The Absolutely Nearly True Account of My Week

The Absolutely Nearly True Account of My Week

By David Cortez

I haven't left in seven days,
these walls my eyes, this screen my face.
I haven't seen the real trees,
nor changed this shirt of wool or fleece.

I haven't left since Monday past,
when I locked my doors and held them fast.
I haven't smelled the crisp spring air,
since I sat my ass on this here chair.

maybe I should see the view,
if not by window, put on my shoes,
and take a stride and wave hello,
as strangers pass while off I go.

I'll check for rain or sleet or snow,
can't roam in humid afterglow,
not wet nor dry, the sun still shines,
oh but won't you check the time.

I'd love to go and see the world,
outside my door where paint has curled,
how 'bout next week if I can luck it,
I'll see, maybe, but really, fuck it.

We Progeny of the Stars

We Progeny of the Stars
By David Cortez

We'd travel long in darkness for a pilgrimage of the stars.
from polluting light of cities, streets, and night's of busy cars.
A glowing haze that fills the eve with waves of clouded sky,
This turbid din of nescient earth blocks the heavens from our eyes.

For beyond this matte of gloom lit dust, a world we'll never see,
if all our heads are cocked and turned away from humility.
Have not we eyes the same to see a heart shared on this plane,
we bards of wonder, love and awe, we travelers germane.

We end in night so wholly bright, by the strokes of stars and moon,
of canvas painted starry sky will, all our minds, consume.
And know in this with solvent bliss, we tremble in our repose,
that from those distant twinkle stars, we progeny have grown.

Man

Enter man,

last to stand in line,

first to be of mind,

trades for steel and flame,

exit man.

The Sun and the Sun

The Sun and the Sun

By David Cortez

The morning came too soon,

To wind chimes pleasant tune,

‘Comes with no surprises,

The sun sets before it rises.

The family’s gather at the river bank,

Popcorn, sandwiches and lemonade drank,

Children sing Ring around the Rosie,

And pockets full of posies.

The clouds change temperate hues,

To reflect the darks and the docile blues,

As the light crescendo ends,

It magically begins again.

Back the way it came,

All at once the same,

But more reversed,

As if rehearsed.

The people watch in wonder,

As the moon it travels under,

To dip below the silhouette,

Of horizon lines and tennis nets.

Men and women holding hands,

‘The sound of crowds and welcome bands,

Who performed and celebrated,

As others danced, inebriated.

The longest day of summer,

Everyone came to wonder,

And none afraid,

As children played.

It zigged then zagged,

Behind the flags,

The day the sun returned,

To 48 hour burn.

Alas when the hour late,

Came and light disintegrate,

After full of fancy fun,

One more year ‘til the 2 day sun.

Silver

Silver
By David Cortez

I would love to paint with color,
edges of hues of reds and blues,
thin blade of feathered hush,
on the soft swish of a painting brush.

I would love to paint the setting sun,
when moon is up and sun is down,
to see the blue of water's shimmer,
but i can only see in silver.

Goodnight to Man

Goodnight To Man
By David V. Cortez

And old the dust of fallen stars,
as looked upon by brother Mars,
with whitened fleck as snow on hair,
to bleak horizons new we stare.

No sovereign nation, lord nor king,
has lived beyond such reckoning.
no peopled fog remain in this,
as lain to rest in ardent bliss.

Thus spiraled arm hath flung its birth,
we young-ling offspring ignoble earth,
as oft as bird relinquish babe,
Our sun has set and warmth escape.

Indulgences

Indulgences
By David Cortez

In the coolest morning since twelve past two,
I’ve thought of things, of me and you.
And in those thoughts of you and I,
I came to know the reasons why.
I can.
I will.
I am.
You too.
All these things are answers to.
Yet none the wiser I become,
As where I put the little one.
The one with locks of black and red,
The one I dream of in my bed.
The one that will not leave my head,
The one whose eyes I meet instead.
For long I hid that one inside,
To realize it’s me that hides.
What can one do, when answers clear,
Have hid like sheep and disappear.
Can they be herded from such fires,
That boil blood and fuel desire?
To that another answer needed,
While thoughts of her again receded,
Back and fro like morning mist,
On the coolest hour since ten past six.

The Princess and the Sea

The Princess and the Sea
By David Cortez

Our tale begins along those lines of mystics, kings and lore,
a love unaided, reverberated, of a princess on the shore.

A dance in twilight by the sea while stars so brightly glistening.
Perhaps a moment on the sand of love’s embrace and exploring hands.

What thoughts described and words imbibed to fill one’s mind with wonder,
deep and overwhelming flashes come before the thunder.

A fight of brave and honored knights, a sailors’ reluctant swagger,
a clash and clang of shielded bang by sword and mace and dagger.

A sailor called to fight a war, across the stretching blue,
he boards a ship on deadly trip out beyond the hue.

