Beating

It wasn't passion or imagination,
It wasn't desire or fabrication,
It wasn't longing or illusion,
And it wasn't a question.

The idea of essentiality is theoretically simple,
Yet dubiously complex in nature.

To comprehend the dawn,
Is fundamentally different,
Than apprehending the dawn,
While coming to realize,
The humbling necessity,
Of its complex simplicity.

An extension of breath,
Heart, mind, soul,
Discovered unintentionally,
With time passing, life aging,
In all-encompassing, universal inevitability.

I am my heart.
Once I was isolated,
Beating singularly,
Before I felt my corresponding rhythm,
Intensely resounding with a persistence overwhelmingly compelling.
The strength of a dually beating heart,
Is the steadfast hope of our eternal, irrevocable tranquility.

Vision

When was the last time,
That we sat together,
And enjoyed the sunset?
In quiet understanding,
We knew each other, once.
In peaceful contentedness,
We were one.
When the language we spoke was love,
Though we need not utter a word...
Because our eyes,
Spoke more fluently,
Than our lips.

The End. For a Time.

Dearest Reader,

If this so happens to be the first post on this blog page that you are reading, I would encourage you to refer back to my first pieces, leading up to my most recent works.

The purpose of this post is to inform you that I shall no longer be updating this blog page on a semi-regular basis. School has ended for the year and summer has arrived, which means that I will be busier than ever. However, summer is a time of inspiration, so do not be surprised if I update again on rare occasion in the not-so-near future.

It has been an honor and a privilege to have my work surveyed for critique by an online audience of followers such as yourselves.

As you can see, my work has progressed over time from beginning to end. Poetry means very much to me, I hope that this has become evident to you with each progressive post.

I look forward to updating this blog again someday. Until then, I thank you for reading.

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges

Awestruck

Awestruck

I once saw a girl,

Who made my mind twirl,

With gentleness broad,

Seemingly never flawed,

And beauty,

Down to the last curl.

This girl left me speechless,

With her radiating uniqueness,

I tried not to stare,

For no one could compare,

Entranced, that I was,

I confess.

When our eyes first did meet,

My heart skipped a beat,

Should I jump at this chance,

Based on one passing glance?

I could fail,

But succeed in defeat.

I summoned the nerve,

Taking chance on a curve,

Snapping out of my trance,

I asked her to dance,

And to my surprise,

She said yes.

With her hand in mine,

We danced in good time,

In the light of the moon,

To the lighthearted tune,

Unbound, that we were,

Unconfined.

We danced to the rhythm,

Stepping well, with precision,

Now feeling inclined,

Something clear in my mind,

Came to call,

A hope, a vision.

She needed to know,

I could not let her go,

She was special, kind,

A rare jewel to find,

And fascinating,

If only to me.

Be it true to this day,

I feel the same way,

Be it true from the start,

I felt in my heart,

A tug, a pull,

Towards this girl.

Curiosity consumes my mind,

Where have you been all this time?

Leaving me left to think, to ponder,

Every feeling, each of wonder,

Although the dance was somewhat tiring,

I found this sweet girl most inspiring.

It seemed too much to comprehend,

And as she left, inside I said,

"Goodbye for now! Farewell!"

The end.

Background: "Awestruck" took me a little over a month to write. The poem was started back in early November of 2010 and soon completed by mid December. Stricken with the concept after attending an annual monthly dance, I was instantly captivated by the idea of two strangers meeting at a dance and falling for one another. The meter and rhyme scheme are both off, but I am hoping you shall be able to overlook the lack of organization and appreciate the overall effect.

Basics: "Awestruck" encompasses the initial moments of a man's encounter with an attractive, young lady he meets while attending a dance. The boy takes notice that she is quiet and gentle, while noting several other of her most notable qualities. He soon becomes awestruck by her very presence after sharing a dance with her. Alas, his opportunity to say goodbye to her comes and goes. Instead he envisions himself saying goodbye to her although the moment's already passed. Essentially what I desired for the piece to come across as, was a brief story regarding that magical instance when one realizes there's something different about that person. Something worth taking note of and becoming legitimately awestruck over.

Feel free to comment and criticize. I welcome all feedback.

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges

To Win the Heart of a Stranger

To Win the Heart of a Stranger

To win the heart of a stranger, one must be:

Kind, complimentary,

Not to the point of over-flattering.

Prudent, wholesome, fully stable,

Educated, caring, wholly able.

Humorous, respectful, knowledgeable,

Not to mention exceedingly honorable.

Helpful, noble, gentle, tender,

Under control, as not to hurt her.

Witty, cleaver, humble, charming,

Not annoying or alarming.

Honest, refined, polite, sincere,

Proving to each of these adhere.

If one intends to win a stranger,

One must follow every rule.

Wisely keeping clear of danger,

Avoiding looking like a fool.

Attributes opposing these,

Are, in fact, quite crude and canny.

So apply said qualities,

As to become more gentlemanly!

