A Collection of Verse Featuring the Ballad of Wedding Belle by James Ray COSMOS CLOUDS Collection of Poetry Featuring the Ballad of Wedding Belle And the Musical: I, Peter By James Ray Published by James Ray Gold Canyon, Arizona ii COSMOS CLOUDS A Celebration of Life Copyright © 2010 James Ray 4th Edition All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without permission in writing from the author/publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 82-90570 ISBN: 533-05488-5 Printed in the U.S. by Instantpublisher.com Originally published by Vantage Press, Inc. iii COSMOS CLOUDS A CELEBRATION OF LIFE iv v Table of Contents Earthbound Free…………………………………….. 3 Counsel………………………………………… 3 With a Smile………………………… 4 Phone Solicitor……………………………… 4 The New World Order…………… 4 Ode To Billy Brown……………………….. 5 Summer Fare……………………….. 6 Pariah………..………………………………… 7 He Refused to Participate ………. 7 Slaughter………………………………………. 8 Sound of Jets Above……………….. 9 Materialism…………………………………… 9 Heir of Science……………………….10 Candyland……………………………………..11 Desert Enigma……………………….11 Arena Religion……………………………….12 Sports-O-Mania……………………. 13 Death Merchant……………………………..13 Dragon Lady…………………………15 Religion’s Parallax Paradox…………….16 Cost of Life……………………………16 Dreamer Boy………………………………….16 Winsome Winds…………………….17 Why Too, Kay?.....................................18 Houston Zoo…………………………20 Death Rattle………………………………….. 21 His Death They Said……………… 21 Resist the Urge to Ponder Your Past….21 Nature………………………………….22 Self Emancipation…………………………. 22 Refuge of the Innocent……………23 Sacred Name………………………………….23 Random Thoughts………………… 23 Cinder Christ………………………………….24 Cinder Church……………………….24 Sunday Morning Soliloquy………………24 Christlorn………………………………25 New Generation’s Rituals………………..25 Pretended Sophistry……………….25 Sports Ecclesiastica………………………..26 Spirit……………………………………. 27 Chant Royale………………………………… 29 Mammon……………………………… 34 Systematic Proselytizing………………….35 Life is a Long Lonely Journey…. 35 Rains Came Suddenly……………………..35 Life’s Confession…………………….36 Mescaline Reality……………………………36 Elusive Moments…………………… 36 Kindled Sparks……………………………….37 Sweet Sixteen………………………… 37 Weep For the Dying………………………..38 San Louis Valley…………………..…39 Dry Dusty Fields…………………………….39 Desert Haiku……………………..…. 40 Law……………………………………………….40 Jilted……………………………………..41 Not With a Club……………………………..41 Break Point…………………………….41 Little Digs and Cuts………………………..41 Walked Out On………………………42 Wither Once Before You Die……………42 A Matter of Choice………………….42 Communicate………………………………..413 The Class of Sixty-Eight…………..43 Epithet………………………………………….47 Burgled Again…………………………47 Another Favorite Son……………………..48 Fortuna’s Favorites……………..….48 Fortuna’s Seductive Smile……………….48 Life Was Good He Thought…….. 48 Fortuna Smiled……………………………..49 Fortune, Once More………………..49 Winds of Change…………………………….49 Ripple of Still Waters……………… 49 Way of Life…………………………………….50 WTC Tribute………………..…………50 A Withered Hand Reached Out………..50 Give or Take…………………...………51 Soul Triolet…………………………………….51 Thoughts………………………..………51 Swift Passage of Time……………………..52 Time………………………………...……52 In the Epic of Man………………………….53 Our March of Time……………..…. 60 Sonora Sun…………………………………….61 Deafening Silence All My Life..….61 Failed Redress………………………………..61 Converted…………………………….… 61 Fate……………………………………………….62 Fountainhead………………………….62 Conformity…………………………………….62 Insanity—Unity……………………….62 Twice Awakening……………………………63 Twice, He Once Said…………………63 Dark and Cold November Night……….63 Formerly Friends……………………. 63 Separation……………………………………..64 Stream Haiku…………………………..64 Dawning Realization………………………64 Fortunes Favorite Son…………….. 64 Her Last Good Bye………………………….65 vi Her Dreams……………………………65 Insistently She Persisted…………………65 Reluctantly…………………………….65 Phantom Date………………………………..66 Poorly Expressed Anger…………. 66 A Rage Wells Up……………………………..66 So Soon………………………………….67 He Alone………………………………………..67 A Single Rose Bloomed Today….67 Arid Desert Drought……………………….67 Stolen Life……………………………..68 What of the Dream………………………….68 Inside My Glass…………………….. 68 Goal in Life to Propagate…………………68 Paragon of Virtue……………………69 Mammiferistic Obsession………………..69 Rare Steak and Red Wine………..69 Sparse Harvest……………………………….70 Haunting Hiss of Scythe………….70 Seasons Symphonic Aria………………… 70 Songsmith…………………………… . 70 Safety Swap……………………………………70 Triumphant Man…………………….71 What Means a Man…………………………71 Sleet Filled Wind…………………….71 Old Goat…………………………………………72 They Sang His Praise……………….72 Friendless………………………………………72 Searching……………………………….72 You Cannot Hide…………………………….73 Daily Solitude………………………… 73 View………………………………………………73 Consent………………………………….74 Poetry……………………………………………74 Why……………………………………….74 Yulesong………………………………………..74 Xmas 06…………………………………75 Xmas 07…………………………………………75 Xmas Thanks………………………….75 Clipped, an Eagle Lands………………….76 A Promise……………………………….76 Battlebound Myth of Battle…………………………79 Of War…………………………………………..80 Fallen Heroes………………………….81 Soldiers War Mementos………………….81 Soldier Ants…………………………… 82 Oil Omen……………………………………….82 While in my Innocence…………….83 Flamed Hero………………………………….83 Bankerman Poorman……………....83 Inside the Beltway………………………….84 Birds of Prey……………………………84 New World……………………..