A Medley of Poems

By New York Poet J.H. Johns

Narrations By Paul Mann

 

“A STRANGE YEAR”

                                                Some years are the same;

                                                some years are different-

                                                and

                                                some years are strange;

 

                                                this year was-

                                                “a strange year;”

 

                                                the people;

                                                the places;

                                                the things;

                                                the weather;

                                                the happenings;

                                                the “not-happenings;”

 

                                                the house;

                                                the car;

 

                                                our lives;

                                                their lives;

 

                                                many things were strange

                                                in this-

 

                                                “a strange year.”

 

“COME BE MY WOLF-TRESS”

 

                                                 Come be my wolf-tress;

                       

                                                so that we can prowl

                                                and

                                                howl

                                                the days and nights away;

 

                                                we’ll frolic in the bushes;

                                                roll around in the den;

                                                sip water from the same stream-

                                                be together, always;

 

                                                we’ll head up to the hills;

                                                we’ll drop down into the dales;

                                                we’ll work to be a team- and be sure-

                                                to make- and take- time to play;

 

                                                so,

                                                come be my wolf-tress,

                                                let’s continue the journey

                                                that we’ve begun-

                                                and not lose another day-

 

                                                come be my wolf-tress…

 

 

“DECISION TIME”

                                                            The

                                                            seconds, minutes,

                                                            hours and days

                                                            tumble down

                                                            toward

                                                            just one-

                                                            single and isolated-

                                                            moment

                                                            when

                                                            what heretofore

                                                            was

                                                            considered

                                                            a decision-

                                                            like them all-

                                                            “yes or no;”

                                                            “better to do;”

                                                            “better not;”

 

                                                            but not really

                                                            in our control;

 

                                                            no,

                                                            circumstances

                                                            made the decision for us,

                                                            all we had to do

                                                            was

                                                            go along…

 

 

“GOING OUT OF HER MIND”

 

                                                            She says she’s going

                                                            out of her mind-

 

                                                            but,

                                                            where would you go?

 

                                                            Is there a place

                                                            where things

                                                            would be different;

 

                                                            a place where

                                                            things would change;

 

                                                            seem different,

                                                            seem better;

 

                                                            and,

                                                            how would you know;

 

                                                            you’ll have left

                                                            your mind, behind;

 

                                                            no,

                                                            it’s better to stay “one”

                                                            with your mind,

                                                            because

                                                            once you

                                                            “go out of your mind”

 

                                                            what happens

                                                            if you forget

                                                            where you left it

                                                            and

                                                            can’t find it?

 

                                                            What,

                                                            then?  

 

“REBIRTH”

                                                            A resetting-

 

                                                            the tone;

                                                            the behaviors;

                                                            the expectations;

 

                                                            the leaving;

                                                            the coming back-

                                                            again;

 

                                                            the strangeness;

                                                            the knowing;

                                                            the closeness;

                                                            the distance;

 

                                                            the staying;

                                                            the going;

                                                            the starting all over, again;

 

                                                            the knowing;

                                                            the not knowing;

                                                            the unspoken sensing

                                                            that

                                                            we’ve been here before.