Background: "To Win the Heart of a Stranger" was written back in December of 2010 after an encounter with a rather... Rude, individual. This piece was directly inspired by the exact opposite of who this person was. I got to thinking, "how on earth is this person going to meet somebody and get married... ?" Then I began considering the necessary attributes a person would need in order to attract an individual. At least, a majority of them. The meter is off, but the rhyme scheme is coherently consistent. This piece was written in a matter of minutes after considering the opposing attributes which the young person I met exhibited. Hopefully you have found that this poem has several elements of truth to it.

Basics: "To Win the Heart of a Stranger" details a Gentleman, giving another man advice on how to become more like him, in order to win the heart of one desired. Notice that there are no implications towards physical appearance being a key attribute in attracting one desired. All elements have to do a person's attitude/response. Winning a person is so much more than being the strongest, or fasted, or most handsome. To truly win someone over, one must possess qualities that surpass the physical realm.

Feel free to comment and criticize. I welcome all feedback.

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges

Our Story

Our Story

When at first I saw you,

I knew not whom I'd found.

You smiled at me, curiously,

And I wasn't sure why,

But this intrigued me.

Could I make you mine?

When you first saw me,

A puzzled expression crossed your face.

Surprisingly, when I blushed, you did too,

At which point, things just fell into place.

Could you make me yours?

When we first spoke,

It was as though the stars aligned.

Everything just... Fit.

You claimed my voice was your reassurance.

Even if I spoke too much.

Though we had our differences,

We still had each other.

In a spellbinding instance,

Over a long summer...

Both our hearts changed with the passing of time,

When you made me yours, and I made you mine.

Background: "Our Story" is an original based off an original. In all honesty, it's difficult to put a sufficient explanatory tag on this piece. This is the one and only piece where I wrote the end before I wrote the beginning. The end was written long ago, but it was not until semi-recently that I came up with a "prelude" for the "climax", so to speak. July of last year marked the month when I completed this poem. Affectionate wording and sweetness of tone ranked as top priority above a substantial meter and rhyme scheme (as, I am sure, you're beginning to recognize as it has become increasingly evident over the past few posts). Properly conveying a message is more important to me than following the "rules." As I have stated in the past, "free-verse" is also an expression of feeling and ultimately considered poetic. Hopefully you are able to appreciate my subtle use of rhyme though not strictly enforced.

Basics: "Our Story" depicts the beginning stages of a love story. A first for two, young people. He smiles, she smiles back, he blushes, so does she. These simplicities are intended to imply purity in each of their intentions. The boy admits to being slightly outspoken, to which the girl responds be reassuring him that his voice is soothing to her. As the poem progresses, it becomes evident that the two have met towards the beginning of summertime. A question soon arises: could this romance be temporal or permanent? The answer remains uncertain. What is clarified, is that the two individuals meekly give their hearts to one another at the duration of summer. Because the piece ends on a gratifying, positive note, it is implied that the two lover's romance beginning in summer continues on, even after the season ends.

Feel free to comment and criticize. I welcome all feedback.

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges

To Be Loved

To Be Loved

Teardrops stain the pages as I write,

My ears are alert,

For someone, anyone,

Silently approaching.

Years of sorrow,

Crash down as this one single moment,

Walks up from behind,

And taps me on the shoulder.

She whispers,

"I know what you wish for."

A final tear drips down my cheek,

As I listen, but dare not turn around.

She continues,

"But I also know your secret."

I shudder, knowing she is correct.

"And the answer is no."

When I turn around,

No one is present.

To be loved is one's nature.

To be loved is a miracle.

Background: "To Be Loved" was inspired by a rainy day back in May of last year. I pictured a lonely man in my own backyard, sitting on a stump we have placed next to our fire pit out back. As the rain pitter-pattered against the window, I jotted down the first thoughts that came to mind regarding the concept of affection going full-circle. Bizarre, how such a simple thing as rain can inspire one's train of thought into motion. No rhyming and no meter make this, yet another, free verse piece. Like my others, this poem is also written in first person. Despite the lack of rhyming and meter, I attempted to keep the piece organized, nevertheless.

Basics: "To Be Loved" accompanies a man when he's struck with an epiphany. The man sullenly sits upon a stump, writing something. Be it a letter, journal entry, or poem? Vague and unknown answer. The man is ready to hide what he's writing at a moments notice. He feels as though his life has been building up to something and that in this precise moment, his next move could be pivotal. Vague and unknown answer. Suddenly, he's struck with an epiphany. Although (as stated before) this piece is lacking meter and rhyme scheme, an element of symbolism protrudes. The "she" which the piece refers to, is the epiphany. Initially the epiphany is introduced in a metaphysical sense, but as she continues to whisper, I wanted the man to be struck so intently by her words that she almost appears real (hence his reason for turning around and seeing no one). In the most blatant usage of vague wording, I have the epiphany speak her final words to the man. Utterly vague and unknown answer.

The man sits, pondering how he can love someone so much, but fail to be loved in return. His epiphany? Finally accepting his worst nightmare: That he is not loved in return. It is human nature to love someone, but to receive the same level of affection in return is a miracle. The poem ends as this striking realization occurs to the man.

Feel free to comment and criticize. I welcome all feedback.

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges