Up-dated July 1, 2000

There is more! in OPEN MIC SUMMER ENCORE.

"We are the Class of the Millennium"
By CJ Stevens

Written for Graduation at Cambridge Central School 2000

It's hard to believe we've come to the end of the road, 
We stuck it out through all the long days and huge workloads.
As we grew older we all became friends,
The Jocks, Grungers, and Brains all seemed to blend.
We've passed all our tests and regents exams,
I guess it's time to learn some new scams.
A whole new door will open with questions of lies ahead,
Now we must listen to what our mentors have said.
It seems as though we were just the first class to try middleschool,
We've now completed learning the golden rules.
But we can do it we are so strong!
We are the Class of the Millennium.
We must take new responsibilities and learn on our own,
What the future brings is certainly unknown.
We have learned things we'll probably never use,
We learned to have fun whether we win or lose.
By working hard our athletic teams have risen to the top,
Support from dedicated fans, friends, and family nonstop.
we dominated in both football and soccer,
Who would have thought another State Championship would occur.
Never give up is the attitude we must take as we approach each new day,
A great leader at our school once said,
"life is a game you just need to learn how to play".
He taught his team discipline and respect,
A positive attitude he did reflect.
The support from the teachers helped us to get by,
now I look back the times seemed to fly.
Some of us will serve the country proudly, or enter the workplace.
While others will continue our education.
Good luck to all in any case.
We are the Class of the Millennium.


~*~

Gift of Words
H.C. Mahajan

Give me a gift-
A gift of words
Word so powerful
Words so pregnant with meaning
Words so sweet
Words so glamorous
Words so beautiful
That they could express you complete!

When you are around 
The world changes
The words change too
Their texture 
Their complexion
Undergoes a change
They loose their drossness

They become light as thistle
They float and fly like fragrance and notes of music
Like vehicles of a song 
They take on the mantle of divinity
They vie for perfection
They assume the beauty they describe
Words acquire a glow and a warmth
While trying to capture you in all your glory.

If only I had mastery enough over words
I could capture a sunrise forever 
And would be freed from dependence on nature

If only I could describe the beauty of the human form
In all its exciting, sexiting nuances
I would not linger over every passing beauty.

But alas!
Words slip through my mind
My unsteady hold 
My weak grasp
Words escape my faint fancy
Words refuse to stand by my imagination
Words defy peopling my world
With ideas of my choice.

If only I had sufficiency in words
I could ignore the world.
~*~

"whispered screams"
jeff smith 1-3-99

my thoughts are dark
(help me fix it)
my mind is broken
my feelings are twisted
(heal my wounds)
my heart is broken
my words are are wasted
(give me something to say)
my speech is broken
my jaw is strong
(i can't do it alone)
my smile is broken
my wings are soild
(help me to fly)
my soul is broken
my seconds are wasted
(fill my life)
my life is broken

~*~

I cry, bitter rivulets of loss as I remember the summer.

A nonstop thrill ride with dips and swells; of love and confusion
of anger and resentment, of play and of hopes and wishes.

I wonder how this upcoming year would be different if it didn't have the summer to guide it. Would it be more fresh, easier to accept? Or would it be vague and troubled. 

It doesn't matter now, because at this very moment I am torn by love and my pain. I fumble at the thoughts that flood my mind like an overflowing pool of rain water. Murky.

Thinking thoughts of you, of my mistakes of yours. Of how I need you now and of how you are gone. I beat my head against the wall, this is breaking me. 

The void inside me begs to be filled with you, but all that trickles in is loss. There are times when I yearn to let go, to float away in a cloud of dust, the final release, a shedding of all burdens, a weightless transition into oblivion. 

I think to much and I think of you. Old scars split open and I spill out. Messy and cold. Lost without solace. I reach out my hands and grasp emptyness. 

I fail to accept that which is deemed normal, its so hard, but I had you to cling to when i was washed away. Only now...you are gone and the tides pull me under, suffocating, drowning, in my inner turmoil.

So I close my contorted eyes, and pray that one day one time we shall see one another again. I pray that the joy I lack will be replenished. For I think as murcury, viscous and thick. It is you that makes me flow.
Mycanthrotep

~*~

The Dream Bean 
Elizabeth Sanders

I knew a guy who had a farm
Who took the girls out there to charm.
And though with looks he did impress
Its not the looks the girls confessed
That made them think that they had found
The grandest guy from all around.
It when he takes them to the field
To show them all the crops he yields
Its then they say "You are my dream,
Because you grow the best soybeans."

~*~

"Sing Me a Revelation "
Who the Hell do you think you are telling me how I should feel?
So many times I wanted to leave, but I looked at the kids and decided to yield
Now they're gone by mistake and I got to know myself outside of you and I don't like how I feel
But every time I would try to go, you would tell me the same old lies:
"I love you"
"I love you"
"I didn't mean to make you cry"
"I love you"
"I love you"
"Can we give our love just one more try?"
So sing me a Revelation 
And tell me something new
It's because of all this pain and heartache
That I'm getting rid of you
Such a big man to be such a little boy
You treated me like one of our kids itty bitty toys
You played with me once and then threw me away
I'm slowly living this deadly life each and everyday
But every time I tried to leave you'd look at me with weepy eyes and say
"I love you"
"I love you"
"I'm sorry about last night"
"I love you"
"I love you"
"I bought you these flowers I know they will suffice"
So sing me a revelation
And tell me something new
It's because all over I'm black and blue
That I'm getting rid of you
All I ever wanted was to have a fairy tale life
To have a real nice man come and make me his fairy tale wife
But as the story goes: Pregnant at sixteen Married the year next
It seems that when you were hitting me you were at your personal best
Don't look at me like I'm crazy
It's because of you I can't see my own babies
"I love them"
"I love them"
"They just make me real mad"
"I love them"
"I love them"
"I'm suppose to discipline them I'm their only dad"
So sing them a revelation
And tell them something new
It's cause daddy got a little drunk
And that's why he hits on you
So I'm going to go get them 
And tell little Brandon his daddy will no longer hit him
But be for I go
There are a few things you should know:
I hate you
I hate you
You stupid immature bastard
I hate you
I hate you
Without me you're probably a total disaster
So I'm singing you this revelation
And telling you something new:
I'm a real strong women now and I don't need a weak man like you.

