Walking in Shadowed Light: A Collection of Poems

© 2018 Bruce D Herring. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/10/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3738-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3736-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3737-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018904421

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Contents

Foreword

Walking in Shadowed Light

Alone

Broken

Candles of Life

A Love Letter to My Wife

A Little Walk

Comes the Rain

Fallen Stones

Invisible

Innocence Lost

Ashes on the Wind

Dreams

Where Tomorrow Goes

The Chair

Take My Hand

My Farewell to Father

November Rain

Paper Hearts

Autumn Leaves

Photographs in Time

Rage

Dark Depression

Castles in the Sand

The Thunder and the Pain

A Better Man

Bricks and Bones

Fading Away

Murder on the Moors

A Letter Comes Home

Sons of War

Flag of Colors

Freedom

Shadow on the Wind

Secrets of a Summer’s Night

Flaxen Haired Woman

First Night Last Night

Ashes

In My Time of Dying

Requiem of Love

Our Borrowed Days

Rumors

Tales of the Hudson Valley

Through the Wood

The Hallowed Tellers of Tales

Wheel of Time

Black Sabbath

At the End

Rain

Sail On

Broken Rainbows

A Borrowed Life

Leaving

The Darkness in the Light

A Billion Suns

Creatures

Dream Catcher

Nightmares

Solitude

The Last Goodbye

Tiny Dancer in the Night

Wishes

A Christmas Wish

A Thanksgiving Wish

A Summer’s Day

Days of Summer

Summer Days

Free Spirit

Love Song

Scars

The Four Winds

The Iron Horse

The Mountain

The Ocean

The Shadows of Life

To Melancholy

A Crushing Love

Broken Love

Creep

Dark Heart

Into the Night

Prisons

Sanctuary

Song of Sorrows

Sunset

Tear it Down

The Candle

The Poets Lament

This Old House

Two Veils

Tis But a Dream

A Final Lullaby

A Friendship in Time

A Plea for Sanity

A Younger Man

An Ocean of Love

Anonymous

Burn

Departed

Dirt

Fading

Gold Star

I Apologize

Life is an Ocean

Mother Earth

Never Knowing

Nonsense

Nothing

Of War We Sing

Radio

Requiem of Self

Retirement

Song of Inequity

Stand

The Chase

The Commuter’s Song

The Ending Days

The Ivory Tower

The Master

The Mirror of My Youth

The Night Traveler’s Lament

The Pain of Living

The Traveler

The Vessel of Our Life

The Wall

Theater of the Mind

What I Need

What I Miss About Christmas

A Sea Change

Christmas Cookies

Crystal Towers

Foreword

I wrote my first poem when I was in second grade. Okay, maybe it was my second term in second grade but it amazed my teacher and my Principal so much that they asked me to read it to every class in Woodside Elementary School. I was proud. I was embarrassed. I was too scared to do it so I didn’t. It went something like this;

Poor me, I got bit by a bee.

I told my mommy and daddy,

About that bad bee that bit me.

It was a very long time ago and that is about all that I remember of it. Our memories fade with age. Maybe that is a good thing.

The writing bug left me for a while and did not return until High School in the late 1960’s. I was as radical as the times were. I wrote anti-war poetry. I wrote poetry demanding that my generation be set free to fix the ills of the world. World listen to our plea, we the youth must be free. Lord listen please we pray. Help us see the end of day. There was also as much division then as we are seeing today. That division was, at times violent. I dare say, more violent than what we are seeing today. If people used their God-given right of thought, A lot more battle would have been talked out, not fought.

Then as I transitioned into young adulthood, found love, and got married the bug left me once again. My mind was on other things like my accidental career in bank operations and making my way up the management ladder. After 26 years of commercial bank operations I became bored with it and decided to look for other employment. That is when I found an exciting opportunity with the Federal Reserve. The excitement died down eventually and I found myself with extra time on my hands. That is when I wrote my first novel, The Wizard of Wonderland. My proud announcement of my book to everyone in my division brought a reprimand and that brought on an ongoing bout of depression. That is when the poetry began to flow as well. My therapy was to put my darkness into words. Hence, the title of this collection of poems written over these past few years, Walking in Shadowed Light. You will find a few lighter entries in the attached collection. Those are from the times I found the light to be pleasing.

