The Vow

Press play.

(A lone voice whispers)

I'll buy a white silk ribbon
Tonight

From O'Mallys
My love

On our golden wedding anniversary

Lay it on your favourite glass dresser

The one we bought in the snow

A few months ago

Light one of your white perfumed candles near it from Reardon and Sons

Visualise all our cherished memories

Together
Within it

Then tie it
Into a sacred white bow

And gently kiss it and put it under

One of your favourite blue pillows

That way

We'll sleep together
Every night

Especially tonight
Real close

Even though you're gone
Like we once used to do

For our love is still stronger than death

And lasts beyond the grave
And it's how I

Now a lone survivor
With Charlie

That beautiful dog
You once bought as a birthday surprise

Wait
Praying for you

In one of God's
Repentance, grief filled Caves

Continue

Continue in absolute hope
With our beloved happy memories of you

Lighting our way
Through this firefly-lit blackness

Like one of those white perfumed candles in our bedroom

With all the crazy things
We once used to do

(C)
Copyright John Duffy

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The Oracle of Necromanteion

 The Oracle of Necromanteion

(A lone voice whispers)

He who walks without the most holy of ways

Will never return

Until they have learned not by sin be swayed

As true as new trees are made

By lay played

In so many wet insidious ways

By those hidden in the chasms

In the faraway stars

For people like you gathered here should be careful 

For without faith

In any form 

The nearby Darkness can always open a small gateway to sin

And if that abyss is opened

Revealing 

Desolation's

Fatal sandstorms

It gets so much harder 

To let hope crawl in

So O ye

O Ye 

On the yellow beaches

Beseeching

O ye 

Gathered round me

To the worthy few

I summon by the power of the Purple Flame

Virtue 

By the Divine Will of your choice of God

To guide you

Amen

Through Acheron

To the blue Stargate 

So you can 

Once more

Run

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

Art by

Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl in 1898. 

Will you join my Children of Poetry

 Will you join my Children of Poetry?

(A lone seductive soft female voice whispers)

Will you follow me blindly 

Into the very darkness dear one

Of the labyrinths of The Eternal Mind

Where all precious things merge in rhymes 

For there is no time

To sneak past the Old Fallen Watchers from a dark Past

Into my gardens of the unseen

Or unspoken 

Mankind 

And all things that seem in your world that will never last

For in time

They'll all shatter to be broken 

My lonesome child

My divine one

Will you call to me

And whisper

If you're lonely 

Seeking fun to reveal yourself in poetry

For you've always 

Known me

Deep inside

If you're one of the anointed few

If you once called for my gift

To express yourself and maybe others to lift

For I live deep inside and follow like a rare nightingale in flight

And all I ask of you is write

To let out your light

To be courageous 

In front 

For all to see

So 

Come and accept me

And on that very day 

In every way 

Early morning or night

I'll appear and be the first and last thing you'll see

In whispers of words

As you walk

Neck deep 

Into sleeps many domains 

Then into my ancient

radiant still deep waters

While Mother Moon smiles as you are consumed

And as those translucent soul rousing waters covers your head

You will join my Children of Poetry

In one of my many side stanzas filled rooms 

To dance round my pagan pyres 

As my rhythmic music and a symphony of voices

Singing in poetry

Surround and regale you

With a never-ending fire

With wild stories of

Sadness or glory

For time will die and expire like a hunters' doe on my arrows

In my endless lyrical forest 

As your soul 

So hungry 

I try will nourish 

So will you summon me and whisper

Come to me

Calliope

Open my eyes

Share your precious light

Tonight

And then enter my eternal Midsummer's Night's Garden of Surreal Dreams

Where everything dances to a new tune

Dressed in red 

Gold and blue

To my poetic tunes

In my mythical realms

Of The Great In-Between

What says you 

Reader

Will you acquiesce 

And say 

Yes?

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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Saturday Musings

 Somewhere 

Someone 

Needs these words to lift them when they feel the world has drifted and left them

You're not alone 

Pray and God will always try to answer your call on your ethereal telephone

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

Broken Relationships

(A tired voice whispers)

And so it ends

We are now silent strangers sat watching each other

Alone

On the midnight train 

To our spiritual home 

(C) Copyright John Duffy 

Foundation of the piece.

Do you still see or are compelled to see, how an old flame is bearing?

The Muse, called Masseen, whispers.

