Perle's Poems

Change rides the wind

2010-07-11T09:19:00.001-05:00

Future rides on the night wind

ruffles curtains, caresses skin

whispers promises at the edge of dream

leaving traces of something almost seen

© Perle Champion (2007)

More Than I knew

2010-05-19T09:12:00.004-05:00

and I flew apart

blew my top and things

toppled out

many more than

I knew I was

had

could

© Perle Champion

Rain

2010-01-16T15:48:00.010-06:00

rain drenched sopping ground

long sated - swiftly runs your

largess to the sea.

© Perle Champion

Self Portrait

2009-05-17T16:16:00.003-05:00

I find it difficult to

look at me,

and see anything other than

what I want to see.

This is me as I

see me, or

if you will

as I want to be.

© Perle Champion

Night Write Against the Dawn

2008-01-15T18:50:00.000-06:00

She cannot live her day out loud
and nightly trods her dark and hollow tomb
holding silent vigil
for a swiftly dying soul
and pen in hand
in desperate measure
she writes for her life
if not sanity at least respite
as each scene that never was is a moment
true upon the page as the words flow
soldiers marching cadence
across each pale blue line
in desperate foray an
assay against encroaching dawn.

© Perle Champion 07/07

Listen

2008-01-11T09:59:00.000-06:00

sometimes in the evenings when
everything is still
with nothing but the sound of
wind in trees, and the call of birds is
faint and far away,
ideal thoughts fill my mind
pipe dreams of many things
of love and life and
wondering
where I’m bound.
flights of fancy tickle
my brain
spin me around with never
a sound
in their coming and only
a trace in my memory when
they’re gone.

© Perle Champion

New Year's Reflection

2008-01-04T08:17:00.000-06:00

Old ‘n’ gray – tired ‘n’ worn,
many died – more were born,
much was said – so little done,
with the rising ‘n’ setting of each sun.

Farewell to thee with tears we say,
and greet the new with laughter gay.

A million things – could, should
would have been done;
but alas, we’d just started and
the year was gone.

And so we make firm
resolution
to do much more by next year’s
conclusion.

© Perle Champion

En Garde

2007-12-27T11:24:00.000-06:00

The meekest among us, scared but not
witless, takes pen in hand
and swords beware!

There is might in the word well written
no armament
can deter.

© Perle Champion 1995

Here’s to Saving the World

2007-12-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

As girls,
how many times
did we save the world
over a glass of wine on a barstool
or a couch in front of a cozy fire
or in bed with a lover?

Solutions
to the world’s problems seemed so simple
so fluidly obvious - so readily at hand, and
if we ruled the world, what a wonderful world it would be.

As women,
standing sober
in the bright light of day
those carefree, easy
interludes are so very far away.

Solutions
to the world’s problems are not so simple
not so patently obvious - nor are they readily at hand, but
if we wait to rule the world, that wonderful world will never be.

Where To Now

2007-12-06T11:56:00.000-06:00

emptiness
unlike any i have ever felt
when i doubt
the god to whom once i knelt

it’s as if
tomorrow is forever in coming
if indeed
it comes at all

the once
ideal and noble thinking
slowly
fades and then does fall

reality
is such a void
escape
is all i know
i want
to run and hide
but
where is there to go

the answer
comes, but oh, so slow
as pain
subsides, i finally know

on
is the only way that I can go.

© Perle Champion

The Hunt

2007-12-04T17:48:00.000-06:00

Tread softly in the forest
else
the wild things will run away.
They know
what man does with wild things -
puts them safely into cages
molds them
to his will.
So,
tread softly in your
coming
or I can’t be still,
no wild thing
will,

again.

© Perle Champion

Far Away

2007-11-27T12:35:00.001-06:00

far away and

long ago
there is a child
i used to know
with wide sad eyes
asking why
not out loud but
deep inside
why do we live
why do we
die

those clouds those

insubstantial
faery vapors which
upheld us
have given way
to the ground
i wonder if we shall
walk together
as easily as we
flew

The Bard

2007-11-11T13:33:00.000-06:00

The Bard's song is

a piece of soul sung out loud
to the absent crowd
through time, the bards cant
the deeds, tell the stories
preach the morals, ask the questions, make the protest.

They strum the heart strings

touching part
of the common fabric of our being

reminding us of the one song

the uni-

verse.

Run, Child, Run

2007-10-27T07:39:00.000-05:00

...run and run and run
some more
reach up high on the tips
of toes
who knows - you might just touch
the moon
or reach a star, but right now
it's the cookie jar

i remember when you said
when i grow up
i'm going to be a bird so i
can fly
i am - i really am.
i didn'nt have the heart
to tell you, you can't fly
but i kept a watchful eye
for training to start

i remember when you offered
me your prayer-folded hands and asked
do you want to talk to god?
i said no, but you say hi for me and you did
hello god, mom says, hi
bye god

i remember that Christmas mass when
you climbed into the crèche
rocked the baby jesus doll and sang
happy birthday to you in full voice
i was embarrassed - the priest cried and
he changed his sermon to 'and a little
child shall lead them...'

why must innocence end
why must we ever grow to think
we know more now than
we did then

(Excerpt from my journal when my daughter was 5)
© Perle Champion

Alice

2007-10-24T20:04:00.000-05:00

I sometimes feel like Alice
bewildered and amazed.
One moment I am ten feet tall
the next I am so very small
hardly there at all.
Too bad I wasn’t given a script
what to do and how to do it
what to say and who to say it to
It’s all improvisation, and I have to
make do, muddle through
for me and you.

© Perle Champion

Which way did that rabbit go?

Persephone

2007-10-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

As Persephone descends
to the dark kingdom
holding close the colors
of things needful for
next season
Stoic and brave she closes
the door on sol and
greets her dark lord
once more and
Keeps spring deep within
her heart.

© Perle Champion

Mad Hatter

2007-10-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

I want to know what madness is
and where the edge of its beginnings are.
I have skirted its hem and felt its cold breath
raise the hackles on the back of my neck
a cat's whisker sensing what
comes in stealth to
rob me of peace
of mind
of me.
Flee.

© Perle Champion

Conflagration

2007-10-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

they did it and did it
all too well
an instant of whim – a decision
and then - decimation
stupid, stupid men
build it all up then tear it down
again and, again and
again

© Perle Champion 2007

Poems in Ten Words

2007-10-19T12:07:00.000-05:00

Bow
Obelisk, obelus icon
pylon reached – breached
faceless god fled – gone.

Desert
Meridies – cloaked
Xerophyte – Dew kiss gone
Xeric store – Xylem stash.

Drink
Maenadic maven quaffed
vines blood – divine rite
chasing night’s flight.

En Garde
Quixotic quodlibet
magic surreal encounter
Windwhipped flame
eternal, finite quest.

Poet
Poets doomed, entombed
prize covered coffin
mind soar – heart sore.

Encore
Pygmalion, Pinnocchio, Daneel,
Data
Micro whirring chips
soulless memory speaks

© Perle Champion
First Published in Birmingham Weekly, Birmingham, AL
The Poetry Issue