Poems

Poetry by Jack Williams.

Red Potato Harvest

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Red Potato Harvest

A breeze carries the sweet smell of plowed earth across the clovers from the edge of the freshly plowed field where knee-high family farmhands stand shoulder-to-shoulder with empty burlap sacks once used for races on Easter Sunday.  Today, the potato sacks fulfill their name. Thanks to the vintage Allis Chalmers tractor that pulls a rusty … Read more

There Ain’t No More of Me

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Aint no more of me to give to you

There ain’t no more of me to give to you. Dry as the desert August wind high hopes for Love to quench There ain’t no more of me for you to pick apart Roadside raven plucked and torn There ain’t no more of me to give to you. My life–a shell of broken promises, A … Read more

Abandoned in the Doldrums

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Alone and waiting this ship I sail Greater depths of doldrums ne’er been Blistering sun, charring skin Nor whisper of wind–He let us fail Stagnant sails surface doubt On this course I chart anew Rumblings from the misfit crew Misfits and seekers, all the louts Return us not Onto craggy shores Though still waters not … Read more

Grappling Beasts and Chained Dogs Watch

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My love is guarded She–a fortress surrounds Protected from outer forces, equal to those within Grappling beasts and chained dogs watch Keep her close Keep her safe Alone. She sits while Grappling beasts and chained dogs watch The thought of losing her–too much to bear, Only for he. Thus, locked she stays Grappling beasts and … Read more

Dancing Depths of Doubt

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Woman sinking into depths

Dance in the delight Of doubt. Find comfort Shrouded in arms of ambiguity. Grasp firm with fatigued fingers of faith, A lead weight. An anchor she sinks. To the depths Of the sea. Drop with her,           and sink Down the dancing depths of doubt. Her resting place. Her home. Allow … Read more

The Puzzle

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For better or worse, the old man got himself into this mess. A phone number jotted receipt cradles the sweaty mason jar as the scribbled digits bleed into non existence from the sweating jar. Purging one last chance at redemption. Nor does it save the scaled stains on his Goodwill Coffee table as condensation floods … Read more

Lost and Found

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Ever-present,​ ​he attached​ ​to​ ​my​ ​side. He unknowingly​ ​bears​ ​Shadow’s ​yoke​. For​ ​him,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​heavy. Light.​ ​Free. There’s no​ ​inner. There’s no​ ​outer. Only​ ​is. There​ ​is​ ​no​ ​other​ ​person​ ​to​ ​be. Other ​doesn’t​ ​register Unless​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​game. “Old​ ​man,​ ​do​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​play?” Sure. The​ ​old​ ​man​ ​meets​ ​the​ ​child. … Read more

The Spaces in Between

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Pushing, moving, silent screaming Relinquish the battle within For even the snake waxes anew Yield to renew again Chanted​ ​chorus,​ ​their​ ​chortled​ ​cries Hear​ ​the​ ​sirens​ ​sing Listen​ ​listen​ ​close​ ​enough To​ ​the​ ​spaces​ ​in​ ​between Not​ ​the​ ​snake​ ​nor​ ​the​ ​siren Oh,​ ​the​ ​spaces​ ​give​ ​respite Live​ ​in​ ​that​ ​space​ ​of​ ​stillness The​ ​spaces​ … Read more