Creative Writing by Robert Stanhope - ROBERT STANHOPE

ROBERT STANHOPE

My Heart Will Sing

7/23/2024

Political banners, colors bright,
Wave in anger, left and right,
Debate and discord fill the air,
Power's game, a ceaseless snare.

Yet here I am, beneath the trees,
Where whispers float on summer's breeze,
Away from tumult, sweet release,
I wander fields where wildflowers grow,
In nature’s arms, a gentle flow.

The world’s a storm, but I remain,
In my own world, apart from pain,
I find my solace, find my way,
In simple moments, day by day.

Let them argue, let them fight,
In their chaos, I take flight,
Churches bicker, parties rage,
Their endless wars, a troubled stage.

But I find peace in quiet streams,
In twilight’s glow, and moonlit dreams,
While doctrines war and leaders vie,
Beneath the vast and open sky.

Let them fight their righteous wars,
I’ll walk my path, through open doors,
In simple joys, my heart will sing,
Content to do my own small thing.

Bald man sitting by a stream in the mountains.

Ferris Wheel

10/9/2023

By Robert Stanhope

A day at the fair,
a day away from my office chair,
the aroma of fried food in the air,
rides left, right, and everywhere,

The bumper cars and the Tilt-a-Whirl,
my head spins like a squirrel
when I see the Merry-go-round, a fair pearl,
but it's the Ferris wheel I want to ride with my girl,

Spinning round and round and round,
the crown jewel of fair days is found,
from our seat up high we can see all around,
as we sit close and celebrate the love we found,

Through years, we've shared many fair days,
looking back and above as we stargaze,
recalling days gone by sure does amaze,
now we have grandkids that enjoy fair days.

Ferris wheel

Ferris wheel photo captured at the Manatee County Fair in Palmetto, Florida by Robert Stanhope

Lost One

4/27/2023

By Robert Stanhope

I am the lost one,
On a journey to find me,
Footprints are my past.

Photo by Robert Stanhope

Photo by Robert Stanhope
Location: Hardee Lakes County Park, Bowling Green, Florida

Junkyard Relics

1/6/2022

By Robert Stanhope

Dogs roam the junkyard
sniffing bones of the relics
rusting into the earth,
tree limbs vine through cracked glass
while a photographer finds light
bouncing off a shiny trim of chrome--
life in a heap of twisted metal.

Junkyard Relics

Photo by Herbert Aust

Roam to You

4/19/2020

Wander off the path,
Explore the regions beyond,
Find yourself within.

In Bloom

11/2/2016

Purple Flower

Outside my front door is a flower in bloom,
beyond bloom really,
the other side of middle age,
past prime,
slightly withered,
soon to be replaced by youth,
a new bloom,
a bright and vibrant bloom.

Excuse Me

4/14/2016

Excuse me for my absence,
my retreat to peace.

I need a break, not from you,
From the busy, the rat race.

Excuse me, it’s time for me,
my retreat to my soul.

I need a break, not from life,
From all of life, except me.

Excuse me, I need to focus,
my retreat to clarity.

I need a time out, a breather,
From the clutter, the decisions.

Excuse me, I’m not leaving,
my journey home begins.

Three Minutes

4/3/2016

Clear the mind in three minutes thinking about the day, tomorrow, this week or the year ahead. Think about the past and reflect on mistakes in three minutes, but also consider happy times. In just three minutes, the mind can wander or focus on the dark space of silence. Three minutes of thinking can create four lines of writing, more or less, based on the distractions encountered.