Tag Archives: Brendon Behlke

Elephants

The broad surface – a stretched canvas of years
sun beaten – weathered and worn
a map of dead dreams and old fears
scars like canyons and crags
unseen forces clawing at the past
with grotesque greedy spears
to take a future neither would ever know
exchange it for a few coins
blood soaked soil
and silent tears
a story told
but unfinished
an ending like heat waves on the horizon
the time since a prolonged epilogue
a corpse that just
endears

Off and Out

I can’t find the time I left in the past
  but I can feel the loss
        an intense emptiness
              articulated calmly
        nudity on display for a prudish audience

What is lost is not gone
       there is still a place where it was
            even now it takes up space elsewhere
        encouraged to let it go

No.

I feel it still.

Metamorphosis

A cocoon houses secrets within
horrific with ambiguity
who I was will never be again
who I become is lost in abstract

What I will be must fight its way out
find strength that had never existed
move in ways that were once unnatural
force the undefined to be exact

I feel the seams needed to break out
the walls that throttle becoming thin
a world outside waits expectantly
the time approaches when I must act
but the walls of my home breathe with doubt
the world at its end as I begin.

Overhead

The air moves with deception
those blue skies and soft clouds
sing a sirens song only heard in the trenches;
a tune that tells us of a home
that will never again exist
buried somewhere beneath the bodies.
What semblance remained we dug away
to keep us always below the horizon.

Up there in the fresh air
terror travels on the breeze as easy as leaves
with metal wings and fire
to burn an anonymous generation.
All things are destined for the ground;
the real war is six feet below
youth running through tunnels
lamenting the tangible and intangible losses;
The death of innocence.
The death of the world they knew.
death itself.

Still, the sky is blue
the clouds are soft
they sing though it is silent
a hint at the end up there
silence
until the shells come.

Life in Notes

Be loved now,
the world wars on regardless
living your life anyhow

Lives we live
are borrowed from time bidden
subtle sorrows that years give

Soon stolen
from beneath these broken feet
the long journey has swollen

Grieve the road
the disheveled rocks and stones
knives against the heavy load

See the trees
that line the path with their arms
embracing all the eye sees

Feel the sun
flow over you in fountains
know the place where life begun

Inside you
there exists always a choice
two voices you can pursue

Disavow
time is tentative circles
it’s enough to be loved now.

Piano

Hold on to that thought
before it slips away in the night
lest this all be forgot

When that bright light is caught
despite its erratic flight
hold on to that thought

Though the fight may leave you distraught
grip that radiance tight
lest this all be forgot

When all those wars have been fought
you’ll long for these lost delights
hold on to that thought

Though we may veer from the plot
let not the goal leave our sight
lest this all be forgot

For when finally we resign to rot
entrust those you love with this fatal plight
hold on to that thought
lest this all be forgot.