March 9

In The Half-Light

In the half-light
Here I am in the half-light
Toes dig in the grass
What a glorious night
Twilight with clouds that scud by
Hiding the moons great mass
Hear it, hear the wee owl?
He does not fear the half-light
I sit and listen
As he sings with all his might
You are just in reach when thoughts escape me
I know sometimes it is hard to trace
By the looks on my face
In the half-light
on a clear night
It is easier to be contrite
Than discuss what lies in the air tonight
It is easier to fight with all my might
Then give into the half-light
And the wee owl sings along
He sings to the throng of all left unsaid
He sings for the fears in my head
To the half-light,
the wee owl will forever belong.
Charlotte Slater 2008

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March 9

Ewwww

I just wrote this, and I can only share this shit with the likes of you, so here goes…
Ewww!
When I die,
My atoms will come undone;
I’ll be space dust, once again.
The wind will carry me;
Scatter me everywhere;
Like dandelions in springtime.
I’ll visit worlds and alien moons;
It will be so damned poeticUntil I land on your sandwich.
Charlotte
10/13

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March 9

Driving Rain

Driving Rain
I like the driving rain
Puddles spreading like a stain
An angry pour, threatening for more
Determined to be worse than ever before
The pounding is all pervasive
Stealing my peace and quiet
Making my thoughts invasive
Reminding me who’s the pilot
~Charlotte Greer Slater 3.11

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March 9

Campus

Campus
Lie beneath a spreading tree
With golden flowers in the sun
Count to (n) on all the petals
Never think of (n+1)
Watch the building-crammed horizon
Sky no longer meeting ground
Watch the golden flowers wither
Watch the golden dreams fall down
~Charlotte Greer Slater 7.3.11

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March 9

Artifacts of Change

Artifacts of Change
Teardrops meet my face.

I am fearless in my resolve.

I must devolve,

reprogram, and loosen his hold on me,

so I don’t spasm with nervous ticks

at the thought of being in the same place as he.

I must build my wall ever higher.

I must not tire in my vigil.

I must repair the cracks in my façade-

Hide the worry and present a strong face.

I will not allow him to debase me, efface me, and disgrace me any longer.

Love is a doing word-

Love is not in this equation.

Teardrops are mere artifacts of  change.

~Charlotte Greer Slater
4.29.09

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March 9

Dear Woodstock

Dear Woodstock,

You’ll never guess.

You know the man I said I’d meet someday?

Well, I’ve got something to confess.

He picked me up on Friday.

Asked if he reminded me of you.

I just laughed and lit a cigarette,

Said “I hope that’s impossible to do.”

My life’s gotten simple since.

And it fluctuates so much.

Happy and sad and back again.

I’m not crying out too much.

Think about you some of the time.

It’s strange and hard to deal.

Think about you lying there.

And those blankets lie so still.

Nothing breathes here in this apartment so cold.

Nothing moves or even smiles.

I’ve been thinking of some way to hide.

And there’s bars out here for miles.

Sorry about the every kiss.

And every kiss you wasted back

I think the thing you said wasn’t true,

I’m not going to die alone and sad.

The music’s feeling real these days.

Yeah, Boo, it hurt’s me some.

Never thought I’d feel so blue.

Woodstock, you’re almost gone.

I think I’ve fallen out of love, I hope…

I’ve fallen.. out of love . . .with you.

CGS3.20.2013

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March 9

Liars of the first degree

So we sit back and watch it unravel… slowly letting go of all we held dear. You light the match, I put the fire to everything….just one more dirty battle in our dirty little war. We’ve done nothing but give each other the hard lessons but we aren’t learning… drawn lines in the sand, but the world keeps on turning. So as our dance winds down, and our music fades, we get few opportunities to say what we feel, even fewer to feel what we are saying. So as we take one step up, in slow time to the music, we must take two steps back and somehow get through it.
Last night I dreamt I was in your arms, the music played and we loved each other for just a minute…
just one little minute to represent all the millions of minutes we’ve loved and hated and wasted and thrown aside. But waking stole the moment away. Leaving me with yet another debt to pay the sandman.
And here I am, in my car, driving somewhere, anywhere, away from you, which painfully only circles back around to you. I fumble for a pen and any piece of paper, and as the gorge rises in my throat and my eyes mist over.. I lay it all down. I lay down the happiness and the outright joy, the passion spent, the labors, the feeling content. But no matter how I put it to paper, it still does a slow dance in my imagination. Painfully, one step up and then two steps back, lives in suspension.
I wonder, do you get quiet and think of me? Bury your face in your hands so you can’t see? Does the regret, and pride, and the bleeding ever set you free? Because pride will bring us both down a good measure, just wait and see. It will keep us from each other’s pleasures. Stop the sharing and stave off any caring. Leave our beds cold as we grow old. I see you look at me, and say I am still the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, but it does me little good, and you less… Because there is no room for you and me. The mistakes we have both made are unforgivable. And I beg you to stay your blade.
I was your something fragile, something to be handled with care. But if you care, then hopefully you will someday regret your rough handling, your pride outstanding. I am not sure when you stopped loving me, but I guess I needed to be free.
Now the music comes to a close, our movements nearly imperceptible. I see that muscle hammering in your jaw, and you must hear my heart beating. We stand there and let it all slip off track, the line has reached its inevitable end. And all that exists now is the space between, which might as well be an unnavigable fathomless place of darkness and little grace.
…and I say let it go, and you agree, but we are both liars of the first degree.
Charlotte Greer Slater 2.17.13

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March 9

Stupid, and stubborn, and mulish

And as one who pursues a shadow,
As one who hunts in a dream,
As the child who crosses the meadow,
Enticed by the rainbow’s gleam,
I, knowing the course was foolish,
And guessing the goal was pain,
Stupid, and stubborn, and mulish,
Followed and follow again.

~Charlotte Greer Slater 2011

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March 9

Everything

Everything
You have everything
Everything in the world

Can’t you just find it in your heart
to allow me to see my children?
Somewhere in the deepest part?

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