a momentary hold on reason: a book of poetry

8/4/2019 A Momentary Hold On Reason: A Book of Poetry

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A MOMENTARYHOLD ON REASONA Book of Poetry by

Christopher L. Jones

All rights reserved.

All material contained in this manuscript is copyright 2011.

Cover image by the author.

www.jonesing.com

http://www.jonesing.com/





2

3 Breakfast

4 The Warmth Is Waning

5 Sneezing

6 I Stood On the Stoop

7 Moving Past

8 So Caught Up

9 Such Heavy Breaths

10 Warm Sunny Day

11 What Do I Know

12 Thinking Quietly

13 I Inhale Hard

14 Frustrated Afternoon

15 My Blood Is Sick

16 Black Mood

17 Walking Hand In Hand

18 Worth Every Measure

19 Bad Taste In My Mouth

20 Such Big Change

21 Energies Flowing

22 A Momentary Hold On Reason

23 I Stared at Your Face24 So This Is It

25 Quiet Weekend

26 Future Tense

27 About the Author



3

Breakfast

breakfast

consists

on two shots

thick black and rich

designed to kick

me into consciousness

a smoke

a toke

another shot

before I jolt

not entirely healthy

but it is

what I am known for



4

The Warmth Is Waning

the warmth is waningthe cold comes with the new moon

the trees shake in the breeze

that blows through the valley

from the north

from the icy heralds

at the top of the world

all the way down

to here

where I amshivering in my bed

with the window open

too lazy to get up

and close it



5

Sneezing

sneezingallergy attack

miserable I am

aching in my back

ass is sore

for sitting here bored

waiting for the day

to up end it

tissue I grab

across my deskto my cheek

another sneeze

and I stare

at the clock

the end of the day

I am no where

near it



6

I Stood On the Stoop

I stood on the stoopand looked out at the sky

the horizon that stretched

far and wide

the land lay before me

all I could see

the red sun setting

leaving the night wanting

the day taking heed

I watch themthe planes

flying in the sky

I watch them land

over and over again

and I am left wondering why

why do we travel

and move so far out of our space

leave the comfort of our bed

and seek adventureand new days

new friends



7

Moving Past

moving past everything I hold dearI leave it all in the rear view mirror

my body streaks past high up in the sky

a bright burning arch shot up and out

they can see me waving goodbye

my trajectory ends there

deep in the dark

the unknown



8

So Caught Up

so caught upam I right now

in the immediate sensations

that around me abound

it is all about me

and with this

I feel guilt

for I wish

it was all about

some one otherthan me



9

Such Heavy Breaths

such heavy breathsI breathe today

for nothing seems

to be going my way

I struggle with everything

and it all fights back

I have not moved forward

since I took

two steps back

all this effort just makes mewant to go home to bed

close the curtains

turn off the light

and lay down my head



10

Warm Sunny Day

warm sunny dayhas come my way

one last time

before winter is here to stay

it makes me linger

and enjoy the view

I stop and smell

the air is still sweet

but not for long

for in a short whilethe chill will be upon me

and I will be forced

to put on

all my warm clothes again

I fear



11

What Do I Know

what do I knowbut the stress I cause

to myself and all the others

who care for me

and share their love

I only torment

never should they

have trusted me

at all

for when I have lost the pathand cannot see

what lays behind or ahead of me

I thrash about

and make a scene

a spectacle to behold

a waste of potential

that's me



12

Thinking Quietly

thinking quietlyby myself

alone from the world at large

wondering what

I should do next

be it grandiose

or small

as I ponder this

the earth it turns

and continues on its waytime keeps ticking

not waiting

for me

to make up my mind

at last



13

I Inhale Hard

I inhale hard

and draw that smoke

as I watch the airport from afar

the planes take off

one after another

leaving me

to venture to lands foreign

and strange

what I wouldn't give

to be on a jet

speeding away from here

do not fear

I would return some day

and tell you of all

I have seen



14

Frustrated Afternoon

frustrated this afternoonat all I have to do

before I get to leave

go home

and forget this world

all I want is to curl

up and rest

lay my head down and sleep

a bit



15

My Blood Is Sick

my blood is sick

I feel it within

swimming through me

working its way

to my heart

where it lays in wait

to sink its fangs

deep into me

sucking my life out

as my withered breath

breathes its last

do I cut my wrists

and let the sickness bleed out

spewing out and onto the floor

black inky bile

so vile



16

Black Mood

black moodfrom this morning

where did you go?

