The Arrogance of Man

A myriad of stars looked down
And smiled upon the world that night,
For somewhere in the cosmic plan
The spirit knew the time was right.
In an instant on the smouldering earth
Where molten rock and fires ran,
A lightning bolt had struck the swamp
And with that fusion life began.

Through thousands of millennia
Too many for our minds to know,
The issue of that lightning strike
Began to change, reform and grow.
How many differing forms it took
We probably shall never know,
By far the most would fail and die
By far the least would thrive and grow.

From swamp to pond to lake to sea,
From marsh to land to tree to sky,
But one form had become estranged
From nature as the time went by.
And now it strides across the earth
Corrupts and kills because it can,
But seldom stops to contemplate
This fatal arrogance of man.


Copyright © Alan Gilbert 2010.
From my book, “Love is a Dreamer.”
http://www.gilbertverse.blogspot.com

Dreamer

Wrapped in the mantle
Of that autumn night,
My love came stealing
Softly to my bed.
With whispered charms
Beguiling me to dreams
That soothed my heart
As worldly care were shed.

She rocked me gentle
Wrapped in tender wings,
While all the while
Murmured her lullaby.
With pleasing strains
Entrancing melodies,
Her dulcet tones
Fell gentle as a sigh.

Then we were walking
On some distant isle,
By luscious palms
Edging a blue lagoon.
And I would tarry
Deep under her waves,
For every dreamer
Comes a dawn too soon.

Copyright© Alan Gilbert 2011.

http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com

Gone

Old Crumbling walls
With shattered eyes,
A Grey slate gappy roof
Gasps in the rains,
The washday flags
Are gone from alleyways
With children's shouts
From cobbled games.

No smell of fired coke
From tin bath nights,
No Conga ever weaves
Through party doors.
No corner grocery shop
With tick book sales,
No more "Us" and "Ours"
Just, "Mine" and "Yours"

Copyright© Alan Gilbert 2011.
http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com

Emily, (A childhood in six short verses.)

Have you seen Emily today?
Laughing as she ran to play,
Her hair tied up with ribbons gay
There’s dolls and teddies on display
With Emily today.

Have you seen Emily today?
She’s quite the tomboy now they say,
Climbs trees and chases boys away
With dares she’s just as brave as they
Is Emily today?

Have you seen Emily today?
She’s found another game to play,
With mouse and visual display
Mails Face book friends about Ebay
Does Emily today.

Have you seen Emily today?
Now growing up the neighbors say,
The world is calling her away
From childhood days that cannot stay
With Emily today.

Have you seen Emily today?
All dressed up and on her way,
To catch a show or see a play
All heads are turned as if to say,
That’s Emily today.

I’ve not seen Emily today
The house seems sad she’s gone away,
To marry in the U.S.A.
New home and friends in Tampa Bay
No Emily today.

Copyright© Alan Gilbert 2011.
http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com

This poem is from my book, “All that Rhymes with Love.” Emily is the, “Emy” my granddaughter in the book dedication, who inspired me to start writing again after years of inactivity.

Would You?

Would you stand before God
With your sword unsheathed
And spit in the eye of the storm.
Would you fight to the death
For the things you believed
Forgetting your body was torn.
Would you fly to the stars
Riding Arian's spear,
Pushing the boundaries
Of natural fear.
Risking damnation
For dreams you hold dear.
Would you?

Would you ride into hell
On the Sleipnir steed
And call for the devil to dance.
Would you stand all alone
Gainst the wrath of the world
Certain they hadn't a chance.
Would you stand up and shout
For how it should be,
That all of the world
Could be fed and be free.
Cursing our leaders
Damn hypocrisy.
Would you?

Copyright© Alan Gilbert 2011.

From, “The Echo of Heartbeats” to be published soon.

http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com

Met in Dreams

She comes to me the wild one
With golden hair and eyes of fire,
And leaves at dawn the mild one
When I am drained by her desire.

She troubles me the sweet one
Who haunts my dreams and calls my name,
Then goes, still the complete one
Leaving me dull and wracked with pain.

She touches me, the cold one
Who stays aloof with frosted smile,
Reminding me, the old one
That I may only sleep a while.

She gladdens me the sad one
Who weeps as though her heart will break,
Then sighs and takes me by the hand
And begs me never more to wake.

Copyright© Alan Gilbert 2010.

