Weekly Poems from Poems for Free: A Philosophical Sonnet and More
I KNOW I CANNOT SATISFY THE SUN
I know I cannot satisfy the sun
Nor earn the pleasures of a quiet day;
Spring is not a prize that I have won,
Nor am I here because I've had my say.
My thoughts are not the product of my wits,
Nor are my myths the product of my dreams;
I am a confluence of moments ' bits
Of longing borne by cold and laughing streams.
Love also is a gift beyond deserving:
Large-eyed, nocturnal, armed with delicate paws;
Nudging shameless for affection, serving
Equally my need and its own laws.
Miraculously delivered, drunk with light,
I stagger towards the long-expected night.
WE ARE A FAMILY NOW
We are a family now, a whole,
Of which you are a part,
And you are just as much my child
As any in my heart.
I do not love you differently,
Nor would I give up less
Of all that life has given me
To bring you happiness.
There is no limit to my love,
No boundary you might cross,
No price you might be asked to pay,
No need to fear its loss.
We are now one, the four of us,
Windows of one home.
As long as I have life and breath,
You'll never be alone.
WHEN WE FIRST MET YOU SEEMED A TIMID DOE
When we first met you seemed a timid doe.
I hardly noticed you, nor did you me.
Now you are a mother and my wife,
And I find it a miracle to be.
You are for me a fresh, eternal springtime,
Or like an open window after rain,
A breath of air that says something of heaven,
And tells me of life's beauty once again.
I don't tell you enough how much I love you,
But if I did, I would say nothing else.
Each moment I am with you, there is sunlight
Slanting through the prism of my self.
LET THE MARKET SET THE PRICE OF LABOR
Let the market set the price of labor!
And who would want to vote for such a life?
Because we live in a democracy,
Our policies are shaped by peaceful strife,
Rewarding those who fight for what they favor.
Despite the logic, what fool would agree,
Alerted to his interest, to turn over,
Yielding neck to economic knife?
YOU'D LIKE A SHOT AT SERIOUS REDEMPTION
You'd like a shot at serious redemption,
Only, like us all, you have no clue.
Mostly satisfied, you leave your pew
Knowing that you've satisfied convention
Instead of being some more painful you.
Perhaps there is no other truth than this;
Perhaps the yearning must be unfulfilled.
Unredeemed, you pay your debts as billed,
Returning to a bliss that dreams of bliss.
ONE YEAR HAS PASSED
One year has passed, and still we are in love,
Nor will time undo what we have done.
Even as boughs break and mountains move,
Years enrich what pleasure has begun.
Each moment of our passion and delight,
As clear as sunshine, bountiful and bright,
Remains as longing after it is gone.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
Thank you for your love throughout the years.
Happiness comes slowly, day by day.
All you and Dad have given me remains,
Not distant from the wellspring of my tears.
Kindnesses can never go away.
Your love has been my rock, despite the strains
On all of us as separation nears.
Under your roof, my love will always stay.
About the Author:
Nicholas Gordon is a poet and the webmaster of the popular poetry site, Poems for Free at http://www.poemsforfree.com. He holds a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Stanford University. For most of his working life, he taught English at New Jersey City University, in Jersey City, NJ.