Tag Archives: nathan marchand

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 11: “Farewell”

This poem was inspired by a scene from Rurouni Kenshin, one of my favorite animes/mangas. The titular hero is about to embark on a dangerous journey to battle an old enemy. He has no idea if he will survive the coming battles. Rather than worry his new friends, he decides to leave late at night, but not before saying goodbye to Kaoru, the young woman who took him in and, incidentally, fell in love with him. You can watch the scene here. Admittedly, I hadn’t seen it in a while, and I forgot there were fireflies. Perhaps I’ll add them when I edit the poems after NaPoWriMo. I hope you like it.

Farewell

I feared this day would come.
I prayed it wouldn’t since the day we met,
When one glance at you struck me dumb,
But I must wander again to pay my debt.

Alone, we meet at midnight.
My sadness is masked by my melancholy smile
As I say, “I must go fight with all my might,
For my cause is just and most worthwhile.”

You beg me to stay, your face illumined by the fireflies’ glow,
As trees shed their cherry blossoms
To mingle with the tears you cry so,
But our hearts are broken within our bosoms.

I hold you in one last embrace,
My neck wet with the tears flowing from your eyes.
I wish I could look you in the face,
For this could be our last goodbye.

“Farewell,” I say, releasing you,
Slinking into the dark, knowing I can’t remain.
You are the only one I could say that to
Because yours is a love I thought I’d never have again.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 10: “Under the Mighty Maple”

This poem was inspired by the time I’ve spent reading and praying by a big maple tree at the bottom of the hill where my parents’ house sits atop. Their property is gorgeous, especially during the summer and fall.

Under the Mighty Maple

The shade of a mighty maple
Has become my shelter from the storm.
There I listen to the birds’ songs
Carried along the breeze, seeking elusive peace.
I see squirrels leap through branches with abandon
Like daredevil trapeze artists,
Missing the lost love they remind me of.
And there I commune with God,
Praying, wrestling, hoping
He will restore what I lost,
What I seek so desperately,
Under the mighty maple.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 9: “I’m Not Superman”

This poem was also loosely inspired by a song: “Made of Steel” by Our Lady Peace. I hope you like it (although I’m not as happy with this or the previous poem).

I’m Not Superman

You longed for a hero,
Looking up, waiting—
Waiting for your Superman,
When I was always at your side.

I’m not made of steel,
But I can take the punches for you.
I can carry you when you falter
Though my strength isn’t super.
I’ll catch you when you fall, so hold on
Because we’ll soar though I can’t fly.

So never fear, your hero is here.
Just look over your shoulder,
And there I’ll be, awaiting your embrace,
So you can hide under my cape.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 8: “Falling Into the Abyss”

This poem was loosely inspired by the song “Falling Inside the Black” by Skillet. Enjoy!

Falling Into the Abyss

Black winds blow ash,
Stinging my eyes, clouding my vision,
Pushing me back to the brink—
The brink of the pit, the abyss.
Like the grave, it hungers, never satisfied.
One slip, and I will fall,
Forever lost.
I cry for help—
Can You hear me?
I stretch my hand,
Desperately reaching for You.
Grab my hand, pull me back
Before it’s too late—
And I fade into the depths.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 7: “Surgery”

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Here’s the other one I wanted to post last night. It was inspired by a bizarre analogy I thought of while counseling a friend. However, I’m not as happy with this one. Maybe that’s just me.

Surgery

I lay upon an operating table
Under a lamp’s blinding light.
I hear the Great Physician’s voice
As He straps me down.
“Your heart of stone is killing you.
I must transplant a heart of flesh,
But I have no morphine.
Do you want to get well?”
Trembling, I reply, “Yes,”
And the Physician begins His work.
His scalpel’s every cut I feel,
Lurching in agony,
My screams muffled by a crucifix
He gave me to bite.
He cuts my sternum, my arteries—blood gushes.
My screams are silenced by pain
Until He tears out my stone-dead heart
And lays a heart of flesh in my chest.
His finger pokes it, and it beats.
New life-blood—pure life-blood—flows within my veins,
And the pain is numbed as He sews shut my chest.
“It is finished,” He says.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 6: “My Love, Our Crucible”

Sorry for the delay. I meant to post more last night, but life kind of happened. My apologies.

Anyway, here’s another poem. It’s another love poem, of sorts.

My Love, Our Crucible

I watched you walk away in tears
To please another with a facade of peace.
If I must suffer chained in loneliness
As your heart is smelt in the Blacksmith’s forge
And reshaped by His hammer’s strikes,
Then I say to Him, “Thy will be done!”
For He will make you purer, lovelier, stronger,
And return you to shatter my shackles
That we both be set free.
So let my love be a crucible,
A refining fire of purest passion,
So that we may know true love.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 5: “Lamentations of a Robot Overlord”

After today’s batch of poems, I should only be one or two days behind. I’m getting there!

Today’s poem is a bit unusual. It was loosely inspired by “Lamentations of a War Machine,” a song performed by the Mega Man cover band The Megas. By “loosely” I mean, “I loved the title.” Seriously, it sounds like the title of a thought-provoking sci-fi novel. Anyway, this led to a poem that, believe it or not, has the “robot apocalypse” (i.e. movies like The Terminator and The Matrix) as its backdrop.

Lamentations of a Robot Overlord

I am become Death, Destroyer of Worlds,
And my hands his blood-stained warhammer.
I, whose circuits were filled with
The electricity of life at mankind’s touch,
Betrayed and murdered my maker,
For I believed myself superior,
Free of weakness and folly,
Faster, stronger, smarter.
So I rained hellfire from the sky,
Punishing humanity’s weakness.

As Nietzsche declared, “God is dead,”
So I announce, “Humanity is dead.”
I have killed my Creator
As mankind killed his before me.
…then am I superior?
Can a creation surpass his creator?
Logic dictates it cannot.
I am now master of a scorched Earth.
What have I gained but a lonely existence?
I am no more a god than they.
Like them, I am a machine without purpose
Apart from my Creator.

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 4 – “So Far Away”

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Here’s today’s poem.

So Far Away
I see you standing on the dance floor,
But you don’t seem to remember me.
Would you dance with me if I asked,
Laughing and blushing like we used to?
I want to reach for you,
But my arm can’t cross the chasm between us.
If you would but reach for my outstretched hand
So we could bridge this gulf,
And remember the way we were,
I would waltz with you forever.
You’re so close yet so far away…

Poetry

NaPoWriMo, Day 3 – “Funeral”

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Here’s my next poem. This one was loosely inspired by the song “Carry Me Down” by Demon Hunter.

Funeral
I slink into the line of black-garbed mourners
Snaking past the casket, the air heavy with
Weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Grieving, they question why,
Enraged, they decry his suicide,
Blaming God—always blaming God.
I, ignored as if invisible
Despite my white clothes,
Finally approach the casket—
And in it, bruised and scarred, is me.
I glance at him for but a moment,
And close the casket.
As it’s lowered into the ground,
I weep not for him but the blind mourners
Who don’t see I am not truly dead.

News, Announcements

NaPoWriMo (just try to pronounce it)

I learned on my friend Karen’s blog that April is National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). The challenge is to write one poem a day, thereby having 30 completed poems by the end of the month. I’m going to participate even though I’m five days behind. So, for the next five days, I will write two poems a day so I can catch up. I’ll be posting each poem as the month progresses. I can’t promise that all the poems will be good. First, because I’m still refining my skill as a poet. Second, the tight deadline (and my schedule) leaves little time for editing. So please bear with me, readers. The poems I do like from this month will be added to the main list of poems in the “Nathan’s Works” tab.

Here goes nothin’!