Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com
This free e-book was created with
Ourboox.com

Create your own amazing e-book!
It's simple and free.

Start now

Moon Shadows

by

Artwork: Natalie Borenstein

Stefan Borenstein was born in Poland at the end of the Second World War. He immigrated with his surviving family Read More
  • Joined Jan 2023
  • Published Books 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we close our eyes
Time and time again
We close our eyes
Just to hide the pain
Tears of joy,
Tears of rage
Embrace to this,
This our new age

2
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

 

 

 

 

 

It is so easy to procrastinate
And then all our actions justify
Conjure up some excuse
Or even smile sweetly – then lie
Find the time and do the things in life
You yearn for to do, and do them with clout
Lest next time you turn your head
And realize, that time… it has run out

 

And a quiet thought to Irving Layton

4

 

 

 

 

The first spoken word we learn
from the time we are born is the word NO.
Then we spend the rest of our lives fighting that concept
oblivious to how it controls and affects our lives.

The truth is,
we do in life only that what we choose
or want to do then justify our actions
with prefix as found in
“because” or “but.”

5

About the Author
Stefan Borenstein was born in Poland at the end of the Second World War. He immigrated with his surviving family to Montreal, Canada in 1949. He studied Fine Arts then finished studies
in Dental Technology with both a Masters degree and a PhD.
Stefan spent twenty years travelling the world extensively;
lecturing in the field of Dental Technology. He has been both a
photo journalist and writer for several dental journals and has
written books and produced a series of educational videos. In
recognition of his contributions he has been inducted into the Canadian Journal of Dental Technology Hall of Fame.
Stefan has always had a love for painting, sculpting, photography and writing. The illustrations in this book are his work;
some by painting and sketching, others aided by photography.
The illustrations reflect the content of the poems.
He has lived in at least five countries for periods of two to
five years. While living in London, England he married Monika
Felson and fathered two children, Natalie and Oliver.
Stefan has seen much of the world, both the good and the
bad. His concern is for the children and what they stand to inherit

6
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

.

 

 

Stefan has a distinct perspective to his captivating writing
style. He writes from deep within his soul. The magnificence of
his vividly portrayed prose leaves a lasting impression.
The graphic art designs were done by Natalie  Borenstein,  They are exquisite creations
and will have you engrossed as you fixate onto each one that
stands before the poem that comes after the artwork it represents.

 

 

This is an extraordinary piece of work that will have you
going back and reading time after time. Once is not enough to
satisfy the mind of an avid lover of poetic genius.

8

 

 

 

The Eyes
I am that I am
I am what you see
Do not try to mold or shape
Or throw me out to sea
Savor me for being
None else than me
I am
Say I
Now
Look me
In the eye

9

Mad-Poet

10

My House

 

My house is a little white house

With a little green yard

With a little white fence

With pretty flowers and trees

Home to birds and bees

It’s a pretty little house

Safe for a cat and a mouse

The invitation is open

Come to my house

Come into my parlour

I will feed you tea and chocolates

That comes all the way from Belgium

I will play you music from the Beatles

And songs by Leonard Cohen

But do not change the lyrics

Or the colour of my skin

Don’t attempt to change

The rubrics of my house

Rules that I now live with

You are welcome to share the food

Drink of beer and the wine

But do not change the menus

Or force a new prayer

Nor bring in a new religion

Laws and costumes of faith

To ram down my throat

Especially those you are now fleeing

In search of refuge and better life

If that is your intention

Then it is for the best

you remain on your boats

Do not mistake me

For a sacrificial goat

So that you may then run

In haste back to your minions

with tales to make them gloat

understand well my house is my castle

a fortress strong and bold

a labyrinth to protect my people

keep them safe from the cold

if your house is on fire

lying in ruins and decay

do not swarm my greener pastures

bringing with your hateful ways

cans of gasoline and fire

engulfing and then adding us

onto your twisted funeral pyre

11

Our Song

 

Cumulous clouds gathering

Igniting with fury and passion

Burning light ten thousand degrees kelvin

Thor shattering the quiet of night

Yet I welcome this symphony

Sweet music to my aching soul

Searching out syrinx to accompany the score

Hide her from Pan

Hold her close to my breast

Descend towards that shielded gate

Beyond which truths lay shrouded

Yet in wait to be unfurled

Walk into the sun

Drink of its encompassing warmth

Soft grasses to cushion

The blisters of travelled  feet

Fears of past pains abate

The time will come

To feel and live again

And then at that

To surrender

The sweet tunes of our song

12
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Paint

 

How easily we slip

Into the pictures we paint

Stride in and become

Part of the scene

Immerse ourselves

In our contrived fantasy

Lose contact with truth

Truth and reality

The cat’s in the cradle

Singing her song

Just longing for a place

A place to belong

14

Paper Coffins

 

Mothers of sons ~

Never stop lamenting.

