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POETRY BY KARL
CHAMBERLAIN
Texas Death Row
I have compiled well over two hundred of my poems, since being locked up. I wrote while free, and have some poems dating back to when I was thirteen. Here are just a few of my favorites. I hope to have the opportunity, someday before I die, to see these poems published...or at least many of them, but have had little success thus far. I hope if nothing else, you enjoy.
(Note: all of the following
poems are Copyrighted by Karl B. Chamberlain, from 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998,
and 1999, permission to print in Death Penalty oriented publications may
be granted by writing with SASE. All other publications contact author.)
"A Rose Petal"
A Rose petal, sweet, thus,
Loving, Kind, Divine,
Our Love could be thus,
The choice is Thine.
KC
(written at age 13) Poem
#1
"Smile On!"
Light steaks
screaming, sighing
crying
-for Joy!-upward,
rising higher
shining brighter
Soon it reaches
the threshold of Love
speeding across the Universe
as fast as folds of light
from the Sun
And somewhere
a Quantum Leap away
a bug-green, li'l alien
boy
hooks his claws to the
sky and, sighs,
"Look, Mama. another
star in the sky!"
and, see,
all it was
was your smile.
:)
KC
Poem *200
castles made of sand
slip into the sea
soundlessly,
Like the silent tick
of a sundial
age flows into age
as the water of Time
erodes the sturdiest
of foundations,
And each life is but
one grain of sand
on the beach of eternity
basking in the Sun of
Life
yet slowly slipping into
the sea
pulled under by the relentless
grasp
of Time,
Yet, to catch the sparkle
of the Sun
for a moment,
shining reflections of
Divinity,
rainbows of color
dancing across the sand,
revealing diamonds
of Soul,
Shining tower domes
crushing foundations
flowing into plains of
humanity,
each alike, as their
time comes
to slip away,
And, so,
castles made of Man
slip into the Spirit
soundlessly.
KC
Poem *182
You see a picture
of a rainbow
and yet, did you capture
the dancing winds
which carried the clouds
which carried the rain
the soothing fall
dancing with the Glory
of Light
shining beyond the spectrums
caught in a moment
Did you see
the Soul or the Rainbow
crying
from your Picture/prison
dying
to be free
not to be confined
by any angle.
You took picture
of the sky at midnight
and cried as the blackness
overwhelmed the stars
the tender graces
a moment's light
forgotten as you filter
behind the glass lens
greys away to
Black and White
Imprisoning Reality
as a falling star
cries in Glory
"I am alive!"
The next time you picture
a Man or Woman
imprisoning them
behind
your glassy eyes,
know that their lives
fade
to lines on their face
their true beauty
dances just out of your
reach
as Focus and Filter;
Frame and shutter,
shelter you from Reality
So when you next Judge
for the right Perspective
know that your Picture
is Incomplete.
KC
poem 183
"Grok:
to know"
It is so easy to commit,
Only a small bit of soul,
Or, to touch the edges
with your wit
And never know the whole,
It's so easy to run,
it's so easy to hide,
So easy to shun,
So easy to divide,
It's much harder to care,
Nearly impossible to
love,
Few even dare
When push comes to shove.
Yet, to feel someone else's
tears,
Falling from your eyes
To find a fault that
endears,
To wear no disguise,
Therein lies the joy of
life,
To know someone through
their strife,
Should you fully embrace,
You may catch a glimpse
of God's smiling face.
KC
Poem *125
The tadpoles cried out
'what happened to the
neighborhood?
Are all the ugly old
toads
gone?
For, beautiful skin
flows with a fin and,
in none for us?
The flash in the streams
chases sweet worm dreams
so, cry, "is everything
gone"
Back the ugly old toads
where is our love???
Is only Beauty
left in the world!??
what I'd do for an ugly
old wart
with a toady old heart
and a little love
for the imperfect.'
