato!
Hai!

Haole girl on Honolulu street run
to Japanese store on corner for rice
wrapped in seaweed and sweet sour seed
Hai!
She smile big grin, arigato.
She pay.
Hai, arigato.

[CdnReader]

.
cherry blossoms pale
bloom with delicate beauty
caresses in pink
.

[ampoule]

Dear Bii
Would you please...choose a word.
It looks like no one else has anything to say about orientalism, at least for now.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Perhaps I was west
when I should have been east
when you called for poems
on Orientalism...
In any case, I was here
when I should have been there.
I sometimes get the two mixed up
but here is something
Zennish (I think):

Clear your mind! Clear your mind!
Let it be free
at last! Free at last!
As it has not long since been.

An empty mind
is the measure of timelessness,
the temperature
of infinity.

Imagine there is nothing
in it but the lazy wash of sound
Shhh-wah Shhh-wah Shhh-wah
Shhh-wah Shhh-wah Shhh-wah
Shhh-wah Shhh-wah Shhh-wah

And then even that washes out...

[Bii]

OK, the word is Trust

[CdnReader]

.
The fall into love begins as
A hypnotizing drift, born in a smile....
Quickens into breathless exhilaration...
Touch forces a heart-stopping pulse-racing tailspin...
Rapidly accelerating earthward
at supersonic heart-speed.

Catch me?
.

[stephofthenight]

the safety of your arms
as they engulp me
the flame of desire
simply engulfs me

im trembling and shaking
fighting to breath
you watch me carefuly
and i know that you care

its ok i sigh im ok
he looks at me with the passion
and he says he wont hurt me
just to relax

im scared
my body is shaking uncontralbly
you whisper i love you
i begin to relax

i love you
your holding me in your arms
i trust you
you kiss my forhead goodnight

[symphony]

Trust

The ballroom floor shines red beneath my shy eyes
As I bow to the thundering applause.
His eyes shine bright with confidence,
Mine follow his, shining with trust.


The trembling toes couldnt leave the wheelchair,
“Trust me”, he had said,
And I did.

My footsteps faded as the night went on.
The tears twinkled in my eye,
“Trust me”, he had said
And I did.

The pain screamed out,
I was filled with doubts
And the world was too much on me.
“Trust me”, he had said
And I did.


The ballroom floor shines red beneath my shy eyes
As I walk away from the dance floor
And help him hold his white long stick—
“Were you good?” asks he.
“Trust me”, say I,
And watch the smile light up his blind eyes.

[Pendragon]

Trust boiled down to a broth.

ON A LESS-TRAVELED ROAD

Life is a long, one-way street
that, often as not, takes the long way around.

Frost spoke of “The Road Less-Traveled By”.
I’ve been on it all my life. What’s the difference?

Then again, how could you tell any difference
when there is really nothing to compare it to?

Nothing. Something. Are they really the same?
“I think, therefore I am.” Or is it. “I am, therefore I think?”

Existence is like a soap bubble:
It’s pretty, but it doesn’t take much to burst it.

One thing about a less-traveled road:
There is less traffic, and fewer rest areas.

Oh, and don’t break down along the way.
“Less-traveled by”, remember? So who’s going to fix your car?

Dale Harris
© 1996

[ampoule]

Trust

I stand at the edge of the stage
Looking back at arms outstretched
With fingers beckoning, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure,
And fall back into the pit that carries
Me, like pass the butter please.

I stand at the edge of the water
Looking back at little waves of deep and blue
With ripples and droplets, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure,
And fall back into the lake that engulfs
Me, like an apple waiting to be bobbed.

I stand at the beginning of each day
Looking back at past and future
With things unknown, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure
And fall back into a life that teaches
Me, like a bird pushed from it's nest.

I stand now in front of you
Looking deep into your eyes
With so many promises, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure
And fall back into arms that surround
Me, like the farmer in the dell.

Like softened butter or a floating apple,
Like a new bird flying or someone chosen for the circle,
I trust.

[stephofthenight]

Trust

I stand at the edge of the stage
Looking back at arms outstretched
With fingers beckoning, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure,
And fall back into the pit that carries
Me, like pass the butter please.

I stand at the edge of the water
Looking back at little waves of deep and blue
With ripples and droplets, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure,
And fall back into the lake that engulfs
Me, like an apple waiting to be bobbed.

I stand at the beginning of each day
Looking back at past and future
With things unknown, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure
And fall back into a life that teaches
Me, like a bird pushed from it's nest.

I stand now in front of you
Looking deep into your eyes
With so many promises, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure
And fall back into arms that surround
Me, like the farmer in the dell.

Like softened butter or a floating apple,
Like a new bird flying or someone chosen for the circle,
I trust.

i like the way you did this...its realy nicely done...i especialy like all of your metaphors at the end ot the stanza at first they didnt make much since bbut it took me a moment to reread them and realise that there beautifuly wovent throught.
steph

[ampoule]

Thank you steph! I struggled with this trust word but I kept going back to a game we played in summer camp which led me to thinking of a mosh pit etc.
Again, thank you.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Trust

I stand at the edge of the stage
Looking back at arms outstretched
With fingers beckoning, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure,
And fall back into the pit that carries
Me, like pass the butter please.

I stand at the edge of the water
Looking back at little waves of deep and blue
With ripples and droplets, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure,
And fall back into the lake that engulfs
Me, like an apple waiting to be bobbed.

I stand at the beginning of each day
Looking back at past and future
With things unknown, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure
And fall back into a life that teaches
Me, like a bird pushed from it's nest.

I stand now in front of you
Looking deep into your eyes
With so many promises, saying,
Trust me.
I look again and again to be sure
And fall back into arms that surround
Me, like the farmer in the dell.

Like softened butter or a floating apple,
Like a new bird flying or someone chosen for the circle,
I trust.

So lovely! It reminds me of that trust exercise, where you stand behind the person and invite her to fall backwards and trust that you will catch her or him... How wonderful isn't it when we can take up that challenge without hesitation?

[ampoule]

So lovely! It reminds me of that trust exercise, where you stand behind the person and invite her to fall backwards and trust that you will catch her or him... How wonderful isn't it when we can take up that challenge without hesitation?

LOL....that's just what I had mentioned to steph.