drifted away during the day

it seems and I didn't even notice

you being gone

so busy have I been

with everyone's work

that I have not once faced

my plate to seewhat has been loaded up there

for me to deal with

alone tonight

when the sky is dark

and the only light

comes from the lamp

above my bathroom mirror



17

Walking Hand In Hand

walking hand in handdown the sidewalk path

to the tree lined lane

where the children all play

splashing into the river with such glee

all but ignorant of the two lecherous souls

standing on the bridge

staring

too old tired and worn out

to jump in afterbut more than willing

to just stand there

and soak in the spectacle



18

Worth Every Measure

worth every measureis my time

seeming I have so little

and yet I always end up

wasting it

on things like standing in line

watching the computer

stopping at the light

but now I do not feel

like playing alongI will just plow

ahead full

steam

till

dead



19

Bad Taste In My Mouth

bad taste in my mouthfrom biting my lip

due to stress

and just being alive

it is painful sometimes

just to exist

just to put up with

all of this

so I clench down

on my lower lipand pierce it with my teeth

I let the blood pour down

trickling onto my gums

in between my cheeks



20

Such Big Change

such big changeI never do it small

throw it all out

and start fresh and new

blank canvas on my wall

it might not be so dramatic

if I didn't strip everything away

but in my rebirth

I hope

to find myself some day



21

Energies Flowing

energies flowingrapidly in pools

torrents of colors

arranged in a whirl

I watch it spin before

I step in

to let the coursing

electricity spark

my inner brain

and I relax for a momentin an energized way



22

A Momentary Hold On Reason

a momentary hold on reasonhas kept me here

locked solid in its familiar embrace

before I let myself go

to free fall into the abyss

of chaos and absurdity

a wealth of unknowns

and heartily I throw myself

unthinking but yet total aware

and petrified



23

I Stared at Your Face

I stared at your faceas it looked back at me

frowning with sadness in your eyes

thinking that this is the ending

when really it is nothing more

than a new beginning

but one in which there is no definitive us

just a casual passing by in the night

two sailors looking out

waving a signalto a friendly soul



24

So This Is It

so this is itmy journey here has ended

and it is time to pick up

and scamper off again

never too long in one place

to become a regular

or a familiar

just always the stranger

the outsider looking in

wanting to join youat your table

but never allowed

to come in



25

Quiet Weekend

quiet weekendof solitude

spent picking up pieces

from the week’s rages

Furies all had torment for me

banged out in the spaces between

all my calm moments

of spent reasoning

shards of glass

cut my feetnumb from lack of sleep

I stare at the blood trickling

and decide not to clean it



26

Future Tense

future tenseis all excitement

and wonder to me now

I have thrown myself back

twenty years to when I was young

dumb and proud to re-live my past mistakes

to stay sober and keep pace

with all my aspirations, dreams and wish fors

that up till now has been beyond my reach

just idle temptationsof a bitter angry soul



About the Author

Christopher L. Jones is an author, poet and artist living in

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Originally born in Tucson,

Arizona, and a graduate of New Mexico State University

with a degree in Philosophy and Theater Arts, he has

spent over twenty five years contributing to the various

performing arts groups in his community. His work has

been described as "masturbating on the world’s stage in

verse" and "...exactly what is wrong with the average

white American male..." Christopher started writing

after being introduced to poetry as a form of art therapy

as a teenager and has not stopped since. Aside from

working with words, he is a single father of one.

Having majored in technical theater and arts

management, Christopher has been active back stage

since his childhood, mostly working in the areas of

lighting and scenic design, sound design, properties

design, stage management and producer.

To find out more about the author and his work

visit www.jonesing.com

His novel, WATERBOARDED, is

now available through Chipmunka Publishing:

http://chipmunkapublishing.co.uk/shop/index.php?

main_page=product_info&products_id=1708



a momentary hold on reason: a book of poetry

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