The Ax Fell Down by Devi Nina Bingham

 

We sat together, contented be

My handsome suitor and me

And talked of politics fervently

I said, "This will ruin the country."

We shared the same patriotic fears

As sanity fled and bigotry neared

Then the ax fell and split the stone

I felt its weight down to my bones. 

And sever our amorous rose in two

Blood dripping down as the morning dew

Scores of bodies in hospital beds

Angels of death danced round their heads

My handsome suitor fled to home

Alas, to roam and I alone.

To be born a woman is a terrible fate

For the ones we cherish, we will beg and wait

And sacrifice so men may say,

"I'll see you on another day."

Since that starless and dreadful year

I found my voice, and a country dear

When the ax fell down and split the stone

Once a sailing ship does sink

You must quickly think

So, I pulled with all my might

Into that frigid, tempestuous night

When the ax fell down my valor shone

As bright as the cruel fire

That devoured Saint Joan

All fires are made of light

All crowns are made of gold.

Passion Is a Fading Friend by Devi Nina Bingham

In failed memories of better times

We, smiling as the church bell chimed

Euphoric bliss fades as the day

Unconquerable castles turned cold and grey

In days of yore where chivalry fled

Love still stands upon the forgiving bed

With golden thread on tapestry

And Newton 'neath the apple tree

Bouquet of flowers clasped tight

Blossoms of ecstasy bloom at night

Poems of beauty were written then

To the sympathies of women and the might of men

Yet, devotion faltered when it was pressed

The Gods made a terrible mess

For that heavenly smile and capable hand

From another time and a distant land

When we kissed the flame renewed

Mountains shook and volcanos spewed

But passion is a fading friend

Who sneaks away before the end

Swords upon our broken knees

Tell of former mysteries.

Bright Seagull by Devi Nina Bingham

Bright seagull soaring above

Caring for nothing but the day's catch

Your silent flight brings to my troubled mind

Words unspoken, and the empty bed of love

Hope torn from my adoring breast

Beasts of earth chained to memories so unkind.

O, that you would whisk me away from this stormy gale

Carefree heart that built smooth sand castles

Needing nothing more than sunshine and the sea

In simpler times, delighting in a shovel and a pale

Without passion, and without hassles

Bright seagull, what will comfort me?

My Name is Survival by Devi Nina Bingham

My name is survival

when I did not want to

falling on my face

life had taken everything

yet, somehow in the dust

my heart whispered, "Go on."

As a ghost I went on

for my duty was survival

wandering as the dust

as dirty as I dared to

my shadow covered everything

I hardly knew my own face.

The awful truth to face

I must trudge on

despite the emptiness of everything

choosing the chilling train of survival

longing to lay my head down when I need to

memories decay into dust.

Streaming sun illuminates the dust

a clingy child rests upon my knee

we have arrived, but what camp have we come to?

Hard faces with hard guns command, "Go on!"

A grateful prisoner exclaims, "We've survived!"

when they'll take our hope, our everything.

These dirty, stinky strangers become my everything

tears etched like trails in the dust

remind us there must be a reason we have survived

when they cry I will drop to my knees

and pin their dreams back on

they are the suffering my soul listens to. 

The skinny children I give my food to

I have no pity for the fat guards who eat everything

we play games so that laughter lives on

dreams once bright now settle into dust

children hide behind me, trembling on their knees

some ancient memory of maternal survival. 

The stars fell slowly, leaving naught but dust

lost in reverence on my knees

for my name is survival. 

 

A Fool's Death by Devi Nina Bingham

We were a puzzle

that fell apart

once, a perfect couple

star-crossed sweethearts.

But time has a wicked way

with handsome hearts

our bright blue turned grey

and promises left to rot.

It didn't happen all at once;

a string of let-downs

unfeeling fronts

and childish meltdowns.

Our rainbow turned to rain

I still can see

it never looked the same

what it was meant to be.

A map we didn't follow

a key not used

when we had won love's lotto

stubborn ego was the noose.

Now it seems so obvious

what we failed to do

fate so glorious

demands the diligence of two.

Given a love heaven-sent

guard your gold

lest you die a fool's death

true love grown cold. 

To read more free poetry go to: Devi Nina Bingham: Essays at Twilight-Free Poetry by Devi Nina Bingham