contemporary poetry

Never Apologize

He’ll never apologize,
No matter how much
Suffering and havoc he’s caused,
Incapable of admitting wrongdoing,
Unable to expose that part of him
That drives his every move,
A weeping wound
That never heals,
An unraveling tear
In the fabric of his self,
Dictating every reaction
To every perceived attack,
No one allowed to
See it in all its fragility.

Get the Poetry Collection
Unconventional Being - Minimalist Poetry Book by Guy Farmer

Readers around the world have found pieces of themselves in these poems. Discover the collection.

Get Your Copy on Amazon

Passing the Time

As if they had
Never thought of
Another person
For any reason,
They continued to
Do things that
Adversely affected
Others but that
At no time entered
Their consciousness
Given that the only
Modus operandi they
Understood was to
Purposelessly exist
From moment to moment,
Passing the time before
Reaching their
Expiration date,
Leaving behind
Absolutely nothing
Of any consequence.

Their Divorce

It was around the time of
Their divorce that he began
Taking an inordinate interest
In his children.
Where he had once been
Absent and aloof,
He now regarded the situation as
A quest for justice
In the face of immoral oppression,
His desires superseded by
Data, history, and common sense,
A jilted ex-spouse fuming at
Having his privilege revoked.
He founds an organization
Dedicated to supporting
His dubious cause.

Morning

Lihua, can you
Help me with this?
Now! I said.

What’s gotten into you
This morning?
So slow.

Today is mopping and
Cleaning day,
Get the supplies.

I’m meeting my
Friends for lunch,
I’ll be back at 3:00.

I want everything
To be perfect,
Don’t make me look bad.

Past Present

I wish I could cast
You aside like something
That doesn’t matter
Anymore, that’s used up,
Served its purpose,
No longer needed,
But you keep hanging on,
Showing up when I least
Or most expect it,
Reminding me of things
I’d rather forget,
Leaving me no choice
But to fall into
Your familiar arms,
Pervasive past,
Present stifled.

Take It Back

Relationship hindered by
A single careless action.
One thoughtless moment:
Unplanned, unconscious,
Blundering, impulsive,
Disproportionate, reactive.
The slight nudge that
Changes everything.
A cringe that won’t
Leave her alone.
She wishes she could
Take it back.

Pretending to Live

Imagine what it’s like to have
One event completely transform
You, irrevocably, implacably,
Without any chance of
Change or adaptation,
A grim, remorseless trudge
Toward sordid climes where
People force wounded smiles.
Pretending to live.

The New Apartment

She’s gone now,
And all he has to
Look at is himself.

Wandering around
The new apartment,
Bumping into things.

No amount of anything
Makes it go away,
That voice.

He mutters something
To himself about
Being right.

Reassurance

Though endowed with
A considerable intellect,
He chose instead to follow
A path of dull debauchery
Punctuated with resolute,
Mighty revelry.

Not a moment’s self-reflection
Or pang of conscience,
A chronic condition
He would sadly never
Grow past or consider
Changing in any way.

An aging lothario,
Not as attractive and spry
As he once might have been,
Hungrily anticipating yet
Another temporary fix,
Fleeting reassurance.