Sonnet 5
prophets are social hermits, and do
visionary eyes focus on social distance.
seeing ahead, it's as if they knew
the act of root in every consequence.
what faculty is it which reveals
that which lies hid to others' eyes:
which every discernment firmly seals
with stamp so distinct it time defies?
is it the cultivation of an inner sense,
certain intuition formed from gossamer,
or is the origin from clearer presence,
such as speaks directly to hearer?
to we who have wax in our ears
this riddle a mental mystery appears.
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 8
the madman who thinks you to possess
by bending will to his own consent,
seeking thereby to force love's access,
doing injury to love, love does absent.
foolish prove he who does by storm
a conquest launch in desire of you:
he does to himself and you this harm-
love he stains with a selfish view.
your will no possession by force affords,
no access by he who would conquest will,
yet he who your contrary will so disbars
is wise, will contrary to love to kill!
mad, foolish, wise; such and so am i;
more foolish than wise, i cannot deny.
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 6
when love lies truth is made vain;
beauty's defiled, an uncomely thing;
wisdom's conceit is falsehood's reign;
will to vision does deception bring;
all grace is stained with spot
of self; justice made foolish; law
cast down; blessing cursed; charity bought.
in the grand design there dwells this flaw-
love of self corrupts workings of grace
and defiles wisdom, making vain her worth
and tainting beauty, turning ugly her face.
conceit of pride rules as falsehood's truth.
all's corrupted, nothing's incorruptible;
truth corrupted, truth turns abominable.
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 20
tongued beyond language of the living,
in exalted sense, the ghostly gull
Intelligence whispers in higher learning
than learning of mortality, we mortals to call
to eclipse of reason in contemplation
no mortal reason may know, higher pitch
quickening ear to new communications.
when the doors of perception unlatch
and, withdrawn into silence of mind,
a whisper in solitude bespeaks coming
of compeer, ingenuity of mortal design
may not compose speech therein forming.
alone, the mind itself encounters companion;
making foolish the wise, and wise the madman!
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 19
let fame be exchange of the masses
and power be sought by ambitious few.
love recognizes only souls and asks us
to divert energies to its intent and view.
time and circumstance thieve fame away.
changing fortune's inconstant as wind.
all things but this to time fall prey-
in love does fortune eternal store find.
not pages for the unloving ear to digest-
your story is chapters written in despair-
neither fame nor power may gain conquest;
humble and simple, love finds access there.
your eyes' rhetoric conquests earth's might!
reflected in that glass is love's true Light!
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 7
my heart's prophecy foretells your absence
though mind for this no reason can give,
predicting soon removal from my presence
of your form, yet form within must live.
and if within, then by which robber
shall that form be stolen? if i'm the thief
who removes such treasure, spiriting other
self away, inconstant proves my love's belief.
shall it be said that my love is untrue
and be found inconstant, as passing vain?
then justice make unmerciful, law eschew,
wisdom make folly, all my sins retain.
your form, by law, must constant shine,
proving my heart heir to robber mind.
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 17
in art the Kosmic Vision is free to indwell,
Kosmic Sense find visionary expression,
but no art form that Vision may tell:
Vision is free, from art laws in exemption.
art may reflect, but never compass Vision:
Vision, unlimited, is of unlimited scope:
Vision in art is a finite communication:
infinite Vision eludes laws of finite art.
Kosmic Sense is a new frontier of mind:
death to self that contact requires:
when self to limit of self is defined
self dies, and in Kosmic Self suspires.
in purgatory, self rises to heaven's brink:
then, limit defined, to purgatory must sink.
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 11
is it any wonder i have no words to tell
how my heart yearns in absence of you?
the night revives this constant hell-
no vision replaces dark with bright view,
prefiguring the visitation of your form
in sacred majesty, transfiguring night
in darkened soul to that majesty. in turn,
unformed dark, unchanged by celestial Light
formless dark remains, unilluminated by art.
your timeless form, unsculpted by love's pencil,
lends no body to the unformed in my heart.
no form heart forms new, nor does it chisel.
thus your form, unchiselled in my inner eye,
and your heart, my inner sense can't spy.
poem by Doug Bentley
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Sonnet 12
no sport lending play nor giving mind diversion:
all faculties dead to present, future, and fate:
will unformed and bent to no inspired reason:
disbarred from freedom, in isolated restraint:
dull soul in solitude confined to prison:
no company to silence by visitation made:
alone with heart bereft of will and passion:
in solitude soul to single soul betrayed:
all alone with self and my own soul,
a narrow world in which no love revolves,
in want of wisdom and acting the fool,
no key turns and self no solitude solves.
physician love! creator of this mortal speck,
heal your creation! evil infection i detect.
poem by Doug Bentley
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A Canadian's Poem(3)
what i want to do is
spin poetry center stage
set humanities focus
send science slingshot to head
boil dry obscurity
of subconscious womb
shine laser-blind
of superconscious activity,
make movement first principle
morality fashionable
trample all
human security tramplers,
then
bring it all together
[...] Read more
poem by Doug Bentley
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