Cries of the fools,

Will fill the heads of mentors…

Weeping violins sing out the tunes;

For the pains of yesterday,

And all the futures

Yet to be written.

 

When will you put a halt?

When will you ever learn?

Sending forth our children

To die now in battle.

Sending out our future

To dissolve hot in ashes…

 

Fighting for the cause

And for our country

The whispers and stories

Conjured up and sold ;

By our “trusted” politicians~

Signed and sealed

All behind closed doors:

 

Self-proclaimed sages ,

Obsessed with the plot:

Policing the world…

All in the name of justice.

To defend true democracy,

Paid for in black gold:

And coffins of paper .

 

What then does remain,

Or reasons to justify ?

Questions seeking answers…

Awakening more questions.

A never ending knot.

The Gordian knot

 

And in the naked night

I saw~

Ten thousand angels

Maybe more.

Each one clinging

Onto the hand of a child;

Floating in the heavens

On white clouds so high…

Their love and their lives~

Forever to deny:

15
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Pedra

 

As the warm summer night breeze

Strokes the ground

The ground that

Which upon  you do walk

The daffodils then bow

Butterflies ascend towards the heavens

And flutter about

Gracing your being

Let me tell you

About my  Pedra

My sweet Pedra

How she gave me life

Her warm touch

Caressing my face ever so gently

Thoughts of her embrace

Sending shivers through my body

Arrow in my heart

Venus

Aphrodite

On Euphrates

Helios on his chariot

All the gods of old

And the countless stories told

Pale by comparison

To you and the truths

The beauty and innocence

There lays to behold

A heart so pure

A soul so deep

Scarred by the pains

The atrocities

Layers of dust

Now locked in a box

Hercules

Ulysses

Titan

Thor

Open your ears

Your hearts

Hear you well

Be told

I call upon thee

Protect this

This my true love

My precious princess

From any further evils

Which out there may lurk

For exists not many

So deserving of your love and care

And then so I can

Then

Hold and cherish her

In my arms

For all time to come

17
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Penny Lane

 

Reap what you sow

Words to sit back and know

Watch them fester and grow

 

We usually dig our own holes

Paint ourselves

Into our own corners

True colours emerge

Dictate whom we befriend

Dictate who we must defend

Dictate whom we are at liberty

To invite into our house

Our beds

And whom we must

At all cost lock out in end

 

Spider, spider spinning your web

So intricate and beautiful

Every thread spun perfect

Glistening in the sun

Set to snare a prey

And then tighten the strings

Encapsulate your victim

Slowly draining his blood

Until he lays there

Sapped of all life

 

Weave your stories

So elaborately set

Every detail of the puzzle

So perfectly aligned

 

Web of deceit

So neatly laid out

To snare your victim

Before he can see

And become then

What is to be

 

Toss me a penny

And I will tell you a story

A similar story of me

But for a few small changes

The story is the same one

 

 

Who you are not

Is but

That long and winding road

You may choose to decorate

With flowers and grace

Entwining of silk and lace

In the still of night

Heed the warnings

The lull before the storm

 

Truths leak out

Through tiny holes

Then like cracks in a window

The pain just explodes

 

Time compiles all

In neat little piles

Verities spill out in end

Flowers wither

Petals fall

Green fields turn brown

Relation dies

Dishonour abounds

Devastation remains

 

What is it that draws one

Down such a path

Of wanton destruction

Dishonour abounds

Regardless of agony

And suffrage imposed

On innocence surround

Smiling so sweetly

Concealed dagger in hand

Be thee then so chaste

 

A walk down penny lane

Long and lonely

Winding  road

At loss

Searching for words

Which never will come

19
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Playing Our Tune

 

Ephemeral glance

Mid-summer night

Ethereal breeze

Carve the cracks into the wall

Place a match to the bridge

Tears

Wine

On Helios’ chariot

Hair singed

Too close to the sun

Endurance

Slip-sliden down the road

Kicking the cobble stones

Contemplating life’s layers

Searching within my bones

Meditation

Left a void in my world

Let’s get the rag band

Playing our tune

Call in the joker

Bring on the clown

 

Green fields are gone

Leaves are turning brown

21

Play Out Our Song

 

Sunshine beating warm;

Frolicking down the road,

Shuffling my feet.

Counting the cobblestones…

Stepping ever so lightly,

Never on the cracks,

Only on the squares.

 

My head is up,

My heart spinning around.

Thinking of my love

From mountain town

 

A lady so sweet

Soul pure and so kind…

A heart so warm,

A love so deep.

Such a rare treasure…

A diamond in the rough ~

So rare a find.

 

So eloquent a princess;

In glass slippers and gown.