~*~

jamás no puedo volver
by deborah arndt

when i was a child
my cousin had a kitten
who would crawl underneath the bed to sleep
and then not be able to get out.
he would cry and we would wake
and pound the mattress to make him stop.
until one day we figured out
he was only alerting us to his distress
of not being able to free himself on his own.
we then would let him out
and he would be quiet
and go about his way.
life is a little like that.

~*~

Take this country
on a striped sofa
in the back of a van.

Lay on it with friends,
let the ground wave beneath,
fall asleep together,
sink in the cushions 
at 70 miles an hour;

crossing state boundaries,
smoking and reading poems,
sleeping on Lennon glasses,
bending them, watching 
with blurred vision.

Open the windows,
blast, sing, snore,
breathe the highway's
sighs together,

make love, make art,
make the country 
yours together.

- Gregg Ross
~*~

As you lie asleep in my bed I sit here and watch you
And I start to cry because of something I must do
I don't know if it's right and maybe it's wrong
But I know to do this I've got to be strong
'Cause I know you deserve better, better than all I can give
And I know you don't need to be a part of the life I live
Being poor is part of my life, but it doesn't have to be of your's
And please don't ever ask me what I'm doing this for
I know how it goes when a guy can't take care of his girl
In a little bit of time they'll start to drift into separate worlds
I've seen it happen before, in my family and in others
That's why I feel it's best if you spend your life with another
I'm not doing this to be mean or because I want out
It's all for the better of you 'cause I know what life's really about
This would've happened sooner or later and I'd rather it be now
I know you might be upset but in time you'll forgive me, somehow
You know I love you and maybe that's why I'm doing this
'Cause this is a situation that can't be solved witha kiss
So baby please don't cry and just try to let it be
And please don't ever forget that a piece of you is always with me.
Anthony Nguyen

~*~

Old Man With Closed Eyes
David Koepke


Old man with
closed eyes:

Such... thought
upon inner tunnels

--One
all the way

to this distant
blow torch heart of 

Explode. He kneels,
muttering,

forehead to the prayer 
mats weave.
~*~

I look at you so lovingly, like a father for his child,
you feel my touch so gentle, so delicate and mild.

Anywhere we can go, we'll see Britain, Spain and France,
forever we shall kiss, forever we shall dance.

See anything and everything, castles, plains, and towers,
together we'll hear choir's sing, we'll feel all of love's great powers.

We'll see our love in a waterfall, we'll see it in a landscape,
time cannot take our love, so there's nothing that it can take.

We travel to the Berlin Wall, travel to the Parthenon,
I finally say I love you here, what my heart has said all along.

TheGNRkidd
~*~

DEATH
G.H.Scott.

How absolute this disposition,
Tricked a wino,
Fooled physician.
The end
and it's implied finality;-
Death
Proud monument to mortality. 

~*~

This is how I dress my face
To mask the waterfall of fear.
This is how I tame my lips to lie
Flat on the bone, obedient before you.
My voice no longer trembles
It chirps like a sparrow or a door hinge.
This is how I learn your crevices
The noise-like silence of your bells,
Your words for sex, for whim
For eyes cold as blue stains
Look at my shoulders, so gallant
I have trained them too like a saint
To lift and turn from strangers
To wait and wait
I have learned these things in secret
Dreamed of your mouth
Made of crystal and haze, your thighs
Coated with red dust and gasoline.
Who will know I have cut myself off
From the breeze, from th eodors of youth?
Who will care that my songs
Leave no trace and drift off to sea.
I have grown new feet, they are dainty.
I have kissed a new tongue
It is marble. I no longer speak of loss
I know nothing of paradise.
I am constantly eating 
My vowels, my throat is sore.
 courtney erhardt 

~*~
She lied unnoticeably
Adorning the footsteps of passer-bys.
* The Flower *
 Janice

Swirling winds, mingling with the Londonderry air;
Shivered the dismayed, nobody realized.
In agony she recalled her dreams ---
Allure in bloom, to be held dear by the tree;
Bear lovely fruit, cherished, sun or rain,
Blue carefree skies, days of summery.
Yesterday the wind came,
Unexpectedly, wild and forceful.
The tree swayed recklessly ---
She descended, landed on pain and sorrow.

Night fell, sable and insecure,
As remembrance excruciates her fragile soul.
God purposed them be destined to part,
Would she ever, ever get to know?
Motionless and in fading colours
She quietly laid, and ceased to yearn.
Sure, on this shining night,
Life's lesson she has finally learnt.

~*~

Winds whispering trough the wild
Wakening the spirit of the willow
Who is said to be weeping while 
She's actually sleeping intent on 
Dreaming of days bygone while
the elves wandered one by one 
and played mischief on every one
even the faries who loved to play
and sit on her branches and sway 
were victims of the elves mischievous play 
and all the while the willow sleeps 
and maybe weeps while waiting for the wonderful 
days to return with the elves and the fae's 
Douglas 

~*~

My girlfriend is on charlie
By Richard Barnard
(to be said in the style of Noel Coward)

My girlfriend is on charlie
It's driving me insane
if she keeps it up for very long
we certainly shant be the same

She's on charlie every morning
And on charlie every night
she's being very naughty
And my tempers getting light

It's such a dirty cross to bear
I'm never getting laid
Because charlie is our plumber and
He isn't getting paid
Thangyouverymuch!

