AuthorsDen.com   Join | Login    
Where Authors and Readers come together!

SIGNED BOOKS    AUTHORS    BOOKS    SAMPLE CHAPTERS    AUDIOBOOKS    eBOOKS    STORIES    ARTICLES    POETRY    BLOGS    NEWS    VIDEOS    SUCCESS    TESTIMONIALS

Featured Authors:  Ella Rydzewski, iShirley Francis-Salley, iJennifer Miller, iValerie Boggess, iTracey Morait, iAlvin Romer, iMiller Caldwell, iRochelle Brandon, iSam Vaknin, iMary Lynn Plaisance, i

  Home > Poetry > Poetry        Popular: Books, Stories, Articles, Poetry        Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z     

John Herlihy

 Follow Me  

· Contact Me
· Books
· Articles
· Poetry
· News
· Stories
· Blog
· 3,142 Titles
· 14,340 Reviews
· Save to My Library
· Share with Friends!
·
Member Since: Mar, 2001

John Herlihy, click here to update your pages on AuthorsDen!


Books by
John Herlihy











See all Books
by John Herlihy



Birth of a Poem
by John Herlihy → (All Poetry by John Herlihy)
Sunday, February 8, 2026    Rated "G" by the Author.
Share   Print  Save   Follow   Share on Facebook


Poem Artwork

 Birth of a Poem

by John Herlihy

 

Suddenly a tap on the mind

I hear a knock on the door

Random sounds of the hinge

With a deep intake of breath

Voicing phrases that resonate

I listen closely as one by one

The solitary footsteps of words

March in corridors of my mind

Then flying in air as butterflies

Soaring on hand-painted wings

Before falling as single feathers

Upon the ground of the soul

Where seed words take root

Into verses heard as whispers

Bound up together as stanzas

Ribboned as the gift of a poem

- - - - -

Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 8 February 2026


Want to review or comment on this poem?


Need a FREE Reader Membership?


 Reviews of "Birth of a Poem"
Reviewed by Jms Bell
Reviewed on February 24, 2026
WHAT A 'GEM', JOHN! ALTHOUGH, FOR ME, IT'S NOT ALWAYS THIS EASY...THIS IS ONE LOVELY WORK! THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS

Reviewed by Rebecca McKeehan
Reviewed on February 8, 2026
If poetry needed a flow chart this would be it! Nicely put!

Rebecca

Reviewed by Odin odin@aflx.com
Reviewed on February 8, 2026
It's probably safe to say that every writer, poet, lyricist et al, have an echo of some kind that speaks to them in language that feels personal, yet needing to be made more universal. At least, that's what I've gleaned mostly from the study and thsis practive I've had with ancient, and contemporary philosophers. Your references to elements of Nature stay a very organic authenticism. I particularly found: "Soaring on hand-painted wings

Before falling as single feathers

Upon the ground of the soul"
a purity of thought that is not often found in the descriptions of a poem's genisis. Enoyed this, John.


New Poetry by John Herlihy
Popular Poetry (Poetry)
  1.  Catching Happiness...
  2.  Finding Trust Again
  3.  Nightsky
  4.  Reality of Another Kind
  5.  Life's Enormous Green Chest
  6.  Spindrift
  7.  Kindness
  8.  Luxury of Solitude
  9.  Our Restless Minds
  10.  Roadkill Memoriam
  11.  In The Still of The Night
  12.  Sediment Within the Soul
  13.  Dream Just a Dream
  14.  Feeling Lonely
  15.  Hunting for Truth
  16.  In Praise of Anonymity
  17.  Whisper Pens
  18.  Shaved Reflections
  19.  I Have Spent My Entire Life
  20.  Mythical Dragons
Free Book Review Program
Select a book to read and review today!

Poetry Pages: A Collection of Voices From Around the World Volume II by Erin Kelly-Moen

A people’s heart can be found in their poetic words. In history men and women have stood firmly upon their soapboxes and street corners, rallying the deepest beliefs of people to rise up and be heard. The poetrypages.com has offered that voice a new  
Member BookAds

Early Works by David Clure

Early Works is an exhaustive compilation of the first decade of the poems and stories of Z.B.McClure. Included are family photos, rare personal photos, photos of 1st draft manuscripts of many of his early poems. Also some biography and memoir materia  
Member BookAds

The Awakening by Edward Patterson

Inspirational Chapbook  
Member BookAds