poems written on the fly

Posts Tagged ‘frustration’

this is what it sounds like when you’re not here

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 3 May 2010 at 12:03 pm

all we have
are words

and I can’t find
any that fit

or don’t sound
self-serving

what’s left
is silence

maddening
deafening
unbearable
silence

(D. James)

JFK – 7 am

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 30 April 2010 at 8:52 am

unfinished sentences
all these things
left unsaid

a hundred words
stale phrases
none of them
enough

talk all damn day
and I’d still
never get
to what it is
that pulls at me
makes me want to stay

should have tried
should have missed that flight
should be there with you now
should stop trying to make sense
of any of this

because all I want
is to be
where I’m not

all I want
is to be
where
I am
not

(D. James)

old flame same heat

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 28 April 2010 at 2:22 pm

a cold wind
comes through
like longing

how many years
before we’ll be together
my love

will death
take me
before I see
your eyes
once more

feel your skin
breathe you in

is there no
relief from this
yearning

is this to be
yet another
unfinished story

all those miles
all those years
all these trials
all these tears

don’t we deserve
a break in this life
or do we have to wait
until the next one

(D. James)

more than a thousand words and still not enough

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 23 April 2010 at 1:44 pm

I look
at your picture

but it’s not
enough

there’s heat
but no fire

this facsimile
flat lifeless image

I want your
breath
your scent

you
all of you

this is just
not enough

(D. James)

temporal

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 21 April 2010 at 2:35 pm

waiting for you
to appear

wishing contact
knowing it’s just
a matter of time

because you want
what I want

even if
it doesn’t work
right now

it will
in time

(D. James)

you could call it that … yeah

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 19 April 2010 at 12:11 pm

can’t eat
can’t sleep
can’t stop thinking
of you

waiting for a call
e-mail
chat
text

something
to let me know
you’re thinking
of me
when I’m thinking
of you

knowing
it’s no good
being like this

but doing it
anyway

’cause there are
no answers
only questions

so why not ask
the same one
over and over

(D. James)

this is this

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 7 April 2010 at 2:16 pm

this is bad
this desire
this wanting

this is not me
this is not you
this isn’t even who we think
this is

this is some evil
this
this twist
this pain

this feeling
this ache for you

this is just a dream
this nightmare
this remembrance of you
this haunting

this stillness of still wanting
this with you

this ending that never ends because I don’t want
this to ever end never wanted
this to end always wondered why
this did end
this always ending
this

(D. James)

confused? me too

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 24 March 2010 at 2:17 pm

up all night
looking
for something
that doesn’t exist

something
I don’t want
to see in me

avoiding
myself
by looking
everywhere
other than here

trying to get
out of my head
when I should
be in bed

another late
night

another wasted
morning

couldn’t I get
the same result
in another way

or another result
in the same way

it’s all the same
in the end

(D. James)

blap

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 3 March 2010 at 8:59 pm

there are
all these words
and feelings
and messy things

spilled out
on the floor
like blood

seems there’s
no place
to put them all

can’t swallow them

try stuffing them
back into your gut

but they
no longer fit

feels like
you’ll die without
them

seems like
you’ll die with
them

where will you …
how will you …
what will you …
why would you …

go on?

(D. James)

calling

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 24 February 2010 at 2:20 pm

phone calls
text messages

and no one
gets back

what to do

feeling disconnected
feeling like no one’s
out there
feeling like no one
wants me

it’s only a thought
they’re all just busy
right now

in an hour
everyone
will call back
at once

and I’ll have
3 voice mails
and 5 text
messages

while trying
to get through
to my sister
in Tucson
to say
I love you

(D. James)

life may be empty and meaningless, but don’t tell that to my heart

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 22 February 2010 at 3:02 pm

don’t know what
to do
with these feelings

when the woman
you love says
it doesn’t mean anything

like your love
doesn’t matter
like you
don’t
matter

it isn’t what she means
it’s just how it sounds
to you
in the moment
as she says goodbye
for the last time

what do you do
knowing she’s already
calling another man
lover

do you give in
to the rage
let it consume you
or can you find a way
to let it all go

as if it really
doesn’t matter

(D. James)

storm clouds passing

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 25 January 2010 at 2:25 pm

what do you
say

when it doesn’t
go your way

you fight
to make
a pointless
point

then you
feel bad
about
the things
you said

finally
you let it go
or
you let it
destroy you

the choice
is yours

(D. James)

walking through it

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 18 January 2010 at 5:10 pm

nervous
pressure

feelings
running rampant

wanting
it all
to go
away

moments
of clarity
fogged
by anger

wanting to
give this
pain
away

yet

knowing
there is
something
on the other
side of it

something
I need
to see

another way
to be

(D. James)

60 seconds

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 30 December 2009 at 1:23 pm

how do you
wipe out
18 months

of love
happiness
listening
and support

the ups
and
the downs

in 60 seconds?

scream
be volatile

it only takes
a moment
apparently

to wipe it
all away

(D. James)

wonky compass

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 28 December 2009 at 2:33 pm

you head north
I follow

then east
and I follow

to the west
then south
north again
and I follow

your shifts
of whim

until
my bearings
are lost

and I am
swallowed
in a sea
of emotion

you go on
leaving behind this
reckless wreckage

now
there is
nowhere
to go
but
down

(D. James)

a side of me

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 23 December 2009 at 3:50 pm

there is
a side
of me

I do not
like

a part
that feels
unheard

it rages
and I am
in its grip

lost to
madness

there is
a side
of me

I do not
like

and
I have
to live
with the
consequences

of my actions

cannot erase
what I’ve done

there is
a side
of me

I hate

and wish
never to see
again

(D. James)

pressure

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 16 December 2009 at 4:46 pm

