Poetry
Roger Laird
Published by RogerLairdWriting at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Roger Laird
All rights reserved
Discover other works by Roger Laird at RogerLairdWriting.com
Table of Contents
Things I Wouldn’t Give for a Kiss
In the beginning
Man was one with nature
Part of its beauty
But not anymore
Deep in the forest
There is a small break in the trees
Beyond the trees lay a secluded meadow
A trickling stream runs down from a mountain
Tall grass and fragrant flowers grow
A doe and her young fawn drink from the spring
A small breeze blows
Just enough to make the grass sway
The breeze dies down
Then comes a rustle in the grass
Drown out by the trickling of the stream
And then came man
Emerging from his hiding place down stream
Raising his rifle from his side
A shot rings out and fear sets in
A direct hit
The doe’s body lay motionless
The hunter goes to claim his prize
Deciding it was ruined by a bad shot, he leaves
The fawn returns
It lay by its mother’s side
The stream stained red
And the fawn just laid there
Doomed without the care she provides
I have a theory of how we came to be
Two young souls flying together
Searching for our way home
Then came the modern world, which interfered
We became separated
I returned to Father
He comforted me, told me
I was to watch over you
I put away my fears
Kissed Father good bye
I promised to return with you
He took away my wings
And wished me well
I went to the gates
Stood on the edge
I took a deep breath
And dove from the place I called my home
All for you
Perhaps I fell too quickly
And when I hit the water
This water of worldly things
I plunged into the depths
When I stopped, I turned and swam
Searching among other souls
Took me many years to find you
And days and hours beyond that
But we were changed by the water we lived in
This water of worldly things
And now it seems that it is you
Who is to watch over me
We rise toward the surface
And soon we will be back in Father’s arms
Although it is so familiar
Like something from a dream
In this meadow, perhaps it is here
The tall grass sways in the wind
Like waves of the ocean
The flowers so sweet
Like the aroma of perfume
The wind picks up
Flower pedals swirl around
A single white feather catches my eyes
Maybe a sign that my angel is here
I glance around frantically now
Searching for the place where you fell
My angel from heaven, could it be
I see you now as you stand
It is not what I had thought at all
You can’t be my angel
For you are far too beautiful to be an angel
What is it that I have done
To deserve such a graceful being
We embrace each other now
Our eyes meet
My lips find yours
It is truly a gift from God
That each found the other
This feeling I have for you
Let us call it love
In a forest of many years stood two trees alike
Of some yesterday were towering
Two dragons, gone bad, in the sky
Seeking vengeance for things thought stolen
Turned course for there
Guided by some unknown rage
A hate welled up that no one knew
The first dragon came of early mourn
Engulfing the branches with its fire
Leaving a gaping hole where it struck
And the animals housed by this tree
Frantic and worried
Made their way down the branches
The creatures of the forest came
To watch the horrid sight
Now the habitants of the second tree
Had heard of the tragedy of the first
And began to scamper down the trunk
As they did, they heard a call in the midst of it all
To return to business now
Moments later the second fury came
A dragon in the sky
Hitting the second tree with an even greater force
The sight seen by the whole forest
Bringing an awe to the creatures
Showing them how vulnerable they were
And then more tragedy
The second tree fell
Taking creatures into its trap
As it came crashing down
It took other trees with it
And then the first tree fell
A sight that was sad to see
And as darkness poured in
The realization that the forest had changed
Hit hardest in the woods surrounding
When the fireflies usually gathered to sit upon the trees
Lighting up the skies
And now the greatest lanterns of all
Were gone forever
These things sit in the back of my head
They torture me so profusely
Coming out once or twice a year
Around Christmas time
Usually a happy time
But not for me
These things linger over me
They come, and are painful
And here they sit again
Maybe with a familiar face
Or some comment made
And you were there to comfort me
Or so I thought
And then created a new memory
More painful than the rest
And even though you are still here
It seems to hurt just the same
And in time I know it will pass
But this memory will join others
To remain forever painful
To await the chance to peek out again
To show its ugly painful ways
Just to torture me
Forever more
Dreams are a complex existence
Are they the key to a new tomorrow
Or just the inner desire manifesting
From the dreamer’s hidden self
Many dreams have I had lately
Yet I do not sleep
How is it that these dreams come to be
