Poems of Jean Rojas

The night has its allure
The contrast of the light
Against the dark
Where faces become blurred,.
Intentions hide in truth
Walking in shadows
Unknown steps….
Leading to nowhere,
And taking a chance….

Misty eyes that sparkle,
blue in color pale
Sunshine in your smile
Gestures flowed with wine
Like a chameleon
You came one night….
And then disappeared
Out of sight….

Who are you?
Lovely lady of the night,
Black be your color
Blue be your life,
Crimson the sky
That watched you go by,
Never to return
From shadows engulfed
Fragrant dahlia a lifeless scent…
We’ve never known you
But know you all too well…

Your story is common
The beginning and the middle
At best,
But in the end the mythic tragedy
Turns its horns upon the beast….
What can we do the least…
But to run and run and run
Try to find you
Try to find the devil in you
Try to slay the slayer
The lavender avenger….

May you rest in peace, sweet child
The pieces scattered forth
In grasses strewn
with blood, invisible..
The essence of your
Tortured mind and
Myriad soul…
Many men have chased
their dreams of you
The blue eyed black
dahlia of the night

What prevailed is the secret,
Weary light….
Who begs to shine on your grave
Because in you, no one can save…..
But you haunt us far and near….
Like the waters muddy clear..

So farewell, oh lovely lady
Let the dahlia rest upon your hair
After all these years you are still fair
After all these years, we still do care….
Longing for your eyes that dare…
Shine the light on darkness lair….

You will never be forgotten
But your mystery remains…
Your epitaph shall read…
"She’s a star, a shimmering light,
And forever spreading, shining bright…."

Dedicated to : Elizabeth Short
(29 July, 1924- 14 January, 1947)
11 September, 2006

in the middle of the night
we said our goodbyes
among the smoke-filled rooms
across a wall-papered hall

- I am lonely -

knowing the pain that
comes from parting
a lost season
in a now loveless life
I do not want to bid you
goodbye
and kiss your cheek
with my aching mouth

misty eyes
that can't hold back
the tears
my shadow slumps
on an artificial wall

words escape me
I am empty now....

I did not want
to let you go
but my voice was
wandering in unknown
backstreets

never wanting to show
always putting up a show

i have lost that one chance
in a lifetime

we said our goodbyes
and I bid you farewell
with the cold formality
of a handshake
and a nagging feeling of
a sad and sorry state
that I could have done
something to keep you
but I let you go away
from me instead....

1991