"Juliet" and "Greenheys Road"
Juliet
Wearing the Earth
like a robe,
I flew across the world
today.
I could see
the buried memories
hidden
in the trees,
and I could find
no one
to hurt
the two of us outside of
you and me.
I knew you when
you were nothing.
And then
I knew you when you were
something.
And then I met you
as you were
passed
from friend to friend.
Each one leaving you
alone
to weep in the
desert.
You had that look
in your eyes
that said tonight was
the day.
And I wish you had known me
when the sun was bright.
Greenheys Road
The vessels of love crowd in.
Their traumas hidden
among the reeds.
No love is lost or given to them
as they clutter the minds
of thieves.
Strong, sober and drunk
I come to you.
My weakness revealed
in my glee.
And book-like I pray on
your need
to comfort -- sometimes.
Now there is light.
And now there is dark.
And that is the way that you
can pay
the charity you give
to men like me.
Jeffrey Side has had poetry published in numerous magazines and on various poetry websites. He has reviewed poetry for Jacket, The Colorado Review, Stride, Acumen, and Shearsman. From 2005 to 2023, he edited The Argotist Online poetry website until its closure, which featured poetry, articles, interviews, and poetry ebooks. The poetry and ebook sections can now be found on two blogs: Argotist Online Poetry and Argotist eBooks.
His publications include Carrier of the Seed, Distorted Reflections, Slimvol, Collected Poetry Reviews 2004-2013, Cyclones in High Northern Latitudes (with Jake Berry), and Outside Voices: An Email Correspondence (with Jake Berry).