……………. 84 Inbound Jail………………………………………….87 In Chains………………………………………87 Forsake Liberty………………………. 88 Musing…………………………………………89 Day’s Warm Light…………….……..100 Jail Haiku…………………………………….100 DC Jail Ballad……………….…………100 Loving…………………………………………107 Rising Alone……………………………108 The Guard, Judge & My Lawyer….....108 Trapped………………………………… 109 Time Drags Onward………………………109 Rash of Crime…………………………. 111 Lovebound Quietly…………………………………..115 Life’s Elusive Elixir………………………..115 Mother’s Day………………………….116 Requiem of Love……………………………116 Encounter……………………………...117 Another Encounter………………………..118 Camelot Haiku……………………….118 Chains of Love………………………………119 Whenever I Begin to Pine………..119 Latino Lady…………………………………. 120 She Offered Hope……………………120 Union…………………………………………..121 Heard Your Voice Today………….121 Nighttime Yearning……………………….121 Walk With Me………………………..122 I Think of Kissing You Tonight……….122 Pretty Girl……………………………….123 Embracing You Before We Left……….123 Found in a Lost Cause…………….. 124 Met Her One Summer Day……………..124 Two Souls Met in ’77………………..125 Not to Be……………………………………...125 In Her He Saw Sweet Promises…126 Can He Revive……………………………….126 In the Garden………………………….127 Two Souls ………………………………..…. 128 Emerald Eyes………………………….128 In Kissing We Communicate………..…129 vii Dream in Avalon………………………129 Dreamily She Came to Me…………….130 Delicious Extraordinary……………130 After the Dance……………………………130 Enraptured……………………………..131 Astral Contact………………………………132 She Whispered Softly in my Ear..133 Loving Him………………………………….134 Elope…………………………………….. 134 Silent Secret Kiss………………………….135 Kiss a Frog………………………………135 Kissing Me in the Way You Do……….135 Today I Touched a Falling Star….135 You See……………………………………….136 Seeing You Again…………………….136 Love is Merely a Myth…………………..137 Thoughts of You Are Driving ……138 Saw Her Last Night………………………138 Some Will Say…………………………138 You and I…………………………………….139 One Yesterday…………………………139 In the Shadow of Rocks & Trees…… 139 Dreamwait……………………………..140 Carolyn………………………………………140 Can Two Who are So Separate….140 Held You For a Hug Today…………...141 Saw You Again Today………………141 In Her He Came to See…………………141 Mine—Yours…………………………..142 Lora Lea…………………………………….. 143 Fruits of Love………………………….143 Mesmerized by Your Azure Eyes……144 Staring Into Azure Eyes……………144 Your Azure Eyes…………………………. 144 Azure Eyes Looking Back………… 145 Azure Eyes While I Stare………………145 Was it in Her Eyes………………….. 145 Access……………………………………….. 145 Alone—Together……………………..146 After So Long………………………………146 Whenever I Perchance……………. 146 To See…………………………………………147 Too Often Two Soul Mates……….147 Two Souls as One…………………………147 The Look She Gave………………….148 Friend…………………………………………148 If Not Now…………………………….. 149 I’ve Decided a Hundred Times………149 From the Moment I Met Her……150 Seconds Seem Eternal………………….150 It’s No Frivolity………………………150 Hollow Hunt……………………………….151 Soul……………………………………….151 She Was Playful…………………………..151 Stumbled Onto Reality……………152 Can Love Exist……………………………152 Too Long Denied the Gift………..152 Loyalty and Passion…………………….153 I Came Under Her Spell…………..153 Lost Laconic Promises…………………154 When You Look at Me…………….154 After So Long……………………………..154 Miracle of Time………………………155 Communion……………………………….155 Was Fate That Intervened……….156 Thoughts of Her…………………………156 Juste Milieu…………………………..156 On Love……………………………………..157 Winters Sun……………………………157 Angry Matron Strikes………………….157 Packing Her Things to Leave……158 Walked Out On…………………………..158 Intrigue She Said…………………… 158 It’s Love She Insisted…………………..159 Before I Left……………………………159 Love She Insists………………………….159 A Single Kiss…………………………..160 Love Lost……………………………………160 One November Darkening……….160 The Love…………………………………….161 Morning Glory………………………..161 Dream Became Like……………………162 Icy Cold Grip of Winter………….. 162 Parting……………………………………….162 At the End of the Day……………… 163 In That Moment………………………….163 Soulspace Come I Through History…………167 Instance Now……………………………..167 Look to Tuesday…………………….167 Cursed Be Leinbach…………………….168 Passing Query……………………….168 Safety Ceder……………………………….168 A Beacon Be…………………………..169 Purloined Promises…………………….170 Crux Defined………………………….170 Astral Flight…………………………….…171 Phantasy Soul-Flight………….…..172 Marbled Memories………………….…..173 Journey…………………………………174 To No Avail……………………………….. 175 Defining Moments…………………175 Imagine Me………………………………..176 Friend…………………………………..176 Desert Wanderings…………………….