"Dreaming Out Loud"

...a chapter from The Word Whisperer

...Peaceful silence is exhaled in a sigh of unspoken sorrow...

Peaceful silence is exhaled

in a sigh of unspoken sorrow

Just a step away from love

Surrendering to unspoken thoughts

of a vanishing enchantment

 Dreaming out loud for the asking

Trying to bring back tomorrow

before the vivid dream

of dust to diamonds

no longer shines

Ungrounded surrender yields

to wanderlust tomorrows

Time won’t stand still to opine

While a rolling stone gathers no moss
rolling on through time

Love 's unearthed and nurtured significance
 buds in the garden of the heart and soul

Hope's blooms are rooted deeply within

the inner core of new beginnings

The spirit within our soul won't stand still

and watch the heart unravel

In the midst of quiet hesitation

Bewildered by over anxious, 
unrealistic emotional expectations

Dreaming recklessly out loud

of blossoming new beginnings,

An aching passion left me awake and stranded 
on the cotton sheets of dawn...

© 2012 Harlon Rivers ... July, 2012

Like a Man...Adam Cohen

Love is a Season

 a poem by Harlon Rivers...from "The Diary of the Falling Dominoes" of 2012

Love is a Season...

focus drifts in and out

on this rainiest of dark nights

my heart is low... as love turned cold

with the first frost of the changing seasons.

the golden sorrow of the fallen autumn leaves

carpet the November wilderness floor

traces of yesterday's sunshine

disappeared into a thick shroud of fog,

clouding the uncharted pathways

in the fields of lost enchantment.

glowing dreams faded

into the veil of the misty horizon

as the setting sun was enveloped

by the blanket of pending twilight.

sleepless eyes reveal my restless soul...

bitter sweet emotions flood a weary heart

mourning… the dream that’s over

grateful… for the hypnotic trance

lamenting… the thoughts of wasted love

thankful…we could walk a mile together

"love is a season that came to pass"

adore evolved with the gentle summer breezes

moving me like a blue bird’s feather

in a hot summer wind shear...

suddenly changing directions as if it were washed away

in a torrential tempest squall

of winter’s pending unpredictable season.

refreshed life dawns with each rising sun

while new moons radiate luminous reflections

upon the ebb and flow of life’s changing tides.

"unconditional love is an eternal season that shall never pass"

enriching the infinite presence of our true nature...

Lenny

Snow Covered Ashes

...a poem by Harlon Rivers

Snow Covered Ashes

the first dusting of snow

blankets the fall leaves

carpeting the Oak

and Maple grove floor.

a distinct vanguard

paints the imminent winter solstice.

daylight wanes…

now measured by moments

and melted candle wax

tick tock ~ tick tock ~ in the silence ~

passing time cannot be stopped

only the diminishing firewood pile

reminds that the passing season

of darkness is measured

by the ashes left behind

of what once was recognizable…

the warmth of the crackling fire,

the flickering glow hypnotizes

a vulnerable trance.

feeling a heart grow 
cold and dormant

as the changing season,

after such sublime awakenings ~

…eerie disappointment

…an unnatural sadness accompanies

the icy darkness of love's fading light.

as seasons change to winter,

a life without love

is a life without hope.

vanishing ever so slowly

like the snow covered

fallen and decomposing leaves

veiled by the imminent 
winter solstice…

Harlon Rivers…December 16th, 2012

Dave Matthews Band ~ If Only ~ Hollywood Bowl

Tantilized

...never closer than arms length and yet never out of mind… So close and yet so far away.

His heart beat like thunder,

When he dreamt about her smile

The words she wrote tantalized

A secret hurt in his heart

Hearing her soft spoken demure

Moving in the distant breeze,

Stirred an undeniable wanderlust

From restless worlds apart

He heard her voice call out his name ~

Her memory leads him on…



Harlon Rivers...December15th, 2012

Shine On

The poem was inspired by a profoundly enlightening human being...a gift from Abba 

...far brighter than these words could ever express...

Shine on my bright light...

Shine On...

 Shining with the effervescence of an eruption on the sun,

The Essence of her heart of soul glows brilliantly into the universe.

There has been every possible human raison d'être

To ebb her inherent spiritual soul shine

Compassion weeps from inspiration’s brilliance,

As if it were a shower of solar wind and rain

Energizing her ethereal poignant ambiance

Sun flow seems to shower down from the starry sky,

Igniting an emotional air of flooding bright light

From the aura of this angel of mercy

No Sun’s Moon could eclipse the luminosity of her being.