~*~

Mr Coffee 
Sarah J.Checkley (Deceased)

Mr. Coffee cannot see,
The things beneath his nose, that be.
He spies the trees, the sky, the grass,
But never presently the things that pass.
Oh, Mr coffee why do you not look
At pages deep within the book.

Mr. Coffee does not wish
To find the existence beyond the kiss.
He fears a wall, it's bricks to bind,
But that is only for the blind.
So wings that stir cannot glide
Stay only far on high, hidden in pride.

Mr Coffee does not see,
Just how beautiful our world can be.
The wall so tall to break us,
Far reaching in it's infancy......

~*~

FALL UNTO ME
Andrea Hall  June 28,1999 11:09pm
 
Fall unto me
show me
on which path to tread
take me away 
from all that is awful
Fall unto me
show me 
to an inner sanctuary
where rain shall
fall again no more
From where do we come
scared, lost
is there really
any place to go
somewhere to belong
Phantoms passing
drifting along time
Fall unto me
show me
to death now mine
~*~

one day we will be together
nobody will be able to tear us apart
there will be nobody to get in our way
nobody to tell me when we can see each other
the day will come soon
the only thing that stands in our way is time
time will go by quickly and we shall be happy
being together is all that we want
being together is all that we need
trying to over come the wait will be hard and alot of work
but when the day comes it will be worth the wait
i try everyday not to worry about our time apart
and try to think of the good times we will share together 
all that is in our way is the time
 B.L.M 

~*~

UNDERSTAND ME

Salty tears
Sting my eyes
Aching heart 
Increases my fears

Lonely room
Echoing my words
Take a look
At my empty tomb

I love to live
Take my heart
For with this love
There's no one to give

Bright shining sun
Give me some warmth
Will you still love me 
When this life is done

It might not be much
But I can give you the stars
I'll live in eternal bliss
As long as I feel your touch
Jessie Urrea

~*~

Dreaming
david riley

Live to die without realizing
The best event in your life is dying
You were given a voice to speak right
A million wrongs yet no voice did fight

Stand up for what you believe is best
Your life is yours to make a success
An arsenal will not help in what you’re fighting
Your dreams are your life and your surviving
~*~

FORBIDDEN FRUIT
By Beth Dorais

Forbidden fruit is always sweeter 
You waited to decide till now that you need her
You want her now but didn't then
Could it only be because she's with him?
It doesn't matter you want her that’s a fact
But with all your lustful feelings should you act?
Or would she turn away and refuse
Think was this the right thing to choose?
What if she fell into your arms and you kissed her gently
Would you then be thinking consequently?
This guy was your friend what did you do
If this happened could he forgive you?
Or could you forgive yourself that’s the question 
Did you really have a bad intention?
Taking your friends girl thou shalt not
Sneaking around is that what you want?
You better think it through a bit
Broken hearts is that what you want to become of it?
Do you really want to take her away?
You don't think he'd make you pay
You didn't go after her in the past
If its only cause he has her would your relationship last?
You thought about your friendship before do you really think you could be more?
Maybe its best with him you leave her
Even though forbidden fruit is so much sweeter

~*~

The best I have is memory,
My recollections' land.
Sometimes it is my enemy,
Sometimes it is my friend.

But now it helps me think of you,
Picture your lovely eyes,
Touch upon your silky skin
Somewhere in the rye.

And then I try to find you there
To breathe your body's smell,
To hold your waist, to kiss your hair
While there ring the bells.

Oleg V. Semonov  Donetsk, Ukraine

~*~

untitled

A love that is so undying creates a void into my past
I sit and remember the times I used to spend in my backyard
Swinging on my red swing, Singing to my self and not having a care in the world 
This was when My father was Superman, he was my hero, and I was his little girl
My sisters were my best friends and the ones i looked up to. I can still smell the aroma of freshly baked cookies on a cold December afternoon, me and my sisters running down the stairs to paint the sugar cookies 
while listening to a record of Rudolph the red nose reindeer.
what ever happen to those happy childhood memories? So much love in my heart for my family and no worries.
I no longer swing on my red swing for it is rusted and aged.
The songs i sing are not happy, the words all filled with rage
I finally realized that my father is not Superman and I am not his little girl anymore.
I don't know who to look up to 
Me and my sisters rarely speak
The record player is now in the garage, and the records caked with dust.
 Jennifer 

~*~

So many aren't satisfied with what they've got
They want a little less or they want alot
You don't know what you have until it is gone
You don't like the dark, until it turns dawn
You're unhappy with your firm, unbroken heart
But you're unhappy with the opposite, when it's torn apart
You're unhappy with your blind eyes, you can't see your way
You should have been happy, because you went deaf the next day
Upset you didn't make the team cause you'd only cause it harm
Then, feel sorry for the boy who can't try out cause he can't use his arms
Upset because you have a disease, but you still will live long
Then think about the baby who died in the arms of its mom
Angry because one of your brothers are making you mad
Then please think about the girl who lost the only brother she's ever had
Mad because your house has a couple of leaks
Well what about the people living on the streets
Complaining because you got a B on a test
When it honestly is some peoples' best
Mad because your clothes are not in style
Then, look at the "weird" girl in your class who can't even wear a smile
So be thankful for what you have, away it may fly
Because you don't know what you're missing, until it all dies
Eve Wozniak 

