“Take these chairs from my eyes, and let me see.” : (The blind) Ray Charles.
the windows of this house are painted
with the memories of many years.
only i can see them,
only i, the blind man
can see the memories
that the windows hold
or the lies that was told.
but i like to think that there’s more love
than hate
etched up on the glass.
yes, a circus of thoughts are on my windows
of everything ever done
within these walls.
and only i can see the windows,
only i, who can not see the doors.
i with the empty chairs
that sit upon my eyes
and will not let me see.
(that is why i use this name.)
but at least, thanks to lawrence;
i have no chains around my heart
to stop it breathing out love.
—
The Poet known as “Empty Chairs”
—–
they say that i must have a feel
for poetry,
for i write them down in braille.
it must be strange to some of you
to read my poetry on a computer,
something which i have never viewed.
i hope it means my poems are better
when read aloud, but i doubt it.
i have not the musical voice
to hear the cadences
my partner will be tapping this now
onto my web-site and blog
i won’t want to fall out with him
or he might end this poem with
“dominic is a shit”
(PS. He said he has began writing out my poems with no capital letters, if so, he is a jerk!)
—
The Poet known as “Empty Chairs”
——–
This is a hard personea to do, I am not blind and I have never had a gay experience, but I seemed to have put them together here. Does it work? Any blind/and or gay people out there, I would really love to know, by eMail or comment. I can be discrete if you want!
The Clowne.
Comments (36)
“i have no chains around my heart
to stop it breathing out love.”
the main message was being pushed straight forward. strong and moving.
i wish i would have no chains around my heart so that itll never stop breathing love. the problem is, i dont trust love anymore.
i guess in a way, it makes me feel better as well.
♥
Done beautifully as usual!
I’m not blind…but I am gay. Well I’m not sure what kind of feeling you are going for…I believed that there was a lover, and I think that you do that well. I don’t think there is much you have to alter to do a gay persona; we’re people just like you with the same thoughts and ideas, but where you would insert a female lover and feelings of acceptance and whatnot, just substitute a male lover and feelings of oppression and enforced shame.
Discreet and/or vague comments are okay on my site…I don’t really talk about my sexuality there. Anything else, feel free to email me about.
I am not blind or gay, but I know your poetry is excellant. Thanks for asking me to stop by. I am now corinacorina though, not Sad_Eyed_Lady. Had to move for a reason, but I can’t remeber what it was…..lol. Christy
well, i am not blind…or gay, but i could completely believe that this poem was written by a gay/blind poet…it seems real. excellent job as usual
bring on such challenges
Ill expect `them` in promptly 2 weeks
If I am not alerted within the 2 weeks my title remains
jolly good show
Let the battle begin
-TheNumberOneCauseOfPeopleLaughingTheirAssesOff
the poet known as empty chairs… i’ve never heard before. cool though. i liked it.
We’re all blind in some way or other… and I am, as ever, impressed by your ability to feel your way into another experience, one different from your own. Fabulous. xo
I love this personae, and the poetry. It is at once, sensitive and personal. No labels.
Oops-thank you for your comment–do I have to be in ‘private’ mode for linking?
I am thinking of a famous african american poet named Lawrence something which I am sure you are refering to. I simply can’t remember his name and it is driving me nuts. I know he wrote around the early 20th century to mid century, I think last name is Hugh. gah i am so stressed out today i cant even think, just one of those bad days even though it is so beautiful outside for once.
M.A.
I had not realized that there were differences in “visual” and “aural” poetry until you mentioned it. Thank you for your comment! I am still exploring poetry and struggling to find out what makes a good poem, or perhaps more apt, what makes a good poem of a particular genre or intent.
(Hash… I do think I ought to think of another word to use; I just wanted to relate the bark to that of a haphazard, scrambled and dry image. more advice where appropriate would be appreciated!)
no wonder birds grow three heads on their planets very nice i cannot help you with your question but empty chairs are familiar to me too thanx lord~ magi
I’m fascinated when I watch you work to pull characters together. I’m not an expert on either. I like the way these work though.
I try to see although sometimes life blinds me so….I so love when you pull something like this off
You are MiLord one of the greats of our time…
I *smile*
I’m not blind or gay…but I have gay friends…and that much of it you have very well captured…and I think the rest as well!
your entries are always interesting ~ jack
Beautiful! Imagery is startling, but really effective.
Again… beautiful poetry.
I’m glad that she dropped by.
Some friendships should never end.
You are into professional wrestling??? I never saw you as a Triple H fan. Sgt. Slaughter, maybe….
But seriously, I guess you know that Shaun Michaels wants Hulk Hogan to do one more match. I don’t think they ever worked together as a tag team before. Should be an exciting match when it happens.
I am getting more and more into http://www.soundclick.com and finding some incredible music.
Have a great day.
Jim
Oh, there was no note of offended feeling meant in my comment. I’m sorry if it came off that way. I was just curious, really. I don’t get mad about stupid crap like that. I was just amused and wondered exactly what you were looking for in an explanation or validation.
I wonder what the Goliaths will get you into? hmmm…
Jim
The greatest poet of all times was blind, really blind.
I think that poetry should be heard and not read but you do our best to think to listen in our heart.
I find fascinating the idea of the empty chairs making you blind, I say , burn the chair…..or being blind helps to see better his own soul.
Alrighty then. You crack me up! I don’t really know how to read you…
Great poems–like always. Don’t think you have to be gay or blind to have the same feelings these poems convey.
By the way, I have a question for you on my blog—should interest the Three Sarahs.
Your poems have a different tone today than yesterday.
I liked
waiting for you at the door
and tasting a snow-flake
on my tongue.
i smile, and move outside
and i hear you squashing
up the drive.
I think writing as a gay blind poet must be like acting the character of a gay blind poet in a play. You get better with each performance.
you have more than a way with poetry…you have the ability to speak of things that others sometime shave a hard time thinking of…and you make it pleasant…Sassy
Not gay or blind… yet found this vary interesting. It all fits together vary well, and has a nice rythem about it. Peace, ray…
I’ve heard that blindness increases the sensitivity of the other senses and it is easy to imagine the combination of those senses being translated into “sight” in the mind and it seems logical that the translated sight would manifest as if through a window. If a blind person heard a door, and maybe smelled something come through it, he would “see” it through that window. Empty Chairs turns out to be two personnae in one, ‘Dominic’ and his partner, ‘Lawrence’ who does his typing. You make it very real, yet I would love to read an actual blind person’s comment. The gayness is hardly an issue. Love breaks through all barriers.
poetry in braille…a “feel” for poetry…
that is a rather interesting concept…hm…
I like poems about poetry. I like it a lot.
And I tend to not capitalize anything but the beginnings of sentences. Are all the lines supposed to be capitalized at the beginning? If so, that’s news to me!
Keep it copasetic. Peace.
TERRY, you’re “geniale”, as usual, as the Italians would say, !”IL TOP”.RITA
God…this stuff is great.
Superlative isn’t strong enough. The previous gay poem in the previous blog, also stunning.
Regards, Becca
thanks for the advice
yeah, matt is this guy i’ve been friends with for a few years…and we had this stupid argument over nothing…which has blown over by now. he just doens’t get along with some of m friends. 
ahh…whatever. thanks anyways. btw, i didnt know you played rugby
thats a cool poem
Tobias, needs to study English, he wrote , wrote ,instead of written, in his first one. Haven’t heard from you in a while have I bored you. Cheers marj
P.S I haven’t commentated on anything, because I have said it all before you are clever.
Your poetry is…interesting!