Category Archives: poetry by Bruce Whealton

Speechless – poem by Bruce Whealton

Speechless
Shyness can be like writer’s block
and vice versa…
There are times like this,
right now, when I know,
I have something to say.
I can feel it…
The desire is strong
and yet, I feel speechless…
nothing comes out,
It’s almost like I lost
my capacity to use language.
And all I have
is this internal dialog.
I go to write something
and some critical voice
stops me -
“That’s [...]

A Cold State of Being

A Cold State of Being
Winter hangs on
in bare skeletal trees
in cold nights,
in the south,
in March.
It hangs on within me
like a state of being
and I cannot help but doubt
if there will be warmth
and life within me
ever
again.
You can find my poetry by me at: http://brucewhealton.us

at the Fortner Writers’ Forum at St. Andrews Presbyterian College Part 2

The event began with the first poet, Joe Miller, pictured below. 

Joe began with a few poems from his collection entitled “Got Chicken?” which is also featured on the shirt he is wearing.

Bruce Whealton then shared his poetry with the audience. He is pictured below.

A Final Solution – poem by Bruce Whealton

A Final Solution
I sat down tonight
with my friend
Despair…
we spoke for hours and hours…
I was hypnotized
As the night drew onward
he became more passionate
He had a plan,
a solution -
a final plan,
as it were.
Yet, I couldn’t go through
with it.
I was scared,
confused,
didn’t have the stomach for it…
slowly
over time
he just faded away,
like an apparition.
I knew he’d be back
and we’d talk [...]

Secret Companions – poem by Bruce Whealton

Secret Companions
Despair is a companion
I’ve known well,
it almost seems that he is a part of me…
We’ve had a unique relationship
few would understand -
it was our intention -
we invented our own language.
Since he came back,
we have been talking endlessly,
we have so much catching up
to do.
There’s no time to think of anything else
these days…
Words, I cannot express
to [...]

The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done – Poem By Bruce Whealton

The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done
I forget how it happened,
was a kneeling?
Doesn’t matter.
It wasn’t a surprise.
She picked it out.
Had no doubt I was going
to get it.
While it is true
that many other details
around this event
have faded
over the years,
I do remember,
that though there was
no surprise surrounding
this event,
she had tears in her eyes
when she held the ring.
I made [...]

The ring – Haiku – Bruce Whealton

A ring
tears in her eyes

Advice from an Editor to one seeking publication – poem by Bruce Whealton

Advice to those wanting publication
Tell your stories,
paint your pictures
in verse…
be concise,
add passion
use vivid imagery
paint your reader
a picture
with words.

The Dark – Poem by Bruce Whealton

The Dark
There is a place
in the bedroom
that’s so much darker
than the rest of the room
and there is something there
you’ve known it,
sensed it’s presence…
your mind tells you to deny
it’s existence…
you feel childish
for believing in it.
You rationalize,
that in all these years
that I’ve noticed its
presence, or thought I had,
if there was something there
something intending harm
why would it have [...]

Haiku by Bruce Whealton

Silent deserted
beach walk
alone