Poetry by CP Butchvarov
At The Circus 1
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Communication
We could of course communicate on paper You could send me a letter I could send you one We’d toss ideas back and forth Undoubtedly feeling smug about it We wouldn’t even have to see each other I’m sure our budgets could afford postage You can always put off reading a letter And it’s unlikely a letter will Impose on your privacy Sometimes I wonder if it’s true that People don’t need other people But in my dreams I hear differently The melody is simple A common folk’s mantra We could imagine each other’s faces While we scribble our intellectual drivel Our condemnations and witticisms Of the human race we run so passionately We could tell stories We could even reach out to each other Fly through postal airspace Wrapped in words draped in ideas Blinded by ambition by convention by dogma And the spiritual could be the color of the ink And the physical could be the rag content of the paper And the imaginary could be real if only for a moment And the tactile intercourse could be The licking of the stamps the tearing of the envelopes Beings from other worlds wondered over tea These intellectuals communicate so well Their letters ring of joy for life But do they ever touch their hearts Exploding in sublime eternal embrace The human organism is a wild and beautiful thing The human orgasm the oldest form of prayer A man and woman together- I suppose that letter writers have a grand time They may even toss in a rhyme My friends always wondered Why don’t you ever write? I couldn’t answer so I didn’t try I sang a song instead... CP Butchvarov
Fishin’ With Ned
Went fishing with Ned just the other day Wasn’t much biting but the skeeters and flies We had a long talk about life and love And the idea that nothing ever dies... The waters lapped against the old hull’s side We tossed ideas around and drank our brews Laughed about the old gals sitting back home Wondering why some people win and some lose... Mysteries abundant on planet earth Specially there on that godforsaken swamp The hooks were sharp but the bait untouched Wasn’t much biting on golden pond... Ned tried to convince me that god is real But he wouldn’t tell me just what god was The mystery deepened when he asserted He wasn’t sure god cared what mankind does... His thoughts seemed odd for a man of the cloth But who’s to say what’s the nature of god Men say one thing but then do opposite Our eyes met briefly and he gave a nod... He told me faith is fine but love divine My mind went numb at the very concept I’d always believed that I knew the truth My system of belief seemed so perfect... CP Butchvarov
The Restless Native
A feeling... An impression... There’s light in the darkness There’s stars in your eyes There’s light in the darkness Blue in your eyes There’s holes in my head And worms in my shoes There’s answers and questions Slugs in the gun Guards at the gate... At the packing plant they were unemployed By the railroad yard mad dog was down The men were really drunken boys They say the world transforms To what would invite such deep debate Hopes and fears or dust and dread... The land was settled by a gang of thieves Religious zealots with special needs You see them in the churches You meet them on the streets They’ll draw blood like water leeches So what else is new under the blazing sun We settle our differences with a holy gun... A tightrope show at the circus is a thrilling event But on the global stage you can’t play dead No nets to catch your fall no nurse by your side One slip spells the end of it all Watch your step as you disembark A murderous native may shoot you dead His arrow is sharp his aim is true... Don’t let him find you in his bed You’ve trampled his garden And raped his squaw CP Butchvarov
The Restless Native 2
Watch your step as we disembark
A restless native hides in the dark
Land of the free means many things
This shopping mall was a wildlife park
So what else is new under the scorching sun
The hunters stalk while the hunted run
A tightrope in a circus is a thrilling event
But on the world’s stage all the rules are bent
No nets to catch your fall no nurse by your side
Only one slip spells the end of it all...
This land was settled by a gang of thieves
Religious zealots and non believers
They founded churches of drunken men
And started the cycle all over again
The virgin as pure as the cotton clouds
So where is it written that the law is a rock
When war and hate are all man’s known
This nation lives by the golden rule
Do unto others what pleases you...
Start new clubs that reveal the truth
It’s easy to do and it’s such great fun
There’s profit for all who have the stuff
There’s money to be made when times are tough...
CP Butchvarov
The Deed And The Temple
The whip of the Buddha has drawn blood before
And in honest testimony the jungles hide the ruins
These places where men would kneel and cry to god
To show their faith in harmony
To be as one with one...
Temples are man’s downfall and lead to certain ruin
Honest statements are made in thought and deed
Respect the earth water and sky
Know the beauty and the pain
We each learn on our own time
All lessons needed to know...
Often to fall back maddened and angry at our flaws
But if we heed our conscience and follow intuition
We find that love is giving pure and simple
We should not question faith
We dare not question love...
Often and without conscious effort
We act out our prophesies
To then become illusions and meet fears as fate
The shrew within makes dash for cover
Returning then on sleepless nights
In tossing turning endless nightmare...
Sometimes in periods of learning
Our castles seem on firm ground
Our beliefs and conviction as truth
Then as is the grand tradition
One’s fall is ever greater
Ah! from such illusory highs
To crash into despair
But from that deepest chasm
A brand new flower grows...
The best of teachers learns as well
And listens to the heartbeat
To know a simple song
A teacher casts perspective
For students who would flee
And then becomes a student
To learn how best to teach...
CP Butchvarov
The Old One’s
The old ones become the new ones
The new ones effect change
The change becomes the future
The future turns back the page
The dream was as real as the sleep
The sleep was as real as the day
The day was as real as the night
In the night to find your way
Tuned to the masses emitting sparks
The norm becomes the way
To each a face to wear a smile
Kindness radiated sans self
Brings joy to hearts in trial
The generations piled upon each other
Like an inverted pyramid will teeter
So carefully one wrests it’s bulk
To make for solid mooring
Change keeps soulful company
A fast foundation supports the task
The weak turn back before the fire
The strong find hope in flame...
CP Butchvarov
Tools
Gather your tools Know what they are Don’t be confused by falling stars White dwarves in the galaxy Or black holes in your mind... Know how to use a saw Cut a precise line Chisel the chaff Measure the sublime Spin circles with your compass... Sight lines with your ruler Plot curves with computers Draw plans with your pencil But in the end the master’s piece Is created with the hands... CP Butchvarov
YCFL
You can’t force love You can’t fight love You can’t fault love You can’t fear love You can’t find love Lest you love... CP Butchvarov
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