Tag Archives: undying flame

Hanging On Too Long

Sentimental doesn't do it justice,
It lacks the depth of hope unrelenting.
Delusional doesn't account, just this
Doubt for which I'm constantly repenting.
Hope springs eternal, but muddied waters
Are wont to flow from a well nigh to dry.
The flame, of hope, of love, burns far hotter
Though it be quenched by eyes too dry to cry.
Yet in holding on too long, I may lose:
I may not see missed opportunity;
May not catch meaning of your fleeting glance;
Until it's too late, and time seals my fate—
But I'll hope and pray that you may perchance
On rethought, let Cupid's arrow find mate.

Copyright ©️ 2024 H.K. Longmore

Ancient Discovery

Author’s note: this one has been sitting around in my drafts collecting dust. While I work on my next post, I thought I’d blow that dust into the wind.

Discovered by man anciently
Holds the anthropologist;
Robert Frost believes
The world will end with this.

Bono sings of one unquenchable,
While Billy Joel wails, “we didn’t start it,”
And Natalie acknowledges
This house is by it consumed.

Many have been notable,
Including Chicago and Rome,
Blame laid on the cow and the Christians.

Always accompanied by heat and light,
A tool to cook and sanitize,
A weapon to destroy.
Useful for filling urns,
Required for a pyre.

Often made a metaphor
For love and hate alike

Peter Garrett sings of beds acquainted with it,
As well as something
Twenty times as hot
As the hottest stuff in Gehanna.
But there may be some thing hotter still.

Copyright © 2023 H.K. Longmore

Closed-Captioning

Movie fantastic:
Watching real life unfolding,
Senses enlivened.
An unwanted change;
Video signal goes blank,
Audio remains.
Still captivating, 
Listening to audio:
Movie fantastic.
Video returns:
Brief interludes side by side;
Pulse quickens and skips.
Signal cut again,
Audio also is lost;
Movie fantastic.
Now closed-captioning
Only signal that remains.
Relationship strained?
With no video,
No audio, still I'm sure:
Movie fantastic.

© 2022 H.K. Longmore

The Stronger Flame

Desire’s flames hold
Intense power over flesh,
Knees especially.

The silent treatment
Is yet stronger than those flames:
Flame extinguisher.

From glowing embers
Build a stronger flame: combine
Value and desire.

© 2014 H.K. Longmore