~*~
Remembering Grandmother
by Philip T. (C)June 2000

Grandma you meant the world to us 
I hope you always knew
That whether it was Dorothy or mom or whatever else we called you 
We loved you
Grandma you made us proud and I hope we did you

Do you remember when you'd take us to downtown Monroe
We'd walk until we got to the Custer Memorial
There you would tell us about Monroe's history
Grandma you meant the world, you meant the world to me

"If you've got the money honey I've got the time
We'll go honkey tonkin' and have a great time"
That was the song you'd always sing to me
Grandma you meant the world, You meant the world to me

You'd keep candy in you nightstand drawers
And pass it out to the neighbor kids as if they were yours
I still find myself looking there for candy
Grandma you meant the world, You meant the world to me

I remember the roses, tulips, and other flowers
You would teach me about them for many many hours
I still remember the secret of the pansies
Grandma you meant the world, you meant the world to me

I remember how you would never eat sweets
Not cake or ice cream or any other treats
Birthdays were the only times that you would eat candy 
Grandma you meant the world, you meant the world to me

Grandma you meant the world to us 
I hope you always knew that weather it was Dorothy or mom or whatever
The point is we love you
Grandma you made us proud ..........and I hope we did you.

~*~

Gone For A Season
Garner Jamie
All of the morning dew slowly dried,and was all but a memory!
The dreams that at one time were raging in my mind have set me free!
I cross the sky with just one prayer,
as I fly through the heavens,I hope to see you up there!
I'm just gone for a season of forever change,
I will only return, when I've been rearranged!
and the seasons of fall will spring into the summer I call!
Then when winter shows it's bitter,cold face,
My seasons will find me again here at this place!
All of a sudden the rain pours it's self down,as to be my punishment for my sin!
Then the lightning brightens what was left of my glow,as my sweet thunder screams.........Go my child into the even flow......you shall be you again!

And I go
I'm just gone for a season,and yes Oh yes I wil change!
When I return all bad shall be rearranged!
Now the rainbows all different colors for me to see,
only the seasons will understand the storm that I just set free!
I am only me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~*~

The Big Time
by The Jag

Hello to the world, I'm here make my mark,
So all of everyone will know who I am.

Taken the power to move, the power to grow,
and showing you all that I am the man.

My voice is strong, and it will be heard,
because I've decided to take my stand.

Everyone can think what they want, say what they must,
I tell you, in my mind, I don't give a damn.

I'm shooting for the big time, the top of the world,
something exceptional, something grand.

I'll do it because I can see it, do it because I need it,
I'll do it because ...I know I can.

I have no plans to lose, no plans to fail,
I will not fail to maintain to my plans.

See, I know where I want to be, I know what I've got to do,
I perceive it, and I understand.

~*~

I want to be your comfort, when your lost in the rain
I want to be your stamina, when you can't endure the pain
I want to be your strength, when your feeling down
I want to be your happiness, when you frown.

I want to be your friend, when you need one the most
I want to be your pride, when you feel the need to boast
I want to be your inspiration, when you can't think
I want to be your raft, when your about to sink.

I want to be your morning, when you awake
I want to be your power, when your about to break
I want to be your guiding start, when you need a dream
I want to be your idea, when you need a scheme.

I want to be your music, when you want to sing
I want to be your healer, when your heart stings
I want to be with you, when you open your heart

I wanted to be with you, right from the start...

 Becky DeShane

~*~

What secrets are hidden in the roses bloom?
Darlene Shaffer

Did you know they grow to natures tune?
We all have the need to be surrounded 
by beautiful things.
We to; Need to grow to natures tune.
We need to bloom!

~*~

your love is a knife that cuts right through to the heart
your love is a stream that i can't help but drown in
your love is the rope that pulls me apart
and now that it's gone i'm drinking broken glass.
the shards are cutting me up inside but there's nothing i can do.
i just keep on drinking broken glass now that i don't have you.
your love is fire that burns me up inside
your love is a song that keeps running through my head
your love is a rollercoaster that takes me for a ride
and now that it's gone i'm burning in acid
its getting underneath my skin but there's nothing i can do
i keep on burning burning now that i don't have you.
 Kat Scarlette

~*~

JAZZ SAX FOR LAZERUS
BY THE WORDSLANGER

....SHE THOUGHT HER LOVE COULD CURE A LAZERUZ
BUT THAT ARROGANT FOLLY PROVED HAZARDOUS 
BROKE HER DOWN LIKE A SHOT GUN/
HE HAD A CASE OF SERIOUS HIT AND RUN/
RIDIN HARD IN THE SADDLE MAKE HER HOLLER AND MOAN
BUT BEFORE SHE CAN VOICE HOW GOOD/ DADDY UP/ DADDY GONE 
SHE NEEDS HIM TO BE GOOD/ BUT HE'S BAD/TO THE BONE. 
BUT SHE JUST CANT LEAVE THE SWEET STICKY ALONE.
SOMEBODY PLAY A SAXOPHONE/SWEET HAUNTING /LOW
BEND JAZZ CORDSFROM FLO TO DOE
SOUND OF THE SAX EASES THE PAIN 
YA KNOW...
~*~

A silly poem that has spawned from a silly song
Joy Desiree Quinn

Sitting in the back of the room
thinking of you.
Walking in the hallways
wondering about you.
Turning through the pages
dreaming of you.
Get out of my dreams and into my car.
~*~

"GATEWAY" 
By: Tina Allen

eyes are the
gateway,
to a soul/
a gate
so easily disguised
into fooling an onlooker
into thinking they
are only pupils/
ah, but do not be fooled
my friends/
for i have seen
many souls/
heartbroken souls,
cheerful souls
and lonely souls/
each able to show
you a story
of hopes, dreams, and wants/
look not into my eyes
you will not find a soul/
for my soul is free.