Capturing all hearts

As she quietly slips by.

Yet beware in the forest…

If with evil intent,..

Be warned not to go:

She will scent you out.

Shoot you down.

With her compound bow.

 

If in her heart, you belong…

You shall not find

A fiercer protecting angel.

Be it in book or in song

 

Locks of hair so red…

Eyes coloured so deep,

Skin so soft ~

Alabaster white.

How I yearn to hold you…

Hold you ever so tight.

 

Apart at this moment,

For you I do so long.

But soon we shall be together,

And play out our song.

22

Plunging

 

And I found my self

Plunging

In free fall

Parachute denying to open

To break my descent

Screams fleeing from my mouth

Terror

Utter panic

Hysteria

But

Then

Only to realize

I am floating

Like a leaf in the wind

A gentle

Warm breeze

Soothing

Descending ever so softly

Like a whisper

Onto

The soft moist ground

Beneath

23
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

 

Portrait

 

As I look out the window

And count the snow flakes

Ever so gently

Falling

And kissing the ground

I tally them

Like the hours

The moments

The seconds

Before you will come

And visit yourself

Into my waiting arms

One cannot bring back the past

By longing for it

But can then

Again

Embrace the future

And the promise it holds

Surrender one’s self

As the saga unfolds

As Prometheus brought fire

To our earthly world

You kindle the fires

In my heart and soul

Paling Aphrodite

Sailing down the Euphrates

Portrait

Of beauty and love

25

Pray for the lambs

 

Oh these thoughts

Spinning in my head

Truths to yet unfold

Drat them

Sans merci

No kindness

Raw

Verities

Events yet to be

Painfully unfurled

Dreams lost

Forsaken

For

We are

But the sum

The sum

Of all our yesterdays

 

Mourning has broken

Pray for the lambs

26
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

 

Proverbial Lies

 

Come look into my window

I will pull the curtains asunder

Wipe the panes of glass clean

Do you see what I see

Do you hear what I hear

Whispered the mountain to the trees

 

When will you stop and shed a tear

The world is full of treachery

Misery abounding so astounding

Cry for the Shepherd

Cry for the sheep

Cry for the children

Out of harm’s way to keep

 

Cry for the mothers

Bitter tears they weep

Resounding dumbfounding

With prayers and words to dread

Shouting out

You better be ware

Howling and crying and screaming

Know in the end

All has been recorded and said

Leaving my brain in a state

Not knowing if it is alive or dead

Screaming echoes resounding

Wondering what is going down

Be I a Believer, dreamer

Conceiver, healer or deceiver

 

Did you ever stop and think

That you did it all right

And it still came out all wrong

Write it out on paper

Sing it in a song

Weaving a web of deceit

Threads laid out so neat

 

So many truths to disguise

Covering up the lies

Pretending dumb as a fox

All the while clasping

Keys to Pandora’s Box

Sucked in to the abyss

Relation dies a painful death

 

Destroyed what once was

 

Suffer me not the pains

Justifications. Excuses. Rational

As attached and deep

As our love had grown

Cherished what we had

Never feared to lose it all

Gone now in as much

As the blink of an eye

Only charred ash remains

Fuelled by those

Proverbial lies

28

Reality

 

Lightening thunder and rain;

I can feel your pain.

Meandering waters tell the story

Of how the river was old

Those secrets it hides

Yet to unfold.

 

I have walked the road

A hundred times…

100 miles, 10.000 miles.

Through all kinds of weather.

And those rocks perilous they lay;

Scattered along the path ,

To obfuscate the way.

 

Wakened to

A louder silence…

 

Do you see what I see?

Do you hear what I hear?

Do you feel what I feel?

Having tasted the honey ,

And been stung by the bees.

Vipers to the left…

Scorpions to the right ~

Self-serving,

Fast walking,

Smooth talking,

Sticky fingered

Amorphous …

Beings of another faith:

 

What is it that shapes,

Molds them to what they be?

Living in a House of cards …

Castles of glass.

About to crumble all around.

Snickering at misfortunes of others

To ease their own pitiful existence:

Their mirrors long since cracked.

Some of them love to abuse ~

But then again I am not amused.

 

Surrounded and astounded ,

By what I see, that I be:

 

Come now and listen…

Then…

Wake up reality.

