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February 2008 Poets Page

A celebration of poetry written by members and friends of the MuseItUp Club. Submissions are invited for this page.*

 

 

 

The Drowning Man

 

by Tony Walbran

 

 

 

And so I sink in ocean's wave;
Descend into that em'rald grave,
To struggle there with my despair,
Until I hear such voices fair:
"Oh come with us," their siren song,
"And so escape the mortal throng."
A lullaby of peace and light
To sing me off to sleep this night.

But then I hear the old one come,
Who beats upon that sacred drum,
To challenge me with vacant stare,
And show my life that he strips bare.
It is the price that I must pay,
Before the game of chance we play,
Of life and death and souls to keep,
To surface fair or ocean deep.

And so I watch with cautious eyes,
Beginnings of deceit and lies,
With childhood hard and wretched truth,
Then child becomes the selfish youth.
And spread across those callow years
Betrayal filled with bitter tears,
This character then draws the plan,
For faithless spouse and hollow man.

“This is not true, not true,” I cry.
“You do confuse and mystify,
The history that I have known.
I am much more than you have shown.”
But to myself I justify,
For nothing stirs that empty eye,
He judges not this soulless one,
Until the game of chance is done.

“The time has come.” That toneless sound.
"To now decide where you are bound.
You keep your soul if I cast nine,
But otherwise your soul is mine.”
And then I watch my fate decree
The rolling die make three times three.
With this I see the game is won,
And I float free to greet the sun.

 

© T. Walbran

 

 

 

Tony Walbran lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two young sons. By day he earns his living as an IT professional, but his hobby is writing. His preference for poetry is rhymed and metered verse. He is a particular fan of Coleridge, Eliot and Auden, but also loves the nonsense poems of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll.

 

 

 

*Send poetry submissions to underamuse@yahoo.com.au .

Please include the words “Muse Marquee Poetry Submission” in the subject line. Special themes for 2008 are romance and human failings.

 

The Poets Page is edited by Les Stephenson.

 

 

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