Do I slip in and out of awareness from time to time
If so, am I a danger to others
Am I going crazy
Dreams have always held great significance in my life
Yet I find myself pondering the meaning of simple daydreams
Are they trying to send me in a certain direction
Or leading me haphazardly through life
My emotions are so wild
They lose expression in words
That is a scary thought for me
If I cannot sooth my mind
I will surely lose it
Dreams are that place between wake and sleep
Where all things seem so real
That the line between almost disappears completely
You must know the world I speak of
The place where reality mixes with fantasy
So that all things are possible
Sometimes we wake from our dream world
Not knowing where we are or how we got there
Not knowing the day, month, or even year
All is lost in that world
And all is gained there
The helplessness of where our minds take us
So even time can be sucked to nothing
A place where animal, or spirit, or mythical beings can be
Or we can be them if we like
Or perhaps someone from another world
The place where you can’t be harmed or bothered
Where prophecies come
Or we can look into the span of time
And see what has been, is now, and even what will be
The place that is so beautiful
You always want to go there
And once you are there
You never want to leave
Empty souls is all I see, everywhere I look
Granted there are some fulfilled
But then I look around
I see your hearts where you hide them
I see things sticking from you
As you bleed, it runs through the streets
And I remember the blood I shed
Every time you hide your sins
My hands and feet are stained red again
Tears run down my cheek
As you nail me up, back on the cross
So here I wait as I’ve said that I will
And if you can’t see me
I am standing behind you
With tears in my eyes
Yet I know not who you are
So much of your life I have seen
Yet I know not where I’ve been
Almost falling into your life
As if from the sky above
So unexpected to us both
That I am confused by how it happened
I sometimes wonder when the dream will end
Yet I know that I have not slept well
And then last night, those words coming from your mouth
So innocent
But as if you knew the significance
My knees went weak
My eyes watered
For an instant I nearly lost it
If you only knew the full meaning
What the commitment would require
Would you have said those words
I know I will do my best
To love you in return
Always such a great man
Never let us down
Sometimes a kind smile
Others a solemn frown
Carried an ever present strength
To give us direction and security
Achieved much with a firm hug
A stern man that loved with purity
A bold man with an iron will
Such a caring soul
Never letting pain show through
As life took its toll
Speaking words to light our paths
At times our lives foundation shook
With such a confident “Good Job”
Or a simple sigh and long hard look
We were all blessed to know such a man
To follow down a path he helped us pave
And in our hearts he holds great legacy
That will reach his spirit far beyond his grave
Granddad was such an awesome man. Even though we had not known him a very long time, he took no hesitation to treat us like family. He was a bold brave man that could stand strong behind his family with great pride. I remember the first time I met him. He did not try to shake my hand, but instead he reached out and hugged me like I was family. I remember taking trips up to Shaver Lake, spending Christmas together. Even before my mother and Jerry were even married, he seemed to welcome us as family. I know that even now as I stand here, I would not be the young man I am today if he had never touched my life with his wisdom. He never put me down, and encouraged me in the things I did. I will forever miss having him around, but I am forever grateful for the times we had together. I love you Granddad. Goodbye.
Two young people, faced with the most important crossroad in their lives
Where three paths merged into one
Stood before the road ahead and took a step, hand in hand
They knew there was no turning back
No matter what hardships were presented
No matter what fears arose
As they walked down this path
Each shared the other’s pain
And gave their support where needed most
Many paths would come to merge there after
Both offering and seeking refuge from the harsh world
Finding their strength in each other
They welcomed each new path with all they had to offer, hand in hand
Never could they have known, when they took that first step
That they had began a great legacy
That would stretch beyond explanation by words
Beyond the bonds of true friendship
A legacy that’s truth could only be seen
Within the hearts of those whom they had met on the path that they walked
Those whom they had welcomed into their home
And those whom they had worked so hard to form into a family
Doug and Shannon, thank you for all that you have done. May God smile upon the paths that you walk daily, as you continue to touch people’s lives.
