Poetry

 

I used a man in Am I a Man,
Because a man is who I am,
If a woman were who I am,
Would I be "only a woman".

man walking on snowy roadAm I a Man

I am a man, I am a man,
A man I am, if only I can,
If only I can, take a stand,
If I can stand, and raise my hand.

When honor calls, calls me to stay,
While others called, are fading away,
I hope that day, I can display,
The strength within, to find my way.

When I see crowds, in panic fly,
And in that panic, the truth deny,
Trampling in hate, those who defy,
The panicked flight to invented lie.

Then I’ll find if I am a man,
If against that crowd I can then stand,
Can I stand and raise my hand, Stop
From saying, "I’m only a man".


© 2004 Glenn K. Currie Daydreams

 

navy swimNavy Swim Call-1966

The ship rested like a mirage,
In the Indian Ocean.
Letting its swimmers,
Test Poseidon’s patience.

We dove in noisily,
A school of bait fish, splashing.
Trading equatorial heat,
For the ocean’s cool glare.

The shark boats sobered us,
Their presence ominous.
Rifles manned by poor marksmen,
We hoped would not be tested.

I floated, nervously.
Bravado fading.
Two miles above the ocean floor,
Invading an alien world.

The black cold beneath,
Snaked its way up my legs,
Sending tentacles along my spine.
Awakening primal fears.

Someone, perhaps making a wish,
Threw a nickel, flashing silver.
It twisted and turned,
Reaching back for the light.

I watched it fade away,
Disappearing slowly.
Beginning its long journey,
From sunshine to darkness.

As I swam back,
Through waves rolling out of Asia,
I wondered if I too,
Would soon sink into the abyss.

© 2006 Glenn K. Currie Riding in Boxcars

 

trees and mountainsSniper

I lay among silver daffodils
Watching the Bear mark time
On the luminous dials spinning above.
I wondered what colors would emerge
In a world without light.
A breeze picked its way through the field,
Found me tucked in the shadows,
And began a gentle massage.
Crickets ticked away the minutes,
Moving to the Earth’s beat.
I knew the sun would be too slow
To paint the daffodils yellow,
So I closed my eyes and painted them
Red.

© 2009 Glenn K. Currie In the Cat's Eye

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