From: petitc@vccsouth03.its.rpi.edu (Christopher Jon Petit)
Subject: Poem Collection
Reply-To: petitc@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 04:09:38 GMT

  I've included below a few poems I wrote (my 5 best, IMHO).


                           "Surfer Cove"
 
There is a cove,
Not far from here, where waves gently touch the shore.
Rocks encompass the cove, and isolate it from the world.

Yet, you and I are there,
You know that I love you more than anything else.
But, you are the surfer.
You revel in the danger, and the excitement.
Every exaulting high wave, and low crest excites you.
You zoom near the rocks, and flirt with danger.
It is the only thing that you enjoy.

Yet, I am the sun in your life.
I keep you warm, and protect you from harm.
I am always there, watching you.
Somehow, I know that you appreciate me being there,
That you feel safer, knowing that I am there to protect you.
I will always be here for you, and you know this.
You just assume that I'm there, and know that I'm there.

Please, be with me, and show how grateful you are to me.
Take me in your arms.            
Hold me close to you.
Let me express my boundless love for you.
And, I will show you love beyond yourself.
I would already give you my life.
Let me give you my soul,
So we can be as one.

But, this cannot ever be,
For you are the surfer, and you must always be free.
Only the danger excites you.
The constant bores you.
It is who you are to love the danger,
So I still love you like this,
Because true love needs me to accept you as you are.
So, I understand why you need to be free.
And, I will always be here for you.
Please, be here for me.
That is all I ask.

			The Lantern

Right now you're crying inside,
Tears that nobody sees.

You so badly need someone to turn to,
Someone to care for you and help your wounds heal.

I will always care for you,
But not in the simple way that you need.

For the longest time, I supressed it,
Since there wasn't even the slightest hope
That it would work.

You are still dear to me as a friend,
But now, there is much more.

Things you don't want or need right now.
And certainly not from me.

It is like a radiant light has opened in my heart,
Throwing away all the shadows and ghosts of the past,
And giving me hope for the future.
But, it does not belong here.

You need compassion, tenderness, sincerity.
All of these I have given you and always will.
Now, unfortunately, there is this complicating the issue.

I want to destroy whatever caused you such pain.
For you have both kinds of enchanting beauty---
A personality which is warm, caring, loving, giving,
As well as an appearance which men would die for.

This, though,
This feeling,
It is what caused you this pain.

Although I am sincere when I say
I will never hurt you,
I know that this will.

Certainly, you don't feel it for me.
That makes it all the more difficult.

You see such great beauty in me,
And think the world of me.
Still, this feeling isn't there.

Perhaps, it is total foolishness.
I should never have uncovered it.
Now, it is like a lantern,
Shining light outwards without fear.

What is wrong with that, you say?
The time,
The place,
Everything.

Someone said that if wishes were horses,
Beggars would ride.
Right now,
I could use a good steed.

So, I dare to dream the impossible.
Of caring for you,
Holding you,
Never letting you feel alone, hurt, or unloved again.

But, it must remain the dream.

                    Soaring Higher Than Ever

Until you find it, you are stuck on the ground.
Everything seems adequate, but nothing more.
Then, you find it.

It picks you up, and lets you soar through the stars.
You feel lighter than air, and above everything.
You feel that you understand it all, and experience it all.

After a long time, you settle down.

But, the world is not the same as before.

                	Darkness Bestills All Waters

The world seems chaotic,
Always on the verge of destruction.
It races by with a dizzying pace,
Trampling many of its inhabitants.

There's no way to get off this ride.
You must stay on until it stops.
Hang on, and try your best,
For the best is yet to come.

Once the fury of the world has died down for you,
And the chaos is only a faint whisper heard in the mind,
Then you know what I mean,
When I say that darkness bestills all waters.

			Island Paradise

You have heard of this place,
This island paradise.
It is rumored to be filled with
Everything you hold dear.

But, it is always in the
Midst of a violent storm,
Which destroys nearly everyone
Who dares to enter.

Yet, you aren't afraid.
You'll brave the storm,
To retrieve the endless rewards
Which lie within.

You set out, in a small boat,
With only your courage and dilligence
To guide you.
There is some other help, though.

A beam of light shines through the storm,
Tearing the darkness asunder,
Showing you the way to go,
In order to survive the perilous journey.

Endless waves tear at your ship,
Nearly destroying it.
Yet the light guides you,
Helping you avoid the deadly rocks.

Finally, after what seems an eternity,
The waves cease, and the sky clears.
You have made it.
You are at the island!

You can detect wondrous beauty,
Fluid colors, sparkling waterfalls,
And countless other forms of beauty,
All for your desire.

There is something else here, though.
You can sense that the island is very soft and warm,
Belying the violent storm raging
Only a few yards off its coast.

You could remain here forever,
Choosing to bask in its warmth.
Instead, you must see more.
So, you venture inland.

The journey is perilous again.
Not as violent,
But still dangerous.
It takes ages to reach the center.

But, you do reach it.
After your dilligent search,
You finally see something distinctive.
This is what you have been searching for.

A large volcano is visible,
Spewing out total warmth, heat, and passion.
You could choose to go in or not.
But, it doesn't matter.

You have all the time in the world.