J. N. Ross Poetry

I love the sound of the singing birds,

Flittering throughout the trees,

And the sight of yellow and purple flowers,

Visited by fat bumble bees,

I love the taste of summertime sweets,

Like a delicious cup of ice cream,

Or a dripping ruby watermelon,

The simple life–like a dream,

I love the feeling when the air is still,

The sun rays warming my bare skin,

Uninterrupted by the breeze,

Summer is about to begin.

When she’s gone it always feels like she’s gone for too long,

All I can do it wait by the door,

And greet her with eager kisses when she returns,

But one day recently she didn’t go,

We lounged on the sofa all day long,

She read a book and I rested my head in her lap,

She’d occasionally stop to caress me lovingly,

And I thought to myself “this is heaven”,

And then we took a lazy little stroll,

Side by side in the sunshine of suburbia,

We walked and walked and walked,

The following days followed suit,

Bliss for days and weeks and months,

My girl next to me with every step,

And we walked and walked and walked,

We hiked up hills and meandered down quiet lanes,

We looked at all the rocks and plants and homes,

We walked in our neighborhood,

And we walked in the woods,

We walked along lakes and streams and glistening ponds,

We walked past so many other folks,

Greeting them with a distant smile or wave,

Everyone was out walking,

And sometimes back home my darling would weep bitterly,

She didn’t speak a word out loud,

And I’d nudge her gently to console her,

I don’t know what’s wrong,

But something inside her is broken,

I can’t understand,

But at least we have each other,

I know she feels that too,

And sometimes she’ll wipe away her tears,

She’ll drag herself up,

And she’ll look at me and say “want to go for a walk?”

And we’ll walk and walk and walk.

A woman is taught many things in life Cooking, cleaning, and sewing From a girl she’s taught how to be a wife Society does this without even knowing

A girl is taught above all else—be polite She can’t get dirty playing with boys Propriety is her only delight She mustn’t make too much noise

Nobody wants a girl to play rough That would be unacceptable Although inside she must be very tough That side should remain undetectable

A girl is taught to always be nice Never having a toe out of line Her true feelings she must sacrifice Never saying a word that’s unkind

If someone wrongs her, best keep it in Still greeting them with a smile If she gets dramatic it’s surely a sin Being ladylike is more worth her while

A girl is taught she must always be cheery It’s impolite to be boastful or saucy Or no man will love her dearly The worst insult to a female is “bossy”

It’s truly wrong for a girl to demand For that’s the place of men A controlling woman is out of hand And she needs to be condemned

A girl is taught to remain pure As white as the driven snow Even when her heart is unsure She’d better act like she knows

But it’s not so important to be wise She doesn’t need to know every facet Soft curves and lips and sultry eyes Those are the most important asset

A girl is taught to be ever faithful Standing tall at her man’s side If he falters and she becomes doubtful A good woman swallows her pride

But God forbid a woman should stray That would be simply unheard of Else she’d be cast far, far away A creature undeserving of love

A woman is taught to depend on her husband But never come off as too needy Her conflicting desires need to flex and bend Or she’ll risk being seen as greedy

Her needs can be viewed with little import Only cared for when it’s convenient She learns tears for attention are a last resort Then maybe her man will be lenient

A girl is taught from a young age All about the world’s inequality But we still set young girls up on this stage Making them perform for all to see

In a prefect world feelings would be treated the same Men and women could each care and be loyal Equal understanding would bring far less pain But first we must stop treating men as royal

I can still hear you calling to me,

In the way your voice would gently croon,

Raspy from 50 years of smoking,

But still carried a velvety tune,

White teeth peering out through wine-stained lips,

A smile stretching from ear to ear,

Miles of crow’s feet ’round dreaming eyes,

You would embrace me once I got near,

Stammering, swerving, slurring your speech,

But love pouring through all of that haze,

Sure, fine, you were a bit of a drunk,

But you went back to the good ol’ days,

Always treating me like a daughter,

Telling me stories about my dad,

You painted this picture of a king,

When reminiscing of times you’d had,

Adventure, fashion, women, and cars,

You’d make him out to be so damn cool,

Revering your hip older brother,

While he regarded you as a fool,

He’d hate you as you’d stumble around,

And make everyone laugh when you’d dance,

I know you have said some fucked up things,

He wouldn’t give you a second chance,

He always held on to his grudges,

That was my father’s battle–not mine,

I always loved being around you,

And I regret not making more time,

You and Maria were good to me,

Your apartment was so inviting,

You made me feel heard and respected,

When against the world I was fighting,

The holidays are here once again,

And it won’t be the same without you,

A piece of our family is missing,

And we have dwindled down to so few,

I would give anything to fix it,

The rift that drove you and dad apart,

My spirit aches for your friendship lost,

And that he carries it in his heart,

You came to me in a memory,

And guided me to make a poem,

Godfather, you’re never far from my mind,

So I know that I’m never alone.