29
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Red Button

 

I had a dream last night

Shadows swaying in the mist

Angry throngs all around

Everyone rising up a fist

 

Look to the heavens above

Please, please American pie

I’m too young and innocent

I’m much too young to die

 

Only sadness and trepidation

My bucket list shows much to do

And all those lovers still in line

I still pray for a sky so blue

 

A room so damp and dark

Red button is opened bare

Key is dangling on the wall

Nervous finger waiting, for the dare

 

Cold wind caressing my skin

I see angels floating all around

Beckoning us to join them

In their dance above the ground

 

There must be an answer

To calm the vicious storm

Must awaken all the children

Sleeping now in their dorm

 

Looking into the mirror

Seeing  but times so bleak

If someone has the answer

Come out now and speak

 

Keep the flowers from wilting

The fields from turning brown

Clouds of fire in the skies

The forests burning down

 

Clowns to the left

Jokers to the right

Who will remain

At the end of the night

 

With hands stretched out

I just want to run and scream

And then I pray to you again

Wake me from this dream

31

Red Moon

 

Oh! Thee:

You ominous moon …

Moon of red.

Spewing out conspiracies ~

Machinations of doom;

Tenfold plus one.

Each century over millenniums

the prophets swarm out…

As omens;

In the heavens above appear…

Garbed in tatters so old ~

Waving placards of kismet…

Warnings of times so cold.

Carrying their holy books,

Drinking from the grail.

The articulated word;

So it is spoken ,

So it must be.

 

Fret thee not…

For we still be here;

To enjoy the grandeurs

of our universe to share.

The cosmic splendours …

Progressions of the equinox.

Red moons so bright,

warming our souls ~

In the changing season night.

32

Reflections  on Love

 

6:15 PM (4 minutes ago)

 

to me

 

Two young couples

embarked one day

On a quest for love

with the promise to stay

 

Together as one

’till the stress of old age

Released them both

from their physical cage.

 

The first young couple

took this promise to share

A literal bond

to go alone nowhere.

 

No matter the struggle,

no matter wrong or right

They would never be

further apart than one night.

 

The second couple

promised their love would shine

Whether broken by distance

or separated by time.

 

They knew that their love

was stronger than sight;

That a deeper connection

had strengthened their fight.

 

The first young couple

were together ten years

When fate would help

realize their greatest of fears.

 

They kept their promise

to stay by the other.

Then life hit them hard,

together they did suffer.

 

The second young couple

kept their eyes always forward.

Though sometimes apart,

their sacrifice was reward.

 

They worked and they fought

to make life their own

Through commitment and loyalty,

their love ever shown.

 

The first young couple,

after life turned its tide

They ever kept the warmth

of the other at their side.

 

Until one day

in the dark and the rain

After long was their hardship,

fate ended their pain

.

The second young couple

had prospered in life.

They had done what was needed,

through joy and through strife.

 

When finally together

their journey came to rest,

They had fifty-two years

of true love at its best.

 

Though both couples’ vows

were truly achieved,

They had different ideas

what of love they believed

 

The first marched together

through a decade of hell

The second had joy

through the last final bell.

 

If ever you feel

that your love doesn’t care,

Remember these couples

and how their love did fare.

 

For un-parted forever

a true love may be,

That bond can stretch further

than just what you see.

33

Rock

 

 

You were my rock

Someone to hold onto

My stone

Sustaining life

Light shining so bright

Then out of the shadows

You emerged

So heavy were you

Sank into the sea

My stone

The waters

Could not sustain your weight

Drowned into the abyss

Quenched the light

Only

Darkness remains

34
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Romancing the stone

I have

I voice

Walked through the forest

Of broken dreams

Alone and cold

Mind in turmoil

Thoughts fueled

By disappointment

Feelings

Turned to anger

Discontent

Memories drawn

Like moths to a fire

Oh! But to

Ride out the storms

Medicaments to cloud the mind

Unguents   to soothe the flesh

Memories yearning to be forgot

Danced with the sadness

Devil in disguise

And now

Progression of time

Change the course of the river

Until the happiness returned

And am now left

Blessed

Romancing the stone

I’ve got sunshine in the rain

Love to ease my pain

You slipped into my heart

Like a mid-summer night dream

Slowly creeping in

Like life emerging

After the cold winter thaw

Through the cracks

And the holes

Stealth In the darkness of night

Offering up soothing light

To explore now my thesaurus

Dictionary of my heart

Searching out

The many ways to say

I love thee

Love thee ever so much

To grab you

To hold you

Squeeze every drop out of you

As I lay there

Drained, exhausted,

Left squirming

Begging for more

And it is to you

My precious pearl

That I

I surrender

36

Rosebud

 

It’s still unknown

I opined

why the rose is born;

in fullness fine,

while lazy days often gloom,

in time,

the rose must bloom.

 

Today is here

The rosebud is there;

of novel hopes and joys,

the petals unfolding poise.

 

It’s hidden beauty

does indeed fair display;

the opening petals

of each rosebud’s dawning day.

 

The day now smiles;

The rosebud beguiles

37

Sardonic  Voices

 

Mordant voices

Not so sweetly phrased

Spew up

From the quagmire

Like rats in the sewers

Overrunning

The cracks and holes

Scurrying about

Manipulating lyrics.