~*~

The poems are words
arranged in order and rhythm
There is a beauty and meaning.
But it is not mine.
The words are products of my mind.
My mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts.
Thoughts are enlivened ,
because my mind is active and vibrating.
My mind vibrates and mirrors
the world around,
because I am conscious of it.
I am that living principle.
Nothing is mine. No poem is mine.
In the world every thing is free.
The air we breathe,
the sun which shines,
the moon which cools,
the water that flows are free.
What is there to feel proud
and ask for copy right and feel that is mine

s.a.srinivasa sarma

~*~

The Dove

Once there was a man 
Who hungered for love
He prayed to the Heavens
To send a beautiful Dove
He waited and watched
Year upon year 
For his beautiful Dove
To finally appear
Though the years kept passing
His hope never died
He knew in his heart
His Dove would arrive
When the day came
He heard a trumpet sound
The Heavens opened up
And his Dove floated down
From that day forward
He was happy as could be
For He had his Dove
And She had He
Freddie Segraves

~*~

Time
Bryan 

Have you ever noticed
How strangely time
Passes as we
Wander down the
Path of life

Why is it that
Every moment we're apart
Feels like an eternity
And when we're together
An eternity isn't long enough?

Why is it that
You said more
With a minor glance
Than when we talked
For all those countless hours?

Why is it that
Hours of conversation
Alone with you
Have meant more than all
The past relationships?

I hope you know
How slow time passes
When we are apart
For that means that you
Understand how I feel about you.
~*~

*Just Because*
Chanelle Barnes

Just because emotion is hidden
And my thoughts aren't always said
Just because my words are sparing
And a smile is there instead
Don't be frustrated
Don't be upset
Just because you seem unsure
And things aren't the best
Just because you lied
And seemed like all the rest
I think you're different,
than any guy I've met
Just because I'm feeling down
And my feelings were torn apart
Just because I want to explain,
But don't know where to start
You're always on my mind
You're always in my heart...

~*~

A finer Day
Gus Wallen

A finer day may lie beyond,
But this I shall not see,
For today I bid my last farewell,
To a world to full for me,
I've never seen enough to show,
To prove that I belong,
For every time I think I fit,
The hole contorts all wrong.

I do not blame. I feel no hate,
For a world that squashed my soul,
That long ago, before my time,
Had already dug my hole.
By not it's fault, I see it now,
The blame, it falls on me,
My own damn flaws have caused this pain,
I've been to blind to see.
But here it ends, this forsaken curse,
The curtains close tonight,
I shall, at once, give a final bow,
And to a better world take flight.

~*~

That Magical Boat:
Shuchi S. Shukla

Up in the sky a hanging cloud
Dark and pregnant ready to pour
Covered under its murky shroud
Sad hearts, damp spirits to the core.

But here it is, at the front door
Boat of colors spread across the sky
Standing still at the sunshine shore
Excited are hearts, to ride high

Traveling far-far in the countryside
Reaching the din of the cities around
Gathering hearts for a graceful glide
Sharing the cheer for another round

Boat has gone leaving the magic with us,
Return it will after the black clouds' fuss.

~*~

Did you ever hear a child say
"Ooh, I'm gonna tell my dad"?
You know he told you not to do that
You'll wish you never had

The reaction to that statement
Truly amazes me
But I tell the devil
I'll tell my dad
His name is "G O D".
gold 35740
~*~

Uppon One Summer...
I drempt of play-
Visions of beaches, to lounge and to lay
Games, like volleyball, and friends of the day...
When I rode my bike to the beach
No hassles, no worries, no stressful delays 

Oh Lord, how I miss those days of bliss...
Won't You please help me remember
and help me repay
all the bills I've made, since those sweet summer days
When Life was simple and easy... and filled with play

Oh! No! This poem must stop!
I'm late for Work, Just look at the Clock!

Brian Smith
~*~

as daylight breaks-
Melissa Hrycauk

the moonlight majestic sky,
is littered with ancient stars.
each one representing sorrows of my sighs,
thousands of specks from afar.

the big dipper crying for my heart,
but no emotion shall failure.
my soul torn apart,
i'll have no faith in the future.

darkness lays a blanket over my happiness,
and my individuality torn from me.
i have no concern for my wellness,
i require no help but please just let me be.

my heart needs time to heal,
i'm tired of handling my heart over.
no concern for how i feel,
i have no power.

Pricks swarm me like flies,
as if i was fresh meat.
all sworn to spies,
to use me to complete their feat.

the most useless thing to me is love,
but as time will pass my heart will mend.
the stars direct me from above,
as my life will ascend.

the darkness of night will disappear,
fading into the back of the majestic sky.
the sun's horizon melts away my fear,
my heart will never completely mend but it will try.

~*~

***

The roads lead to Athens
When the answer's missed
To catch the Nature's essence
Through the ancient myths,

To have the past remembered,
To grow the future's fruits
And keep the knowledge embers
Alight to forget no roots,

And in the maze of mystery
To feel the ages' breath
To re-create the history -
The life out of death.
 Oleg V. Semonov.

~*~

Summertimes
 John Degerman

Of tulips, roses and daisies,
three scents that came my way.
Promised my summertimes,
warmer times soon to come.

With seven of the roses,
twenty of the tulips and
fourteen of the daisies,
the summer seemed to begin.

They rose and showed us all,
their grace on proud display,
with petholds and scents,
they seduced us all.

