Where Are My Poems?

Where are my poems, I say?
Words I picked up from here and there.
They keep on skipping,
Dancing around and beyond.
Skipping, skipping, skipping
Making me run after them
As if creating is not hard enough.
Come back, you!
I say, come back!




Where are my novels, I say?
Pages and pages I've toiled over,
Forsaken hours of sleep,
Keepers of my doubts and fears.
Do not run away!
Struggling, I am, I tell you!
You keep on spiraling
Outside of my control.
If I think you strong,
You turn around and mock me
And call yourself weak.
Rewrite!
Pages and pages trashed!


Where are my paintings, I say?
I saw you hiding right there!
Come here, I say!
The shadows and lines,
Half-colored, but fully defined.
Oh! How pretty you look!
Look at that frame on you.
It's a pity you keep
In the shadows.
Where're my pencils?
Hey-ho! Show yourself!


Where are my lyrics, I say?
Have I gone deaf?
The music is missing!
Oh my! It's missing!
Where have you been?
Where are you going?
The words our here
But I'm missing the hymn.
The bouncing melody,
Sliding with the wind.
Have I gone dear, dear?
Speak! Speak! Speak!


Where are my customized, I say?
I've lost my edge, I'm afraid.
No! No! Forgive my tired eyes.
Come back and help me here,
I see the colors and patterns
But they don't make sense
Anymore, dear.
Lack of practice, I blame
Too busy here, too busy there
Come back and help me here!
I say! Stop being peaked
Fold this cloth and
Pick the right team.
Don't go running now!


Where are you, I say?
Have you forgotten
Your secret place here?
Walk straight, then right,
A little to the left, and then
Straight to the pond.
See the sublime colors
The music inside your head.
Pick them up, Barrett!
Rise and go after them.
Where have they gone?
Pick up the string and
Follow them--there! By far!
Run and rise up, fellow.
Fly to the sky.
Again!
Again!




# RM