A spiritual radiance from another enchanting realm

Transcends all illumination

Heightening each intertwined plateau of her true nature

As destiny’s tangled and knotted roots embed

Into the oneness of indivisible unity

Surrendering willingly to love’s spontaneous flow

While yielding without resistance in a destined leap of faith

Trusting glowing feelings of an ardent free spirit

Blissful singing overwhelms me

The glistening aurora awakened a vibrant symphony of hearts

Enlightening the adoring moment,

Vividly a bird serenely sang …

“My moon… there is so much more to love than we see”~

December 8^th, 2012…Harlon Rivers

Many Moons Pass...

many moons have come and gone

since the thought even crossed my mind

so many rivers have been crossed,

on this long and winding road

we've been walking on.

there were times when bridges were burning,

others ... swimming in breath taking turbulence,

to unknown shorelines

throwing caution like a child of the wind

flying like a feather with the breeze in a leap of faith~

hopefully crossing muddy waters

while trying to find the brighter side of darkness.

some things we learn so slow

...there comes a time…

… when there is needed time

for building bridges

to other hopeful respite

never intending to fall in love again

and yet believing that nothing is inevitable.

if love is the purpose of this journey

giving love is asking for nothing in return

surrendering to an undeniable,

preordained destiny...

Harlon Rivers December 5th, 2012

Vocal Chimera

... understand this moment has come to just write what you feel… don’t ever let anyone say what you believe you feel is wrong ~

... calling out my name

from the far off distance,

an enchanting  tone of voice

came to me in a dream ...

what if I was heard from another realm?

my soul screaming 

into the silence of the night?

... answering just wouldn't matter

when there is no one listening …

... awakened …

by a throaty voice

breaking the silence of slumber

... quietly standing tall

unable to escape from a dream

that’s already come and gone …

... believing in something hard enough

does not make it true

ignorance of some portion of the truth

only makes you slightly aware

no matter how crystal clear

the vivid truth becomes…

whether you are taking

the placebo or the medication

... perception heals all wounds

answering rhetorical questions out loud

left me alone at dawn

stranded like a black sheep

banished from the fold …

... questions aren't really questions

when the answers are already known

misunderstanding the literal

erroneously innocent out of unawareness

seems like getting lost
taking the wrong road home ...

© 2012 Harlon Rivers

"Am I ?"

During our life's journey,  things go wrong in relationships when we least expect it…The emotional aftermath of picking up the pieces and moving on, lead to this poem written this past April … History repeats itself...On this day it is as real again as it ever was...

Am I Still Crawling?

The beginning was

over before the start…

It was daunting how she could read

my reflection, in the still waters,

like the book about the stormy seas of my mind.

It is said that “still waters run deep”

Is my soul’s estuary a shallow and barren desert?

With too many glaring imperfections ?

Have the depths of my soul

reached for the lighted surface

only to see hope evaporate into thin air?

Wanting to feel understood

is a reflection of my heart

and yet I feel the need to harbor, 

dark, undiscoverable traits...

Am I, one heart only lying to my mind?

As if I was not whole?

Four separated distinct parts…

These hands adorn the quill of

the head, the heart, body and soul...

Without synchronicity,

am I only an illusion of my own wholeness?

After carefully considering

my reflections in the mirror of her eyes,

a panic fell like a dark fog,

blocking the vision into the book of my mind.

Backed up against the corner wall,

I felt like running as my biggest fears manifest

in the realization that our final  moment had come...

If… “Am I ? ” ... is the question?

Four separated, incongruent pieces is the answer…

I’ve been fooling myself all along

Walking

away seemed better

than running…

Crawling away

on my hands and knees

just seems unfair.…

© 2012 Harlon Rivers

A Lifetime of Dreams

Is it loneliness or intuitive instinct that creates the desire to be held in a lover's grasp…unconditionally… eternally?    Yearning to completely surrender to love...There is no greater force than the hollow void  felt when you suspect you no longer ignite that special glow in your lovers heart.  Be the change you wish to see...

... a  poem by Harlon Rivers

My heart beats so loudly within my quivering chest

I look around to see if anyone else

notices the apparent body tremors

Their deafening sound over powers my emotions

A tempest of overwhelming loneliness

floods altered consciousness

I feel the earth moving beneath

the polished cut stone floor

Nervous tension is exhaled as a sigh

into the candlelit, perfume scented air

So thick you could cut it with a knife.

It seems as though the wine in my glass

moves mystically like the storming seas

as the glass stands untouched on the table.

Out of the corner of my glancing eyes,

lovers have embraced across the room

after a romantic passionate slow dance.

I did not look away

I feel visibly shaken and ashamed

for dreaming about their ardent moment

Sensuality awakened, raw yearning totally exposed,

my vulnerable demure is naked in full view

and yet reserved, shamelessly hungry

for love’s enchanting fusion

The trap was set and tripped

the voyeur the only victim uncovered

spellbound on the threshold of a my silent reverie

Lonely, feeling trapped,

awaiting the final merciful surrender to love…

“Oh love, your past memory leads me on

Set me free from the lingering seasons that haunt me

Unchain my unhealed heart

Heal the scars from the ties that bound me

Allow me to come alive again and drink from love’s cup.

Take me to your secret garden

Reveal,  sincerely,  your most intimate secrets

Inhale every breath of my heart and soul

Complete me… allowing us to thrive wholeheartedly,
abundantly living,  each and every precious moment spent together”…

Is it too much to dream to desire to be held infinitely?

As if there was no other soul to love in the universe?

Is it desperation that creates the desire

to be held in your lover's grasp?