Filled
with fear

not knowing
what the future
holds

worried
I can’t
won’t
make it

That somehow
after all this
time

I’ve finally come
to the end

no more
tricks
up my
sleeve

time to pay
the piper

feeling terribly
inadequate

needing to
reinvent
rethink
shift

(D. James)

For the Love

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 14 December 2009 at 3:40 pm

Love you
like no other

somehow it
isn’t enough

always seems
another obstacle
an endless
row of hurdles

and though
it feels as if
this horse
can’t jump

I must
I must

For no
other reason
than love

(D. James)

knock em out

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 7 December 2009 at 4:05 pm

Tossing
attitude

throwing words
like punches

not caring
where they land

Uncertain
where this is
coming from

or where
it’s going

only that
I’m following
blindly

(D. James)

down day

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 4 December 2009 at 3:56 pm

Thinking
of giving up

packing it in
leaving

Always looking
for support
someone to prop me up

or just lean me
against a wall

Feeling like
it’s never
gonna be enough

Swimming
in a pool
of self-pity

not wanting
to take
responsibility

wondering how
everyone else
seems to do it

so why
can’t I

(D. James)

the last poet

In art, bad sex and bad breath, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 2 December 2009 at 4:27 pm

When the night
is over

and the final
cigarette
has been smoked

what will
the last poet
say

After all
the evoked emotion
failed relationships
dead boyfriends
abortions
abusive parents
drugs and alcohol

laughter
and pain

have been spilled
out
in some cases
artfully vomited

what could
this last poet
have to say

How to summarize
this night
these words
life sentences
bad grammar

poetic license
driven to excess

How to follow
the girl who told
of losing all her hair

the guy who
crashed his car

the gay biker
who longs
to be dominated
by a she-wolf
of the SS

the boy
who lost
his virginity
so late

the girl
who lost hers
so early

the words
of so many
who want change
yet stay
right where they are

What can this last
motherfucker
have to say
that can top the
triumphs
tragedies
surprises
sorrows

What will
the last poet
leave us with

as we file
out of this
basement grotto
into the light
of dawn

Do we expect
too much
as he steps to the microphone

the crowd
too drunk
to hush

even the white
of the spot light
seems a bit dingy
as he steps into it’s shaft

The last poet
will speak the
last poem

and we will leave
to sleep it off

Whatever he says
will be the final word
so our expectations
are far too high

The last poet
poor fucker
has nowhere to go
but down

unless he’s more genius
than genius itself
more brilliant
than all of us

The last poet
clears his throat
touches his lips
to the mic

the wait
has us spellbound
and half-hopeful

Even so
when we wake
in the afternoon
hungover and
full of piss

will we remember
any of this

(D. James)

idealization

In art, bad sex and bad breath, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 30 November 2009 at 3:00 pm

just because
you want her

doesn’t mean
she feels
the same

or even notices
you’re alive

(D. James)

stubborn lazy do-nothing fucker

In art, bad sex and bad breath, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 25 November 2009 at 9:20 pm

like a dog
that won’t come

a bird
that refuses
to sing

or a cat
that won’t hunt

what if
I just sat here
all damn day

listening to Nina

the sound
of all that pain
washing over me
like rain

(D. James)

better get to it

In art, bad sex and bad breath, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 8 September 2009 at 1:41 am

waiting
for the keys
to speak

why don’t they
type something

must I do
everything
around here

I thought
this writing thing
would be easier

people talk about
poems that write
themselves

where can I
get me
one of those

they promised
life would be
more fun
on a Mac

but I still
have to do
all the damn thinking

(D. James)

at the end

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 22 July 2009 at 4:02 pm

We said
“you don’t
understand”
to each other

until we didn’t

then we weren’t
anymore

(D. James)

everything

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 16 July 2009 at 3:37 pm

Another time
in another city
when I was
someone else

And she
she asked me
“what do you want?”

And I
I had no answer

Now here
in this town
I being me
and all things equal

She asks me
“what do you want?”

And I
I answer
“everything”

To which she
she has no reply

And I
I am left
wondering
why this question
keeps coming up

(D. James)

do something

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 12 July 2009 at 6:41 pm

exhausted
by talk

empty words
without action

said again
and again

until there is
nothing
but sound

like shadows
in fog

smoke and mirrors

leaving us
nowhere
with nothing

(D. James)

black wave of frustration

In art, d. james, literature, overweight champions, poem, poetry, writing on 27 May 2009 at 4:59 pm

this night passes
through me

like a black
knife

no way
around it

I must
stay up

’til dawn
breaks me

only then
will I fall
to sleep

(D. James)

dead-stop

In art, d. james, literature, poem, poetry, writing on 26 May 2008 at 7:00 am

Spun out
with nowhere
to turn

Looking for
a piece of mind

Knowing it’s
what we make of it
that matters

But still holding back
giving in to frustration
and wasting countless hours

(D. James)