One may not love thee so
Yet, given chance to love
May change faces
Locked behind garden walls
Sit thee in the heat of day
Crying the world away
And doors remain shut
In thine hands thine heart asunder
Thou spend thy soul
To avoid a blunder
Walls such as these deter all that come
Yet I stay forth, striving to reach within
Be it to care for thee
Such a mortal sin
Then dead I’d ready be
To care not would be my wrong
And to wrong thee is my fear and my pain
Thus I be so profane
When in thy presence stay I
Wishing for favor in thine eye
Love not known yet love be sworn
In disguise it lay for fear of scorn
Sprouting wings to fly away
For secrets cannot remain
Given chance, risking mistake
And worse, causing pain to thee
I know all at stake
And ask only for you to see
I love thee
Love cannot be held in your hand
Nor can it ever be caught
Love is something that grows like the music of a band
And with each passing moment more love is taught
The best teacher of all isn’t one who knows it best
But the one that learns beside you
While they hold you to their chest
Just to comfort you from the pain that you must bare
And to let you know
They will always be there
Not everyone knows what love is
And not everyone can always be there
But I can assure you of this
The one that teaches true love stays within your heart
And though they may leave for a while
Like the tides or the changing winds
You will keep reason to smile
Because when their journey ends
They will run to embrace you
And this will always stay true
But the one that teaches life’s greatest secret
Cannot ever take it back
For you taught them love
And if they are ever gone there is something you each lack
And for this there is good reason
That person is part of you for life
Not just a season
Go and rest your pretty head
Good night for now my baby
Remember what I’ve said
Dreams may last forever
And you can find me there
You can have peace and comfort
And forget all of your cares
I will always love you
And we can sing this song
We can hold each other here
All night long
I will watch over you
No matter how far away it seems
Each can find the other
In our dreams
A new spring flower sways in the fresh mountain breeze
And its glamour is accented
By the sun shining brilliantly
Its golden red pedals catch the attention of a bee
And the bee comes down to drink of the flowers sweet nectar
The bee then returns to work
And this continues day after day
Soon the sun grows hotter
And days grow long
The bee watches the meadow
And how the grass turns golden
The flower soon wilts away
The bee hums a sad tune
The favorite flower is gone
The trees change their color
And shed their covering
Time passes unnoticed by the bee
And as it is flying something catches its attention
The bee lands on blue and yellow pedals of a new spring flower
And drinks of the nectar
As anger and sadness fades
The bee becomes careless again
Is that of the heavens
Its fragrance so sweet
That none other can have
Or even capture
Its petals so beautiful
As if arranged that way for some greater purpose
Or just to catch your eye
Amongst the troubles of the day
So you might start to wonder why
You don’t stop and smell the roses
A little more often
Things I Wouldn’t Give for a Kiss
I wouldn’t give my life because that may only be taken
I wouldn’t give my love because that you must gain to be kissed
I wouldn’t give a minute of my day because time stands still when you kiss me
I wouldn’t give my happiness because that stems from kissing you
Things I Would Give for a Kiss
I would give my sight because I go blind when I feel your lips touch mine
I would give my inspiration because it is made anew by kissing you
I would give my warmth because I grow cold without you
I would give my tears because they lose purpose in your presence
I would give my life because without you I have no reason to live
Eyes that intrigue beyond the depths of the deepest ocean
A voice sweeter than the songs of the highest regarded angels
A smile brighter than the stars hung in the heavens
Hair smoother than the silks of the Ancient Chinese
A kiss more intoxicating than a bottle of perfectly aged wine
A heart that beats louder than raging thunder with compassion
A will that stands stronger than the tallest mountains
And a mind that thinks the thoughts of the world into existence
Broken, hurt, and afraid
Reaching out for love, but being sent away
His own mother being blinded
Ignorant to her husband’s actions
Deaf to the poor boys screams
He cries out to her
Mommy! Mommy!
