“…let immensity swell again”…“a style of song,” my poem

“…let immensity swell again”…“a style of song,” my poem

he rang a bell…

 

 

a style of song

 

He wore rough clothes,

scuffed heavy shoes,

he knew where he was going

   but he kept a shuffle pace,

 

he had no look of joy,

there was no kind of sparkle,

only placid look ahead,

as if starting out on plain old day…

 

with quiet voice he rang a bell,

he filled the silence,

I could tell

   he was no stranger to the song—

 

he sang the word:

   “somewhere…”

and took a breath

   and let immensity swell again,

and murmured:

   “…over the…”

and I wanted to help him sing.

 

he kept on walking…

December 19, 2024

*   *   *   *   *   *

My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.

 

Book review: Mila 18

horrific truth by Leon Uris

click here

Writing Rainbows: Poems for Grown-Ups with 59 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

 

Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.

*   *   *   *   *   *

the dude ranch dog…“Oh, LeRoy!” my poem

the dude ranch dog…“Oh, LeRoy!” my poem

a dog like him…

 

 

Oh, LeRoy!

 

It’s just not true that every ranch

   has to have a dog like him,

but try to name a place that calls

   itself a ranch, and claims with pride

      to be a place where cowboys ride,

and doesn’t have a lanky pooch

   who sleeps in all the darnedest spots,

and loves a scratch, and likes the kids,

and knows his name is LeRoy.

 

Every dude at Smith Fork Ranch

   made friends with him without delay,

and learned his name, and scratched his head,

and waved him into line to join

   the hike up to the bears’ own ridge,

and cheered him on when he detoured

   to splash around in that high pond,

and made a point, back at the ranch,

to grab a treat from LeRoy’s jar

   and make him “Sit!” (he almost did).

 

You’ll guess these stories never end,

but you don’t know that we were there

   on our last day, when that old truck

       made too much noise in passing by,

and LeRoy knew—to keep us safe—

   he had to snarl and bark and run

      to chase that truck—but oh!, too close…

 

He never knew how many tears,

so many tears we had for him.

 

October 15, 2016

 

Sadly, LeRoy died at Smith Fork Ranch, Crawford, CO, in September 2007.

 

My poem “Oh, LeRoy!” was published in my second collection of 47 poems, Seeing far: Selected poems.

You can buy it on Amazon (paperback and Kindle),

or get it free in Kindle Unlimited, search for “Richard Carl Subber”

*   *   *   *   *   *

My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.

 

Book review: The Sea Runners

…it informs, but it does not soar…

by Ivan Doig

click here

Writing Rainbows: Poems for Grown-Ups with 59 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

 

Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.

*   *   *   *   *   *

The Book of Days…part xlix

The Book of Days…part xlix

The Book of Days

 

The dawn’s early light can be pleasure enough for the whole day.

There are words enough to tell the story of “the temptation of day to come.”

It is my delight to write some of them for your delectation.

 

 

a tasting

 

…the second look is the keeper.

 

The clouds are shifting shapes,

moving quickly

   across the new morning sky,

the smudge and fold of flannel,

becoming flan,

nudging the smear

   of cream sauce,

filling the sky

   with hasty pudding

      and the like,

making a menu

   that lasts mere moments…

 

January 4, 2025

*   *   *   *   *   *

My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.

 

Book review: To Serve Them All My Days

by R. F. Delderfield

A beloved teacher,

      you know this story…

click here

many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

 

Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.

*   *   *   *   *   *

friends can touch…my poem

our little space…

 

 

touch

 

…some easy talk is all we need,

brief moments are the time,

 

quick smiles come and go,

and linger

   and last,

 

familiar words we share,

we cross our paths,

we laugh in our little space,

 

our fingers touch,

and touch,

we’re friends, we know that much.

 

September 23, 2024

Published in March-April 2025 issue of Creative Inspirations

*   *   *   *   *   *

My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.

many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

 

Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Stonehenge…the stones know…my poem

Stonehenge…the stones know…my poem

they do not tell…

 

 

Stonehenge

 

We look like a circle of stones.

We know why we stand here

   but we do not tell,

perhaps we knew the beginning of time,

time means so little to us,

the ages come and go,

our circle stands, unmoving,

reflecting each break of day,

embracing the dawn of dawns,

remembering the chants of long ago,

accepting the credulous chatter

   that fills our spaces,

accepting the lightest touch

   of each fingertip

      that seeks so many answers

         to so many questions,

knowing that we exalt pure stillness,

indeed, knowing that the lintels

   betray the ignorance

      of beguiled masons,

knowing that we

   are the upright fingers of the gods

      that point to havens

         above the sky,

knowing that we may rest on earth

   until the unknown end of time.

 

December 28, 2024

*   *   *   *   *   *

My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.

 

Play review: A Doll’s House

Henrik Ibsen’s classic on abuse…

click here

many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

 

Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.

*   *   *   *   *   *

“…and hides our dreams…”…“dew not,” my poem

“…and hides our dreams…”…“dew not,” my poem

see it clearly

 

 

dew not

 

Away, you foggy dew!

 

…in hazy morn it seems so clear,

our views of life embrace still air,

we want no clouds across our path,

we want no wind to fill the space

   that brings the distant beauty near,

we want no rain

   that draws our eyes

      to up and up,

and wets the skies

   and hides our dreams.

 

We want the void that touches all

   and leaves no mark,

the see-through part

   that makes each thing

      some thing to see,

the empty place

   where foggy dew

      is always a stranger.

 

December 29, 2024

*   *   *   *   *   *

My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2025 All rights reserved.

 

Book review: A Cold Welcome

The culprit was global cooling,

          500 years ago…

by Sam White

click here

Writing Rainbows: Poems for Grown-Ups with 59 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”

*   *   *   *   *   *

Pin It on Pinterest