Sample Poems by J.R. Solonche

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Sundown

Go down the stairs at sundown.
Go down the road at sundown.
Go down the valley at sundown.
Go down to the oak tree at sundown.
Go down on your knees at sundown.
Go down to the depth of your silence at sundown.
Go down to the heart of your soul at sundown.

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Jim And I Were Talking About

Jim and I were talking about
sex. I don’t remember the last
time I had sex, I said. I do, he
said. Gee, it must have been
really recently, I said. No. It was
years ago, he said. Then it must
have been pretty good if you
still remember it, I said. It was.
I think it was the best I ever
had, he said. Well, I’m glad
I don’t remember the last time
I had sex. I’m sure it was lousy,
I said. Do you remember the
first time? he said. Yeah, I do.
Doesn’t everyone? I said. And?
he said. And that was even worse,
I said. Yeah, like everyone, he said.
Yeah, Hugh Heffner’s fault, I said.
For me it was the other guy, he said.

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Poem For A Difficult Future

The future will be difficult,
he said. He was a scientist,
an expert on global warming,
so he knew what he was
talking about. Prepare for it,
he said. So I prepared this
poem for a difficult future.
I’m a poet, so I know what
I’m talking about. Remember
this when the difficult future
becomes the difficult present.
“Gaia, Mother, Goddess of Earth,
forgive us, forgive us for taking
the easy way out. Amen.”

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Expression

Give me your true
face, the one

you use first thing
in the morning

when the dream
begins to fade away.

Make me your mirror.
Make me your mirror,

and I will tell you,
and I will tell you

just how fair I am,
just how far away,

just how far away
you are from you.

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Longing

I, too, know it in
my bones, feel it
bleed from my eyes,
the cruel blindness
worse than blindness,
the blindness that lets
you see that for which
you long and that alone.

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Old

Old and older than
and oldest among
and the young (Bless
their hearts!) shall live
to regret all they say
about us.