 

Take heed then;

And do take note…

Be well aware this river

The one in which

You take life,

Float ~

Words;

Like bricks and mortar

Are for building up

Not tearing down

And indiscriminately hurling.

 

With open mouths

And closed spaghetti brains…

Atrophied;

With rusted forks

You twist the words

To suit your means,

Sardonic voices;

Seeking an audience

But to incense,

Soups to stir and boil.

 

And then look on

The reflection;

The snippet in the mirror

So smart ~

A single celled slime

Set to engulf

An ocean so torrent

Of sexless onlookers.

 

Words echoing

Resounding in empty vessels,

Open the doors;

Bring on the clowns….

Winds of time

As bells chime,

Our future,

Our present…

Is now !

38
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Shades of grey

 

Come

Look and see

Black and white

Things are in black and white

Not shades of grey

I feel sorry for those

Those who do not see

Be it night or day

They will then suffer consequence

The curse of ignorance

In the end they will pay

 

Darkness flooded in light

Wine when I’m thirsty

Give my whisky when I’m dry

Many so called friends

Have vanished into thin air

Now that the money’s gone

And here I am left

Searching for an old dear pal

Not so long departed

Seems just a little while ago

 

That long and weary road

Watching for the frog prince

That once again was a toad

Searching for that something

To lighten up the load

 

Nobody knows my sorrow

No one really knows my pain

Not out there for money

Nor for any personal gain

Just trying to survive

Find some signs of happiness

Without going insane

 

Feeling at times so helpless

When I look all around

Holding my breath till blue

Afraid to make a sound

I cry for the people

And weep for the children

Shed tears for loved ones

Buried in personal strife

 

I gaze around but see no answers

Just questions which abound

Seeking now shelter

Escape

From these dark storms

Which all about us surround

 

So tired of the games

The games that people play now

Just listen to what they say

Words without meaning

Meanings without words

Smiling as they speak now

Playing with people’s heads

In worlds of collusion

Scheming as they smile

Attempting all the while

To change the time of day

 

Things are in black and white

Not shades of grey

I feel sorry those

Those who do not see

Be it night or day

They will then suffer consequence

The curse of ignorance

In the end they will pay

40
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Shadows.

 

Shadows, shadows everywhere

Can’t find a place to rest

Wandering about aimlessly

Just doing my best

 

What secrets lay hidden

In the cracks and holes

Shadows lend us vision

Centering the poles

 

Show us perspective

Ups from downs

Expose the truth

Bring on the clowns

 

Moments of innocents

Sealed with a kiss

Head spinning high

Overflowing with bliss

 

Dancing in the sun

Arms of a lover

Fear from the mongers

Hide and run for cover

 

Stones raining down

Feeling but numb

To the horrific finale

This bloodied end to succumb

 

Twisted minds thriving

Their justice to meet out

No true knowledge

What the world is about

 

Filled with disdain

Excuse for hatred

When will they awake

From times so outdated

 

Fingers ever so light

Play the tune sweetly

Feel the sounds consume

Play the tune softly

 

Shadows, shadows everywhere

Can’t find a place to rest

Wandering about aimlessly

Just doing my best

42

Your Name

 

Somehow I just knew

When I first saw your name

My heart skipped a beat

And felt then

That nothing

Would ever be the same

 

Blister heals and fades

Much like being dealt

The queen of spades

Only then to uncover

The Queen of Hearts

A rose standing

So proud, noble

Amongst the weed

A heart so sweet and gentle

Not masked in jealous greed

A heart so good and pure

 

I have been on a quest

My life so hard and long

Through thick and thin

To find the words

To fill my song

Close to my heart

Where they belong

The words which make

My world stand sill

Just your name

Pedra Tianna Brazil

 

Somehow I just knew

When I first saw your name

My heart skipped a beat

And felt then

That nothing

Would ever be the same

43

Words

 

They have seen what they have seen

Heard what they have heard

Read what they have read

And felt what they have felt

 

One moment at first light

The sun is shining bright

Then without warning

The clouds get in the way

Blacken the azure sky

Choking the warmth

Rain pelts painfully down

Joker becomes the clown

 

Fare thee well

Those trusted friends

The time has come

They have to run now

Seek shelter and safety

Scamper off and hide

Memories gone by

They must sit down

Bow their heads and cry

 

Where have they all gone

They used to be here

From dusk through the dawn

No hand reaching out

To cling onto and hold

Just left shivering here

Alone in the cold

 

Words written down

Deepest feelings shared

And then left bared

Everything turned back

Slipping into the abyss

So deep and so dark

 

All that remains

Requiem and despair

Does anybody give a damn

Does anybody really care

44
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Words Spoken in Haste

 

