Along with reams of short stories, and longer attempts at fiction, I’ve written countless poems over the decades. The bulk were written in my teens and twenties and I literally have folders full of handwritten and typewritten compositions.

I’d been threatening to put a selection into print since the mid-90’s. I remember discussing it with an old girlfriend in ’95 but a number of things always seemed to stop me. Part of that was not really being sure if I wanted to share them with the world, part was never having the time to go through what was amounting to thousands of bits of paper – ranging from typed and formatted finished compositions to hand written stanzas on the back of paper bags, or anything I had at hand when inspiration hit.

A few years ago I finally got round to sorting out a collection and published them under the title “Wild Card Symphonies”. Consisting of three smaller volumes of my work, “Wild Card Symphonies”, “Cry To Me”, and “This Graveyard Heart”, the book totaled just over 120 poems. You can buy a copy (plug plug) through Lulu on one of the links at the bottom of the page if you like what you read and want to have more.

Guilt

Well I’ve tried

But I haven’t beaten the memories yet

I would if I could

But I can’t

Get you out of my mind

I want you to live up to yourself

I want to see you smile.

—

Just call my name in ecstasy

Forget my name and come next to me

I want you to get it together

And get out of my mind

To float amongst forgotten dreams

And live up to yourself and smile.

—

Ghosts don’t always want forgiveness

That’s a belief of a guilty mind

But if I believe your fiction

Does that mean I share your guilt?

Or am I guilty anyway

For wanting more than I have.

For wanting more than I deserve?

—

I don’t know why I still remember you

With the fondness that I do

There’s no reason I can think of

Unless I’m asking forgiveness

Or trying to forget such actions

That may have hurt either of us.

—

Well I’ve tried

But I haven’t beaten the memories yet

I would if I could

But I can’t

Get you out of my mind

I want you to live up to yourself

I want to see you smile.

—

I’ve no wish for tears

Or for another sunset

With the dead of a thousand lovers

Standing on the sand

Looking, lost and lonely

Pretending everything’s fine.

(GUILT; By A R J Abranson; 12-12-93/14:35)

My poetry anthology, Wild Card Symphonies, is available to buy now on Lulu in both Softcover and Dust Jacket Hardcover.

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Wild Card Symphonies, Cry To Me & This Graveyard Heart are Copyright ©2015, Angus Abranson. All rights reserved.
Cover design by George C. Cotronis (Ravenkult Studios, www.ravenkult.com) Copyright © 2015 Angus Abranson
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
No reproduction in part or in whole without prior written permission from the author of the copyright owner.