So Small As I Am Now

So small as I am now
from great heights of heaven
what a sight I must be.

Three fold variety,
hundred and fifty in all,
evergreen Hedge of Protection;
backdrop for kaleidoscope colors.

Glorious sun shines,
casting its matron warmth,
shaming the likes of Apollo
with radiant, pregnant afterglow.

Nature’s own living pond
brimming with bustled activity,
young and old together
prepare cornucopia of plenty.

Thirteen turtles, that eye can see.
Muskrat builds as a busy bee.
Woodchucks, with four pups,
fasten the hatch of winter lodge.

Doe and her two fawns
bed behind the trees,
naive to my watching eye
graze and wade in shallow pools.

Crane in flight swoops down,
gazing upon saccharine prize;
Will frog or minnow make treat?
Indecision's in her eyes.

Crows in distance call to friends,
Blue Jays fight at feeders,
frisky feline, once in lap
in stealth sets up her trap.

Here I sit in solitude
dwarfed by it all.
Feelings of insignificance
within limits; feeling small.

What a sight I must be
from great heights of heaven
so small as I am now.


J DeBellis 09/19/09

Novelle Reaction

Topped off glass of red wine,
combined with empty stomach:
One tripped out reaction poem.
Why such large glasses for wine?

Sabotage...

Perhaps one more glass, and
it will all start to make sense
hmmm, one more glass...
Will I see through author's eyes?

Will I any longer care?
Hmmm, one more glass...
I really don't want to care
Too red mouth, weeping

Soul shutters; wails into cold of dark

Must take action!
Empty…as is the end of the world,
extinct, grown meaningless.
And void, void, void.
Go further, and you are lost.

Action will be taken!
Darkness has a horrible voice.
No escape; it overwhelms.
Assails you with memory,

Of the murder committed yesterday
Foreknowledge of murder to commit

Action ought to have been taken.
Memories press up an internal cry:
Unheard fish-cry of solitary animal,
overwhelmed by it’s own sea.  Muffled.

A face tearing cry; well past danger,
makes hollow face full of fear,
terrifies others. Dreadful silent darkness.

Such action should have been taken.
Mounts like a flood and rushes on,
dark-winged, threatening, like breakers
hisses wickedly, like foam. Release?

We’ve had some action...
Standing at the end of the world,
merciless light, filled with naked grief.
Blackest black of darkness. Cold.

What action? Impossible…
Faces are bleeding, bleeding from mouths.
Hands hold hand-grenades; hand grasps me
Groan; steel helmet falls, an eye breaks

Action has been taken.
Soul exposed; cold hand clutches nakedness.
Stalk away with hollow, echoing steps
Silence behind beyond petrified loneliness

How empty and lifeless the gateway -
Soul shudders, wails into cold of night.


J DeBellis 09/09
Action lines from Heinrich Boll’s Action Will Be Taken – An Action-Packed Story
Remaining lines remixed from Wolfgang Borchert’s Do Stay, Giraffe

Published Competition Winning Poem

This poem is the winning submission for
Review Fuse's August Themed Poetry Contest -

Bullfighter vs. Beast

A fight until death?
Mere man against beast.

Spectators in arena overflow –
Greedily prepare for the feast.

How barbaric in its undertone –
To overcome the impossible feat.

In Matador dress on center stage –
Resolve set against retreat,

cape now on fence,
the competitors at last meet.

As chanted Corrida echoes fly,
from eager gluttons in their seat

Torero and Toro tango at last –
Their dance enigmatic; no peace.

Veronica flip of red ignites –
Bull’s full wrath and fury unleash.

No Surrender; the tempo quickens –
Intensifying the mounting heat

All eyes focus on ritual end –
Shall bull or beast be beat?

Caged With Clipped Wings

The wilting of wings

behind iron grip;

clipped off and flaccid

is each rigid rip

Hand crafted splendour

created most grand

labyrinth beauty

hidden in smote hand

Cagèd in spirit,

soul being smothered –

Cries and pleas stifled

within viced cover

Wounded eyes peer out.

These wings want to fly;

to orb horizon

and imprint wide sky…

Fly away, be free.

Heed: the time is now.

Battered and broken

these wings forget how

Young Man

The boy looks
at me and smiles.
“One night,” he asks,
“may I beguile?”

“You know not
what you ask,” I fret.
“Today’s passion is
tomorrow’s regret.”

His grin pleas,
“No strings you’d leave,
no strife; your tongue for
my pleasure, not grief.”

“Your conscience
shall one day fold -
Heed instruction from
that which you are told…”

Young man
guard your heart
What’s allowed to dwell
could tear you apart.

Young man
guard your mind
What you tolerate
will make you blind.

Young man
guard your thoughts
What’s your meditation
shall mold your wrought.

Young man
guard your desire
What poison you drink
today won’t but expire.

Young man
guard your lips
What a mouth uttereth
brews the venom thee sips.

Young man
guard your soul
What the enemy seeks
he strives to devour.

I look
at him and smile,
"Preserve thyself whole
Shun thy destruction."


J. DeBellis, Sept. ‘09