Thursday, May 31, 2012

Small Gesture?

Small Gesture?
by: R.A. Slater
5/31/2012

It seems such a small thing
Or so it seems
But in today's economy
300 dollars for a car that runs
Really is a small amount
What it represents is so much more
Freedom and independence
Trust and confidence
An 'I love you' without the words
And so much more


Thursday, May 24, 2012

Double Standard

Double Standard
by: R.A. Slater
5/24/2012

Have you ever noticed
Something unfair about our lives
That what a guy can do
A lady just cannot
I like not the look
But I love the feel...
...of my hands running over the stubs
...of the wind whistling around my ears
...of my lovers hands as he caresses
...of not being overheated
I love the freedom
...of being able to wash and go
...of not getting long hair caught and pulled
...of not being a slave to fashion
...of being me
Yet I know not what is worse
The looks that I get
Or the looks that dart away
As though I had the plague
It is just hair
It does not define who I am
And will grow back
And be in my way before you know it
I don't know why people feel so threatened
By something I chose for myself
That hurts no one, not even me!



...me...

The Poem in My Pocket

The Poem in My Pocket
by: R.A. Slater
5/24/2012

I wrote a poem down
As is my wont
On the back of a piece paper
In the spare moments at work
When no one would mind
But it just wasn't flowing
The cadence was all off
So I folded it up
All nice and neat
And tucked it into my pocket
With the best of intentions
When I got home
The hustle and bustle of life
Got the best of me
And I forgot all about it
Until the next day at work
Thinking that it may have been good
That I never got to the laundry
Depending on your point of view
So I did what any poet would do
And wrote a poem about it
Which if you're now reading
Then you know that this time
I didn't forget one bit
About the poem in my pocket


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Fragile Mourning

Fragile Mourning
by: R.A. Slater
5/20/12

How fragile breaks the Mourning
When the wounding is the freshest
Like glass shattering at the feather's touch
Undoing all the healing that time has wrought
All it takes is just one moment
A smell, a phrase, a familiar object
And it all comes crashing in
The loved ones gone ahead
Having finished their race on this earth
And moved on to heavenly realms
To stand on what is now our sidelines
As we continue to run our race
Sometimes staggering beneath the weight
Though we cannot hear their cheers
They are shouting nonetheless
To keep plodding onward
And fight the good fight
To pick ourselves up
No matter how many times we break
For the race must be finished
That is our victory
And we shall see them again one day


Thursday, May 17, 2012

A Child's Dilemma

A Child's Dilemma
by: R.A. Slater
5/17/2012

Save room for dessert
Says my mama
But then tells me
To clean my plate
I want to be a good girl
To make mama happy
But I want a piece of cake
And a scoop of ice cream
And I'm afraid if I eat all this
That I won't have room for dessert


Wednesday Poetry Prompt

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Heartbroken

Heartbroken
by: R.A. Slater
5/16/2012

It breaks my heart
That I am so unable to help
An innocent in need
Helpless I look at your picture
There is nothing I can do
Save say a prayer for you
My bank is empty
And you need money
More than empty words
For a cruel fate awaits you


you can find him here

Friday, May 11, 2012

Mindless Drivel

Mindless Drivel
by: R.A. Slater
5/09/2012

You'd think that I could write
With this slow moving conveyor belt
Bringing only a few pieces
Of this grade they call 'lean cow'
But all my tired mind can come up with
Aside from this mindless drivel
Is how badly it wants to go home and rest


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Little House on the Mountain

Little House on the Mountain
By:R.A. Slater
5/10/12

The girl put her book down and looked around
How different her life was from the story 
A three bedroom house not made of sod
Perched in a valley on a mountain
Far from any prairie
Happy her family was not
Though their life much easier
Than the days of the pioneers 
But they loved each other just the same 
Through thick and thin
Even when it seemed they didn't even like each other
Still sometimes she wished she could go 
And be a member of that family
Only partly real, for even they were polished for the story
But she knew it for the silliness it was
Picked her book back up and read on
Satisfying herself in the illusion of her imagination

