Today is International Men’s Day. To celebrate, I’m sharing with you 3 poems by the wonderful man in my life: my poet-writer-editor-hubby Joseph Robert. These poems were previously published in 13 Myna Birds Magazine in July this year.
You Know I Never Like To . . .
Joseph Robert © 2016
But complaining about complaining is complaining
And I hate to complain but this constant complaining
Really drains my energy and frustrates me
When you complain about everyone’s complaints against you
So, cut to the chase and other stopgap sayings
Do it already, blame a third party
For what we’re singly and collectively liable for
And then we can discuss with great dignity
The finer points of the generic interior design
Or landscape or architecture, depending on where we are
It doesn’t really matter too much as long as we can act
Like we can actually stand each other
We can’t complain
Jeweled / Cut & Clarity
Joseph Robert © 2016
Diamond Truths, Ruby Rants, Sapphire Songs, Emerald Fables
Amethyst Ejaculations, Cubic Zirconium Quotations
Gemstone Words, but missing a gold ring of meaning
To perch upon for their display and setting
They’re loose stones, precious or semi-precious, they’re loose
A palm full of star twinkle
Relevant only if we really force it
If we cast our own rings
With our daydreams overtaking our nights
Overhanging our days
A collection of set pieces
For when there’s energy to spare to do more
Than grin and bear it
In silence
Picking at the walls
Of the coalmine’s dark galleries
On The Casting Couch
Joseph Robert © 2016
Wealthy enough to inspire aspiration
But hard-working enough to be broken in enough
To mis-project myself into bed with you
Sure thing, that body’s sexy enough in this light
But you knew
You’re a character I could enjoy watching suffer
Sincerely concocted tribulations
When you meet your avatar
Of pampered, scented skin
And flatteringly cut cloth
Making dramatic facial expressions at us
With words that aren’t yours or mine
Unbelievable, but
I want to fall into those eyes
And die there
At least two or three times
Leilanie Stewart 