He left a gem in love with him when he was called to fight,
her countenance and elegance was lost to him that night.

Months have brought the sailor not, but still she waits so true,
even during day and night she always keeps the view.

She waits so gently, permanently, for a sailor to come home.
Years have passed while sails fast, have come and left on foam.

And still she hopes, her hands still grope the faded dress she wore,
that day when sailor left her there, to wait upon the shore.

Men came calling, she kept stalling, a glance far out to sea,
never slowing always going the ships and reveries.

A stunning vision every day, her figure on the grains,
her sight angelic, perfect relic, and her loveliness remained.

The dress is older the air is colder; it wisps her hair around,
tattered edges, rocky ledges, and her upon the ground.

Through storm so howling, ocean growling the spot she never leaves,
news of death, of the sailor left, passionately she grieves.

A pain so deep, she faintly weeps, a sorrow on the water,
so fragile, broken, alone she is, this once royal daughter.

She loves so sore, but evermore, she waits along the bay,
her love at sea, though patiently, her heart begins to fray.

She dreamt of he so eagerly, a swim across the world,
to return to her as promised, this princess made of pearl.

She thinks she hears his voice so faint, calling from the deep,
but with love and pain, those weighted reigns, she sat still on the steep.

She cried as long as time itself, her heart so full of sorrow,
her eyes so grieving but never leaving horizons’ coming morrow.

Lost at sea, so actually, the sailor never came,
to save the girl who loved so dear, no other man could tame.

The sobs grew silent, her weeping quiet, her eyes begin to glaze,
she drifts off slowly through the holy of dieing’s graying haze.

And at the moment that her life ended on that lonely shore,
a figure stands there, her sailors’ hands’ there, he kisses her once more.

Ages pass and there it sits her impression on the sand,
of woman left still waiting, while sailor left the land

A Place For Us, We Kings

A Place For Us, We Kings
By David Cortez

There is a place, on a moon far away,
where the water glows and glistens.
from under the surface, of unmoving water,
the fronds extend and sway.

A sliver of moonlight, of purple and blue,
carves through the forests and trees,
And in this cool midnight, the gold ribbon tresses,
all follow the wind over seas.

The birds are all fragments, angled flashes and sheens,
the rocks are crystalline tears.
and we stand together, in the velvety flutter,
in the valley of butterfly wings.

and as they all beckon, with cheer they all sing,
we sprout little wings of our own.
what a magical place, as we all fly away,
it is here that we know we’re all kings.

One Million Day Funeral

One Million Day Funeral
By David Cortez

And when the saints saw what they had done,
They shone their blades up to the sun,
With down cast eyes and sorrow creep,
They drove the ends in hearts so deep.

They gazed upon the world ablaze,
And felt the pain of world razed.
As we looked up with hands held high,
We prayed for God yet cursed the sky.

They reached their hands through stratosphere,
As we reached up with fingers near.
They all looked on as we drew close,
As we like them both felt remorse.

They felt hope that they could save,
The ones left over after shadow paved.
All around thickened fires burn,
The world in ashes after embers turn.

And yet through chaos hope holds fast,
Among remains of humans passed.
The saints above look down on hell,
That claimed the Earth as buildings fell.

Machines that tower over clouds,
Have breached the darkest poisoned shrouds.
Those survived escape mottled ground,
To leave the Earth where death is found.

The clouds erupt in light and flame,
As engines blast machine overcame.
And I look on, up to the high,
Where human ships traverse the sky.

I watch them all as they grow dim,
Each light left Earth in heaven’s rim.
I hope they find what peace they seek,
In furthest reaches of space’s bleak.

For us on Earth, who stayed behind,
To rebuild home and resurrect our kind,
At times we look on distant stars,
And wonder if just one was ours

A Tale of Perpetual Moon

A Tale of Perpetual Moon
By David Cortez

I came upon a moonlit clear,
that vanished with yards and lengths.
Not once thought I, nor did but try,
to affix the moon to banks.

And so to water’s edge I roamed,
assumptions of the drink,
that far below serenity,
moons anchors all but sink.

For n'er did the sun return,
to tell of where 'twas been,
and none had sought for searching’s sake,
to bring the daylights kin.

For cold and chill the night until,
I traded with the dusk,
and bought my way to heavens brink,
and daffodils sweet musk.

An o'er again I laughed but then,
no other were of ears,
for when I left at last I fear,
my lover cascaded tears.

how could it be, "oh woe is me!"
I shouted at the stars.
For never before until this day had bore,
my soul traveled so far.

Ah but beauty’s gift along the rift,
of time and space and tear,
alas I'm joined by sweeter things,
my love, my grace, my dear.

And set the moon to bring the light,
of sun o'er Triton’s sea.
For forty days of sunless sky
the Earth preferred the night.