But still she sits and stares
Perhaps she is afraid of him too
Day after day
And then she realizes she isn’t happy
And again she marries
Determined to make it work
Now things go back to this hell
But not the same as before
But still bad enough
Bad enough to hurt
And when he tries to tell her
She gets angry at him
No longer a boy, but a young man
But still undefended
Left to take the blows full force
Because she became too busy
To realize the truth
And she says she still loves him
But he blames himself for his pain
It seems I wrote this letter
Way to long ago
Before I really knew her
I had forgotten what I know
Must have been in seventh grade
I looked into her eyes
That’s when I felt inside me
She was my angel in disguise
I arranged my thoughts on paper
And folded it carefully
Put it in my pocket
And thought I’d let it be
I went through my day
Forgetting what I did
I put my pants in the hamper
And then I shut the lid
So many things have happened
But my mom kept it hidden away
And then she brought it to me
Upon our wedding day
But still it was not time
To end this silly game
So I kept that letter
Hidden in my shame
It seems so foolish now
That the letter I did save
Was to be delivered
When she was in her grave
Words surround us everywhere
They can be wings that lift us up
But more commonly
Become bricks
Shattering the glass floor we stand upon
Leaving us falling for what seems forever
And many times they are more powerful
Than those words that raise hopes
Our enemies use them as weapons
But more commonly
They are misspoken feelings
That a friend may say at the wrong moment
Or they aren’t weighed against the consequences
And most often
Regretted words are hardest to forgive
Now your closest friends you push away
And you detach from those who care most
For fear that they may say hurtful things
And you draw to those who are a lesser risk
And vent your frustration in misdirected ways
I just wish to reassure you
That when all the dust settles to the ground
Your family and closest friends will be there
To support you in all areas of life
So step back and realize your individuality
And that loved ones will help you to expand it
Know that you are beautiful in every aspect of your existence
Life has been given for you to express yourself
And the poetry of life is best written
In words of true friendship
Discuss the poems that you have been reading at RogerLairdWriting.com/forum now.
Over a thousand years has passed since The Great Disaster changed the geography of our world forever. Technology has fallen away from the world and feudal society has emerged again. New warriors have taken up the weapons of older times. General Tao Blight has risen to meet his fate and fight alongside them as the leader of Aodhan's First Royal Army. His fellow soldiers and countrymen have freely given him their respect, but they might start to question where his loyalties lay if they found out his true heritage.
Tao has not always belonged to the country he now serves. His childhood home was located in the disputed territories, far closer to the Naichian Empire’s border than the border of the Aodhan Kingdom. There had been a time when his father kept a strong stance of neutrality when it came to matters regarding the feuding countries, but his ideal of neutrality could not persevere when his homeland was the subject of dispute.
Tao's mother was murdered after his father enlisted in the Imperial Military. Her death served as the catalyst that drove Tao and his father to opposite sides of an extreme conflict. Now, Tao is on the brink of ending the war once and for all. But how will he cope when he is forced to face the memories of his complex past?
Join Tao in LEGACY: A FATHER’S TALE as he attempts to create a new legacy and fights for the peace his world so greatly desires.
Preface
Not long after the beginning of the twenty first century, an event occurred in nature that was driven by the actions of men. The scientific rules that govern the world were stretched to their limits. As the rules could not be broken, the world snapped back to correct its position in the universe. The result of this event would later become known as The Great Disaster. At the time of The Great Disaster there were over ten billion humans living on Earth, nearly all perished in The Great Disaster. Many more died in the chaos that followed.
The only portions of the known world that are inhabitable by humans at the time this story begins are the portions of the world that sat on the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. The world bulged out beneath the Eastern hemisphere, raising the elevations of the major tectonic plates in that portion of the world. The African plate slammed into the Eurasian plate, forming the highest mountain ranges ever known and merging the two continents into one. The other plates were mostly covered by water when the polar ice caps broke apart and melted, causing ocean levels to rise. Any survivors in the mountainous regions still above water were evacuated to the sole surviving continent.
Much of the blame fell on the scientific community and, as unlikely as it may seem, all technology and most sciences were destroyed in a process lasting hundreds of years. Society fell apart, rose again, and crumbled, in a vicious cycle. Eventually, groups banned together, forming the new countries of the Aodhan Kingdom and the Naichian Empire. These countries became reflections of the ideals that ancient countries stood for long before The Great Disaster.
Over a thousand years has passed since The Great Disaster. Humanity is a mere shadow of its former self. Feudalism won out as a way of life, and has been practiced with far greater success than had ever been achieved in the past. A great peace was won and it lasted many years. A neutral territory’s leader, in his greed, created cause for war between the last two civilizations on the Earth. Now a new generation of warriors must rise up to meet fate and leave their legacy on the world.
