Insomnia
Many’s the night I lie in bed
with words to write that fill my head.
They twist and turn and jump and shout.
Oh how I yearn to get them out!
So off I go into my den.
With lights turned low I lift my pen.
At last I’m free! They’ll soon be read
but not by me – I’m back in bed!
Toward the Light…
my hands no longer hunger
my loins no longer burn
but as my heart grows younger
the more that it does yearn
to be consumed by fire
aflame forevermore
a victim on the pyre
that guides to heaven’s shore
The Leftist
How readily your hatred shows!
How steadily your anger grows!
Your vitriol upon the page
and in your mirror, seething rage.
Accusations wildly thrown –
the ugliness perhaps your own?
Your willful blindness on display;
the price the mindless ever pay.
Poetry
To turn a phrase and make you smile
or to transport you for a while;
another place, another time,
the journey of enchanting rhyme.
And by a well-constructed verse
in joy your spirit to immerse.
To cheer your heart and set it free
all through the art of poetry.
Joe Tessitore is a retired New York City resident and poet.
All four are very well done, Mr. Tessitore! I got a chuckle out of “Insomnia”; I know what it’s like to have writing projects run through my head after I lie down.
I very much enjoyed these perceptive poems!
A sweet and special bday gift for me from my brother!
Happy birthday!
Dear Joe –
I read your new poems with great pleasure. The meter is solid, the words descriptive and concise.
You are really turning out some polished poems, and I always look forward to reading them.
Best –
Sally
A joy to read, Mr. Tessitore!
Thank you all for your very kind words.
I would be remiss in not thanking Sally for insisting that I get my writing act together.
I am truly in her debt.
4 for 4! ❤️
Many times lines of poetry have passed through my head but if I fail to write it down it is gone forever, which is why I keep a pad, pen and flashlight on my nightstand.
Nice poems, Joe.
Thank you David.
Joe, your poem ‘Poetry’ sums up all four pieces.
‘To turn a phrase and make you smile
or to transport you for a while;
another place, another time,
the journey of enchanting rhyme’
Well done.
Thank you very much!
I’m new to this site, having always thought I was the only one left that was interested in poems with meter and rhyme. These are the first I’m reading on this site, and I have to say — off to a great start! Very nice!
I think we all come here feeling that way. Welcome aboard! You’re in for a treat. There are quite a few truly remarkable poets among us.
Thank you for your kind words.
Joe
Love Insomnia. Been there. Great place to write from. It’s getting a somnambulist to take the stuff to the post that keeps me awake.
Your ‘Poetry’ is a gem, too.
But how did you attain the status of retired resident in the city that never sleeps? And, how come a retired poet is still scribbling lines that knock the socks from their pegs and words from their pens?
Retire? Leave that to Goodyear, keep cool/calm and carry on.
Best wishes
Trevor
I retired on the courage of my wife’s apron strings and haven’t regretted a day of it!
I used your “retired” pun in a poem a while ago. Will see if I can find it.
Found it! I think you’ll like it:
They docked my pay at the end of the pier
so I paid a lot less tax that year.
I went to work and I punched the clock
and it punched me back with a tick and a tock.
I countered with a jab and a hook
and caught a fish in the donnybrook.
Before the boss could say I was fired
I jumped into bed for the night and retired.
Love this battle of the times. Our Creative Writing group’s ‘homework’ for this week was “As time goes by” – (good old Herman – what a song!)
Anyways ticks and tocks and grandfather’s featured. Mine was a waste of – rhyme wise – time was when I could not write verse. With practice, I’ve got worse.
Thanks for the fun.Trevor
I love them all, Mr Tessitore. They’re all well-done made.
Thank you Leo.
Your last poem was loved by all, including my wife. I have to admit that, like the swallows, it flew right over my head. The shortcoming very clearly rests with me.
If you wrote it in slant verse, then my aging brain is no longer flexible enough to appreciate it.
In any event, I do hope you can see your way clear to address me as Joe. I do feel a strong connection with you, and Mr. Tessitore is so formal.
Wonderfully constructed … brilliantly rhymed … cleverly rendered. A pleasure to read.
Thank you very much!
Smashing poetry. So refreshing!Thank you.