I just smiled and went along,
cherishing the warmth of june,
and when winters cold comes,
inside the flowers bloom.
~*~

~*~

.:Ready:.
Jack Tran

drifting smoke
plastic crying clouds
crunching boots

~*~

MY SATISFACTION
BERNADETTE KENNEDY 

YOUR VOICE IS SWEET ECSTASY
MY MIND IS EXALTED WITH JOY
YOUR MATURE NOT A CHILDISH BOY
I'M CRAVING FOR YOU, YOUR MY APPETITE
YOU TAKE MY HEART TO EXTREME HEIGHTS
YOUR APPEALING TO ME WITH ALL ATTRACTION
YOUR MY LOVE MY SATISFACTION

~*~

(momentarily titled) disturbing shades of gray
callisto

nights do drag, and days last long
when sleep and stars are far away
and fairies sing their nostalgic song
in all the disturbing shades of gray

what once was white is turning black,
what thought would last is dying out
grow up, fall down, but don’t look back
for this is nothing, nothing to cry about

there are things that sting and things that heal
days imagined, and nighttime dreams real

~*~

THE DICE MAN
Frans Tooten

Born by accident, lives by chance
Picks his ways with the fortune lance
Good luck is not an ending word
It's just a sigh, too often heard

He won a woman, not the first
But one without the money thirst
He got her love and lost his heart
He promised her a whole new start

He broke with dice and history
Got what he craved for: mystery
But time started its grinding work
Common shadows came fast to lurk

Now, when you want to make a bet
Visit the rouge et noir roulette
Perhaps you'll see this man, so smart
With a big smile, but with no heart

He's the dice man, king of the stake
Leaves broken purses in his wake
~*~

Unable to Love
Trevor Hope 

I wonder why she cannot love me
when I love her so true 

I cannot show her what I see
when I cannot extend to you ~

I hope to feel this love again
but I realize it is rare ~

I felt what had once been
my love that was sincere ~

She made me look inside
and try to find sensations ~

She had the answer in her stride
it was without instructions ~

She was ominous to my gander 
but knew of its existence ~
~*~

LUNA
Kathrynne Simmons

What beauty hath the moon
that is given unto night,
when all the land is grey
with her pale and mystic light,
How glorious she doth gleam
against an onyx sky,
bejewelled with diamond stars
that make the nightwind sigh,
what ancient secrets doth she possess
within her marbled core,
that guide the tides of oceans
to consume the tender shore,
O'nocturnal sphere above
thy beams are as a lover,
fairer than the fairest
and enchanting as no other, whispered on the surf...Luna is her name,
magnetism is her nature and madness is her fame.
~*~

'Stars' 
M.Robert Gray

Away from me
From across the edge of the wide open sea;
The star of day begins its rise,
reflecting against the mirror of night
revealing the interstellar sky line.

Asight of dis-belief
to stand on earths sandy beach, as you behold
the worlds you dream to reach, even though you 
understand you never will;
washed over in envy for the explorer who someday
will.

Away from me
A blast of sunlight slowly burns away the mirror of
night.

~*~

sometimes our love is hard ,especially now you've gone away
i try to keep on smiling all night and throughout the day
love is always difficult well so they often say 
but you got taken away from me i wanted you to stay
i wonder what you do in there i wonder what you think
i wonder if they hit you and what you eat and drink 
i wonder if your lonely or if you think of me 
i wonder what its like in jail i hope i will never see
i want you back here with me to share kisses and watch tv
i want you back here with me to hold me hand and laugh endlessly
but most of all i want you to stay
for forever and a day.

 rhianna r

~*~

DEPRESSION LIFE 
BY R.D. Simmons
preparing things to say,preparing things to do
what come's to mind has nothing to do with you
making life easy,is harder to believe
when you can't handle life,like me

living day to day,your mind is aching away
for demented thoughts are fading away

you are not here mentally being,just physical leaning
towards death's screening of existence none meaning

life's last words ,is life's last breath
as death is to see of what you could be
as to exist in a world you would not miss.

~*~
Destroyed
Jade Davis Mitchell

I want all this to end
i'm tired of being used
and left to be walked on
i continue to let you back in
and it rips me apart every time
you leave me here, alone
but i continue to wait for you
to return
each time i try to get over you
i drift farther from reality
you tell me not to worry
that everything will be alright
but i've got no reason to believe you
i still feel i have to hide
and there is this burning
like there's always been
cause sometimes i wish you'd leave me
but i continue to let you back in.

~*~

Psychedelic Madness
Shelly Elwell
I manipulated myself into contemplating I was puissant to control my inner self
This psychedelic madness I tried to posses annihilated my peace of mind
To recall oneself in such a manifest existence terrorized my soul
To discard me in to Hell
Is this chastisement deserved
I have no will power to break this iniquitous cycle
To fear eternity as a bedlamite 
Only adds to my inferior madness
How can I be released from this agonizing torture to my vital force
Shall I be deprived of my life
So I can escape the insanity I have generated
I have sacrificed my chance to enhance my 
life only because I made a childish mistake
I chose to experiment drugs
~*~

BIC
Kathy Marques 

Have you ever felt like writing?
Letting the ink flow out of a pen like blood out of a vein.
Ink is the emotion and the papermate pen is the well sculptured body of work.
Michaelangelo.
My naked body being the canvas of paper to write on. Although my flesh is not recyclable.
If I were to be pricked I bet my blood would be 
BLUE!
~*~

