Foreword

A Taste Of Paradise is a poetry manuscript modified from a poetry chapbook I wrote under the guidance of Dr. Ricardo Sanchez.

- Stephen W. Cote, July, 1995


A Taste Of Paradise

A collection of poetry by Stephen W. Cote



The Predators Of The Meadow

A Tiger's Lament

Tiger Eyes (part i)
               In meadows and green mountain tops
               In soft safe holes of rabbit dens
               And rebels, and little moles with no chance to attack
               In tree limbs and within a vast field's crops
               Inside a bird's nest which longs to be cleansed
               With the egg shell, and the runt cub throw back
               I can see my soul in every tiger's eyes

               A monument to the crippled doe, a fallen foe
               To a predator who hungers with age
               A weary pyre of the cast aside bones
               Are tossed aside from behind into times ago
               With a lacy smile, a tiger's wage
               I know that I have entered the show
               And I can see my soul in every tiger's eyes

               And now in the meadows and lands
               Upon mountains and fields made for the cruel
               I took their eyes, I made them blind
               I still must shade my own eyes, I have been so unkind
               And I see the sun, in long forgotten prey
               I hear the prey cries in so many anguished ways
               I realize that is myself in every tiger's eyes

A Tiger To Her Mate
               Training means
               I know I have to pay
               - and I am still paying

               I'm so scared of the water
               And across the river
               The other other side
               I'm so scared of the water
               And if I could only walk on that water
               Which it seems I must do

               To get to you

               And rip your bloody throat out

A Tiger To His Mate
               Lick your wound
                    - it will heal
               Will mine ?

               Hunt your prey
                    - they will feed you
               Cannot feed me!

               Let your cubs nip
                    - and suckle your nipple
               It's not mine!

Tiger Eyes (part ii, revised)
               For a breath's moment
               I witnessed her eyes
               And the tiger within
               Left with a heartful lament
               And a worldfull of shies
               I faced the tiger's cries

               The tiger's roar rang
               Like the wind over water
               A natural beauty
               Lacing the growl she sang
               A child's gulling laughter
               All so close to me

               For that short breath
               The tiger arose
               And I felt her heart beat
               I sat back bereft
               Of what she had to show
               For I feared I was weak

               I blinked my eyes -
               There was no tiger to my shame
               I'm sure never again
               For rare do we see tiger eyes
               In those we choose to blame
               For that which they have not sinned


Tiger Chimes
               Mates tussle and growl
               In natural love instincts
               - scenting fur and tawny purrrr
               Of each other's tongue drinks
               Germanic echoing tails twine
               - hourglasses eyeing the world
               Well within the rind
               Of the meadow glade

               Bird caws, lion growls, tiger chimes
               Tiger tail friends mingle - tiger chimes






Copyright 1995, Stephen W. Cote and The Writer's Gallery.
Comments
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Last Updated: 8/11/95