Walking in Shadowed Light

I am walking within a shadowed light,

Plainly in view yet hidden from sight,

Fearing that when my truth becomes known,

That in its light all of my scars will be shown.

I never claimed heaven or prayed to a saint,

I never pretended to be that which I ain’t.

I get no relief from the confession of sin,

I mock those who do and just do it again.

I have harmed so many things that I loved,

Intimacy pushed away as If shoved,

I wanted but feared the touch of a hand,

Rather than risk it, alone I would stand.

All my youth I walked in the shadowed light,

Hiding behind my false mask just seemed right,

Alone in my own personal prison of mind,

Not willing to risk what the heart may just find.

A bad reputation is a hell of a thing,

There is no end to the pain it can bring,

Its rumors just spread like a poisonous vine,

Deeds of infamy where most were not mine.

I was sitting and watching some kids play a game,

When one child’s mother called and asked me my name,

When I replied she said, I’ve heard about you.

I got up and left, what more could I do.

What if in anger I was then to reply?

What if in shame I started to cry?

The first act certainly would have proven her point,

The second showed weakness so I lit up a joint.

I went to the park to find a place I could think,

My mouth was dry and I needed a drink,

I went to our stash and grabbed a warm beer,

Mary Jane then took hold of my dark inner fear.

My mind was on fire and my head was in spin,

I thought my only out was to never be in,

So, I ran to the shadows away from the light,

Plainly in view but hidden from sight.

How would I ever find any love in this way?

When walking in shadows I spend every day.

With a heart that aches and is constantly broken,

The darkness in light are the words never spoken.

Alone

I hide behind my castle walls,

Listening as the water falls,

Echoing off the cold dark stone,

Amongst the millions I am alone.

I am in the forest full of trees,

I hide within the dying leaves,

No one hears my saddened moan,

Amongst the flora I am alone.

I am a witness to the dark,

Within the fire just a spark,

Upon the wind I’ve gently flown,

Amongst the stars I am alone.

A thousand times I’ve watched your face,

So full of joy, so full of grace,

Although my love for you has grown,

Amongst this world I am alone.

I am so tired of this chase,

We all are losers in this race,

Nothing more than flesh and bone,

Amongst the living I am alone.

I am a memory no one will keep,

Once they set my body deep,

Within my coffin stiff and prone,

Amongst the dead I am alone.

I am not assessing any blame,

Just set my earthly vessel to the flame,

Let the winds take them where they’re blown,

Amongst eternity I am alone.

Broken

Don’t you cry for me tonight;

Because the choice I made was right;

I could not take the pain;

Of never speaking to you again;

With words unspoken;

I am broken.

There is nothing more to do,

Just know that I’m in love with you,

Believe the heart will surely mend,

Oh, my dearest loving friend,

The truths awoken,

I am broken.

I will stand here by your side;

Though the darkness deep and wide;

So please take me by the hand;

As I lead you through this land;

Know by this token;

I am broken.

So much that we left unsaid;

As I lay here helpless in our bed;

Your face so full of fear;

Can I take away your tears;

With words unspoken;

You are broken.

Candles of Life

The candles of life are burning,

In the hallowed halls of time,

The hands of time keep turning,

But the flames commit no crime.

The candles of life burn slowly,

The flame grows oh so bright,

By everything that we hold holy,

As our days turn into night.

The candles of life unchanging,

The Length of wick unknown,

As our lives we try arranging,

Ever more so when we’ve grown.

The candles of life all flickering,

Our history in its glow,

A world in constant bickering,

How will we ever grow?

The candles of life extinguished,

The days have all turned black,

No grave can be distinguished,

When in the light we lack.

A Love Letter to My Wife

My ears are blind to the beauty of your face,

My eyes are deaf to the music of your voice,

My mouth is dumb to the touch of your sweet hand,

But I can still feel you in my heart.

Your sweet love caresses my very soul,

Like a cool breeze blowing through the grass,

Of a farmer’s farrowed field,

Before an autumn storm.

But alas there comes a winter,

And the daylight starts to wan,

So, I set down by the hearth of you,

To keep my spirits warm.

My love, oh my love,

How can I tell you how I feel?

May these lines help enlighten you,

To that which is burning in my heart,

Words, fail me not.

For soon I may be gone,

Made forever mute unto eternity,

By the seasons that passed us