Guest Poet Johnny Vong
The Raven Harp
tear filled ponds of Saturday sorrows
time to wear smiles over yesterday's scowls
but cinder mists of troubles are vast and colossal
and now she burns in the trees of hopeless yearns
and drowning in the sinful seas of tattoo lies
caterpillar years are gone and butterfly days are changing
she lost her innocence before she knew its meaning
mascara blues are smeared on her face of blemish youth
she believes in never and hopelessness
her life is strummed on a raven harp of doom
playing preludes of lifeless tunes
and striking chords of deathless gloom
once a wild eye wonder but now a lost and dejected soul
she's a broken girl without a path to follow
her wings are numb and stained with misery
and her flaxen halo is tarnished with sullen intensity
the scarlet cuts are now scabs in her fragile mind
the silver tears are soaking this mime of death
but hidden behind shadow lipstick and a smiling frown
she bears a loveless heart that weighs her down
her days are nocturnal
her nights are forever
and she waits for the dusk of tomorrow
that will come but won't end her sorrows
November, 1997
Johnny Vong's Questions:
How well do the dark images work?
How well are melancholy words used?
Correspond with Johnny Vong at
darkhavoc@wwdg.com
with your ideas about this poem.
The Albany Poetry Workshop