KC
Poem #174
to stare into Death's
face,
day by day,
as he mocks my life's
tragedies,
play by play, all the
bittersweet joys and dreams,
swept cleanly away,
as I stare into his face,
day by day.
what more can be taught
that will not be forsaken?
What more can be wrought
that cannot be taken?
what more can I write
of thought
that can help us awaken?
One pound of flesh, neatly
paid,
Or, one pound of Soul,
which cannot be weighed.
Say !? What is
the market-price for redemption?
Could it be changed any,
for God's children?
An eye for an eye; a life
for a life,
It becomes meaningless,
useless, strife.
One last thought, I pray
it's not...
good-bye.
KC
Poem #65
First there was darkness,
Deep, black, enveloping,
sweetness,
Barely visible were pinpricks
of hope...
Then, they, too, fade
into greynesses,
Finally the rich, velvety
cloth of night
Encompasses all of the
world.
The world sits waiting,
like a bride at the altar,
Waiting, sweating, fidgeting
-- with hidden anxieties,
Seconds slip by like
hours, or years -- in darkness.
Then, with a touch of
grace and glory,
The horn of victory sounds,
as the sun's rays sweep across the sky,
The darkness is again
limited to shadows before the greatness of the dawn...
Yet, how many souls slip
away in the last seconds of the night?
Their minds heady with
the scent of the sweat of their fear,
Do they cry as they despair,
"Please Gad; let there be light."
KC
Poem #71
I have but one patch of
green in my life.
It is a verdant, vibrant
green
that can be seen through
the cruel cross-hatches
of a chain link fence,
topped with concertina wire.
It is such a lush and
luxurious green
that one barely notices
the fading bed of browns
and yellows
that rest beneath the
bright green blades,
nor, the mudhole that
is slightly off-center,
where the grass refuses
to grow.
Indeed, one rejoices
with the sight of a blooming daisy,
forgetting that it is
but a weed.
I have but one patch of
green in my life,
but they say I have none,
none in my life, nor in my soul.
Indeed, that may be true,
if life can be held back
by their fence.
KC
Poem *142
Like a sweet
summer breeze
fingers ruffles through
the feathers
of my hair
soothing
'It'll be alright...
'
The Hearty Hug
of welcome
or a clasp
around the shoulder
my life; my hope
strengthened by a
foundation of friends,
Hug-a-hol ic
I !?
softly proclaim
my guilt
the warm embrace
comforting
in a cold world
pillowy downy softness
explodes a Warm Fuzzy
addiction.
The sweet caress
silky smooth
dancing touches
caring-sharing
desire
enfolds like a flame
warming the world
with the slightest touch,
A sure hand
on the shoulders
we're here
I'm here
you're here
together,
touching livesare all
one,
Even the brisk
bracing-cold air
of a business
handshake
contains
humanity,
But, I
am without
a touch
of humanity,
a year
-More ! -
without
a touch...
Can you
Imagine?
Unless...
of course
you count
each day
a man comes
as I back up
to the bars
and as he cuffs me,
my Captor grimaces
as his oily
scaly skin
brushes mine.
I wonder
is he
rushes
to cleanse
to wash
his hands
of the dirty
deed
he has just
done.
KC
Poem 186
A haunting oak rises above
a mound of graveyard
earth,
creaking moans, weeping
sighs
ghost by, riding the
wind,
I see a little boy
hanging from this tree
rope constricting about
his neck
like a snake slithering
across a 'higher' branch,
I rush to the child
as if I can save him
I do not know who
hung him; himself or
another,
but I know he is still
alive,
And I sweat and curse
as my grips slips
a mortal Atlas can bear
only so much of the world,
And I weep as I hold
his legs because he is
my son
my brother
my friend
my self
and I know I alone
am not enough
and my world slowly dies
with each quarter inch
of life slipping by,
I cry for help
but here are no lawyers
no investigators
no courts
no justice
to help;
here the blade of truth
is a dull, weak thing
and I cry far at least
another set of hands,
Another set of hands to
help support my son
my brother
my friend
my love
because, as he dies,
I die
and the world would not
be
such a rich place
without each of us,
Tears fall from my eyes
shiny like new pennies
Oh! Only if they
were
I'd soon have enough
for all our salvation.