From, “Love is a Dreamer”

http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com/

By Summer Streams

Whilst walking by the water’s edge
Of dappled sparkling summer stream,
I watch reflections of the clouds
That dance and shimmer like a dream.

Now and then a shadow skimmed
The darting shape of roach or bream,
Whilst walking by the water’s edge
Of dappled sparkling summer stream.

I loved to walk those quiet ways
Where natures wonders may be seen,
Now and then a shadow skimmed
The darting shape of roach or bream,

Now from the drudge of city life
I can recall though all in dream,
I loved to walk those quiet ways
Where natures wonders may be seen.


Copyright©Alan Gilbert 2011.
http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com/

Once to a Heart

She reaches out
And touches with a smile,
Now turns her head
I follow every move.
She's speaking now
Across the in-between,
And I am spellbound
By her verse of love.

The velvet blue of night
Set white with stars.
Full yellow satin moon
Sails its domain.
The world is hushed
For one full sacred hour,
In which my soul's
Infused with love again.

Once to a heart
Is such an hour revealed,
When freed each soul
Soars high upon that plane
Where in true congress
Joins the whole once more,
As near, and far, and time
Meet with distain.


http://gilbertverse.blogspot.com/

Copyright©Alan Gilbert 2011.

Contradictions

If man’s omnipotence brooks no exception
And his desire is measure of its right,
Is progress just a word for self deception
While nurturing the seeds of endless night?

If power aided privilege offers choices
Of only systems that itself ordains,
Is franchisment a means to raise our voices
To argue on the length and weight of chains?

If starving thousands for their daily ration
Only droplets from the fullest cups receive,
Is charity a deeply felt compassion
Or balm to salve the giver not the grieved?


From, “All that rhymes with Love.”
Copyright©Alan Gilbert 2010.

When I was Seventeen

It was tailored suits and double twos
With turned back cuffs and Gibson shoes,
Fluorescent socks of rainbow hues
When I was seventeen.

We worked and lived for Friday night
To have a drink and start a fight,
There never was a blade in sight
When I was seventeen.

You paid your way and stood your round
No unearned money to be found,
And we were known by all around
When I was seventeen.

Now they dress in casual wear
They play the games I cannot share,
I smile and think, yes, I was there
When I was seventeen.

From, “Love is a Dreamer”

Copyright©Alan Gilbert 2010.

Manifesto

We are all lost generations
Disenfranchised and abandoned,
Our words are vain far echoes
Dying on the ears of fools.
We are the disillusioned
Paying homage to an idle,
Our flags with lies emblazoned
Rotting on the floors of schools.

We like perpetual sleepers
Stupefied by dreams and shadows,
Each believing that a new dawn
Glowed just one more race away.
So we stood and heard the promise
As we waved our naive banners,
Then awoke to find our heroes
Hollow men with feet of clay.


Copyright© Alan Gilbert 2011.

The Urban Beat

The city churns
And in the street,
The watchers watch
While greeters greet.
The walkers walk
And move their feet
In rhythm with
The urban beat.

The subway where
A busker plays
The people move,
His echo stays.
With urine smells
Of drunken ways,
And needles left
From poppy days.

The junior mums
With swollen tums.
The mugger waits
His victim comes.
All rush and tear
No time to spare,
In searing heat,
The urban beat.


From, Love is a Dreamer.
Copyright©Alan Gilbert 2011.

Goodbye Valparaiso.

We were four weeks on our way from Valparaiso.
Sailing home across Atlantic blue.
It’s been three years since I kissed you by the harbour
Long time away
But every day,
I thought of you.

That night I woke to hear the wind was howling,
The sea arose with fury in her eye.
Every watch was called on deck to fix the storm sails.
And we knew
Err night was through,
Some men would die.

We sailed for two weeks more without adventure.
Then as the sun was rising from the sea.
A shout of “Ship ahoy”, came from the rigging.
We raised a cheer
To hide our fear,
Of piracy.

We stood beside our guns, it seemed an hour.
We watched the corsair drawing ever near.
The skull and crossbones flying from his mainmast.
Nothing was said
By living dead,
Our time was here.

We raced toward them, both bow chasers blazing.
A lucky chain shot brought their mainsail down.
Then we turned to port, and sunk them with a broadside.
Nothing to do
By us spared few,
But watch them drown.

At last we sailed into the English channel.
We docked at Plymouth on a sunny day.
I promised when I saw you on the quayside.
Now I’m back home
No more I’ll roam,
With you I stay.


From, All that Rhymes with Love.