Missing My Friend

Missing My Friend

By: R.A. Slater

I miss you

Your presence in my life

The way we used to hang out

Just to be with each other

Talking about nothing and everything

Your day and my day and moments in between

Laughing and joking and dreaming

I miss how you touched me

Caressed my face with your hand

Kissed my neck as you held me close

Loved my body with abandon

And now you are gone

A man lost to me

I want you back

And I don’t know how

To get your attention

Though I scream and cry

You do not hear me

Even though we sit in the same room

in love and lonely by Hoeg on deviantART

Don't Wait Too Long

Don't Wait Too Long
By: R. A. Slater
4/3/13

My finger hovers over the mouse
I hesitate and think
What will the reaction be
To the question I am sending
Will he laugh and say no?
Maybe he will send a 'yes' instead?
What if he doesn't reply at all?
The longer I wait
The more I hesitate
Out of fear of the unknown
But if I don't hit send
I will never know

Spectrum

Spectrum

By: R. A. Slater

04/02/13

One day I took a good hard look

At the Law they called the Word

And could not comprehend the stark shadings

Of absolute light and absolute dark

There was no warmth of love here

Only the harshness of fire and cold

Because it is just chapter in a book

And does not tell the all

Of the depth of His creation

The spectrum of His character

The deeds that He had done

One cannot look at the Law

Without looking at the Love

Sprinkled in the moments in-between

Like a jealous lover

Coveting our attention

His temper He sometimes lost

But remembering Himself

He draws close to us

Our hearts to woo

As He asks for our forgiveness

How can we say no to that?

Forgive as we’ve been forgiven

Love as we’ve been loved

Fully and passionately without reserve

Risking it all for a capricious one like us

There is no black and white in this place

Nor flitting shades of grey

For here the full spectrum resides

In the hearts of Men

Not in the pages of a book

pic by r.a.slater

Fresh Meat

Usually I just let my poetry speak on its own, I figure it's usually pretty straight forward.  But since today is the start of the April Poem A Day challenge at the Writer's Digest poetry blog Poetic Asides I thought I'd just give readers a heads up.  :)


Fresh Meat

By: R. A. Slater

04/01/13

Here she is

Bright and shiny

Waltzing into our world

Effervescent bubbles

Tickling our noses

As we watch her with our beady eyes

We flex our claws

As we snarl and growl

This is our space

Who is she to think she belongs?

With halo’s sparkling in the night

We tear her apart

Our mouths biting deep

Not caring about truth

Our claws scratch and dig

Not caring if we maim

Blood we must draw

Pain we must taste

For that is the source of our power

Here the Wounded

Here the Wounded

By: R. A. Slater

03/31/13

Last spring my heart was broken

Crushed by a man whose name I never knew

Torn asunder and cast aside

Needing a place to heal

Helpless I searched for refuge

Hounded the fair white halls

Each time I was turned away

A scarlet letter branded on my soul

Heart still bleeding I wandered

The desolate wilderness highways

Until at last I found a spot to huddle

With yesterday’s castaways among the refuse

And there among the garbage I found hope

For here the wounded embraced their own

Stronger together we formed a new family

One who held each other up

And helped each other heal

Beyond surviving we began to thrive

For here there was no false unity

Just a common thread of need

Sewing us together

Hope springing anew among the hopeless

An eternal flower budding fresh this spring

As life takes wing and soars above

Here the wounded become something more

In a Moment

In a Moment

By: R. A. Slater

03/28/13

Caught up in life’s happenings

I try in vain to keep up

So many things to do

So many places to see

I quite lose my breath

As a deluge threatens to drown me

A cyclone daring to stir up

A cacophony of cries

People demanding my attention

And my precious time

For when do I have time

To get caught up in a moment

And listen to the faint whisper

Of the woman I am inside

For failure to do so is my demise

The ceasing of a heartbeat

In Need

In Need
By: R.A. Slater
01/02/13


I am in need of a revolution
As it is the New Year
And I have no resolutions!
I am either happy with my life as it is
Or I have given up
Too defeated to hope for something better
Too scared to even try
Maybe next year!

Double Standards

Double Standards

By: R. A. Slater

11/28/12

I reaped the benefits of his sexism

Favored because of my gender

But I grew tired of it after awhile

A line I would not cross

Men were crapped upon

As were the less endowed

He couldn't even be consistent in that

Knowing others had spoken before

And failed in their attempt

The truth fallen unheard

So I bided my time as I searched

Then gave my notice with glee

They tried to screw me even then

Dismissing me before my time was done

They gave me a sop

Hoping I'd just go away

But I took great care

Filling out my exit papers in detail

Finding out later

Thru the grapevine

That I had made his life at work

Too hot for him to handle

And he beat them to the punch

Quitting and leaving the state

What joy I felt was coupled with my shame

At not speaking up sooner

 

