lament

lo these many years
I entreat before thee
all their days and nights
one devoted to the other
yet denied thy pardon
I remain
arrested from the age

oblivion intern
a despondent nullity
compelling
presage of insanity
deemed a lesser of evil

hope dashed upon a pale
of promise, I am
the very shard shattered
which severs the soul

once yesterday’s
bloom
offered its buds
but in these days
a child
diffident pruned
epinastic
fell within

sanctuary
as cell—cell as
sanctuary

love’s fortuity rose
never descrying its
occasion,
doubt surrendered
its fleeting atonement

withered, outcast
from the garden
who’s only embrace
now the embittered woe
entangling
strangling, leech
a destitute heart
abetting this arrest

I cry from the exile
of this alien heart
I beg thee
hold me no more
to thy relentless repudiation

this wound rend
with its oppressive rue
let now this embittered
laceration
release!
blush my frail spirit
and revive this beaten heart
lest my fate
perish in penitence
for doubt
I ne’er atone

mercy is my cry
for all I wanted
was to love
to give in its bliss
to open you my crimson one
and allow your
life blood to flow
in grace
with tender anointing
coalescing
in love’s transfusion

instead carved asunder
with singular
incision

all my years
feign understanding
unknown
and unrealized
alas, the seer
ne’er the sought
all is mockery
so my portion
consigned

now—drain
the loss

this account
desolates
every vessel now weighted
to draw till I can spend
no more

too anemic to dream
naught to know
but the beggary
known all of my days
none that remain will sustain

to this poverty then
let thy pardon

written by Scott Schoffstall
© April 16, 2011
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

to the flame

there’s a light seen and unseen
known and unknown and none between
only then will we yearn
when nevermore we return

from lingering night we’re drawn
possessed for more immediate dawn
mad star struck from haughty height
furious downfallen bolt ignites

profane reign contrives a sundering secede
its trajectory cuts a conniving bleed
phantom projects onto the austere night
and excites towards our abandoned flight

no more debased with our petition stayed
longing for imminent rescue delayed
was once our will bound enslaved
emboldened, our new golden dawn’s arrayed

given, it gleams with dazzling insight
inciting our frenzied fevered flight
reckless we escape this listless night
encircling madness, now pledge our plight

delirium denounce the refining austerity
cursing thee veiled odious asperity
only the fool now would resist
by clinging to hope unseen persist

burn blustering eidolon empire
all consumed consuming ravenous pyre
now the inhibiting night becomes dire
for our prodigal flight accuse thee liar

sibylline serpentine undulant ascent
spellbind with each flickering tongue transeunt
cool night covenant damned forgone chance
strike now our decadant Dionysian dance

as rolling rhythmic tongues enhance
lick even higher to transmuting trance
this swirling lascivious liturgy yearn
and careen our libertine flight inturn

howl nether nocturne, our brazen rewrite
lustful siren of silent night
willful want crescendo higher
satyric seduction sing our desire

carousel astride thy mounting pride
sentient bondage, bound carnal bride
spiral sacrament of sacrificial rite
transmogrified spirit in bestial plight

blaze infernal vortex blowing within
bellowing blasphemous spurious spin
desecration defeating the retreating night
defy and enjoin our sati rite

transfixed, impend this twisting inversion
degenerate to sate its vain perversion
insatiate fate, insane destiny
kamikaze feu de joie set us free

wend descend this race spiral down on the turn
from regenerate revelation with shrapnel spurn
thereafter desolate will backfire burn
and nevermore paradise see our return

 

 
written by Scott Schoffstall
© January 26, 2013
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

a space for everything puts everything in its place

there are spaces for art
concerned only for
where you’re at
and what you are

to the extent you adhere
with an ensuring buffer
your art will serve
as filler
for what is in there

if, however, you are of weight
you will butt up against
what is in there
and may diminish it

upon delivery
it will be detracted
this is not profitable

whereas
if having maintained its
conveyance
you may be referenced
and if shown useful
recycled
this is your purpose

you can’t assure the in
from the outside
there is no need of you there
you shall be shelved

persist
for your art is refuse as
bubblewrap in their box

 