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Jagged Edges

Jagged Edges
by: R.A. Slater
5/8/2012

I dropped the ball
It was an accident
But that didn't stop it
From shattering into a million tiny pieces
With jagged edges that caught me unaware
And left me with bloody fingers
When I tried to fix it
So I swept them up into a pile
And meant to shove them in a corner
Until I saw how jagged edges
Threw the light into the room
Instead I put them on a plate
And set them in the window
For all to see
Maybe someday it will be fixed
But for now I'm going to let the light shine


Saturday, May 05, 2012

Half Written

Half Written
by: R.A. Slater
5/5/2012

It since in the files
Under the heading of "Drafts"
Only half written
Not one bit polished
I look at it and my mind goes blank
Everything I had has vanished
Work interfered with my pen
And I didn't get it written down
But bills must be paid
Until it decides to return
It will sit
Half formed
Half written



Apple

Apple
by: R.A. Slater
5/4/2012

Hanging on the branch
All seeing its red ripeness
Beyond reach today




Friday, May 04, 2012

Jewel

Jewel
by: R.A. Slater
5/4/2012

Deep below the earth
Beneath our very feet
Indescribable pressure
Forms a precious jewel
A thing of beauty
Though still uncut
And caked in mud
Waiting to be unearthed


Friday!

Friday!
by: R.A. Slater
4/27/2012

How can it be?
It feels like forever...
But the clock does not lie,
It's scarce been fifteen minutes!
Time has decided to drag
To tease and torment.
What can I say?
After all, it's Friday!


Thursday, May 03, 2012

River

River
by: R.A. Slater
5/2/2012

A deep azure ribbon
Swiftly cutting through the land
Peace finds me here


His Eye

His Eye
by: R.A. Slater
5/3/2012

The woods grow silent
The fallen sparrow takes flight
Under His watchful eye


No Stopping

No Stopping
by: R.A. Slater
5/2/2012

Ain't no stopping me
haters gonna hate
fans gonna scream
me, I gotta write

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Masterpiece

Masterpiece
by: R.A. Slater
5/1/2012

It was a habit he had
Decidedly eccentric, but harmless
Collecting loose puzzle pieces
That had become misplaced
He found them everywhere
Under the couch, and on the stairs
Wedged in a corner, and under the bed
Amongst the trash on the street
Some were in pristine condition
Not a mar on them
Most were not
With faded colors and ragged edges

Each time he would check
If the pieces would fit in a slot
Of puzzles he already had
Sometimes he got lucky
Most often he did not
Until one day he decided
To see if the misfit pieces
Would fit together with each other

It was tedious at first
As colors would clash
And designs wouldn't mesh
But at last two did meet
And then a third
Encouraged he kept at it
Though it didn't come together
In just one night

Day by day he toiled
Fitting these pieces together
patiently as days faded into weeks
He did not give up
Though months turned into years
He had started something
And he would finish
Though he could not see the whole

Until at last all holes were filled
And the edges smooth
At first he saw nothing
A jumbled mess of color
But then he took a step back
And looked from a different perspective
The colors shifted as a kaleidoscope
And coalesced into an image
The very face of Christ

At first he was astounded
As each angle showed him a different expression
From the kind Teacher to the Resurrected King
But what held him the most
Was the face of the Persecuted Crucified Christ
Blood flowing as sweat
Mingling with tears
On a face of agony

He knew that he could not keep secret
The truth of the misfit puzzle pieces
He called his friends and family
And strangers off the street
To come and see this masterpiece

A precious few saw what he had found
Though some needed it pointed out to them
Most could not see a thing, however
They thought him quite mad
And spoke of men in white and straightjackets
After all, misfit puzzle pieces were meant to be tossed
Not meant to be kept, and certainly not together
But he knew the truth
And shut that kind out

The pieces though lost
And not fitting with others
Fit together in an odd symetry
For though they were different
They were of one Body




Launch

Launch
by: R.A. Slater
5/2/2012

I sit upon this mountain top
Staring into this great vacuum
That I used to live in
Suffocating, joyless, numbess
There is nothing there but broken dreams
And starless nights
I shift my gaze
And stare into the heavens
Glowing moon and brilliant stars
Are there to great me once more
Leaving behind the dark night of my soul
I launch once more into the unknown
And dare to dream great dreams once more


Summer

Summer
by: R.A. Slater
5/2/2012

Sunshine on my face
Flowers in the field
Butterflies stetch their wings