by Luann Jung
WANDERLUST - HOURS OF THE DAY EDITION
Poems by Luann Jung
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Wanderlust - Hours of the Day
by Luann Jung
All rights reserved
Copyright 2013 by Luann Jung
No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, email [email protected].
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1- EVIL SMILES
With evil smiles
You pull me apart
Cast me away
Break my fragile heart
Crack all the windows
Let it escape
Then laugh at me trying
To fix time with tape
The tears that I've cried
All were in vain
You never noticed
That I was in pain
I build a dam
To stem all the hurt
You knock it over
Ground it to the dirt
You're plainly jealous when
Nice people come around
They pick me up after
You push me down
So when revenge comes
I won't be to blame
It will be your fault
For starting the flame
The flame that will burn us
Dancing with guile
Yes, I'll get back at you
Beware evil smiles
2 - THE APOCALYPSE
One by one we all will die
Collapsing under this cold dark sky
The souls of the people, up they will rise
Broken over evil, and greed, and lies
Down to the ground, our bodies will melt
Down to the ground, upon which we once knelt
The hard-packed dirt, brown and cracked
The deep cool recesses, where sunlight is lacked
The memories we've had, will disappear like light
That is overpowered, by the dark that holds tight
The goals that we had, now they are pointless
Dancing away, they'll merrily taunt us
What used to matter, won't anymore
Instead they will be, just a simple bore
And things we once needed, are useless by now
Because what we want for, we'll get with a bow
The king of the deceased, will welcome us soon
To all kinds of sickness, we will be immune
Most of our loved ones, lying beside
Will meet us again, because we all died
3 - TO ERASE
It helps me everyday
My eraser that is pink
But to my great dismay
It won't erase ink
I messed up on my homework
With a pen of beautiful blue
I thought I was sure on the subject
But oh! How little I knew!
So I gave the pen away
For a pencil it was traded
On my desk the pencil lay
It was very much hated
For I still love my eraser
It’s the best of all of them
Pencils and pens are just pebbles
My eraser is a gem
But my eraser broke in half
Now it is a tiny thing
One half is a regal queen
The other is a royal king
Every day they reign over
All their loyal men
The only one they can’t control
Is the naughty pen
4 - ROYAL QUESTIONS
Concrete, concrete, concrete wall
Who is the queenliest of them all?
Be it me or be it her?
In looks and mind who is better?
Who possesses a face unflawed?
Who possesses eyes to be awed?
Who possesses hair like silk?
Who's skin is pure, cream and milk?
Who's lips are redder, like blood against snow?
Who's brain has knowledge, how much do they know?
When tragedy falls, what will she do?
Maybe greatness for us is just the prelude
Who is a leader? Courteous and brave
To rule all her people, 'til she rest in the grave
5 - THE SKY CRIES TOO
Have you ever asked yourself,
Why the sky is crying?
All this time I felt the truth,
The truth I was denying
These skies cry 'cause they can feel
The pain that we are hiding
Behind tall walls of dignity
Pride that is misguiding
These skies cry because we don't
Does it seem unfair?
Yet, because of us they can't
Deny their deep despair
We betray . . . we lie, we cheat,
Turn others' dreams to dirt
Then we dare to turn around
Complain that we’ve been hurt
We're all connected through our pain
Enemies' tears can be our own
We don't want to be ignored when filled with grief
Yet we let them grieve alone
No one is perfect or ideal
Our lives are drenched with blame
Still we turn away from friends
When we know their shame
Letting loved ones slip away
By what we did or didn't say
Then pretend it never happened
Ignore it 'til our hair is gray
My eyes are full of tears because
My heart's not made of stone
And, aside from yours, my friends
My sky never cries alone
6 - SHINE
A North Star rises each day in her eyes
A beacon of light shining in the night skies
The dark of her irises; is the midnight
A speck of pure light is a star shining bright
Her lids, they lower when silent or angry
Snuffing out the glow, that helps us see
At day when it's bright; the shine of the sun
Those stars disappear, for darkness they run
7 - THIS IS THE SKY
When you look to the sky, it seems as blank
And open as a canvas
Clear. Simple.
