pen

when

there

is

nothing

to

pen

why

scratch

head

like

a

hen

scratching

ground

that

has

no

worm

making

her

poetic

cluck

cluck

and

cluck

sleep

and

if

woken

by

a

hen-pen

early

tomorrow

words

will

flow

from

pen

as

eggs

from

hen

henry victor     11.08.2002

my envy

i envy the log

that disintegrates into the flame

into death

and into ash

reintegrating into her beginning

and final peace

i envy the raindrop

that drowns deeply into the ocean

into death

and into vapor

reintegrating into her beginning

and a new creation

henry victor     01.08.2002

imperfect faith

i see the like-minded people

like jelly fish jamming jointly

confirming the ancient truth:

birds of the feather

flock together

even a thin transcendent faith

fails to enable a going beyond

the race, language and culture

that blinds

the common factor

that same red blood flowing

in that multitude of variety

of humans with varied

caste, colour

and creed

henry victor     09.06.2010 

surrendering to defeat

hundred thoughts

through my head flow

like a fast flowing flood

one banging the other

with a hard negation

others modifying another

and none static

as an unmovable boulder

my anchors float

and the deck is scattered

shifting with speed

i drift directionless

searching

for strength deep within

questing

for help from far beyond

silently

i wail, whine

and weep

aloud

but nothing happens

except my drowning

deep

in the deepest waters

dragged into the mire

and unable to put my foot

on solid ground

i yell, i fight

and i fear

accepting my defeat

surrendering

to shame and blame

that wounds

henry victor    12.06.2010

subtle presence

your subtlety in your work

transforming sorrow and pain

to joy that, eventually

overflowing like the water

in the athabascan fall amuses me

while your hidden-ness remaining constant

with your patience, never short lived

like a water-fall but like a long river

continuing, with certainty to ever expand

to grow, to nourish another on the way

to give, and never ever count the cost

remaining subtle even in a merge in the ocean

henry victor     20.06.2010

dashing and smashing

she, like a bull in the china shop

dashed

and broke every fragile glassware

the familial values

together

we accumulated

and guarded so well

through trial and error

and with much pain

to cherish

to build

that neatly arranged

little nest

all in a moment

of fleeing
with no consideration

except

for her larger bed

that could accommodate a variety

calling it freedom and opportunity!

smashing

that beautiful building

the home of three

all

for sake of getting rid of the sacred

responsibility

that motherhood

that constantly demanded

a modeling

a witnessing

for all emerging mothers

thus she dashed

smashed

her mother’s motherhood

with her own

and that of her own daughter’s

henry victor     19.07.2010

hesitation

i sense within my heart

the lingering fear

of hearing unfavourable comments

and feeling shame of becoming a loser

ending

like a tortoise

in a state of withdrawal

though well protected

but with no progress

towards my goal

a prospect

or that path that may contain

encounters

with vultures

but

much joy at the end

with lots of applause

henry victor     12.07.2010

your grace

spray me with your grace

until i am soaked in rain

of your love (reigning the world

to bind the wounds of deep hurt

caused by callous creatures, a disgrace

in heaven and on earth);

inspire and provoke deep within me

your forgiveness, a contrast

to my vengeance, revenge-filled

thoughts that translate

into my speech and louder acts

discrediting your image in me

henry victor    28.07.2010

reflecting on my climb

i climb higher

and higher

until i reach the top

full of lush and green

at the end

nothing but the tip

the branch is dried

and i fear!

filled with anxiety

and more uncertainty:

will it break?

will i survive the fall?

my wits falter

though i know a step down

i must go

to avoid the breaking point

it’s my making

and it’s my greed

that moved me there

and i chose

not the cold

nor a longer winter

smaller

and smaller branch

a diminishing place

a deserted village

climbing against the trend

an irrevocable drift

of an urban world

i now progress

into a wilderness

walking in wilderness is good

but living there

that i dread

i calm my thoughts

and tell my soul

you could always come below

but if it breaks

before the move i make

an outcome

i hate to see

hence

i close my eyes

henry victor      20.03.2007

my healing stones

bonnie, my friend, the native elder

offered my daughter

two palms and full of healing stones

now i play with, until my mind

overflows with, grace-filled healing!