 Hey

You do know there is still so hope in your world

As time commences
Consolation in understanding

That regardless of how low you might be feeling

No matter the
Consequences of

Politics
Worldwide situations
Economies
Or misunderstandings

The Burning Eye of Heaven will still rise again tomorrow
Offering kind rays of rebirth

A new chance of freedom
To explore its wide open road on earth

To offer a sweet form of liberation

For at some point
We all need hope and salvation

To embrace its divine melodies and sensations

And to burn bridges to our once painful past

From old memories and experiences that may seem to linger and last

For your inner Continents of Contentment

Count on it
Or pain could still walk past
Smiling

So peel back those layers of self-doubts

Explore

Take your life and share your love to the broken
With your heart wide open

If all else fails
Here's a free gift

From I

To help you be born
Again

Masseen
The Shadow Queen from The Great Beyond

Light a white candle in silence

Feel the energy of the flame
Tune out your worlds noises of violence

And repeat three times to your God of choice

Oh, Lord!
Hear my prayer

For I am worthy

Show me guidance
Give me forgiveness

For I am worthy

Offer me a drink of strength from your spiritual cup

When things turn blue

For it's why
I always return to you

For you always in prayer
Make me feel worthy

Amen

(C)
Copyright John Duffy

Automatic Writing

(A lone voice whispers)

Don't forget me

My beloved Gabriella

For I'm where The Seraphim's 

Now sing

For I've found a new seat in Heaven 

A place I can slow down and say

I've found inner peace

After my soul's confession

To the Keeper of Keys

Peter

The Soul Reader

 

So don't weep for me

Don't cry yourself to sleep

With deep depression

For I still now wear our golden eternal wedding ring 

Even though I watched you Watch me get buried 

So I want you to rise each morning with a wide as a country mile smile

And strive to stay strong

For Time is but a slow wheel

A brief interlude into the throes of eternity

So know we'll meet again

Just on the other side

To carry on loving each other 

In a new ride

Within a serene place

In The Great In-Between

Where Angels pass you smiling dressed in long cloaks of bright silver

Golden sleeves and halo's of white 

In luscious fields of emerald green

For there is no more day or night

So wipe away those wet tears

I see on your beautiful face

Through this

My scrying mirror 

For I'm not alone

Alexandria and William

My spirit guides

Are always with me

To welcome me home

Now I have no fear

And all that old pain which once plagued me

Has finally disappeared 

And I'm no longer visually impaired

For I can see such astonishing things on the electromagnetic spectrum

That humans can never see

Things walking around you all

Unheard 

I guess I must have been once good and not totally impure

For Jesus to have wiped my slate clean 

When he gave me this new visiting card

To speak to you 

So take your time coming 

Enjoy what's left of your life

For I'll always be waiting

Within the swirling grey smoke you'll see 

When you first arrive

Clears

For something may seem worse than some first feared

But I'll be there to hold your hand once again and wipe away your happy tears

But until then

Cling on to my memories

Those special ones you still hold dear

And I promise with the Lord as my witness 

I'll wait patiently until you too appear

My beloved Gabriella

That beautiful young woman 

Who I first met 

Thirty years ago

Standing outside Billy's Bar

Dressed in white and blue

On 856 River Avenue 

Enjoying the hot sun

In the Bronx

Somewhere in New York 

On 10451

(C)

Copyright John Duffy

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The Midnight Visitor. Underneath the Crying Moon.

 (A lone voice whispers)