Without the clouds, or the lightning, what would the sky be?
Nothing.
The thunder rumbles and the rains pours down
The crumbling sky falls in drops all around
The flashing light burns curious eyes
Crackling down until the rise
Dark, dangerous, when over we're glad
This is the sky, on days when it's mad.
The sunny white rays that float smoothly over
The clouds making shapes; a big four-leaf clover
The soft gentle whiteness, complemented by blue
"Come to this big airy space!" the clean sky seems to woo
"Go ahead, tell the others, be their envoy."
This is the sky, today, full of joy.
The fire that hurtles down to the Earth
The chunks of large rock, tearing a wide berth
Through the fabric of the air, ripping it open
Colliding with us, 'till the surface is broken
The meteorites fall down from the sky
This the sky, and she says goodbye.
8 - IT’S RAINING BULLETS TODAY
It's raining bullets today
I look out the
window, and I see gunpowder sprinkling over the battlefield
I see flowers keeling over after being shot
Thunder rumbles; lightning strikes through the clouds
Water falls like an endless bomb
The noise and light, they're battles in the sky
Swords and cannons clashing and booming in the distance
Volleys of bullets, slicing towards the ground
Misty smoke snaking up the ladders to Heaven, taking lost spirits with it
Sunlight is impossible, it's an illusion. An illusion like the slivers of hope the soldiers hold
It's raining bullets today, and I hope it ends soon
9 - THE EREMITES
Shocking, shocking, shockingly cold
In that lone shrine there was ice to behold
Her dress of calico, his shirt of white
The clothes on their backs, and one match to light
The eremites lived out in the wood
In a small home where just three walls stood
Always in harmony, did they remain
When parched by the sun, or drenched by the rain
Dirt was the floor and thatch was the roof
With simple beef bones to cook in their soup
Harvest the plants that grow in the mud
And tend to the small, beautiful flower bud
His hair as brown as dark chocolate
Her hair resembled a fox's a bit
His haunted look shows years of struggle
Her wild spirit has still yet to crumple
However opposed these two may be
They found life and had to agree
In compatible silence they lived out their days
Dwelling in the forest under the sun's rays
10 - YOUR ELEGY
[3rd person]
Inside his soul was sorrow pure
Nowhere on Earth was there a cure
Distress at fate and mourning grief,
His sadness was beyond belief
[1st person]
Although you're gone as gone can be
I know I'll keep you here with me
Deep in me you'll be alive
Though sick at heart I might survive
[2nd person]
Somewhere in the deserts dry
A healing rain falls from the sky
Once hidden in recess of mind
Freedom of thought you now will find
11 - LOVE YOU TOO
When I look into the sea
So sapphire, sapphire blue
My sadness's key
Is one last 'I love you, too'
As herons fly about
In the places where they live
It makes me want to shout
To you nothing I can give
To me your blue, blue eyes
Whisper 'Please, forget me not'
But it's only me who cries
For it's you who still forgot
Love will be a bruise
Always hurting; mourn and fear
We're people meant to be in twos
And now I'm the one left here
The lemons will be sour
The daffodils will sing
Yet I can't count all the hours
Forth for you tears I will bring
So an apple is like blood
And a heart could be lipstick
Ashes left from fiery loves
Wilted flowers left to pick
A tiger lily in my hand
A mango at my lips
Smooth can be as rough as sand
Lives are silk that easily rips
With an emerald jewel before us
And a blue sapphire for you
I must be a topaz
And I'll always, love you too
12 - MIRRORS
You're looking all over for the monster
The one that haunts your dreams
Over and over again until you're sure-
You'll rip painfully at the seams
Searching on forever
Realizing you've missed a place;
Dread the walk to the mirror
To find it in your face
13 - DID NOT HEAR: A PANTOUM
She whispered to her shadow
But her shadow did not hear
Cold men sitting in the gallows
Blank stares invoking fresh fear
But her shadow did not hear
Of the dangers in the night
Blank stares invoking fresh fear
Darkness covering the light
Of the dangers in the night
Only one did not apply
Darkness covering the light
