You Never Listened
by Michael R. Burch

You never listened,
though each night the rain
wove its patterns again
and trembled and glistened ...

You were not watching,
though each night the stars
shone, brightening the tears
in her eyes palely fetching ...

You paid love no notice,
though she lay in my arms
as the stars rose in swarms
like a legion of poets,

as the lightning recited
its opus before us,
and the hills boomed the chorus,
all strangely delighted ...

Originally published by Contemporary Rhyme. Keywords/Tags: ears, hearing, listening, eyes, blindness, unseeing, unawareness, insensitivity, rain, stars, lightning, thunder

This feels like  what it feels like
every-time I come back,   yet
I can't  even remember the name

I used when we last spoke.  Funny
that I can feel you in this everso
surreal fog, tho.

    I could find you anywhere.

Change each time,  I
must-- in order to keep myself
from being stolen.

You know how that feels.

That is how I find you--

                          by feel

Glare at me all you like,
I won't throw you
the detonation charges.
You'll have to find another way.
I lost sight of things
from the very beginning.
Blindness is such a relative term
though. I can see you,
I just can't see me.
Why? I can't justify.
Bias will fry us
for sure, but at least
it'll be a clean burn
--spiritual and environmentally safe.
Giving up cannot be an option,
so I will soldier on.
Death should be its own reward,
but I always hoped for more...

Why seek to rule over stars you can't grasp?
They know you well, but you can't see them.
Only your hubris would lead you to shun
That which you don't understand
While you cling to your delusions.
How is it you're so quick to challenge your superiors
But you can't see yourself?
Apparently you are beyond reprieve,
Perfect indeed,
Like every other psychopath
Who doesn't listen to critique.

I wonder
What it's like to see nothing and yet
Walking so confidently like you did
The other day.

Perhaps you didn't notice me,
Which is good;
I was just behind
Staring at you counting
The number of dents
On the pavement
And feeling for the sharp corners, and
Wondering
if you were actually blind.

How were you so good at it?

Sorry I doubted you.
I have a weariness
For people
With black tinted sunglasses.