I stood over her luscious form

Bathed by the cool glare of the Crying moon as 

The Ancient Mother pretended to sleep but watched as she slept

Listened to her slow breathing and

Watched her twin mountains

Rise and fall underneath her white silken sheets

I knew

She did not know that I was there

For

She slept so innocently and soundly

That mysterious lover of mine

With the long crow black hair

Slowly I eased back the silken modesty protector

Gorged my hungry eyes on her sensual body

And witnessed once more

How

She was so beautiful under Mother Moon

The Ancient One

As she laid bathed in the pastel moonlight

Naked as the day she was born

And stepped into the light

I knew why I waited so long

To touch her

Fear she’d run

But courage was with me that night

Tentatively

I leaned over her majestic mountain peaks

And ran my soft tongue across her luscious lips

For a sweet taste of her soul

Her eyes

Even though closed

Fluttered and she muttered something so low 

It was hardly audible

It was then

I knew

In that instant

I could cross

The hidden boundaries between us

From my world to hers in the physical 

Because tonight everything was metaphysical

For with Mother Moons pagan blessings

Anything now was possible

I reached down and drew a heart shape

Upon her soft cheek

 Then bent low and introduced

 My luscious lips

To her mountain peaks as

Her breathing increased in tempo

I knew what I had to do

Before

The Ancient One

Bade me go 

I ran my hard fingertips from the soft nape

Of her seductive neck to her ankle and back again and

As a faint aroma of

Almonds

Appeared from nowhere

As I looked down at her

My living breathing book

Filled with so many

Stories music and poetry

I silently thanked the Almighty

For answering all my nightly prayers

Running my tongue over my lips

As lightly as I could

I tasted ambrosia

So delicious

It made me feel so

Eager and amorous

I kept my eyes upon her face

My warrior princess with the long crow black hair

As I trailed my index finger as light as a feather across her hips

A groan of pleasure escaped her throat and crimson red lips

I marked her forehead in the sign of the cross

With wax from my white candle

I always carry

The Joining of Spirits potion

Given to me by Her

Who lives in a mysterious hut

Hidden from all

But the true seekers

Across the Pacific’s many deep oceans

I smiled in the darkness of the room 

As I knew when she awoke

I would be with her forevermore

No longer dreaming for this is now real

I reached down and held her hand and

Drew

The sign of the cross in wax

On her soft skin

As I kissed her hard

I tasted sweet heaven and knowing that my Mark connected us deeper still

I knew she would always return

To me

In the longing hours

Even going against her own will

I watched her breathe me in deeply

As I seduced her mouth and

With a deep sigh

She started to cry

Don’t go 

She whispered in my ear as

Her eyes suddenly opened

But Mother Moon had called me home

From that bedroom

And all I could do was savor Her taste

Her ambrosia

Knowing I would return and all

Her curves and desires

I will be granted the time I

Need

To truly consume

That was yesterday

I just left her with a simple line

I WILL RETURN

Copyright John Duffy 

The Monologue of Saul

 The Monologue of Saul

(A lone voice whispers)

Do people 

Maybe even you 

Who have ever been broken in two 

By love

Sometimes sit wondering 

What was I thinking of

Was I seduced by a dark dream from those hidden in the byways and half ways 

In-between 

By Pagan old kings 

Jealous queens and their armies

Whispers of spells from their invisible lips 

To see false things which might seem true

Only to drain 

My love away 

With every sweet touch and kiss

By gesturing old fingertips 

From daybreak and into the awaiting night

For is to love

Just a sweet game of chance

To let the heart dance

The passionate Milonguero

To risk all 

Even the fall

To sit one day 

In silence 

Wondering

Oh, why did I risk being cracked in two by love

Only to sit pondering 

Like so many other broken in two souls

What was I thinking of

Was I seduced by a dark and dangerous dream 

Linked to love

From those hidden in the byways and half ways 

In-between 

From below 

Or above 

By Pagan old kings

Jealous queens and their armies 

Whispers 

Creating spells from their invisible hungry lips 

To drain away my love 

With beckoning gestures 

By old fingertips

As my heart silently yelled 

Ringing an unheard 

Red alarm bell

 

With every sweet touch and kiss

Inviting me 

Like Dante Alighieri

Into an old hell

From daybreak and into the awaiting night

Mesmerized 

Under pagan old kings and jealous queens

Spells

But deep down

I now know

As I go

To love

To live and love in any given moment 

To taste any form of love

Might be a mystical game of chance

A chance to let the heart dance

The passionate Milonguero

To risk all even the fall

To sit one day wondering

For I now know

With experience 

All beautiful things in sweet exchanges once lost

When each moment is remembered 

Those sweet tranquil ones

That one still treasures

The most 

To risk all and even if only the heart briefly dances 

The passionate Milonguero

In the arms of love 

Is always worth the cost

Even if you end up feeling 

Used up 

Lonely and lost

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

Milonguero:

One example of the 5 different styles of dancing the Tango.

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The Illumination of the soul

 Press Play 

(A lone voice whispers)

As a person, you must know

Deep down 

You're part of one of the most spiritually 

Illuminating 

Literary movements there has ever been

A gift sent to you for self-expression from The Great In-Between 

A means to pull down old towers with new or old siege hooks

Open closed doors

By maybe writing a blog or book 

To walk through anthills and moors

Of poetic stanzas

To find who you really are 

As you pause and really look

For above all things

Magic in poetry is real

A form of rebellion from the mundane

A resolution 

A Bonanza 

To push back boundaries in a form of grassroots resistance 

To power and social control

 

To be able to purge the destructive nature of humanity and the need to share its beauty

To those watching on patrol 

As they go 

For you are so gifted

So never be afraid to share your Illumination of the soul

For someone somewhere

Always needs to be lifted

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

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