Cinquain "The Sheerie"

 

The Sheerie

by Richard H. Fay

Lambs lost
from Christian fold
bewitch with corpse-light brands,
jealously leading the living
to death.

(Originally published November 2009 in the webzine Aphelion)

NEW POEM "Depression's Cycle"

 

Depression's Cycle

By Richard H. Fay

Trapped in rumination's loop,
Caught by contemplation's coils,  
Ensnared in depression's cycle 
Of reflections dim and tainted,
Of introspections gloomy and grim,
Of perceptions murky and dark,
Of notions severe and sorrowful,
Of emotions sombre and stark,
I crave action to escape my plight,
To claw my way back into the light.

NEW POEM "The Devil and the Saint"

 

The Devil and the Saint

By Richard H. Fay

A lying, thieving philanderer,
A foolishly fickle pharisee
Paying lip-service to piety,
Harangues an honestly holy man.

A priestly personage preaching peace,
A figure of firm faith and frank words
Soundly scolds the scurrilous scoundrel
For his hatreds and hypocrisies.

A quarrelous clown questing power,
A vulgar villain pursuing praise
By waging wars and begetting woes,
Squabbles with a truly saintly soul.

A clergyman of clear conviction,
A churchman lauding both love and light,
Castigates the creature of chaos
For spreading sorrow and suffering.

A pantaloon paints himself as Christ
While dealing devilish destruction.
A devote devotee of Christ’s ways
Makes the malefactor look a moron.

NEW/REVISED POEM "Stop and Start"

Revised and expanded a poem I wrote earlier this year, "Stop and Start", and rendered a background for it using GIMP.
I strengthened the stormy metaphor a bit and also tried to make it a little more inspirational, thus "Start being / An unstoppable force of change."

Stop and Start

By Richard H. Fay

Stop waiting
For our institutions to save us.
Stop hoping
That our legislators will rescue us.
Stop looking
To the government for answers.
Stop wishing
For others to end this madness.

Start planning
Ways to weather the fascist tempest.
Start forming
Means to survive the oncoming storm.
Start making
A better future for every one of us.
Start being
An unstoppable force of change.

Poem "In Anger and Hate"

 

In Anger and Hate

By Richard H. Fay

In anger and hate, I planted a seed

From which a sickly sprout sprang.

Nourished by strife, sustained by grief,

Tainted seedling grew twisted and bent

'Til corrupt sprout became warped sapling. 

Gnarled branches scratched a somber sky;

Black roots delved deep into my rotten soul.

NEW POEM "Rocket Ship"

 

Rocket Ship

By Richard H. Fay

Fire
Propels
Silver craft,
Man-made comet
Speeding through the vacuum of outer space,
Spreading humankind's presence out beyond
Our Earth to reach
Other worlds,
Distant
Orbs.

NEW POEM "Lethargy or Recovery?"

Lethargy or Recovery?

By Richard H. Fay

What looks to be indolent lethargy
May just be a case of recovery.
When vital energies dwindle to nil,
The truest answer lies not in some pill.
What recharges life's batteries the best
Is lying back and taking a sound rest.