Flowers among the weeds

When searching in the garbage

She takes you to the water’s edge

Washes away you sorrow

Brings hope for tomorrow

Let’s in light where there are no windows

Gives warmth without blankets

Fills with love

The cup that was long empty

Hope where there was no tomorrow

Happiness and joy

Where there once was sorrow

Ethereal glance behind

At the footprints

Apparitions of the past

Imprinted in the sand

As we walk on forward

Hand in hand

 

Words spoken in haste

Feelings come to waste

Taste

We usually dig our own holes

Paint ourselves into our own corners

True colours

Who you are not what

Long and winding road

Come out come out

Is what you are about to see

The lull before the storm

 

Sad when one sits back

Lets another dictate

What needs be done

Do not insult me

By quoting dollar spent

Equated

As proof of love

Spare me the agony

Tolerate me to pass on in peace

Let sleeping dogs lie

Directives at expense of losing friendship

Jealousy

Queen

Stubbornness

Wherever you may be

A little something like in a mirror

Product

Of words spoken in haste

47

When will we learn

 

Oh! The inhumanity

Of man bestowed upon man:

Throughout the ages…

Since time began;

As river flowed,

And fish swam the seas.

As trees bent slowly

In the wind and breeze.

As fruits did grow

And food was in plenty;

What was it that drove

Mankind so astray?

The greed for power,

For land or wealth?

What was it that lured them

Into a state of stealth?

Burn them in ovens

Burn then at the stake.

All was there waiting

Just for the take:

Blame it on religion

Or the colour of their skin

Forget the truths

That we be all akin.

Holding hands now

Singing rock of ages…

We can always blame it

On the sages.

When will we learn

When will we ever learn.

48
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Voices

 

The voices in my head

Screaming now so loud

Thoughts and visions

Lost in the cloud

 

Trying to venture out

Into the cold of night

Having nothing to fear

But the word fright

 

Why now this turmoil

Why now this fight

Look now to the left

Then now to the right

 

Who has the answers

Promises in hand

Who has the power

To save this our land

 

Listen to the politicians

Sniffing up their coke

All the while this land

Is going up in smoke

 

Standing there ejaculating

Speeches on their own

Dreams now of sitting

On their gilded throne

 

Handed them the sceptre

When they won our trust

Now lost but forever

In their selfish lust

 

There must be an answer

In the darkness of night

To save our weary souls

From suffering this plight

 

Come gather now together

In numbers we have might

Come and join us now

So we can win this fight

 

Listen to the politicians

Sniffing up their coke

All the while this land

Is going up in smoke

 

Standing there ejaculating

Speeches on their own

Dreams now of sitting

On their gilded throne

50
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Valentine

 

My dear love

My sweetheart, my love

Walk gentle into the night

Be not be in fear of shadows

Manifesting and lurking there

Know well my darling

I shall be standing by you

Holding ever so close

Our souls fusing as one

Our love is deep and growing

With every passing day

Even though we are separated

By time and by space

The future is ours

To hold onto and embrace

The dawning of our time is coming

Warmth and sunshine is on the way

The season is right

As is the time of day

To wish you a wonderful

Warm and beautiful

Valentine’s day

 

 

 

Victim of love

52

Truth

 

What is it about this word

So strong it can comrades bond

A seal to tight never to be broken

To protect till death

And yet can be shattered

Like shards of glass

With but a simple breath

A whisper so quiet

Yet resound like the loudest bell

A cannonball shot

On a crystal clear night

 

So often I have pondered

That word “Truth”

So elusive albeit at times

Better to grasp onto smoke rings

As they float through the air

 

Exists no other word

Or the lack of should I say

Can cause so much despair

Can it be argued

That truth is in fact

Just another four letter word

That one mans’ lies

Are another mans’ truths

 

Truth in the end perseveres

Slips through like light

Through the cracks and holes

Seeps in like water

Seeking its own level

 

Drowning if need arise

Those hiding below

In their holes underground

Delicate cages so neatly spun

To protect from harm

From what truth may expose

 

Just another four letter word

As light as a feather

Soothe the heart and soul

Yet can come down

Bear the weight of worlds

Crushing and destroying

All in its path below

 

Pawns in a game of chess

To lie or not to lie

That is the question why

Is it nobler to suffer consequences

Sit down and cry

Or to fabricate a story

So elaborately spun

So truth may die

And all those sucked in

To this world of pain

Will suffer

Until not one will remain

53
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

True Colours

 

Who you are ;

not what:

Long and winding road.

Come out, come out…

Wherever you may be.

A little something like a mirror

is what you are about to see:

Sweet little doves…

coaxed by ravens.

So black:

So cold:

The lull before the storm;

Sad when one sits back…

Lets another dictate,

What needs be done.