Misty ghosts still passing by
Only one did not apply
Life was beating in his veins
Misty ghosts still passing by
Crowding through the empty lanes
Life was beating in his veins
In his hand he held a knife
Crowding through the empty lanes
Silent shrillness like a fife
In his hand he held a knife
Blank stares invoking fresh fear
Silent shrillness like a fife
But her shadow did not hear
14 - SECRETS
A secret smiles slyly as soon as it’s released
Then runs into the darkness, where it cannot be chased
The dark harbors a forest, filled with thorns and dread
Yet secrets find old friends in there--recite what has been said
It breaks the silence among its kin but doesn’t speak out loud
It leads you to the lonely place where things once lost are found
Whether or not this secret is, something good to hear
This secret whispers . . . beckons softly, right beside your ear
A secret knows a million things, for that it has to hide
But still it longs to be discovered, somewhere deep inside
To kindle the fire could be harmful, so don’t speak a word
After all, secrets, even through silence can easily be heard
15 - AUTUMN ROAD
That happy feeling left me
When I stumbled upon that place
It was nothing more than a dusty road,
Filled with crystal light and crisscrossed with shadows.
There was a tranquil golden glow,
Though the day was still dim
It was a quiet, lonesome place,
Caught up in a leafy, brown autumn.
That road looked empty, it did. With only the trees, the fence, and the sunlight.
But just as I dared to walk down it,
I saw the two people, talking by the fence, and watching me
So I turned around slowly, going back the way I came.
That happy feeling left me
When I stumbled upon that place
But it was just a dusty road, caught up in the colors of autumn
16 - DARKNESS
It swallows up the world at night
It muffles lonely cries of fright
It blinks with stars that dot the sky
It clouds like ink, and spreads like lies
From under its cover we lie in wait
For light to bring us back our fate
It takes our soul and makes it fall
It is the dark that conquers all
17 - EPHEMERAL
It's a lucky charm, you see.
Blue, delicate, and shining with dew-
a flower--don't ask me what kind, I wouldn't know
It's very beautiful, and grants all my wishes
Too bad it won't last
Forever
18 - MONSTER
I look in the mirror . . .
and I see a monster.
But when I look a little closer,
I can see myself hiding underneath.
When you see me, I tell you:
“Please leave.
I can't have you see me like this.
”
You know, I'm sorry to be such a disappointment
And I know I’ll be waiting here for nothing.
In the mist, cold as frost.
I'll be waiting for my old self . . .
to come back to me.
I've changed.
And I can't bear to change you too,
just by being around you.
You're too perfect the way you are.
And I'm just what I am;
A monster.
19 - SORROWFUL EYES
Can you see her sorrowful eyes?
Sorrow buried beneath easy lies
Eyes that feel so heavy sometimes
With tears that only cry inside
With eyes as big and blue as the sea
Do you really believe that she’s happy?
Or do you know things aren’t what they seem
With her eyes that whisper, “Set me free,”
Do you fall for her charade?
The perfect act that she creates?
Or do you realize that she’s decayed
Beneath her cheery, bright facade
Do you notice her hollow laugh?
That’s so cold and empty it starts to chafe
What you see is only half
Of this girl whose sadness overcomes at last
20 - TWISTED LOVE
I love you the way
I love an extra finger
Till' I cut it off
21 - LEAVING NOTHING
The great waves rush on
Swallowing up the white sand
And leaving nothing
22 - STARS
listen:
summer reminds me of leaving, of stars blowing up, of frosted cakes, and of midnight kisses bathed in moonlight. the stars are so beautiful, but they’re really just pieces that will fall apart some day.
listen:
two years ago I met a boy that I thought was my soulmate, who called me his beautiful spring girl. (though we always cherished our summers more.) he seemed so uncontrollable at times, and every now and then it scared me, but when he kissed me softly and whispered that helovedme hewantedme heneededme I forgot all about that side of him.
and before I forget, “just like stars, everything beautiful and precious always fades away too quickly”