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Best Poems From
LAURENCE OVERMIRE
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53.
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Achilles Goes Shopping
Gripping the cart, knuckles white with fear
He gazed what seemed a mile of aisle
Cases stacked full with dreamy whipped
Flavor on flavor of cool refreshing
Ice Cream!
Bowing his head
He bolted across the floor
Not daring to look on left or right
His feet breezing like Hermes across
The linoleum with oh! such a
Slide at the finish.
But just as he made the turn
A home stretch to the register and
Freedom
He spied out the corner of his unwary
Eye, the tempting froth of frosty
Strawberry Ripple peeking out the top of an
Olympian bucket, some trickster had viciously marked
On Sale.
His hand, out of body, acted on its own
Shoved aside the blithering brain
Grabbed the heavenly concoction
And flew effortlessly through the checkout
Without the slightest protest or whimper
Of remorse.
At home on the sofa, spoon in hand
A smile of sophistic satisfaction
Erased the last semblance of reason
His stubby fingers loosening his belt
One more notch
Thinking with absolute conviction, by Zeus!
That the diet could easily be resumed
Promptly
On the morrow.
(Previously published in Apollo's Lyre, Spring 2007)
Laurence Overmire
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54.
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Adam On The Eve Of Knowing
Adam had just finished his corn flakes
Goat's milk and all
His briefcase was in his hand
Running late
He quick-pecked his wife
Dashed out the door of his cave and into the open air
Whereupon Eve
Knowing quite well it wasn't his birthday
Shouted in alarm
Adam! You forgot to wear your fig leaf!
(Previously published in The Hold, March 2004)
Laurence Overmire
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55.
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Ago (haiku)
In halcyon days
waves upon a kindred shore
you and I believed
(Previously published in Poems Md, Apr 2008)
Laurence Overmire
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56.
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Ahead Of His Time
The artist born ahead of his time
Will see no reward, no glory, no fame
Alone with his demons
He wrestles to the death.
Van Gogh was
One
They said a madman a lunatic no doubt
Only brother Theo could glimpse
Who he was
And brother love pulled
Spirit through fire
With paint, brushes a kind word and a coin or two
Young Vincent held on
Compelled
To see the dying of the world
Sweating in the fields hot burning sun hour upon hour
Sunflowers explode
Lifes mad beauty
The trees are alive and stars shake the heavens
Awake
Sleeping fools
Put out your eyes and see!
Cut off your ears and hear!
In a tiny room
Alone
Poor, dirty wretch
Light slips through the door
Unnoticed
All that love
Rejected
All that blood poured out
On canvas.
The artist born ahead of his time
Must die ahead of his time too.
Starry, starry wonderful night
Life and death are the stuff of dreams
It is painted cross the sky
Light years ago
A star burned out
Far, far away
And only now
After millions of years
And millions of miles
That dying light
Finally
Reaches our eyes.
(Previously published in ArtsFusion, Dec 99 - Jan 00, Issue 17)
Laurence Overmire
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