Sent from my iPhone

The Looking Glass

The Looking Glass
By R. A. Slater
11/27/12

I look in the mirror and there she is

My own worst enemy staring back at me

She knows my every weakness, my every flaw 

I am an open book to her, even what I hide 

She leads me astray, exploits her knowledge of me

Intent on getting her own way

But I am all there is

No one else can fight her 

I alone can conquer

To run the race before me

Though my path is not smooth

And the way ridden with obstacles

I need no one to swoop in and save me

For as I am my own villain

I am my own hero

Shouldering the burdens of reality

I press ever onward

Refusing to be defeated

The Truth About Winter

The Truth About Winter 
By: R.A. Slater
11/24/12

Winter is harsh and unyielding

With its cold snaps and January thaw

Wind howling at the eaves

Snow flying, covering everything

Ice encasing freezes lasting for weeks

Yet in its own way

It brings a breath of fresh air to life

Resting and renewing the spirit within

Preparing for the spring growth

Storing up energy for the green rush

So that the cycle can persist

Late One Night

Late One Night
By: R.A. Slater
11/21/12

I was wandering late one night

Pondering the meaning of life

By the light of a pale moon

When I was interrupted by a curious sight

Ghost riders in the sky leaving their trails of fire

As slow moving meteorites

They alighted in my path and approached

'Tell me young lady, what country are we in?' The pale rider in front asked

'Why, it's America!' I answered in stammer

The riders in the back broke into chorus

Singing 'Song of the South' off key

'We're looking for Georgia,' the leader did say

'You're close,' I stammered again and pointed south 'it's about a three hour drive that way!'

'I guess that fiddler gave us good directions after all!' The leader said with a sigh

With a tip of his hat, he thanked me and gave me a wink

Then as one they turned their fiery steeds 

And galloped away, still singing in their off kilter way

I stood there amazed and watched them go

As odd as it was, the sight as they again lit up the shy

Really was something beautiful  

With my path again clear I continued on my walk

No more answers than when I started

But my heart beat lighter

Their song lingering in the air

Long after their trails had faded

Is This Paradise

Is This Paradise?
by: R.A. Slater
11/22/12

Is this paradise?
With the morning crush invading my sleep
The smog infested dream breakers
That harrow me on my way?
Far from it and no one can deny
The drive to make a dollar
Bowing and scraping to another
Watching for another to fall
Securing our place for tomorrow
To pay the bills and keep up with the Jones'
Is no one's paradise

Rather to stay up too late
Writing of humanities silliness
Spinning webs of lives and dreams
Causing wars and bringing down kingdoms
Breaking hearts and putting them back together
To sleep the sleep of the satisfied
Arising late to watch the last fog
Wisp away in the morning breeze
Sipping from the coffee cup new vigor
Fresh resolve to solve
All the loose threads from the night before

Chains on my Legs

Chains on my Legs
by: R.A. Slater
11/20/12

Pictures and papers laying about
Scattered petals of a dying flower
Memories and broken dreams
Chains about my legs
No order at all
A life of chaos
One day at a time
Sorting it all out
Bringing order to past and present
So I can let it all go
To embrace the future
And fly with the eagles
Released from my chains

The NeverEnding Saga

The NeverEnding Saga
By: R.A. Slater
11/19/2012

The Wheel spins ever on
Taking its characters from one country to the next
One Way or another
Spinning a tale too large to take in
Capturing its visitors with prophecy and intrigue
Description of splendid palaces and humble villages
Men and women of Power
Villains masquerading as heroes
Heroes found among villagers, wolves, and savages
Love entanglements and hatreds running deep
From one Age into the next
He held us captive even beyond his death
The NeverEnding Saga ends this January
Much to our anticipated dismay

Walk in Beauty

Walk In Beauty
by: R.A. Slater
10/04/2012

I walk in beauty like the light
His enshrouding glory
A halo of love that can be seen
Through smiles in darkness
And outstretched arms
Hands that heal the broken
The beauty of lives being changed
Cities renewed and transformed
Hearts being mended and made whole
A far reaching beauty
Shining for all to see
To light the Way for many

Heaven's Streets

Heaven's Streets
by: R.A. Slater
10/13/2012

Can you see these tears
That flow so freely
Stemming from your absence in my life?
I cannot stop them
You left so quickly
Without so much as a goodbye
And left me without your presence
Left me with unmet dreams
Plans unfulfilled
Even though I know
We shall meet once again
And dance on heaven's streets
The tears rain down
At the longing to see you again
Just one last dinner
One last cup of coffee
To exchange those words of comfort
To say "I love you!" one last time
But this is denied me
Even in my dreams
So I cling to that hope
Of heaven's golden streets
When once again we meet
What joy that will be!

Blood Like Water

Blood Like Water
by: R.A. Slater
10/12/2012

Life flows through my fingers
Blood like water
As salty tears mingle in
Seeping away faster than the tide
And I am powerless to stop it
My greatest fear, my greatest desire
I may never know

The Darkside of the Moon

The Darkside of the Moon
by: R.A. Slater
10/12/2012

The pain ebbs away
Like the darkside of the moon
But questions remain

And The Bride Danced

And The Bride Danced
by: R.A. Slater


The hero of our story
Stood ready at the altar
Dressed in all of his finery
The jubilant trumpets flared
Their silver peal resounding
The doors swung open
And the bride did enter
Dancing on her way to meet him
Her joy was that complete
Gossamer ribbons of silk
Streamed from her hair and wrists
Fluttering in the breeze she created
Light bouncing off the gems adorning her
Touching all who saw her
As a colorful butterfly flitting from flower to flower
Light and gentle, peaceful and alive
Grace personified
For the battle was over
And the day had been won

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