Beyond the Thorned Holly
The Poetry of
by
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1. The chubby hands of the boy with the surplus chromosome Fill my grocery bags, no crushed bread or broken eggs The cashier, bony hands pressing against her aproned abdomen, silently watches over him 2. The boy looks at the window White fluffy clouds disrupt An azure gulf sky A mourning dove coos 3.I remember the veins on his hands As he threw the blanket on Red Then hoisted the saddle one motion Cinched it down tight Sample: My Brother’s Lover He sits on the crumbling patio On the black iron chair – It’s too cold for this now Looking out at dry leaves That lead his eyes to dead wood That fence the neighbors – long gone – The ones with the frozen grins Put up to keep him out – back then – But the setting sun lights and warms The red and blue flannel Its dusty smell and warmth Brings on a gently somnolence And he now knows that loneliness was his only real lover And that when he wrapped his arms around them They really wanted only this To share that loneliness Under a bed of stars With him
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A sunset peeking out from behind thorned holly teases me
As I emerge from the darkening woods.
A pastel pink and blue evening sky, adorned by long marbled clouds,
Settles over the Pacific Sound ...
—Gregory Cenac
In a poignant and sometimes amusing collection of poetry, Gregory Cenac lyrically captures the vivid moments of his life with the hope of encouraging others to reflect on their own.
Within verse penned during a four-year period and from settings ranging from the Gulf of Mexico to Portsmouth, Maine, and to the mountain ranges of Alaska, Cenac provides a glimpse into his thoughts and emotions as he explores a variety of themes that include the placement of his Uncle Johnny’s freckles, a street man’s benediction, the long leafless shadows of a barren Midwestern winter, his brother’s true lovers, and the reflections of an old executioner as he taps a small matchbox on a table.
Beyond the Thorned Holly shares a compilation of poems that reflect on one man’s walk through life as he loves, learns, and finds inspiration in nature.
About the Author
Gregory Cenac earned a BSEE degree from Louisiana State University. For over forty years, he has been an electronics’ project engineer for the FAA working in diverse settings ranging from the jungles of South Florida to the frozen tundra of Alaska. He currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri. Beyond the Thorned Holly is his first collection of poetry.