More of Joy Burton's poems

i thought of you last night
and cried like a child
so lonely and so scared
afraid of the dark with you not there
to put your arms around me
so i could fall asleep
and dream of never losing you
awakening to find you in a dream
understanding why you had to leave

chorus:
I hear your voice at night
while I sleep restlessly
loving and dreaming only you
my precious child
dreamchild of the dark

you're so clever with love
your smile deceives the lonely
your ways confuse the wise
now you've left with half of me
and all the time to cry

chorus:
i hear your voice at night
while I sleep restlessly
dreaming and loving only you
my cunning child
dreamchild of the dark

Ii have the time i've waited for
it's spent on losing tears and you
remembering the airport scenes
hiding the tears from strangers passing by
leaving alone with quick goodbyes
suddenly having the time to cry

chorus 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
***************************************************************


Old men walk narrow paths
they wash their dentures
in public
in front of little girls
laughing toothless
at their ignorance
they turn and walk
away, stumbling
on a sidewalk crack.

pink ladies flash their charm
diamond stickpins
stuck into their breasts
so lovers can kiss off
the blood
later,
after the dance.

little girls spit out
twisted truths
they sink their teeth
into each other's innocence
hanging little boys from
a high oak branch
with their red hair ribbons
tight around their necks.

i am sucked on daily
i crawl among the leeches
coming closer to the blade.

the blade, cold, pure
shining
anticipating my touch;
redcold agony

catholic men suck on
rosary beads
they've rubbed
between their
lover's thighs
they drink the wine and
pray forgiveness
for their weekly sins.

old men walk narrow pathways
with canes of scorn bleeding
from their hands; knotted,
gnarled with pain and anger.
they pick disgust from their teeth
with toothpicks; gold, smiling.

little girls spit out twisted truths -
they pick fresh young camilias
with their scathing virgin hands.
skipping along the dirty roads
they tease the foolish boys;
pink, innocent.

a man lies dead and bloody;
decomposing
faceless men whisper of fate
theirs; cold, indifferent.

I crawl among the leeches
I am sucked on daily
coming closer to the blade.
the blade: pure, shining
waiting for my touch; redcold agony.

the pink ladies flash their charm
to get country club luncheons
and diamond stickpins that stick
into their breasts
so lovers can kiss the blood off
in public johns, later,
after the dance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
***************************************************


Sonnet for Byl

Although the lack of rhyme I saw too well
Tenderness and care were clearly seen
Where hate and disillusion could have been
My fate perceived as far as I could tell
My cocaine eyes and champagne smiles deceive
Smallest bits of truth can disappear
Behind the haze and smoke is dread and fear
Someone has to dance while others grieve
Be happy while I sing the blues tonight
Tomorrow always waits for her and you
No matter what you feel or how you do
Your dreams are much too young to die in fright
The last two lines are always hard for me,
So happy twenty-first and two for tea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
**************************************************

a dream
5 24 78
2.02 pm

I caught some remnants of a dream
A dream of you
A dream of me
A role-reversal

You bled, bleeding from your heart
The blood dripping onto me
But quickly washed away with apathy

You lay and cried, crying from your soul
The tears dripping onto my toes
For I stood and spat upon you

You screamed, screaming with all your might
The screams drifting away
For I didn't care to hear

You died, dying slowly and painfully
I turned and walked away
For I didn't care.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
*****************************************

you touched
my cold flesh
the hate
i feel for you
is not eternal
quick rebelion
on this night of
screaming dogs
my ego is too fat
I have no
sorrow
for the pigs
that you desire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
********************************************



we steal away
snatching kisses like yesterday
frightened children
longing to love
hoping for a moment
one moment
of passion in a guiltless night
feeling the fire of pain
withdraw into tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
*******************************************


rainbows
for andy

rainbows come and go
as love they show no pity
blindly searching for a question
dancing the nights away
under a sky of sorrow
we toil with sadness
seeking we're inspired by rainbows
carefree and easy we lose ourselves
and cry at moments past
moments to come
where we find the end of our rainbow
and find a mirrored image of ourselves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
***********************************************

you left me
standing alone
clutching the fence
watching the plane turn into sky.
all I had was memories and tears.

I was blinded by my tears
blinded by you.
memories revealed awful truths
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joy Burton
***************************************************

sharp fear
awakens me to a grey morning.
unwelcome for shrouds the mountains
as i begin my daily walk
in silence
i walk alone on cold cement;
the blood-tears stain the sidewalk

i wonder
did you hear the swan?
can you hear me?

i whisper softly
wishing for an answer or only
the sound of your voice

i whisper softly
into the rain

i whisper softly to the clouds
wishing for an answer
to ease the fear or
my breath turns to mist

If only to hear your voice
but i