these stones are not amethysts,

bloodstone or carnelian

neither are they red jasper,

white lace agate,

brown black purple white agate

the alias, coyomito agate

but simple stones of the simpleton

with red, pink, orange, and yellow

green, blue, indigo and violet

adding a few lime-green and blue-green

also silver-grey

brown, black, white, and gold

included among are some clear

but each one is powerful too

henry victor      08.03.2007

a colony of bats

masses, very quickly, surrounded me

to see what i would declare

now that i have a legal dispensation

a privilege

bestowed only on a foreigner

they nearly pushed me

though unintentionally

they made me drop

one by one

the big and small item

i carefully carried

into that pit

and as i bend down

to reach the bottom

picking cautiously my scattered stuff

the masses

almost buried me

standing up-side down

like a colony of bats in a cave

henry victor      03.02.2007

peace trail in the park

the trees in the park

invited me to walk

under their corridors

winds whispered secrets

fresh as freshly pulled carrots

for my feeble frame

pigeons and finches darted

up and down until i crafted

my poem beneath the trees

along the trail i heard songbirds pipe

i may with joy quickly elope

despite sorrow walking beside me

lilacs showered fragrance

lifting me into a tranquil trance

as i walked the park’s peace trail

henry victor      01.04.2007

furthest star

smelling, hearing

and continuously seeing

voices from beyond

also from deep within

my heart ponders

with the aid of my mind

the infuriating experience

a life more authentic

making my mortal soul

into a state of dreaming

thoughts of divine essence

and provocative dreams

nay! violent thunder clapping

making me a stormy storm

impregnating my tender being

also, with lightning

spontaneously gathering around

snarling, quarreling and discord

leading at the end,

to Golgotha, the empty scull

but hoping one day

though comprehended late

like the dim light

of the star that is furthest

my soul too

shall enlighten

the innocent children

at last

henry victor      13.02.1995

forgive my shirk

grant me oh the nameless

Name

unlimited forgiveness

and overwhelming grace

when i in my nasty arrogance

in foolish forgetfulness

while breaking and smashing

idols of clay, silver and gold

tearing into pieces

icons on printed-paper

or painted canvas

molded through extreme care

and drawn with patience so rare

employing artistic mind

with untiring hand

concurrently retain in the bosom

of my petty being

the silly pride of my race, learning

and other worthless achievement

in such way covetously

ridiculing the tribe, tradition

and other earnings

of my numerous neighbors

considering silently

my puny self, more important

than those who live

and toil around me

entertaining and persisting

in that surest shirk

the groundless superstition

that the sweetest sound

surely, is my own name

henry victor     18.01.1995

priestly prayer

God

make me not

a lazy sacrificial official

an avaricious dealer

in magic sayings

a conceited worthless orator

a wicked sly priest

or just a good stupid sheep

amongst a large herd

God

make me a human

strong minded

imaginative

level headed

sympathetic

a human

who knows his mind

and is not afraid

to speak it

henry victor      19.08.1980

religion and science

gods of religion

in vain

build their castles

in the gaps

of human ignorance

expecting mortals

to pay homage

the lords of science

will knock down

at the opportune moment

these temples

with their paraphernalia

also persuading humans

the civilized citizens

with observable facts

and rationality

to revolt and rebel

against pretension

and falsehood

establishing the temple

of the mind

worshipping truth and beauty

and love

henry victor      14.08.1996

lion heart

tear down and pluck out

the foxy-heart

that craves for left-over

and greedily desires

making him bigger

and grandeur

merely by an easy dip

in blue

instead infuse within

and graft on me

a lion-heart

that puts away the lion’s skin

and all pretensions

starving in silence

when necessary

but never licking

someone else’s …

henry victor       25.08.1996

my prison

i am slightly tired

more, want to complete

task entrusted

nay! i created

for my self

knowing i know not

to jay-walk

but i will find

a way out

of this maze

that surround

else, like a gnat

caught in the web

to a spider

i become the grub

either way

i will soon be out

of my present thought

my prison

henry victor       17.02.2019

huge is not great

never be ashamed, oh my self

to stand before the proud

and the insolent might

with your eloquent simplicity

knowing always that which is huge

is not great

and pride is always short lived

and never everlasting

crown yourself, oh my soul

with humility

the very nature of the divine

and the truly wise men and women

knowing always that which is huge

is not great

and pride is always short lived

and never everlasting

free yourself, oh my being

with freedom of the wind of God

and of the hermit

possessing neither home nor possessions

knowing always that which is huge

is not great

and pride is always short lived

and never everlasting

henry victor     20.12.1992

walking trail

my life

turning into a river-valley walking trail

paved in the past

but neglected now

in that run-down condition

smooth surfaces bulging

here and there

with weeds growing

through cracks

and the path littered

with cigarette butts

dog pee, and more

that men, women

and children on walking trail

dodge and spit as they stroll

chanting a chorus of disgust

and my aging present

hindering the other swift feet

henry victor     08.07.2005

my poem

rhyme

i held as the essence of a poem

rhythm

a music, i added to my lines

images and metaphor

spices, i sprinkled over

a song sweet

i hoped, would emerge

my ugly face

i saw like a broken vase

discerning in my art

my derelict self

before i come of age

i look for a paper

and a publisher

now to boost my visage

henry victor     11.02.2006

today

i am not posting a poem

i need to revise, myself

today, eliminating

much i wrote in the past

i chose wrong words, theme

and faulty rhyme, forcing

in too many alliterations

strengthening suppositions

seldom i let go, but with care

and un-forgetfulness, hoarding

my hurts, instead walking away

from the folly of yesterday

  

henry victor         17.01.2019

i build my today

divorcing the lunatic asylum

of yesterday that gave my roof

bed, food, and park to roam

around as my best comfort

i build my today in the thin air

on nothing, hoping my heart

will soar into tomorrow, better

than my many yesteryear

in the name of good human

husbanding, fathering, later

in a grandiose lunacy of owning

my name i helplessly stole earlier

henry victor          17.01.2019