Angst
Sean. Shamus

I hate the world and everything in it, Nothing seems to please me any more.
Everything's been exhausted of pleasure, And nothing new incurs a worhty smile.
Effort is lacking of any reward, 
Music has lost it's previous true tone, 
Beauty seems ugly because it exists
Within this awful existence ; the Earth.
What am i here for? Where's it all going ?
Which merciless force punished me with life?
I won't be tutored to by the powers that be - 
This phony dictator, Society.
I will do what i truly want to do, 
And damn the millions who damn me too.
For they are weak in heart, mind and viewpoint, 
They are the dictated,the false,the dead.
They live by laws set by those before, 
They live a lie and that's not worth living for.
I will be a lonesome, travelling truth, 
I will do things my way, my choice, 
I will cross boundaries and break rules, 
If they lock me up, so be it, I LIVED.
~*~

Family
By Wallace A. Zard

A poem a day makes me feel very gay
A happy man playing these games that I play
Skipping like school kids, late for a game
Singing like some sickening moron so lame

I look in the mirror, God is that me?
I’m such a pathetic young loser you see
Nothing but anger, problems galore
Dad is a gambler, my mom is a whore

But dad taught me card tricks, sure if he won
And mom taught me never to screw just for fun
Both of them taught me to be my own man
Money for sex and strip pokers my plan

If I was good looking, like maybe Tom Cruise
And wasn’t addicted to morphine or booze
I would be such a great person to know
Not spineless, annoying, addicted to blow

But I will survive this, can I survive?
Can I get through this addiction alive?
I accept everything, good and the bad
I’ll keep on loving my mom and my dad
~*~
little death
jeff smith 4-18-00

the body shudders
sharp intake of breath
beautiful raptures
of the little death
the heart beats faster
a rhythm of flesh 
oh wonderful hour
of the little death
temperature rises
a tender caress
more alive in the time
of the little death
a deep sigh
time for rest
off to sweet dreams
of the little death

~*~

I don’t care if I live or die,
Up in heaven I could fly,
I could kill myself with a knife or gun,
It doesn’t matter, they’ll both be fun,
A cut here, A shot there,
I ran out of room, I’ll strip my body bare,
I’m going to fast I need to slow down,
It’s time to put on my death gown,
I can’t get up, I’m to tired,
I wonder if I was ever admired,
I feel the blood seep through,
And I wonder if I was ever a shrew,
I lay there trying to catch my last breath,
Finally, my body is at death.
Rik Perfektlynormal

~*~

VISITS NOT NEEDED
Vincent D. Lee 

Strangeness knocks its hardend rap,
Yet upon another door.
Who's there, if mind were to wonder,
Who's there, at my weathered door.

But yet no answer, not words reply,
Hollowed sound thorn fills the air.
Yet again the knock is heard,
A rap against my weathered door.

To answer in reply, would this be applied,
And give to the question that stirs in the mind.
Or listen again for yet once more;
The rap against my weathered door.

Go away I think, not today or tomorrow,
Leave me to emptiness and sorrows scorned.
My right if needed or chosen to bore;
The place I have chosen to be and adore.

No sound now comes from my weathered old door,
Silence is heard, the knock is no more.
Not a sound of the rap, nor from the door,
Is a visit not given, nor was it needed.
~*~

And The Band Played On
Tiffany 

As I listen to
the soft melody that fills the room,
a tear glints in my eye.
For I remember, 
in a life once before,
what had occurred.
I let the tear
escape from it's prison
and glide down
the smooth surface of my cheek.
The music continues
and it begins to overflow in my head
until it's pounding with the sensation
of that one simple memory
that I cant seem to let go of.

~*~

The Friends Epiphany
Rob 

I've never been so sure
About anything
She's so sweet and pure
She appreciates everything
She's my drug, my cure
No hate, no pain, nothing
I've opened up my sould to her
And I know we have something
I can open myself up more
Tell her anything
Everything
Keeping nothing
And starting something
Something beautiful

~*~

MY MUSE
Andrew Ulrich 

Eyes burning bright,
Hair of darkest night,
A touch so soft and light.

I call on my muse,
My dream and inspiration.
I ask her to stand with me.
Without my muse,
I am nothing.
With her here,
I am a poet.

Please come to me, my muse,
My goddess, lady, and dream.

I smell the scent of flowers now,
I hear softly tinkling bells.
A soft, warm breeze blow,
Caressing my arms and neck.
But I never catch a glimpse of her.
One look would blind me,
For nothing else
would be worth seeing.

I sense her behind me,
Her lips so close to my ear.
"I am always with you, you know,"
Says the ethereal voice I hear.
~*~

CACTUS
Sharon Joan Rothenfluch Cooper

After dark falls 
In the desert,
Eerie shadows
Start to form.
Now the sand is
Bathed in moonlight,
Cactus silhouettes
Are born.

They've another
Kind of beauty,
Tall, and stately,
Dressed in black.
Darkened shadows 
Mark the surface,
Waiting 'til the
Sun comes back.

~*~

Torn Heart

Nothing hurts more than a torn heart 
Filled with 50 shots ready to drop
While walking around staring at the
Ground wondering in your mind 
What abounds?
Looking at murals on the wall 
Wondering why they didn't call
Should you have listen to the sounds of yell?
Knowing the outcome it equals hell
Coming from the room down the corridor 
'Cause the next time you see them you'll get love no more
Drip drop the steady beating
Pondering why it's you they're not seeing 
When you fall a sleep dreams come about 
Reminiscing the screams and shouts
Hearing the sound of shattering glass
Remembering the pass it hurt's laugh.
When you wake your dreams have drifted apart 
At that moment you know you have a 
Torn Heart
By Charles E. Burch

~*~

eye
vanessa c

nowhere is where you'll find me 
lost in thought
outer body experience
the sun dies
the sun rise
never nothing new
but every time much more beautiful

