Words Without Music: —A Compilation of Poetry and Prose—

By J.P. Polidoro

Life’s experiences often take the form of music, poetry, novels, or prose.

J. P. Polidoro—a New Hampshire novelist, songwriter, and poet—has compiled within, decades of verses that were intended to be inspiration for or lyrics for songs—reflections of life—and verses that by themselves stand alone.

In Words Without Music, Polidoro takes the reader on a visionary lyrical ride of love, love lost, often with personal elegies/odes using nature’s beauty as metaphors of life’s experiences both euphoric and tragic. The thoughts penned within are poems and prose that are often autobiographical but universal in nature. His lyrical creations over decades paint a picture in one’s mind, without need of the artist’s brush or support from a melody.

Polidoro purposely offers no table of contents so that the reader may open the book to any page and enjoy the compositions individually, or in total, at one’s leisure, much akin to an individual song. Readers may identify with his past and present emotions and his critical thinking of the day—especially in a world that is ever changing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984555410

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by J.P. Polidoro.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/25/2018

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Contents

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Lay the Lyrics Down

It’s Just a Matter of Time - Reign of Terror

Do Something

Autumn’s Nature

The Stroke of a Pen

New Years Eve 2016 – Reflect

The Third Side of the Coin

- (The Thin Blade)

Perhaps

Sunshines of My Life

Saving Face

One Hundred-Forty Characters Do Not Change the World

Dues Already Paid

Ode to the Old Man

It’s Sunday - I Stare

What Chill is This?

The New Year

Father’s Day

Ciao Dear Brother

Remember Winter?

The Broken Limbs Can Wait

Just Enough

Quiet Thoughts

Spring May Come

Winter’s Desire

I Desire the Night

Love Notes

Soul Mates

A New Year’s Eve Again - 2014

The Rock Wall

The Day After

Questions

Winter’s Fantasy

Christmas is Bittersweet

A Week Has Passed

The Remains Remain

Hey Dog

The Sun Will Shine

Apollo and the Muses

The Sun Still Shines

No Love Remains

Leftovers!

You Now See Me as Useless?

I Took a Shortcut

The Heart Just Pumps Blood

One-Hundred-Two Percent

When You Don’t Look You Find

Boston Massacre Revisited - a Finish Line Unfinished

Who Called You Home, Old Man?

Twenty Years

Second Coming, Again

Ode to Kimball Castle

The Necessary Coup (The White House Whisperers)

Neutral Moments

Leave Me Alone

Ode to Guy – A Hole in My Heart

Dreary Days

Hold Your Breath

Irony

Time to Go

Bless the Children

And Mother Was a Beauty

Ode to Susanne

The Thorn and the Thicket

Paid the Cost

Love’s Refrain

The Snowflake

Sometimes

Words

The Lady

Scorch the Day

Follow my Lead

’Cause

Ah, Bermuda!

Ode to Esther Peters (1916-2014)

Second Coming - 9/11

The Dream

Let it Ride

Sunshine

Two Sparrows

Forgiveness?

Glass Half Empty

The Void

Democracy

Under the Apple Tree

Turning on You

Departing Phoenix

A Daughter Mourns

Look Away To the Window

9/11

Sweet Surrender

The Human Voice

Oh Sweet Woman

Diversity of the Earth

A Ship of Beauty

London Match Man

Contentment

The Resistance

Bye Bye Eighty-Six Years

The Boring Meeting

Unrequited Love

Love’s Door Left Ajar

Black and White Justice

Pumpkin Pumpkin

I Can’t Find a Way

If He’s Not Lovin’ You Tonight, Can I?

The Mole

Highway to a Memory

Poetry and Prose

Dedication

For my children

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to thank his daughter, Stephanie Lynn Polidoro for her assistance in the formatting and edit of the manuscript, and her love, support and encouragement throughout the production of this book. Residing in Burlington, Vermont, it is her serene summer photo of Moss Glen Falls in Stowe VT that graces the cover.

Special thanks are extended to Katie Dobbins of Gilford, NH and Somerville, MA. Together, we co-wrote Highway to a Memory which became a song and a poem.

Introduction

There are many things that inspire creativity.

It can be nature, nostalgia, life, love won, love lost, opinions of critical thinking, religion, politics, inspirational moments, grief, sadness, exultation or an epiphany.

That is often how poems, prose, editorials and commentaries become ‘the written word.’

Musical lyrics can be created from prose or poetry. Songwriters construct lyrics into songs, an adjunct to a melody that the mind has already created. In my case, song melodies generally precede the verse and chorus.

Other times, words merely remain ‘independent’ of a musical backing; they become a statement which ‘stands alone’ in rhyme or prose, a novel or a journal. They are inner feelings expressed on paper and often based on personal experiences and life. I have dabbled in many forms of writing except for a formal journal.

Over decades I have experienced creative moments, mostly to satisfy my own feelings - a therapy of sorts or catharsis when inner thoughts inspire verse profound or melancholy.

The pen merely records words/ phrases while my mind is in neutral or daydreaming. One might say my mind is ‘thinking-deeply’ at that moment, but as the words form I’m not conscious of where they come from. They seem to fall from the sky, the fingers directed automatically to a pen or keystroke. In my early days, literary creativity took the form of ‘pencil’ on paper. That seems like only yesterday.

I have little idea of how the poems form - the subconscious mind perhaps. The words that followed a melody ‘became music’; to date nine original albums of songs as an acoustic singer/ songwriter. Other literary works became eight novels - to me mere ‘expanded ballads’ without music. In this book I share through poetry and prose decades of life’s experiences while marching foreword through ‘the winter of my life.’

Although there may be more creative moments for me to pen, this ‘compilation’ covers muses that inspired me from the 1970s to the present day. Some readers may identify with the thoughts or even find consolation in similar experiences; others may not…and that is okay. At the very least, those readers may be inspired to write their own moments to share.

J.P. Polidoro, 2018

Lay the Lyrics Down

I wonder if Lightfoot felt this way

When the mood sent his hand across the page

What stimulus did he need to push the pen

And lay down the lyrics I defend

The drive which his lyrics instill

Pass verses across my brain, somewhat against my will

Some are set in ink while others find no pad

Those of which pass beyond are never to be had

The lyrics ring about me ever clearer every day

Yet having been there I can say

I know no better way

I lay the pencil down to rest

Between the thoughts that flow

Perhaps he is my demigod

Mortal though I know

Could it be his life is engrained in my soul

Identified only by recall?

At