{"id":2413,"date":"2012-03-21T08:16:51","date_gmt":"2012-03-21T12:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gadflyonline.com\/wpblog\/?p=2413"},"modified":"2012-07-15T20:11:05","modified_gmt":"2012-07-16T00:11:05","slug":"crooked-trail-and-other-poems-by-pete-armetta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/crooked-trail-and-other-poems-by-pete-armetta\/","title":{"rendered":"Crooked Trail and Other Poems by Pete Armetta"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

CROOKED TRAIL<\/strong><\/p>\n

i\u2019ve determination
\nand fortitude
\nmotivation
\nand gumption<\/p>\n

i will carry on.
\ndespite obstacles i face
\ni’ve courage and resilience<\/p>\n

i\u2019ve persistence
\nand bravery
\nconfidence
\nand stoutheartedness<\/p>\n

i will carry on.
\nembrace a dubious future
\ni\u2019ve purpose and meaning<\/p>\n

i\u2019ve perseverance
\nand bravery
\nendurance
\nand tenacity<\/p>\n

i will carry on.
\ni will follow this crooked trail
\ni\u2019ve surefootedness and backbone<\/p>\n

i\u2019ve conviction<\/p>\n

NO POETRY<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve no poetry, just malaise.
\nLife intrudes and I’m unable
\nto believe in diatribes and excess
\nand flourishes and pronouncements.<\/p>\n

I just can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve no poetry, just strife.
\nReal obstacles that make me
\ncynical in what I see, lacking
\nhope for what could be.<\/p>\n

I just won\u2019t
\nsay\u00a0anything or express myself
\nanymore. It\u2019s redundant
\nand phony, just hollow
\nand shallow, a ruse and just taxing.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0refuse.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t allow those feelings and beliefs to just flow.\u00a0Won\u2019t allow vulnerability to manifest and\u00a0show. Refuse to call anything truth even so, and just sit here ruminating,\u00a0self-indulgent and low.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve no poetry, just contempt.
\nFor the words in my mind
\nand the integrity of my soul.
\nAll lies. Why bother?<\/p>\n

BLOSSOM<\/strong><\/p>\n

You give my life meaning
\nIn your beautiful way
\nYour presence just lingers
\nAnd nothing I say<\/p>\n

Can express what I’m thinking
\nOr feeling today
\nYou’re a rarity for certain
\nPlease don’t go away.<\/p>\n

The best yes I’m hoping
\nFor your happiness I pray
\nYour heart filled with passion
\nSo enchanting the way<\/p>\n

That you blossom and open
\nTo those in your life
\nLike a flower in springtime
\nOne forgets all the strife<\/p>\n

Of the world and it’s people
\nNo fear can be had
\nWhen you’re here it’s so easy
\nTo forget why one’s sad.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

MALADY MONOTONY<\/strong><\/p>\n

boredom and malaise
\nthey go hand in hand it seems
\nall my nights and all\u00a0my days
\nwhere are those old extremes?
\nmalady monotony
\nit’s this way all the time
\ntedium and apathy
\nis anything but fine
\ntired and cantankerous
\nwell that’s just how it goes
\nall\u00a0my nights and all my days
\nhow long who really knows?<\/p>\n

MAKING CONVERSATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

We can talk about the weather
\nI’m not in a hurry
\nWe can thoroughly cover all the nuances of the forecast<\/p>\n

We can discuss politics and religion and philosophy and God
\nI’ve got strong opinions it’s true
\nBut you could never offend or confound me<\/p>\n

We can babble about your family and friends and acquaintances
\nI don’t know much about them, but go ahead
\nFeel free to just gossip and dish<\/p>\n

We can have a heart-to-heart about your hopes and dreams and aspirations
\nI’m listening unequivocally
\nI would love to hear about them<\/p>\n

We can yak about whatever you\u2019d like
\nI don’t mind one bit
\nAs long as we’re together.<\/p>\n

ROCKS OFF<\/strong><\/p>\n

you speak like an authority
\nand go off on your streak
\nbut lacking notoriety
\ncan\u2019t back up your critique.<\/p>\n

a pillar of society
\nso shameless with your lies
\nyour goal is just conformity
\na simple ruthless guise.<\/p>\n

aggravate accelerate
\nyour posture is a crime
\nabominate adulterate
\nyour rocks off every time
\ncontaminate emasculate
\nit\u2019s how you get your kicks
\npontificate manipulate
\ndeceptive dirty tricks
\ninfiltrate indoctrinate
\nto make yourself feel great
\norchestrate pontificate
\nand spewing all your hate
\nruminate regurgitate
\nand shooting for your prize
\nmasturbate inseminate
\nright between the eyes!<\/p>\n

