Poetry

“Truth,” “Travel,” and “Death”

Truth

I tried guile at times

And haste often, but far worse

Was the unknowing. . .

I said it slowly

But did not forgive myself

For being truthful. . .

So, rains came, the sun

Eclipsed, doubt conferred as words

Regain their power.xt

Travel

To travel is to

Invade, to inspect, to grade

What others have made.

You’ve gone too far when

You haven’t gone far enough

To make a difference. . .

Meanderthals then

Wander slowly home, throwing

Humans at the rocks.

Death

It is the twisted

Rope that left the limp body

In the square at dawn.

To die alone is

Not so telling, but to die

In fear is tragic.

They disappear, and

Yet, it’s likely death is just

A quiet rumor.

About the Author

J. Chester Johnson

In excess of fifty poetry journals and related outlets, plus numerous newspapers, have published Johnson’s poems over the years. He has presented at universities and other venues. Select outlets/venues include: The New York Times, Literary Matters, Best American Poetry Blog, Poets House, Harvard College, Trinity Church Wall Street, Troubadour (London), and the BBC, among many others. Recent books of poetry, authored by Johnson, are St. Paul’s Chapel & Selected Shorter Poems (2010) and Now And Then: Selected Longer Poems (2017).