Tag Archives: Free Verse

Joining The Flow – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

“Be the flow.” Jay-Z

Joining The Flow

The long ache that desires to flow
into the sea of subconscious tides,
a weightless journey being
carried on the back of sighs,
breathless, with expectation
in a long storied epic of
being born a fish on land
who discovers the dream,
written long ago, where
thoughts give way to feeling,
and all fish are one.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

12 Comments

Filed under dreams, Free Verse, life, mindfulness, poem, quote

Moving On – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” Boris Pasternak

Moving On

I was feeling for the edge
as the morning warmed,
dancing to the gentle sound
we no longer know,
the thing we should hold on to,
broken into lines,
which is never considered,
the shadow of freedom,
interrupting the illusion
to reveal something.

Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

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Filed under dreams, Free Verse, life, poem, quote

No Temple Or Steeple – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse Ingrid is hosting Poetics with an invitation to write about place and space.

dVerse Poets – Poetics – Place and Space

Photo: State Forest at Kirrup

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” Gary Snyder

No Temple Or Steeple

What place
would capture my heart,
make me take off my shoes
and in silence commune?

No temple or steeple 
has ever,
nor memorial,
though all speak in hallowed ways.

Instead I go where the air moves,
where the sun and moon speak,
while the bed I walk upon never sleeps,
and the breeze whispers its translation 
through leaves of understanding.

Here I rejoice in the chorale 
of feathered song,
the trilling brook, and
even granite's imposing, stony silence.

It is here I take off my shoes,
speak in a language of soul,
feel this place deeply
as Lovers are wont to do.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

39 Comments

Filed under awareness, bush walking, Free Verse, life, nature, poem, quote

Nonetheless – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

“In violence we forget who we are.” Mary McCarthy

Nonetheless 

What is this yin yang love hate thing?
I wanted your love,
needed your love
to be sure of things.
I remember your hands
holding me in a 
safety net of strength that
helped me to see the world
through paddling,
dodgem cars,
coconut shies,
train-spotting,
rambling,
gardening.
I remember the strength of your hands
connecting with my body,
the pain,
the uncertainty.
I remember you striking her
and collapsing my world
that you had helped me to build.
I remember your hands
striking at the world
in fistfuls of frustration,
a never resting anger
thrown at everyone.
I hated your violence,
my mind tells me how it was,
but my heart has never caught up
with the pain of loving you
nonetheless.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

7 Comments

Filed under awareness, Free Verse, grief, poem, quote, relationship, shadow

I know – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

“It is a choice. no matter how frustrating or boring or constraining or painful or oppressive our experience, we can always choose how we respond.” Edith Egar

I know

I'm still confused,
all over the place
on days when emotions swirl,
chop and change,
wondering
what if,
if only I'd,
but that can never be,
and knowing that
doesn't end the confusion
and sometimes,
this is, 
oddly,
so sublime,
sweet,
as feelings can be.
I may choose to stay with it,
or distract myself,
whatever I do
I know it will soon return,
the trigger remains indelible,
and so I play
whichever way
I choose.



Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

16 Comments

Filed under awareness, Free Verse, life, poem, quote

We Went – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

“Fear is the mother of morality” Friedrich Nietzsche

We Went

We went down to the church in pews
to tremble with the organ and
listen to well meant platitudes
long past reality as we know it,
all tents pitched in tribal territory,
centuries old moralisms as small
totems of fear set against delight,
Vaulted words ricocheting off the ceiling,
but no mention of the revolution of love,
home we went with hearts 
black as our winter coats.



Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 




11 Comments

Filed under Free Verse, poem, quote, religion

There Goes The Family Again – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse Laura is hosting Meeting the Bar with an invitation to write a tercet, choosing from a list either a compound word, or three words connected. I chose Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

dVerse Poets – MTB – Three Way Split

Image found on pinterest.com

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” Gerard Manley Hopkins

There Goes The Family Again

1. Typical father, running late of excuses,
drove his son to the Bethlehem saloon
for his starring role in a nativity play,
and the customary custody handover,
or Mary would let him have it.

2. What is it with Spanish mothers,
is it true that every second male is 
named Jesus, for god's sake why?
Are they all fishermen at play,
pulling coins from the mouths of fish?

3. The father ordered a second round,
the bar tender leered long at Mary,
dad drew and shot him full of that
one hundred percent  proof 67 spirit,
that got him cupid in the heart.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

19 Comments

Filed under Free Verse, life, poem, quote, Spirituality

Then And Now – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

Photo: motionarray.com

“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” Lionel Hampton

Then And Now

I knelt
under the washing line
in meditation
plucking sun burned weeds
from cracks.

Overhead the washing
flicked,
crisp,
cracked
in the breeze.

Then 
I was running,
through familiar grass
with summer in my hair,
and hope in my heart.

Now
I return,
walking towards the day
with autumn on my face,
and hope ever in my heart.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

12 Comments

Filed under awareness, Free Verse, life, meditation, memory, poem, quote

Today I Set Aside My Sensible Shoes – a poem by Paul Vincent Cannon

At dVerse Lisa is hosting Poetics with an invitation to write about play.

dVerse Poets – Poetics – Playtime

Image by Hands off my tags! Michael Gaida from Pixabay

“Every path hath a puddle.” George Herbert

Today I Set Aside My Sensible Shoes

Intrusive clouds
collected
in the hollows,
dull grey puddles,
reminders of
stepping over,
stepping around,
onwards,
the weight on my wrist
ever calling,
but,
today
I set aside
my sensible shoes
for a splash or two,
recalling laughter,
reclaiming joy 
between my toes.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️ 

29 Comments

Filed under awareness, carefree, Free Verse, life, play, poem, quote

Last Gasp – 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 a form of the word, gasp.

dVerse Poets – Quadrille – Poetry is a Kind of Gasp

Photo: A stretcher bearer provides a cigarette to a wounded soldier, WW1, found at stokesentinel.co.uk

“He lighted a cigarette, and in the curling smoke of it caught visions ….” Jack London

Note: a gasper was in old English parlance, a cigarette, especially amongst the military.

Last Gasp

Gaspers for bullets
to disappear pain,
nineteen to the dozen,
while the hack digs my wound.
"No filter" he said
as I screamed.
What a drag, I thought
as I sucked the stub,
hoping for visions of heaven
exhaling life
with my last gasp.


Copyright 2023 ©️Paul Vincent Cannon
All Rights Reserved ®️

22 Comments

Filed under death, Free Verse, poem, Quadrille, quote, war