 

written by Scott Schoffstall
© September 11, 2012
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

the weight of years

like stones they pile one upon the other
stacking upon the scales of fate
in time they would crush
one upon the other

alas my burden, to return them
to their rightful owner
with no interest
for I am bankrupt
and my term due

preclude I pray
from this crushing
as I am now what I was
dust

 

 

written by Scott Schoffstall
© February 11, 2012
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

fly in a jar

I am the alien
the other
designated
for destruction
consummately fated
fitted with obstruction

as a fly in a jar
I batter myself
upon glass
in desperation
to pass
only mocked
with each darting
in futility blocked
before starting

I discern no bar
until I try
             as I fly
fully intent on release
      collide
an impenetrable cross
of double
that will never cease
to inflict its trouble

I am the alien
I have no right
to plead my plight
free will
consumed
in this game of attrition
extracted
             exhausted
                           entombed
a tale of omission
to nil
from all that draws breath
gives life meaning
makes bearable death

encased
in separate space
contained
there will be no grace
            ordained  disdained
the lines
            on my face
tell
there’s no holding time
thief of
          my days
corrupter of ways
          a singular hell
dying
       by moments
                    sealed inside
slow acting stress cyanide

languished
I lie in hopes to dream
escape from this scheme
but they have all fled
there’s no refuge in bed
a platform of torment
                 a jest
          I detest
of recrudescent regret
                             bent
         on my descent
                 prevents
what I could know
or how I could grow
no quarter given
    to insanity driven

a reverse black hole
zero can come
but a solitaire soul
in a translucent drum
dictated
           expulsion
compulsion
               takes hold
by this power controlled
perpetuates
base
resistance disintegrates
forced to expel
in place

forever constrained
to remain
kept inside
swept aside
as refuse
refused
no reason denied
all hope erased
on this planet’s face
                                 there will be no trace

 

 

Written by Scott Schoffstall
© July 03, 2011
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

the age of digital scribblers

a big white rectangle
shining luminous lobotomy
open up and say ahhhh shit!
did I get you?

what? you’re still here?
I’ll fill you up with little
black picket lines
stick-men of syllabicity
they’ll fight for me

they’ll blacken your bright
beaming bombast
with little slashes
lacerating your pale petulance
until you’re scarred with
20/20 hindsight

Written by Scott Schoffstall
© August 07, 2011
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

this phantom span

loss impales once more
but though dagger remove
the void advance

there is urgency
for stay
but it is done
the world vacates
and the drop plummets
down its hurtling descent

would thy intercede
for a fool
recused by right
writhed in wrong
but how can you beseech
the dead
they will not rise

I am thy slayer
seed of Cain
I shall
no more repose
though banished to grave
and dangle upon this
spectral thread

a pendulum creaking
in the wind
regarded not
the known unknown
invariably denied

I would loose this bond
that garrote
with its assuring grip
but no sooner do I break
than I commence to slaughter
renewed

my recidivist impulse
condemning me to evermore
return and serve the sway
of this phantom span

oh would that I learn to slip
this noose that with its
taught snap, suspends
oblivion

 

Written by Scott Schoffstall
© March 11, 2012
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

Traveler’s haiku

Death in my suitcase
Upon destined arrival
At last, I unpack

 

 

Written by Scott Schoffstall
© February 06, 2012
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

Sunday symptoms (hangover haiku)

brain done. fried cross-eyed
not likely to attend much
caffeine can’t save me

 

 

Written by Scott Schoffstall
© June 26, 2011
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn

nowhere man in a nowhere land

the answer is not new!
it’s naught.
nothing!
you go nowhere
find nothing
so you’re not
disappointed

It took me to now to find this
because I was trying to go somewhere
you don’t find something somewhere
you need nothing, you get nothing
you have to go nowhere for that
so once I was forced to be nowhere
I found nothing and that’s the answer!

so [K]not the noose

Now that I’ve found nothing nowhere
I’ll never need nothing nowhere
no more

 

 

Written by Scott Schoffstall
© June 30, 2011
all rights reserved
Poetic Sojourn