KC
Poem 190
"Virginal Tryst"
The intimacy of a soft
kiss,
The depth, the warmth,
tho wetness.
The welcoming of a loving
touch,
The pleasure, the passion,
can be so much.
I'm wishing I could kiss
you,
But I don't know why,
Your words touched my
heart,
More than just a stranger
passing by.
I would drearn of you,
But I...
Cannot...
Sleep.
Maybe you are what dreams
are made of:
I believe dreams can
become reality --with Love.
KC
Poem 46
Last night I went home
with an angel,
And the stars shone in
her eyes,
Then I stopped and kissed
that angel,
The stars fell and she
cried and cried.
Because it's hard to
be an angel
when you think you're
the devil inside.
This morning I woke up
to an angel,
The stars were there
again,
She said, "You better
watch out for this angel,"
And then she left again.
Because it's hard to
be an angel
when you're sure you're
nobody's friend.
Tonight I went home to
an angel,
A fire burned in her
eyes,
when I want to kiss that
angel,
All she could do was
cry, and cry.
Because you can never
tie down an angel
Her wings were made to
fly.
KC
Poem #40
Oh, how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
known the sweet succulant
taste
of your lips,
my mouth aches
-Burns ! -
with longing for the
remembrance
of their touch...
Oh, how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
held you tight
secure, comforting
yeilding softness
comforting strength
my arms cry
-Empty ! -
to caress you
hold you
enfold you
with Love...
Oh how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
kissed the tenderness
of your neck the
sweetness found
like nectar
just behind your ear,
and trailed down
your curves
-drowning in kisses !
-
the sweetscent of you...
0h how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
taken your breasts
into my hands
with the care for
the new born babe
of our passion,
and danced kisses
around them
finally
taking your hardening
nipples
into my mouth
like fresh plums
-rosebud taut!-
screaming to blossom
into ecstasy...
Oh, how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
kissed down the smooth
slope
of your belly
carefully deliberate
not to tickle
and passing on...
down your thighs
sweet tendernesses
to nibble at
the backs of your knees
your calves
to your delicate ankles
consuming every inch
-of You!-
with the fire of Passion...
Oh, how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
been there
as your legs
slightly part
like a rose
to the calling of the
dawn
sweet dew-drops
gathered on the folds
of the petals
of your love...
Oh, how I miss you...
Even i I
have never
traveled back up
trailing
the fiery imprint
wet
warm
love
of my mouth
along the inside
of your legs
to creamy thighs
-and explosion!-
of the sweetest dessert...
Oh, how I miss you...
Even if I
have never
dared
to be so bold
even if I
cannot
quite
remember...
I ache with the longing
for you
women.
KC
Poem 188
Raindrops falling from
the skies,
Like raindrops falling
from my eyes,
Falling into the ocean
of my soul,
The pain is that no-one
will ever know
In a cold world without
a heart of ice,
To live and survive is
to sacrifice.
Stormy time to this world
have come,
I feel my heart beat
like a distant drum...
Thoughts tearing through
my mind,
Like lightening tearing
through the sky,
Tearing away what's left
of my soul,
One last thought, will
anyone ever know
In an uncaring world
without a mind of stone,
To live and survive is
to hurt someone.
As the storm shatters
the last of my dreams,
My mind dissolves into
violent screams...
My soul waits silently
to die,
Like heavy storm clouds
in the sky,
A hollow soul collapses,
but before it can go,
It writes a song for
all to know:
In a dying world without
an empty soul,
To live and survive is
suicidal.
The storm is over; the
calm begun,
We have lost; the world
has won.
KC
(written mid 1991) poem
* 89
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