Persistence and Other Poems
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
NIGHTMARE #18
When I was young, a hapless twenty-three,
I could not think of anyone but she
Whose verdant fl avours, poise of chest and arm,
Filled me with want, never to do her harm,
But just to join in with her in timeless play
Of two or three times every single day.
But our talk grew empty, sceneries grew impure,
And I my actor-self could not endure
Because reality was, I only knew my touch,
And showered my bounties like a daily crutch.
I dreamed of her, yes, naked in my grip,
Litheful and wondrous, ecstatic from her hip
To her golden groin above her golden knee;
But reality was, those “hers” were “mine” or “me.”
INNOCENCE #2
Do not give others more than you give to me;
My eyes fail at the disastrous innocence
That writes, “She loves him more; I love her; so,
She can love him.” For then I have gone soft,
Like a melted dawn that shudders over snowfalls,
And you will not love me, for you love me harder
The less I soften. So now I pound the sculpture
Of your hair into a massive curl-balled sun
That rises to render my snow-dream red with blood.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Spring summer summer winter she is there,
The laken depths of girlish eyes:
“Come”, she cries, “I banish care”—
I come and winter summer summer spring
Her raven hair blows on, come on,
And when I get there, she is gone
Although the fields still hear her sing—
I try to love and when the gate
Is banged against my face, I try to hate.
In his fifth volume of lyrical expressions, award-winning poet David Murray combines both traditional and free verse while exploring the powerful emotions behind the timeless theme of romantic love.
Over some fifty years, Murray has been writing and compiling poetry relating to remorse, regret, and rejection. As he returns emotionally to the times of his youth and his memories of discontent during two unhappy romances that took place during the 1960s, he offers a compelling glimpse of moments in relationships that erratically vacillate between despair and elation. His verse traces the story of two people who fall in love, evolve as a couple, and realize in the end that sometimes love fails.
The poetry in this memorable collection will remind anyone that love—like life—is unpredictable.
About the Author
DAVID J. MURRAY has published four award-winning books of poetry. Born in 1937 and raised in Manchester, England, he earned a doctorate from the University of Cambridge.Now emeritus professor of psychology at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, and a resident of Toronto, he has published scholarly books, articles, and encyclopedia entries.