~*~

"The Same Sky"
Kristin
Eventually everything changes and comes to an end
But did we meet just to be separated again?
The good times, the memories, nothing stays gold
Your smile, your voice, your hand I still wanna hold
I can't think back because you're stuck in my mind
I can't look forward cause that means leaving you behind
I gave you everything and you accepted this gain
You gave me nothing and left me in pain
I thought we were brought together cause we were meant to stay
But no matter how much I cry, my tears can't wash you away
I can't look at the stars anymore.. cause you could be looking at the same sky
I can't think about you anymore, I won't allow myself to cry
No one understands how much this hurts inside
I did everything I could for you and you never even tried
Now I know nothing is worth what we went through
I should have known that nothing's worth it to you
I guess we weren't meant to be all along
Now I can smile that we don't have a song
Because every time I heard it I would hafta think of you
And every time it ended I'd remember what you put me through
There's nothing I can say, I'm heart-broken but all I can do is laugh
I only have a part of my heart now, cause you took the other half

~*~

David
Monica Starr

You were my friend 
Until the very end
I trusted you then, I still trust you now
Except instead of your face i talk to a cloud
I know you can hear me
I know you can see me
Although I wish to put all wishes to shame 
That you were here now playing our game
I loved you then, I still love you now
I just wish you were here laughing out loud
I love you, I love you my darling I do 
I just wish you were here saying I love you too

~*~

THE EVERLASTING MOON
Nick Napier 

The demons just keep on creeping,
or am I truly dreaming,
are they really feeling,
with there dark eyes just gleaming,
at the everlasting moon.
I sat there in awe just wondering,
with my eyes that just kept fluttering,
wondering about what is acquiring,
hoping that it is nothing,
as I worshiped the everlasting moon.
With a sudden clinging,
I arose from my dark dreaming,
with my heart which continued beating,
as if it had just been singing,
singing about the everlasting moon.

~*~

My Prayer
Jeff Wackerman

As I pray to the heavens
And all the stars above
I ask for his mercy
I pray for his love
"Jesus" I ask
Will you show me the light
Will you carry me through
Please protect me from fright
I pray for my friends
May they live together in you
Give them happiness and joy
Keep their skies blue
I pray for these things
To keep my heart pure
To await on your love
For that is life's only cure
~*~

Honorably Dishonored
-Robbie Jellison

A puddle of discharge in a party gone bad,
a smile, a kick in the rear-
banished to a far away land,
a life now related to mere.
Subject only to thoughts and regrets,
a kingdom full of himself-
a pistol he holds in his right hand,
his life just wasn't enough.

~*~

As the evil raged through the streets,
puny mortals, spirits weak.
Roaming the world, searching for light,
finding that nothing will ever go right.
Empty in mind, and empty in heart, knowing
inside they're torn apart.
But out of the darkness arose a light,
the source of all good, and the source of all right.
Creator of you, and creator of me, he's the creator
of everything you'll ever see.
Healer of the sick, and savior of the lost,
he'll come to your aid at any cost.
Just bow your head and say a prayer, and sooner
or later he will be there.
He's not a fake, and he's not a fraud,
he's Jesus Christ the Lord our God.
andrew geimer 

~*~

You know the ones I’m talking about,
The ones who are always there.
Those who stick by your side, through thick and thin,
The ones that will always care.

They never make you regret,
The things you have said or done.
They’d never hold a grudge, 
Because they’d rather be having fun.

Once you release a secret,
That you had so tightly locked away,
You realize it is easier
Just to say what you had to say.

They’re the most trustworthy people,
That you will ever meet.
They will hold in that secret,
From their head down to their feet.

They’ll never hurt your feelings—
Not on purpose, anyway.
They’re the ones you’re glad you’ve known,
Every minute, of every day.
Samantha

~*~

I never thought that dreams could be mine
that i could dream like a star that shine
for i would cast away any dream in my mind
and promise to leave everything behind

I never thought that life could be so beautiful
be so free and that one could live so full
if only once could learn the power of dreaming
and let the mind create illusions be cunning

I'll be a fool hanging on a dreamstar
though stars can be seen from afar
I'll build an aircastle only for me
be a queen and live the way i want it to be

Yet if there are no stars for tonight
then i will bid my luck goodnight
perhaps my luck would be tomorrow
so them my heart would not cry in sorrow!
(noralyn v. del rosario)

~*~

Love Lost
Keith L. Anderson

When I found you, you were pure,
Beauty in its rarest form unseen by many.
Never wanting to let you out of my sight,
Wanting to hold and cherish you forever.
Then a day came when I realized you weren't there,
Was it all just an illusion?
A fallacy of my dull and dark reality.
I had lost the one thing that made me happy.
I looked all over but never found it again.
So alone I sat pondering a Love Lost.
As I meditate, a scent breezes in the air.
And I swore it was the scent of you.
When I close my eyes I see you,
So close I could touch you.
But as I open them, I realize
My mind, forever doomed to a life of meditation,
Still sits, Alone, Pondering a Love Lost.

~*~

I am screaming at the top of my lungs
in a shallow pool of needles.
They drain the blood from my heart
and taint the voice in my throat,
with a lump,
not a thump,
I continue screaming.

I am screaming at the top of my lungs 
in a spiraling web of thoughts.
There stuck, my body paralyzed
then to be cut to fall to and fro,
with a thump,
now growing lump, 
I am forever screaming.

I am screaming at the top of my lungs
in this small world of darkness.
They have black eyes, colorless skin
and they fade in and out taunting my mind,
with that lump,
the last thump,
I explode from the screaming.
 Sarah Roble

There is more! in OPEN MIC SUMMER ENCORE.