“ Distant Faces ” – etched on my mind –

by Claude Théberge 1987
ceramic mural 12 ‘ x 9’ for Eastern Topographies,
Ossipee, New Hampshire, USA

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Distant Faces 

            – etched on my mind –

 There are traces
 From prior times, 
 Of distant faces
 Etched on my mind,
 That stay forever 
 Hence so adorn,
 A place of musing 
 Where past ground,
 Be worth pursuing
 Tho but a semblance,
 Might now be found…  

 As memories falter 
 Thus in mind’s eye,
 Imaginings alter
 And fall beyond,
 Familiar places 
 Of aging optimism, 
 In mature zeal 
 Be timeless isms,
 Scarcely notes real
 With fading traces,
 Of now distant faces… 

 Tho wishful thinking  
 Could yet show trace, 
 That offers an inkling 
 Alludes to per chance,
 A faint hint of passing
 Mightn’t ye remember,  
 Enough of such places
 May outlive December, 
 Has ye find the more, 
 Of now held distant faces!   

                 © Jean-Jacques Fournier 
  
                          Ode to Hilary, Natalie and Wayne, old friends! 
                                    
 Mural - by artist Claude Theberge ...
 Faces - Personal & private collection ...
 Music - Excerpt of,  Night Jazz, by Chet Baker ...   

“ Dream Merchants ” – be ne’er what they seem –

                                                         Listen to audio

“ Dream Merchants ”

            – be ne’er what they seem –

The merchants of dream

Be ne’er what they seem,

Hence I caution beware

If you chance let them in,

Apathetic be a risky dare

For they’ll exploit within,

As dream merchants play

Thus to get neath the skin,

That will trap you to stay…

 

Of their dreams be alert

Tho you might judge fair,

They’ll distort and divert

As you indulge their spin,

What’s at stake be aware

You may find but chagrin,

As the pawn for their fare…

 

Ye soon find be soul bare

The while merchants grin,

From their deviant affair

Best not chance ye begin,

With dreams fated unfair,

Held by narcissistic strings…

 

Dream merchants shroud

That which flogs palaver,

Fake fine weather clouds

And what gullibles bear,

Their dreams of effusion

Suggest wouldst be real,

Tho but empty illusions

With an unfulfilled zeal,

When too late ye discover

Soul they managed to steal,

Cause of true dreams, to disappear!

 

                                                   © Jean-Jacques Fournier

                                   Ode to Dreamers

                           of dedication to vivid imagination,

                                    and in search of honesty…

 

Music, excerpt of Around Midnight, by Chet Baker

Art work, from Dream World images…

 

“ Faces ” – that be traceless –

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“ Faces ”

       – that be traceless –

I see faces

In all places,

That be sad

Virulent cases,

At risk clad

Be complacent,

Soon but mad

Past indifferent,

Of no matter

Part of current,

Fitting this façade…

 

Empty faces

That be traceless,

Yet embraces

Find expression,

As in a painting

Of a landscape,

Speaks despair

Rather tainted,

Tho not quite bare…

 

Be mortal faces

Seeking refuge,

From raw places

Found in refuse,

A world so faces

In human deluge,

Held insensate

Of fellow sapiens,

They just people

Failed by bane,

Seek seen real

Despite blame,

Of slanted feel

Said man extant,

Made world surreal      

Bent be he an unrepentant!  

 

                           ode to fellow beings of virulent woes…

                                                        © Jean-Jacques Fournier

   Art, by Picasso, Modigliani, Odilon Redon,

           Jheronimus Bosh, Maurice Denis, Erich Heckel.

                          Music, Now – by Vexento – v2 New music, and recital

 

“ Clouds for Dreaming ” – of ethereal things –

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On a whim I can fly 

In a dream,

As I soar on wings

It thus seems,

Of ethereal things

Be a flight so real,

The ascent I can feel…

 

As I ride on the wind

I hear Zephyr sing,

Yet could not tell

If it spoke of Phoenix,

And his trip to hell

When rashly he’d fly,

Which I’ll ne’er risk

As so high he did fry,

For my soaring is fixed

In the dream I so fly…

 

Now on billowy clouds

Soft feathery things,

Their gentle pull bides

The while one clings,

To this surreal ride

Said fabric for dreams,

That dresses the skies,

In clouds made for dreaming!

 

           written at Amsterdam Airport

                                             © Jean-Jacques Fournier

                                                                   April 10, 2002

 

 

“ A Poet ” ~ on more than allusions ~

When is a poet

A poet to be,

How will he know

It won’t be free,

To find reveal

What he’s to tell,

Starts on journey

Going thru hell,

Hence be the way

He learns to feel,

Afore he can say

What is real,

Thus to give sway

To worthy notions,

Be want of attention

To issues deserved,

More than allusions

Kept in reserve,

The while he lives

Born of a heart

Which can but give,

To occupy minds

That a poet seeks find!

 

                                                                   © Jean-Jacques Fournier

“ Searching ” ~ for the real you ~

You’ve lived so far

Being who you are,

Enjoyed the road

That life bestowed,

So why pursue

A search in vain,

That may not reach

To cause explain,

Holds you’ll discover

Where bides the other,

More real than be you!

“ Feelings ” ~ real people feel ~

I want to feel

What’s real,

Feelings judged

Real people feel,

As I’ve no taste

Or ways to deal,

With useless waste!