…unconditionally… eternally

I will sacrifice all that is me

I will surrender a lifetime of dreams

To walk hand and hand

these final miles as one love…

Edited from a Word Whisperer publishing August © 2012 Harlon Rivers 

The Essence of Sweet Peas

a poem by Harlon Rivers...

“Dance at Bougival”  artist Pierre- Auguste Renoir 1882-1883

A Sweet Pea Minuet

An unrecognizable minuet plays mysteriously in the obscure distance

The hypnotic triple time notes have mesmerized vulnerable emotions

A subtle, yet familiar fragrant aroma

swirls in each breath of the gentle breeze ~

Enchanting harmony floating towards the fantasia of a vintage minuet

The closer I get … the more I realize it is you at last.

I inhale the tantalizing elixir of your sweet pea essence

Adoring your warm and gentle graceful elegance

as we drift and glide as if our dream’s seeds were planted

within the dream dust of my mind,

budding and blossoming in a glorious moment...

Surrendering all consciousness stepping off the threshold

into a dream of a 17th century vision of desire,

exhilarated by the passionate dance of two kindred souls.

The ashes of the forgotten, the broken dreams left behind,

have finally vanished like dust in the winds of time

The hazy mist of your angelic aura leaves me flushed,

spell bound and level with earth...

The anticipation of fresh dreams together

emerged in the dizzying haze of emotional surrender ~

The atmosphere swirled with the whirlwind of your presence;

magnetism of essence awakens,

intoxicating my heart

with your magical elixir of life.

I savored and sipped every enchanting drop

of the moments sacred nectar

Neither dream dust nor the Sandman can control

the destinies of our dreams or what the allure of hope holds

Willingly we spin with an uncontrollable yearning

As the minuet ends, the secrets of our love’s pirouette evolves

Its voluptuous swell is only the initial alluring dance

mesmerizing the blissful seeds of desire

sprouting in dream dust...

Interwoven French Braids

a poem by Harlon Rivers

Weave the threads of this life

into your life’s rich tapestry

Braid my true nature intimately

into your silky-smooth hair

as if it were a seamless interwoven strand

in a Classic French braid... adorning your grace

Unravel the threads of this beating heart

Entwine the fibers of this soul,

intertwining the very fabric of our spirits

Witness life evolving into an ornate,

interwoven tapestry of utopia,

as dreams blossom into fruition...

The warp and woof of two unfinished lives,

weaving underlying structure,

on which an infinite adore is built

into the quilted fabric 

of eternal love

Entangle me 

in your sticky, silken web

Desire the essence 

of these threads that bind

Run your fingers through my hair,

spinning a silken cocoon,

enveloping all of this nakedness

in a passionate embrace

Surrendering flesh and blood,

as naturally sown seeds

reap adoring, committed wholeness…

Love in the Eternal Now

a poem by Harlon Rivers

Lightning cracks 

with the thunder’s clap

Is the moment love overcomes

so vivid and poignant?

The blink of an eye

is an exact moment

Is the beginning of love so definite?

Would it be impossible to disguise?

The veils are opened

behind the curtain

Reveling a moment of awakening

Emotional conception transforms life

Will love have a beginning

that never ends?

Unconditional oneness

Sharing the eternal now…

Rain drops splash quietly one by one

filling the empty fountain to its rim

There will be a precise moment

when the final trickle overflows boundaries’ lip

Let this heart be that fountain

where birds sing, frolicking in new found bliss

Rain down on me

with your breathless tears of joy

Covet that final drop

that spills over the brim

The fountain of joyfulness

 is nearly filled

The wait has been long and exhausting..

Indulge in the awakening of intimate tenderness

Embrace the realization here

Now love is all…

A Quiet Demure

I won’t be a burden

Baggage stacked to the sky

I don’t need to be your world

You’d sense the reasons why

I don’t need to touch you

Just want to feel the motion of your twirl

I just want to sense your love

keeping real world hope alive 

Would I wish to want you?

You know the reasons why

Could I be your whole world?

Should I shyly run and hide?

Could I wait forever?

Even if I tried?

Just as a casual observer

Seen from the corner of your eyes

Won’t you come and wipe away

the many tears I’ve cried?

Must my heart stay broken?

Now that most of the fears have died?

Can’t you hear my heart beat?

Feel the rhythms of my love’s flow

I will wait forever here

just to feel your heart and soul…

© 2012 Harlon Rivers 

"Climbing Mountains"

walk with me as we climb towards the sky...

take my breath away

breath no longer mine to waste

breathless impatience

now paralyzes this heart’s

unspoken silent reverie

your seductive allure

tantalizes my humble being

stillness exhales a oneness of heart and soul

mind and body assending hope

releasing a gasp of arousing breath

yearning for the passionate

brush of your sensual essence

timidly blushing from the very

thought of your intimate touch

a longing thirst from deep within

is undeniably ignited

a euphoric tenderness warms my skin

like an unconditional embrace

freely surrendering

to the object of it’s affections

loving submission to ardent desires…


© Harlon Rivers...2012