Do not insult me:

By quoting dollar spent…

Equated ;

As proof of love.

Spare me the agony.

Tolerate me to pass on in peace:

Let sleeping dogs lie .

Directives at expense of losing friendship.

Divas so vain:

Jealousy…

Pride…

Aloof…

Abstinent  …

Narcissist :

What ,where, when, why.

The truths in empty vessels lie;

Resounding…

Pulsing…

Throbbing in distain:

Suffer me not the pain ~

The slings and arrows…

The sheer weight.

Cruelty meted out:

So blind, without thought.

To damage :

Albeit  collateral

or intended .

To destroy…

Decimate whatever love one stood ~

Once flourishing  in the sun.

Now laying wasted:

Parched:

A void,

An emptiness

so profound ;

That nothing escapes.

Trapped at the bottom.

The black abyss:

Neither  light

nor colour…

just;

Darkness:

55
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Transparency

 

Persephone

Hades

Dark and Sultry;

The fisherman on the rough waters

Trolling for what may lie,

Monsters lurking,

Scouring, probing, scavenging

Deep beneath…

Depths of the bottomless seas

I fear thee not !

 

For my precious lady~

Her sweet and gentle touch,

Her kindness

Her soul

Her love

Her being…

Has forever

Captured my heart.

 

Just the sound of her name

Silences the demons

In my thoughts.

Helps me

To see beyond

Like light shining through clear glass…

Transparency,

Hope and promise

 

Thrive

On what there is to be…

She gave to me comfort,

Shelter from the storms,

And to darkness ;

My old friend…

I say now

A final goodbye:

 

The shadows sway

And seem to say…

My feet I’d like to rest

By your side, my sweet lady,

In the naked light of day

Under the glowing moon,

And the stars

Which light by night.

 

Our bodies…

Our souls…

Intertwined…

Locked in loves embrace,

Comfort,

Warmth,

Surrender:

57

To Pass or Not to Pass

 

She was there but for a fleeting moment

Time taken from the clock of my brief life

The only aspiration and note sent

Was to entrap me and become my wife

 

Was but accidental that saved the day

The waves of deceit and lies that came out

Like the torrid flow of an angered river

Attempting to pour through a tiny spout

 

A barrage of pathological lies

Which were placed forward in a vain attempt

To bring forth bells and the wedding ties

Without regard for the truth, just contempt

 

Must but now bid thee farewell my sweet lass

Our coming together shall never pass

58

Time Precipitous

 

Tick

Tick tock

Tick tock tick tock

Tock tock

Tock

 

When was it

That last

Time

A time I thought

That

Time froze

 

Was it something

She said

Or

Was it

The way

She

Tossed her head

 

Was it the way

She glared

Eyes piercing

Burning holes

Empty words

 

Callous

Crude

Mind left

Writhing

Oh! The pain

Just the thought

Rape

Searching

For escape

 

A pair of wings

To fly away

But

Memories

Can forever linger

Linger

Linger too long

Echoes resonating

Crying their song

Empty

 

To now stop

Stop

Stop this clock

Turn it back

Back

Back in time

Change what is

What was

 

But time continues

Trudges on

On its own

Methodical way

No heed

No

No Regard

For what is

 

Nor for

What was

Ever

Precipitous

 

Tick

Tick tock

Tick tock tick tock

Tick tock

tock

59
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

Lady from Montana

 

There  once was a lady from Montana.

With red hair down to her butt.

She stole the heart of a Canadian.

A poet and a bit of a nut.

The only thing that did frighten him so

Under her bed lay a compound bow

Not to mention further as matter of fact

Was the 38 under her pillow ready to act

It now became so very clear

He would love and hold her ever so dear

A shirt she did sew him of fabric so fine

And a coat in which he does look so divine

This maiden did fall from the stars above

And captured this poet so much in love

Keeping his head now spinning

Even more than the beginning

61

The Precipice

 

The sun rises then fades

Moonbeams blanket the earth

Glowing quiet and serene

Fireflies dancing through the air

Like stardust sprinkling down

Flickering flames of light

Igniting my thoughts and memories

Recollections of my sweet love

So close and yet so faraway

If I could just take a picture of you

Place it in a pocket next to my heart

Then always feel you next to me

If I could take your letters

Hold them next to my ears

Then hear your sweet voice

If I could take a piece of your cloths

And hold it so close to my face

Then smell your sweet fragrance

It would make the hours and distance

Seem but a mere moment in time

A time yet soon to come

When we shall be locked

Our bodies, minds and souls

In ever so sweet embrace

In a place where time ceases to run

Where flowers grow and scent the air

And rivers run deep and pure

Where green meadows roll

Until they merge with the heavens

And then unite as one

My love for you grows

With every passing day

Yet there is a comfort in knowing

That soon the wait will be done

Hold your heart dear and head high

When at the precipice

Change will occur

62
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

I Do  Surrender

 