Walking along the sidewalk

Past little homes filled with love

A warm and gentle breeze blows

With a black sky up above

The windows are all dark

While everybody sleeps

I go alone on this summer eve

With a profound sense of peace

Gazing upward as I travel

Between the streetlamps’ pools of light

Diamonds twinkle in the sky

And I think “what a perfect night”

Embraced by the air around me

The wind is thick with perfume

A scent that’s strong and sweet

As hosts of flowers are in bloom

Crickets break the silence

And I hear distant passing cars

There’s no place I’d rather be

Than traveling here beneath these stars

Many faces have come and gone,

I can’t remember all of the names,

But once in a while someone sticks,

And we form an unshakable bond,

Friendships that withstood thick and thin,

With loyalty, concern, and compassion,

Listening to one another’s troubles,

And sharing the thrill of a win,

When things were dark and dreary,

And I needed love most,

And you gave it to me in abundance,

For that I’ll always love you dearly

Restless awakening, tossing and turning, ripping me from sweetest delusion,

5 more minutes I plead and beg, but the merciless blaring doesn’t relent,

The alarm always sings too early on the days it takes me away from you,

Mundane drudgery awaits, but I’m enveloped in the bliss of your embrace,

Hiding under covers, the sun’s cruel light beckoning from the spaces between the drapes,

My eyes tightly shut, wrapped up in blankets I can’t will away the morning,

I can’t savor the fleeting breath of your lips pressed to mine amidst all this noise,

I can’t believe it’s not real, You were here just a moment ago, I swear,

What I would give to be permanently sedated, lingering in this twilight,

Closer to gentle death, the kindest remedy for a torturous existence without your touch,

I wonder which is greater pain? Dreamless nights without your visits,

Or nights like this where I have to leave your memory behind once again?

Big dreams,

But they die,

Settling,

For this daily life,

Dreamer,

With stars in my eyes,

Time passes,

My how it flies,

I wanted,

So hard to strive,

Disappointment,

Losing my drive,

Expectations,

Not reality,

Lost in the fog,

Can’t see clearly,

9 to 5 days,

Losing the hope,

Of high school years,

Gone up in smoke,

Ignoring,

My youth inside,

Screaming,

Why’d you let faith die?

Hello Peanut!

Hi there little one,

I can’t wait for you to come out,

And join in all the fun!

There are so many adventures

Thrills both big and small,

Many will make you smile,

And you can learn from them all!

Everyone is so excited,

Waiting for the day we meet,

To see your 10 little fingers,

And 10 tiny toes on your feet,

Will you have big eyes like mommy,

or features like your dad?

I’m sure you’ll be a genius,

and never do anything bad.

It’s truly fantastic,

to have a brand new babe,

I’m sure you’ll be remarkable,

once you come out to play.

Your Auntie loves you dearly,

It’s already plain to see,

I’ll be there for you any time,

You can always count on me!

Xoxo

Fireworks in the warm summer sky

Ignited by passion promised to burn a million years

An embrace blazing hot as the sun

Two stars colliding in pure ecstasy

Fireworks, a perfect explosion

Dazzling all who look upon their beauty above

A four letter word escapes sweet lips

A blissful bond—unbreakable

Fireworks, the light begins to fade

As the autumn wind blows cold

The magic embers left to grow dim

Confused lovers left searching at nightfall

Fireworks’ light has dissipated

Cinders suffocate, scattered across the ground

Twinkling stars tempt the wandering eye

The splendor of the fireworks all but forgotten

Winter’s chill provides still no respite

Smoldering intentions frozen by half-truths and deceit

When the sun’s warmth is most desired

Uncaring arms can’t stop the shivering

Still no matches, no flint are found

No efforts are made to rekindle the sparks

Confusion turns slowly to heartbreak

And since the path is dark, she wanders blindly into the night