“Bard”
By Benji Haling
I am a bard
Not a doctor, lawyer, or engineer
And I don’t have a business card
But a bard
A lyrical star
If you ever want to find one
You don’t have to look very far
Our noses are stuck between two pages
And our hands are strumming against our heads
Trying to rhythmically extract the thoughts from our brains
And inscribing them with some lead
It's not what we do that defines us but what we write
For it's not just who we are but also who we hope to be
Creating heroes, villains, romance, and tragedy for the world to see
I am a bard
I want to rock, roll, soothe, soften, break, repair, exalt, and crush the soul
When my audience is done reading or listening I want there to be a hole
One that can only be filled with more of my work
Seeing the world in a new light can be a curse or a perk
I am a bard
Words flow through me as easily
As emotions, they come naturally
I’m a bard and sometimes I can’t help it
But to accidentally flaunt it
Though I’d be lying to say it never felt good
To make others feel daunted
I have an intellect
Creatively
Masking the world into what I want it to be
Because when you see a blue, I see a blue
But do I see the same blue as you
For me the blue has an inner hue
Of a restless and yearning to be unbounded being, barely subdued
By a calm exterior waiting for the opportune moment
I see all that because I’m a writer, a composer, and a poet
I am a bard
Lo and behold it
I’m a creator of life
And all my characters know it
They exist in the head and heart
Of every listener and not till death do they part
I am a bard
And you better know it
My name is Benji Haling and I'm doing the university transfer program. I like long boarding with my dog, chess, camping trips to the boundary waters, and soccer. I'm currently writing a book and I hope to get it published someday.
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“A Memory in Three Movements”
By Rebecca Koshak
1. water music
she hears this song
and it makes her think of you
on the Rialto
hearing the gondolas swish below in the canal
Venice, afloat with lights
as darkness coats the waters
desidero che la vostra musica potrebbe echeggiare ancora!
2. strength
and she knows you, again
when she sees the photographs
taken of your skyline
another day dawns February
and chill is the wind and the sea
a staund ontae ye ben an see ye docht.
3. eternal city
and you
oh, she remembers you
you of the seven hills
your history, viewed in every corner
urbs eternus, vestri vita est a admiratio!
and the memories
of these things that you gave her
she keeps safe
believing that one day
she will know each of your embraces again.
The three cities of this poem are Venice, Edinburgh, and Rome, all of which I visited in the spring semester of 2008. I felt that including more cities would defeat the purpose of the poem, even though I loved London, Florence, and Dublin as well. Each city here has a language set for it. Here's the meaning of the phrases:
Venice: Italian: I wish that your music could echo again!
Edinburgh: Scots: I stand on your mountain and witness your strength.
Rome: Latin: Eternal City, your life is a wonder!