Legacy:
A Father’s Tale
Available Now
The author is a first time novel writer. He is a husband and a father to four wonderful children. He has been writing poetry and short stories for many years. The basis of his first novel series stems from his high school writing years, but was mostly worked on in the creative stage over time. He began writing his first novel, Legacy: Beginnings on a regular basis in January of 2011 and just finished writing it in July of 2011.
He was a Machinist who programmed and setup CNC Lathes and Mills for a living. He had 11 years of experience with machining, but lost his career when the economy crashed in December of 2008. Instead of trying to find work in a suffering field, he decided to return to school to study Psychology. He earned his AA in Social Sciences from College of the Sequoias in Visalia, CA in May of 2011. He is currently attending California State University, Fresno in pursuit of a BA in Psychology.
He loves spending time with his family. They enjoy trips to the beach, camping, attending amusement parks, and hiking outdoors. The author and his wife also enjoy taking artistic photographs for fun. They have been happily married for five years and are looking forward to the future.
Legend of Athena(A Story Created for Legacy: A Father’s Tale)
The Goddess Athena is said to have sprang from Zeus’ head fully formed. She had been armed with an Aegis and Thunderbolt by her mother Metis, after Zeus had eaten Metis in order to prevent Athena from being born. But Metis had nurtured Athena within Zeus until the day she could be freed. It is agreed among scholars, that this account of Athena’s birth is nonsense. However another tale is recited that has been traced back to a village in Lybia far before the Great Disaster. The villagers there were ignorant and arrogant. It is said that they ignored the Gods and cursed their name. This village was led by a greedy man. The village was larger than many of the other nearby villages and it was far wealthier to begin with.
The chief of the village decided to start demanding penance from the surrounding villages and asked them to worship him as their God. He used his influence over the young warriors in his own village, to convince them to commit acts of war against the other villages. The chief allowed the men to rape the wives and daughters of the men in the other villages. This menacing tyranny lasted for many years. The chief would call out to the Gods and taunt them in order to undermine their existence. The Gods did notice the man’s actions, but decided to leave them uncontested. They considered his sphere of influence over the villages to be of no consequence to them. They figured that the man would soon die and things in the area would calm again soon after.
One day, the Goddess Metis watched down on the chief as he performed a ritual. The man had tied up three small children and was dancing around waving a dagger at the sky. He dared the Gods to act against him. Metis had begged her husband Zeus to intervene but Zeus turned her away. Metis continued to watch the man. The man then committed an act so obscene, so vile, that it has been banned from the telling of the story. From the shock and grief of the Goddess Metis, sprang a young child. The child was not a naked newborn babe, but a child of middle age on the brink of adulthood. The child leapt right out from the earth holding a small dagger. The chief laughed at the small child, thinking of committing the same act as he had against the other children. The chief took a small step toward the child. The child caught the meaning in the man’s gesture, and knew that he had committed the atrocity that had caused her to be born so perversely. The child moved in a flash, swinging the dagger, and the man’s head fell to the ground.
The villagers had heard this commotion by now, and had come to see what was causing it. There were no children in the village in recent years, due to the crimes that had been so commonly committed against them. The women were far outnumbered by the men. They all stared, blank faced, at the small colorless child with blood dripping from her dagger. Their devotion to the false God Chief welled inside them and they howled for his loss. They moved on the child, but they were no match for the justice she represented, and every head in the village lay on the ground when the child was still again.
The child stood, shaking and crying, from the weight of the acts she had committed. The Goddess Metis moved down from the clouds to comfort her daughter. “This is your purpose in the world, the just punishment for unspeakable acts. I am sorry I bore you for this purpose daughter, but you need to know that you have the choice of what to do with your power. You have the ability to choose when to use your power; you have the ability to use it for good or for evil. You can guide the fates of the men and women around you for good or for evil. But most importantly, you have the choice to return to the heavens you came from, to rest, when you feel your work is done. If the planet ever needs you again, it will call you forth just as it did today.
Blog and up to date news from the Author http://rogerlairdwriting.com/
Zombie High, Another great short story from Roger Laird http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80329
“Of Love and Vengeance” An original play from Roger Laird http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80423