Starlight struggling

To break through

Cloud covered sky

Recalling those many sleepless nights

A candle and wool to warm me

Single malt by my side

A lone ice cube dissolving

 

Empty

Void

Writing sweet nothings

To myself on torn blank shards

Wondering if the words

Would ever find a home

A someone to read

Cherish

And hold them close to their breast

Wasting away the hours in dreamland

Crying quietly

 

Then

Then you slipped in ever so quietly

With such grace and ease

Captured my heart

Like no one ever before

Nor anyone ever after

Skin so white and soft

Flowing hair

0f flaming red fleece

A soul so gentle and soft

So kind

Eyes so deep and warm

 

Yet

Concealing a quiet fierceness within

One to protect ones you love

It is to you

My dear princess

My love

That my soul

I do surrender

64

Staircase

 

Crawl the decaying stairs

Up where ever they may lead

The need to feed the greed

Maybe cheat on a lover

Thoughts and words

Stolen from a Friend

Reach for the top the mountain

Searching treasures at the end

You will find yourself waiting

For something to happen

But what is you can’t exactly remember

You have waited so long

Dreams evaporating into clouds of mist

intricate cobwebs now clog your mind

I am broken, shattered,

I need time to put the pieces together,

then first I have to find the pieces.

Letters I have written

Never really meant to send

Still stuck in my drawer

Unfinished paintings on cracked canvas

Crying out for closure

Quatrains half written

On discoloured parchment

disintegrating in lapsing time

Quiver and ink now lay dry

Words without meaning

Meanings without words

65

 Submission

 

The north wind whistles

A longing tune;

As

The shutters beat

Keeping time.

 

The sun peers through

The tainted glass

Beyond tattered curtain remains

Spreading a smile of warmth

To all in its path.

 

The canvass waits

In stoic solitude;

Excitement,

Anticipation of

That

First caress.

 

That

Of the

Tender bristles

 

That;

Of the oils

Refreshing flow

Offering warmth

Rejuvenation,

Life.

 

Orgasm,

Burning;

 

The colours ignite

In a frenzy

Racing across the cloth…

Pulling, tugging , tearing  ~

Blazing the path.

 

So much to tell…

Time running

Out.

 

Thoughts fiercely focused,

Mind…

Treading water.

 

Gasping for breath…

Oblivious to what surrounds;

The exuberance,

The pounding heart.

 

Lights flickering,

Shadows swaying…

Then;

The finale.

 

Deep moist breath

Drawn in…

Scrutiny ,

Prolonged pause;

Exhale ~

 

Exhaustion…

Total submission;

Do not touch…

Do not disturb!

66
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

  Silence of The Night

 

The sun sets

Ever so slowly …

Igniting the horizon

A fiery burst :

Kaleidoscope of colour ,

Ominous red clouds:

 

Day drains into dusk…

Warmth turns to cold.

A chill wind abounds ;

A frost which sends shivers,

Goosebumps ,

Up and down the spine.

 

Freezes the soul;

Burning to the touch.

The ground painful to walk ,

To sit or lay on.

Blades of grass,

Feeling like hot razors

Slicing into tender skin.

 

The shadows sway…

To and fro .

Ever so leisurely .

Ethereal :

Obscuring his presence ~

Blending ever so well…

Lurking there:

 

Opportunist ;

Waiting…

Wanting…

For the time to pounce ;

And then his prize to seize :

 

And all one can do

Is stand …

Frozen in time:

Wait with abated breath .

 

Pray,

Hope,

Curl up and weep:

Endure :

Seek shelter…

Be there none.

 

Peruse warmth,

Comfort.

Search strength,

Understanding .

In strength there is weakness

And in weakness

there lies strength:

 

Yet …

A paradox ;

Knowing all too well…

He will in end collect his bounty;

We all share that commonality.

 

An insertion

In his sacred book:

Written in blood…

On paled parchment:

Aged :

Edges blackened by time .

 

Time;

Time is on his side…

A carpetbagger ~

In his hand

Clenched tight,

Knuckles bared  ,

Frosted white:

The foreboding  …

Scythe of darkness.

 

And;

The stage is set.

The lights flicker,

Then dim.

As

The curtain drops;

Cascades …

Into the night of silence.

And In silence of the night.

68
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com
Moon Shadows by Stefan Borenstein - Illustrated by Natalie Borenstein - Ourboox.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tears of joy, Tears or Rage

                        Embrace to this, Our new Age

71
This free e-book was created with
Ourboox.com

Create your own amazing e-book!
It's simple and free.

Start now

Ad Remove Ads [X]
Skip to content