WINTERS DAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

such a beautiful winters day
\ndazzling\u00a0sun shining brightly
\nicy wind blowing briskly
\nJanuary permeating the bones<\/p>\n

i often think about another day
\nback oh so\u00a0many years
\nwhen the\u00a0cold didn’t matter
\nwe never thought it was wrong or bad<\/p>\n

or would prefer instead a summers day
\nwe\u00a0accepted, what we had
\nour souls just embraced it
\nour hearts knew the\u00a0splendor<\/p>\n

of a beautiful winters day
\nit brings me back
\nto\u00a0a time when we simply
\nplayed the\u00a0hand we were dealt<\/p>\n

BEATNIK<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh you’re such an unconventional, free-spirit aren’t you? Just so bohemian and\u00a0gonzo. You’re a dropout, flower child, yeh a hippie. Such an iconoclast, maverick.<\/p>\n

Who do you think you are? A bongo-playing, noncomformist, peacenik,\u00a0protesting and radical<\/p>\n

Hipster?<\/p>\n

What are you? A different breed, dissenter, dissident, eccentric? You\u2019re a fish out of water, a freak! Are you an individualist, lone wolf, loser, odd man out, offbeat, outsider, weirdo, socialist, liberal, atheist, night person, off the beaten path, unorthodox, uncustomary, irregular<\/p>\n

Beatnik!?<\/p>\n

RIVER BENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come see me where the river bends
\nMiles before giving way to the sea
\nFrom high in the mountains
\nCrystal clear and inviting
\nMaking way
\nOn its own<\/p>\n

I’m not far away, so why don’t you come?<\/p>\n

To where the water flows
\nPassing us by
\nWith fortitude and resilience
\nResolve\u00a0and tenacity
\nA path only it knows
\nWithout reservation.<\/p>\n

The river never questions why
\nRunning and turning and
\nWeaving ahead
\nIt accepts how things are
\nAnd can’t help soothe my soul
\nBut of course doesn’t know it<\/p>\n

Or does it?<\/p>\n

Just come see me
\nWhere the river bends
\nWhere the water flows
\nI\u2019m not far away<\/p>\n

You’ll be glad that you did.<\/p>\n

JUST A DREAM<\/strong><\/p>\n

I just had a disturbing phone call with a girl that I know
\nWell I don’t really know her anymore
\nShe\u2019s not a part of my life anymore<\/p>\n

I spoke nicely and sweetly and with joy to her
\nI was happy to just hear her voice
\nShe always had the most melodic voice
\nLike syrupy elixir to my senses<\/p>\n

She paused after I completed each sentence
\nReplied with a formality?
\nWith a distance and coolness?<\/p>\n

How did it come to this?
\nWhy did I lose her and now I’m alone?
\nI\u2019ve such pain in my heart and I wish things were different<\/p>\n

Why do we lose people in life?
\nOr is it just me?<\/p>\n

So we had a conversation and at the end
\nWhen I pressed her for more<\/p>\n

I woke up.<\/p>\n

GOODBYE<\/strong><\/p>\n

ma’as-salama<\/p>\n

We’ve had a brief rendezvous, a memorable time. I’ve grown from knowing you, you’ve imprinted yourself on my make-up.<\/p>\n

donadagohvi<\/p>\n

My path ahead is long. And intimidating. I shall walk this road with muster, and thoughts of you will sustain me.<\/p>\n

namaste<\/p>\n

The sun shines, reflected in your cobalt blue eyes, the most beautiful eyes I’ve gazed into. They’re just an endless sea and a gateway to your soul. How could I ever forget you?<\/p>\n

hej d\u00e5<\/p>\n

No we shan’t meet again. I’m certain. Well, perhaps in our dreams, we\u2019ll meet again on our journey. Perhaps we’ll meet there.<\/p>\n

goodbye<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CROOKED TRAIL i\u2019ve determination and fortitude motivation and gumption i will carry on. despite obstacles i face i’ve courage and resilience i\u2019ve persistence and bravery confidence and stoutheartedness i will carry on. embrace a dubious future i\u2019ve purpose and meaning i\u2019ve perseverance and bravery endurance and tenacity i will carry on. i will follow this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,219,199],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2413"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2413"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3197,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2413\/revisions\/3197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}