Category Archives: Uncategorized

Living Now – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” Matsuo Basho

Living Now

When the journey ends

what will be your question?

did you fight every battle,

scour every mountain,

struggle every track,

suppress every complaint

that dwelt in your mind?

or, did you notice that not

every trail was a wrong turn,

that some wrongs were rights?

Have you noticed that the

journey is a series of deviations

the sum of which is our lives,

it isn’t the getting there,

because we never do,

it is living in the now is

the journey of worth.

Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️

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Poem For Ilhan Sami Comak – a poet imprisoned – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse I am hosting Poetics for Tuesday May 16 (EST) with an invitation to write a poem that speaks for those poets who are imprisoned or harassed for their writing.

You can link here to dVerse to read more details and resource and the poems submitted.

Photo: peaceinkurdistancampaign.com The Kurdish poet Ilhan Sami Comak imprisoned in Turkey for 27 years on false charges. The European Court of Human rights has ruled that his conviction is unlawful.

Note: This is a revised version of an earlier poem of the same title.

“Poetry is not an expression of the party line.” Allen Ginsberg



Poem For Ilhan Sami Comak

Once there were two birds,
but isn't that always the case?
One came and sat at my window,
the other perched in a cage,
and though the one left the 
window for the trees,
it sang its freedom in 
seeking my food,
while the caged one 
had no such concern, 
and gave itself instead 
to singing its freedom 
to the world.


Copyright 2021 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️



Some further Reading

https://ilhancomak.wordpress.com/

New call for the release of Kurdish poet İlhan Sami Çomak jailed in Turkey for 26 years
https://www.facebook.com/peninternational

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My Map – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse De is hosting the Quadrille (44 words) with an invitation to write a poem using the word or any of its forms – map.

dVerse Poets – Quadrille – Mapping Out Our Poems

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay 

“Massage is the study of anatomy in braille.” Jack Meagher

My Map

You talk to me of maps,
those creased folds of 
two dimensional hope,
but my map is different,
I can trace her contours
feel her heart, her pulse,
the softness of her skin,
I can see the road to perdition
and descend in love. 


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️


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We’ve seen the future and … – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

“We’re not dropping out here, we’re infiltrating and taking over.” Terrence McKenna

We've seen the future and ...

Some people don't want the future,
they would prefer to stay with today,
living in joyful inattentional blindness
where everyone is waving not seeing.

They would prefer to stay with today,
blinkered against the cost of community
where everyone is waving not seeing,
retreating from hungry mongers.

Blinkered against the cost of community,
the ascent of self as king or queen,
retreating from hungry mongers
to seek the safety of autonomy.

The ascent of self as king or queen,
living in joyful inattentional blindness
to seek the safety of autonomy,
some people don't want the future.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

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Merry Christmas

Image: found at lovethispic.com

Merry Christmas to you all.

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Into The Gray – prose by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse Lisa is hosting Prosery (144 words) with an invitation to write prose and to include the line “In the tender gray, I swim undisturbed.” from the poem ‘In Sullivan County’ by Celia Dropkin (who was born on Decmeber 5), for more details follow the link below.

dVerse Poets – Prosery – On This Day: Happy December 5 Birthday Poets

Image: wall-art.nl

“Life is about the gray areas.” Emily Giffin

Into The Gray

I’ve always been allergic to moralisms. They’re like a feeling I have when I’ve eaten something that is past its use by date. It can look good, but the eating thereof leaves much to be desired. And it’s a smorgasbord. Every group has an opinion on what is right or wrong, what is black or white. Sadly, some of it can be so destructive as they turn into rules of exclusion, leaving individuals and groups open to judgement and senseless punishment.

For me, moralisms are dualisms preventing harmony and peace, preventing open hearted compassion. they thrive on fear. I no longer seek to be right, to have that egoic power at the exclusion of connection and love. Non-harming is my way through. Listening, accepting, sometimes setting things aside. These days I’m much happier in the tender gray, I swim undisturbed in that cosmic pond.

Copyright 2022 ©Paul Vincent Cannon

All Rights Reserved ®️

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Navigated Wreckage – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

#2022 November PAD Chapbook Challenge

Day 23 23.11.22

Prompt: write a family poem

Navigated Wreckage 

Mostly, 
the rails were true,
but when the train came off 
it was spectacular,
terror coursed our veins,
my father's hands were heavy,
and life became
navigated wreckage.


Copyright 2022 ©Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

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Hallowed House published on Spillwords

My poem Hallowed House has been published at Spillwords Press.

My many thanks to Dagmara and the team for accepting and publishing.

You can read the poem here on Spillwords: Hallowed House

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Currently Away

Photo: Wildflowers in fully bloom for September in Western Australia.

I am currently away travelling the Australian Bush and in and out of net coverage, I’m eight days in and ten to go, so I’ll see all of you lovely readers soon when I return.

Regards, Paul

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What Do You Really Want? – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse Sanaa is hosting Poetics with an invitation to write about peer pressure (something that affects adults as much as teens)

dVerse Poets – Poetics – When It Comes To Peer Pressure

Photo: found at cracked.com

“Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield.” Aesop

What Do You Really Want?

They love your work,
you spoke so powerfully
and with such passion,
they want to talk to you about
coming on to the committee,
it could lead to greater things,
take time to think about it; which
we both know is not true, time will
become a loud ticking bomb.
Just imagine, he goes on, the 
public profile, imagine the job
offers, you'd be great at this,
and we need you (now comes 
the truth). Rep. X chairs this 
one, he's going places too,
how's that? And, O, what's 
her name, the one you like,
she's on it too. They pay for
everything, the food, think 
about it, what do you say?
I remember he said take time,
and there it is, the pressure
bomb. I'll let you know tomorrow,
which we both know that means
no, but I can't come right out
and just say it, I'm weighing the 
worn track in my mind that wants
to, used to always, say yes, but
the wreckage of so many of these
ego trips lie in my wake and sucked
the life out of me.


Copyright 2022 ©Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

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