Mirror Poems of Despair and Desire (poem) by John Herlihy on AuthorsDen

Mirror Poems of Despair and Desire
by John Herlihy → (All Poetry by John Herlihy)
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 Rated "G" by the Author.

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-- The Agony of Despair -– By John Herlihy No one can ever truly know the agony of despair, Unless he/she, themselves, felt the emptiness of its air. Whether lost in the crowd or swallowed by the night, Despair always makes clear feelings of desperate plight. The ocean depths are fathomless, but there is no tide, We never find our destination and we have no stride. The empty mind in a gulf, the future a blank white page, Our thoughts drift among shadows with no lasting age. We now need to tread carefully, to look never too closely, Despair has a way of taking charge, even when seen remotely. Hollowed out eyes, silent ears, closed mouth, broken heart, The body still functioning, but all desire in pieces, thrown apart. Our Lord, reach down to bless me; our Lady, smile to guide me, This is a desire we hope never to happen, despair that fills me. Open my soul into the sanctified ground of who we truly are, Searching, hoping and loving beyond the reach of this fallen star. - - - - - - (c) John Herlihy 26 November 2018 -- The Ecstasy of Desire -– By John Herlihy No one can ever truly know the ecstasy of desire, Unless he/she, themselves, felt the flames of its fire. As a raging bull filled up with the hot breath of want, Steaming nostrils and scratching hooves ready to taunt. Desire a raging wind to fill the whites of our billowing sails, It chills hearts or warms spirits from the force of its gales. The restless mind filled with the lacy frost of winter’s purge, No thought to enter the frigid realm but this desperate urge. We always need to tread carefully, to look never too closely, Desire has a way of taking charge, even when seen remotely. With the stomach empty and nothing at all left in my pockets, Desire spins like a flaming orb there in the eyes of my sockets. Our Lord, reach down to bless me; our Lady, smile to guide me, This is the desire that we hope to happen, desire that fills me. Desire to open the soul into the expansion of who we truly are, In wanting, in giving, in loving, way beyond the reach of a star. - - - - - - (c) John Herlihy 26 November 2018

Reviewed by Jms Bell

Reviewed on April 21, 2019

THE RELIEF OF AGONY'S DESPAIR...CAN LEAD TO ECSTASY, BUT THEN... THE UNFULFILLED ECSTASY OF DESIRE...EVENTUALLY, LEADS TO DESPAIR. ENJOYED, JOHN, AND THANK YOU. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS

Reviewed by Jane Noponen Perinacci

Reviewed on April 17, 2019

These are both great writes and I can honestly say I have felt both. Thank goodness that the "despair" faded with time and that "desire" did one day take its place. Your imagery is fantastic, John!

Love ya!

Jane

Reviewed by Budd Nelson

two very wonderful writes John, keepers both. keep writing
budd

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Two of your best. And the contrast is palpable with the strong language used to convey your meaning.

I can truly say that I never felt despair. Even while lying paralyzed in the hospital and spending months in soul-searching after until I returned to college. But I have felt desire as a way of moving out beyond what I thought was my ability. Ever challenging the norm and saying that I could and will do. There is nothing like the passion of desire to fire up one's loins in pursuit of an ideal.

Ron