Category: poetry

[a blackout poem]

Tori Burris Inkley
4/28/24
(excerpt from Dead Poet’s Society)

(a remix poem)
[Original Not Now posted on 4/17/24]

Yes now,
Only now
I become the me
Of my hopes
Of my dreams
Of my youth
Wait…
My youth?
(Maybe not…)

Yes now.
Only now 
Will I stand on my own
Surrounded by love
So much love, yet
No protector needed
Just me

I’m outside and inside
And upside down
New routes
Old routes
No need to be found
For I never left
Really

Living day to day
Often gets in the way
Of the life I want
I deserve
Yet the edge isn’t the place either
The truth lies in neither

And yes, with you
From start to finish
I’ll never diminish
The impact
The hard fact
Your you
To my me
Destiny

I run
So I can stay
I cry
So I can play
And I yearn for…
No, I burn for
Now 

Yes now

Yes now

Only now

Tori Burris Inkley
4/27/24

Here I am,
being reincarnated once again.
Brought back to life
by a brother and a sister,
and their initially apprehensive father.
He’s coming around though.
Maybe he’s reminded of his own childhood years,
laughing and chatting and really seeing his children.

I love it here
The sounds
The smells
The people
(well, most of the people)

I’m larger today than I was yesterday.
Of course, yesterday my architect was
just a young child,
maybe 4 or 5 years old.
Her mother watched from a distance,
more worried about her hair
and her body
and how she looked to others,
than about what her beautiful, yet sad
child was creating.

I love it here
The sounds
The smells
The people
(well, most of the people)

I relax in the sun on good days,
taking everything in and storing away memories.
But I fall flat and sad on gray days,
and I wait
for my end to come.
Some days I think my life is over,
yet I reappear the next.
Other times though, usually when it’s cold,
I remain lost for weeks, months,
before finding my way back.
Always with help of course.

I love it here
The sounds
The smells
The people
(well, most of the people)

I hear talk of no sun tomorrow.
Today’s dad tells his little ones
it has been the best day.
He’s glad they didn’t wait
because tomorrow will be gray and wet.
So, I stand tall and proud
knowing my time is short.
I’ll either be drowned tonight,
Or drowned tomorrow.
But today
I’ll live.

I love it here
The sounds
The smells
The people
(well, most of the people)

Tori Burris Inkley
4/26/24

As you sit and stare
I search my soul
the one I intend to bare
and wonder if it’s strong enough
to bear the intensity of
the two of us.

The soles of my feet
are itching to race
down the stairs
but this hole
in my heart needs
something real, so I stay.

I steel myself,
and my heart,
as its beat doubles, triples
and my head is reeling
from wanting
to be made whole.

I steal a breath
and let myself peek
into the blue
of your eyes
for only a moment,
no time to waste

The words spill out
and as my voice quivers
you’re not moving, I think,
as my pitch peaks
and I pause
hands on waist

Certain you can hear
my heart pounding
I wait, breathless,
not knowing what to do
unable to leave
unwilling to run

The weight rests heavy
and the moment
stretches long
still, you’re here
nothing owed
nothing due
You’re still here

Tori Burris Inkley
4/25/24

Swimming in a pool of
The clearest water
Overlooking the sea
Infinity

Yacht dancing in the moonlight
A wonder on display
For all to see
Glamorous

Plane soaring overhead
Serving minimal guests
Maximum food and drink
Privileged

Limousine from tarmac
To mansion
Champagne on ice
Elite

Stables lead to
Tennis courts only steps
Away from private beach
Moneyed

Children being nannied,
Tutored, coached in a “home”
Flooded with maximum
Vacancy

Maximum vacancy… 

Tori Burris Inkley
4/24/24

(a poem of multiple haikus)

Tucked away
There in the corner
She will live

Young no more
She heard them say but
Not yet old

Holding on
To more hopes than dreams
She flutters

Crowded heart
She loves many from
Her corner

Only this
Corner of the heart
Shall be hers

Tori Burris Inkley
4/23/24

Hi old friend.
You’re looking good today.
Yesterday you were wet and cold,
But now the sun is shining down
And the buds are bursting
And the grass is greening up.
You make me feel grateful,
At home,
Happy to know you.

You’ve been around so much longer than me;
Longer than anyone.
And I know you’re tired,
Run down,
Worried about how you’ll survive.
So am I.

I plant new plants each year
And really work at recycling.
I try to cut down on waste
And not deliberately blow smoke in your face.
But even as hard as I try,
There are others who don’t…
Or won’t.

So I worry.
Because without you
Where would we be?
I’ll keep trying old friend.
Please hang in there.

Tori Burris Inkley
4/22/24

winds blow – way too strong
I feel – something’s wrong
they call – Chosen One
but do – I belong

dark skies – come along
crowd grows – must stay strong
evil lurks – all can see
good wins – all day long

Tori Burris Inkley
4/21/24
[A Fantasy Trope Poem, written in Chue-Chu format]

You ramble in a fog of anger
pointing fingers
at those you believe collared you
and stole your youth.
Is it because you can’t bear
the thought that you’ve wasted your adulthood?
In youth, you had flair,
garnered praise,
were placed on that pedestal
that everyone dreamed of.
But when life became real
and everyone fought demons,
were yours too strong?
Or did holding to them tightly
add to your edge,
make you different,
give you an out?
I can still hear
Your laughter,
See your smile,
Feel your presence.
I wish you peace…

Tori Burris Inkley
4/20/24

eating Charles Chips cookies
in a haze of cigarette smoke
which becomes trapped
in the overly sprayed hair
of mothers dipping pacifiers
in cocktails
to subdue toddlers
before turning back to
their gossip and Canasta
trusting the 5-year-old
to watch the children
yes…
those good ol’ days

Tori Burris Inkley
4/19/24