Poetic Ruminations from a Small Town

Jeremy Paden and Crystal Good are contributors to Esse Diem.  Jeremy’s poem Easter Sunday, 2010 appeared here this spring, and  Crystal is a writer for the Essays on Childhood project.  Both of them are Affrilachian Poets.

Local Charleston folks, plan to come out and hear these beautiful people and other poets on Sunday at the Fishbowl event!  You will not want to miss this FestivALL close-out extraordinaire.

 

Boy – a poem by John Lavan

Boy

I am alive; talk to me,
voices can sing to me, harmonise bass with me, make up the words to a ballad or yarn with me, loudly embark with me.

I am alive, laugh with me,
fall down and wrestle me, sport, spin and tumble your oneness in tune with me. Love me as I love me.

I am alive, approach me,
feel for the guffaw; believe that the bellies of folly live on in me, rhyming me, glance at me sideways and hope to encroach on me.

I am alive, notice me,
play up in mischief and open the windows for breezes to blow at me. Let me uphold you and so you can bolster me.

I am alive; distract me
in every direction, the clowning comes through to me. Shatter the eggs with me, clean up the mess with me, wear a chef’s hat for me.

I am alive; melt with me,
growl out a giggle and tickle me. Sparkle and yes with me. Make a fine mess with me. Yes with me. Yes with me.

 About the poet:

John Lavan is a small businessman from Yorkshire with a 10 year passion for poetry. His main inspiration comes from his son, Andrew, who has Down’s Syndrome. He has won prizes in poetry competitions and been published in several magazines.

Many thanks to John for generously granting Esse Diem the privilege of posting this poem, which originally appeared on Natterjack, an online magazine of new writing, in prose and in verse, edited by Michael Bruce.

Visit John’s blog Real Poems to read more of his wonderful work, and follow him on Twitter, @Toltecjohn.